GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION?

A lot of attacks have been coming out of the media about Senator Barack Obama's associations with several, um, let say, questionable characters. Fair enough. It is, after all, one way to tell something about a person's character; by the friends he keeps. But what isn't being discussed properly is the associations of the other two candidates. Since it is my self-proclaimed job to keep you abreast of all the facts, here is a summary of the worst of the three candidates associates.

*SENATOR BARACK OBAMA (D-Ill.)*

Reverend Jeremiah Wright;

The fiery preacher of Barack's church, Trinity United Church of Christ, located in Chicago, Illinois is quite possibly the worst anchor that Senator Obama has hanging around his neck. With recorded statements such as "God Damn America" and claims of America causing the Aids epidemic, Reverend Wrong, as I call him, is a big problem for Barack amongst white people, who seem to be the group most offended by his statements.

William Ayers;

A Weatherman from the 60's terrorist group The Weather Underground, and now a professor of education at University of Illinois at Chicago, Mr. Ayers participated in the bombings of several government buildings in his youth. Senator Obama's connection to Mr. Ayers is that he received contributions for his campaigns from him and was once his neighbor.

Antoin "Tony'' Rezko;

Obama has been friends with slumlord Tony Rezko for 17 years. Rezko has been a political patron to Obama and helped to raise thousands of dollars for him through his own contributions and by hosting fund-raisers in his home. Mr. Rezko also sold Senator Obama a house for $300,000 less than the asking price (a payback for help from Obama in getting a $43 million government loan?) He is currently being tried in Chicago accused of demanding kickbacks on business deals.

*SENATOR JOHN McCAIN (R-Az)*

Charles Keating;

Mr. Keating was the ringleader of the infamous Savings and Loan Scandal of the 1980's. In an effort to cheat thousands of elderly people out of their retirement, Keating recruited five Congressmen known as the "Keating Five" (including Senator McCain). They helped push legislation through Congress that made it possible for him to sell junk bonds that were virtually worthless, without the usual oversight. Several elderly people committed suicide upon learning they had lost their life savings. Over a thousand people that he cheated showed up at his trial. Charles Keating was sentenced to 151 months in prison but was released after a mistrial was declared due to bad jury instruction. The Judge who erred so badly? None other than Judge Lance Ito, who was the judge of the O.J. Simpson Trial. Oh, and the beneficiaries of this scam? Neil and Jeb Bush, brother of President Dubya, who profited over $30 million. One big happy family.

President George W. Bush;

It's next to impossible to separate Bush from McCain. Whether helping Georgie's brother make millions, bowing out to give G.W. the nomination in 2000 or backing the Iraq War and all his policies no matter how failing, McCain has been a friend indeed to the Bush family. It's no wonder people are already calling McCain's run "Bush's Third term". Counting H.W. Bush, I would even say it's more like "The Family's" fourth.

The War and Oil Lobbies;

Much like the Bushes, McCain gets a lot of funding from lobbiests that stand to profit from our involvement in world affairs, particularly those that have oil. Haliburton stocks have soared under Bush, as have profits for the oil companies. Mercinaries such as Blackwater also have made a fortune. These people are not a big fan of ending this gravytrain whether by funding alternative energy or by withdrawing from foreign involvement.

*SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY)*

Norman Hsu;

A quick glance through pictures of Hillary's fund raisers will find Norman Hsu posing with Hillary, posing with Bill, and hob-nobbing with all their Hollywood friends. Norman helped raise millions for Hillary's Presidential run and contributed thousands. The problem? Mr. Hsu had been wanted by the F.B.I. since 1998, he was indicted on charges of violating federal campaign finance laws and defrauding investors "out of at least $20 million." . Hill claimed she couldn't know the back ground of all her supporters, even though he was among the top five. I consider this an odd statement, considering her position on Barack's supporters.

Health Care Lobbiests;

A few years back, the #1 Senate recipient of Health care lobbiest dollars was Pennsylvanian Republican Rick Santora. But not anymore. That crown is now held by Senator Hillary Rodman Clinton. If your wondering why Hill abandoned her efforts to creat a single-payer plan in favor of a big hand-out to the insurance companies, simply follow the money.

A mess of pardoned felons;

This list was simply too long to put in this column. In fact, if I listed all of felons Bill Clinton pardoned in his last few days (including two Weathermen and other terrorists), along with all their crimes, it would fill the equivalent of 5 of my usual posts. Instead, I'll just link them up for you here. Sit down, it takes a while to go through.

President Bill Clinton;

Hillary sometimes seems nearly schizophrenic when referring to her husband. She claims to be both his right hand woman (when it works in her favor) and someone who was either out of the loop or quietly opposed when it doesn't. She denies any support for NAFTA (which was signed and supported by her husband) when campaigning in Rust Belt states. Avoids questions about the Assault Weapons Ban (signed by her husband and hated by gun owners) when in Pro-Gun States. She even goes so far as to pretend to support Second Amendment Rights when her husband's administration was the first in history to deny it applied to the individual. Barack may have went to a church run by somebody he disagreed with......but he didn't marry him.

The bottom line on all this? Each of the candidates has a history with shady people. For the press to decide to focus on only a few is dishonest at best. I recommend doing some research yourself and then deciding if it reaches a level you find unacceptable. For me, I try to see how honest they are about their involvement and whether it would affect me personally or the future of our country. After all, that's what's most important. H.C.