Obama-Rezko Connection

Do you think that the likable Barack Obama is Mr. Clean when it comes to ethics?

Don't.

Is he the embodiment of change, a new sort of government, hope that we can believe in and be proud of?

No. He's not.

Read what John Batchelor has to offer.

Here's more--

Mark Levin alerted his listeners to a piece from American Thinker, "The Obama-Rezko plot thickens."

There is much yet to be learned about the web of transactions involved, but it now appears that money originating from a convicted Middle Eastern wheeler-dealer found its way to indicted Chicago wheeler-dealer Tony Rezko, and then weeks later provided the means for a nearly simultaneous land transaction that enabled the Obamas to buy their home for substantially below asking price.


It certainly doesn't look like change we can believe in, when it comes to Chicago politics.

More on the Obama-Rezko connection and dirty politics, from Right Wing Nut House.

And more from the Chicago Sun-Times, here.

There's a strong chance White House hopeful Barack Obama's name will surface at indicted political fund-raiser Tony Rezko's trial, which is to begin next week.

In a ruling released Monday, a federal judge also made clear that Gov. Blagojevich, too, stands to come up at trial, as she made public what Blagojevich has long denied: that the governor is the "Public Official A" who's repeatedly referenced in Rezko court documents.

Obama's name was not mentioned, but U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve said she would allow prosecutors to present evidence about a portion of a $375,000 finder's fee that a Rezko associate, Joseph Aramanda, obtained through an alleged kickback scheme orchestrated by Rezko.

Prosecutors, she ruled, will be allowed to ask about how money from that fee allegedly was used "to make a political contribution" in Aramanda's name "because Rezko had already donated the maximum amount by law."

The ruling does not identify Obama as the recipient of that contribution. But sources have identified him as the "political candidate" who prosecutors say received a $10,000 donation from Aramanda -- at Rezko's direction -- during Obama's 2004 run for the U.S. Senate.

Obama has donated that contribution to charity. Aramanda's lawyer could not be reached for comment.

In addition, Rezko allegedly directed another associate, Elie Maloof, "to donate for the same reason," St. Eve wrote.

"The evidence is admissible," she added.

As with the Aramanda contribution, Obama has donated a $10,000 contribution from Maloof -- who was out of the country and could not be reached -- to charity. The two contributions are among $157,835 in Rezko-linked donations that Obama has given away.

Rezko was once part of Obama's senatorial finance committee.

Tony Rezko's trial begins next week.

It may be too late for any of this to help Hillary Clinton, but it won't be too late to help John McCain.

Evan Zeppos: "The law permits us to do this"

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Bradley Center officials believe the state law that created the Bradley Sports and Entertainment Corp. allows them to sell the naming rights for the facility.

The original enabling legislation creating the framework for the Bradley Center, which opened in 1988, states that the corporation must "adequately provide for the long-term maintenance of the Bradley Center."

Evan Zeppos, a spokesman for the Bradley Center board, said that, prior to the board deciding to sell the naming rights to the facility, lawyers researched state law and legislative intent. "We believe the law permits us to do this," Zeppos said.

"We appreciate the feedback we're getting. It was a very hard decision for this board to come to. We did not take this lightly. As we go forward, we will be sensitive to doing this respectfully and we will maintain Mrs. Pettit's name and the Bradley name in an appropriate manner," he said.

As long as Mrs. Pettit's heirs are not on board, renaming the Bradley Center cannot be done respectfully.

Zeppos says the law permits it.

What's legal isn't always what's moral.

... Lynde B. Uihlein, Mrs. Pettit's daughter, e-mailed the Journal Sentinel with a short statement. She wrote: "My mother was a generous, compassionate, unassuming woman who sought to recognize the source of her wealth by building the Bradley Center for the people of Milwaukee and naming it after her father, Harry Lynde Bradley, who loved the city and its people.

"She is in my heart always and in the hearts of those who are able and willing to remember."

A lengthy statement from Lynde B. Uihlein, Mrs. Pettit's daughter, isn't necessary to express where the family stands on the naming rights issue.

I hear echoes of her mother in her words.

Whatever the Bradley Center board decides to do, I hope Mrs. Pettit's family knows that there are people "able and willing to remember."

I hope they know how much Mrs. Pettit's generosity and compassion is still appreciated.

I hope they realize how strongly some people object to the board's move to change the name of the Bradley Center without the explicit consent of Mrs. Pettit's heirs, and how much they care.

Police Investigation into Voter Fraud in Milwaukee

UPDATE: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's spin is in:

The report, which covers many issues first reported by the Journal Sentinel in early 2005, provides a look at the level to which police investigated the problems, which included a gap of several thousand more votes counted than people recorded as having voted.

The report comes long after criminal investigations by the Milwaukee County district attorney's office and the U.S. attorney's office have been closed. Thus, instead of providing further guidance to prosecutors, the 67-page document may be more useful to election officials in identifying problems with the system heading into this fall's presidential election.

Neil Albrecht, the deputy director of the city Election Commission, said the report "validates" the efforts by a city task force, appointed by Mayor Tom Barrett, to review election procedures. All recommendations of that task force have been implemented, he said.

U.S. Attorney Steve Biskupic has said investigators found no evidence of widespread fraud. About a dozen cases, including felons who illegally voted or people who allegedly voted twice, were prosecuted, with spotty results.

In some cases, the report highlights sloppiness by poll workers, or in clerks entering data.

Translation: CYA mission complete.

My take: CYA mission is an embarrassment as well as a failure.
________________

What is the 67 page "Report of the Investigation into the November 2, 2004 General Election in Milwaukee"?

---It is proof that voter fraud in Milwaukee is very, very real.

---It is proof that instances of voter fraud in Milwaukee in the November 2, 2004 election were not rare.

---It is proof that Milwaukee citizens are disenfranchised by a state government that permits same day, on-site, no photo ID voter registration.

---It is proof that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is clueless and/or crooked.

---It is proof that U.S. Representative Gwen Moore is clueless and/or crooked.

---It is proof that Democrat Wisconsin state representatives and senators are clueless and/or crooked.

---It is proof that Governor Jim Doyle, who VETOED a bill that provided for FREE voter photo IDs, is clueless and/or crooked.

---It is proof that the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Editorial Board is a shill for Democrats and complicit in the disenfranchisement of Milwaukeeans and Wisconsinites by consistently objecting to proposals to ensure the integrity of Wisconsin’s elections.

Most importantly, the "Report of the Investigation into the November 2, 2004 General Election in Milwaukee" is an invitation.

It is an invitation to all interested in stealing elections.

Give us your felons, your frauds, your fakes, yearning to vote free and frequently.

Some tidbits from the report:

The majority of the issues cited in the report seem to be record keeping issues, which makes the possibility for voter fraud that much greater.

The report indicates 5,300 more ballots were cast than voters recorded, and it cites 1,305 unenterable on-site registration cards in Milwaukee as a possible reason for this voter gap.

Some of the onsite cards didn't have addresses in Milwaukee. Some weren't signed, and some didn't even have names.

...It states that 785 on-site registered voters had cards registered without dates of birth.

1305 people were found with "un-enterable" on-site registration cards due to valid addresses, names, identifications, signatures, voter numbers, illegibilities or lack of home in the City of Milwaukee.

41% of them voted.

55 people on the "un-enterable" list were found to live outside the city of Milwaukee on the date of the election. The investigation says that even if there was no criminal intent on any part of these people to vote incorrectly, it still proved that election inspectors were not following state laws properly in these cases.

One case involved someone from Chicago who registered to vote by simply placing on their registration card an address of a friend with whom they were staying on West Pierce Street in Milwaukee.

Another used a Journal Sentinel newspaper as proof of residency. Others placed suburbs of Wauwatosa and Greenfield on their address listing, but poll inspectors allowed them to vote in Milwaukee.

...Investigators discovered that 220 felons voted in the city of Milwaukee during the 2004 elections.

...The MPD investigation also found five felons who worked as election inspectors. It says that Kimberly Prude, one of the felons indicted by the U.S. Attorney's ofice, actually registered on-site voters. Additionally, the election commission gave the names of 18 convicted felons who worked as deputy registrars.

Shocked?

You shouldn't be.

The report recommends some simple solutions:

1. Eliminate on-site same day voter registration.

2. Require government-issued identification, such as a photo ID or a social security card, to vote.

Bottom line: I’m mad as hell.

My vote was stolen on November 2, 2004.

My civil rights are being violated by government officials refusing to take measures to prevent voter fraud in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin's November 2, 2004 election was dirty. It is highly likely that other elections have been and will be similarly soiled. Wisconsin’s Democrat elected officials are actively blocking attempts to clean up the mess.

Wisconsin Democrat elected officials, especially Governor Jim Doyle, should not be allowed to disenfranchise all Americans by failing to ensure the integrity of election results in Wisconsin in national elections.

The findings of the "Report of the Investigation into the November 2, 2004 General Election in Milwaukee" reveal that Wisconsin is a disgrace to the United States and democracy.

Most disturbing: Wisconsin Democrat elected officials, while maybe a bit embarrassed by the report, aren’t going to do a damn thing to rectify the situation.

Uriel Zalazar

Uriel Zalazar (Photo/FOX 6 News)

This story is so terribly sad.

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) -- Bond was set at $100,000 each Monday for a man and woman held in the death of the woman's 8-year-old son over the weekend.

Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney Jason Rossell said Uriel Zalazar had bruises from apparent beatings and had reportedly been made to run around his apartment and then stand in a cold shower in the bathtub, where he was found unconscious Saturday afternoon.

Abelina Zalazar, 25, and boyfriend Jorge L. Vilchiz, 32, appeared in Circuit Court Monday and were ordered held on $100,000 cash bonds pending possible charges.

Rossell told the court that investigators pieced together circumstances of the death from evidence and statements of the two.

He quoted Vilchiz as saying the woman had beaten the boy with a belt and electrical cords. Investigators said they found loop-shaped bruises on his body, at various stages of healing.

Vilchiz told investigators that over the previous week, the boy was made to run around in the apartment for 15 minutes, stand in the cold shower for five minutes and stand in the tub another five minutes after the water was turned off, according to Rossell.

Police said they measured the water temperature at 38 degrees after running the shower faucet for three minutes.

Rossell said Vilchiz reportedly was not home when Zalazar found her son unconscious in the shower.

Rossell said Zalazar tried to revive him with warm water, wrapped him in blankets, put him in bed and called Vilchiz. It was nearly two hours before 911 was called, he said.

...Medical Examiner Mary K. Mainland said more information was needed to determine a cause of death, but she would consider the boy's body temperature, measured at 80 degrees.

According to TMJ4, "immigration officials believe both [Zalazar and Vilchiz] are illegal immigrants."

Bob Moore of FOX 6 interviewed Sandie King, sister-in-law of Zalazar.

When Moore asked King for her take on Uriel's death, she said:

She didn't do it. She didn't. She would never do anything bad to her children. She loved her children.

That's not Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney Jason Rossell's take. He says that Zalazar did do it.

Uriel's body shows that he was horribly abused. He was allegedly abused to death.

I don't understand how anyone could do that to a child.

I wish every person who gets so bent out of shape over waterboarding and other interrogation methods used by U.S. agents and military personnel on suspected terrorists and enemies of America would be as troubled by the sort of torture that Uriel endured.

I wish they would be horrified by his death and show as much concern for him as they show for our enemies.

Chris Dodd on Obama's Bandwagon

WASHINGTON -- Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut plans to endorse former presidential rival Barack Obama.

Dodd will endorse his colleague, a senator from Illinois, in Cleveland on Tuesday, according to a Democratic official close to Dodd who requested anonymity because no formal announcement had been made.

Dodd's support, coupled with his liberal credentials, could provide a boost for Obama as major contests near in big states such as Ohio and Texas on March 4. Obama has won some key Democratic endorsements in recent weeks, including Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, a close friend of Dodd.

Yes, Dodd is a very close friend of Ted Kennedy.

Think back to the infamous "waitress sandwich" that he and Teddy engaged in "at La Brasserie in 1985, while their dates were in the bathroom."

Will Dodd's endorsement matter?

It might help Hillary. Some women might not appreciate the old boys' club rallying behind Obama.

The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey

The Pew Forum on Religious and Public Life released an extensive survey on religious affiliation and the American Public. It details shifts and trends in the religious landscape.

For an overview: Summary of Key Findings

The survey covers so much ground. The complete report is enormous with detailed tables.

Media reports on the survey basically lift points from the summary and give a regional spin. Some look at the findings and consider the ramifications on behavior and policy.

In short, the survey is so loaded with information that the media are just scratching the surface in their accounts.

That doesn't stop the media from trying to reduce a complex survey into a few paragraphs.

As written in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, religious ties are shifting, "many switch faiths or drop them entirely."

America remains an overwhelmingly Christian country, but the nation's religious life shows great fluidity, with many adults switching religious affiliations or abandoning ties to organized denominations altogether, according to a survey released Monday.

The study also suggests that Protestants soon might no longer make up a majority of Americans.

Barely 51% of Americans are Protestants, and among people ages 18 to 29, 43% identify with this branch of Christianity, according to the study by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

Evangelicals, at 26.3%, make up the nation's largest religious tradition, followed by Catholics, who make up about 24% of Americans.

But Catholics also lost more adherents than any other religious group in the United States, with 1 in 3 adults who were raised as Catholics no longer in that church, the study says.

Immigrants are twice as likely as U.S. natives to identify with the Catholic Church. One in three adult Catholics is Hispanic.

Forty-four percent of adults have switched religious affiliations, moved from being unaffiliated with any faith to affiliated, or abandoned any ties to a specific religion, according to the study. But the study also says Americans who identify themselves as Christians has remained constant, nearly 8 in 10.

The study says 16.1% of the population is unaffiliated with any religion.

The Wall Street Journal also dwells on what it calls "big declines among major denominations" and rejection of religion altogether.

Nearly half of adults in the U.S. have switched to a faith other than the one in which they were raised or have dropped affiliation with any organized religion, according to a large survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

The study also found that one-third of respondents who were raised Roman Catholic had left the faith as adults. Yet, the overall number of Catholics in the U.S. has remained steady -- about 25% of adults -- buttressed by a wave of Catholic Latino immigration, Pew says.

America's shifting religious landscape could affect voting patterns, scholars say. Pew has found, for example, that when Latinos leave Catholicism for evangelical churches, they often become more politically conservative. The changes also could have financial implications for religious schools and social services -- homeless shelters, food pantries and clinics -- that rely on donations from religious denominations.

The survey, of 35,000 adults by telephone, offers an unusually comprehensive picture of faith among the nation's 225 million adults. This is in part because of the sheer number of people who answered questions, especially about their childhood religious affiliation. Several of the findings echo those of earlier studies, including the precipitous drop in mainline church membership and the rise in membership in nondenominational churches, the majority of which are evangelical Protestant churches.

Scholars say the Pew survey's most surprising finding is the fluidity of religious preference. The study found that 44% have left the faith in which they were raised, including Protestants who now practice another form of Protestantism and people who no longer worship at all. Sixteen percent of adults say they are unaffiliated with any religion -- including those who describe themselves as atheists, agnostics and "nothing in particular." That is double the number surveyed who say they were raised unaffiliated -- a trend noted by other religion surveys.

"Every single group in this country loses members at a considerable rate," says Luis E. Lugo, director of the Pew Forum, which conducted the study, part of the nonprofit Pew Research Center in Washington. "It is a highly competitive religious marketplace."

I find it fascinating the way people take statistics, treat them as hard facts, and "discover" truth.

To begin, one must have be confident that the numbers are reliable and present an accurate picture. That's a leap in itself. One must confront more uncertainty when interpreting those numbers. The interpretations of the survey, what the numbers mean, aren't hard facts. They don't reveal truth. They're several ways of reading the numbers. What's revealed is actually how meaning is applied to them.

They can be used to push an agenda or support a theory or as a springboard for fund-raising. They can be used to indicate dissatisfaction and a crisis of faith. Those same numbers can be used to highlight the importance of God and religion in people's lives.

I have difficulty looking at faith and seeing "a highly competitive religious marketplace" as revealed by the survey.

We're not talking about fast food here.

We're talking about God and our existence. I think it's weird to speak in terms of a marketplace. It may be fitting, but it still seems strange to me.

Two points that I find interesting:

1. In spite of all the fluidity, "Americans who identify themselves as Christians has remained constant, nearly 8 in 10." There isn't a decline in believers. There are significant shifts but those shifts don't result in a move away from Christ in the nation as a whole.

2. Only 1.6% of adults in the U.S. identify themselves as atheists.

It's quite amazing that society seems to have an increasingly secular focus even though the overwhelming majority of citizens embrace religion as a part of their lives.

It makes me wonder why the freedom to worship and expressions of faith are under attack so often.

I object to such infringements on my civil rights. Perhaps the survey can aid in eliminating the injustice of that.

My Nielsen Diaries

From Thursday January 31 through Wednesday February 6, my household took part in the Nielsen ratings.

We had a diary for each TV in our home.

While it was nice to have our viewing habits noted, our likes and dislikes, filling out the diaries was a royal pain.

I can't imagine agreeing to take part in a study like this one:

Study to Track All-Day Media Usage

What better way to track people's video consumption than to have someone follow them around all day -- literally from the time they wake up until they retire at night -- making detailed notes about when and how they watch, listen, surf, read, play video games, download, text and talk on the phone?

That's exactly how a new $3.5 million study--funded by the Nielsen Co.--will track the media usage habits of a panel of some 450 consumers in separate phases throughout this year beginning next month.

...A panel of 350 consumers across five markets--Philadelphia, Seattle, Dallas, Atlanta and Chicago--will be monitored for a full day in the spring and fall of this year by trackers who will record (via electronic handheld note-taking devices) the use of 17 different media as the people use them alone and in multiple combinations. A separate panel of 100 users will also be tracked in the spring and fall. Before the second phase, that panel will have the option to purchase Slingboxes, DVRs and other state-of-the-art media units at discounted rates. The idea is to use the second panel as a predictor of how new media devices will affect future viewing patterns.

Ball State and Sequent won the contract to conduct the survey after a review that included two other undisclosed finalists. The researchers conducted a pre-test last year to prove to the CRE that a panel would cooperate and provide usable data that could be projected nationally, said Mike Bloxham, director of insight and research at Ball State's Center for Media Design. "The findings will provide an important platform for analysis and debate as the committee pursues its mission to inform future best practices in cross-platform video measurement," he said.

How creepy!

There is no way I would agree to have someone follow me around all day.

I don't see how subjects could behave normally with strangers monitoring their every move. I don't think I'd do my usual TV viewing in bed.

It sounds like an incredible waste of millions of dollars.