Obama and ex-Nation of Islamer Keith Ellison

Keith Ellison, a guy with pretty solid record of affiliation with anti-Semitic organizations, is featured on Obama's campaign web site, on a page titled "Arab Americans for Obama." Ellison is the lead character in two videos on that page.

PowerLine's Scott Johnson wrote in June that "Despite the natural alliance that should exist between them, Obama has scrupulously avoided Ellison." Apparently that avoidance does not carry over to elements of the campaign targeting at Arab Americans.

In Obama's defense, Ellison is a duly (if unwisely) elected member of Congress; but I seem to recall Obama taking a wee bit of heat for failing to repudiate some unfortunate affiliations earlier in the campaign.

Obama pork tit for tat?

This does seem a bit cozy.

Within months of Obama's swearing in, his wife got a huge raise in the department of her hospital that presumably lobbies for government grants. The next year, Obama apparently requested $9 million in pork for the hospital. Hmmm.

Here's the timeline:

2004: Michelle Obama's pay at the University of Chicago Hospital, where she was executive director for community affairs, was reportedly $121,910.

2005: [January] Michelle Obama's husband Barack becomes a United States Senator.

2005: [May] Mrs. Obama is promoted to vice president for community and external affairs at the hospital, and her pay reportedly jumps to $316,962 (260% of her 2004 salary).

2006: Senator Obama requests $9 million in earmarks for the institution, according to a list of earmark requests released by the Obama campaign:

• "In 2006, Obama requested $8 million for Human Genome Expression at the University of Chicago."
• "In 2006, Obama requested that the University of Chicago receive $1 million to support its Construction of New Hospital Pavilion."

Looks like the hospital got its money back--and then some--from Mrs. Obama's raise.

Obama's family has other connections to the institution as well:

• "Top campaign adviser and friend Valerie Jarrett is the Chair of the University of Chicago Medical Center Board and also Chair of the Executive Committee of that board. She has also been named Vice-Chair of the University's Board of Trustees. "
• "Obama taught at the U. of Chicago law school and the Obama's two daughters attend school there."