Hardball Obama

Maybe the Tribune has had an attack of conscience, after clearing the decks of Obama's rival candidates for the US Senate. (The Trib neglects to mention their own role in busting into divorce files.) They've got a story on his hardball style of politics from Day One in his first campaign:

The day after New Year's 1996, operatives for Barack Obama filed into a barren hearing room of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.

There they began the tedious process of challenging hundreds of signatures on the nominating petitions of state Sen. Alice Palmer, the longtime progressive activist from the city's South Side. And they kept challenging petitions until every one of Obama's four Democratic primary rivals was forced off the ballot.

Ah yes, the man of the high-flown rhetoric of wanting to "empower disenfranchised citizens" denies them a choice at the ballot box.

At the core, he's a lawyer:

Davis recalled telling Obama: "If you can get 'em, get 'em. Why give 'em a break?

"I said, 'Barack, I'm going to knock them all off.'

"He said, 'What do you need?'

"I said, 'I need an attorney.'

"He said, 'Who is the best?'

"I said, 'Tom Johnson.' "

A fellow Harvard Law graduate. Of course, the arcane petition rules have been set up to benefit insiders, the elite....and lawyers:

Ewell could not be reached for comment, but the federal judge's decision showed how he was tripped up by complexities in the election procedures.

And Obama's a very ambitious man. Nothing unusual there.

How about a little pro-bono work to clean up the voter rolls for our benefit, not yours hmm? You know, so every real vote counts. Now that would be unusual. And admirable.

Previous post: Obama as Jesus