The Obama Health Care Plan

Do you have an underperforming company? (Do you have a well-connected friend "fighting for you" in Barack Obama?)

You too can get a state grant!!!

... from one of the most cash-strapped states in the country, for table tennis tournaments:

Chicago entrepreneur Robert Blackwell Jr. paid Obama an $8,000-a-month retainer to give legal advice to his growing technology firm, Electronic Knowledge Interchange. It allowed Obama to supplement his $58,000 part-time state Senate salary for over a year with regular payments from Blackwell's firm that eventually totaled $112,000.

A few months after receiving his final payment from EKI, Obama sent a request on state Senate letterhead urging Illinois officials to provide a $50,000 tourism promotion grant to another Blackwell company, Killerspin.

The company received a cool $320,000 in grants over the course of two years.

Another part of Barack Obama's master plan for us, no doubt--it's health care!

An aide to Obama went to work part-time for the tournament company. And this:

The day after Obama wrote his letter urging the awarding of the state funds, Obama's U.S. Senate campaign received a $1,000 donation from Blackwell.

The very smooth-talking David Axelrod only addresses the $1,000--but what about the $112,000 hmm? (Is this a moment of truth for the Obama campaign--throwing another gutter ball?)

As the LA Times points out, there is nothing illegal about the $112,000 but Obama has made a point about being holier than thou on ethics and transparency, which he has cited in his regret about dealing with Rezko, as "a contributor and someone doing business before the state."

Finally--did you know Chicago was the table tennis capital of the nation? Sen. Obama says so. In a letter, helpfully linked in the article.

I guess we should believe him. Quite the change agent for Chicago.

P.S. I guess we have more than in Iowa. I see there's a club in Kokomo. Maybe you could bring a little more health care to Indiana. Bowling, basketball, table tennis. Dancing around an issue. Rahm can probably give you points on that.

P.P.S. Is glowing with health Hillary draining him of his precious bodily fluids? Maureen Dowd.

Related posts: Obama Calls Bloggers Liars, More FOBs, Called to Christ, Distracted Democrats, 2007 Dohrn "Overthrow" Video, Taking Stock of Barack: A primer on his radical friends, Whiner Ayers, Barack Obama Turned his Back, Do You Like Waffles?, Ayers-Dohrn SDS Reunion Tapes, Shakeout at Rezko Trial, Governor Bought, Obama Gives Back