V. Obama’s Heart of Darkness: Rezko, Auchi, Alsammarae, and Chicago Graft 205This demonstration and the growing climate of public discontent, however, had absolutely no
impact on Obama, who was determined to continue on his path of graft:
Even as Lawndale Restoration and Rezmar’s buildings were foreclosed upon, and Grove Parc
and other subsidized developments fell deeper into disrepair, Obama has remained a steadfast
supporter of subsidizing private development.’ (Binyamin Appelbaum, “Grim proving ground
for Obama’s housing policy,” Boston Globe, June 27, 2008)
Nothing but nothing will pry Obama’s fingers away from the bankrupt and despicable model of
the public-private partnership, as the Obama campaign underlined once again after the close of the
primary campaign:
Throughout his career in public service, Barack Obama has advocated for the development of
mixed-income housing and public-private partnerships to create affordable housing as an
alternative to publicly subsidized, concentrated, low-income housing,” the Obama campaign
said in a statement provided to the Globe.’ (Binyamin Appelbaum, “Grim proving ground for
Obama’s housing policy,” Boston Globe, June 27, 2008)A THREE-YEAR OLD TODDLER CRUSHED
TO DEATH AT THE CABRINI GREENS, JUNE 2008
The Chicago housing scandals have come to represent a massive political vulnerability for
Obama, even among those who would otherwise be sympathetic to his candidacy: “I’m not against
Barack Obama,” said Willie J.R. Fleming, an organizer with the Coalition to Protect Public Housing
and a former public housing resident. “What I am against is some of the people around him.” Jamie
Kalven, a longtime Chicago housing activist, put it this way: “I hope there is not much predictive
value in his history and in his involvement with that community.” (Binyamin Appelbaum, “Grim
proving ground for Obama’s housing policy,” Boston Globe, June 27, 2008)
The dirty public-private partnership deals favored by Obama claimed yet another victim in late
June when a small boy died in a bizarre accident when a piece of the steel barrier around his
housing complex came down on him, costing the toddler his life: ‘A 3-year-old boy was crushed to
death Friday evening by a large, rusted steel gate at the Cabrini-Green housing complex, prompting
a crowd to gather and hurl accusations of mismanagement at property managers. “How many
accidents happen over here because of failed inspections,” screamed Willie J.R. Fleming, a resident
and a director with the Coalition to Protect Public Housing. “There’s no accountability, there’s no
oversight of this.” (Chicago Tribune, June 28, 2008, noquarterusa.net)
The Cabrini Greens were already notorious in the late 1980s as one of the worst slum properties
in the world, buildings full of murder, narcotics, crime, and despair. 20 years later, Obama’s much
vaunted public-private partnerships had only made matters worse.
ALEXI GIANNOULIAS AND MICHAEL “JAWS” GIORANGO;
FRIENDS OF BARKY
Obama, who poses in public as a reformer who wants to restore good government and end
partisan haggling, has in fact been one of the most loyal soldiers of the corrupt Illinois Combine. It
is instructive to view the case of Alexi Giannoulias, the Combine’s 2006 choice for the sensitive
post of Illinois State Treasurer. Giannoulias, who had facilitated loans to a certain Michael
Giorango, a convicted bookmaker and prostitution ring promoter, was so sleazy that even some