Obama and his aunt

You can’t advocate for covering the story… AND call it a smear. That doesn’t make any sense.If it’s a smear, why would you want the Globe and Herald to cover it?

Mark: For God’s sake, man, only the wingnuts think this harms Obama. Normal people — and I suspect you’re one, though you’re way to worried that Obama might be hurt by this — just think it’s interesting. Nothing more.

No one on the left would think anything McCain’s aunt did would reflect on him, positively or negatively.All we have to do is look at his 26 years in public service, and his record in the Navy, to know he’s a worthless scoundrel.

What happened to the vaunted Southie watchful eye? Didn’t anybody notice anything? “By a British reporter who decided to re-read”———————————— Not bloody likely mate.

Dan Kennedy on Thursday asserts that both Boston dailies probably wish they had broken the news, then as the news catches fire on Saturday, provides a link, but only “if you must take it seriously.”Fish: I seem to be having a hard time getting my point across to you and Mark. I’m not sure why. It’s a really interesting story — damn straight I’m sure the Globe and the Herald wish they’d broken it.That said, I fail to see how this reflects either positively or negative on Obama. Except, possibly, for this: As I’ve written before (and it’s interesting that I never get credit for stuff like this), Obama “has an unattractive tendency to use people and move on.”Earlier in the campaign, I wrote this for the Guardian:Then there is the Obamas’ long, long association with the Rev Jeremiah “God Damn America!” Wright. Even if it can never be shown that Barack Obama was sitting in the pews for one of Wright’s more unhinged sermons, it is simply not credible to believe the Obamas didn’t know what kind of church they belonged to and what Wright stood for — the good, yes, but the bad as well.Fish, I don’t think you’ve mentioned one word of that, either. You remember what you want to remember.This is what I mean about the difference between being a liberal and being a partisan “supporter.” Yes, I am a liberal. You couldn’t possibly guess wrong as to whom I’m voting for. But I am a supporter of no one.

Here is why I think this is a legitimate story: You can’t be a millionaire campaigning all around the nation lecturing everyone else about being your brother’s keeper if your own family house isn’t in order. If you are going to use that principle as a campaign tool, you need to live it. That means making sure that you don’t have any half-aunts illegally living in the country, illegally donating to your campaign, and living in a public housing project, paid for by the taxpayers, which should be set aside for citizens who need the housing. You also shouldn’t be letting your half-brother live in squalor in a shack somewhere, like we read about earlier this year.The half-brother in the shack and the illegal alien half-aunt in American public housing are two family members of Obama’s living in dire circumstances while he sits on millions from book sale royalties which featured at least one of them as subjects. He does nothing for them while lecturing the rest of the nation about what we do with our tax dollars, our neighborhoods and our families. The fact that it has taken so long to get the story and the fact that it was in a British newspaper and not an American one, is an embarrassment to our field [Oh, but it’s all Murdoch’s puppet-strings and since he loves Hillary, he wants Obama to lose … or yeah, what a stretch that is … give me a break]. The fact that so many people seemed to be puzzled by this is surprising. Or you just don’t understand the importance of living the Biblical principle if you are going to espouse it. I’m the son of a retired Reverend so I understand a little about these things. You’re a hypocrite if you lecture from the podium while not living the principle. Liberals seem all too eager to attack conservative politicians and Christian pastors for being hypocrites but fail miserably at holding their own accountable for their actions. “Hey, they’re pro-choice, it doesn’t matter …” Well, you know what? It does matter! Instead of attacking the press, Obama should have opened up his checkbook to help. “Gee, I didn’t know my half-aunt lived in a project even though I saw her a couple of years ago … she is no longer on the public dime, I’m assisting her with resettlement money … blah, blah, blah …” That’s being your brother’s keeper.If, however, Obama were not lecturing everyone about being their brother’s keeper, then this would just be another embarrassing campaign story on top of other embarrassments that campaigns have had this cycle … like McCain dumping his first wife and marrying up, like some of Palin’s gaffes, etc. He isn’t obligated to spend his money helping his family. No one is. But that is what being your brother’s keeper is all about. You can’t lecture others and not walk the walk. He’s a hypocrite like most other politicians involved with the two major parties. It is a legitimate story on the national level and should be thoroughly investigated on the local level. There are veterans and others walking the streets of Boston or in shelters. There are a ton of working folks who can barely make ends meet who could use those units. How the heck did she even get access to this unit in the first place? She’s not a citizen! That’s a scandal right there! Question: How many other illegal aliens are in public housing units while American citizens sleep on grates and work multiple jobs just to pay the rent and survive? Granted, the bigger story is on the local level. This has less to do with Obama and his campaign and everything to do with the BHA and the Menino Administration. Will there be a follow up? I sure hope so.

Geez, even Faux News is classy enough to put the word ‘auntie’ in quotes…

Dan, point taken. Your criticism of Obama has been so rare that perhaps I should print it out when it happens and develop a system to catalogue it. I regret that I didn’t recall your spot-on assessment that Obama “has an unattractive tendency to use people and move on” since it’s perfect for the Auntie Z. case.—Dot,Selective use of cut and paste diminishes your credibility. On the “Southie” racial violence that you cite and the suspects that you mention, why did you omit the suspect’s addresses? Two of three were right there and the third was “not listed in records” according to the Herald. Let me help:Thomas Browne – MaldenRobert Stone – DorchesterJames Caparego – unknownOn the “6 House” murder, suspect Bernard Piscopo is reportedly from Dorchester.So out of town racists who commit terrible crimes as they pass through Southie is somehow a reflection of South Boston’s intolerance? That’s akin to saying that 9/11 was a reflection of Manhattan’s failure to deal with violence. Sheesh.

There are just three questions.Is she his aunt?Does she live in a slum?What has he done for her lately?

*I’m sure the Traitor John McCain knows where they all are.Of course, he’s too busy covering up the tracks of his fellow POWs to care.*Mike_b1- just wanted to inform you that either your pet rat or your 9-year-old has discovered the password to the grown-ups computer.