Chicago Daily Observer

It has been a difficult few weeks for the friends and political associates of Barack Obama.

In Detroit, Obama’s pal, former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has plead guilty to an assortment crimes and resigned his office to begin a prison term. Closer to home, convicted political fixer Tony Rezko is due to be sentenced shortly before election day. Reports have indicated that Rezko has begun cooperating with prosecutors in an effort to reduce his sentence. Federal investigators have also conducted a search of the home of Will County Executive Larry Walsh, who served with Obama in the Illinois Senate. Walsh was one Obama’s poker playing friends and questions have been raised about the number of federal grant dollars that Obama showered upon Will County after meeting with lobbyists employed by Walsh.

In the gone, but not forgotten category ... Read More...

Former Chicago Ald. Dorothy Tillman was found guilty today of criminal trespassing related to a confrontation with hospital officials in her native Montgomery, Ala., in March, her attorney said.

Municipal Judge Les Hayes found Tillman guilty during a bench trial and gave her a suspended sentence of 10 days in jail and fined her $350.

Tillman’s attorney, Dennis Sweet, said in a telephone interview from Alabama that Tillman was filing an appeal.

Tillman, 60, best known for her work with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and her colorful array of hats, was charged in March with misdemeanor criminal trespassing after a confrontation with hospital officials about her 86-year-old ailing aunt.

Police said Tillman became “very disorderly” when Jackson Hospital would not immediately turn over the medical records of her aunt, who was being released after an overnight stay. A hospital spokesman previously said medical records are only released after a ... Read More...

Dorothy Tillman for Alderman

This endorsement, which Obama made before the 2007 municipal elections, is also problematic, for Tillman is widely known for engaging in cronyism when it comes to competitive City contracts. According to the Chicago Tribune article cited above,

> Obama endorsed former Ald. Dorothy Tillman (3rd), calling her “a very early supporter of my campaign.” Tillman was then under fire for her stewardship of the scandal-plagued Harold Washington Cultural Center, where contracts benefited members of her family.

There is a reason Dorothy Tillman is a former Alderwoman. But Obama sees no conflict in endorsing a candidate whose flagrant nepotism led her constitutents to reject her candidacy, even though she was an incumbent with key endorsements. I quote Obama from the same article:

> “I have been very proud of my track record as a state legislator and as a U.S. senator in terms of maintaining highly ethical ... Read More...