The New York Times' Obama-gasm stories are getting higher and higher on the Illinois U.S. Senator. Writer/swooner Janny Scott's job in Monday's story "In Illinois, Obama Proved Pragmatic and Shrewd" must have been to "acquaint" Americans with the unknown Obama by exploring his years in the Illinois Senate . . . and touches on the strife within the Chicago black caucus.
By many accounts, there was already friction between him and Mr. Hendon, whose West Side Chicago district is among the poorest in the state, and Mr. Trotter. When Mr. Trotter and Mr. Obama both ran for Congress two years later - unsuccessfully, it turned out - Mr. Trotter told a reporter that Mr. Obama was viewed in part as "the white man in blackface in our community."
Mr. Dillard said, "I remember Rickey chiding Obama that, 'What do you know, Barack? You grew up in Hawaii and you live in Hyde Park. What do you know about the street?' To which Obama shot back: 'I know a lot. I didn't exactly have a rosy childhood. I'm a street organizer by profession and a lot of my area, once you get outside the University of Chicago neighborhoods, is just as tough as your West Side, Rickey.' "
Link: BarackObama.com | In Illinois, Obama Proved Pragmatic and Shrewd.
