The Washington Post is reporting that along with Christopher Dodd and Kent Conrad, Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama got a sweeter than normal deal on his mortgage:

The freshman Democratic senator received a discount. He locked in an interest rate of 5.625 percent on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, below the average for such loans at the time in Chicago. The loan was unusually large, known in banker lingo as a “super super jumbo.” Obama paid no origination fee or discount points, as some consumers do to reduce their interest rates.

Compared with the average terms offered at the time in Chicago, Obama’s rate could have saved him more than $300 per month.

Nice. I wonder if everyone could get as sweet a deal as that. I’m not talking about the guy trying to scrape together a couple hundred thousand for a house. I talking about other richy-rich folks. Would they get the same deal as a former state senator who made it to the show?

Nope:

In Obama’s case, he received a lower rate than the average offered at the time in Chicago for similarly structured jumbo loans. He secured his final mortgage commitment on June 8, 2005, and during that week, rates on similar loans for which information is available averaged 5.93 percent, according to HSH Associates, which surveys lenders. Another survey firm, Bankrate.com, placed the average at 6 percent.

“It’s certainly safe to say that this borrower did better than average,” said Keith Gumbinger, an HSH vice president, noting that consumer rates vary widely. “It’s a good deal.”

I’m sure the Obamatons will excuse this as nothing out of the ordinary, even though “The Obamas had no prior relationship with Northern Trust when they applied for the loan.” Sure, usually you get a better deal than the people who have been banking there for years. That’s how it works.

See, the bank didn’t really treat him any differently than anyone else:

Unlike Countrywide, where leaked internal e-mails documented a special discount program for friends of chief executive Angelo Mozilo, Northern Trust says it has no formal program to provide discounts to public officials. Loan officers may consider a borrower’s occupation when establishing an interest rate, the bank said.

They just consider the occupation of United States Senator the same way they would, say, dog-catcher, or airline pilot. Oh, and then there is this:

Since 1990, Northern Trust employees have donated more than $739,000 to federal campaigns, including $71,000 to Obama, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Probably nothing to that either.

Next big speech for Barack: “I will never question anyone’s mortgage, and I condemn anyone who does!”

Cross posted to Right Wing News.

Al Garza is upset. He’s upset that the DNC is broadcasting it’s convention in both English and Spanish:

Al Garza is the Executive Director of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.

He says he’s of Hispanic descent, and he’s outraged. “I speak English, and I don’t watch anything in Spanish… This is a nation that was founded and based on English.”

But Damon Jones with the Democratic National Convention says they’re doing it for good reason. “Spanish is the primary language for more than 35-million people in our country and more than 300-million people around the world. So, we think it’s a great message to share and a great step forward at being as inclusive as possible.”

Garza counters that the democrats should focus instead on the second and third generation Hispanic population, who assimilated into society.

We are allowing ourselves to be divided by language. Teddy warned of this so many years ago, before the Knights of Columbus:

The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities, an intricate knot of German-Americans, Irish-Americans, English-Americans, French-Americans, Scandinavian-Americans or Italian-Americans, each preserving its separate nationality, each at heart feeling more sympathy with Europeans of that nationality, than with the other citizens of the American Republic. The men who do not become Americans and nothing else are hyphenated Americans; and there ought to be no room for them in this country. The man who calls himself an American citizen and who yet shows by his actions that he is primarily the citizen of a foreign land, plays a thoroughly mischievous part in the life of our body politic. He has no place here; and the sooner he returns to the land to which he feels his real heart-allegiance, the better it will be for every good American. There is no such thing as a hyphenated American who is a good American. The only man who is a good American is the man who is an American and nothing else.

For an American citizen to vote as a German-American, an Irish-American, or an English-American, is to be a traitor to American institutions; and those hyphenated Americans who terrorize American politicians by threats of the foreign vote are engaged in treason to the American Republic.

Where is the allegiance of the DNC?

Well, at least he’s got a real conservative selected for one of the most important jobs. Human Events says:

In a McCain administration, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson would play a dominant role in selecting Supreme Court nominees and other judicial appointments, sources close to the McCain campaign and to Thompson tell us.

McCain can do himself a lot of good by continuing this trend. Actually, it would be better if you did like a commenter at Human Events said and put Fred on the bench, but it’s a start.

Put Tom Tancredo in charge of Homeland Security next, John, and you might even get my vote!

Remember when John Edwards said this:

“I have no interest in running for VP.”

or this:

The former presidential candidate, who was the 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee, continued to flatly maintain has no interest in the job. Traveling in Spain Friday, Edwards told two separate newspapers it’s not a role he is willing to take again.

How about this?

“Won’t happen…. It’s just not something I am interested in.”

Well, someone is singing a different tune these days:

ABC News’ Mary Bruce reports: 2004 Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards this morning left open the possibility of a second run for the position. “I’d take anything he [Obama] asked me to think about seriously,” Edwards explained in a “This Week” interview with George Stephanopoulos.

I imagine if Barack asked, he would also carry his baby, ala “Junior.”

Rather than a being a group of legislators that throw Constitutional principles under the bus, this group refuses to endorse John McCain. The irony in Washington is sometimes quite hilarious:

Republican members who have not endorsed or publicly backed McCain include Sens. Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and Jeff Sessions (Ala.) and Reps. Jones, Peterson, John Doolittle (Calif.), Randy Forbes (Va.), Wayne Gilchrest (Md.), Virgil Goode (Va.), Tim Murphy (Pa.), Ron Paul (Texas), Ted Poe (Texas), Todd Tiahrt (Kan.), Dave Weldon (Fla.) and Frank Wolf (Va.).

Throughout his career in the House and Senate, McCain has been at odds with his party on a range of issues, including campaign finance reform, earmarks, immigration, healthcare, taxes and energy.

Some Senate Republicans were especially irked with McCain’s role in the “Gang of 14” deal on judicial nominations.

Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), who has been sharply critical of McCain on immigration, told The Hill in February, “I don’t like McCain. I don’t like him at all.”

Gee, Tom…tell us how you really feel. Honestly, I wish more conservatives would come out and say they didn’t support him. It would be a welcome change to see politicians put principles before party, just once.

According to the Boston Herald and the Associated Press:

Hillary Rodham Clinton has decided to end her historic presidential campaign while leaving her options open to retain her delegates and promote her issue agenda, a campaign official says.

The former first lady told House Democrats during a private conference call Wednesday that she will express support for Barack Obama’s candidacy and congratulate him for gathering the necessary delegates to be the party’s nominee.

“Senator Clinton will be hosting an event in Washington on Friday to thank her supporters and express her support for Senator Obama and party unity,” her communications director Howard Wolfson said.

Also in the speech, Clinton will urge once-warring Democrats to focus on the general election and defeating Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

The AP is reporting that even if Obama wins the minimum delegates, he has the nomination cinched up. They are also reporting that Hillary is going to concede tonight.

Long time Clinton sycophant Terry McAuliffe said that if Barack reaches the magic number of 2,118 delegates, she “will congratulate him and call him the nominee.” Her campaign, however, says there in no plan to “concede the nomination this evening.”

Now word is that she is open to a Veep spot:

Hillary Rodham Clinton has told congressional colleagues she would be open to becoming Barack Obama’s vice presidential nominee, saying she would consider it if it would help Democrats win the White House.
Clinton, a New York senator, made the comment on a conference call with other New York lawmakers Tuesday, according a participant on the call.

The senator’s remarks came in response to a question from Democratic Rep. Nydia Velazquez who said she believed the best way for Obama to win over key voting blocs, including Hispanics, would be for him to choose Clinton as his running mate.

“I am open to it,” Clinton replied, if it would help the party’s prospects in November.

Have you read any of the rhetoric from the Obamatons concerning Hillary. They hate her. But, this is politics, so it might be possible.

It does seem that the battle at the convention might have been avoided, what the the flood of superdelegates to Barack Obama, and the scary nod of approval from Jimmy Carter.

UPDATE:

She’s not leaving tonight anyway:

Hillary Rodham Clinton says she will consult with party leaders and supporters to determine her next steps now that Barack Obama has enough delegates to clinch the Democratic nomination.

In a speech in New York, Clinton told supporters that: “This has been a long campaign and I will be making no decisions tonight.” As she spoke, supporters chanted “Denver, Denver,” thinking ahead to the site of the party’s convention in August.

Her supporters are thinking Denver while she’s thinking of the massive debt she racked up during the campaign. She’s either going to Denver, or going to shake down Obama for the cash to get even.

Another of Barack Obama’s moral compasses shows us what Barry has been taught for the last twenty years, and the blogs have gone nuts. Not only the blogs, but Sean Hannity, Mark Levin and others have shown what type of hate speech Obama sat and listened to for 20 years.

If you have been living under a rock, and don’t know what I am talking about, here is the video that started it all:

This is at Barack’s church, Trinity United Church of Christ, and the speaker, Father Michael Pfleger, had, until recently, written a testimonial on Barry’s campaign website. The Husaria has the screen shot, which has apparently been taken off the site.

Gateway Pundit illustrates how close Father Pfleger is to the campaign. Obama’s campaign manager is David Axelrod, who just happens to be listed as top chair in Father Pfleger’s church.

A Newt One found an article in the Chicago Tribune that they say “excoriates” Father Pfleger:

Pfleger talks of exposing “white entitlement and supremacy wherever it raises its head,” and then theatrically mocks Sen. Hillary Clinton. He stalks around the stage of Trinity United Church of Christ. He thunders: “When Hillary was crying, and people said that was put on, I really don’t believe it was put on. I really believe that she just always thought: ‘This is mine! I’m Bill’s wife, I’m white and this is mine! I just gotta get up and step into the plate.’ And then out of nowhere came, ‘Hey, I’m Barack Obama’ and she said: ‘Oh, damn. Where did you come from? I’m white! I’m entitled! There’s a black man stealing my show!’ ”

Then he theatrically feigns tears and says: “She wasn’t the only one crying. There were a whole lot of white people crying.”

His words at Trinity showed an astounding lack of decency and good sense. It wasn’t a homily. It was a mocking, self-serving screed.

His act is getting old. A few months ago, Pfleger suggested that opponents of placing the Chicago Children’s Museum in Grant Park didn’t want black children in their neighborhood. Take what position you want on the museum, but it’s divisive and destructive to claim that racism is the motivation for opposition.

Obama said Pfleger’s words were “divisive” and “backward-looking.”

Pfleger apologized for what he said at Trinity.

Obama wants us to think this is an unusual sermon for Pfleger, but it isn’t. Pfleger wants us to think he is sorry, but he isn’t. The only thing he might feel sorry for is hurting Barry’s chance at the White House. He certainly isn’t sorry for hurting Hillary’s feelings, or anyone else’s.

Pfleger also has some kind words for professional Jew hater Louis Farrakhan. Sweetness & Light reminds us of the issue of “The Trumpet” that named Minister Farrakhan recipient of the “Jeremiah Wright Lifetime Achievement award.” In that issue, Pfleger was quoted:

“Minister Farrakhan is probably one of the most misunderstood and mis-defined leaders of our day,” says Pfleger. “When you don’t want to deal with someone’s truth, you try to destroy their character or redefine them …That’s what the media has sought to do with Minister Farrakhan. His truth causes America to face its racism and its hypocrisy.”

“Minister Farrakhan has been a personal friend for more than 20 years,” continues Pfleger. “His leadership has evolved, and I believe the coming days will see him as a unifying force, calling real Christians, real Jews and real Muslims to come together on principles of truth and justice… Contrary to those who want to make him anti-white and anti-Semitic, I believe Minister Farrakhan is presently building the umbrella for people of conscience to come together no matter the race or creed. I am honored to call him my brother.”

I’m sure that Barack never knew Father Pfleger had such warm feeling for Farrakhan. After all, he has only known the good Father for decades. The Liberty Sphere says that Pfleger raised funds for Barry’s state campaign. Then Barack directed over $200,000 in tax-payer money to his church. He even brought Pfleger to Iowa to help campaign.

But this is just guilt by association, right?

Elsewhere, the Catholic Church isn’t happy with Pfleger. Yesterday, “Cardinal Francis George of the Archdiocese of Chicago has HAMMERED Father Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina’s Catholic Church on the South Side of Chicago over his comments at Trinity United Church of Christ this past Sunday”:

“Racial issues are both political and moral and are also highly charged. Words can be differently interpreted, but Fr. Pfleger’s remarks about Senator Clinton are both partisan and amount to a personal attack. I regret that deeply.

“To avoid months of turmoil in the church, Fr. Pfleger has promised me that he will not enter into campaigning, will not publicly mention any candidate by name and will abide by the discipline common to all catholic priests.”

But the church knows about Pfleger’s racist diatribes and oddly, they refuse to do anything. In 2002, Pfleger stood before a crowd of 400 and said, “I am not quitting. You are going to have to have the balls to fire me.” This is a priest, folks. What is wrong with this picture?

If the church won’t act, the parishioners will, it seems. Michelle Malkin reports on a Catholic group called “Catholics Against Pfleger,” saying “Several readers e-mail that a group called Catholic Mothers Against Politics & Hate Being Preached From The Pulpit has set up a petition against race-baiting Rev. Michael Pfleger.” Here’s the link to that petition.

There are so many articles out there that are talking about this guy and the fact that Barack Obama has surrounded himself with some very hard core leftist beliefs. This isn’t an accident, folks. This is a deliberate act to further his political career. He has listened to these folks, and called them his mentor and spiritual compass. If you cannot see the problem with his associations, then you are without a brainstem. AS George Washington said:

Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company.

And for those like Alan Colmes, who keep repeating the mantra “But, but Hagee…but Parsley,” I’ll try to explain the difference. McCain did not associate with these folks for 20+ years. He did not attend their churches, listen to their sermons and just nod along until they became political baggage. He didn’t throw his own grandmother under a bus rather than distance himself from them. McCain just cut them loose. Embracing them just shows a lack of intelligence on his campaign for not vetting them before embracing them.

I am no McCain supporter, but be realistic. There just is no comparison, so just stop it.

Allahpundit says McCain’s Veep hunter is on the ground in Juneau. That’s the capital of Alaska for those who went to public school:

why am I warming up to her? First because the GOP needs new faces, figuratively and literally, and as faces go you can scarcely do better than hers right now (figuratively and literally). Read Fred Barnes’s profile of her from last summer: She’s excellent on ethics, has experience with energy policy, and maintains balance on the environment, opposing the polar bear ruling but calling for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Second, obviously, having her on the ticket would steal some of Obama’s media juice as the candidate with the Narrative versus the same old patrician Republican crap. And third, well, watch this. We’re not going to win the woman vote, but there are surely some Ferraros out there disgruntled enough about how Hillary was treated to give McCain/Palin a very close look. That’s why it’s silly, actually, to care how many electoral votes Alaska would deliver. Her appeal, unlike Crist’s or Ridge’s, has to do with who she is, not where she’s from. Who’s to say she wouldn’t help deliver Florida or Pennsylvania more than either of them?

I Hope you understand the difference between the three candidates, but just in case you don’t, here is a little parable to help.

John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama were walking down a Washington, D.C. Street when they came upon a homeless person. The Republican, McCain, gave the homeless person his business card and told him to come to his office for a job. He then took $20 out of his pocket and gave it to the homeless person.

Hillary was very impressed, so when they came upon another homeless person, she decided to help. She walked over to the homeless person and gave him directions to the welfare office. She then reached into McCain’s pocket and got out $20. She kept $15 for her administrative fees and gave the homeless person $5.

When they came upon yet another homeless person, Barak told the homeless person to “Have
Hope. Change is coming,” and gave him nothing.

Now, do you understand The Differences?

The media went nuts over Barack Obama drawing a crowd of 75,000 people in Portland:

• PORTLAND, Ore. - They waited for hours under a warm sun, the line snaking for blocks and blocks through downtown. They packed onto the park lawn, from the makeshift stage to the waterfront and up to the street. They watched from a bridge overhead and from pleasure boats on the river, bikini-clad.

  They brought their parents and their infants. Some skipped work. Some wilted in the heat. A few jammed the streets afterward, hoping for a final motorcade glimpse. Fire department officials counted 75,000 in all, a record for the main attraction, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). - Chicago Tribune

• At a rally today in sunny Portland, Barack Obama spoke to some 75,000 people, according to the campaign. The mammoth crowd stood on Waterfront Park in downtown Portland adjacent to the scenic Willamette River. People even came by boat and kayak to catch a glimpse of the likely Democratic nominee. - Fox News
• Barack Obama yesterday addressed his biggest political rally to date, a spectacular outdoor gathering on the banks of the river Willamette near Portland, Oregon.

  The Illinois senator smiled down on a sea of 75,000 faces on a fine, sunlit afternoon.

  “Wow! Wow! Wow!” were his first words as he surveyed the crowd, which included people in kayaks and small pleasure boats on the river on an unusually hot day. - Times Online

• An estimated 75,000 gathered on the banks of the Willamette River in Portland on Sunday to see Barack Obama.
  “Wow! Wow! Wow!” were his first words, as he surveyed the multitude, which included people in kayaks and small pleasure craft on the river. - New York Times
• Barack Obama held his biggest rally to date in here on Saturday. The Democratic frontrunner attracted a crowd of 75,000 according to Duane Bray, battalion chief with Portland Fire and Rescue. - Wall Street Journal

What wasn’t broadly reported was that local Portland Band “The Decemberists” gave a free concert prior to Barack’s appearance:

…Obama was preceded by a rare, 45-minute free concert by actual rock stars The Decemberists. The Portland-based band has drawn rave reviews from Rolling Stone magazine, which gave their 2005 album Picaresque four and a half stars (out of five), and another four and a half stars for 2007’s The Crane Wife.

How many of the people showed up to hear Obama, and how many to hear the band?

I imagine a lot of them were there for both. John Kerry drew a crowd of 50,000 in 2004, and that was without the rock-star status. He did have several celebrities there, though.

The Decemberists are a very popular band with the liberal 20-somethings, and can draw a crowd all by themselves. A couple of things about “The Decemberists” you should know. The name of the band “refers to an 1825 revolt over the Imperial Russian succession.” Also, they have a habit of starting their concerts by playing the national anthem of the U.S.S.R.:

In its entry on the Decemberists, Wikipedia further explains:

“The band’s use of the National Anthem of the Soviet Union, as an introduction at many concerts has sparked controversy as it is seen by some as an endorsement of the repressive Soviet system. The name Decembrist refers to an 1825 revolt over the Imperial Russian succession, and is not related to the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.”

The Decemberists’ front man, Colin Meloy, did a musical endorsement of Obama on YouTube, which includes the lyrics:

/ldblquote…he will shatter the putrescence and complacency of the bourgeoisie…”

“The bourgeoisie” is a standard Marxist term used to describe the middle class.

As of now, it is unknown if the Soviet national anthem played before this concert, but does it really matter? Not to me. It’s common practice for them, and Barack was still fine with it.

Or did he not know about this either?

There are always some good jokes around election time. Lets post a bunch here in the comments. Here is one to get things started.

Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Mc Cain were
flying to a debate.
Barack looked at Hillary, chuckled and said, “You know I could throw a
$1,000 bill out of the window right now and make somebody very happy.”
Hillary shrugged her shoulders and replied, “I could throw ten $100 bills
out of the window
and make ten people very happy.”

John added, “That being the case, I could throw one hundred $10 bills out of
the
window and make a hundred people very happy.”

Hearing their exchange, the pilot rolled his eyes and said to his copilot,
“Such
big-shots back there. I could throw all three of them out of the window and
make 156 million people very happy.”

I’m voting for the Pilot