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The ties that bind. Remember Rahm Emanuel's rent-

free D.C. apartment? The owner: A BP adviser
June 7, 2010 |  3:34 pm

In case you were tempted to buy the faux Washington outrage at BP and its gulf oil spill in recent
days, here's a story that reveals a little-known corporate political connection and the quiet way the
inner political circles intersect, protect and care for one another in the nation's capital. And Chicago.

We already knew that BP and its folks were significant contributors to the record $750-million war
chest of Barack Obama's 2007-08 campaign.

Now, we learn the details of a connection of Rahm Emanuel, the Chicago mayoral wannabe,
current Obama chief of staff, ex-representative, ex-Clinton money man and ex-Windy City political
machine go-fer.

Shortly after Obama's happy inaugural,  eyebrows rose slightly upon word that, as a House member, 
Emanuel had lived the last five years rent-free in a D.C. apartment of Democratic colleague Rep.
Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and her husband, Stanley Greenberg.

For an ordinary American, that would likely raise some obvious tax liability questions. But like
Emanuel, the guy overseeing the Internal Revenue Service now is another Obama insider, Tim
Geithner, who had his own outstanding tax problems but skated through confirmation anyway by
the Democratic-controlled Congress.

Remember this was all before the letters BP stood for Huge Mess. Even before the Obama
administration gave BP a safety award.

Now follow these standard Washington links if you can: 

Greenberg's consulting firm was a prime architect of BP's recent rebranding drive as a green
petroleum company, down to green signs and the slogan "Beyond Petroleum."

Greenberg's company is also closely tied to a sister Democratic outfit -- GCS, named for the last
initials of Greenberg, James Carville, another Clinton advisor, and Bob Shrum, John Kerry's
2004 campaign manager.

According to published reports, GCS received hundreds of thousands of dollars in political polling
contracts in recent years from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Probably just a crazy coincidence. But you'll never guess who was the chairman of that Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee dispensing those huge polling contracts to his kindly rent-free
landlord.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo: Associated Press (Emanuel, file).

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Absolutely disgusting.

It shocks me that it's legal for elected officials to accept these kinds of bribers -- err, gifts. Wait, it's not
legal. But the Obama administration has no intention of enforcing the law.

Remember this when Obama claims he just so darn mad at BP.

Posted by: john | June 07, 2010 at 04:00 PM

It's all Bush's fault!

Posted by: patch | June 07, 2010 at 04:38 PM

b...b...b...but how can obama be a socialist and in bed with big oil (not to mention wall street) at the
same time?

could it be that bill maher was right? (paraphrasing) "we have two parties in america: a right-of-center
party beholden to corporate interests... and the republican party."
Posted by: PW | June 07, 2010 at 06:28 PM

"Hope and Change!"

Posted by: zanne | June 07, 2010 at 06:31 PM

That Dick Cheney! How did he pull this off!?

Barack Obama is evil, incarnate.

Posted by: Jon Fraud Carry | June 07, 2010 at 07:10 PM

Ralph Nader is vindicated, once again. The democrats sold out decades ago, only now it is obvious
because with the presidency and majorities in congress they still can't govern.

Posted by: karl hungus | June 07, 2010 at 07:18 PM

How's that Hope and Change working out?

Posted by: Bill | June 07, 2010 at 07:19 PM

Coming from Chicago it is my opinion you are looking at the man who stopped torture investigations,
war crime investigations and the main driving force for Obamacare. The Big O will not fire him. He
listens to all the wrong people for all the wrong reasons.

Posted by: Lee | June 07, 2010 at 07:58 PM

Curiouser & curiouser. The GCS info is a thunderbolt: now, who exactly did Mr. Carville say is
supposed to tell who that "Daddy" stuff? (And now I wonder if he really meant it)! It must have been a
bit disorienting to him, Rahm & his boss BO to see the old cash cow's udder explode all over the Gulf.

Posted by: XKarenX | June 07, 2010 at 08:17 PM

The day this cockroach's name was entered into discussion, the Obama presidency was given a
terminal prognosis. But never did I realize that Rahm would be Obama's beard.

Posted by: Neeraj Uppal | June 07, 2010 at 08:38 PM

@PW - it's called corporatism, or in older parlance, merchantilism, which is unfortunately now the
American way. The 'two' parties are a false dichotomy...

Posted by: CisseforLiberty | June 07, 2010 at 08:59 PM

If someone has posted this already, I apologize in advance.

When the White House investigates themselves, once again, and then have Gibbs announce that there's
no there there, well then, that will be that.

Posted by: The Doktor | June 07, 2010 at 09:02 PM

(cue the irony, Hopey-Changey fans)

OBAMA'S INTERIOR DEPARTMENT exempted BP's Gulf of Mexico drilling from environmental impact
study in '09.

>>And let's hire Kanaye West to headline Hollywood's so-far-non-existent Gulf Fundraiser telethon.

Posted by: Joe S. | June 07, 2010 at 10:51 PM

Not really sure how this is a tremendous smoking gun of any sort. Lobbyists, politicians and oil
company ceo's have been having threesomes for quite some time now. I'm sure you could play a three
degrees of corruption, fraud and lobbyist from any member of the Obama or Bush circles.

Posted by: Rudy | June 07, 2010 at 11:21 PM

Andy, thanks for sleuthing out the reason that no Independent Counsel will ever be appointed to
investigate the "crimes" of trying to bribe Sestak and Romanoff.

It just isn't a crime if the Obama Administration does it because

1 - Everybody does it.

2- It was done with the best of intentions.

3- No harm, n0 foul

4- The White House has fully investigated and found no evidence of foul play.

and lastly, the events that made it possible were mostly Bush's fault, especially when GWB in 2004
claimed you could always depend on Specter to be a good Republican, thus getting turncoat Plugz
Arlen reelected.

Posted by: daveinboca | June 07, 2010 at 11:25 PM

Mr. Malcolm
You asked to remember Emanuel's rent-free apartment, but you neglect to say a word about many
republican congressmen and senators living in a tidy little townhouse owned by "The Fellowship" AKA
the "Family." This is a secretive extreme right-wing Christian group, as defined by Wikipedia:
"The Fellowship's known participants include ranking United States government officials, corporate
executives, heads of religious and humanitarian aid organizations, and ambassadors and high ranking
politicians from across the world" - one of the most politically well-connected ministries in the United
States. The constitution is designed to protect the country from religion, as well as the practice of it.
The lawmakers pay a mere $600 a month including free maid service and meals for this ritzy little
place. None of the self-identified, or known residents, claim these benefits on legally required financial
reports.
So, Emanuel staying with friends of the same political party is worse than lawmakers accepting cheap
rent from a religious entity seeking favors in notoriously expensive Washington?
Geithner was accused of a crumby $28,000 error on his tax forms which ain't much considering his
government salary. And he paid the bill in full when it arrived.
George W. Bush hauled in and spent more than a half BILLION dollars in his 2006 re-election
campaign alone, and more than $200 million in 2000.
Obama received about $900,000 - total from the gas and oil industry, while McCain grabbed $2.5
million in donations. Republicans were substantially favored by oil donors by 72% vs 28% to
democrats.
And I know you don't want to talk about government contracts allegedly given to politically
connected companies when Halliburton has received more than $275 billion between 2000 and 2005
just for contracts in Iraq.
It would be nice if you tried some fact-based journalism instead of attempting to smear a politician
you don't like. Saying this column is despicable would be far nicer than it deserves.

(AM responds: Oh, Jess, puhleeze! And is that crowd running the White House and the oil spill now,
and 2 wars and offering job bribes to drop out of primaries and the record deficit and the
unstimulating economic stimulus and ....)

Posted by: Jess Henryes | June 08, 2010 at 12:03 AM

I hate Rahm Emanuel.

Posted by: Greydog | June 08, 2010 at 01:04 AM

Between Chicago politics and Louisiana politics, one would think the United States was a banana
republic. Emanuel should be tested to see if he has any Al Capone DNA.

Posted by: Aaron Nowling | June 08, 2010 at 02:54 AM

Rahm and Barry have turned the country into a banana republic.

Posted by: charles farley | June 08, 2010 at 03:44 AM

"Obama received about $900,000 - total from the gas and oil industry, while McCain grabbed $2.5
million in donations. Republicans were substantially favored by oil donors by 72% vs 28% to
democrats."

Posted by: Jess Henryes | June 08, 2010 at 12:03 AM

Jess, we're talking about British Petroleum - BP here and members of the Obama administration. You
know why we're talking about BP here? Because BP's rig blew up and had an oil spill. Just trying to help
you out.

Posted by: reginaldL | June 08, 2010 at 04:39 AM

Democrats corrupt?

Why do you think they have to buy votes with government welfare programs? If you vote for these
people, you are as bad as they are.

Posted by: DooDooEcon | June 08, 2010 at 05:36 AM

Tell me how you do ONE thing, and I'll tell you how you do EVERYTHING.

Obama started his political career in the very Living Room of domestic Terrorist Bill Ayers. Bill Ayers
had a little tete a tete, LAUNCHING Obama's State Senatorial Campaign .

When confronted by this fact, Obama stated.

"He's just a guy from the neighborhood."

Tell me ONE Chicago Politician who rose from the ranks who was NOT dirty.

Posted by: Jim Kearney NYC | June 08, 2010 at 05:44 AM

Donate to DeLauro's opponent now: Jerry Labriola, Jr. is not a career politician, he hasn't been in
office one single day, he is a fiscal conservative, a small business owner, and a high school soccer
coach. www.labriolaforcongress.com

Posted by: Tanya Bachand | June 08, 2010 at 05:54 AM

Really Andrew? This is what you have? First, it was BP employees who gave to Obama's campaign, not
the BP PAC or API - Obama raised over 750 million and these people amounted to just over 71k.

Second, wow dude - that was pretty embarrassing over the supposed Rahm connection to BP - I mean,
that is really embarrassing for you - that has to be the most pathetic conspiracy theory ever - and by
the way, I hate Rahm.

Man, you are a hack.

Posted by: Gil | June 08, 2010 at 05:58 AM

Good response Jess, justifying the Obama administration's actions because everybody does it and
George W. Bush's administration was just as corrupt. However, Obama was elected, and the Democrats
took majority in Congress based on the issues of transparency and change from corruption. Instead,
it's meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Posted by: John Compton | June 08, 2010 at 06:42 AM

 
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