"You Got To Know...

When to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em; know when to walk away, and know when to run..." Ah, yes - that classic Kenny Rogers song. Well, apparently, Larry Walsh didn't know when to walk away or when to run. Who is Larry Walsh, you ask? No, he is not the gay man who claims he had sex and did drugs with Obama in 1999 - that was Larry Sinclair. No, Larry Walsh is the Will County (IL) County Executive, good buddy, political confidante, and frequent poker player with Barack Obama. No, I m not kidding - Obama is into poker, so much so that he organized a poker group while in the IL Senate. Obama claimed it brought together Republicans and Democrats, as well as the Lobbyists who support them - he did not emphasize that point, big surprise. According to the reports, Obama does not engage in banter or conversation while playing, he just pays attention to his cards. What a fun guy he must be. Ahem.

So who cares about some county executive anyway? Well, the FBI, for starters. Yes, that is right, yet another one of Obama's CLOSE associates is under investigation. How many does that make now? Let's see - there's Tony Rezko, convicted felon who looks like he'll be singing like a bird to stay out of prison; Kwame Kilpatrick, former mayor of Detroit, convicted felon; Gov. Blagojevich, who is under investigation, and about whom Rezko may well be singing; and then there's Bill Ayers, confirmed, unrepentant domestic terrorist who is only out of prison on a mere technicality. These are the people of whom I can think off the top of my head. Feel free to add more.

Anywho, seems Larry Walsh is in a bit of hot water with the Feds. And before anyone tries to deny that Obama and Walsh aren't really that close, and he doesn't really know him, blah, blah, blah, just take a look at this photo from February, 2008:



Uh, yeah. Just save it. They are clearly, um, close.

And then there are the EARMARKS Obama has porked Walsh's way (major H/T to Jennifer Rubin at Commentary Magazine for this information and newsflash. Earmark citation is HERE):

In 2006, Obama requested that Will County receive $1.3 million to support its Flood Studies for Unincorporated Will County.

In 2006, Obama requested $800,000 for the Will County Sheriff's Office Wireless Communications Technology Upgrades.

In 2006, Obama requested $1,953,331 for Will County's Ridgewood Water and Sewage Project.

In 2005, Obama requested $2 million for the Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois, to establish a Center for Academic and Community Learning, which is designed to address the significant educational needs of the less advantaged in the Will County region by providing academic assistance not only for students on campus but also for residents of the surrounding communities.

And that's just for starters. Feel free to peruse the whole long list of Obama's earmark requests - holy freakin' toledo. Oh, yeah - Obama is SOOO not a typical politician!! Hahahahaha!! Right.

Now, just why are the Feds interested in Obama's close confidant and long-time friend, Larry? Good question. No one's saying, and Walsh claims he hasn't the foggiest why anyone is talking about the Feds anyway - he hasn't done anything! Cough, choke. Huh. I guess he didn't see this Washington Times article, "FBI Investigates Obama's Friend":

According to Chicago authorities, the FBI visited the offices in Joliet, Ill., of a Will County auditor to ask questions about Larry Walsh, a longtime friend of Mr. Obama's, and his chief of staff Matt Ryan.

Mr. Walsh, who served in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2005, was endorsed by Mr. Obama in his county executive election bid. With the support of some of Mr. Obama's U.S. Senate volunteers, he easily defeated incumbent Republican Joseph Mikan.

Will County auditor Steve Weber confirmed that his office had been asked by the FBI to assist in an investigation, but he did not elaborate on the specifics.

Two FBI agents out of Chicago reportedly spent more than an hour in the Will County offices on Wednesday morning.

Yeah, I'm guessing when the FBI comes to chat for an hour, they include that it is best to not talk about specifics. So, what's the deal then? This:

According to sources, the Walsh investigation may be tied to lobbying firm Smith Dawson and Andrews, which was hired in 2006 for $10,000 per month to help Will County acquire federal grants.

The firm, which is registered with the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, assists clients with communications and legislative strategies that better their public policy agendas, according to its Web site. Last month, Mr. Walsh announced that Will County was the recipient of a $750,000 federal government grant that would allow law enforcement and prosecutors to fight against domestic violence.

One of the firm's partners, James P. Smith, contributed $2,000 to help Mr. Walsh's county executive election bid.

Money. It always comes down to money, doesn't it? Let's finish up this interesting article about the relationship between Walsh and Obama:

A corn farmer from Joliet, Mr. Walsh has supported his friend's presidential bid, and campaigned for him in rural and farming areas of the state. They are seen hugging each other in photos before Mr. Obama's announcement that he was running for president.

The two men became tight friends during their tenure in the Illinois Senate and bonded over games of poker. According to a report in Time magazine, Mr. Walsh lost to Mr. Obama once with what he thought was a winning hand, and then slammed down his cards and said: "Doggone it, Barack, if you were more liberal in your card-playing and more conservative in your politics, you and I would get along much better."

Mr. Walsh denied any knowledge of any investigation.

"I don't have a clue what you are talking about," Mr. Walsh said in reports published Thursday in the Chicago Sun-Times.

"I'm innocent! I'm innocent! Just like Tony Rezko, Kwame Kilpatrick, and Bill Ayers! Really"

For crying out loud, the hits just keep on coming from Obama. If these are the people we KNOW about, with the total paper job of the MSM for Obama, how many more are there? And WHY are the alleged news sources not covering these issues? McCain is right - if this was ANYONE else but Obama, the MSM would investigate, nay, SCREAM from the front page, about these characters in Obama's life, and Obama's character. Can you just imagine, just IMAGINE, if these kinds of people were in Senator Clinton's life? Or Senator McCain's life? Or ANY OTHER POLITICIAN'S life? But with Obama, they are swept under the rug, "move along, folks, nothing to see here, nothing to see! Move along!" You know, at some point, preferably before November 4th, these questions must be asked, and answered, and I don't mean Obama's typical, "I barely know the guy - saw him walking down the street! That's IT! Stop asking me already and leave it alone!" All I can say is where there is smoke, there is fire, and there is a smoldering one surrounding Obama. Questions must be asked, and answered now (though they COULD have been asked, oh, I dunno, maybe EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO???). Yep, some answers would be mighty nice.

You know, this would be a pretty big change for the US of A - to elect someone with known shady associates BEFORE they got into the White House and just letting it go as opposed to hounding them into shame like, say, Gary Hart. Heck, he had one affair and was sent off to Purgatory. Obama has a shady past, no records, criminal associates, and he is sailing right along. Maybe THIS is what he meant by Change? If so, that's some change I can do without, I'll tell ya. Anyway, stay tuned - no telling which good buddy of Obama's will be in the cross hair's next! Can't wait until it is OBAMA in the cross hairs - now THAT would be new and different!

Isn't this election electrifying?!?! Oh, boy...