However, I worry some about Rezko — a connection like him would be a major scandal for anyone else in Congress. Not only was he a major contributor and fundraiser, he served on Obama’s finance committee for his 2004 Senate campaign and they have been friends since Obama was in law school.

The one I really worry about is Rev. Wright. I went to church every Sunday well into my late 20’s and I was heavily immersed in church and religious organizations until then. I cannot believe that Obama, who was heavily involved in community works, was not also heavily involved in the church community — especially since he had previously referred to Wright as a mentor. And Trinity is certainly the kind of church that pulls you in, that makes you feel the desire to participate, that enfolds you. I’ve been to these churches. You can’t tell me that Obama went to Trinity for 20 years and was untouched and uninfluenced by Rev. Wright’s energetic ranting. I think he’s smart enough to have been paying attention — after all, he decided to disinvite Wright from giving the public invocation at his Presidential campaign announcement because he thought Wright’s sermons sometimes came off a little “rough”.

I just want to feel more secure that Obama is really telling the truth, that he isn’t going to be bringing his religious beliefs to the Oval Office. And I also want to feel less worried that there aren’t skeletons in the closet that haven’t been left hanging in there because no one wanted to talk about them or see them. I just find it hard to believe that he is that perfect.

I heard complaints about Obama’s connections with shady characters a lot from some of the people around me, but no one could tell me anything beyond that. There were a few journalists who looked into the connections and determined that, yup, there were connections — if slight. No one was able to tell me what Obama was supposed to have done with these people, or had any specific allegations of wrongdoing. They just said “Obama knows these shady people and he must be up to something.” Absence of a specific something was (and apparently still is) taken as proof of a conspiracy of silence among journalists and Obama’s supporters.

But I am “connected” with lots of shady characters myself. People who have been involved in drugs, credit card fraud, probably even federal contracting fraud. I have “connections” with socialists and klansmen. But that doesn’t mean I’ve done anything wrong.

Of course Obama has connections with shady characters. What was missing was someone explaining why those connections mattered. And until I hear something credible there, yes — I am dismissive. Because it’s nothing more than a whisper campaign and an incompetent one at that.

Thuds last blog post..How many violence studies do you need?

And, yes, you’re correct, Palin was the only one who actually had executive experience. In fact, I thought it was debatable as to who had spent more time actually serving in a political office. (Though I wouldn’t have voted for her either. I respected her for being a strong, working mother who stood by her ideals, but I didn’t agree with a lot of her agenda.)

Your point about our President Elect having almost no national government experience really rings a bell with me. In all the pre-election frenzy over the candidates on the two teams, I noticed that only one has experience in the executive branch of government. Palin. And one of the major complaints people had about her was her lack of experience.

Maria Stahls last blog post..There’s laundry to do, but –