Shock: Hillary Clinton Earmarked $1 Million For Black Pastor's "Non-Profit;" Coincidentally, He Endorsed Her Last Week

As Johnny Hung said -- was it him? -- the Clinton White House is like a subway, you have to pay to get a ride:

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) secured more than $1 million in federal funding last year for a Harlem-based non-profit whose leader gave her presidential campaign a major endorsement last weekend.

Clinton -- who is aggressively competing for the black vote with her chief rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) -- touted the endorsement of Rev. Calvin O. Butts III, a prominent black leader and pastor of one of the oldest black churches in America, the Abyssinian Baptist Church of Harlem.

The $555-billion FY 2008 omnibus spending bill approved last month by Congress included 11 appropriations bills with almost 1,000 earmarks. Clinton teamed with senior New York Sen. Charles Schumer and New York Rep. Charles Rangel, both Democrats, to provide three earmarks for the Abyssinian Development Corporation (ADC).

The ADC is a separate non-profit community development organization chaired by Butts that focuses on increasing quality housing, delivering social services, and boosting economic and educational opportunities in Harlem.

Clinton backed an $839,000 earmark to the development corporation's programs for at-risk youth; $446,500 for the organization to expand youth after-school programs; and $146,000 for the group's social service work.

Obviously Hillary's earmarks had nothing to do with his newfound support of her:

As of the most recent filing period, Butts has not contributed to any presidential candidate. However, in 2004, he donated $1,000 to Barack Obama's Illinois senate race.

If a million buys Hillary the nomination, I'm not sure my tax money has been misspent.

posted by Ace at 02:37 PM

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