Obama's Hidden Donation List vs. The Clintons' Revealed List

By Rev. Lainie Dowell

Barack Obama recently made a public demand of former President Bill Clinton to release his donor list to his (Obama's) transition team before he would consider nominating Senator Hillary Clinton (his wife), for the position of Secretary of State in the 2009 Obama administration. But where is that notorious Obama donor list?! That's the one we really need to closely scrutinize.

After all, Obama has reportedly amassed the largest election campaign contribution coffers than anyone else in American history. And, it seems to me that he is the one who needs to finally present all of those official financial documents en mass for scrutiny by an independent auditor and for publication and examination by the American people.

Who wouldn't agree that we need to know where all of Obama's money came from and how much he received from each donor? After all, Obama is the one that so many Americans have hoisted into the Office of (the first black) President -- from a reportedly pauper status (to let Obama tell it) to the status of multi-millionaire capable of buying all the best that life has to offer even in the face of failing American and worldwide economies. And, while Americans sleep, America is stolen away in broad daylight as so-called conservative preachers and teachers and elected leaders loudly proclaim, "Congratulate President-elect Obama for bringing all of us together." Uh hum?

Does anybody among us of the common folk understand? Have we gone so far from democracy and the United States constitution and become so confused that we dare not to even question whether or not foreign leaders may have helped unsuspecting Americans to put Obama in that all-important office as much, if not more, than the fact that Obama needs to know and dares to demand to know where the Clintons' money came from even though former President Bill Clinton has been out of office for years?

Why didn't the Clintons object to such a request and stick to it? What, if anything, may have made it more worthwhile for them to not have objected to that heretofore never raised political demand? In the end, will the Clintons still believe it was worth it to have capitulated? Senator Hillary Clinton still has to seek Congressional approval of her nomination to the 2009 cabinet. Worse yet, if her nomination is approved (as expected) and Obama should decide to "fire" her at some point, then she will be out of his cabinet, the Senate, and the government. And her husband's formerly private financial records will forever remain open to scrutiny and comments and picked over until, perhaps, somebody might even try hard to find cause for bringing some sort of legal action against him (although I hope it never comes to that).

Whose Side is the United States Congress On, Anyway?!

In the interest of the general welfare and defense of our nation and before it is too late, the United States Congressional leaders need to call for Barack Obama to give up his donor list. Those Obama campaign donation buttons were found affixed to his campaign websites, email solicitations, internet advertisements, personal websites, and various social network sites (all foreign and domestic). The news media reported in awe-struck, excited tones about all that M-O-N-E-Y that found its way into Obama's hands. Where did it go? How can we know unless there is a united demand for Obama's financial records to be presented to the public?

Did the Federal Election Commission let America down? How can we tell beyond mere supposition from all of those events surrounding the Obama campaign (e.g., Online websites set up in Africa with donation buttons and comments from readers who promised to contribute to their "African brother" Obama's quest for President of the United States?)

This commentary may not receive more than a quick glance now, but let me tell you, in the very near future when it finally dawns on somebody else to publicly and nationally raise these very same issues, don't be surprised or act as if you hadn't been told. The blight of the American plight is that they have to "see" something before they will believe it rather than to take note and take action to prevent any projected harmful actions before they come to fruition. It's called being proactive rather than reactive, as Americans have been for decades. Isn't it time to cut that out??!!!

Here's a hint from me to you. Everybody who is proactive is not sick in the head. Its called being a visionary. As I have come to understand it, "If you can foresee problems, then why can't you forestall them?" (Quoted: Rev. Lainie Dowell)