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Obama Joins Growing List of Mortgage "Sweetheart Senators"

freedomworks.org — The scandal surrounding the Dodd-Countrywide mortgage bailout bill continues to grow, as news surfaced that Barack Obama received a suspicious deal on a home mortgage in 2005 from Northern Trust in Illinois. Join the discussion on this!

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  • superman27, on 07/09/2008, -28/+28NO WAY!!!
    • patpl22391, on 07/10/2008, -10/+20This must have been the culture of corruption the Democrats said all those evil Republicans were supposedly involved in during the 2006 midterm elections!
    • pong32, on 07/10/2008, -11/+24OMG!! Obama is a crooked politician, just like all the rest?!?! I'm am in complete shock! LOL

      Obama supporters are such naive tools.
    • ZenMojo, on 07/10/2008, -8/+22This came out a week ago in the Washington Post:
      http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artic ...

      And it was debunked by just about every news organization. In fact, it debunks itself.

      FTA:
      "Modest adjustments in mortgage rates are common among financial institutions as they compete for business or develop relationships with wealthy families."

      Translation: the more money you have, the lower your mortgage rates. Barack Obama got several million dollars for selling his book that year. Furthermore, he paid off his student loans, increasing his credit rating.

      The *average* loan was 5.9. Obama got his at 5.6. Do people really think the average Chicago mortgage lendee has a multi-million dollar book hot off the presses and that it's Obama's VIP status as a senator that got him the discount? I'm just curious what mindset floats this kind of thing as serious news a week after it's been shown to be anything but.

      Seriously, this made the rounds and flared up over the span of about 12 hours before everyone realized it was stupid.

      From The Swamp:
      http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/20 ...

      "For a bank that offers substantial private-banking business to rich clients, doing whatever it could to attract future business from the millionaire Obamas, including giving them a great price on a mortgage is arguably just plain good business sense."

      From Salon:
      http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2008/07/02/ ...

      "As controversies go, this is pretty thin. Obama got a legitimate mortgage, at a competitive rate. He didn't try to conceal anything, and even posted the records related to his house purchase on his website."

      And from the Politico:
      http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/0708/Obama_ ...

      "The Obama campaign explained to The Crypt this morning that the Obamas did not get a special deal because of his position in the Senate. Rather, he got the deal because he borrowed $1.3 million but agreed to bring nearly $3 million in assets to the bank, which was more than happy to knock off a few points from his interest rate in order to manage his cash. Such a lower rate is often offered to wealthy individuals if there is competition for the loan, which there was in Obama's case."

      Even American Thinker rolled its eyes at this:
      "The Obamas' loan documents (warning: large file) show that they received a 30 year fixed rate loan at an interest rate of 5.625% with no points. This interest rate seems to be in line with the going rates for a Jumbo mortgage which are typically about 0.25 to 0.5% higher than a smaller, conventional mortgage. Freddie Mac lists an average rate of 5.58% for June 2005 and 0.6 points. Obama paid no points and given the jumbo differential, his rate is better than the average. The first payment is given as $7,598.67 presumably due August 1, 2005 which is consistent with the loan terms."

      Granted, they proceeded to go off on a long non-sequitur about Tony Rezko just to smear Obama and his wife, but on the mortgage they couldn't find anything suspicious about it and got out ahead of the actual Washington Post story.
    • OwdenBowden, on 07/10/2008, -3/+7I would rather see a Monkey in the White House acting as President than Obama.

      Empty Suit
      Empty Promises
      Flip Flopper
      Lies, Lies, Lies

      Mater of Fact Someone Should Cut his Nuts Off.
  • acbrown, on 07/09/2008, -45/+107why am I not surprised his name came up?
    VIP Loan? Yes we can.
    • PacketScan, on 07/10/2008, -3/+10That rate isn't so great.. my 30 year fixed is better.
      People with money usually take super jumbo's to save on interest.
    • richbleak, on 07/10/2008, -7/+10He got a loan for .3 percent below the "average mortgage rates" in the area? How incredibly damaging; based on this I think I will vote to continue complete deadlock in Washington and new irrational wars that will drive the dollar even further into the *****. .3 percent is easily a good enough reason to further damage our credibility in the world, continue big-oil's stranglehold on our government, and elect a self-admittedly clueless liar to the White House. Let's make sure we drive this nation all the way to the septic tank where we can fester and rot long enough for Russia and China to take control of our few remaining resources; this is easily worth sticking it to Obama for a possible hand-out of .3 percent. It is also reasonable to think that a guy capable of buying a 1.4 million dollar house would sell out to a mortgage company for 4 thousand dollars.
      /sarcasm
    • monoa, on 07/10/2008, -7/+5Shock! Horror! A politician is expedient and not perfect in every way. What were you expecting?

      Obama is still massively preferable to McCain in almost every way. Keep your eye on that.
      • fatrandy13, on 07/10/2008, -1/+3completely irrelevant - you clearly are insulted by this article, being one of the (blind) obama worshipers who think he is perfect. Just accept the fact that he too, like all the other politicians, is corrupt.

        i absolutely love the fact that you had to say, "hes still better" with your tongue out...
  • jojensen, on 07/09/2008, -39/+60it was only a matter of time.
    • jason4188, on 07/10/2008, -1/+2He is such a McSame,except McCain has a record for testing political lines. If Obama says something that goes against what he has been preaching for years, he is just doing it to get votes and we need to recognize that and help him get elected. If McCain does something against his natural grain to get GOP money and help him win the election, he is doing so only because he has turned evil and must be stopped.
  • laxjax31, on 07/09/2008, -39/+69I wish I could say I was shocked?....this is just another example of the "super super jumbo" amount of corruption that comes along with a $300 billion taxpayer-funded bailout.
  • bstein80, on 07/09/2008, -45/+111So much for "change."
  • diamondbigdog, on 07/09/2008, -42/+81This the hope and change. He hopes you won't find out he saved a lot of change by getting preferential treatment.
    • jason4188, on 07/10/2008, -1/+1Hope!!! Change!!! Promise!!! and finally, Changing Promise!!!!
    • indygirl333, on 08/06/2008, -0/+0It's Chicago dirty politics as usual for Barack. Nothing to change. Nothing new.
  • robthej, on 07/09/2008, -41/+70this guy is dirty...
  • OC73, on 07/09/2008, -45/+103Obama = Fraud
  • kavutu, on 07/09/2008, -33/+25OBAMA his MOMMA!!
  • 7thchild, on 07/09/2008, -37/+60Question is, Will America wake up to Obama. He has left the Left, and everyone else, behind for his run to the Center.
    • caramba420, on 07/09/2008, -10/+9The Center = Fascist-lite
    • jdowland, on 07/10/2008, -6/+14The Left should vote for the far Right because their candidate "moved to the center?"

      That doesn't make sense.
      • hugolp, on 07/10/2008, -2/+4Left, right, center, left-center, bla, bla, bla... This is just an artificial political discusion. Left and right is only a marketing strategy to keep people devating over stupidities while the politics impose their bosses policies and keep people entertained. There is no right, there is no left. Its jus marketing.
      • RRJackson, on 07/10/2008, -8/+2Yeah, well the Right feels like their candidate is WAY off to the Left. At the end of the day McCain is probably farther to the Left than Obama.
      • NorthMass, on 07/10/2008, -5/+1They should vote 3rd party.
      • SammyJr, on 07/10/2008, -1/+2@NorthMass and hand the election to old man McSame? Hahahaha.

        Still waiting on McCain supporters to say something, anything, in support of their candidate. Its all Obama bashing and we know how well being the anti-guy worked for Kerry.
  • ericjohnson0, on 07/09/2008, -39/+49Well this isn't that new, but the MSM refuses to cover it:

    http://thesaloon.net/blog/_archives/2008/7/3/37746 ...

    Keep sticking it in their faces, gents.
    • siszam, on 07/10/2008, -6/+12They won't cover it because it has been debunked. Sigh. It took my ten seconds to find multip sources which I listed further down the page. Do you people believe anything your told? Do you ever think for yourselves?! You should be ashamed to allow yourselves to be so easily lead around.
      • MrCobaltBlue, on 07/10/2008, -2/+6barakobama.com doesn't count as a "source" and your youtube video is just 3 different people going "I dunno." and "his rate could be more or less than normal"
  • kemp34, on 07/09/2008, -31/+44Charlatan.
    • radiofrequency, on 07/09/2008, -5/+11A charlatan AND a demagogue.
  • Robart, on 07/09/2008, -42/+56My prediction....this article will never make it to the front page unless they change every "Obama" to "McCain".
    • youareretarded, on 07/10/2008, -6/+5It's on the front page now so I guess that makes you look like an ass doesn't it.
      • MasterGrief, on 07/10/2008, -5/+1Your name fits the tone of your post so well here... It's great.
    • zebco, on 07/10/2008, -5/+3...and a douche bag. I think the only people more nauseating than those who stand blindly by politicians are the ones whose every post is about how nobody ever calls ***** on a politician that they themselves support.
      Digg isn't a cesspool now because of Obama supporters; it's a cesspool because everyone who doesn't like Obama has a single track mind about how Obama supporters are Obamabots.
      And that's the very best they can do....Obamabot. Seriously.
    • mnoe, on 07/20/2008, -0/+1Robert's reply would carry a lot more weight if he were interested in posting a nice retrospective article about McCain's involvement with Charles Keating.

      http://www.slate.com/id/1004633/
  • TYRONEBR549, on 07/09/2008, -35/+36Lies, deceit corruption. So what"s new?
    • fatrandy13, on 07/10/2008, -1/+3whats new is all the obama worshipers truly believed this guy was perfect; they can't bare to see that he is a corrupt politician just like the rest...

      ***** change.. this guy's a joke
    • TYRONEBR549, on 07/11/2008, -0/+1All you said is true, but I still see nothing new. Same corrupt crap as all the rest for the most part.
  • DDMX, on 07/09/2008, -34/+38Is anyone really surprised?
    • shupy, on 07/10/2008, -6/+16No, because loan rates are determined on income and credit rating. Obama's were excellent and his mortgage loan was in line with other loan rates at the time. Many people received similar rates, not because they are VIPs but because they also have excellent income and credit ratings.
    • thetiresias, on 07/10/2008, -3/+5sure...his credit was so excellent he had to have slumlord Rezko be his Cosigner to buy his mansion...
      • caramba420, on 07/10/2008, -4/+0If he had Rezko the slumlord to cosign for him, wouldn't that just be even more reason to give him a better interest rate?
  • Pillage, on 07/09/2008, -21/+12I am shocked to find sweetheart deals in here!
  • elebrio, on 07/09/2008, -32/+37As a former mortgage broker I can personally GUARANTEE he got a sweetheart deal just looking at the rate. Jumbo loans are generally 1/2 point higher than conventional loans. 5.6% would be pushing it even in 2004 when the fed dropped the FFR to next to nothing.
    • shupy, on 07/10/2008, -14/+22Aside from the Dick Armey connection, this is a non-story.

      Loan rates are determined by credit ratings. Obama's rating is excellent, and credit ratings are not a matter of public record. Without the details of the loan agreement, no one can pass judgement on weather or not this was a "sweetheart" deal. There is nothing suspicious about the loan at all.

      Given the fact that Diggers seem to be too young to have ever held a mortgage, they are easy targets for anyone who want to whip up a scandal concerning a loan rate. You may be an ex-mortgage broker, but the reality is that regardless of your personal opinion 5.6% loans were available in 2004 because, yes the fed dropped the FFR to next to nothing.
    • zenerdiode, on 07/10/2008, -8/+5As mortgage broker, you should really understand the impact credit score has on your rate. I got a 5.625% Jumbo 30-year in 2005 and I'm no wannabe Prez.
      • almostnormal, on 07/10/2008, -1/+9I bet you had to pay points, right? 1 percent of his loan is $130,000. He didn't pay any.
      • elebrio, on 07/27/2008, -0/+1130,000 is actually ten percent, but thanks for defending me
    • etx313, on 07/10/2008, -2/+4As a person trying to buy a house right now, you should really understand how much I ***** hate you mortgage people right now.
      • SammyJr, on 07/10/2008, -0/+3Its just you. I had no trouble getting a mortgage earlier this year.
      • elebrio, on 07/27/2008, -0/+1Try paying your bills on time and quit being a dead beat and you won't have that problem.
  • mit7, on 07/09/2008, -17/+7So two final presidential candidates, this is the best we can do. Given that nobody is perfect, but still...
    • FreeTalkLIve, on 07/10/2008, -4/+3Ron Paul was the best we could do, but you ***** blew it.
      • fatrandy13, on 07/10/2008, -1/+2Mitt Romney was the best we could do, but you ***** blew it.
      • mit7, on 07/11/2008, -1/+1Clinton was the best we could do, but Lewinsky blew it.
  • caramba420, on 07/09/2008, -23/+56In the interest of full disclosure, It should be noted that the website that the article came from, "FreedomWorks," is chaired by Dick Armey. While the allegations may, in fact, be true, this is not neutral, objective journalism. The website clearly advocates certain viewpoints. Which is fine. At least, unlike Fox News, they are forthcoming with these viewpoints, rather than masquerading as a reputable news source.
    • jdowland, on 07/10/2008, -8/+5Definitely not neutral, objective journalism. It's basically Republican Party "reporting."
      • inboxnews, on 07/10/2008, -1/+4Yeah, too bad Huffington Post didn't report this one.
    • spankaccount, on 07/10/2008, -1/+12You mean we have to wait for Thinkprogress or the HuffPo to mention it?
    • LoneRanger85, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2Yes, according to liberals, reporting the truth is not neutral and objective. To be neutral and objective, we must find at least three Republicans who received the same shady deal.
    • caramba420, on 07/10/2008, -2/+0@loneranger

      I never said it wasn't the truth. I don't know whether it is or not. All I'm saying is that this site was openly established as a propaganda outlet.

      Wikipedia's definition of propaganda:
      "a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large number of people."

      FreedomWorks's mission statement:
      "FreedomWorks recruits, educates, trains and mobilizes hundreds of thousands of volunteer activists to fight for less government, lower taxes, and more freedom."

      That is a textbook definition of propaganda. I would encourage anyone interested in finding out more about this issue with Obama to do some research, and draw their own conclusions rather than letting a propaganda outlet do their thinking for them.

      @inboxnews & spankaccount

      You guys do realize that Ariana Huffington was married to Michael Huffington, a Republican congressman, right? Back in the mid 90's she was considered to be center-right on most issues. Now that the Republican party has been completely co-opted by neocons, and shifted more toward authoritarian, big-government, hawkish policy, she is considered liberal.

      Feel free to shout to me when you find a factual inaccuracy in a HuffPo article. I'll be waiting.
      • spankaccount, on 07/12/2008, -0/+1Ariana Huffington is a very vocal democrat TODAY, and thats whats important. But your use of the word "neocons" shows that you really aren't serious about politics to begin with.

        We have to political parties in America, the stupid one and the dangerous one... deal with it.
    • Veretax, on 07/10/2008, -1/+1Yeah, I'm a republican, and had never heard of the site, so until i see it on some other reputable page I'm going to take it with a huge helping of salt.
    • wojtyk, on 07/21/2008, -0/+0lol, I had to laugh at this.
      Do you post the same "full disclosure" every time a Huffington Post article shows its ugly face here on Digg?
      I see about 5 a day.
  • JagPop, on 07/10/2008, -18/+8Obama will not lose support of the Democratic Party machine
    until Bloomberg has been safely ensconced in the Democratic VP slot.
  • shupy, on 07/10/2008, -29/+90Aside from the Dick Armey connection, this is a non-story.

    Loan rates are determined by credit ratings. Obama's rating is excellent, and credit ratings are not a matter of public record. Without the details of the loan agreement, no one can pass judgement on weather or not this was a "sweetheart" deal. There is nothing suspicious about the loan at all.

    I have an excellent credit rating, and I also qualified for a loan with a lower than average interest rate. It has nothing to do with being a VIP. It has everything to do will having excellent credit, and a good income.

    Given the fact that Diggers seem to be too young to have ever held a mortgage, they are easy targets for anyone who want to whip up a scandal concerning a loan rate.
    • tehsilentcircus, on 07/10/2008, -2/+22Who ever would have thought responsibility paid off?

      But that doesn't happen in America! /s

      People only see these things they want to see them. And most of what they see is based on the fact that they have no knowledge of how things really work in the world.

      Props to you to point out this is truly a non-issue. Dugg.

    • inboxnews, on 07/10/2008, -9/+3If credit ratings are not 'a matter of public record' - as you say they aren't - then how is it YOU know Obama's rating is excellent? Are you his personal banker or something?
      • zenerdiode, on 07/10/2008, -1/+3You can look at his tax records he released a little while back to show that he has quite a bit of $$$ from his book deals and the fact that he has very little debt aside from his mortgage to surmise he at least has above average credit.
      • inboxnews, on 07/10/2008, -5/+2He said 'excellent' credit, not 'better than average credit. Anywho, excellent income does not guarantee excellent credit. Try again.

        Just 'better than average' credit just makes this story more credible.
    • zenerdiode, on 07/10/2008, -4/+11You need to be dugg to the top.

      Can diggers really be that out of touch with the way the credit world works?

      I got a 30-yr Jumbo in CA in 2005 at 5.625%

      That's pretty darn close to Obama and my credit score is only in the mid 700s. I have a feeling Obama's is a bit higher than mine.

      This is a non-story. Let's get back to bashing him on the FISA vote. Seriously...ignore the fluff and concentrate on the real issues.
      • inboxnews, on 07/10/2008, -7/+3Dude, do what you want. Bury your head in the sand for all we care.
      • smacksaw, on 07/10/2008, -2/+4He'd bury his head in the sand, but you and a bunch of other people already beat him to it.
    • Isandunk, on 07/10/2008, -2/+2Thankyou for talking some sense. Dugg.
    • charm803, on 07/10/2008, -1/+3Most people are so used to living beyond their means and having crappy credit, they don't realize what responsibility means.

      It's not like Obama had bad credit, he just had his priorities straight.
    • gavin422, on 07/10/2008, -0/+3Thank you!

      Obama had a large income, along with his wife's, an excellent credit history, an upcoming book deal, and his public persona depended on him not getting into credit trouble. All these can easily discount your loan 30 basis points, which is how far Obama's was below the average for his league.

      Sure, he *may* have received a small discount, but how can you possibly make that accusation without knowing his credit history? And which is more likely?

      The fact that stories like these are being propagated is proof that the media is grossly irresponsible.

      http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/07/most-irresp ...
    • juanchopanza, on 07/10/2008, -0/+0If it smells like a pig, walks like a pig....etc.

      The story isn't about whether these people would have qualified anyway, it's about the pettyness of accepting preferential treatment because of who they are.

      In Obama's case, the real estate deal he received for his purchase of the home and the secondary property was tainted long before the Countrywide scandle by the complicity of his ex-friend, the convicted racketeer.

      If I was a government employee (not elected) and I accepted preferential treatment because of where I worked, I would be fired for violation of the ethics in government rules.

      If it smells like a pig, If it walks like a pig.....etc.
  • swrostmore, on 07/10/2008, -22/+70Here's a response to this nonstory
    http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/07/most-irresp ...

    Obama's rate was 30 basis points better than the average.

    According to current rate quotes from myFICO.com, a borrower with very good credit can expect a mortgage rate about 30 basis points better than someone with pretty good credit, and a borrower with excellent credit can expect about a 50 basis point discount.

    Obama received a "discount" -- the same discount that any borrower in his position would have received.
    • elebrio, on 07/27/2008, -0/+1That article is obviously written by someone with no grasp of the mortgage industry. That 5.93% average they are stating (while I can't vouch for its accuracy) factors in DISCOUNT POINTS paid by borrowers. Discount Points are up front cash payments to buy down the interest rate over the entire life of the loan which a VERY large number of jumbo loans have. On top of that, this isn't just your everyday jumbo loan (typically any loan over $419k depending on what county you live in), this is a super jumbo loan, which passes on more risk to the holder of the note and as a result has a significantly higher interest rate on average.

      A 30bps rate "decrease" (read kickback) on that loan is like handing Obama cash. This REEKS of fraud. You cannot offer different people different rates. It is a direct violation of federal law. Think about the potential for discrimination. The reverse side of this coin is predatory lending.


  • HuckleCat, on 07/10/2008, -27/+14My sense of Obama is as follows:

    1) He is a garden variety liberal

    2) He is a garden variety Chicago Machine politician

    3) Criticism of him will be generally muted for fear of appearing "racist"
    • swrostmore, on 07/10/2008, -3/+91) he just voted with the GOP on warrantless wiretapping

      2) so?

      3) racist criticism will be generally muted for fear of being obvious
      • Julik, on 07/10/2008, -1/+21) When was this? When he was running for President?

        2) You don't understand Chicago politics if your response is "so?"

        3) He did nto say Racist Criticism... he said Criticism in general.
    • stienster, on 07/10/2008, -2/+3HuckleCat>>> I totally agree, if you mean "garden variety liberal" as 'means well but blows easily toward loudest crowd'
  • DeskFlyer, on 07/10/2008, -18/+47Good credit score = better rate on mortgage than the average Joe. Doesn't seem too hard to figure out.
  • shupy, on 07/10/2008, -17/+41But it is so much easier to grab anything and try to turn it into a scandal. Especially if you are too ignorant or too lazy to do your own research.

    If the right wing ever discovers a true scandal, no one will believe it. They have been crying "wolf" for so long and resorting to the tactics of rumor and slander to make their case that they have zero credibility.

    But the Republican pundits seem to know their audience. No danger of any of them bothering to look into the facts.
    • superkendall, on 07/10/2008, -3/+5Hey pal, republicans and independents are the ones clearing Obama's name on this:

      http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/archives2/0212 ...

      It's the left turning on their own you are watching here. How do you think it EVER would make front page on Digg otherwise?
      • shupy, on 07/11/2008, -0/+1Not true. The story came out "Freedom Works" chaired by Dick Armey. The man is so right wing he would cut off his own left hand and leg to prove it.

        Reality is that the right-wing Republican machine thrives on generating this kind of bashing and knows that they have a ready audience to pick it up and spread. To be fair there are independents and Republicans who see it for what it is. It doesn't take a political agenda to clear Obama on this, it takes a modicum of integrity. If Republicans don't like this garbage they need to start cleaning their house and looking at who they have aligned themselves in their zeal to win at all costs.

        Many "liberals" myself included are vocal in criticising groups like "MoveOn" when they stoop to the tactics of the right. Conservatives and Republicans need to adopt the same attitude toward their pundits.
  • Fangsinmybeard, on 07/10/2008, -15/+4The presidential campaign is a fantasy and a farce.
  • mikesbaker, on 07/10/2008, -11/+30did anybody actually read this - its over .4 of a point? no crap if you have really good interest you have a better interest rate
    • fatrandy13, on 07/10/2008, -3/+1.4 of a point is not a big deal?

      buy a house! you're a child (regardless of age); let the grownups talk about grownup stuff
  • justinx0r, on 07/10/2008, -19/+18Northern Trust (the bank that lent him the money) has supported Barack Obama's political campaigns for elected office since 1990. In addition to the $71,000 Northern Trust employees have donated to Obama, the Northern Trust political action committee gave $1,250 to Senator Obama's 2004 campaign for the United States Senate.
    • willynilly, on 07/10/2008, -2/+5They also laid off a bunch of people a while back, but instead of doing what other companies do and admit they were having layoffs and treat their employees with respect, they turned laying people off into "a project". And what did they call their layoffs? "Project Excellence."

      DISGRACEFUL.

      Nothing against Obama, but this company is riddled with low-class behavior.
    • ZenMojo, on 07/10/2008, -2/+8You left out the fact that its employees donated 730,000 dollars that year in FEDERAL elections. Only 1/10th of that money went to Obama. GTFO.
  • whatthefu, on 07/10/2008, -7/+15Let's summarize Digg right now: either you love or you hate Obama and think you're making witty comments regardless. There is no middle ground.
    • warhol15, on 07/10/2008, -2/+3nice.
    • willynilly, on 07/10/2008, -5/+3Who the ***** elected YOU the Ultimate Judge of Whether There's a Middle Ground?

      You have nothing to say about it.
      • nedzeve, on 07/10/2008, -1/+1I dugg this up because I think he's being funny.

        So hard to tell on digg for some reason.
  • B08ama, on 07/10/2008, -12/+4Oh, Bama... No more of these scandals. Do you hear?
  • Jareth86, on 07/10/2008, -11/+27I love how fickle Digg is.
    You guys praised this guy like a living messiah for months, and now all you do is lay into him. He's the same guy he was at the beginning of this election; he was doing all this stuff the entire time. You all projected your own image of the perfect candidate on him, and are now shocked to realize he is in fact, not the candidate of your dreams. He may be better than most, but he's still a politician.
    • willynilly, on 07/10/2008, -4/+5One post does not equal "all you do".
      • Jareth86, on 07/10/2008, -1/+1I'm guessing you haven't been on Digg much in the past month or so?
      • nedzeve, on 07/10/2008, -2/+1Who the ***** elected YOU the Ultimate Judge of Whether One Post Equals "All of You"?

        You have nothing to say about it.

    • Sicarius, on 07/10/2008, -6/+4I would have said naive. They fell for his rhetoric and elevated Obama to a ridiculously high level of morality. Nobody, certainly not a politician, could have lived up to it. The only way was down. Any student of politics would have told them it was inevitable.
    • legolas68, on 07/10/2008, -1/+3Obama is the equivalent of a rock star. After listening to his music over and over it got old and boring. Diggers have reached the center of the wax.
    • SammyJr, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1I tend to think that most of the anti-Obama comments are coming from paid McCain trolls and less from the regular Digg crew. Not to mention that this article is inaccurate.
  • willynilly, on 07/10/2008, -9/+1Northern Trust = assholes
  • brainscab, on 07/10/2008, -15/+9First, Rezco helped buy his house... now a BANK! This is outrageous
    • nedzeve, on 07/10/2008, -1/+6You mean, a bank lent him money to buy a house!!?? What a corporate sell out! Barack Obama -- tool of the banking industry.
    • inboxnews, on 07/10/2008, -3/+2Buried for uttering the truth. HOW DARE YOU -- THIS IS THE MESSIAH!!!
  • wastedfish, on 07/10/2008, -12/+12All I'd like to ask is how does this compare to Haliburton? I'm not brushing aside these allegations, simply putting them in sweet sweet comparison.
  • TheTardis, on 07/10/2008, -7/+13I don't about the rest of you-- but this is my story.
    I gave the bank all my financial information.
    They gave me an offer.
    I looked at the number and thought -- I can deal with that for 15 years.

    I did not think about much more.
    I had stuff to do.
    I did not read each and every line of the next score of documents I had to sign
    (I know, I am not as smart as you)
    I never thought about if I was getting a better deal than other people.
    Given my credit rating and the fact that I got my loan just before the housing market went insane
    I probably did really well. Well, insanely well if you knew what I got for what I paid.

    But really, lets just be fair. Didn't most of you look at the number and thing you could pay it.
    Assigning anything else to this story is just casting hate and accusations about things you don't and can't know.


    Or you can just spew hate
    • HanFastolfe, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2Basically you are correct on how most of us get, and then think about our mortgages. However, any thinking politician (from a city council member to a president), knows that certain aspects of their lives are held to different standard. They all know this (if they have half a brain) going into the job. Certain jobs have certain aspects that overflow into ones personal life. e.g. Movies stars suffer from the paparazzi, but no one cares if they get a sweetheart deal on one their houses since they wield no real political power.

      It's simple: If one doesn't like the magnifying glass that is put on those in the public arena, don't enter it. But if one enters, you better be damn ready for it, the rules will not be suspended to suit you.

      Not suspending those quite legitimate rules, as concerns Sen. Obama (or Sen. McCain), so that the matter can at least be aired is not hate. Your attempt to discredit it as such is, to be kind, intellectually dishonest.
      • shupy, on 07/11/2008, -0/+1The airing of this particular issue is that it was published immediately not as a simple fact with all the details. It was presented from the beginning as evidence of wrongdoing.

        To say anyone entering politics should be ready for the "magnifying glass" is not accurate. Obama is ready for it, he did nothing wrong. This is not a "magnifying glass", this is whipping up hysteria with not a single fact to back it up.

        To say we all need to expect that is a sad commentary on the integrity of the American public.
      • HanFastolfe, on 07/12/2008, -0/+1@shupy

        "It was presented from the beginning as evidence of wrongdoing."

        Yeah, and...? This being an election year, and as concerns the two major contenders for the biggest job, it would require a complete disconnect from reality to assume that there would not be some kind of bias at the inception of the story. Even in a non-election year many stories are put out with the, under tone, that politicians are crooks.

        "To say anyone entering politics should be ready for the "magnifying glass" is not accurate"

        They shouldn't? Congratulations, that has to be one of the most stunningly stupid things I've read all day. With all the completion here on Digg, you have managed to beat them all.

        I don't know what vetting process is applicable in shupyworld, but here on planet Earth (in the USA) we pretty much crawl up the ass of out politicians proportionately to the level of office they seek.

        "Obama is ready for it, he did nothing wrong"

        Then he will not have an issue with being under scrutiny. He will endure the focus, and emerge stronger for it, with this issue behind him. Those that do not wish to scrutinized by the public, need not enter the public eye.

        "This is not a "magnifying glass", this is whipping up hysteria with not a single fact to back it up."

        Is this your first presidential election cycle? If so, hang on, it only gets better.

        "To say we all need to expect that is a sad commentary on the integrity of the American public."

        Please research the election of 1796. Todays climate is damn near genteel compared to those folks. What's really sad is making your statement about the American public, without even the slightest hint of historical context. Demonstrating, for all to see, the inherent short comings of our public school system.
  • superkendall, on 07/10/2008, -7/+27This actually turned out to be nothing, the rates he got were similar to ones around at the time:

    http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/archives2/0212 ...

    There's other oddities though like what he paid for his house...
  • westerner22, on 07/10/2008, -14/+16Let's get it straight. He made four million dollars on his two bestselling books - while McCain got rich thanks to his second wife, after dumping the first one. Michelle is a super-self-made-woman with a story from rags to riches by her own merit. People in their position get a credit rating sky high - they are reliable, hardworking and trustworthy. And then, Obama will be the next President. What's there too loose?
    • JointVenture, on 07/10/2008, -7/+4Go read her thesis, its laughable.

      She got in because of Affirmative action...charity not skills.
      • MutatedNantuko, on 07/10/2008, -4/+5You're an idiot, she graduated with Honors from both colleges she attended.
  • jdowland, on 07/10/2008, -13/+24"Barack Obama received a *suspicious* deal on a home mortgage"?

    This "news" is coming from a Republican website based in Washington run by Republican politicians. "Suspicious" is not news.
    • visionaryIX, on 07/10/2008, -2/+2Should we have submitted the article on Huffington Post about it?

      Oh wait...
  • fadeout, on 07/10/2008, -10/+21This isn't exactly an unbiased source, people: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FreedomWorks

    It's a PAC/501/527 run by Dick Armey, a former Republic Congressman (and a homophobe and racist).

  • siszam, on 07/10/2008, -10/+23This has been debunked over and over. Check your information before you post lies.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOyc6odLj30&feature ...

    http://factcheck.barackobama.com/factcheck/2008/07 ...
    • zebco, on 07/10/2008, -0/+5Quit putting up logical truth on Digg! It goes against the Digg creed.
    • MrCobaltBlue, on 07/10/2008, -3/+2Because the best place to get the truth is the politician in question's website.
  • BikerDude69, on 07/10/2008, -12/+3This will be buried because Obama is the savior of the nation.

    Actually, the plan is working wonderfully. Use Obama to oust Clinton, then flame Obama to leave McCain as the only choice. Meanwhile squelch more logical candidates like Ron Paul, Ralph Nader, and Dennis Kucinich to name a few.

    Mainstream media and the powers that be are MASTERFUL manipulators and the people are clueles lemmings. What a shame.
    • BikerDude69, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1I told ya'! The masses are so brainwashed in to thinking Obama is their savior, I'll bet they'd even resort to violence to deny any wrongdoing by Obama. Oooh silly Lemmings!
  • zebco, on 07/10/2008, -9/+2So are you guys still super sure that all the Ron Paul supporters are crazy?
    Just wondering.
  • ajwinder, on 07/10/2008, -6/+22Oh yeah, look, its the same ***** story that came out in the Washington Post this week, but now we've jumped from Moonies-level-craziness to believing PACs are handing out just top notch information.

    Obama paid a slightly lower mortgage rate than the average in his area. However, his family held little debt, he had just released a novel to stellar reviews, and they had an excellent credit history. Oh yeah, he was a prime candidate for needing to bribe his way to a decent mortgage. They're also talking about Rezko as if that story not only was firmly grounded in fact, but that it was a foregone conclusion that Obama had any wrongdoings in that ridiculous fairytale.

    The writing in that piece is absolutely ridiculous. A wine cellar and a solarium? Lets start talking about the 7 houses McCain has, I'm pretty sure these are just about "Standard Equipment" there.

    Moral of the story? For the love of god, lets just do some source checking, especially before we go and make something like this front page news.
  • HappyScrappy, on 07/10/2008, -5/+11Inaccurate. With my credit, I would have received a better discount on my mortgage than he did. And I'm nobody.
  • FreeTalkLIve, on 07/10/2008, -9/+8Shoulda had a Ron Paul!

    /Hits head..
  • ganymede2010, on 07/10/2008, -4/+15This is *****. I'm a Mortgage Consultant myself. Everyone with good credit who knows someone in the company can get a 1.5% discount in loan fee's. When the Mortgage Market was stable, anyone could get any rate they wanted. It was all about how much you were willing to pay in points to attain that rate. Most Senators are getting a rate of 4.875% on a 15 year loan. That would normally cost about 3.5% in points. With the application of their 1.5% discount, they'll end up paying 2 points. The fact remains, you and I can get the same rate as the exalted Senators, however, we'll have to end up paying more. And that's life, it's all about who you know when it comes to situations like this.
  • johnwsegal, on 07/10/2008, -11/+4***** dodgy *****!

    Can't trust e'm.. give them an inch and they take a mile.

    McCain all the way!
  • jchrome, on 07/10/2008, -4/+13What Others Are Saying About FreedomWorks

    "Folks, you've got to get to know this organization ... They have been doing a great job all over the country educating people."

    -President George W. Bush
    • MnMs, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1Bush took FreedomWorks 101 at Yale.. that's why he's so smart.
  • ethornquist, on 07/10/2008, -6/+14Agree with ajwinder. Check your sources. Before this I was not for one side or another but this story
    is ridiculous.

    Here's the real story. Obama has good credit. Because he has good credit,
    he gets a better interest rate. Done. That's how banking works, people.

    This PAC story has been debunked by CNN, the Washington Post, and the New York Times
    in the past two weeks. Yet it continues because www.freedomworks.com repeatedly seeds
    the story then follows it up with their paid yahoos spamming the comment box.

    And let me thank former Republican Senator Dick Armey and his gang of hired word thugs.
    As of now I am still unsure who I will vote for.
    But after this GOP-hit story, I know who I will vote against.

    You have just lost a vote.
  • unitedkronos, on 07/10/2008, -7/+11He got a better deal because he earns a lot of money and has a good track record, there's nothing shocking about this. It's the republicans trying to leech blood out of a stone to be honest.
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