NY Democrat Facing Possible Criminal Charges

Don't worry, he'll just play the race card. It's worked wonders for Chuckie Rangel.

A House ethics probe of Queens Rep. Gregory Meeks is focusing on possible criminal charges for his failure to report a $40,000 payment from a businessman that investigators say appears to have been an illegal gift -- and not a loan, as he has claimed.

The bipartisan Ethics Committee yesterday announced it would investigate Meeks over the $40,000 he was given by businessman Ed Ahmad in 2007, and it released an investigator's report that blasted Meeks for being uncooperative with the probe.

The investigation will try to determine whether Meeks "failed to disclose a payment he received in 2007 in a timely manner," the panel announced in a statement released yesterday.

The House bars lawmakers from accepting gifts and has strict rules for loans -- including requirements that they include interest payments and collateral.

The committee also released an April report from the House's Office of Congressional Ethics, which conducts preliminary investigations, cataloguing serious charges against Meeks.

The report found:

* Meeks refused to cooperate with investigators and refused to turn over loan documents.

* There is "substantial reason" to believe he failed to disclose the gift, in violation of House rules and federal law.

* There was "no evidence" that there were "normal" indicators of a "legitimate loan," and drew a "negative inference" that he got the "$40,000 gift" "on a basis other than a legitimate loan."

Meeks has said the $40,000 was a loan from Ahmad -- although he did not disclose it on his 2007 or 2008 personal financial-disclosure documents.

He revealed it only in 2010 -- after the FBI had questioned Ahmad, whom the feds arrested last month and charged with mortgage fraud. Ahmad is now free on $2.5 million bail.

Meeks paid off the loan by getting another loan, for $59,000, from another New York supporter, Dennis Mehiel, a principal at Four M Investments.

Are there any New York Democrats who aren't corrupt?

Dem Congressman Aided Man With Links to Al Qaeda

Democrats tend to get their panties all up in a bunch when people declare they and Islamic terrorists pose a threat to the nation. Then when one of their own is busted aiding Muslims with ties to Osama bin Laden they talk about discrimination or something.

US Rep. Gregory Meeks scolded immigration officials for questioning a Muslim scholar whose nonprofits have been linked to financing terrorism.

The Queens Democrat contacted federal agencies -- finally appealing to then-Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff -- asking why Anwar Hajjaj faced "unwarranted scrutiny" when he returned to the United States from trips abroad through JFK Airport.

Meeks described Hajjaj as a "highly regarded" professor of Islamic studies who leads Friday Muslim prayers at the Capitol.

Meeks said Hajjaj was "a pioneer in distance-based learning of Islam" through the American Open University in Virginia, according to a copy of the Sept. 30, 2006, letter to Chertoff, which was obtained by The Post under a Freedom of Information Act request.

But The Post has learned Hajjaj also headed the Taibah International Aid Association, a charity that has been accused of funding Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda. The group was co-founded by Abdullah A. bin Laden, Osama bin Laden's nephew, who has been investigated for his ties to groups that have funded al Qaeda and Hamas.

Hajjaj is also director of another Virginia-based nonprofit, the World Assembly of Muslim Youth International, or WAMY. It was also founded by bin Laden's nephew and said to support al Qaeda. The group's 2005 federal tax form, the most recent available, is signed by Hajjaj, who is listed as director.

Steven Emerson, executive director of the Investigative Project on Terrorism, said WAMY has been a financial and ideological supporter of Islamic terrorist organizations. A WAMY publication lists people who have attacked Israelis as "heroes of Palestine" and referred to Jews as "humanity's enemies," according to a 2003 affidavit by a customs special agent.

Both organizations are named as defendants in several ongoing civil lawsuits filed on behalf of families of 9/11 victims.

A 2004 complaint filed in one of the suits alleges that although Taibah "purports to be a humanitarian organization, the Taibah International Aid Association furthers the aims and materially supports Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda."

Hajjaj is not specifically named as a defendant in the suit, but the complaint does say Taibah's directors and officers, including Hajjaj, are material sponsors and co-conspirators of al Qaeda and international terrorism.

The complaint says WAMY, founded in Saudi Arabia in 1972, has been identified by the FBI as a suspected terrorist organization since 1996.

In a decision in the lawsuit made last week, US District Court Judge George Daniels refused to dismiss WAMY as a defendant, saying the allegations against the group are "sufficient to demonstrate that they are knowingly and intentionally providing material support to al Qaeda."

They knowingly have ties to al Qaeda and we have Democrat Congressmen supporting them. But don't question their patriotism or anything.

Meeks Moneyman Target of Five Investigations

So nice to see a Democrat Congressman owned in full by a guy like Ed Ahmad, who's running mortgage scams under a dubious name like Ace Mortgage Inc.

Allegations of predatory lending, forged documentation, falsified mortgage info and missing records have dogged Rep. Gregory Meeks' private lender for years, The Post has learned.

State officials have investigated Queens real-estate broker Edul Ahmad -- who loaned Meeks $40,000 in 2007 -- five times since 2006, referring two of those probes to the Queens District Attorney's Office for review, according to state Department of State records obtained by The Post.

In one case, a woman claimed Ahmad's Century 21 Realty persuaded her to buy a $714,000 home she could not afford.

The woman, whose annual income was only $30,000, was told to get co-applicants for a loan through Ace Mortgage Inc., which is also owned by Ahmad, according to state records.

When she told Ahmad she could not afford a $5,000-a-month mortgage, he simply told her to come back in six months and refinance it, state records show.

But the refinance was declined and she lost her home to foreclosure.

Another probe by the state Banking Department and Department of State in 2007 turned up homebuyers who said they were given mortgages for more than they could afford and that their names were forged on documents.

Ahmad is also deeply involved with New York State Senate leader John Sampson.

John L. Sampson, the State Senate leader, performed legal work for a Queens real estate broker who was being investigated by state authorities on allegations of fraud and predatory lending, and was disciplined for acting as a notary for the broker after his notary license had expired, according to state documents.

The broker, Edul Ahmad, has been at the center of a loan scandal involving United States Representative Gregory W. Meeks of Queens, who this month admitted that he had failed to disclose a $40,000 loan from Mr. Ahmad on his federal filings. The loan appeared to come with no strings attached, or interest. Mr. Meeks repaid it three years after the fact, once it became a matter of scrutiny.

Curious how the national media has zero interest in Meeks' legal and ethical woes. I guess word got out on JournoList 2.0 to make sure nothing about Democrat corruption gets mentioned.

Why Didn't He Just Go to Fannie Mae?

It looks like his secret loans are the least of Greg Meeks' problems. The Queens Democrat seems to be the perfect example of Congressional spending run amok, living far beyond his means. Who does this guy think he is, Charlie Rangel?

Rep. Gregory Meeks is getting heat over a loan he took from a local businessman -- but that may be the least of his debt problems.

The Queens congressman took out $762,000 in three mortgages on his St. Albans home -- including one $624,000 adjustable-rate loan of a type that's led to countless defaults and is described as "evil" by a mortgage expert.

The Queens Dem has three mortgages on the house, totaling $761,572.

He paid $830,000 in 2006 for the 6,047- square-foot mansion. The city valued the home, which was designed by a campaign contributor, at $1.2 million, leading to accusa tions that Meeks got a sweetheart deal.

Meeks and his wife, Simone-Marie Meeks, took out a $624,000 mortgage from Washington Mutual Bank to buy the home, after selling a much smaller house in Far Rockaway.

That mortgage, which has an adjustable interest rate that could vary every month, is an "evil loan product," said Mark Maimon, director of sales at Universal Mortgage Inc. in Brooklyn.

Meeks' loan is an "Option ARM," which usually offers four payment choices -- including one with a very low interest rate that could mean the original balance actually increases instead of decreases, Maimon said.

Borrowers can pick a different way of paying off the loan every month, and most choose the minimum-interest option. It's unclear what options Meeks is using to repay the loan or how much he's paying every month.

These types of loans attracted buyers who may not have other wise been able to afford a home, but the loans have had very high failure rates.

At the time he got that mortgage, Meeks and his wife also took out a home-equity loan for $77,922.

In 2007, Meeks borrowed $40,000 from Edul Ahmad, whose Queens empire includes a real-estate agency, an import firm, a mortgage brokerage and a banquet hall.

Meeks failed to report the personal loan -- and a $15,000 loan from the Congressional Federal Credit Union -- on his annual congressional financial-disclosure reports.

He only came clean on the 2009 report, which was filed on June 15. Three days later, he submitted amendments saying he took out the interest-only $40,000 loan in 2007 and had paid it back.

City records show that Meeks took out a $59,650 third mortgage on his home on June 18, the same day he reported repaying the debt to Ahmad.

Meeks, who earns $174,000 a year, is required to pay $1,451.48 quarterly on that 10-year loan.

The congressman did not respond to requests for comment.

Don 't expect him to comment any time soon. Certainly no media outside the NY Post is even bothering to investigate this guy, so he'll get a free pass. If anyone else begins sniffing around he can always just whip out the race card.

Dem Congressman Didn't Pay Off Secret Loan Because He Was Waiting for Interest Rates to Fall or Something

More openness and transparency from a member of the Most Ethical Congress Ever!

This one is so laughable Greg Meeks should be drummed out of Congress just for coming up with such a lame excuse.

Queens Rep. Gregory Meeks finally fessed up Friday night about why he decided to wait three years to pay back a $40,000 secret loan.

It was the economy, stupid.

Meeks claimed he suddenly made his first payment last month to get a better interest rate.

"When Ed Ahmad loaned me $40,000 in January 2007, interest rates were as high as they have been in nearly a decade. Today, interest rates are as low as they have been since the 1950s."

The Queens Democrat had been refusing to explain why he made no payments on the loan from Ahmad, a local businessman, until the FBI showed up.

The Daily News reported that in January 2007 Meeks received a $40,000 personal loan from Ahmad to help pay for an opulent home he had just built in Jamaica, Queens.

It was a no-interest loan with no due date, the sources said, and Meeks made no payments on it over the next 3-1/2 years.

He also did not disclose the loan on House documents in 2007 and 2008, as required.

In May, the FBI questioned Ahmad about the loan, and the businessman asked for the money back, sources said.

On June 18, Meeks obtained a $59,650 loan from a company owned by a major Democratic fund-raiser, Dennis Mehiel. Yesterday, Mehiel said that Meeks approached him and he was happy to help his longtime friend.

"He asked me if I would advance him the funds because he wanted to pay off the personal loan that he owed this guy," Mehiel said. "I think he's an honest guy. He's a good friend."

He said Meeks made it clear "time was of the essence," so the transaction was completed within a week.

He declined comment on the FBI probe but made clear the criminal probe did not give him pause.

"I think Greg is good for the money and if he isn't, I got his house," he said.

Not only does Mehiel have Meeks' house, he seems to have much of the New York delegation in his back pocket.

Mehiel and his wife have donated nearly $493,000 to Democratic Party candidates and committees since 2004.

The top beneficiaries include Hillary Clinton ($55,800) and New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand ($18,100).

Mehiel and his wife, Karen, donated $9,600 to Meeks on July 30, 2009, records show.

He did not return calls for comment but told The New York Times in February, "I'm a longtime personal friend or acquaintance of virtually every Democratic member of Congress from New York."

Mehiel has also been donating large sums to Chuckie Schumer and Charlie Rangel.

Seems Mehiel is a prototype sleazebag Democrat.

Democrat Carl McCall said yesterday that he's known for years that running mate Dennis Mehiel had fathered two children with two women while married to a third woman - and that voters will be just as understanding.

Hmm: NY Democrat Slapped With Federal Subpoena

Most of the media has ignored this corruption scandal involving New York Democrat Gregory Meeks but may now have to actually acknowledge it since he's been subpoenaed for documents dating back ten years.

Just another headache for the most ethical Congress ever.

A federal grand jury has slapped New York Rep. Gregory Meeks with a subpoena as part of what is shaping up to be a sweeping corruption probe of the Queens Democrat and other city lawmakers.

Meeks announced he had been subpoenaed Tuesday on the House floor, complying with rules that require members to publicly disclose when they are subpoenaed.

The Manhattan grand jury reportedly is seeking a slew of documents dating back to 2000.

Meeks received the subpoena about two weeks ago and disclosed it as soon as lawmakers returned this week from Congress’ spring break, said Meeks spokeswoman Lupe Todd. She would not provide more details of the grand jury probe.

“I’m being vague because it is an active subpoena and [Meeks’] attorneys have to look into it and respond to it,” Todd said. “But he is complying with the subpoena.”

Meeks has attracted scrutiny since a federal probe was launched over questions, first raised by The Post, about what became of money raised by a charity Meeks set up to help Hurricane Katrina victims.

The Post first reported that New Yorkers Organized to Assist Hurricane Families paid out only $1,392 of the roughly $31,000 it collected for victims of the New Orleans disaster.

The US Attorney's Office has launched a probe to find the missing money.

Maybe the money wound up in William Jefferson's freezer.

Meeks recently cried poverty despite living a lavish lifestyle.

Money is so tight, Representative Gregory W. Meeks says, he does not have a savings account with more than a few thousand dollars in it. And yet Mr. Meeks, one of New York City’s most prominent Democrats, lives a life worthy of a jet-setter.

When he travels, he stays in luxury hotels like the Mondrian South Beach in Miami and the Ritz-Carlton in San Juan, P.R. He drives a Lexus, leased by the federal government, at a cost of $1,000 a month. He eats expensive meals at BLT Steak in Washington and Docks Oyster Bar in Manhattan, among other trendy spots.

And just a few years ago, he bought a $1 million house built for him in Queens by a local developer and campaign contributor.

He's learned well from his crook mentors Rangel and Sharpton.

'I'm a Member of Congress!'

Since he's a member of the Nancy Pelosi Congress, the most pathetically corrupt Congress ever, the shady behavior of New York Democrat Gregory Meeks should come as no surprise. Considering how scandal-ridden these Democrats are, declaring yourself one of them may not be the road you want to go down.

Embattled Rep. Gregory Meeks ended weeks of dodging yesterday, taking to TV to insist he's in the dark about the gone-missing money from a Hurricane Katrina charity fund he championed.

In his most extensive remarks since a series of Post stories investigating New Yorkers Organized to Assist Hurricane Families (NOAH-F) -- the Katrina fund-raising arm of a local development corporation he helped create -- Meeks was adamant that poring over the books was not his job.

"There is no connection," Meeks said on NY1's "Inside City Hall."

"I was not in charge of administering the funds. It was a community organization."

Later he said, "When community people come and say they want to do good things and they want me to lend my name to it, that's exactly what I would do . . .

"It was never set up for me to oversee. I'm a member of Congress!" he bellowed.

ACORN was also a community organization until they found themselves neck-deep in scandal they decided they had to change their name.The weak excuses Meeks offered up are comical.

Rep. Gregory Meeks went on NY1 last night to imply that he is not a crook -- no, indeed -- but merely a congressman who lent his name to a fund for Hurricane Katrina victims.

It's just that, somehow -- as The Post first reported -- $30,000 raised for those folks simply went missing.

Hey, we understand. It's easy to misplace 30 grand. Happens all the time.

Sheesh.

"I am not a founder of New Direction," Meeks huffed, referring to the group that oversaw the fund. "I am a congressman."

Gee, thanks for the news flash.

But, in fact, New Direction's Web site featured Meeks, along with state Sen. Malcolm Smith, prominently.

And at the time, Meeks vowed that "every dime, every dime" the group raised for Katrina victims would go to some 30 families.

Never happened. Or so it seems.

Meeks insisted last night that "the first time" he heard that victims got no money was when it was first reported.

Well, The Post is glad to be of service.

But Meeks should have learned about it on his own: He took extravagant credit for the effort -- but now claims he "never had any fiduciary responsibility" regarding the Katrina cash.

What about moral responsibility?

Meeks also seems to be stepping on his tongue. Earlier, he said the cash was for families in New Orleans; now he claims it was for Katrina refugees living at a Radisson Hotel in Queens.

But The Post could find scant evidence anyone there was helped, either.

And when asked about that contradiction, a Meeks flack said that his comments did not refer to money from the fund but only to "his own record."

Confused? You're not alone.

I won't hold out any hope the Most Ethical Congress Ever will be investigating. They're busy ramming a crap sandwich called ObamaCare down our throats.

Deadbeat Dems Stiff the Children

Considering how Democrats so love to exploit children for cheap political gain, you'd think they'd know better than stiff kids of charity money. But hey, these are New York Democrats we're talking about, so ethics no longer apply.

They stiffed Queens kids, too.

More than $400,000 raised by a nonprofit started by Congressman Gregory Meeks and state Sen. Malcolm Smith was never given to the community they represent, including a youth football league that requested a donation, a Post investigation has found.

The Rosedale Jets Football Association went hat in hand to the New Direction Local Development Corp., hoping for a piece of a $250,000 grant that was to go to community groups.

The Jets dutifully submitted an application, hoping to get up to $25,000 to fix up their field. They never got a cent.

"They said they never received our application," said Gerald Karikari, an immigration lawyer and the football team's chief financial officer.

Karikari said the Rosedale Jets, a squad that mixes football and cheerleading with life lessons for 200 kids ages 7 to 13, is always struggling. It had to stop low-cost equipment rentals to players because it could not pay for refurbishing the helmets and protective pads.

Instead of helping the plucky pee-wee players, New Direction spent $405,000 on salaries, mysterious consultants, office expenses and meals, according to paperwork filed by the nonprofit. By 2008, $55,254 was left sitting in its bank account, untouched.

The Post has reported how the charity started by Meeks and Smith, both Queens Democrats, raised at least $31,000 for Hurricane Katrina victims but gave out hardly any of that money.

Here's Meeks in the middle flanked by those paragons of virtue Charles Rangel and Al Sharpton at a meeting in Harlem yesterday.

It seems they answer to Sharpton before anyone else.

It was a Harlem "leadership summit" to discuss an agenda for the rest of Gov. Paterson's lame-duck term. Except the governor wasn't even invited.

Embattled Reps. Charles Rangel and Gregory Meeks and state Sen. Malcolm Smith were gang-grim for the cameras yesterday as they assembled at Sylvia's restaurant at the request of the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Paterson remained holed up in his Harlem apartment a few blocks away.

"The purpose of this meeting was to focus on policy and priorities. We want to take the focus off of Governor Paterson and put it back on the priorities. For one, we're definitely focusing in on the budget," Sharpton said in a brief statement before the press was ushered out of the room.

Seems to me their priorities are flouting the law and stiffing charities. They've got the perfect role model in Sharpton.

Democrat Congressman Steers Taxpayer Money to Convicted Drug Dealers

There's still time to put a stop to this madness, but with Nancy Pelosi and her merry band of spenders still in charge of Congress, they'll probably increase the funding for these drug delears. With that clown Eric Holder at the head of Justice, expect him to give the green light.

A controversial Queens congressman has steered $290,000 in taxpayer money to two convicted drug dealers for their nonprofit group - which has virtually no assets.

Rep. Gregory Meeks has sponsored - and Congress has appropriated - the money to brothers Lance and Todd Feurtado for their King of Kings Foundation to warn kids of the dangers of drugs.

The brothers also have the support of Meeks' mentor, the Rev. Floyd Flake, and another Flake protege, state Senate President Malcolm Smith (D-Queens), who steered them an additional $25,000.

Lance Feurtado says the money would pay for 150, 45-minute anti-drug, anti-gang presentations the brothers give at libraries and community centers. That's about $2,000 a talk.

The brothers have not gotten the congressional money yet because the Justice Department would have to approve it as part of an anti-gang initiative. Ironically, the brothers made a video that criticizes the department, claiming the feds used illegal tactics to bring them down.

So they get to bash The Man while being supported by him. Wonderful.

Flood-gate: Funds Disappear From Katrina Charity Run by NY Democrats

Raise your hand if any of you are the least bit surprised by this news.

It's the Big Sleazy.

Devastated Hurricane Katrina survivors from New Orleans were left high and dry by a charity set up to help them by state Sen. Malcolm Smith and Rep. Gregory Meeks of Queens.

Only $1,392 of at least $31,000 raised to help Katrina families was paid, tax records show, and just about everybody involved with the charity -- including the two Democratic pols -- claim ignorance as to where the rest of the money went.

Meeks said in a statement that "the funds were utilized to help sustain displaced evacuees," but refused to provide further detail. He said money was administered by an unidentified director and that "a committee of community representatives functioned as advisers to the fund."

But three of those advisers said they had no idea whether cash was given out by the group, New Yorkers Organized to Assist Hurricane Families, or NOAH-F.

"I had nothing to do with any disbursement of any funds," said the Rev. Edward Davis, pastor of the Presbyterian Church of St. Albans in Queens. "I can't tell you. I don't know."

Another advisory board member, Candace Sandy, said she volunteered to help Katrina refugees living temporarily at a hotel near Kennedy Airport, but did not distribute money.

Sandy, who works for Meeks, said another advisory board member, Claude Stuart, was in charge of the money. Stuart did not return phone calls for comment.

Pamela Moore, chief-of-staff to Assemblywoman Barbara Clark, was listed as a member of the advisory board but said that it was a position in name only.

"I never attended any board meetings," she said, adding that she did not know if board meetings were even held.

Clark, a Queens Democrat, said she was upset about the charity's lack of accountability. "I'm very, very disturbed and disheartened," she said.

Nobody knows anything, nobody is returning phone calls, money just vanishes and nobody is supposed to notice. All in a day's work for these sleazebag New York Democrats.

"We turned this money over to the congressman [Meeks]," Clark said. "I don't know exactly how it was given out."

A source familiar with the charity's operation and books in 2005 said he was unaware of any money going to Katrina victims that year, and called the failure to help victims "disgusting."

"How could they take money that was supposed to go to those poor people?" the source said.

But remember, it's George W. Bush that doesn't care about black people.

Democrat Culture of Corruption: Gregory Meeks Edition

This one's got it all. Apparently corrupt Democrats, Hugo Chavez, Ponzi-schemer Allen Stanford, freebie luxury vacations, you name it.

Ah, the most ethical Congress ever!

Gregory Meeks, the U.S. Representative for much of Queens, has been accused by the Miami Herald of being a pawn in alleged Ponzi-schemer R. Allen Stanford's efforts to undermine a whistle-blower. It's been known for months that Meeks accepted donations, travel, and lodging from Stanford and his nonprofit Inter-American Economic Council. The latter has spent over $22,000 since 2003 on airfare, hotels, and meals for Meeks and his wife in places like Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Sometimes, the couple even flies on Stanford's private jet. But it was only this week that allegations were made by former Stanford workers that he'd asked Meeks, a friend of Hugo Chavez, to ask the Venezuelan president to punish a man named Gonzalo Tirado. In 2006, Tirado accused Stanford of stealing from his banking operations in Venezuela (of which Tirado was president) and questioned whether his whole enterprise was a fraud. According to workers, Stanford asked Meeks to pressure Chavez into opening a criminal probe of Tirado. According to former federal agents eavesdropping on the call, Meeks agreed to convey the message to Chavez. Now, though, the New York Representative has nothing to say about the story.

The Miami Herald report is dated Sunday and clearly flew under the radar. They were also unsuccessful at eliciting comment from the normally loquacious Meeks. Maybe he's off in the Caribbean hanging out with Charlie Rangel, that other New York City paragon of virtue.

Meeks did not return repeated phone calls and e-mails asking for more information about the trip.

The New York lawmaker's relationship with Stanford dates to at least 2003, when he joined other representatives on a trip funded by Stanford to Antigua. Meeks was an active member of the Caribbean Caucus, a group of lawmakers close to Stanford.

Over the next four years, Meeks took five more trips -- several with his wife to luxury resorts in the Caribbean -- paid for by a nonprofit funded by Stanford.

In 2008, he received $12,100 in contributions from Stanford and his employees.

Meredith McGeehee, policy director at the Campaign Legal Center, said Meeks' ties to Stanford should be reviewed by the Office of Congressional Ethics, especially if the congressman interceded on behalf of a donor with the leader of a foreign country.

``It certainly raises questions about the motivation,'' she said.

Mark it down: Nothing will happen to Meeks. He's got double protection, if you know what I mean, and I know you do.

Obama Asks David Paterson To Get Under the Bus

Just imagine if a white president asked a black governor to step aside. Why, that would be raaaaacist! Although considering the accidental governor's abysmal approval ratings, this is pretty much a no-brainer. It will be interesting to see if Obama asks his buddy Deval Patrick, the governor of Taxachusetts with about the same miserable rating as David Paterson, to step aside.

President Obama has sent a request to Gov. David A. Paterson that he withdraw from the New York governor’s race, fearing that Mr. Paterson cannot recover from his dismal political standing, according to two senior administration officials and a New York Democratic operative with direct knowledge of the situation.

The decision to ask Mr. Paterson to step aside was proposed by political advisers to Mr. Obama, but approved by the president himself, one of the administration officials said.

“Is there concern about the situation in New York? Absolutely,” the second administration official said Saturday evening. “Has that concern been conveyed to the governor? Yes.”

The administration officials and the Democratic operative spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions with the governor were intended to be confidential.

The president’s request was conveyed to the Mr. Paterson by Representative Gregory W. Meeks, a Queens Democrat, who has developed a strong relationship with the Obama administration, they said.

The move against a sitting Democratic governor represents an extraordinary intervention into a state political race by the president, and is a delicate one, given that Mr. Paterson is one of only two African-American governors in the nation.

But Mr. Obama’s political team and other party leaders have grown increasingly worried that the governor’s unpopularity could drag down Democratic members of Congress in New York, as well as the Democratic-controlled Legislature, in next fall’s election.

If Obama wants to avoid anyone dragging down Democrats next year, maybe he ought to step aside.

The move by the White House will probably bring new attention to Mr. Cuomo, now the most popular Democratic figure in the state. While only 30 percent of voters in a Quinnipiac poll last month approved of the job that Mr. Paterson was doing, 74 percent approved of Mr. Cuomo’s job performance.

The situation between Mr. Cuomo and Mr. Paterson has been a complicated one. Mr. Cuomo is still haunted by the fierce backlash he stirred in 2002 when he decided to run in the Democratic primary for governor against H. Carl McCall, the first serious black candidate for governor.

Now, Mr. Cuomo effectively has the blessing of the nation’s first black president to run against New York’s first black governor. That will probably neutralize any criticism he may face among the governor’s prominent black allies, including Representative Charles B. Rangel of Harlem, who warned this year that the party would become racially polarized if Mr. Cuomo took on Mr. Paterson.

I guess Obama has no problem with a corrupt thug like Rangel hanging around. Granted, Rangel is a lifetime shoo-in in his district, but curiously Obama and the Democrats have no problem with a corrupt hack like him.

Can't Blame These Democrats for Auto Woes

When you have Democrats driving around in opulent automobiles, you could argue they're doing their best to keep the auto industry afloat. Of course we're paying for it, however.

The U.S. auto industry may have been sliding down the tubes the last few years, but folks like Rep. Charles Rangel can't be blamed for it.

Federal records show the dean of New York's congressional delegation had been shelling out $777 a month from his office account to cruise around in a leased GM Cadillac DeVille, although aides say he recently ditched the ride.

As President Obama delivered some tough love to Detroit Monday, members of Congress have been plowing taxpayer bucks into big leases - and not all on U.S. cars.

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Queens) went in high style in a Lexus, made by Japanese automaker Toyota, with a monthly lease of $998, according to House records the Daily News obtained for the fourth quarter of 2008 - the most recent available.

And Ulster County Democrat Maurice Hinchey tooled around in a snazzy 2007 BMW 530i that cost taxpayers $499 a month.

At the opposite end of the spectrum was Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn, Queens), who doled out $147 a month for a Chevy Impala.

Only $147 a month? Where can I get that deal?

Shocker: Obama Surrogates Still Shamelessly Playing the Race Card

No surprise coming from these two Congressmen from New York, where playing the race card is a time-honored tradition. This feeds into the typical leftist paranoia where they take innocuous statements from stump speeches, twists them to feed their own racial attitudes, and declare their opponents racist. It's intended to silence their opponents, but I suspect Sarah Palin isn't about to kowtow to these morons.

As the McCain campaign ratchets up the intensity of its attacks on Barack Obama, some black elected officials are calling the tactics desperate, unseemly and racist.

“They are trying to throw out these codes,” said Representative Gregory Meeks, a Democrat from New York.

“He’s ‘not one of us?’” Mr. Meeks said, referring to a comment Sarah Palin made at a campaign rally on Oct. 6 in Florida. “That’s racial. That’s fear. They know they can’t win on the issues, so the last resort they have is race and fear.”

“Racism is alive and well in this country, and McCain and Palin are trying to appeal to that and it’s unfortunate,” said Representative Ed Towns, also from New York.

Sure, racism is alive and well in this country, and flourishing in the Democrat Party.

You know, I could see if Palin used a word such a monkey in her speeches, but unfortunately, that's what dopey sportswriters are calling her.

Gateway Pundit links. Thanks!