Obama To Earn Millions from Schools in Questionable and Unethical Book Deal

Obama is wasting no time becoming the first president to enrich himself financially aside from the salary the president receives along with standing investments and the likes that all previous presidents brought with them into the office is he?

This book deal that he signed 5 days prior to being sworn in as president would be front page news if any white president including Slick or Mr Peanut had done such a thing not to mention the fact that along with using the office to personally enrich he and his family is also going to be shoved down the throats of young students as part of future curriculum which is as nefarious as the pocketing of money by a sitting president profiting off the office of the people is beyond the pale.

I got my hands on an advance copy today and here's a peek at it for you other Obama fans out there (yea right)
This deal should be halted immediately or at the very least all profits deriving from this deal should go to a non partisan children's charity, like any other president with any class and dignity which both Obama's lack and would do without being prompted or even forced to do, as what should be done in this case.

American Thinker has agrees and has a great case as to why this stinks from all directions...

Obama may earn Millions from Schools in Book Deal:"Obama may earn millions from taxpayer-funded schools in his new book deal.

Five days before taking the oath of office, President-elect Barack Obama signed a book deal with Crown Publishing Group to publish a version of his best-selling book, 'Dreams from My Father', aimed at middle school and young adult age groups. Obama would receive a $500,000 advance payment against royalties, plus ongoing royalty payments.

Some in the media have questioned the propriety of this deal from the angle that the President might be unduly influenced by Bertelsmann AG, the German based media publishing empire which owns Random House, which is the parent company of Crown Publishing.

But there is a far larger dynamic at work. Random House and Crown are interested in selling books. And most middle and high school students do not buy lots of books, but the schools they attend do. So we presume that Crown Publishing will primarily pitch the book to schools along with libraries"

The real issue then becomes the tremendous influence that President Obama now enjoys over the spending plans of thousands of school districts which just received $44.5 Billion from the Stimulus Bill plus additional billions in the Omnibus Spending Bill, both of which Obama signed.

When Random House marketing professionals call on school districts and the state-level education departments to place the book, they will more likely be treated as purveyors of hope than annoying salespersons.

In addition, the teacher unions, such as the National Education Association, supported Obama overwhelmingly during the past election as they did the Democratic candidates for House and Senate seats, and the additional federal dollars the schools received in a time of need will not be forgotten.

The current version of Obama's book is already targeted for use by high school students according to the Random House website, and the abridged, easy-to-read version should be an even easier sell. Students will also appreciate the shorter version as they write their book reports.

President George W. Bush placed his assets in a blind trust when he became President to avoid any appearance of impropriety, but President Obama has not followed suit. Instead, he signed on to this business venture just before becoming President despite his campaign promise that there would be change in the way business is conducted in Washington.

The editorial pages have been silent on this aspect of the book deal. But when one considers that the ranks of the Fourth Estate are filled with book authors and would be book authors, it is no surprise that neither reporters nor editorial writers find fault with Obama's book deal. Writing books is considered to be a noble profession so perhaps they cannot attach the stigma of "influence peddling" to it.

James Taranto, recently wrote in the Wall Street Journal (where he also quoted from my recent NY Daily News Op-Ed on Obama's personal finances)

A less charitable observer, or one less inclined to paralipsis, might characterize Obama's book royalties as more of a "get-rich-quick scheme" than a "quality product." But in any case, they passed the marketplace test, so more power to himcontinued

---