Obama and Parking Tickets? Come On!!

Parking for Barack Obama Only

I just found this over at Fox News. It appears that two weeks before officially announcing his candidacy for POTUS, Obama finally paid for 15 outstanding parking tickets from his time at Harvard Law ('88-'91), totaling $375 including late fees.

First off, I had a parking ticket from Nov.of 2005 that I paid but wasn't aware of the late fee of $20. I started getting hounding phone calls from a collection agency and called the City to find out that I still owed the late fee. Notice, I said from 2005 not 1990.

What does this say about Obama? Are we supposed to believe that he couldn't afford to pay for them all these years? He was unaware of the outstanding tickets yet took care of them just before announcing. Hmmm .. Did he think that because he was a Congressman that he didn't have to pay them? That may work at the Congressional Bank but not at Harvard it appears. And most importantly, why did he pay for them just two weeks before officially announcing? It would have been smarter to act like he didn't know than to pay them when he did. Did he really think that someone at the parking office wouldn't blow the whistle on this?

Upon reading this article all that came to mind was "How Clinton of him". Everything is an oversight until the political microscope comes out looking for some dirt before a significant election. What does this say about Obama's character? I mean honestly - 15 parking tickets? I am amazed that the fees were so little. My ticket (singular) was paid late and it was $20. We are talking about tickets that are over ten years old. Many universities do not release your diploma until you have paid ALL outstanding fees. How did he slip by on this one?

This reminds me of the story of the kid at school who stole three dollars worth of candy from the school store. His father came to school, tossed three dollars on the principal's desk and considered the case closed.

Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for the Obama campaign, dismissed the tickets as not relevant.

"He didn't owe that much and what he did owe, he paid," Psaki said on Wednesday. "Many people have parking tickets and late fees. All the parking tickets and late fees were paid in full."

I hate to break it to Jen but, if you can't be trusted with the little things ....