Chief Obama propagandist David Axelrod, the man who wrote the vacuous slogan “yes we can,” has a vested interest in the passage of ObamaCare. It’s making him rich.

Axelrod’s former firm, for which his son still works, is AKPD Media and they are being paid by an organization called Health Economy Now to help push ObamaCare. Health Economy Now includes big PHARMA, the SEIU and the AARP. The conflict of interest? AKPD owes David Axelrod a lot of money.

See how many hands wash the others?

David Axelrod helps to pass ObamaCare. ObamaCare passes, AKPD has more money. AKPD gives money to David Axelrod. Everyone is happy!

Hugh Hewitt of Town Hall busted this wide open yesterday.

“If Axelrod has been negotiating any part of any deal involving any of these players which are funneling money to the firm that owes him money, or if he is advising the president on the deals with any of these groups, that’s a conflict of interest.  Laundering the money through a “coalition” doesn’t remove the conflict much less the appearance of impropriety.  The coalition is in effect partially funding David Axelrod’s severance package though its members might have done so unknowingly.  These forthcoming payments to Axelrod are much more significant than the sort of “retained ties”  that Democrats blasted Dick Cheney for vis-a-vis Halliburton even though there was no high level negotiations between the vice president and his former company.”

Like Hewitt, Michelle Malkin, author of Culture of Corruption, cites an important Bloomberg article on this subject and makes the following point:

“Now, Bloomberg’s Timothy Burger brings news about Axelrod’s latest health care conflicts of interest that will come as no surprise to those who have fully informed themselves of the Chicago way. While White House press secretary Robert Gibbs assails the motives of grass-roots activists by falsely smearing the movement as corporate-funded shills, Barack Obama’s own senior adviser and chief Astroturfer raked in millions of dollars from Big Pharma.”

This story is beginning to take root in the mainstream press and is currently on the front page of the Politico:

“Critics of President Obama’s health-care overhaul are zeroing in on his senior adviser, whose former partners at a Chicago-based firm are the beneficiaries of huge ad buys—now at $24 million and counting—by White House allies in the reform fight.”

Not too long ago, our friends on the left cared about supposed conflicts of interest. In fact, they couldn’t shut up about it. Now? Not so much. Ed Morrissey at Hot Air is waiting for the outrage from the left but isn’t holding his breath.

Of course, it has never been proven that Dick Cheney had any conflict of interest where Halliburton was concerned but that never stopped the left. If you want a good laugh, watch the great Halliburton protest of 2007 below.

Welcome to nothing-is-sacred-land America!

Union thugs, angry with a New York City Catholic Church for hiring non-union painters have decided to use intimidation tactics by installing a giant inflatable rat outside the church yesterday.

The New York Post reports:

“Local labor leaders let loose with an unholy tirade against a Catholic church yesterday when they set up an enormous inflatable rat outside the sanctuary doors to protest the parish’s use of non-union painters.”

“You’re going to hell!” several parishioners shouted toward the union organizers, who inflated the 12-foot-tall rat on the sidewalk outside St. Monica’s Catholic Church on East 79th Street at the corner of First Avenue.”

“Even some passers-by who don’t attend St. Monica’s called the tactic distasteful.”

“I don’t think it would be very respectful. I’m agnostic, but that’s not right,” said neighbor Luis Garcia, 32.”

“Jack Kittle, the union’s political director, said the action wasn’t targeting the church, but was focused on the company hired to paint the inside of the sanctuary. But then he launched into a blistering attack on the Archdiocese of New York.”

“The archdiocese is not interested in doing things the right way. We tried discussing it with them. They’re digging in their heels and they want to do this wrong,” Kittle said.”

“They can’t hide behind the robes they wear and exploit workers. That’s why the rat was there,” he fumed.”

Can’t you picture two huge union guys named Rocko and Biff standing ominously close to the church pastor saying something like “How do you wanna do dis, Father? With or without pain?”

This is the second time in several days we’ve all seen how great things turn out when unions feel like they aren’t getting their way.