- The Washington Times - Monday, April 3, 2017

Valerie Jarrett, former shadowy adviser to Barack Obama, back when he ran the White House, has a new role — and interestingly enough, given all the Democratic flak flung Ivanka Trump’s way, it’s unpaid.

Jarrett will be joining the Obama Foundation as an unpaid adviser, Politico reported.

Official word is she’ll be helping Obama form the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park on the South Side of Chicago. As an “adviser,” Politico said.

How very altruistic of her to do this for free.

Except methinks she’ll be much more a political force than an “adviser” for a building project.

Here’s how the Obama Foundation bills itself: “The Obama Foundation is a living, working start-up for citizenship — an ongoing project for us to shape, together, what it means to be a god citizen in the 21st century. The Foundation is based on the South Side of Chicago and we will have projects all over the city, the country, and the world.”

Like Iran? To use Jarrett’s familial ties to make sure the nuclear deal forged under Obama doesn’t crumble?

Nah, that’s conspiratorial.

But the Foundation is soliciting suggestions.

“Send us your ideas, your hopes, your dreams about what we can achieve together,” the site said. “Tell us about the people who inspire you and the organizations whose work you admire.”

OK, I’ll bite. Here’s my vote: I admire Donald Trump for beating the pants off Hillary Clinton in the last presidential election. How about that?

Can I get an amen, OF?

As the Foundation promises me: “This will be your Foundation just as much as it is ours.”

Well, doubtful — and now that Jarrett’s aboard, in an open-ended role like “adviser” that pretty much puts her nose any where she wants, or that Obama presses, chances are the Foundation has just taken a sharp left down Political Alley. And it ain’t an alley that’s friendly to conservatives, that’s for sure. Especially conservatives named “Trump.”

Let the watchdogging begin. Because if this is anything like the Clinton Foundation, then books will one day be written about the cash, corruption and curious ties that are no doubt coming.

Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.

Click to Read More and View Comments

Click to Hide