Richard Pollock

Read the latest stories and analysis from Richard Pollock.

President and Mrs. Obama visit with Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom and his wife, Samantha Cameron, during a state dinner reception on the Truman Balcony of the White House in March. Official White House photo by Pete Souza.

Cronyism seen in relationship behind White House state dinners

Richard Pollock · November 1, 2012 4:00 am

Spending on White House dinners soars under Obama

Richard Pollock · October 25, 2012 4:00 am

Elon Musk, the entrepreneurial tyro behind electric automaker Tesla Motors, is also the prime mover behind the Falcon9, the first privately funded and developed rocket used by NASA to deliver cargo to the International Space Station. (AP Photo)

Obama funder gets insider deal at NASA

Richard Pollock · October 19, 2012 4:00 am

U.S. Army officials have purchased five prototype electric-powered trucks similar to this one, which is operating at Fort Carson, CO. (Army photo)

Army buys EV trucks despite costs, fires

Richard Pollock · October 5, 2012 4:00 am

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-CA. (AP Photo)

UPDATED! Waters tested ethics boundary to hire grandson as her chief of staff

Richard Pollock · September 28, 2012 4:00 am

President Barack Obama gestures during a tour of Smith Electric Vehicles in Kansas City, Mo. Smith Electric Vehicles is an all-electric, zero emissions commercial truck manufacturer that received a $32 million Recovery Act grant to build all-electric trucks July 8, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Staggering Smith Electric may be next Solyndra-like clean energy flop

Richard Pollock · September 25, 2012 4:00 am

Obama and his bride Michelle Robinson, a fellow Harvard Law School graduate, on their wedding day, Oct. 3, 1992, in Chicago. (Associated Press)

Chapter I: A childhood of privilege, not hardship

Richard Pollock · September 19, 2012 4:00 am

A man moves furniture at the Altgeld Gardens housing project Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008, on Chicago's South Side. where Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., used to work as a community organizer. (AP Photo)

Chapter VI: The poor people Obama left behind

Richard Pollock · September 19, 2012 4:00 am

Former Illinois state Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, a maverick Republican and reformer, said Obama never fought corruption, by Republicans or by Democrats: "He never wanted to upset the apple cart with the Chicago machine."

Chapter VII: The myth of Obama as state Senate reformer

Richard Pollock · September 19, 2012 4:00 am

William Atwood, executive director of the giant Illinois State Board of Investment, told The Washington Examiner that Obama was relentless in applying pressure. "Anytime I saw him, he brought the issue up. I would see him in Springfield or I would see him at a function and invariably he raised the issue."

Chapter VIII: Obama’s state pension scheme

Richard Pollock · September 19, 2012 4:00 am

Ray Hanania, a Chicago-based Arab-American journalist and activist, described the network in a 2007 interview with Chicago magazine as "a small cluster of activists." Chief among them was Obama mentor Tony Rezko, above. Stuart Levine, right, Rezko's former partner and the government's star witness in the Rezko trial.

Chapter IX: The Arab-American network behind Obama

Richard Pollock · September 19, 2012 4:00 am

Obama's $787 billion economic stimulus program included $499 billion in federal spending, most of which was channeled through state and local governments. Eight of the 10 states getting the most contracts were heavily Democratic, with highly unionized state and local government workforces, according to stimulus award data at recovery.gov.

Chapter X: Obama brings Chicago politics to Washington

Richard Pollock · September 19, 2012 4:00 am