Opinion: A Barack Obama relative gets a new job

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Just in time to help out in the walkup to Oregon’s May 20 primary, Barack Obama has a strong supporter moving to the state -- brother-in-law Craig Robinson.

Robinson, whose sister is Obama’s wife, Michelle, has been named head basketball coach at Oregon State University, located in Corvallis. At the least, he gets points for being willing to take on a challenge -- the Associated Press begins its story on Robinson’s hiring with this phrase: ‘Taking a job that others turned down...’

Why was the job not so popular? Well, it seems Oregon State has had all of one winning season since 1990 -- and finished at 6-25 this year. So Robinson has his work cut out for him (and we imagine the myriad of NCAA rules include a ban on dangling overnights at the White House as a recruiting tool).

Robinson had been coaching the last couple of seasons at Brown University in Rhode Island. His record there -- in terms of politics -- wasn’t so hot; Obama lost the state’s March 4 primary by double digits to Hillary Clinton.

-- Don Frederick