Rodney King: Obama is president because of me!

This month marks the 20th anniversary of the 1992 Los Angeles riots following the acquittal of four police officers charged with assaulting Rodney King.

King is still around, living in Rialato, Calif., but without a job or money. Even the $4 million settlement he got from suing L.A for allegedly violating his civil rights. All gone.

And he thinks he played a part in getting President Barack Obama elected in 2008.

"Obama? Obama, he wouldn't have been in office without what happened to me and a lot of black people before me. He would never have been in that situation, no doubt in my mind. He would get there eventually, but it would have been a lot longer. So I am glad for what I went through. It opened the doors for a lot of people...."

King deserves some "Obama money" for that.

Of note: King is an alcoholic and has a license for medicinal marijuana.

[Los Angeles Times]