If you look closely, it's plain: Rezko is Obama's problem

[goldcanyonaz]

There was some buzz about it, but it wasn't really a gotcha photo, and it really doesn't help Barack Obama, that photo of Bill and Hillary Clinton sandwiching indicted political fixer Tony Rezko at some forgotten fundraiser.

Billary were like two icy slices of white political bread, and Rezko stood between them like meat. All the Clintons probably knew of Rezko was what they could feel coming through his palms pressed against their backs: some ambitious somebody ready to make some moves.

That won't hurt Hillary. And she's probably got some other images in mind -- either real photos or word pictures -- about Rezko and Obama that she'll probably drop on the way to Super Tuesday.

One image will surely involve the dream house that Rezko helped the Obamas buy. And another involves Rezko himself, about to stand federal trial in a huge political corruption case involving not only Democrats, but old bull Republicans in Illinois, with Rezko passing through the metal detectors in the federal courthouse.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-kass_bd27jan27,0,877982.column

[sunonmars]

1. add this new one to it and the Repugs hit jackpot.

[papau]

11. The TV media refuses discuss Obama's buddy and contributor mobster Giannoulias

I suspect the MSM is waiting for Obama to lock up the nomination - or at least stop Hillary - before they remember this stuff



http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/1/27/161410/392

Alexi Giannoulias—a "man who has long been dogged by charges that the bank his family owns helped finance a Chicago crime figure" and "who became Illinois state treasurer" in 2006 after Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) "vouched for him"—"pledged to raise $100,000 for the senator's Oval Office bid," Charles Hurt reported September 5, 2007, in the New York Post.
http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Barack_Obama_and_campaign_contributor_Alexi_Giannoulias#_note-Hurt

The September 5, 2007, Chicago fundraiser was omitted from Obama's public schedule and the event was closed to the press," Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Barack_Obama_and_campaign_contributor_Alexi_Giannoulias#_note-0

"Before he promised to raise funds for Obama, Giannoulias bankrolled Michael 'Jaws' Giorango, a Chicagoan twice convicted of bookmaking and promoting prostitution.

"Giannoulias is so tainted by reputed mob links that several top Illinois Dems, including the state's speaker of the House and party chairman, refused to endorse him even after he won the Democratic nomination with Obama's help.

"Giannoulias was the bank's vice president and chief loan officer for most of the more than $15 million in loans," Hurt wrote although "he was not charged with breaking any laws. The Obama campaign disputed any suggestion that Obama is tarnished by the association."

Obama and Giannoulias reportedly met on the basketball court "in the late 1990s ... at the East Bank Club, a luxurious spot in downtown Chicago," Jodi Kantor wrote June 1, 2007, in the New York Times.

http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Barack_Obama_and_campaign_contributor_Alexi_Giannoulias#_note-1

Now, "thanks in part to backing, is now the Illinois state treasurer. Other regular gymmates include the president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health and several investment bankers who were early and energetic fund-raisers," Kantor wrote.

Additionally, it would appear that any concerns about the crime-related bank loans expressed by Obama in April 2006 had long blown over prior to the September 5, 2007, fundraiser.


http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Barack_Obama_and_campaign_contributor_Alexi_Giannoulias#_note-2

Charles Hurt, "Obama's 'Mob-Tie' $idekick," New York Post, September 5, 2007.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/09052007/news/nationalnews/obamas_mob_tie_idekick.htm

Lynn Sweet, "Today in Obamaville. Ill. State Giannoulias hosts Obama funder in Chicago. NYPost goes after Giannoulias," Chicago Sun-Times, September 5, 2007.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2007/09/sweet_blog_special_today_in_ob_1.html

"One Place Where Obama Goes Elbow to Elbow," New York Times, June 1, 2007.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/01/us/politics/01hoops.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin

Rich Miller, "Under the bus," The Capitol Fax Blog, April 13, 2006.

http://thecapitolfaxblog.com/2006/04/13/under-the-bus

Russ Stewart, "2006 Candidate Field Features Many Oddities," RussStewart.com, January 4, 2006.

http://www.russstewart.com/1-4-06.htm

Andrew Davis, "Stonewall Dems Endorse Candidates," Windy City Times, March 8, 2006.

http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=10948

Dan Johnson-Weinberger, "Mangieri versus Giannoulias primary a fascinating look at the Democratic Party," DJWinfo, February 4, 2006.

http://djwinfo.blogspot.com/2006/02/mangieri-versus-giannoulias-primary.html

"Legislative Developments in Export Controls and Economic Sanctions," Latham & Watkins LLP, undated 2007.

http://www.lw.com/Resources.aspx?page=ClientAlertDetail&publication=1933

Andy Shaw, "Obama backs young candidate for state treasurer," ABC News Chicago, February 24, 2006.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=3939317

Dan Curry, "What about Alexi, Barack? Media has chance today to ask Obama about Alexi," Reverse Spin Blog, April 12, 2006.

http://dancurry.wordpress.com/2006/04/12/media-has-chance-today-to-ask-obama-about-alexi

Andy Shaw, "Opponent questions Giannoulias connections to mob," ABC News Chicago, September 28, 2006.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=4609432

Vanessa Phillips, "Giannoulias takes victory for treasurer, backed by incumbent Democrats," Medill News Service, November 7, 2006.
http://mesh.medill.northwestern.edu/mnschicago/elections06/2006/11/giannoulias_lea.html

Rich Miller, "Statehouse Squabbling Could Hurt Obama in Illinois," River Cities' Reader, February 21, 2007.

http://rcreader.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11800&Itemid=42

David Jackson and John McCormick, "Critics: Obama endorsements counter calls for clean government," Chicago Tribune, June 12, 2007.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-obama_endorse_12jun12,0,484394.story

John Ruberry, "'Obama's candidate' Giannoulias needs to explain alleged mob ties, says state house speaker," Marathon Pundit Blogspot, September 1, 2007.

http://marathonpundit.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html#115939922404140929

Lynn Sweet, "'It's unbelievable'. Oprah/Obama: Star-studded spectacular event raises $3 million for campaign," Chicago Sun-Times, September 9, 2007.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/549017,CST-NWS-sweet09.article

susanhu, "Look Before You Leap: Obama's Mobbed-Up Allies," MyDD, January 27, 2008.

http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/1/27/161410/392

[Egnever]

2. LOL the idea of Hillary supporters pushing this crap amuses the hell out of me.

You really want to go there?

[goldcanyonaz]

3. Why, will someone be called a racist if they do? Whah, stop picking on Obama.

We have to look at all of this and diffuse it prior to it exploding during the GE. Or, do you just want to have a "wait and see" attitude?

[KittyWampus]

4. if you look closely (and it hasn't been fully vetted by the media yet) Clinton's problem

is the Clinton Library Slush Fund.

Oh, and won't it be fun when the press finally gets around to informing of us Bill's recent affairs. And to all those sanctimonious DU'ers who howl about the stupidity of bringing up Bill's sex life- it may be stupid but stupid is what the Media does.

[Tulkas]

5. Hillary had to give back almost 850,000 from just one contributer, compared to 86k from Rezko ...

for Obama...

There have been other problems with illegal contributions from China to both the Clintons.


Also Whitewater is much worse than anything you can possibly accuse Obama of. We know Hillary created a document that was used to commit fraud, we just can't prove she knew it would be used that way.


You can try to beat Rezko over our head, but it pales in comparison to the Clinton's questionable activities.

[Peregrine Took]

6. They are going nuts with the anti Obama "comments" on the latest Chicago

Tribune article about Rezco in that he was taken into custody today - just a week before the Primary election....
I hope this link works - 82 comments so far and it is pretty recent.

http://www.topix.net/forum/source/chicago-tribune/TA11NEOOUE88LBBLG

[goldcanyonaz]

7. "You either agree with him and don't criticize him -- or you're racist."

Is one of the many comments.

[robbedvoter]

9. here's one:

"Obama was hoping that he could escape
this, and hoping that the media would keep bashing the Clintons until this Rezko, but the covers are getting ready to be pulled off Obama, he and his wife are two corrupted people and will do anything to get their hands on things they cannot afford. Oh by the way, Obama forgot to state his wife's ties to Walmart through Tree House Foods, Obama is full of it and in with this Rezko thing up to his neck, Obama will prove himself when he give back that house he obtained through the help of Rezko."

[robbedvoter]

8. "Enron gave to both parties" "Abramoff's contributors gave to dems too"

Typical MSM shilling for GOP. The methods are now used for their - for now- protege

[LiberalHeart]

10. And MSNBC didn't do Obama any favors today with what I think was a false statement....

If you go to msnbc.com and watch the video report on the Rezko report, at the end of it you'll hear the reporter say that Obama was involved with Rezko in a house loan or real estate loan (can't recall the precise wording). Anyway, I think he meant to say "deal" not "loan" but the statement is out there and it's not corrected in the video. Unless msnbc knows something about that transaction I don't know...