What EXACTLY do you think Obama did wrong with Rezko?

[Levgreee]

This issue has been looked top to bottom, over and over, through the last year or so by Chicago.
Nothing, at all, has been found on Obama.

Now, of course, any relationship with someone who is in trouble with scandal should be investigated. But many people already seem to label him as "guilty as charged". But guilty of what? What malicious things do you think he did?

[sniffa]

1. About the same input as Hillary had with all those murders

[Fredda Weinberg]

2. Obama admitted his mistake ... you want him in prison?

He called it "bone headed" ... if I'd used the expression, you'd call me a racist.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

5. So every time a person does something "bone headed" they've committed a crime?

Obama was simply admitting that he made a mistake by doing (minor) business with the guy.

[Fredda Weinberg]

11. It was the purchase of Obama's dream house ... not minor. And

after years of political association, easy to prove the quo for the quid. Sorry, but no one's rising to your bait ... Obama admitted his mistake, so move on.

[Stephanie]

14. But there was no quo.

What did Rezko get for the quid? Huh?

[mrreowwr_kittty]

15. I have moved on and so has the rest of the country. Why don't you join them?

After all, you'll need to conserve your energy for when the story about Bill Clinton and his dealings in Kazakhstan breaks big.

Oh wait...if it's something bad about Bill we're supposed to remember that SHE'S running, not him. When it's something good she takes credit for it....:eyes:

[Fredda Weinberg]

22. You may be impressed by Borat, but real people are depending

on sensible politicians like HRC. I didn't start this thread - but someone asked ...

[mrreowwr_kittty]

25. Oh so Bill's little Borat problem has no relevance?

Okee dokes, we'll see what the GOP does with it come general election time. But it's good to know that you, at least, are able to put things in perspective.

[Fredda Weinberg]

28. I'll count the reasons

It's not HRC
The money went to the Clinton Foundation
It all happened after Bill left office

Yes, that's proper perspective.

[Levgreee]

6. "bone headed" is not the same as a mistake... there was nothing 'wrong', per se with what he did

It was just rash for him to get involved in a a buy with him. The only reason it is "bone-headed" is because of the political backlash that has later come.

[Fredda Weinberg]

9. Obama used the word ... and yes, there was definitely a quid pro

quo, but who wants to pursue this criminally? Rezko's already going down ... the point is, Obama knew the score when he made the deal.

[Levgreee]

20. hmm I get your point that he knew it was a favor (although Rezko was interested in the land himself)

If I was to say it was more than a minor mistake, it would depend on how strong the allegations against Rezko at the time, or if they were akin to unbacked rumors. The more Rezko was in hot water, the more Obama made a mistake.

Conversely, if Rezko was in hot water and had past misdealings with Obama, if you assume Obama was "dirty", than wouldn't he completely avoid Rezko and any land deal so their relationship wouldn't be pursued? I think the level of scrutiny against Rezko at the time was low, although I'd need to confirm that. It seems like it was just bad timing, Rezko seemed clean, then quickly became dirty. Not a bad a choice on Obama's part, with the knowledge he had.

[Fredda Weinberg]

24. Let's not assume anything ... Obama admitted it was a mistake and

we can look forward to debating issues.

[madrchsod]

3. bad judgment

by getting caught up in the rezko web...rezko did a pretty good job of conning a lot of folks

no criminal charges will be brought against obama

[Levgreee]

8. Rezko didn't con Obama, whatsoever

the only thing that harms Obama is the association. That is not really that bad a mistake, imo.

[DUyellow]

10. he said he messed up, i trust he learned his lesson.

[REDFISHBLUEFISH]

4. Rezko's trial starts soon.

Truthfully that could really hurt Obama in the future. Who knows what comes out of it.

He did lie and say his involvement with the guy was only 5 hours of law work in the debate.

He also at one time denied even knowing Rezko bought the lot next to him.

The lies point to a need to bury the story, Why is that?

Being a candidate for change does not entitle you to changing your story!

[madrchsod]

7. Fitzgerald's office said that they are not looking at obama

for any criminal charges...if there was anything obama`s people would have been notified a long time ago.

[LiberalHeart]

27. And during the Scooter mess he wasn't looking at Rove or Cheney et al. Big deal.

[Levgreee]

21. He didn't say his only involvement was the 5 hours

He said that all the work he did was only 5 hours(Clinton said he had been "working" for the slumlord Rezko). I think he also mentioned that Rezko had been a friend.

[CK_John]

12. Say "hello". n/t

[papau]

13. nothing illegal or unethical - just getting financing/discount from "mob" is unusual

Rezko "found" the house of the type his friend Obama said he wanted.

The house was too expensive

The house sale was split into 2 sales - with Rezko playing full retail for side yard land, and Obama getting 300,000 off asking price for other half of deal.

Next year Rezko sold his side yard - getting 10% appreciation for part not purchased by Obama, while only getting pro-rata cost for the sale to Obama.

Meanwhile Hospital is convinced to more than double Obama's wife's annual pay (a 160% increase).

The we find Rezko's help for Obama is done via money wired from Syria and Lebanon.

Meanwhile - while not touching Obama except as a legal client - we find that Rezko is pretending to be a minority so as to get set aside for minority contracts - avoiding jail only by giving up contract and paying fine. Federal Section 11 money brought into Obama's district goes to Rezko who buys slums but does not improve them - walking away from those buildings and those tenants.

Again - no legal or ethical problem - but there may be a problem via GOP ads about the topic in the fall.

[Levgreee]

16. I'm not sure if the GOP can push this, it got attention in the primaries and already lost steam

when you have nothing else to go divulge/reveal, issues tend to die down.

[napi21]

17. It's no more wrong than the Clinton's getting $$ from whoever they've

been chastised for. I'm sure there was no malice intended in either case, but it LOOKS bad. No matter what side of the fence you're on, your opposition is going to grab something like that and say "UH OH! LOOK IE HERE! WHAT'S THE CONNECTION?" It casts a Shadow, that's all. Some people will snag that tidbit and never let go. I don't think there's anything you can do about that. Look at what was done to the Clintons. 8+ years of investigations into everything they ever did. The only thing they found that was prosecutable was BC lying to the GJ about having sex! But how many people do you talk to STILL TODAY that believe Hillary committed a crime in "Filegate"? How many still believe that there was criminal activity associated with "White Water"? EIGHT fing years of investigations and they found NOTHING!!! But some still don't believe that.

If people want to believe something bad, they will, and you'll never change that. All the candidates or potential future candidates can do is to try their best to stay distant from shady characters.

[peoli]

18. He bought a house for his fucking family with a little help from a friend

What a CRIME!

And he paid 300,000 under asking price.

The poor realtor only made 60,000 instead of 69,000 for selling a piece of overpriced dirt.

[ErnestoG]

19. Obama never helped sentence a million Iraqis to death like Hillary did.

[billbuckhead]

23. Obama has had the exact same record as Hillary on iraq since joining the senate

It's true!

[Alexander]

29. People have lives before the Senate.

And during Obama's pre-Senate life he was speaking out against the war before it even started.

[TheDeathadder]

26. I'm 100% Clinton

but this really isn't a story. every Governor, Congressman, Senator, and President have a dozen Rezko stories. I'd rather judge Obama on strength than weakness, on record instead of rumor.

[gasoline highway]

31. thank god...

There are too many crazy supporters on this site, nice to see some level heads.

[Alexander]

30. As much as the Clintons did wrong with Whitewater.

Probably nothing.