Inquiring Minds Want to Know
From the
Chicago Sun Times:
Sen. Obama, time to call us about Rezko: (312) 321-2417
Jury selection began Monday in the trial of political influence peddler Tony Rezko. This would be the time -- before a single witness takes the stand -- for Barack Obama to finally share every detail of his relationship with Rezko.
Rezko stands accused of funneling state business to companies that lined his pockets and made campaign contributions to Gov. Blagojevich. Rezko allegedly directed $10,000 to Obama's 2004 campaign for the U.S. Senate.
The criminal charges against Rezko in no way implicate Obama in any wrongdoing, but they do raise the question of dealings between the two men.
As recently as Sunday, on ABC's "This Week" program, Obama's campaign strategist, David Axelrod, insisted that Obama has fully responded to every question posed by reporters. But this is not so.
For months, Sun-Times investigative reporters have had a standing request to meet with Obama, face to face, to get answers to questions such as these:
• How many fund-raisers did Rezko throw for Obama?
• Obama is donating $150,000 to charity that Rezko brought into the campaign. But how much in all did Rezko raise?
• Did Rezko find jobs for Obama backers in the Blagojevich administration or elsewhere?
• Why did Obama only recently admit -- after Bloomberg News broke the story -- that Rezko had toured his South Side mansion with him in 2004 before he bought it?
Dribs and drabs of people's lives have a most unfortunate way of coming out in trials.
From the Chicago Sun Times:
6 comments:
1) Check the money. It is all officially reported to the FEC.
2) According to the Obama campaign, every dollar they could trace to Rezko has been donated to charity. Again, check FEC filings if you feel that is inaccurate.
3) Counter question: what does it matter (i.e. so Joe Schmo was recommended to Blagojevich by Rezko and no longer works for Obama, thus having no direct influence on Obama and not implicating Obama in any wrong doing)? The other way around, that might be a fair question, but by all accounts that is an entire 0 people.
4) Rezko had no direct influence on the purchase.
Obama has been shown, in all filings, to have had no wrong doing in this whole mess. If you think that is still not enough, I have some questions about some land dealings in Arkansas that were never fully answered.
And as for not going in for that interview with the Sun Times, isn't that the paper Novak writes for? Something tells me that going in for an interview with them is as intelligent as Bush going on the Colbert Report for an interview...
You may be correct on all these points, John J., but for me, the fact that Obama associates with Rezko and has known him for many years, while simultaneously portraying himself as a "different kind of politician" is just downright dishonest.
Really, he's part of a well-established Chicago political machine.
I agree with Sue on this one, John. Obama entered into the real estate deal with Rezko, when he KNEW the guy was under investigation? Where was the famous "Obama judgment" on THAT decision?
BAC
It was a mistake, but one everyone has made. We have all associated with people that long term we probably shouldn't have. We want to think well of people we have been friends with for a significant period of time.
You don't live next door to Illinois, but I do. I don't think there has been anyone in the past 20 years in politics in Illinois that hasn't been under investigation for some part of that. Some, such as Obama in this Rezko thing, have been shown to have done nothing wrong. Others, such as Rezko and Ryan, have. I am greatly saddened that Blagojevich has been implicated in this stuff as he has been, all told, a great governor. But it is still there and if it holds up, he does need to go.
I don't judge people just by who they associate with. If it were endemic, yes, but this is one person. Clinton had the same thing happen to her six months ago. What they have done afterwards is what is important.
I hear you John, and I agree: no politician is a saint. Characters like Rezko, Hsu, and Abrahamoff hover around them all. Anyone involved in state or national politics will inevitably cross paths with these kinds of people at some point.
I don't hate Obama, and I don't want to tear him down. I think he's smart and has some good ideas. If he's the nominee, I'll support him -- even campaign for him. But he is not my first choice because I think he is selling himself as something he is not: a politician who is unlike any politician we have ever seen, completely untouched by lobbyists and money.
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