Right turns up Rezko heat on Obama

Well, well, well, looky what we have here: politics as usual?! Say one thing, do another. Lead by example? You are only as good as your advisors. Ever hear of "top down" management? Obviously the Obama team is talking out of both sides of their mouths and if we listen closely, the deafening sound of hypocrisy is obvious. Transparent government? Only what I want you to see. Give me a break! Obama you have some explaining to do on a number of issues, not the least of which is why you can't control your own staff. The "we have run out of time", or "I was busy" or "that was a boneheaded move" doesn't cut it! Not with the press and not with the American people. If you are going to run for President on the platform of “change you can believe in” or "new politics", then you’d better do it. Actions do speak louder than words.

Go Hillary! A proven, tested, vetted leader ready to go to work for us on day one!

Obama's name did not come up in opening arguments. Where are you getting your information? Mine comes from NPR.

what about peter paul vs hillary?this is really one sided.an why is'nt my comments being seen

Obama is a FAKE. His rhetoric bout transparency and honesty is for others not for himself. He has embrassed same old sleeze Illinois politics and coddles corrupt characters like Slumlord Rezko. Votes to have porn sites near schools and churches and votes to have early realease of sex offenders. Tells people he is against NAFTA and then sends his senior aide to the Canadian embassy to say that is is election posturing. Is this TRANPARENCY, HONESTY AND USING JUDGMENT?

Obama is a FAKE. His rhetoric bout transparency and honesty is for others not for himself. He has embrassed same old sleeze Illinois politics and coddles corrupt characters like Slumlord Rezko. Votes to have porn sites near schools and churches and votes to have early realease of sex offenders. Tells people he is against NAFTA and then sends his senior aide to the Canadian embassy to say that is is election posturing. Is this TRANPARENCY, HONESTY AND USING JUDGMENT?

That's all they can do. I mean Hillary brings nothing to the table but the will to get elected. Then what??? Four years of fighting like school children in Washington???

That is after she gets done kissing John McCains a%s like she did yesterday. She is pathetic. Anyone who is buying what she's selling is a traitor. This woman is not only crazy, she is dangerous. I wouldn't trust her in my house let alone answering my phone at 3:00 am. Why 3:00 am anyway. Is that when witchs ride their brooms???

Hey Sunny Florida, stop copying and pasting the same crap over and over again.

Here's some vetting for you: http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r285/scjr63/ClintonRezko.jpg

Thanks for those contributions, Mr. Rezko! Yes, he gave the Clintons money, and no, they didn't give it to charity as Obama did.

[[Obama's name did not come up in opening arguments. Where are you getting your information? Mine comes from NPR.]]

Mine comes from the Trib and Sun-Times, and Obama's name DID come up. It wasn't inflammatory, it was just a mention.

Obama needs to address this matter and he needs to address it soon. (He should have months ago.) This will be the death by a thousand small cuts. He needs to get out in front of this.

And the right has failed again today to "turn up the heat" and DEMAND we capture or kill Osama Bin Laden or Moqtada al-Sadr ASAP. The GOP is unfit the properly excecute the war on al-Qaeda. Their priorities are out of whack.

Its hilarious how moronic (and I do not think I am overstating that) this site is, HH is, and the idiot who made the first comment is...HE HASNT BEEN ACCUSED OF ANYTHING, and until he is you might want to focus your collective 2 IQ points on innocent until proven guilty. Its kinda important to our system of government and something true Americans think is pretty important. Oh wait, you are also free to continue being complete idiots and making public fools of yourselves by showing how uninformed you are...and thankfully I am also free to laugh at you...

What Obama should be worrying about is the fact that (finally) the mainstream press is talking about his relationship with Rezko.

This isn't going to go away unless and until he talks to the press. The more he evades them, the more reasonable it seems that he has something to hide.

Its hilarious how moronic (and I do not think I am overstating that) this site is, HH is, and the idiot who made the first comment is...HE HASNT BEEN ACCUSED OF ANYTHING, and until he is you might want to focus your collective 2 IQ points on innocent until proven guilty. Its kinda important to our system of government and something true Americans think is pretty important. Oh wait, you are also free to continue being complete idiots and making public fools of yourselves by showing how uninformed you are...and thankfully I am also free to laugh at you...

Contrast Obama running frmo the press on questions about Rezko to McCain standing in front of the media and aswering every single question they had about the NYT article. Obamas actions speak louder than his avoiding words. He has something to hide or else he would allow reporters to question him and give follow up questions to his lame answers. For someone who speaks about trasnparency in government he doesnt really practice it.

Hugh Hewitt is such a racist bastard. Who cares what he says?

Seems funny that the party that justified Libbys pardon and claimed no crime was committed wants to bring this to the forefront without any charges being filed. Their request for Obama to answer questions ring hollow. There are not enough words or explanations that would ever satisfy the rabid. This is all they got. that and the Iraq war. Both losers to most Americans.

Hillary has more scandals than you can shake a stick at. Just because Obama's name is mentioned in this trial means absolutely nothing. Politicians always are associated with many people with money and occasionally this happens - but the politician cannot be made to suffer simply because of association. The question is did this Rezko guy get any kick backs in this association and the answer has been no.
Hillary Clinton on the other hand has about 30 years worth of baggage that the right wingers will have an enormous amount of airtime and press time to exploit. Hillary is not vetted - she and Bill defined the "slime" in politicians. Just wait - you want John McCain as President - vote Hillary in these primaries. If you're smart and wish to go beyond having a Bush and a Clinton in the white house since 1980 and get some fresh ideas in that office - vote for Obama.

Obama's name did not come up in opening arguments. Where are you getting your information? Mine comes from NPR.

Posted by: Sheri | March 7, 2008 12:20 PM

NPR? Your kidding- right?

This form the NY Times- MR. Duffy is Rezko's atty..

"..Although Mr. Obama is expected to have just a tangential role in the trial, his name came up in opening statements, as Mr. Duffy listed politicians whom Mr. Rezko had supported. The lawyer said

The lawyer said Mr. Rezko became a friend of Mr. Obama and gave money to his campaigns..."

All I can say is Obama endorsed Stroger. That's about all you need to know about the guy.

Is there any actual evidence that Obama has done something wrong yet? Anything at all? No? Then give it a rest!

I can't help but feel Obama jumped into this race way too soon considering his little experience and lack of record. Little bits and pieces seem to ooze out about him that are not attractive. Two questions: 1st - If he wins the nomination, who does he have in mind as a running mate? No one seems to regard this as important. I believe it is "extremely" important. 2nd - What exact kinds of changes is he going to make for our government and our country? Yes, I want change, but I want to know what they are!!!!

Obama's name came up in the defense attorney's opening statement.

Research the Chicago newspaper coverage.

Does anyone out there recall the Whitewater scandal and Hillary's stock sale windfall? Has anyone been following some of Bill's recent travels for money along with his contributors and their rather shady pasts? I am all for sorting out the truth and let the chips fall where they may but this "holier than thou" attitude is a bit much.

The Trib won't ask the hard questions of Obama's ties to Rezko, so someone (in this instance, a blogger) has to!

So a politician knows a developer. Tours a prospective house with a developer, then buys it for the high bid (even though it's less than the asking price). The developer, potentially to ingratiate himself with the politician, buys the lot next door. Eventually sells 1/6th of that lot at cost to the politician (though 2.5x the appraised value), and then later the rest at a marginal profit to a colleague. Developer turns out to be a crook.

Okay, I get Rezko's a crook. But where's the nexus between them?

A minor business deal that is blown up to sound all nefarious, typical Rethugs.

It makes me laugh when I think of how much the Rethugs want to run against Hillary because this is a bad year (Bush,Cheney) to be a Rethuglican period and even thou I'm an Obama supporter the thought of seeing the look on the Rethugs faces if Hillary were to win the White House would be PRICELESS.

Hey Sheri, read Kass today, it say so in his column. I think we're going to see Obama's name come up a lot in this trial during the next month.

That site is crashed.

Hil-Billery ready to answer the phone at 3:00 am. "Bill the pizzas here"

The defense team brought up Obama's name not once but twice in his opening. Check the record.

Obama is our Savior. Obama does not need to subjugate himself to the voters in Florida and Michigan. The voters have arrogantly shown that they can not be trusted in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island. By doing this, we have erased Michelle pride in her country and shamed ourselves. No more oppressive, racist votes.

"Go Hillary! A proven, tested, vetted leader ready to go to work for us on day one!"

Yes she is a proven thief (stole from the WH upon moving out), vetted, (able to hide her crooked whitewater dealings), vetted more (able to hide her tax returns and papers from 8 years ago as first lady). Now come on what is so secretive for the first lady that she can't devulge it 8 years later a top secret stuffing recipe? GET REAL HILLARY STOP HIDING THE MONSTER UNDER THE BED! I was very prod of this campaign until HRC went negative to win at all cost now time to take the gloves off. LET VETTE THE ....

Rezko, Auchi and Alsamarrae are all tied together and Obama is center stage. It will not be hard to connect the dots.

Obama ran out of there just like mentor Mayor Daley !

WHY IS OBAMA BEING HOUNDED FOR KNOWING REZKO WHEN THE CLINTONS ALREADY HAVE A FRAUD TRIAL THEMSELVES.

To be fair Mr. Zajac now it's time to report on Senator Clinton's ties to Peter Paul, Norman Hsu, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai among others. You don't want to seem biased in your reporting do you?

Clinton is surely proven. In this campaign, even in the last week, she has proven that she is deceitful, has no principles, and cannot even run a campaign. And you want her running the country? Would you be saying that if you weren't an older white woman? I hate identity politics.

Let me see if I got this right. Rezko’s lawyers say this guy Levine was a hopped up druggy, who was out of control, cannot be believed, and everyone in the world knew that. Yet Rezko and the governor of Illinois continued to do business with this guy. Despite Levine’s out of control drug habit, Blago appointed him to two state boards at Rezko’s insistence. Neither Rezko nor Blago told the cops about Levine’s known illegal use of drugs or stopped doing business with him. Rezko got a ton of money from an Iragi billionaire Auchi who funded the hanged Hussein and Rezko funded the other Hussien and his friend Blago. There ain’t nothing really illegal here just perhaps some bad judgment. I think I’ll send some money to Hussein for president because he is for some sort of change and Blago deserves a third term. As Rogers Clemens says there is a lot of misremembering, misrecalling, misinterpreting, misrepresenting, and misanthroping going on here. Yes I hate the irresponsible journalism too. Just because B. Hussein Obama did business with, was friends with, and took campaign money from Rezko doesn’t mean there is a criminal connection between the two. It is irresponsible to imply that it is. At best all you can do is question B.H.’s judgment. Whether or not B. H. Obama is a man of good character, and good judgment is irrelevant. There is no criminal connection here and that’s all that counts. This is Illinois and Cook County and until you can unequivocally prove a crime you have no complaint. That’s what real change is all about.

Hey Hillary,

Call me up when you come up with something new on Obama regarding Rezko otherwise, SHUT UP!

Hey Republic Party members, call me when you actually come up with something new on Obama regarding Rezko, otherwise SHUT UP!

The GOP has overplayed their hand on this one....already.

sunny:

What does your post have to do with this topic?

I hope that Hewitt keeps this up - this will help Obama more than he knows.

Sheri:

You're right - but my information came from the Tribune. Unfortunately, since the Trib is in the back pocket of the Obama camp according to Johnny D., Brucie and the rest of the right wing nutjobs here, their information cannot be accuate.

Is there any actual evidence that Obama has done something wrong yet?

Posted by: Aengil | March 7, 2008 1:24 PM

This is no argument at all, and yet the Obamabots repeat it endlessly. What you actually mean to say is that he has not been convicted of a crime. However anybody with with so much as a schoolchild's grasp of moral principles can see a serious breach of ethics (that is, he did something WRONG).

Furthermore, the fact that he is hiding from the press leads to only one reasonable conclusion: that what we don't know about Obama's relationship with Rezko is worse than what we do know.

By the way, there is more to the Rezko relationship than the mansion deal. Furthermore there is other filth sticking to Obama besides the Rezko relationship.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/820948,CST-NWS-sweet01.article
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/184540,122306obama.article
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-lobbying_bdfeb10,0,7215849.story

There is nothing here with Rezko and the pig Republicans and Hillaryites know that. Absolutely nothing! They just want to keep a nothing pot stirring when the real stir is in the photo with Rezko, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, the cute threesome, and in the Peter Paul story and the jailbird Norman Hsu who's waiting for Billary to enter in their orange jump suits and sit next to him in his cell, and...there just not enough room to list them all but I sure hope Obama does his job and digs them up to show the American people.

This is becoming laughable.

Obama has been charged with nothing and he's already been cleared by a REPUBLICAN DoJ.

The Repubs and Hillary are starting to find out the hard way that pushing a non-issue for the shock value always backfires on you in the long run.

It's not shocking anymore because there's nothing new there...

All the Obama cultists either need to drink the kool-aid or come to terms with the fact he's just the typical, run of the mill dirty, corrupt, Illinois democrat lawyer-politician. He has no plan, no substance and no track record.

Why doesn't Hugh Hewitt have a section for George Bush on his site. The Bush campaign accepted money from Rezko.

Thu Mar 06, 2008 First Amendment's diary :: :: http://www.margieburns.com/
.... The MSM needs to start reporting truthfully about Rezko's influence. His network of corrupt associates touched many politicians and operatives, including the Clinton's and their supporters...READ the article! Why isn't the full story told?

Good god, I've don't think I've ever seen a politician as desperate and dirty as Hillary is acting right now (with the possible exception of GW Bush in 2004).

Hillary, if you come up with something new let us know and we'll be sure to look at it but right now you're overplaying your hand on a non-issue and any gains you may have made from Ohio are already diminishing.

"Okay, I get Rezko's a crook. But where's the nexus between them?"

Hypothetically, let's pretend that nothing illegal or inappropriate went on during the dream-house purchase that you described.

Completely ignoring that whole episode, you still have to explain why a guy who is allegedly all sunshine and light, and who will allegedly change the corrupt culture in Washington was very good friends with a known scumbag like Rezko for 17 years. Of course, said scumbag was one of Obama's first donors, and biggest fundraisers, and that's how politics works.

But that's the point. Obama is a product of corrupt politics as-usual, and he isn't going to change a damn thing. Look at Illinois!

So, what are we left with then? Just an inexperienced, tax-and-spend Democrat who has rarely shown-up to work since we hired to be our Senator.

This is easy to counter.
Ask them this: Exactly what did Obama do in this case that was wrong?

Chances are, it will be the same thing the Clintons did in the Whitewater case.
Nothing illegal.

Excellent job of the (liberal) media falling for it again, though.

Much Adoo About...NOTHING

Alls fair in love, war and politics as they say. Rezko is Obama's partner and has been for 15 years. So the Clintons are using what the can to discredit Obama. Rezko got him a lot of money over the years and he gives a paltry 150K to charity to try and seperate himself from Rezko. Nice try but he saved that much when he bought his house with Rezko's help. Until Obamas comes clean which he never will the dirt will still be there and it wil not be swept under the rug as Obama hopes. The man is con artist who talks a good game but when it comes time to put he will shut up just like he has done recently about Rezko.

I'm actually kind of glad that Hillary and the Republicans keep bringing up this Rezko thing because it has allowed me to research it better and now I know for sure that Obama has done nothing wrong.

This Rezko issue is getting weaker by the day for Hillary and her Republican pals.

According to the Chicago press it is more likely big time Republicans are going to have their names dragged through the Rezko mud including "Republican bigwig Robert Kjellander" who is helping plan this September's Republican National Convention in Minneapolis. Also a fellow named bill Celini, referred to as Mr. Springfield (the state capital). Maybe, even Jim Edgar, the former Republican governor. This guy is going to have a hard time sliming Obama without a lot of it splashing on his GOP buddies.

As for Obama he was ignored in opening statements by the Feds, but mentioned by Rezko's witness along with numerous other Illinois politicians, like some kind of character reference.

Turn up the heat, Obama whines and whines. He can't take it, its funny.

"Not that any is needed to maintain what has become a large political headache for Obama."

- AZ

I've suggested once and I will do so ONE more time:

Obama, hold a 4 hour marathon news conference complete with numbers (how many fundraisers, how many attendees, who attended).

Get ahead of this or lose the election and blame no one else but yourself.

Two words Norman Hsu.

The Barack Obama apologists seem to have 3 key arguments:

1) He hasn't been accused in court of any wrongdoing, and

2)Clinton and McCain are dirty too, and

3)The people reporting this are biased news media.

The rationales they put forth in defense of this Chicago pol are strangely reminiscent of CREEP's defense of Nixon in the early days of Watergate.

Obama has sent campaign operatives to monitor the court proceedings. If this is much ado about nothing, then why?

And where is the new politics of "hope" and "change" in all of this?

"RENZI SPEAKS"

R E ZKO, R E ZKO, R E ZKO, WAS HIS NAME.

R I NZI, R I NZI, R I NZI, WAS MY NAME.

BUT I'M NOT BLACK AND MY NAME ISN'T OBAMA!

R I NZI, R I NZI, R I NZI, IS WHAT MY NAME IS.

NOW TONTO GO GET ME SOME GAMBLING CHIPS AND SOME NEW INSURANCE COVERAGE!

BECAUSE R I NZI, R I NZI, WAS HIS NAME!

There it is, right before your eyes...

The picture of Hillary in her pink suit, Bill and Rezko at the White House, pictures the likes of which are reserved for huge doners...

No one here wonders when the Clintons will fess up to their connections to Rezko...

Speaking only for myself, I tend to discount things claiming to illuminate and educate that are so obviously biased.

Thinking Obama might discuss Rezko when the Clintons do...obviously he was their boy before Obama was in politics.

Does anyone remember Duke Cunningham? He's the congressman who sold his house for 1.4 million when in fact it was worth only 700K. Who was the buyer? A defense contractor who got 30+ million in contracts steered his way by Big Duke. Mr Obama is in Duke Cunningham territory. Buying upscale Chicago property for half-price (from whom? we don't know!) with funds borrowed (or given?) from a crook with ties to Iraqi/Saddam Oil-For-Food tainted money. And we likely have not heard the half of it. Maybe Rezko will turn States Evidence and hand over to Prosecutor Fitzpatrick (yeah...Scooter Libby's nemesis) a St Patrick's Day gift: corruption and bribery charges against St Barack.

[[The Trib won't ask the hard questions of Obama's ties to Rezko, so someone (in this instance, a blogger) has to!]]

The Trib and the Sun-Times have asked plenty of tough questions -- questions so tough that Obama ran away the other day. The problem is that Obama has refused to answer them. Over and over again, he has refused to answer them. There may be nothing wrong with the whole house purchase. But we don't know -- b/c Obama wont' answer the questions. So most people kind of assume he has something to hide.

Hey Republic Party members, call me when you actually come up with something new on Obama regarding Rezko, otherwise SHUT UP!

The GOP has overplayed their hand on this one....already.

Posted by: yeah yeah yeahs | March 7, 2008 2:47 PM

Sorry John E, but it is not the Republicans but the mainstream press who have questions, and Obama continues to hide from them.

Look, if you Messiah has nothing to hide then all he has to do is talk to the press and the Rezko issue disappears.

[[The Trib won't ask the hard questions of Obama's ties to Rezko, so someone (in this instance, a blogger) has to!]]

The Trib and the Sun-Times have asked plenty of tough questions -- questions so tough that Obama ran away the other day. The problem is that Obama has refused to answer them... So most people kind of assume he has something to hide.

Posted by: Melissa | March 7, 2008 6:05 PM

Spot on, Melissa. Local reporters are digging for the truth. However the "reporters" of the Trib's DC Bureau are embarrassing themselves by fawning all over Barack.

I'd like to emphasize that the house purchase is not the issue; or it's certainly not the principal issue. The questions hanging out there go to Obama's 17-plus year relationship with Rezko; to fundraising and favors. You're right, Melissa, how can any reasonable person not believe that Obama is hiding someting?

Posted by: politwriter | March 7, 2008 5:22 PM

1) He HASN'T been accused of anything. Further, what's been laid out so far is a far reach of guilt at best and much more evidence of good business sense. If, as in the LATER days of Watergate, some actual evidence of guilt shows up, it makes sense to start talking about Obama being guilty. Otherwise, he IS still innocent until proven otherwise. It's part of being an American.

2) I'd agree with you that the argument is just about dumb as a bag of hammers. You left out, though, that the McCain apologists argue that Clinton and Obama are dirty too; and the Clinton apologists argue that McCain and Obama are dirty too. Unacceptable for one, unacceptable for all.

3) No argument. I bet that, if any evidence is found showing Obama to have engaged in wrongdoing, the tone of the media will change.

MJ: "What you actually mean to say is that he has not been convicted of a crime."

No, what I mean to say is what I did say. I don't mean there's no conviction. I mean there's no evidence. None. Nada. Zip. Buying a house for 85% of the asking price is not a serious breach of ethics. Buying a 10 foot strip of garden is not a serious breach of ethics either.

The implied argument seems to be that Obama must have done some favors in return for Rezko throwing fundraisers, and Rezko's wife buying the next-door plot and then selling him part of the garden at market price. That's a shaky argument to start off with. For starters, I'm sure it's not illegal to throw fundraisers, nor is it reasonable to assume favors are done in return for throwing fundraisers. I also don't think making a property investment (quick fact check: the garden was bought for $625,000, sold for a total of $679,500, and is now up for $995,000) is a particularly big favor to do someone.

But that aside, if that's the argument, then I'd like it to be substantiated: what favors did he do? That could be a breach of ethics. But what've we got? Nothing.

Look at those links to 'other filth' - the first link has no filth in it whatsoever, just the Clinton campaign trying to imply that maybe there is some filth, they don't know. That's not filth, that's just the usual politics. Why don't we ask Hillary if she's stopped beating her husband while we're at it? The second link is about Obama providing a month long internship to a contributor's son. An internship! Wow! Again, not filth. And the third link is about him taking contributions from people who have jobs. That's someone's idea of 'filth'? Seriously?

That's what I mean. There's nothing here to indicate Obama has done anything particularly dodgy, there's just certain people trying to imply that maybe he might have. Let's see some actual evidence please. Put up or shut up.

"RENZI SPEAKS"

R E ZKO, R E ZKO, R E ZKO, WAS HIS NAME.

R I NZI, R I NZI, R I NZI, WAS MY NAME.

BUT I'M NOT BLACK AND MY NAME ISN'T OBAMA!

R I NZI, R I NZI, R I NZI, IS WHAT MY NAME IS.

NOW TONTO GO GET ME SOME GAMBLING CHIPS AND SOME NEW INSURANCE COVERAGE!

BECAUSE R I NZI, R I NZI, WAS HIS NAME!

Posted by: Roger Morris | March 7, 2008 5:44 PM

And to think I just complimented you for laying off the ALL CAPS on another post.

Silly me.

p.s. the right has nothing on Obama. NOTHING.

Did George Bush's name come up. Rezko raised millions for him. How about Clintons co-chair, did he return the money

Something everyone should know is that Barack Obama has been the victim of a false e-mail "whispering campaign" that he is Muslim and does not say the Pledge of Allegiance. This has been proven false hundreds of times by newsweek, CNN and other reliable news outlets, and can be checked out on snopes.com and various other urban legend fact checking websites.

The Clinton and McCain campaigns have both been party to this slime by saying Obama's not been "vetted", by emphasizing his middle name, Hussein, and by saying that Obama's wife is not patriotic, thereby keeping the idea viable in the minds of susceptible voters. This country is better than that. Our founding documents declare that we must be better than that.

Obama is a committed Christian who speaks openly about accepting Christ into his life, and about the role our individual faiths have in the public domain. He taught Constitutional Law in Chicago, and introduced a bill in Illinois that required high school students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in school. He's literally putting his life on the line to run for President because he loves this country and the promise it holds for Liberty and Justice for All.

I respect the rights of those who choose not to vote for Obama because of his policies, or simply because another candidate appeals more to their personal ideals. But this country deserves to know the truth, and those who would lie about a good person in order to seek office do not deserve the privilege of serving the people of this country.

One of the men on 60 minutes last Sunday said he liked Obama but was not sure about voting for someone with his "background". I wonder how many others have been fooled?

Even if you support another candidate you must view this kind of lying smear as immoral and harmful to our democracy. It's time to say "enough" to this kind of politics.

Where’s Oprah when “the one” needs her? I guess the Kool Aid is wearing off, no more fainting if the front row, the fog is beginning to diminish.
The real candidate of change, experience and ready to lead on day one is Hillary.
Hillary 2008

Hello seems that the lights are on ,but there's no one home, people do you really think Obama is innocent, give me a break,boy Obama surely has you brain-washed. I'm disenchanted when I hear people say they dont care about the issues, they just care that a black man is making history, what an idiot, yeah and you'll be history if he's elected think you're broke now just wait until Barack robs my bag I mean rocks your future with his eloquent words of Change and Hope, unfortunately if Obama is nominated he will continue to be what he is and that is he's a left wing liberal with interest that will not include morons like you. Unfortunately Obamas will be your worst nightmare, eloquent words and speeches will not pay for your healthcare and mortgages. OBAMA HAS THE CHARISMA OF A CON-ARTIST. MAYBE HE LEARN IT FROM HIS FRIEND OF ALMOST 20 YEARS, TONY REZKO. DO YOU PEOPLE EVER RESEARCH AND READ, TRY IT SOMETIMES, MAYBE YOU'LL FIND IT QUIET ENLIGHTING

Well what on earth do Obama and his band of entranced-followers expect?

He goes around portraying himself as a nearly canonized saint who breathes only the air of purity, light and morality and is thus far removed from any of the nasty political stuff as he lives on nearly the same plane as the gods up there on his pedestal of goodness, innocence and morality.

Turns out he spent nearly 2 decades hanging out and playing with the shady (and oftern criminal) wheelers and dealers of Chicago politics.

Does tend to sully the immaculate white robes he has wrapped himself in.

Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas.

Plaster saints do tend to break rather easily. The Republicans will have a field day with this.

BTW, why DID Obama march with Farahkan in 2005 in DC in a replay of the the march organized by Farrahkan in 1995?

Look it up - Obama was right there with this man whom he 'claims' that he disapproves of.

WOW... It took since the TRIB broke the truth in the summer of 07. Till NOW FOR PEOPLE TO WAKE UP. THAT HE IS NOT WORTHY OR BEING PRESIDENT.Tht don't makde him a bad guy.Just NOT WORTHY!! Remember the N Y TIMES Made the TRIB apologize for being hard on him. Then OBAMA made his OSCAR AWARD T V STINT ON OPRA days later fooling all you supporters.

WHY DOES THE TRIBUNE HAVE THE BIGGEST BALLS IN THE NEWS INDUSTRY?? IT'S JUST CHICAGO STYLE.I AM PROUD TO BE A TRIB READER SINCE THE EARLY 70"S.

Muammar al-Qaddafi has offered the Libyan government as an example of the type of change Obama can bring to the United States. He seems to have some ideas on what it will take to make the rest of the world consider being American something to be proud of.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,335993,00.html

Obama is one of my senators.
I have been treated very well when I call his office. I do not find him lying to me about many things taking place because I do know the truth about many things. I do not personally have any problem with him but I have for years with Gov. Rod Blagojevich and other state workers, etc. People's names are slandered and libeled all the time and the corrup refuse to abide by the law. They feel they are Untouchable and even brag. Hillary should have been indicted years ago. Everything is done the "Chicago Way", the Untouchables, "My Way". The morals and ethics of our city, state, and country are in the toilet and sewer.

I would vote for Obama before I would Hillary or McCain. As a survivor our country is full of brainwashing, abuse, forms of torture, etc. I talked to one gal who stated that she once worked for Obama. She said that he was a very nice guy and a good guy in which to work for. Good people's names are trashed all the time and the gossipers refuse to stop and demand to be able to destroy, shake down,etc. whomever they feel like. Absolutely nothing would change with Hillary and McClain sounds just as bad. Illinois is a "Racketeering" and Money Laundering state full of corruption, etc. The corrupt feel they can put on the victim act and use "Theatrical Hoax".
THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES.
It is a sick mindset of we don't lose and if we can get you another way we will.
Money and how it gets that way. One cannot solve a problem by using the same mindset that created the problem. I will never believe that Gov. Rod Blagojevich is a victim of circumstances. I understand that Resko approached Obama as he graduated from law school.
Many times one learns that no matter who gets into office nothing changes. Some are a complete nightmare compaired to others.

I haven't seen anything that qualifies as a smoking gun, or even a plume of smoke. This is just Republican politics as usual -- smear and innuendo. And I'm a Republican who is weary of it.

When your Congressman takes a $20,000 bribe-in-kind from a Russian mobster to take a trip to Israel, it is considered business as usual.

Compared to mcCon (someone should be looking into his stay in the Hanoi Hilton, and Bob Dornan's (R-CA) allegation that he committed treason whilst there) and Hillary (far too many scandals to even attempt to list here), Obama is clean. In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

The Clinton Spin Machine has gone into "Overdrive" !
Negative campaining is there Bread & Butter. Nobody is talking about Whitewater,Monica, and whatever else ! TAXES ? ? ? ? ? ? ? This is to important not to talk about. How old is Chelsey now? ? ?

In an article written by Margie Burns at gather.com, it is quite interesting that Rezko and his co-defendants contributed to the Clintons and received special posts in return. Then why is the press only focusing on Obama? This article gives detailed info on each defendant and their donations and posts. Go to www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977248069 for additional info in the Rezko case.

Lets see, the ONLY inference to Obama is that he turned down a job from Rezko. Man thats tough, he must be guilty of something even if we have to make it up.

How about lets talk about a person VERY close to one of the main candidates who is a convicted drug dealer and this candidate still lets this person advise them and in fact lives with them and its NOT Obama.
His initials are JM.

Obama did more than turn down a job by Rezko. He was very involved with this man, Mr. Rezko.

1. Obama overlooked all slum lord activities Rezko conducted in Obama's district. People in Rezko's buildings had no heat (during Chicago's brtual winters) and Rezko claimed he had no money to pay for heat. Yet he gave money to Obama for his campaign. Obama did nothing for those people, in his own district.

2. Rezko had friends and family interning at the Illinois Capitol, because Rezko had asked Obama for favors. While Rezko's Syrian brothren ran the capital with Obama's help, other deserving aplicants were turned away - because they were not connected.

3. Michele Obama's post at the U of C (highly compensated post, I may add) was a result of some back of the room negotiations. I work at the U of C and I keep hearing that Rezko, through a donor (who endowed some chairs at U of C) pressured the President to hire the wife of a senator from Illinois.

4. Rezko and a wealthy Iraqi fugitive bought acres upon acres of land in Chicago for pennies on the dollar. Most of this land was in Obama's Hyde park district. Obama once again did not question who the other fugitive party was and what their intent was in buying the land.

5. Rezko, was closely linked to Obama for many manay years. Only this past year, has Obama disavowed any knowledge of being close to him. As a matter of fact, the rasict chuch that Obama attends - where most of us would be unwelcomed - welcomed a Muslim brother from the terrorist state of Syria.

2.

Typical conservatives. They cower every time the media raises the issue of them "piling on."

Hewitt and the conservative media are only scratching the surface on this story.

They've only mentioned in passing the real meat of the matter: Obama's ties to Radical Islamist movements in Kenya, and the funneling of funds for his Senate campaigns from Syrian Antoin Rezko who has extensive ties to Iraqi arms dealers under Saddam Hussein.

Once again, it may be up to libertarians to take the lead on this story over our wimpy conservative cousins.

MESSAGE TO OUR CONSERVATIVE COUSINS: Get a backbone will y'all? Please. Stop letting the ultra-liberal media scare you from highlighting the real angle of this story - Obama's ties to Radical Islam.

No matter what you think in respect to Obama and Rezko, Obama is not a change to politics. He has taken advantage of his position over the years and now it is coming out. How wrong is what he has done, I'm not sure, but the fact is that he is and has been involved in perceived wrong doings. This is far from the change he is running on today.

The mere mentioning of the Senator's name in the opening argument in effort to support the defenses trying to cast the character of their client has the power to indict? Please people, I am still waiting for someone from the Clinton camp to explain why that ole gal will not release copies of her tax return, the list of donors to the Clinton library, and her daily schedule from her First Lady years. She is running off Bill's time as President, so we need to know exactly why she didn't answer the red phone when a million from Rwanda were calling as the murdering was taking place over a three or four month period.

"Where are you getting your information? Mine comes from NPR."

Perhaps that is why you didn't hear...

Do you realize how (unintentionally) ironic what you wrote is?

(Please forgive me if the comment was satirical. If so, great work!)

"HE HASNT BEEN ACCUSED OF ANYTHING"

JRG -- I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you had the same position when it came to Tom Delay. Ditto for Cheney and Rove during the Plame/Wilson non-troversy.

Obama has lived a life that most Americans never even imagine, yet he passes himself off as a regular honest, hard working, Christian, African American. Such lies, fallacies and misconceptions weaved to deceive good Americans must be brought into the light of truth--Obama's true character must be exposed.

Dear sunny florida,
You comments could have come from a conservative but then you vetted yourself as a Hillary supporter.
It appears that Obama is just a guilty of politics as usual as Hillary. She never did "vet" herself from the scandals in the first "Clinton" dark ages.
Where are all the "documents" from the her first time in the White House. Guess it will take until sometime in December to get that information out.

I am concerned about Obama's connections Rezko, Mahdi Auchi, Alsamarrae, Odinga, Abongo Obama, Rev Wright, Farakhan. When America was at war Obama was borrowing money from the other side. Fintrade Services lent the Obama campaign money in 2005 according to London Times.
Mahdi Auchi was tried with Saddam for trying to assassinate the PM, he was indicted in France and Spain. Rezko indicted for fraud. Alsamarre held for 4 months in $2 billion corruption case, Odinga linked to ethnic cleansing.