Chicago Tribune Gives Obama Clean Bill of Health on Rezko

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

The Tribune has been Obama's harshest critic on Rezko. So on Friday, Obama sat down with their editors for 90 minutes and answered all of their questions. As a result, the Tribune has given Obama a clean bill of health:

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama waited 16 months to attempt the exorcism. But when he finally sat down with the Tribune editorial board Friday, Obama offered a lengthy and, to us, plausible explanation for the presence of now-indicted businessman Tony Rezko in his personal and political lives.

The most remarkable facet of Obama's 92-minute discussion was that, at the outset, he pledged to answer every question the three dozen Tribune journalists crammed into the room would put to him. And he did.

Great conclusion:

Barack Obama now has spoken about his ties to Tony Rezko in uncommon detail. That's a standard for candor by which other presidential candidates facing serious inquiries now can be judged.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0316edit...

[99th_Monkey]

1. K&R - happily so. So much for one more of Clinton's smear attempts ..*poof*

[Cha]

2. You can have another thread

on this 'cause it's certainly important but here's another one,too.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[madaboutharry]

3. You know, one thing is starting to emerge

in this campaign. Obama rises to the occasion. Maybe he really is the decent person so many think supporters like me have been "duped" into believing in.

[Cha]

21. It is soooo Emerging, madaboutharry!

I would think the fence sitters would notice how differently and in control he is than the current "president" or his primary opponent whose chameleon skin is ever changing its hue.

[anamandujano]

28. He rises only when he sees the shit heading for the fan, then

he drips out as little as possible.

[madaboutharry]

36. Ugh! Is this what we have all become?

It is just getting me ill. We are all democrats. Tell me what is going to happen in November if this is the way we talk to each other?

[Texas Hill Country]

4. glad his HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER cleared him... everyone should feel better now.

[anigbrowl]

6. This is the same newspaper that....

certain posters have been quoting as 'evidence' of a dark conspiracy, saying things like 'they knew him first and best - why won't he answer questions from reporters who really know the story - isn't he just relying on the ignorance of the national press'. What a two-faced bullshit artist you are.

[City Lights]

13. Your ignorance is on full display today.

Keep it up, Texas Hill.

[Divernan]

19. The Chicago Trib is the GOP's answer to the New York Times,

It has been a conservative Republican newspaper since well before it was delivered to our house every day back in the 1950's. It is a nationally prestigious paper - not like your weekly Hill Country hometown advertising/farm report/church social description "newspaper". The Tribune IS a bit less conservative than the Wall Street Journal, but it is first, last and always a Republican's paper.

It is EXCEEDINGLY impressive that the Trip has cleared Obama on the Rezko issue. Now let's see Hillary & Bill EVER sit down with a Republican paper and answer every question thrown at them.

[mopinko]

23. what diver said.

anyone who thinks the trib would go easy on him cuz he is the hometown boy needs some schoolin'.

[truedelphi]

27. As someone born & raised in Chicago, I can attest to how

Republican in nature the Tribune is.

If Obama has been cleared for take off by the Trib, I think the Rezko attacks should die down - and IMMEDIATELY!

[democrattotheend]

34. They're the ones who have been badgering him about this

[anigbrowl]

5. He still has Rezko questions to answer!!!

DID Rezko offer interior decoration tips?
HOW MANY TIMES did he and Obama 'have a go' on the swing set that ridged their properties before it was dismantled?
WHY did Obama not tell Razko that it might be a good idea to shave that unfashionable mustache?
WHAT was Rezko doing while Barack Obama was distracting the nation by taking part in political debates?
WHEN will the poeple who have been postin Rezko threads day after day admit that they don't have any substance, just innuendo?
HOW MUCH more bullshit will we have to listen to from fake 'Democrats' pretending that they know some dark secret?

[arundhatiroyfan]

8. Again very impressive.

He was also not evasive at all in the Fox interview. He answered the questions very clearly in my opinion.

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

12. LOL!

[ElsewheresDaughter]

7. the 80 min Q&A interview was only the beginning reporters work now begins it was NOT a "CBH "

they requested many many documents from Obama and now have hes revised statements to match up with his first lies

[anigbrowl]

31. God you are such a bullshit artist

'the reporters work now begins' - what a heap of pompous nonsense. Yes, indeed they asked for some extra documentary information -and Obama told them where to find it if he didn't have it himself.

You know, I used to work as a journalist for a national publication (in the UK, that would be about equivalent to a state the size of California) and it's very unusual to get anything like that degree of candor in an interview. The fact is that you don't have shit to accuse Obama of, you're just trying to create an implication in people's minds that something will crop up. If his interview was full of evasions and referring questions to his lawyer or claiming privilege I might agree, but plainly it isn't.

This is just like you and all the other posters who think Rezko is his weak point making dark insinuations about what's going to come out during the trial. Of course, it's been going on 2 weeks now, is a third of the way through, and hasn't produced any juicy scandal whatsoever. How disappointed you must be! I guess that's why there's been a sharp drop-off in threads about the trial. But even before, it was obvious to anyone with a brain and the willingness to do a little research that 99% of the Rezko threads didn't have any information, they were just gossip-mongering shit talk.

[Barack_America]

9. K&R. Hopefully *other* candidates will be as forthcoming about their associations.

n/t

[anamandujano]

14. Pulling teeth is easier than getting this drip drip info from Bama.

Heaven knows there are more revisions to come.

[Barack_America]

15. As many revisions as the Clintons are doing to their tax returns?

Why haven't we seen those, anyway? Don't they believe in being open and honest with voters?

[anamandujano]

16. Crying "Hillary" is not going to help him with this.

[Divernan]

22. And your obtuse refusal to acknowledge the facts will not help Hillary with anything.

Good grief, read the link/OP. The top ranking Republican daily newspaper in the country, which also happens to be the major provider of coverage on Rezko, has cleared Obama.

The fat lady has sung - but as usual, you've got your fingers in your ears, screaming, "Nah-nah-nah - - - - I can't hear you."

[anamandujano]

25. You obviously did not read the article. OT: Glad I taught you a new word.

[DerekJ]

30. let me get this straight before I respond …

are you charging Obama with being secretive of his records?

[Barack_America]

29. Perhaps not. But it appears that we will be left with no Democratic candidate...

for President, if non-ideal associations are strictly forbidden.

When their tax returns are released, and the associations with Dubai, China, etc. become public, the uproar will at least equal what we are seeing now.

So then what do we do? Scrap the convention and hand the Presidency to McCain? But, oh wait, he has horrible associations as well...

I think you see the problem here...

[tabasco]

18. You've got to be kidding!

Why is Hillary hiding:

- Tax returns
- First Lady records
- Senate earmark requests
- Library donor records

YOU CAN'T SERIOUSLY BE CRITICIZING OBAMA FOR KEEPING ANYTHING SECRET. HE HAS DISCLOSED ALL OF HIS RECORDS BUT WE ARE

STILL WAITING FOR HILLARY'S RECORDS!

Why don't you chime in on this thread and attempt to justify Hillary's secrecy??

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[anamandujano]

10. Correct title of story without editorial comment, "Obama's Rezko narrative."

[Olney Blue]

11. It's so refreshing to see a politician sit down with reporters and be

unafraid and answer questions directly. I am very happy to hear that he satisfied the Tribune.

[anamandujano]

24. Like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOFT8jtuVpo

[jefferson_dem]

17. I wonder how long Hillary will keep harping on this phony, trumped-up smear.

n/t

[anamandujano]

26. She hasn't said a word about it in ages. She won't have to now that

the press is on the case.

[Patsy Stone]

35. Except... Penn did, apparently, just this afternoon.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[phrigndumass]

20. K&R

As an Illinois resident who reads a lot of local news, I knew there wasn't much of a connection there at all. Happy to see this settled.

[donkeyotay]

32. Actual headline is "Obama's Rezko Narrative" not clean bill of health. nt

[AZ Criminal JD]

33. The Chicago Tribune has endorsed Obma in every campaign.

Even when he ran against the incumbent Congressman, Bobby Rush in 2000. Of course they will vindicate him because that vindicates them. Reporters don't have the investigative tools prosecutors do. When Rezko is found guilty and Patrick Fitzgerald immunizes him and then marches him before a grand jury we will see if Obama is vindicated.