Obama: extensive interviews with Chicago Tribune & Sun Times

[DemsUnited]

Both of Obama's home town papers have been (rightly) pushing him for months on the Rezko case looking for concrete answers. They have written some pretty stern articles on the subject -- no free ride from these papers!

Obama finally sat down with the Sun Times for about an hour and a half to answer questions about Tony Rezko and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. According to the Sun Times, this interview had been in the works for several days and took place on Friday.

See what four different reporters had to say about that interview at:

Mary Mitchell http://www.suntimes.com/news/mitchell/844637,mitch03150...

Mark Brown http://www.suntimes.com/news/brown/844635,brown031508.a...

Carol Marin http://www.suntimes.com/news/marin/844638,carol031508.a...

Lynn Sweet http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/844636,sweet031508.a...

There's also an audio of the interview: http://www.suntimes.com/images/cds/MP3/031408obama.mp3
but I haven't been able to get the link to work.

Also on Friday, Obama had a separate hour and a half interview with the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board. Here's their audio of the interview:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-0...

Major points to Obama for putting himself out there. Read the articles, listen to the audio, and make your own judgments.

[Kittycat]

1. I read that 13 journalists filled the room, and he answered every conceivable question they had.

[DemsUnited]

2. I believe he did.

Lynn Sweet of the Sun Times has dogged him about Rezko (as she should) and has written some pretty stern articles about Obama in the past.

The one she wrote after the interview is completely different.

Encourage you to read if at the Sun Times link above!

[Bolo Boffin]

3. As an issue, Rezko is OVER.

Bookmark this thread, folks. We will never see candor like this from ANY other politician in the race.

Obama is the REAL DEAL.

[DemsUnited]

4. I agree with you.

If Obama told the truth and nothing but the truth, then that is that on Rezko.

And the reporters at the Sun Times, who have been dogging this for months, seem to agree.

As far as Pastor Wright, Obama began today to work the issue into his stump speech. He will refine it as time goes by until it becomes a part of his dialog for unity and change.

Whether people believe or not is obviously their own decision.

[FrenchieCat]

5. Thanks!

Hope some here don't take the news too badly!

[City Lights]

6. The Sun-Times too! Great!

In making the effort to get potentially crippling matters behind him and to move on, Obama is now freer than before to go after Clinton’s lapses on the ethics and disclosure fronts.

Clinton has declined to release even the last year of her income tax returns, and Obama has. Clinton has not been able to expedite the release of her first lady records from the Clinton presidential library. Clinton has not made public her earmark — or pet project — spending requests for any of her time in the Senate, and Obama has. Obama has revealed a bit more information about his fund-raising “bundlers” than Clinton. The donors who bankroll Bill Clinton’s library and foundation are not public.

With showdown primaries ahead — and debates April 16 in Pennsylvania and April 19 in North Carolina — Clinton has every liability in front of her.

Hope Hillary is ready for what's comin' her way.

[DemsUnited]

7. Sun Times reporters don't generally cut Obama much slack

so these quotes are pretty amazing:

Mary Mitchell: As the gospel teaches, Obama is looking for a way to condemn Wright’s actions but still love the man.

Mark Brown: He patiently took all comers, and, when it was over, the biggest outstanding question was why he hadn’t done so sooner.

Carol Marin: So, candor — though delayed — gives us a clearer view. And friendship — tested but not abandoned — looks more like a virtue than a fault.

Lynn Sweet: It was his moment — his time, as he himself might say — to try to bring this to an end.

[Voice for Peace]

8. Thanks! Kicked, recommended, and bookmarked. nt

[Scurrilous]

9. Thanks for the articles,

K & R

[alteredstate]

10. Thanks!

I think Senator Clinton should meet with a roomful of reporters to answer questions about the yarns she's been spinning regarding her foreign policy experience.