Obama and Rezko: real estate and big bucks

[Evergreen Emerald]

CHICAGO -- Sixteen years ago, Chicago businessman Antoin "Tony" Rezko tried to hire bright young Harvard law student Barack Obama to work in his real estate development company.
Rezko contributed thousands of dollars and raised thousands more as Obama ran for the Illinois legislature, the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate. He was even involved in Obama's purchase of a family home.

But now Rezko faces federal charges as the central figure in an Illinois corruption scandal, and Obama - whose Democratic presidential campaign emphasizes a squeaky-clean image - is scrambling to distance himself from his old supporter.

Last week, Obama's campaign said it was donating $23,000 to charity - the total of three contributions from Rezko business associates. Last year, it donated $11,500 to purge itself of money Rezko donated.

http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/6/11/154620.shtml

[TwilightGardener]

1. Wow, a six-month-old article, regurgitated! Good work! If it didn't stop

Obama in June, let's see if it stops him now!

[ripple]

21. And from newsmax, no less. I smell desperation. n/t

[Fed_Up_Grammy]

2. Aw jeez,does it ever end?

[Diane R]

3. I am so tired of the Hillary campaign bombarding DU with these anti-Obama threads.

[Evergreen Emerald]

4. I had no idea he was involved in this and had to give money back.

He has been complaining about Clinton's ties to coporate money, and yet this is hidden by the media?

Why should this not be an issue? Or, like cocaine, is this also off limits?

[madrchsod]

9. hidden by the media?

pretty dam big story in these parts.....oh i forgot, the msm only covers the coasts.

[indimuse]

12. thanks for the post!!

i did'nt know..i bet a lot of people would like to!:wtf:

[indimuse]

13. thanks for the post!!

i did'nt know..i bet a lot of people would like to!:wtf:

[Jim Sagle]

5. I have no love for Obama. But this is just a bunch of RNC shit.

The Chicago Tribune peddled it for awhile and then gave up after realizing no one cared about a nothing story.

[ruggerson]

6. I ain't an Obama fan

by any means, but I wouldn't trust anything from Newsmax written about any Democrat.

[madrchsod]

7. "Obama on Rezko deal: It was a mistake" November 5, 2006

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/124171,CST-NWS-obama05.article
Obama on Rezko deal: It was a mistake :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Politics

[Armstead]

8. Small change compared to the Big Crooks behind Clinton

It obviously can't be defended, other than perhaps naivete on Obama's part. I hope it wasn;t more than that.

But it is minor league compared to some of the outright crooks or the systemically corrupt Wall St. and Big Corporate support the Clinton campaign receives.

[ccpup]

10. all I can say is

Obama is damn lucky the MSM and the repuglicans won't dig into this -- devoting big bucks in the ferreting out of presently unknown information -- and turn it into a huge front page above-the-fold, top-of-the-hour News Story should he become the Nominee. :eyes:

[hedgehog]

11. Something to keep in mind: Rezko is an Arab American businessman

with connections to the Democratic governor of Illinois who was indicted by the Bush Justice Department. He was out of the country with his family when the indictment came down; he returned to face charges and clear his name. Other US Attorneys in Illinois have made dubious indictments in the past as a means of leaping into state politics. Often, the splashy indictments faded away into acquittals.

Mr. Rezko may be guilty as hell of something, but I have my doubts. Just ask Governor Don Siegelman.




By the way, "Tony" Rezko? Wonderful use of quotation marks to imply a Mafia connection!

[mopinko]

15. i agree with you. called "trumped up charges" afaik.

try this at home folks- run for office. get everyone who wants to support you a full investigation, including into things they have never been indicted, let alone convicted, for. see how much money you raise. see how easy it is to get elected.
i think they are coming after blaggo. i don't think that squeaky clean exists in politics, at least here in illinois. but making sure that no one who donates to your campaign gets indicted, let alone just smeared and harassed, in the FUTURE, is a pretty tall standard.
this dog didn't hunt 6 months ago. give it up. newmeat? c'mon.

[chascarrillo]

14. NewsMax as a source on DU???

What in the blazes?

Moley mole.

[Bluebear]

28. Here, something from Judidicial Watch instead: " Obama Close With Indicted Fundraiser"

Obama Close With Indicted Fundraiser

For the second time in two months Illinois Senator Barack Obama, who plans to run for president in 2008, is defending his strong and unethical ties to a shady political fundraiser indicted for taking hefty kickbacks on government deals.

Last month the popular Democratic lawmaker, who has toured the country promoting his book and his political aspirations, defended a questionable real estate deal with longtime friend and campaign contributor Antoin Rezko. This week, Obama denied granting an internship in his Capitol Hill office to a 20-year-old student recommended by his corrupt buddy.

The highly competitive internship was one of 98 Illinois spots filled from a pool of 350 applicants and Rezko wanted a friend's son to get the job. The intern's father is a longtime Rezko associate who, incidentally, has contributed thousands of dollars to Obama's political campaigns.

Rezko and Obama have known each other for years and Rezko's companies have donated big bucks to Obama's campaigns. Rezko even hosted a fundraiser for Obama and the two men entered a real estate deal that Obama said was a regrettable mistake only after it was exposed in the media. Basically, Rezko subsidized a $1.65 million home Obama purchased in Chicago's South side in 2005.

Long investigated by federal authorities, Rezko has been charged with extorting millions of dollars in kickbacks out of investment firms seeking state business. He is also accused of obtaining a $10.5 million loan from GE Capital through fraud and swindling of group investors.

Obama will undoubtedly continue denying any wrongdoing but the question remains: Why would he even have any connection to a guy like Rezko? One major Chicago newspaper points out that, during this ethically challenged time for so many pols, why would Obama put himself in business proximity to Rezko? Perhaps the senator will come clean during his presidential campaign.

http://judicialwatch.org/blog/obama-close-indicted-fundraiser

[chascarrillo]

29. Judicial Watch as a source on DU???

Yeah, that's much better than NewsMax.

Good grief. First NewsMax, then Judicial Watch when that fails. What are you folks smoking???

[Bluebear]

30. I see you don't cotton to irony lol

[SoxFan]

16. A Clinton kvetching about a real estate deal?

:rofl:

[tammywammy]

17. A 6-month old article on Newsmax

When did Newsmax become a legitimate source on here?

Which, there were plenty of threads about this 6 months ago.

[sniffa]

18. i wonder if they have any negative things to say about Hillary?

:think:

[Yuugal]

19. "Sixteen years ago........"

Damn, they had to go back 16 yrs just to find a guy he knew that was a crook? Gobama! Now thats squeaky clean.

[ginchinchili]

20. Same ol' crap, different face.

Anyone can promise change.

[Vinca]

22. I heard Obama had to have the crusts cut off his peanut butter and

jelly sandwiches when he was a kid and he wouldn't touch grape jelly. Had to have seedless raspberry. Then there was his preference in milk glasses. Wouldn't drink his milk in anything but a Bozo the Clown glass. Now who can take a fussy guy with a Bozo fetish seriously? Then there was the incident with the brussels sprouts in junior high. I tell ya, the guy's a bad seed. :sarcasm:

[BringBigDogBack]

23. lol!

Nice article!

Sometimes I wish I were a mod here...

[Blue-Jay]

24. Wow. I can't believe a crook donated to someone's campaign!

That probably only happens to Republicans and Obama.

[hedgehog]

25. Having a crook docate to your campaign is one thing.

Steering federal money to the crook after the campaign donation is another.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/03/magazine/03PHENOM.html

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-earmarks10dec10,0,3014797.story?coll=la-home-center

[tammywammy]

26. oops

:)

[Blue-Jay]

27. Yes. That is an entirely different thing.