Question about the Rezko thing...

Okay, it's no secret that I can't stand Obama.. but I really don't get the seriousness about the Rezko thing. It seems like he just violated a finance rule--which is wrong, but not exactly outrageous. Was his goal to purchase an investment property in one of Rezko's slums or something? Or was it he trying to get a house for him and his family? I don't get it.

I realize that the Rezko guy is a scumbag criminal, but, frankly, I'm far more concerned with Obama's relations to scumbags like McClurkin and Caldwell.

Am I missing something? Or is this just a typical campaign finance scandal?

I thought it was a deal made with a relative stranger. That makes it a little more complex. Thanks.

for all we know, he may even be called to testify as a witness.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/749138,obama20web.article

district as a state senator, and got government funding to (not) fix up the slums he owned. Obama has been his budddy for nearly 20 yrs, and in tonight's debate flat out lied, and pretended he had only done "5 hrs of legal work" for the crook.

NT

I guess maybe there is something to the Republicans wanting him to win so they can beat him in the primaries. Maybe... :shrug:

he should have said
he was an associate at the firm
he was a friend
he had bought property from him

There was nothing apparently shameful about the truth.
Maybe inconsistency between being fighter for the poor and best buds with the slum lord.

But lying was downright stupid.

You should. Then you would know he addressed exactly what Hillary referenced.

The real, and only, issue is the home. Obama bought a nice property. REzko bought the property next door (from the same owner who owned both). Rezko offered to sell, and Obama accepted a slice of adjoining property, making Obama's even nicer. Apparently, Obama paid retail price.

THAT IS IT.



As for rubbing shoulders with Rezko at his lawfirm, the Suntimes covered that in detail. Obama was an associate, and Obama did do some legal work on one project, but was not the lead attorney. Obama was already in office, and Rezko had searched out contacts with him, because Rezko liked collecting promising pols with early, small donations.

I am not an Obama follower, but Hillary's comments were absolutely ridiculous. What a mean-spirited, sliming, underhanded, and just plain lying woman she has become.

The Suntimes and Tribune spent some serious time and effort on trying to find some dirt. Even the conservative Trib says, not only is there no fire there, there is no smoke.

If he did nothing wrong, why pretend he barely knows the guy when they have been friends for almost 20 yrs?

which looks to be minimal. Friendship is not crooked unless there is an exchange of $.

specifically property transaction
donations to campaign
bundling other contributions to obama's campaign
These exchanges.


The trial is about Rezko trying to extort $250,000 and direct some (small amount) of it to Obama's campaign.
No indication Obama knew about Rezko's crime.

Because I haven't seen anything like that yet.

nt

I can see I posted disjoint thoughts which may have appeared as cause and effect.

practicing law. I have occasion to deal with him in court. I even sent him a christmas card, after we had another case together recently, and he actually did the right thing.

He is now disbarred. Does his disbarment rub off on me? I think not. That applies to Rezko-Obama.

Now, the real criminal relationship is Rezko-Bloggo, our corrupt, and soon to be indicted governor. Rezko sought out, and Bloggo accepted and supported it, and took Rezko's people, suggestions, money as he saw fit.

because he hit her as a corporate lawyer working for Walmart.

She didn't ask him to explain his entire relationship with Rezko or talk about the land deal...just Obama's work as a lawyer for Rezko.

She was appointed to the EFFIN BOARD, meaning all those anti-labor practices that the board approved unanimously, were her decision.

That's a huge difference.

Complicit up the wazoo.

I have represented many a corporation, usually trying to get their asses out of a sling. I often succeeded, and many times I failed. But, my advice was independent, ethical, and grounded in the law.

A board member SETS policy, hires those to carry it out, and rewards those when the policy is taken to the extreme.