Posted on 11/04/2006 3:40:10 PM PST by milwguy
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama expressed regret late Friday for his 2005 land purchase from now-indicted political fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko in a deal that enlarged the senator’s yard.
“I consider this a mistake on my part and I regret it,” Obama told the Chicago Sun-Times in an exclusive and revealing question-and-answer exchange about the transaction.
In June 2005, Obama and Rezko purchased adjoining parcels in Kenwood. The state’s junior senator paid $1.65 million for a Georgian revival mansion, while Rezko paid $625,000 for the adjacent, undeveloped lot. Both closed on their properties on the same day.
Last January, aiming to increase the size of his sideyard, Obama paid Rezko $104,500 for a strip of his land.
» Click to enlarge image
Sen. Barack Obama says he regrets purchasing land from politcal fundraiser Antoin Rezko.
(AP)
RELATED STORIES • Prosecutors: Gov's pal owes $50 mil. • Rezko dealings raise questions The transaction occurred at a time when it was widely known Tony Rezko was under investigation by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald and as other Illinois politicians befriended by Rezko distanced themselves from him.
The online news coverage had several pictures of his house, so I got to wondering where it was, exactly. It seemed like a hard thing to figure out, even though I'm sure there are many Chicagoans who could instantly locate it. But then I saw a CBS video clip, which zoomed in from a wider shot, and you could see a large domed structure across the street. "Don't tell me he lives across the street from a mosque!" I said to myself, but in fact it's a very famous synagogue!
He's not Muslim. He's United Church of Christ.
I had no idea he was atheist!
I'm pretty sure his father is a Muslim. I believe Osama Obama is Christian.
Obama is Macaca...
"She went public with "sex-club" stories to sink him."
7 of 9 did not go public with this. The divorce records were sealed.
Book deal. Like the one the DBM/DEMS used to drive Newt out of office. But Obama's a Dem, so it's OK for him.
What's the deal? How is he connected to Doyle?
He is involved with high ranking Doyle staff (Marotta,etc) and was in a skybox last year with doyle at packer/bears game. Investigation in early stages for wisc., but their is already lots of smoke seen. Stay tuned.
Speaking of Doyle, I got this email from a good friend of mine who ran into him at the Packer/Cardinal game in Green Bay on October 28th:
Subject: I saw my buddy Jim
Well I was walking into Lambeau and heading through the crowds of politicians running for office and there in front of me was my friend Jim Doyle. I scooted to my right just a bit and ended up right in front of him, & shook his hand, looked him square in the eyes and said “I hope Mark green wins”….the expression was priceless….made my week.
I think you're right about this all being hushed up until AFTER 'Rat Doyle is re-elected again. But, since I've been working for the Mark Green Campaign, he has a VERY good shot at winning. The closest we've had in years.
RPW: Ethics Board Can't Clear Doyle of Bringing Dirty Illinois Politics to Wisconsin
10/24/2006
Contact: Bob Delaporte, (608) 257-4765
Madison - Jim Doyle can't escape his connections to dirty Illinois politics. Once again punting on its responsibility to hold elected officials accountable, the State Ethics Board is giving Doyle a pass for activities that have sent other lawmakers to jail. Wisconsin law prohibits elected officials and state employees from accepting anything of value - including tickets to exclusive sporting events.
However, the State Ethics Board is refusing to hold Doyle accountable. According to the Board:
"the Governor attended the event at the invitation of an owner of the Bears to meet Illinois government officials and business leaders and that that is what the Governor spent his time doing."
Two of those "business leaders" that Doyle had dinner with and went to the Bear game with were Tony Rezko and Christopher Kelly. Rezko is facing a 24-count indictment for his role in a scheme to steer campaign donations to troubled Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich and extort companies seeking business in Illinois for profit. According to the Sun-Times, Doyle donor Christopher Kelly was also involved in that same scheme. In the middle of a federal probe, Kelly gave Doyle the maximum contribution allowed by Wisconsin law - $10,000. According to the Sun-Times, Kell y is listed as "Individual B" by Federal prosecutors in the Rezko case. The Executive Director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, Rick Wiley, says Jim Doyle won't be cleared by the voters of Wisconsin.
"If the Ethics Board won't hold Jim Doyle accountable for his dirty politics then the voters of Wisconsin will," Wiley said, "Jim Doyle brought Illinois style pay-to-play to Wisconsin and it ends on November 7th."
Doyle's dirty donor, Christopher Kelly's was recently named as a "go-between" in an investigation of whether Blagojevich's campaign put the squeeze on a company in the running for a $220 million state contract. (Chicago Sun-Times, 9/20/06) Federal authorities are also investigating a sweetheart deal that landed Kelly an exclusive $93 million no bid contract to provide food at rest stops on Illinois toll roads. (Chicago Tribune, 12/31/05)
Like Doyle, Blagojevich is the target of both federal and state probes involving pay-to-play. Kelly has been subpoenaed by a grand jury investigation trading campaign donations for positions in Blagojevich's administration. (AP, 5/16/05. AP 5/18/06) Kelly has also been linked to numerous pay-to-play scandals in Illinois. (The Northwest Herald, 9/16/05)
Doyle's donor, Christopher Kelly, has profited from his connections.
· A Cook County grand jury is looking into whether Kelly was part of political revenge after a landfill was hastily shut down by the state as a part of an on-going feud between Blagojevich and his father-in-law, Chicago Alderman Dick Mell. (Chicago Sun-Times, 2/24/06)
· A company with ties to Kelly won $25 million in state contracts and even did work for Blagojevich's campaign. (Springfield State Journal-Register, 2/2/05)
· Kelly managed to land a lucrative, no-bid contract for O'Hare Airport for $3 million higher than early estimates. (Chicago Sun-Times, 2/16/04)
· Blagojevich sent Kelly to reclaim the state's 10th gambling license from a bankrupt casino to and build a new casino in Rosemont, IL. Even though Kelly and one of Kelly's friends would have made millions off the deal. (AP, 5/28/04)
· Kelly isn't officially a state employee, but that didn't stop him from threatening state action if the casino license wasn't sold so the state could reap the profits. (Chicago Tribune, 6/20/03)
· Gertrude Kelly, Christopher Kelly's sister, got a job in Blagojevich's administration just five days after being issued a real estate broker's license. She became an assistant commissioner in the Office of Banks and Real Estate in December earning $92,000 a year. (Springfield Journal-Register, 2/8/04)
Jim Doyle's administration remains under investigation by Federal, State and County authorities.
I didn't mean to imply that Green will win soley due to MY efforts, LOL!
He's not Muslim now but his father and grandfather were Muslim. Are you sure he was *never* a Muslim?
Ya know...I can see the globalist-powers-that-be in DC trying to shove a quasi-mooslim into the White House just to demonstrate to the world how "tolerant" the USA can be......
Where did he get all that money? Doesn't anyone wonder?
And the politics in Chicago are not on the up-and-up? Who knew?
</sarcasm>
I think it's perfectly okay to let him skate on this. It would be great to see H. Clinton and B. Obama finish next year remaining as the front runners, then bloody each other real good through the primary season, perhaps leaving no clear winner going into the convention.
Of course none of that means anything if the GOP doesn't run somebody who can carry the base and emerge as a clear winner early on, like maybe a conservative or something.
Actually the problem with the land deal is Obama paid $300,000 less than the asking price for his piece, while Rezko paid full asking price for his piece, implying they had set up a deal to save Obama money on the house portion. When you combine this with Rezko then selling a portion of the land he bought to Obama (albeit at a fair price) as well as paying for the construction of an expensive wrought iron fence, there is a stench to this deal.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.