Posted on 03/02/2008 6:45:39 AM PST by jdm
Hillary Clinton has complained bitterly that her competitor, Barack Obama, has received a cushy ride so far from the mainstream media. That may be changing, however, with the corruption trial of Obama’s political booster Tony Rezko. The New York Times takes an in-depth look into Rezko’s connections and asks how the Chicago fixer kept finding so much money with so many creditors:
Tony Rezko was obviously in trouble. He was a defendant in at least a dozen lawsuits, federal investigators in Chicago were poking around, and his name was in newspaper articles about corruption and fraud.
None of that stopped Mr. Rezko, a politically connected developer, and Senator Barack Obama from completing real estate deals a few years ago that resulted in the Obamas obtaining their dream house and the Rezkos buying an empty lot next door.
Nearly three years later, fallout from Mr. Obama’s relationship with Mr. Rezko, who raised more than $150,000 for Mr. Obama’s campaigns, continue to dog Mr. Obama on the presidential campaign trail. That distraction promises to linger as Mr. Rezko goes on trial on corruption charges starting Monday.
Mr. Obama, a Democrat, is not part of the case against Mr. Rezko, who is accused of shaking down companies seeking business with the State of Illinois. Mr. Obama has conceded that it was a mistake to bring Mr. Rezko into his personal real estate dealings, although he has insisted that there was nothing unusual about the developer’s decision to buy a sought-after lot in an upscale neighborhood.
But a review of court records, including new details of Mr. Rezko’s finances that emerged recently, show that the lot purchase occurred as he was being pursued by creditors seeking more than $10 million, deepening the mystery of why he would plunge into a real estate investment whose biggest beneficiary appears to have been Mr. Obama.
The Times develops the connection further between the Rezkos and the Obamas on the purchase of the house and lot that put them in business together. They report that Barack Obama could not have purchased the house without someone else buying the adjacent lot on the same day, as stipulated by the seller. The sale had to be coordinated between the two, and Obama had to be aware of Rezko’s odd decision to have his wife front for the purchase of the lot, despite her lack of income and assets.
Obama had to be aware of more than that, as well. By the time of the real-estate deal, Rezko had already become the focus of lawsuits and a federal investigation. Chicago authorities had publicly announced a probe into Rezko’s business practices with the city — specifically for alleged fraudulent misrepresentation of his business as a minority-owned enterprise in order to compete for municipal contracts. The newspapers had reported for at least two years about Rezko’s malevolent influence in the state.
Why was a politician supposedly interested in clean politics doing business with someone with such a bad public reputation, and with a man whose creditors had already begun to take him to court?
The Times also brings up the name Nadhmi Auchi for the first time. In the middle of Rezko’s financial meltdown, the thirteenth-richest man in the UK suddenly sent Rezko $3.5 million — supposedly for a pizza business. Auchi, however, usually deals in much higher stakes than pizza. When Auchi spends that kind of money, he’s not looking for take-out — he’s looking for influence.
The trial’s start tomorrow may prove a turning point for Obama and the media. They have treated him with unusual deference. This looks like a warning flare that the easy ride has come to an end.
more
For the MSM, electability (eventually) trumps everything else. If the MSM sees Hillary making a comeback, and sees her as the stronger candidate to face McCain, then they'll drop Obambi like a bad penny. Just watch.
“If the MSM sees Hillary making a comeback, and sees her as the stronger candidate to face McCain, then they’ll drop Obambi like a bad penny. Just watch.”
You’re exactly right.
Agreed
Looks like I have not kept up with the details of this deal like I thought I had. This is the first time I read that the adjacent lot purchase was a same day purchase stipulation!
Has that info always been in other reporting?
This story has been reported but not in a major way. Its never made Nightly News, that I know of.
Well, well, well! Hey hildebeast, how does it feel to have your own media start treating you like a leper after the manure you’ve pulled all these years? And yes, the RAT MSM is treating the islamic osama obama like they treated you before his arrival. MSM refuses to really look at this islamic just like MSM refused to really look at you & your pervert hubby in 92 and 96 while on the campaign trail.
I think the MSM fears that if Obama gets the nomination that many of his now-followers will have lost their drive to actually show up at the voting booth.
Would-be Obama voters will think that there's already plenty of people voting for him, given how all his events have been packed to the hilt. However, what is energizing about Obama now may not hold all the way until November and, if he secures the nomination, will need every single vote he can get, in order to beat McCain.
Criticism and destruction of the right is business as usual with the media, but as soon as it begins to criticize the left, it’s “the media’s turning on them”.
Tough.
Let them squirm a bit. Just like us.
I believe your assessment to be accurate.
Hillary Clinton has complained bitterly that ... Barack Obama, has received a cushy ride so far from the mainstream media. That may be changing .. with the corruption trial of Obama’s political booster Tony Rezko. .... The trial’s start tomorrow may prove a turning point for Obama and the media. They have treated him with unusual deference.
With all due respect to Ed Morrissey that 'cushy ride stuff' ain't exactly so. The MSM in Chicago has been on this for at least a year (maybe longer). Both the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune (part of the MSM) have written scores of 'unflattering' articles on Obama and his ties to Rezko.
As to Hillary complaining, that's a hoot. If any two have been protected by the MSM it's those two grifters. 'Heck' Dan Rather performed journalistic oral sex on them in that one interview during BJ's first term. Then the MSM sat on the Monica story until Drudge broke it. And the MSM did everything they could to make the Juanita Broderick story go away. The MSM turned her into a non person who didn't exist. So talk about a 'cushy ride' from the MSM, they had it - in spades.
the media will report some of Obama’s troubles, but they will not harp upon them like they will McPain’s. The media will NOT “turn” on Obama. For the most part, they will protect him until he is president. Even after that they will soft peddle his every failure. Just like they did Bill Clinton’s.
Perhaps not on a “national” scale - but yes if you google up old articles by the major Chicago news media the “same-day” point has been well known in the public for quite some time.
This is a case of the national media staying away from the whole story on purpose...
“The other thing to keep in mind is this momentum factor with Obama. How long can it last? Surely not until November.”
I don’t know about that. I’ve been actively involved in politics for the past 45 years and I confess I have never seen anything quite like this fellow, at least not in American politics.
“However, what is energizing about Obama now may not hold all the way until November and, if he secures the nomination, will need every single vote he can get, in order to beat McCain.”
I think you’re right on that. Obama will lose “Reagan Democrat” as well as some Hitlery votes to McCain. Obama won;t pick up many Republican votes at all. To win he’ll need to pull in the votes of people who have never voted before. So far he has been able to do that. It remains to be seen if he can pull it off in November. An awful lot can happen in 9 months which can effect the outcome of an election. Right now I’d predict that if Obama gets the nomination, he’ll beat McCain. If Hitlery does, McCain wins and I suspect wins big.
65-70% of Americans want us outopf Iraq. That is bad for Mcain.
says...Deep cuts in our Nuclear Arsenal....what about Iran....?
Wonder if there is a text of what he just said.....sounds soft on security to me.....
“sounds soft on security to me.....”
Soft? I’ll say! He wants to disarm the U.S.
That video showed up on Tammy Bruce’s site last week
http://tammybruce.com/2008/02/barack_hussein_obam.php
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