Nice debate is over. How about more news on Rezco

[Freida5]

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/02/01/rezko/

Feb. 1, 2008 | CHICAGO -- During his rise through Illinois politics, it was inevitable that Barack Obama would encounter a suckerfish like Tony Rezko. Illinois has more governmental bodies than any other state -- over 500 in Cook County alone -- and therefore, more opportunities for operators.

Usually, their antics fill the front pages of only the Chicago Tribune and the Sun-Times. But thanks to an accusation by Hillary Clinton, who called him a "slum landlord," Tony Rezko's alleged crookedness is national news. The Syrian-American businessman is facing federal charges for a scheme to extort money from investment firms seeking business with the state. On Monday, he was arrested at his Mediterranean-style mansion and sent to jail for hiding his assets while out on bond. (Salon attempted to contact Rezko's lawyer, Joseph J. Duffy, but he is "not accepting press calls," according to his office.)

Obama's dealings with his hinky friend have never led him afoul of the law, but they show that, despite his high-minded politics, he was no purer -- or no savvier -- than Illinois' biggest hacks in his weakness for a generous contributor. He wouldn't even say no when Rezko cooked up a deal to help the newly elected senator buy a gracious Georgian-revival home.

Rezko, after all, built part of his fortune by exploiting the black community that Obama had served in the state Senate, and by milking government programs meant to benefit black-owned businesses. But Obama took Rezko's money even after the businessman was sued by the city of Chicago for failing to heat his low-income apartments, and even after Rezko was caught using a black business partner to obtain a minority set-aside for a fast-food franchise at O'Hare Airport.

[subsuelo]

1. Uh huh.

Wouldn't want to talk about that pesky vote to authorize war on Iraq would we

[Tektonik]

5. nor continued funding for the war either, right?

[subsuelo]

10. I am much more forgiving of the funding votes

than I am of the votes that got us there in the first place.

Aren't you?

[Tektonik]

13. No I am not

One person was in the Senate and was privy to the 'intelligence' that was presented, and one was not. Obama's opinion was made without knowledge of any intelligence the Senators received, which greatly weakens the confidence I have in his original opinions, and his funding votes for the war absolutely thrash my confidence.

They are both pro war candidates.

[subsuelo]

14. good points

who's worse in your opinion, on the Iraq issue?

[Tektonik]

15. I'd say Hillary because her answers are always so god awful about the IWR, but

Obama is almost as bad when he pretends to be an anti war candidate, especially when he goes and harps on Iran and Pakistan.

So on Iraq alone I'd say Hillary is worse, but in foreign relations altogether, they are just as bad as one another.

[subsuelo]

16. The way I see it

I'm looking at this thing now as who will be stronger vs Republicans on Iraq.

Hillary will easily be portrayed as trying to have it both ways, as a flip-flopper. At least with Obama we will have someone that can more effectively say look this war was wrong from the get-go and I am the one that will make the correct decisions on important issues like these for America. Hillary can't say those things and be remotely believable on it. Obama can.

[mth44sc]

2. tin ear

here is hoping that heals up for ya soon...

[nevergiveup]

3. And then

there is Marc Rich.

[TexasObserver]

4. The guy who gave Bill Clinton the $130 mil to fix the dictator's oil?

It's so easy to get these scandals mixed up.

[Tektonik]

7. I didn't know Clinton was the beneficiary of his own charity

[KittyWampus]

12. we can't see the Clinton's tax return so we don't know that.

[BeyondGeography]

17. No, the charity was the beneficiary of his efforts to prop up a dictator

[TexasObserver]

18. Probably because you don't understand tax exempts.

The complaint is not that he has violated IRC provisions, but that he sold his soul the devil for money to fund his library.

And for the record, his problem with his charity is not beneficiary status, but disqualified person status. It's not merely semantics. Each word has a meaning, and you loosely use the term "beneficiary" because you don't under the Code. He's the classic insider, and there are books on the topic.

[Rageneau]

6. If you want to hear more and more and more about this, just nominate Obama.

The rightwing has thrown everything it has and could borrow at Hillary, and she's still standing.

But they haven't even BEGUN to throw things at Obama yet.

[aquart]

8. Rezko "cooked up" the housing deal?

Why didn't Michele say, "We'll get a cheaper place we can afford"?

Which of the Obamas thought "cooking up a deal" was the best way to buy a house?

[Hill_YesWeWill]

9. This is getting so old, why are you trying to make this into something it's not? nt

[ProSense]

11. Here, check out a really sleazy deal

The Clintons Kazakhstan problem

Why the Clinton-Kazakhstan Story Matters

Why did Bill Clinton deny meeting Kazakh officials in the Clintons' home

Hillary's role in the Clinton/Guistra/Kazakhstan deal looks more like "good cop, bad cop"