Get ready for new GOP ads re Obama and Rezko

[notfullofit]

Frank James

There's certainly some irony in the conviction of Antoin "Tony" Rezko, Sen. Barack Obama's former ally and campaign contributor, one day after Obama made history by becoming the first African-American to clinch a major political party's presidential nomination.

Rezko, a Chicago businessman and wheeler-dealer, saw Obama's gifts early, even before the Democratic presidential nominee officially entered politics. As he faces years in prison on his conviction on corruption charges, Rezko at least has the satisfaction of knowing that he's a keen judge of political talent.

For Obama, Rezko's conviction means the all-but-official Democratic presidential nominee can expect to face dark Republican ads, likely featuring a narrator whose voice conjures up something sinister, that refer to the senator from Illinois's one-time relationship with the convicted businessman.

Expect to see, for instance, ads with Obama South Side Chicago house and that infamous side yard he purchased from Rezko's wife. Indeed, the GOP just put this new site up.

It will all be part of an effort to dull Obama's sheen of novelty and portray him as a regular Cook County Democratic politician, as someone with the requisite dirty laundry that comes with that territory.

If there are any saving graces for Obama, they would be that the trial didn't reveal much more about his relationship with Rezko than we already knew.

Also, the conviction probably surprised no one. The evidence against Rezko was fairly strong.

.
http://weblogs.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/

[truthisfreedom]

1. Yawn. McCain is a scandal waiting to happen.

[sharp_stick]

2. If Rezco is all the pukes can come up with

I'll take it. It didn't receive much traction outside of Chicago before the trial and it won't now IMO. There was no sex and no death so nobody that follows cable news will give a shit.

[ProSense]

3. Rezko?

LOL!

[maxrandb]

4. Is this the same Rezko

who hosted a $3.8 Million Dollar fundraiser for George Bush and contributed the max $4000 to his campaign?

Just wondering.

If "Mc-Same-Shit/Different-Day" wants to have an argument based on lobbyist and political corruption, I'll put my money on Obama!

[my3boyz]

5. Whoa...I'm really nervous! NOT! nt

[high density]

6. Yes please harp on Rezko

It worked so well for the Clinton campaign!

[endarkenment]

7. Thank you for your concern.

Have you looked into some of the scandals McCain is associated with? Perhaps you might want to give us some good information on some McCain dirt.

[notfullofit]

12. Don't jump on my ass

The Chicago Tribune has more damn articles on the association, here's another one...

Trying to put his past with Antoin "Tony" Rezko behind him, presidential candidate Barack Obama on Friday said he never thought the nowindicted Chicago businessman would try to take advantage of him because his old friend had never asked for a political favor.

But in a 90-minute interview with Tribune reporters and editors, Obama disclosed that Rezko had raised more for Obama's earlier political campaigns than previously known, gathering as much as $250,000 for the first three offices he sought.

Obama also elaborated on previous statements about his private real estate transactions with Rezko, saying they were not simply mistakes of judgment because Rezko was under grand jury investigation at the time of their 2005 and 2006 dealings. "The mistake, by the way, was not just engaging in a transaction with Tony because he was having legal problems. The mistake was because he was a contributor and somebody who was involved in politics."

The Illinois senator made his most extensive comments about Rezko to date in an effort to quell the lingering controversy over his relationship with the politically influential developer and over the personal financial deals first revealed by the Tribune in November 2006.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-obama-rezkomar15,0,2968927.story

You think the repukes ain't gonna milk it ?
Plus the fact that they are now looking at the governor........

Some lawmakers, sensing their political fate can no longer be tied to that of the governor, worked to distance themselves Wednesday.

Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson (D- Crete), has found her bid for a southwest suburban congressional seat under attack by Republicans trying to link her to Blagojevich's problems. On Wednesday, Halvorson told reporters the Rezko verdict won't hurt Blagojevich's relations with state lawmakers because they were "terrible" already.

"Nobody is even surprised by this Rezko stuff," Halvorson said. "It's just par for the course."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-blago.1jun05,0,4523108.story

[kentuck]

8. The Boy Who Cried "Wolf!"

That is the Republican Party. People are skeptical of the Republican Party and they remember the Swift Boat attacks from the last election. Even if some Republican attacks might have merit, much of America will dismiss them because they have cried "Wolf!" too many times.

[Occam Bandage]

9. So, what wrongdoing was Obama implicated in?

Wait, none whatsoever? Yeah, good luck with that.

[Kokonoe]

10. Its funny how evey news item about Rezko, ends with Obama didn't know anything about it. nt

[FVZA_Colonel]

11. The evidence against Rezko was strong, but I really think if anything truly unseemly tied him to

Obama it would have come up anywhere from the indictment to just before the conviction.

[Thrill]

13. Well I'm sure McCain can expect Keading 5 and Abramoff ads

[notfullofit]

14. Hell yes! nt

[blogslut]

15. Man, those Chicago papers are rough

It's amazing any politician gets elected there.

[LTR]

16. I'll raise your Rezko and show you a Keating Five

McCain certainly isn't a saint.