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Morning Rezko Reading
February 19, 2008 11:00 AM
The Chicago Tribune weighs in today with a deeper look at the controversial land deal Barack Obama entered into with since-indicted political fixer Tony Rezko.
Turns out before Obama bought the mansion (Rezko helped him by buying half the land), Obama took Rezko "on a tour of the premises to make sure it was a good deal, Obama's campaign revealed Monday. Weeks after saying he'd answered all questions about his controversial dealings with the now-indicted Rezko, Obama released new details about their purchase of adjacent lots from the same seller on the same day. But the disclosures by Obama's presidential campaign left unanswered questions and raised new ones."
Recall that Obama bought the house for $300,000 UNDER the listed asking price while at the same time Rezko bought the adjacent property for the full asking price -- $625,000 -- under Mrs. Rezko's name.
Bloomberg News' Tim Burger also takes a look at this today.
Burger's take is a bit different, noting that the "couple who sold Barack Obama his Chicago home said the Illinois senator's $1.65 million bid 'was the best offer' and they didn't cut their asking price because a campaign donor bought their adjacent land, according to e-mails between Obama's presidential campaign and the seller."
- jpt
February 19, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (51)
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Unless I'm confused, Rezko then sold a sliver to Obama and the rest to someone else, so didn't even speculate on the property, just got rid of it. So now someone else owns an empty lot. (And if you're going to speculate on property as being in prime location, why would you get rid of 1/6th of it?)
Posted by: Desider | Feb 19, 2008 1:43:33 PM
Obama supporters don't really care who this guy is. They are only interested in defeating Hillary. So, I take it that they would back the devil also as long as the devil will be able to defeat Hillary.
That is scary stuff.
My advise to these guys is, take a deep breath and take a step back a bit and ponder the situation. Is their hatred for Clinton really worth putting just anybody in the whitehouse?
Common!
Posted by: SO1 | Feb 19, 2008 1:43:08 PM
You have to wonder why the Obama campaign released more information about the real estate transaction after they had maintained for so long that everything had been released before. It reminds me of the stories about his past drug use. Obama feels that if he or his campaign is upfront about negative information, that he's then inoculated and can foreclose any further discussion about it.
Also, I'd like to know more about the adjacent lot. Does the second transaction (when Rezcko sold the small strip of land to Obama)render that lot "unbuildable"? If it does, then the effect of that is to make Obama's house worth a whole lot more since there won't be a house sitting adjacent to it. As far as I know, I've never seen anything about the ultimate disposition of that lot. Anyone have any information?
Posted by: Mass voter | Feb 19, 2008 1:39:16 PM
Eh?
How relevant is this minor blip compared with Clinton's sleazy Uranium deals with the dictator of Khazakstan? How come ABC news just ignores that?
No wonder Hillary refuses to release her tax returns.
It might hurt her standing somewhat if we knew they make tens of millions of dollars from influence-peddling and dictator-coddling. I hope people see through their lies.
Posted by: Kansas Jack | Feb 19, 2008 1:32:56 PM
Behold Jake Tapper and the rest of the Clinton establishment spin-machine going into full desperation mode.
I think these "news" sources should reveal their allegiances up front.
Tapper has been pounding out slime-job after slime job on Obama for about a month. WAKE UP, FOLKS!
Posted by: mg | Feb 19, 2008 1:29:27 PM
"Rezko, an Arab-American, is sitting in jail right now because of a $3.5 million wire transfer he received from Syria,and the money is traced to exiled Iraqui Billionaire and Saddam Hussein's friend and supporter Nadhmi Auchi. Auchi's wife contributed directly to Obama's campaign.........there's much more to the story, but the press isn't reporting on it until after Obama gets the nomination...."
I assumed Obama was George Bush in a democratic suit. It is even worse than I thought. God help us.
Posted by: Firefighter | Feb 19, 2008 1:22:00 PM
Mike, you must not be aware that the Chicago Tribune endorsed Obama. Also, journalists don't get a license.
If you represent the brain trust that comprises the bulk of Obama supporters, God help you.
I'm so glad someone is finally digging around in Obama's closet. Also, you know how Obama always mentions he was the first black president of The Harvard Law Review? Are you aware that was a LONG time ago and he served for one stinking year? That's it. He's not qualified to be president. VP yes, leader - no way. Our country is in too much trouble to allow someone so inexperienced to drive.
Posted by: mojo | Feb 19, 2008 1:18:00 PM
There is nothing new here. All of this has been gone over with a fine tooth comb again and again. Obama did nothing illegal. Why can't you come up with some real news??
Posted by: Adnora | Feb 19, 2008 1:15:26 PM
i'm less worried about rezko and obama's mansion than about rezko failing his duties to his tenants who lived in obama's district, yet went unpunished...
Posted by: chris | Feb 19, 2008 1:08:17 PM
I can't believe we are reading yet another story about this ridiculous Obama/Rezko thing, and yet, we have seen very little reporting about Bill Clinton's uranium deals in Kazakhstan.
Posted by: BT | Feb 19, 2008 1:05:32 PM
Interesting how Obama fans are attacking the media and are not questioning whether there's a bit of truth here. Like the Clinton fans, it doesn't seem to matter whether the scandals are real as long as the lemmings feel secure in their candidates arms. Corruption doesn't seem to amount to much for some.
So, we have two candidates mired in scandal and neither can attack the other without exposing his own dirty-dealing. How far can one candidate sink and how willing are the loyalist on either side to intentionally soil themselves?
Posted by: Surelock Homes | Feb 19, 2008 1:00:21 PM
Rezko, an Arab-American, is sitting in jail right now because of a $3.5 million wire transfer he received from Syria,and the money is traced to exiled Iraqui Billionaire and Saddam Hussein's friend and supporter Nadhmi Auchi. Auchi's wife contributed directly to Obama's campaign.........there's much more to the story, but the press isn't reporting on it until after Obama gets the nomination....
Posted by: rg | Feb 19, 2008 12:58:30 PM
Hillary Clinton's failing campaign strategegy of "inevitability" only postion her indubitably the loser in this race toward nomination.
Posted by: Rebecca | Feb 19, 2008 12:55:57 PM
This so-called "scandal" pales in comparison to Bill Clinton's trading influence for cash with a mineral developer and the Kazakh dictatorship.
Posted by: John | Feb 19, 2008 12:45:49 PM
This is certainly something that needs further exploration. I am getting very worried that the Democrats are going to be hoodwinked by Obama and left holding the bag if he gets the nomination. Let's vote for a known quantity. We know all about Hillary...Ken Starr wasted $55 million trying to find dirt on her and came up empty handed...that says something!
Posted by: Two-cats | Feb 19, 2008 12:45:45 PM
I am glad we are questioning Obama dealings, we must know the full truth before we vote him in.
Posted by: Pat | Feb 19, 2008 12:45:03 PM
hmmmm.....lets see I wonder if Rezko is singing in prison and therefore Obama's campaign is releasing these details so people will think, " Oh it is Honest Obama again, NOT!!!" Barack Hussein Obama has played Americans for far too long in this campaign. I have always found it interesting that he wrote 3 tell all books about himself right before he decided to run for office. Books that readily tell about his pot smoking days and his Muslim daddy's. And because he has written these tell all books no one questions him because there it is my life for you all to read.Hmmm... I wonder why he didn't include his Rezko friend in his tell all books?
Real Change is a woman in the white house.
Hillary 08
Posted by: mona | Feb 19, 2008 12:36:54 PM
Obama has received $300,000 bribe from Resko
Posted by: bancha | Feb 19, 2008 12:32:55 PM
What took so long for the truth?
Posted by: Bryan J. Shuy | Feb 19, 2008 12:09:14 PM
What about Obama and Rezko's connections to Nadhmi Auchi? Why aren't you and every other journalist looking into this Jake? If there is no paper trail on a candidate, and no record of his mothers' marriages, shouldn't that be sending off a few alarms?
Posted by: tz | Feb 19, 2008 12:05:58 PM
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