Political Punch

Why does anyone care what Howard Wolfson has to say. He is a liar and a thug. Where are the tough questions for Wolfson and Clinton over the 2000 Hollywood Gala Fundraiser? The New York Senate 2000 Joint Committee to get Hillary elected was found guilty and fined by the FEC ...Not a word about that, though. Wolfson knew then that Peter Paul donated over a million for that event, participated in conference calls before the event, and even admitted that the event cost over a million dollars, and yet when it was exposed that Peter Paul was an ex-convict the Clintons through Wolfson claimed that Paul only donated 2000.00 and returned that is the amount they returned. ...Then! They turned around and requested a couple of hundred thousand more from Paul after they had distanced themselves from him in the press. ...So why are we listening to anything the Clintons or Wolfson has to say about election integrity and bad associations? ...Perhaps it is because they know, first hand, of what they speak.

Report: NAFTA-Gate Leaker Said Hillary's People Were Reassuring Canada, Too
By Eric Kleefeld - March 5, 2008, 11:33PM
The NAFTA-Gate controversy has taken another turn, one that could potentially boomerang back on Hillary Clinton after initially damaging Barack Obama.

The Canadian Press — Canada's domestic equivalent of the AP — is reporting that the original source of the leak was Ian Brodie, chief of staff to Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper. And as it turns out, Brodie's original conversation with reporters focused much more on Hillary as the candidate whose people were reassuring Canada that the anti-trade rhetoric was all just campaign talk.

"He said someone from Clinton's campaign is telling the Embassy to take it with a grain of salt," said one participant in the conversation. The source added, "someone called us and told us not to worry."

Hillary's people were able to use NAFTA-Gate very effectively in questioning Obama's honesty in the Ohio and Texas campaigns, ultimately pulling off some decent wins. But if this thing doesn't die down, and the focus turns from Obama over to Hillary, they could very well see the story come back to bite them.

Clinton folks are truly desperate. This rezco story has been rehashed and rehashed since obama announced his candicacy for president over a year ago. In fact I even read a story talking about it almost 3 years ago. I have read at least 10 different stories on this..THERE IS NOTHING THERE!!! Obama admitted being friends with this guy, buying property with this guy and he realized that it was a boneheaded mistake and has returned all the money to charity...As hillary supporters like to say..WHERE IS THE BEEF?? Obama isn't on trial for doing anything illegal. He is just one of the small people on the totem pole of rezco illegal dealing with billionaires in other coutries. I have no doubt that everything has been on the up and up with Barack. I trust him and I know that he and his campaign folks knows that if he did anything illegal or if anything negative or conflicted accounts come out over what he has said that it will hurt him. I am confident that he has been telling us the truth.

If "Wolfson is not wrong here," then why no answers from ABC and other news organizations? The NYT finally did a story today (3/2) on the Rezko trial, which begins tomorrow, but buried it on page 25.

Here is one answer many people don't know: Who is listed as "Political Candidate A" in the indictment? Answer: Obama.

(As a contast to the NYT's burying of the story, its McCain lobbying scandal story appeared on the front page.)

According to the Chicago media, Obama has refused to sit for an interview to answer any of these questions. Is that acceptable? Would you let Hillary get away with that? I think you know the answer to that.

Did anyone ask Wolfson where Hillary's tax returns are? How about who are the investors in the Clinton Library? What about Bill Clinton's friendship with Karl Rove? Or Hillary's $170,000 donation from the company with the sexual harrassment suit? Come on people, don't be fooled by Hillary's cronies. Clinton campaign motto- Admit nothing, deny everything, make counter-accusations.

Not sure how "melodic" Mr. Wolfson's diabtribe was...the link suspiciously already expired...but as far as the transcript goes, it sound more frantic than anything else. I guess I'd be frantic if I were Mr. Wolfson too, after all the gravy train he's been on for the last year and a half is about to be decomissioned...and since he's been bilking Sen. Clinton's supporters to the tune of $250,000+ a month for mismanaging her campaign, his anxiety is understandable...he's standing to personally lose out on more than 1 1/2 million dollars...

I read the newsday article. I also read an article about Larry Sinclair. I think both parties had ulterior motives making their stories lack credability.

Apples to Oranges. Hsu is a convicted bail jumping criminal the law finally ran down and put in prison. We don't know how much he gave the Clinton's. I believe Hillary did return some Hsu money when she was busted. It is hard to say how much money the Clinton's have and where it came from. I don't really care, I guess they earned it one way or the other. Rezko has not been convicted of any thing and the money he gave to Obama was given to charity. Hillery really doesn't want to talk about money, or maybe she does. If so she can begin by disclosing her Tax Returns, Clinton Library White House Papers for openers.

I am as as sick of Hillary as anyone and as open to voting for Obama. But you kool-aid drinkers who mindlessly refuse to see the free ride that Obama is receiving are doing neither him nor the country good. Everyone else (which is 80+ percent of the populace) is concerned about the free ride and will not trust Obama until it ends. But you keep insisting it never started, and think if you shout loud enough people will believe you. How bloody blind can you be?

Now the "trial" begins is an understatement. Criminal cross-examinations are often less dogged.

I just LOVE General McPeek's comments that, if you want to know how a person is going to respond to being the commander-in-chief in a war, look to how they operate under the pressure of running for president. Do they show signs of panicking? Are they firing staff? Are they attacking their opponent for not having the experience that they don't have either?

WOW... desperation is an ugly color Hillary Clinton... Rezko Rezko Rezko... is that all you have? And as for the lady at the top... why didn't he come out drug free? I defy you to tell me at least half the American population has never smoked pot, including Bill "I didn't inhale/I never had sexual relations with that woman" Clinton. As for lies and double talk, the Clinton's take the cake. Every time I see Hillary on TV/internet she has a different personality for whoever she is talking to. No more, we deserve more... she needs to hang up the pant-suits so we can beat McCain.

...and Steve... where is the statistic that say those 90% of Baracks donors didn't give under 200 dollars...I don't see it in those numbers you gave ...those are just dollar amounts...they don't address the percentages and where they came from...

I mean if that is true you should put that statistic up... (which I am surprised you can say hillary did...I would like to see those numbers though just for my own balance)

90%

Obama has lied about the percentage of small donations which have been made to his campaign and the Federal Election Commission figures are nothing like Obama states. He gets around 70% from big business. This statement is a lie. Hillary has now raised 90 percent of our donations from small donors, $25, $50.

Presidential Campaign Finance
Through 01/31/2008
Contributions
Individual $137,431,938
PAC $25
Party $0
Candidate $0
Transfers-In $0
Disbursements $113,291,436
Cash On Hand $24,940,159
Size of Donations
$200 and Under $47,323,742
$200.01 - $499 $10,452,546
$500 - $999 $11,440,957
$1000 - $1999 $21,130,641
$2000 and Over $49,472,185

Only 34 percent of Obama donors were under $200. How and where is BHO coming up with 90 percent?

He is a LIAR

Beautiful piece. Who needs the Clinton PR staff, when the mainstream press does their job for them?

So Wolfson will now tell the media what they should do?

WOW! Hasnt he done enough damage to the Clinton campaign already and to the nature of clean politics..that he now intends to decide what the media should do, and dont tell me the media is sitting there and watching Wolfson tell them what to do?

These Obama supporters are classless and reckless. They are littering in the Internet and intimidating. Obama should "reject and denounse" these supporters.

Obama claims he has better judgement, then show the world that he did have better judgement re: Rezco. If he has better judgement, why didn't he pay for the parking tickets to City of Cambridge where he studied law as an adult for over 10 years? Why didn't he come out drug free? why does he have this free ride? I am disturbed by these Obama supporters that you can count on me not voting for this man regardless he is democratic nominee or not!

The link to the audio version of the telephone call at the bottom of the article has already been destroyed. Wow, these Obama people react quickly. Well, at least the article itself is still there for interested persons to see.

Man, and Clinton supporters used to say Obama was whiny. All that comes out of Clinton HQ lately is one long whiiiiiiiine.

Texas and Ohio voters, please put all out us out of our misery and hand her ass to her.

I started out this campaign as a Clinton supporter but I just can't stand her anymore.

Dear Obama-yikes,
In that case, since ALL of the truths need to be told, there's one other story that isn't getting out much either.
Every woman in this country needs to google "Clinton" and "$170,000", and read that story.
She sold out every woman in America on that one, and somehow, it's just been magically buried.

Yes, we already know everything about Hillary becuase she has already been vetted.

We know the Clintons are hiding her tax return.

We know the Clintons are hiding her White House papers.

We know that the Republicans will run against issues that Obama would not raise, such as the definition of is, and travel gate, and whitewater, and Vince Foster, and the failure to take out Bin Laden, and who Bill has not been having sex with since he left the White House.

We already know all we need to know about Hillary.

"Wolfson is not wrong here."

That's funny, it's almost as if Wolfson feeds you story ideas and you blindly run with them.

Way to go, lemming media tool.

The Rezko story is such a non-story. Yes, Obama was the highest bidder for a house. But he has done no favors to Rezko. It is time to stop the innuendo.

And what about Hillary's BoratGate? Bill's Kazakh deal? His library donors?
People who live in glass houses should not throw stones at others.

"in which world are you living? About which press are you speaking?"

The one that is controlled by Clinton talking points on a daily basis: plagiarism, Somali photo, reagan quote, 3 am ad .... all Clinton generated topics.

Even now, we have a "debate" about so-called "media bias" which the Clinton team created.

"It seems you have been to one big Obama brain-washing session."

Research shows that Obama's supporters, contrary to -- yet again -- Clinton spin, are much more realistic about their candidate and recognize his weaknesses and limitations. Clinton may has less support now, but her core supporters are far more vehement.

Clinton is winning the spin war and dominating the newscycle. Yet she is losing at the polls.

Wolfson has a selective memory.

From the second that Hillary said, last 24 July, that Obama was "irresponsible and, frankly, naive," Obama spent the next nearly four months against the wall and being pilloried in the media for his supposed lack of experience.

Meanwhile, that same media, in debate after debate, refused to ask Hillary serious follow-up questions, while she stonewalled her way to a nearly 30-point lead in national polls.

Hillary had her free ride, just not when she wanted it -- and the only reason Wolfson is pushing the Rezko story now is because his candidate is LOSING.

For the Clinton campaign to even bring this up is the ultimate case of the pot calling the kettle black. Her past has so many skeletons in the closet she could open a medical school.

47 million witout health insurance, that's right.....37mil choose not to buy it for many ressons(young, don't think they will get sick, rather buy flat panel T.V's and drink their Starbucks everyday.)for the legit 11 mil there's already something called mediaid/medicare that we all pay for. Wake up people the only thing Clinton/Bush/Obama or anyone else are go for is wasting our tax dollars and screwing eveything up.But hey if don't pay taxes anyways why care? 50k and less pay no federal taxes...so bring on the the freebies..go libes

Kate,

in which world are you living? About which press are you speaking?

It seems you have been to one big Obama brain-washing session.

There are meanwhile studies about the negativity of the press and big media towrads Hillary. Read and learn or go back to school.

AND- Obama is overspending her by miles, has provenly the media in his pocket and is still not winnig - well maybe where all the AA vote for him because he successfully plays the race card. Besides he is a liar and it is slowly all coming out.

This is remarkable!!!

Go Hillary 2008!

And all you who prefer dumb presidents like Bush- vote obama and you will get the same (NOT as he is not goin to win) - just not as funny!

ArthurW - what I find interesting is that, every time I've seen a link to the sexual harassment story posted on one of these boards, it is yanked almost immediately.
Why is that? Her advisors even commented in the story, so it isn't as if somebody made it up!

I'm betting the administration of Barack Hussein Obama will be more trustworthy and transparent than the administration of George WMD Bush and Richard Halliburton Cheney.

Yeah, so, um, what is a nice way to say "I don't care." The answers to these questions do not change the price of gas or give me health insurance. Unless Senator Obama is on trial, I personally don't give a crap. But that's just me.

P.S. Senator Clinton doesn't have one good reason why we should elect her President, just reasons why we shouldn't elect Senator Obama . . . that's pretty lame if you ask me. Oh wait, I forgot, she has breasts. Guess what? So does half or America . . . that's not good enough.

I'm betting nobody from the Chicago Sun Times or any other Chicago news organization was invited to participate in Wolfson's conference call.

The Rezko case has been covered extensively in Illinois and will continued to be covered there up until Rezko's conviction or acquital.

Not to worry! The so-called "journalists" will ask all of Wolfson's questions when the time is right for THEM. When will the time be right? AFTER Mr. Hope clinches the nomination and not until.

The Corporate owned RW media has ordered its Corporate owned RW talking heads to wait until Mr. Hope is the nominee before they take him down. The Corporate owned RW MSM wants a PRO Corporations candidate and that would be McCain. They will do their job when the timing is right. Should Mr. Hope be the Democratic nominee, then the questions will be asked.

The RW Corporate owned MSM will install Pro Corporations McCain for their RW Corporate owners....guaranteed.

Barak Hussein Obama. What's he done as a senator? Nothing. Opposing the war is his only claim to fame and that is taken out of context. At the time, everyone in this country was willing to support the war. Only after Bush blew the post-invasion strategy did Iraq become a pariah.

He's not wrong? Seems like the Rezko situation has received similar media scrutiny as subjects like Clinton's guarded tax returns and the questionable donations/income from various associates of Bill. To date, it has received much more scrutiny than Clinton's large donations from a company being investigated for wide spread sexual harassment, even though Clinton kept those donations. In contrast,Obama gave the Rezko donations to charity AND admitted that his association was a mistake.

The problem with these comments from the Clinton campaign is that they often are equally or even more applicable to their candidate. Maybe one reason Obama gets slightly more favorable coverage is that he and his spokesmen don't spend precious time close to an important primary on such hypocritical spin.

Gee, Wolfson, why didn't you consistently spotlight any of this in the last TWELVE MONTHS and 20 DEBATES?!

Why are you desperately trying to re-hash Rezko 3 days away from your last-gasp Tuesday primaries?

Your candidate can say goodbye to Texas, and the rest of us can say goodbye and good riddance to your incessant reactionary ankle-biting.

Kate/Mike,

You both slam Clinton but neither of you address the issues raised by Wolfson with Obama's relationship with Rezko. The truth is the media is biased against Clinton. The truth is that if Rezko's relationship was with Clinton it would have been investigated thoroughly.

If Obama becomes the nominee these issues and more will eventually be pursued by the media. The honeymoon for Obama will end at some point and he will undergo the scrutiny that is long overdue. Unfortunately, by the time we realize what his inadequacies are and that he too is a politician it will be too late... like with George W Bush.

Without the passive complicity of the press the Iraq war would not have happened and George Bush would not have had the free ride he has enjoyed.

Great to see the old "Clinton Playbook"
back firing on them......The American people want a fresh start...no more Clinton nonsense.Is America really wanting Bill back in the White House? The time as come to move on....sorry Hillary, but Bill can't carry you after all.....what a same so mant times he made a fool out of you.

"it is time for America to evaluate Obama the potential president, not Obama the phenomenon."
Wake up people!

We KNOW the Clintons are corrupt. I'm very tired of hearing how they have been VETTED.

The press can't keep up with Bill's shady dealings, so the VETTING continues on both sides.

I seriously doubt there is much for Obama that the Clintons have not already found out (going all the way back to his kindergarten records). Bill and Hillary's campaign will make further research unnecessary for the Republicans in November.

It is only a matter of time before Barack Obama faces a comedown after the emotion he's "inspired" in the U.S. presidential nomination race.
Soon he Will Have Nowhere to Go But Down, if not against Hillary but certainly against MaCain.

At some point his free ride wil end,just like any other "superstar".

Obama, you cannot be elected president if you do not withstand the tough questions, how long are you are going to pretend no to know about Rezko?, to double talk to get out of tough questions? , to use the race card?

Obama you already fooled the people you were going to fool. Supporters are starting to suffer from the Obama Comedown Syndrome, and are starting to ask questions, such as, tell us your plans to deliver on sweeping promises to unite the country, bridge the racial divide and break the partisan logjam in the U.S. capital?; an so far Obama has been mute about specifics. Why?

Norman Hsu who? He disappeared rather quickly from the headlines, and hasn't been mentioned recently... Wolfson may have "answered" plenty of questions (although that is not my recollection), but no doubt he answered just enough to move the conversation past that topic, just as HRC did in the last debate regarding tax returns and White House documents she won't release.

Amazing...

This Obama Messiah is crap. It is disturbing to know that Obama said one thing in his "beautiful" speech, then turns out right and lies about it, calling what he says "campaign rhetoric." We need to wake up. How can we trust anything he says when he calls it campaign rhetoric?

I don't know much about Obama's character, but that he has consistently lied and double-talked himself out of trouble. He always has a smooth answer whenever he's been caught at a lie and nobody seems to care. This is disturbing. Are we so fascinated by a media creation that we cannot distinguish from truth and lie? Has this nation fallen so badly that they will grab the first false Messiah that promises the kitchen sink?

I'm out of hope.

Once again, I don't believe that Senator Barak Hussein Obama's problems will end with what comes out in the Rezko investigations.

Specifically, Obama will also have to explain his ties to Illinois state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, Michael Giorango, William Ayers, and Bernadine Dohrn.

The explanations for such reputable contacts should prove quite interesting.

Working the refs!!

The press has totally been in the Clinton team's pocket this whole race.

Last year, they bought into the inevitability narrative.

This year, they been putting Clinton's daily barrage of talking points in their headlines almost verbatim.

"Clinton say Obama .... " is the typical daily headline on the NyTimes. It's remarkable she has totally coopted the newscycle and yet still is losing, and still complains about "unfairness"!!!