The Candidates
Our favorite Obama associate is going to jail:
A federal jury today convicted developer Antoin “Tony” Rezko of corruption charges for trading on his clout as a top adviser and fundraiser to Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Rezko’s guilty verdict on 16 of 24 corruption counts could have broad repercussions for Blagojevich, who made Rezko a central player in his kitchen cabinet. It could also prove a political liability for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, who once counted Rezko as a friend and fundraiser, as the likely Democratic presidential nominee heads into the general election campaign against Republican John McCain.
The 10-woman, two-man jury deliberated for parts of 13 days before convicting Rezko of scheming with Stuart Levine, a longtime Republican insider, to extort millions of dollars from firms seeking state business or regulatory approval.
The jury convicted Rezko of wire and mail fraud, money laundering and aiding and abetting bribery. He was acquitted of attempted extortion.
Levine, who pleaded guilty in 2006, became the government’s star witness. He testified that in return for kickbacks, Rezko rigged decisions of two state boards on which Levine sat.
But the defense attacked Levine as a drug-addled con man who dodged a life sentence by inventing tales of illegal activity involving Rezko. His lawyers also questioned Levine’s memory after decades of abusing cocaine and crystal methamphetamine.
In their closing arguments, prosecutors urged jurors not to disregard Levine’s testimony just because they found him offensive. Government wiretaps and other witnesses backed up Levine’s account of conspiring with Rezko, prosecutors contended.
Testimony at the trial produced a series of stunning allegations of misconduct that went well beyond the scope of the criminal charges against Rezko.
Former state official Ali Ata told jurors he bought his post with bribes to Rezko and campaign contributions to Blagojevich. Ata was also one of several witnesses who said Rezko talked of a plot to kill the criminal probe against him by pulling strings with the Bush White House to get U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald fired.
The trial also provided ample fodder for cynics who see Illinois politicians as members of a cozy club motivated more by greed than altruism or ideology.
Witnesses against Rezko claimed his alleged schemes involved a host of political insiders from both major parties. Among those whose names came up repeatedly during the trial were Chris Kelly, another top fundraiser for Blagojevich; William Cellini, a veteran Republican power broker; and Robert Kjellander, the longtime Republican national committeeman from Illinois .
Rezko befriended many Illinois politicians and was a major fundraiser for some, most prominently Blagojevich and Obama. The criminal charges against Rezko had nothing to do with his connection to Obama. But that link still proved a nagging headache for Obama during his Democratic presidential run, especially in the wake of Tribune revelations that tied Rezko to a 2005 real estate deal involving Obama’s South Side home.
June 4th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
> “The trial also provided ample fodder for cynics who see Illinois politicians as members of a cozy club motivated more by greed than altruism or ideology.”
Sign me up as one of those cynics.
Both parties here are incredibly corrupt — the Republicans are no better than the Democrats (it’s just that at the moment the Democrats hold all the power, so have more opportunities for corruption).
Anyone who thinks Obama is likely to reform anything should remember where he came from. He is a product of the slimiest political machine in America. If he were interested in political reform, he had an opportunity to fight the Daley machine in his days as a “community organizer” in Chicago. Far from doing so, he joined the machine. He had the opportunity to fight corruption at the statewide level as a state Senator — instead he became part of the insiders’ club in Springfield and used it to launch his bid for the US Senate.
It’s the Chicago Way.
June 4th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
BREAKING: Hillary to officially end campaign this week. Per CNN.
June 4th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Intrade update: Couple days ago, Palin was trading at 1-2 for VP. Today she’s up from 5 to 15!
June 4th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
I must say I’m amazed at Obama’s teflon like qualities.
I mean, just look at some of the people he’s associated with, and this is all just off the top of my head:
Rezko: Convicted Felon
Wright: Enough said
Pfleger: Enough said
Ayers: Enough said
Dohrn: Enough said
Khalidi: Former head of PLO propaganda office in Beirut during the 1980s
Meeks: On tape calling Chicago politicans “ni**ers” and railing against Jewish movie prodcuers responsible for Brokeback Mountain
Farrakhan: Enough Said
There’s probably plenty more.
Given how far left he is, the race issue, and other factors, McCain still has a pretty good shot of winning this.
June 4th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Obama is campaigning on “change.” Remember not too long ago when Kerry/Edwards, et. al., repeatedly campaigned on “change?” Change in Obama’s purse is not new, but just an old Democrat tactic to again attempt after failures to burden us with big government, weak security and high taxes.
Change from a Republican Presidency after 8 years is not change if a liberal Democrat takes the White House when the Democrats control Congress and much of the Senate.
It appears that Obama’s campaign slogan “change” is not a good thing when the House and Senate, which are controlled by Democrats have a 18.7 percent job approval rating.
Obama and the leftest Democrats should be repeatedly outed on this weak campaign slogan of “change.” Otherwise, it does not appear to be wise to allow the leftest Democrats to have a tripartite liberal dictatorship.