Media Matters explore NBC Rezco story

[Freida5]

http://mediamatters.org/items/200801300012?f=h_latest


On the January 29 broadcast of NBC's Nightly News, senior investigative correspondent Lisa Myers reported that critics, whom she did not name, say that "in paying full price for" the vacant lot adjoining Sen. Barack Obama's (D-IL) Chicago home, indicted Chicago businessman Antoin Rezko "may have essentially subsidized Obama's purchase" of the property in 2005. Myers added that "Obama strongly disputes" this claim. In a January 28 "web-only" report on Obama and Rezko, Myers similarly cited unidentified critics saying that Rezko's purchase of the lot "may have essentially subsidized Obama's purchase." But in both cases, Myers omitted Obama's specific statements countering the suggestion. The Chicago Sun-Times specifically asked Obama why he paid less than asking price for the house while Rezko paid full price for the lot, and Obama said that he was "not involved in the Rezko negotiation of the price for the adjacent lot," and that he was able to purchase the house for less than the asking price because "the house had been listed for some time, for months, and our offer was one of two and, as we understood it, it was the best offer."