"GOP is caught looking as the Rezko trial begins"

[madrchsod]

"The Republican Party should be eagerly lining up for this week's federal corruption trial in Chicago of Barack Obama's personal real estate fairy, Tony Rezko, the way a baseball team lines up to smack fat fastballs from a tired pitcher"


"But the Republicans aren't swinging. They're keeping their bats on their shoulders. This should concern Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican who will likely face Sen. Obama (D-Rezko/Daley). As most Clinton operatives and Republicans know, Rezko is the indicted political fixer who helped Obama buy his dream house."


With Rezko's jury being selected, you might think Republicans would feel some excitement running down their legs, the way liberal pundits tingle with Obamamania, or the way teenage girls respond to photographs of Justin Timberlake. Instead the Republicans are subdued. As I've warned before, the Rezko trial isn't about Obama. It is about Rezko and some Democrats, like Gov. Rod "The Unreformer" Blagojevich. But it also involves Rezko and powerful Illinois --->Republicans<----- with national reach....."


http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-rezko_governor_bdmar02,0,694950.story
Trial knocks on governor's door -- chicagotribune.com

this is`t some crap story from the new york times this is from the tribune`s john klass a guy who knows who`s who in illinois politics


here`s the person who fitzgerald is going after

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-rezko_governor_bdmar02,0,694950.story
Trial knocks on governor's door -- chicagotribune.com

[journalist3072]

1. Good...it needs to be an issue. Obama has not yet been held accountable for anything in his public

life, including his relationship with this slum landlord.

[ingac70]

3. If high profile Repubs are also involved...

Don't look for the GOP to be bringing it up.

Oh, look. A pic pf Bill and Hill with the slumlord...



http://www.newsmeat.com/ceo_political_donations/Tony_Rezko.php

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Drunken Irishman]

8. Do you really want to go there with guilt by association?

Clinton could write a book on that one.

[ingac70]

10. No shit sherlock. Look at his donations...

at the link provided.

[Drunken Irishman]

6. There has been no evidence to suggest Obama did anything illegal.

So yea, I don't think he has to be held accountable for innuendos.

[DJ13]

17. I bet the same sentiment you expressed led to the Whitewater investigations

That makes you no better than the Republicans you claim to loathe.

[BeatleBoot]

2. GOP will stay silent on the issue, too.

Until Hillary loses.

Then they'll gladly sacrifice their lower level members in order to retain the White House.

[babylonsister]

4. There's no 'there' there. This is a non-story, or they'd be all over it. Also,

people who live in glass houses...

[Lucinda]

11. The point that a lot of people are missing is that the judge trying the case

worked for Ken Starr during Whitewater. She's been on the fast track since that time.
There doesn't have to be a "there" there for them to hit Obama with it. It's something that we should be prepared for if he's the nom.

[babylonsister]

12. If there was something nefarious in Obama's background, do you

actually think he thinks he'd get away with it? I don't.

And then there's this, and many more like them:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=4848445

[Drunken Irishman]

14. And do they think Clinton wouldn't have exposed it already?

I mean, c'mon, this thing that there is a bogeyman in Obama's closet that will be released the second he wins the nomination is laughable.

The Clinton Machine is still pretty powerful and I doubt if there were some nasty secret in his past they wouldn't bring it to light.

[babylonsister]

20. Exactly-good point. nt

[Lucinda]

15. There doesn't have to be anything. Were you around during Whitewater?

They make it up as they go along.

It doesn't mean we make our choices because of what they might do, but it certainly shouldn't be ignored.

[babylonsister]

19. OK. Now I see where you're coming from. I think Obama's

campaign guys know or at least suspect what might be coming next, and I don't see the media running with a story too long if it's patently untrue. Too many people are paying attention.

[Lucinda]

23. It hasn't stopped them in the past, but the party HAS learned some

hard lessons since 2000, so I do think we're in a better position to handle it. I think it comes down to media motives. And how we endrun them should the need arise.

[MojoMojoMojo]

27. After reading about Seigelman in Alabama ,I think you are correct

to worry about a Ken Starr connection.
The Seigelman prosecutors, Ken Starr and his staff are all Federalist Society members.
The Federalist Society uses the law as a rightwing political weapon. They are who Hillary referred to as the "vast right wing conspiracy".
The Obama $3.5 million donation from Iraqi billionare-Auchi looks rather suspicious.I hope it doesnt turn into an 8 year investigation.

[BeatleBoot]

13. There doesn't have to be a "there" "there" for Rove either - Check this out

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4361454&page=1

<snip>

The ruling indicated that witnesses will testify about events that took place at Rezko's home, but it does not indicate whether the Obama fundraiser, held in June 2003, would be one of the events.

Several of Rezko's associates, also figure in the investigation, attended and contributed to Obama.

An earlier motion by prosecutors detailed two instances in which Rezko directed others to make campaign contributions to "a political candidate" who has since been identified by Chicago papers as Obama.

In her ruling the judge said she doubted the photo "will generate any more publicity than this highly publicized case has already received."

<more>

Translates into the Karl Rove Political Commercial:

Obama, while accepting Campaign Contributions from a Syrian Born "Bag-Man" on trial for EXTORTION, lived the high life at the Chicago mansion. Obama admitted being a long time friend of the man, but only after the Feds began digging. Truth is, Obama had been friends for decades and accepted a $ 3.5 million campign loan from an Iraqi, named Nadhmi Auchi. Auchi wsa convicted of Fraud in France well before Obama befriended him.


Politically, there is a there there.

So grow some thick skin. Because It's coming.

[madrchsod]

22. it`s truly amazing how people can ignore the fact

that there is nothing crimnal to link obama to this trial and that all of the contributions that have been discovered have been returned.

if the tribune writers can`t find anything then there ain`t nothing

[BeatleBoot]

28. And John Kerry was a War Hero

Until Rove got a hold of him.

It's politics: there's always a "There" there.

[JVS]

7. The GOP and the Hillary supporters who post so gleefully about it.

[Forkboy]

16. Like peas in a pod.

[JVS]

18. Turds in a toilet

[Lucinda]

9. I think they're waiting.

Rezko didn't ask for the trial postponement. The judge, who was part of Ken Starr's Whitewater team, offered the week extension. I think that may have been done to push the trial to March 4th so there would be no damage to Obama from the MSM and Hillary could, hopefully, be knocked out by then.

Then you have Obama vs McCain + Rezko trial.

May be tin foil hatty, but it fits.

[DearAbby]

21. Hillary

just loves to spend millions and millions of dollars instead of tossing this nugget out there...if there was anything to the story...this could be a knock out blow for Obama....now you expect me to believe that Hillary, OUT OF THE KINDNESS OF HER HEART, is sitting on this and spending those millions and millions of dollars and still losing...for what?

[Lucinda]

25. I didn't say anything about Hillary. This isn't about her.

The only (indirect) reference to the Clintons is the fact that the judge was part of the Whitewater witch hunt.

I'm talking about the Reps biding their time.

[DearAbby]

29. If there were anything to the story

I believe they would have used it already to out Obama. Look around you. Obama is looking like stiff competition. Even The Clinton Machine is having difficulties derailing it. If there was anything to knock Obama down they would have used it, both the Clintons, and the GOP.

Obama is blasting the GOP out with donations and organized campaign plan. He actually is the tougher candidate for them to run against. I dont believe McCain is chopping at the bit to go head to head.

Hillary on the other hand, looks to be floundering. Had money problems and campaign management problems. McCain would not an easy time, but a win would be more plausible.

If there was anything to this, both the GOP and Hillary stand to gain greatly by it by exposing it, sooner than later.

What I have read about this, there is really nothing to this story. Obama has not been implicated in any wrong doings. I am just wondering why fellow Democrats are frothing at the mouth like rabid GOPers, to even entertain this idea?

[Lucinda]

31. You assume that the Reps want to run against Hillary. I don't believe that's the case at all.

The MSM has been pushing Obama and working extremely hard to knock Hillary (and everyone else) out since the first debate. Edwards beat her in Iowa and it was barely mentioned. There is a reason for that, and IMO, it has nothing to do with any fervent media desire to "Gobama!"

MSNBC, which has been incredibly pro-Obama, jumped on the negative bandwagon and joined McCain when he started hitting Obama a few days back. I don't expect that will stop.

Kerry was looking like a strong candidate last cycle, look what was done to him. The MSM doesn't NEED facts to cause trouble. They make it up, twisting and distorting, as they go.

My concern is about the Reps & the MSM vs the Dems. The nom will be Hillary or Obama. I prefer Hillary. But I'm a Dem FIRST and I think people need to prepared to fight the MSM as well as the Rep ticket.

[DearAbby]

32. Nonsense, I remember Hillary as the media darling.

the media shoving her as the apparent heir to the throne 5 minutes after Kerry finished his concession speech, even so much as seeing screen crawls about CORONATIONS....Hillary had a 30% lead before the first vote was cast.
media telling us it was all but over.

Obama came out of nowhere, and without the media. For many months it was Hillary all Hillary.

Deny the hard work of Obama if you want, he is running a better campaign using Dean's 50 state strategy... he didn't just concentrate on the big delegate states and expected to breeze through. He and his supporters have worked hard, creating a base on which to work, gaining new voters and those who had for years sat out the process in elections past.

He has basically set fire to a movement of people wanting change, better yet, people who are willing to work with him to create that change.

Deny it all you want, the results of what he has done, it is clear to most of us, and its clear to the GOP. They have a MONSTER MOVEMENT on their hands, not a simple campaign.

People finally feel they have a voice, and they are part of the process. After all these years of being ignored, this will be hard if not impossible to squelch. I bet the GOP are not too thrilled about the prospect of running against Obama.

How can Hillary possibly beat McCain, she can't even beat Obama. Obama is the best chance we have.

[Lucinda]

33. Obama happened THROUGH the media. They made it "The Inevitable One vs The Future"

Both candidates rode the wave, but neither created the wave. The media did it. They pushed the inevitability line, making Obama into Davy against Hillary's Goliath, and then helped him knock her down. Obama has built an incrediblly strong campaign with a lot of great supporters AND the unparalleled press he has received.

Ask a Biden, Kucinich, Richardson or Edwards supporter about the media's manipulation of this cycle. Ask Kerry or Howard Dean, or Dukakis about the damage that can be done in a moment.

The press may continue to be supportive of Obama, and if he's our nominee that will be great. Maybe they ARE remorseful about their part in creating the two terms of junior. I know I would be.

[anamandujano]

30. They think Hillary has all the information that this trial is going to

uncover.

They also assume she would want to try to out filth BO in campaign tactics.

That's why they keep saying (and probably believe :crazy: ), that if Hillary did not out him, there is no there there.

Pretty unbelievable huh?

[Lucinda]

34. I know. Some think she and Bill were being racists too.

Boggles the mind.

[high density]

24. Obama is now the governor of IL?

That's news to us.

[madrchsod]

26. news to me...and i live in illinois

rezko was never about obama, it was always about the governor of illinois. everyone who follows our state politics knows fitzgerald was brought here to clean up the democrats but he got side tracked by the republican scandal. no one in illinois is going to shed a tear if blago goes.