Guardian (UK): "Obama-Rezko link may be scrutinised by Republicans"

[bidenista]

More from the British press:

Obama-Rezko link may be scrutinised by Republicans

Daniel Nasaw in Chicago
Monday February 4, 2008

If Obama becomes a presidential candidate, his relationship with Rezko is certain to be raked over by the Republicans, who will be ruthless in zeroing in on their challenger's weak points and poor past judgments. The details of Obama's house purchase certainly point to a close relationship between the pair. Obama bought the 94-year-old house in June 2005, shortly after his election to the Senate. The same day, the wife of real-estate developer and fast-food restaurateur Tony Rezko bought the adjacent lot from the same owner who was splitting a large lot in two. Obama, the new senator for Illinois, and his wife Michelle, were flush after signing a $1.69m publishing deal on his book, "The Audacity of Hope". The couple paid $1.65m for the house - $300,000 less than the asking price, according to the Chicago Tribune. Rezko's wife Rita purchased the adjacent lot, formerly the yard of the house, for $625,000, the full price.

In a lengthy interview with the Chicago Sun-Times in 2006, Obama said the seller, a University of Chicago doctor, required that sales of the two properties close at the same time. He said the house had been on the market for months, the listed price was too high, and the sellers were anxious to move. He said he approached Rezko about the two properties. After the purchases were completed, Rezko agreed to sell a 10-ft sliver of his land abutting Obama's, so the senator could build a fence separating their properties. The Chicago Tribune reported an appraiser valued the slice at $40,500, but Obama paid $104,500. The amount represented one sixth of Rezko's original purchase price, for one-sixth the land.

Rezko was already under investigation at the time of the property deal, but it's unclear whether Obama knew this. But by the time of the purchases Chicago newspapers had run dozens of stories detailing Rezko's questionable business deals and relationship with political figures, and the city's papers have reported that he was widely known to be under investigation.

Obama has since acknowledged the deals were an error....

More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections08/barackobama/story/0,,2252385,00.html

[NewJeffCT]

1. may be scrutinized?

I'd be shocked if they didn't scrutinize it.

[REDFISHBLUEFISH]

2. Trial starts in a Month! Obama will drop like a rock then.

Fickle media going to crucify him.

[mmonk]

3. It's already being scrutinized by the Clinton campaign.

It will be old news then. I wonder if the identities of the Clinton donors will be new or old then?

[Qutzupalotl]

4. ...and certain DUers.

:)

[blm]

5. Dubai Ports Deal advocated by Bill Clinton - Same Dubai $$ that started BCCI

the terrorist bank.

What HAPPENED to that BCCI report that was handed to Bill Clinton when he took office, anyway?

[NashVegas]

6. I'm Sorry, But This Looks a Lot Like Whitewater to Me

Rezko may be scum, but I can't see where, in these numbers, it looks like the Obamas did anything unethical.

Could someone point it out for me?

[bidenista]

7. not unethical - stupid

And with the trial starting weeks from now, primary voters will have many chances to think about that stupidity.

[Tatiana]

8. #9 n/t