Posted on 03/15/2008 2:37:00 PM PDT by libstripper
Trying to put his past with Antoin "Tony" Rezko behind him, presidential candidate Barack Obama on Friday said he never thought the nowindicted Chicago businessman would try to take advantage of him because his old friend had never asked for a political favor.
But in a 90-minute interview with Tribune reporters and editors, Obama disclosed that Rezko had raised more for Obama's earlier political campaigns than previously known, gathering as much as $250,000 for the first three offices he sought.
Obama also elaborated on previous statements about his private real estate transactions with Rezko, saying they were not simply mistakes of judgment because Rezko was under grand jury investigation at the time of their 2005 and 2006 dealings. "The mistake, by the way, was not just engaging in a transaction with Tony because he was having legal problems. The mistake was because he was a contributor and somebody who was involved in politics."
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Makes one to shudder to think who else he’d trust as President.
He demonstrating to the nation poor judgment quite a bit lately.
He is a terrible judge of character. Add that to the beginning of the goody list along with being a guy that goes to the same church with his family for twenty years and didn't know what his church was spewing from the pulpit.
I wonder what other fun stuff is out there to add to the list for consideration in the general election.
Poor judgement.
If he even gets to the general election at this point.
Here we go -
the VICTIM!!!
Classic Democrat defense.
Guess he didn’t know about this either -
YEARS with the guy too!
Exactly,
He doesn’t know the company he keeps (apparently). This doesn’t say much of his judgment
He better pray that there isn’t any video showing him at any of these events with this type of garbage being spewed.
Obama is an unsuitable vessel by virtue of his own gullibility or his own "untruthiness".
In other words, the perfect democrat.
All these political crooks are nothing more than a bunch of drama queens when they get caught.
Obama: I trusted Rezko.....and b. HUSSEEIN wants to be POTUS....I don’t think so!!!
HUH?
“Faced with intensifying scrutiny as the Democratic primary season grinds on, Obama said voters should view his Rezko dealings as “a mistake in not seeing the potential conflicts of interest.” But he added that voters should also “see somebody who is not engaged in any wrongdoing . . . and who they can trust.”
“Change you can trust”
LOL!!!!
“Obama said voters should view his Rezko dealings as “a mistake in not seeing the potential conflicts of interest.” But he added that voters should also “see somebody who is not engaged in any wrongdoing . . . and who they can trust.””
Let’s say I’m dumb and believe that he’s “somebody who is not engaged in any wrongdoing”.
That still doesn’t mean I would trust a guy that can’t see, “potential conflicts of interest”, that are as plain as day to see as the Rezko thing is.
Next thing we’ll hear is that he’s wasn’t aware of a potential conflict of interest when he ate dinner with Muslim terrorists when he visited his homeland last year.
“When Obama launched his bid for the Illinois Senate in 1995, Rezko was his first substantial contributor. Obama said it was his “best guesstimate” that Rezko raised $10,000 to $15,000 of Obama’s roughly $100,000 collected for that race. Obama said he didn’t have more certainty because he didn’t then have the staff to maintain better campaign finance records.”
“Rezko helped bankroll all of Obama’s subsequent campaigns except his presidential bid. Rezko was on Obama’s campaign committee in his failed run against U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush and gathered between $50,000 and $75,000 of the estimated $600,000 raised in that race, Obama said.”
“Rezko also was on the finance committee for Obama’s 2004 U.S. Senate run. “My best assessment is that he raised $160,000 during my U.S. Senate primary,” he said, adding that those funds had been given to charity.”
Tell me, with a straight face, that the OBOMINATION didn’t KNOW where he got all that money and from WHOM? This creep bankrolled the Obomination for YEARS!
His leadership abilities appear to be next to zero.
He only seems to be good at arousing emotions and stirring things up. He almost seems incapable of taking any responsibility for any of his actions let alone his associations with shady characters.
This guy is not a leader, he is an activist pure and simple.
I wonder if he has given an order yet to have all of his books removed from all book store shelves before the MSM actually looks into his statements made in his writings.
.
Interesting house deal:
“The house and the adjoining yard had been owned as a single property, but the owners were listing them separately and asking $1.95 million for the house and $625,000 for the landscaped side lot.”
...
“The home and lot sales closed on June 15, 2005. A land trust controlled by the Obamas bought the house for $1.65 million, and the Obamas secured a $1.32 million mortgage from Northern Trust to complete that purchase. That same day, Rezko’s wife, Rita Rezko, bought the side lot for $625,000. A $37,000- a-year Cook County employee, she secured a $500,000 mortgage from Mutual Bank of Harvey.”
“Obama rejected the suggestion that, by paying the full price for the lot, Rezko was enabling Obama to buy the house for $300,000 less than the initial asking price.”
How cozy!
The Obominations bought the house for $1.65 million when it was listed for $1.95 million during the REAL ESTATE BUBBLE. NO house prices were DOWN or negociated DOWN in 2005. It was still BIBBLE time.
Explain to me during the real estate BUBBLE that the Obomination got a house REDUCED in price where others were foolishly paying a premium?
It’s not as though this was a ghetto area either. It’s an UPSCALE area. Ahem ... “ They were drawn to a 96- year-old South Side home with four fireplaces, glassdoor bookcases fashioned from Honduran mahogany and a wine cellar.”
I’d bet ya that he attended most if not ALL these controversial sermons - check the books on who contributed that day. A church is supposed to keep a record of those that cotribute through offerings or whatever.
Don't think for a minute the Clinton Attack Machine wasn't perfectly aware of all this and just waiting for the right time to spring the trap - if necessary. They have to knock him out completely before the Convention, and they probably will. The snowball is gathering speed. The only thing left yet to provide is an "Ed Muskie" moment where Obama is seen weeping in shame in a Chicago snowbank.
Stick a fork in him. He's done.
After the GOP Convention, they will proceed to take apart the hapless Juan McCain in the same ruthless way. McEgo won't know what hit him. He'll still be praising his "good friend and colleague across the aisle" as he too goes down in flames.
Obama is some great judge of character isn’t he??
It's a little early for Pubs to jump on this. Let Hillary and Barry bleed each other out a little bit, and rile the other ones base.
Trust?.... He’s going to be leaning on some Wright-minded folks who share his values.
So, in your opinion anyone who bought a house in 2005 either paid full price or a premium. There is no reasonable way that someone could have paid less than the asking price?? Please. That is just a stupid thing to say.
Obama has plenty of ethical problems, but you don’t seem to understand anything about real estate.
Obama has plenty of ethical problems, but you dont seem to understand anything about real estate.”
Good grief!
WHERE have you been hiding.
It's NOT an “opinion”. It is a FACT that real estate prices in upscale neighborhoods were not selling BELOW asking price.. Ever hear of the “real estate bubble”? Well, it BURST. NOW prices are coming down in most areas and NOW we have people paying MORE than the property is worth. Ever hear about the “mortgage crisis”? Well these IDIOTS that borrowed MORE than they could afford to pay after the teaser mortgage rate and the “no money down” scheme are in trouble due to the real estate bubble.
Honestly, don't you read the news, ever?
My brother in law and sister in law bought a house a couple miles from the Obamas in 2005. It isn’t an “upscale” neighborhood. It is a mixed neighborhood of both high and low income housing. They bought a house for 289,600 when the asking price was 299,900, in November of 2005.
Yes, I have heard of the housing bubble. I also have enough common sense to realize although prices were going up, sellers were still greedy and asked more than the market value. There is almost always negotiation on house prices. Even in a housing bubble. If you actually read the news, you would know that this particular house had been on the market for quite a while at the asking price, and that they had received no offers. There is ample evidence, including the housing listing information and history, and documentation from the sellers. But, feel free to make your own assumptions and try to convince people that they are facts.
The house you speak of had “issues” ... a REDUCED price during the “bubble” wasn't a bidding DOWN war.
“Yes, I have heard of the housing bubble. I also have enough common sense to realize although prices were going up, sellers were still greedy and asked more than the market value. There is almost always negotiation on house prices. Even in a housing bubble. If you actually read the news, you would know that this particular house had been on the market for quite a while at the asking price, and that they had received no offers. There is ample evidence, including the housing listing information and history, and documentation from the sellers. But, feel free to make your own assumptions and try to convince people that they are facts.”
You really have no clue and do NOT read the news. Houses were selling like hotcakes in 2005. I don’t need to “assume” anything. I rely on facts and not uninformed opinions. The Obominations were not living in a ghetto. They purchased in an upscale area. It is HIGHLY unusual and NOT possible, to be honest for them to negotiate DOWN an upscale house. Perhaps you need to inform yourself about the bubble years - it was an UPWARD bidding war.
The Obominations got a sweetheart deal and THAT is why it was highlighted. Most can connect the dots. I have confidence that at some point you will too.
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