Free Republic

Donors Albert Joseph and Talat Othman (left to right), Professor Rashid Khalidi, Professorial Lecturer Farouk Mustafa, Dean Janel Mueller and donor Jamal Alwattar gather at a recent celebration in honor of the first Ibn Rushd Lectureship, to which Mustafa has been named. Donor Antoin Rezko, who attended the event, is not pictured.

Federal investigators are probing whether convicted developer Tony Rezko paid for all or part of a $90,000 fix-up of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's bungalow. The Chicago Sun-Times reported Sunday it has learned the FBI has been looking into how Rezko billed the Democratic governor for his work and whether Rezko ever arranged for cash to be passed in envelopes to the Blagojeviches. Rezko was convicted in June of mail fraud, wire fraud, aiding and abetting bribery, and attempted extortion. Work on the Blagojevich home was completed in 2003, after Rezko had succeeded in placing his friends and associates on state-government...

Sunday, October 5: **ONE HOUR SPECIAL** Obama & Friends: A History of Radicalism: 'Hannity's America' investigates Obama's college years, time as a community organizer and numerous controversial relationships

Branding his opponent as “erratic in a crisis,” Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is preempting plans by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to portray him as having sinister connections to controversial Chicagoans. Obama officials call it political jujitsu – turning the attacks back on the attacker. McCain officials had said early in the weekend that they plan to begin advertising after Tuesday’s debate that will tie Obama to convicted money launderer Tony Rezko and former Weathermen radical William Ayers. But Obama isn’t waiting to respond. His campaign is going up Monday on national cable stations with a scathing ad saying: “Three quarters...

CBS News’ chief political consultant Marc Ambinder reports that a group called the Judicial Confirmation Network will spend over $1 million on a TV and print advertising campaign in a smaller markets in the key swing states of Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania featuring some controversial figures Barack Obama has been associated with.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the FBI is looking into whether or not former Obama pal Tony Rezko -- convicted in June of attempted extortion, mail and wire fraud, and aiding and abetting bribery -- paid for all or part of $90,000 worth work on the Northwest Side Chicago home of Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Rezko apparently liked helping out his politician pals on their real estate transactions. As you may recall, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Rezko's wife, Rita, bought adjacent properties in a controversial and complicated series of real estate transactions, one of which Obama later called "boneheaded" because...

Did Rezko pay for Gov's house rehab? FEDERAL INVESTIGATION | Probe into Blagojeviches centering on whether indicted fund-raiser paid for all or part of $90,000 work on Northwest Side home Federal investigators are zeroing in on whether Tony Rezko paid for all or part of a $90,000 rehab of Gov. Blagojevich's Northwest Side bungalow as the corruption probe of the state's first family accelerates. Contractors dealt with gov’s wife Since Rezko's felony conviction in June, the FBI has been investigating how the former top Blagojevich fund-raiser billed the governor and his wife for the work, who paid for it and...

WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain and his Republican allies are readying a newly aggressive assault on Sen. Barack Obama's character, believing that to win in November they must shift the conversation back to questions about the Democrat's judgment, honesty and personal associations. With just a month to go until Election Day, McCain's team has decided that its emphasis on the senator's biography as a war hero, experienced lawmaker and straight-talking maverick is insufficient to close a growing gap with Obama.

Proof of a meeting between Barack Obama and the Iraqi-born billionaire, Nadhmi Auchi, would be a blow for the Illinois senator's presidential campaign. Obama has repeatedly said that he cannot recollect any meeting with Auchi, a London-based businessman who is appealing a conviction for fraud in France. Auchi was a business contact of Antoin Rezko, a former Chicago developer and Obama fundraiser currently on trial for corruption.

A federal judge on Wednesday froze $105,207 belonging to Antoin ''Tony'' Rezko, saying the money may be needed if she orders him to forfeit a big chunk of his assets as punishment for masterminding political corruption. *snip* Rezko, a major fundraiser for Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Sen. Barack Obama, was convicted in June of mail fraud, wire fraud, aiding and abetting bribery and attempted extortion. He was immediately jailed, freeing up the bond money.

Rezko, who was a key adviser in Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration, also raised money for Obama's Illinois state campaigns and [bought an adjacent property near the senator's Chicago mansion]. Since Rezko's criminal case, Obama has donated $159,000 of Rezko-connected contributions to charity. Rezko's cooperation in the ongoing case against Blagojevich and his wife would give investigators access to someone the Tribune described as the "ultimate political insider at the center of a pervasive pay-to-play scheme." In court filings, Rezko said he had been approached by prosecutors several times before his trial and was asked repeatedly about Blagojevich and Obama. Later,...

Tony Rezko has apparently seen enough of prison and wants to cut a deal, according to the Chicago Tribune. Federal prosecutors have begun meeting with Rezko and getting information, according to at least one defense attorney connected to other defendants in the case. This sounds like bad news for the Chicago Machine and Governor Rod Blagojevich:

Rezko saga hits big time in SNL debate September 28, 2008 BY ABDON M. PALLASCH Staff Reporter/apallasch@suntimes.com Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's relationship with convicted influence peddler Tony Rezko officially arrived as a national story Saturday: It became a punchline on "Saturday Night Live." In a takeoff on Friday's presidential debate, the John McCain character criticized Obama's support for federal earmarks, including an $8.1 million earmark called the "Tony Rezko hush fund." RELATED STORIES Sources: Rezko, feds in discussions Blog: Eye on Rezko Special section: Tony Rezko Obama's character shot back, "Sen. McCain, you know I withdrew that initiative after...

Please copy, paste, and circulate this press release from the Governor of Missouri. Note the Web domain of the press release, governor.mo.gov. This is not "someone's blog," a "rumor," or a "smear." It is the official Web site of Missouri's state government. The Governor of Missouri says openly that Barack Obama conspired to misuse his state's law enforcement resources to "threaten and intimidate his critics."We cannot overemphasize the gravity of Governor Blunt's accusation. While we are not attorneys and cannot give legal advice, "Conspiracy against rights" is a felony under the U.S. Code, Title 18 (Crimes). At present, Governor Blunt's...

Possible change of heart Rezko talked with prosecutors, may aid probe, sources say By David Kidwell, John Chase and Jeff Coen | Chicago Tribune reporters 5:24 PM CDT, September 27, 2008 Antoin "Tony" Rezko, a convicted influence peddler who was once one of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's most trusted confidants, has met with federal prosecutors and is considering cooperating in the corruption probe of the governor's administration, sources told the Tribune. Rezko's possible change of heart—after years of steadfast refusal—has sent ripples through a tight circle of prominent defense attorneys who represent dozens of potential witnesses and targets in the wide-ranging...

The column should help convince you that if you want the corrupt Chicago-style political cronyism on a national basis, you should vote for Sen. Barack Obama. This is one sliver of how Sen. Obama's actions will translate into disaster totally contrary to his saccharin-sweet speeches. When you ponder what candidate can best handle the economy, take into account how Sen. Obama betrayed the public trust and how he was a central figure in some of the worst economic management of recent times. You won't read about this in the mainstream media, but Sen. Obama did to the taxpayers of Illinois...

Michael Sneed Rezko redux The fed bed . . . September 26, 2008 BY MICHAEL SNEED Sun-Times Columnist Tipsville: Sneed hears rumbles that convicted influence peddler Tony Rezko, whose dealings have been linked to Barack Obama and Gov. Blagojevich, is singing to the feds. • • To wit: "I'm told by a close friend of Rezko that he's cooperating with the feds," said a Sneed source. "I don't know whether he's talking about Gov. Blagojevich or Barack Obama or anyone else," the source said. • • The shocker: Rezko, a Wilmette businessman who was a top adviser and fund-raiser for...

Could Illinois Governor Blagojevich suffer the same fate as convicted former Governor George Ryan? Sources tell CBS 2 News Chicago that Federal agents claim to have enough evidence to indict Blagojevich on fraud and conspiracy charges. However, the report says the investigators aren't the ones who make the decision to prosecute. That would be up to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald and the Justice Department in Washington.

Could Illinois Governor Blagojevich suffer the same fate as convicted former Governor George Ryan? Sources tell CBS 2 News Chicago that Federal agents claim to have enough evidence to indict Blagojevich on fraud and conspiracy charges. However, the report says the investigators aren't the ones who make the decision to prosecute. That would be up to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald and the Justice Department in Washington.

<p>I just saw this on Fox News by Carl Cameron.</p>

simonize |?s?m??n?z| verb [ trans. ] polish (a motor vehicle). ORIGIN 1930s: from the proprietary name Simoniz + -ize . Sitting on the sidelines, I have watched the unfolding drama of this presidential election. There has been a simonizing of Barack Obama that has been breathtaking to watch. Where has the mainstream press been to examine all the unanswered questions and events that have arisen? Any reporter’s career might be made by investigating anything that is contained in this article. A great story could be found in the nauseating treatment of HRC by the DNC, media and Democratic Party. A...

Obama's Land Deal-- Faking the Poor Into Bad Housing Getting the other half of his back yard for less than market price wasn't the only Obama Rezko real estate dealing. The Boston Globe is reporting that as a state Senator, Obama pushed through a housing development deal in his district. Tony Rezko and Six of his real estate partners were involved, they all provided tons of cash to Obama's campaign fund. That deal turned out to be horrible for the low income families that endend up living there. They received much less than what they payed for. So when you...

Obama’s Real-Estate Bust He did for Illinois taxpayers what shady mortgage lenders have done for the economy... Using his elected office and his clout, Obama helped Tony Rezko and other unscrupulous low-income housing developers obtain millions of dollars in state grants, tax credits, low-interest loans, and regulatory advantages. Taxpayers had no serious chance of recouping these “investments” in Rezko and other developers. And many beneficiaries went one step farther, depriving the public of even the benefits they could have gotten. These developers took government help to build low-income housing, and then let their buildings deteriorate into uninhabitable slums... To date,...

Lawyers for political fund-raiser Tony Rezko are asking a federal judge to throw out his conviction, saying his case relied too heavily on an unreliable witness. In a 25-page motion filed Friday in federal court, defense attorneys also said prosecutors never showed Rezko had an interest in a key kickback scheme at issue in his case and failed to prove a mailing happened in one of the mail fraud counts. Rezko, 53, of Wilmette was convicted in June of widespread corruption tied to state deals. He is a former top adviser and fund-raiser to Gov. Blagojevich and a fund-raiser to...

Lawyer: Clinic fires doc with Rezko tie Report: Paul Ray invested charity cash with felon By Sam Smith ssmith@svnmail.com 800-798-4085, ext. 525 STERLING - Almost as quickly as the Sterling-Rock Falls Clinic snatched up Cook County Hospitals' top urologist, the local health care provider sent him packing, according to his attorney. Dr. Paul S. Ray, 63, Stroger Hospital's former chief of urology, had millions in failed business deals with Antoin "Tony" Rezko and was linked - at least through the convicted power broker - to one of the deepest pay-to-play scandals in Illinois history, according to a July 24 Chicago...

Barack Obama received a sweetheart land deal from his one time major fundraiser and now convicted Tony Rezko, that is old news. But what is new news is the fact that Joe Biden has ties into this whole money laundering scheme. Joe Biden has been a friend of Joseph Cari, who just pleaded guilty to extortion, for thirty years. Biden has described himself as a 30-year friend of a key figure in the Rezko trial who’s pleaded guilty to a federal extortion charge in Chicago and is awaiting sentencing. So what was Cari’s crime? In 2005, Cari admitted to taking...

Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama was quick to blame the bankruptcy of Wall Street giant Lehman Brothers on Republicans’ “failed philosophy”. Obama’s September 15 comments were repeated throughout the media--yet reporters have not noted Obama’s glaring conflict of interest—the Lehman debt owed to a bank owned by the financier who loaned millions of dollars to Tony Rezko.

For those of you who still cling to the fantasy that Barack Obama is "about change," you should note how he, or his minions, want nothing to do with reforming politics in Illinois, perhaps the most corrupt state in the Union. "Throughout his political career, Barack Obama has fought for open and honest government," proclaims his campaign Web site. Apparently, no longer. When the Democratic presidential candidate—now his party's industrial-strength voice for our deliverance from political corruption everywhere—was asked by a reformer if he would help get his political mentor back home to get off the dime and move the...

If you're like many of us, you become uncomfortable when anyone asks you why you’re voting against Obama. You can’t just tell the truth and say "it’s because he’s black." That's socially unacceptable. So you come up with an excuse like "I think he’s secretly Muslim" or "he compared Sarah Palin to a pig." But you can only get away with parroting McCain surrogate talking points for so long before people start laughing at you and asking you to become an Amway distributor. You need to vary your response, so it looks like you're not desperately latching on to the...

RFFM.org conducted an online interview with Debbie Revor. In 1994 Revor was employed as a legal secretary with the law firm Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland while Sen. Barack Obama was an associate with the firm. Mrs. Revor's interview sheds light on what Barack Obama was like in private and will help give Americans an impression of the man who is running for the presidency of the United States. The interview with Mrs. Revor was conducted by Daniel Zanoza, RFFM.org's Executive Director, and was not edited in any form. Q. I understand CBS NEWS approached you to do an interview...

Barack Obama has a long and expensive history of earmarking. He has used them to benefit political allies in Chicago (Pastor Wright, Father Pfleger, Reverend Meeks). He has also used them to benefit financial donors (the slumlords and newly minted felon Tony Rezko). Now a new one comes to light-courtesy of the Washington Times. Senator Obama tried to direct a 3 million dollar earmark to a museum that has as its chairman one of Obama's largest fundraisers. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama tried to direct more than $3 million in taxpayer funds to a Chicago museum whose chairman is...

The relationship between Rezko and Obama goes back at least to 1990. During this time span, Syria was designated a terrorist state by our Stated Department. During this time, Rezko shuttled back and forth to Damascus on a regular basis. How naive is Obama to cultivate a relationship with Rezko rather than avoid it? Further, there are some interesting relationships between Rezko and Iraq that may help explain Obama's opposition to the war! A lttle something to bring up to your kool-aid drinking buddies!!! http://2164th.blogspot.com/2008/03/barack-obama-tony-rezko-and-nadhmi.html

Barack Obama says we have “an obligation” to fix the current health care system. In his plan, “No American will be turned away.” Michelle Obama disagrees. While an executive at the University of Chicago Medical Center, she developed the hospital’s Urban Health Initiative, a program to refer patients without private insurance to other health care facilities in their neighborhood. Those shown the door tend to be poor minorities, mostly blacks. In order to sell the program to the community, the hospital hired ASK Public Strategies, co-owned by David Axelrod, a top aide to the Obama campaign. The recommendation to hire...

Even as Barack Obama gave his soaring speech Thursday night, his campaign was playing hardball with its critics. Team Obama has launched an offensive against WGN, the Chicago Tribune's radio station, for interviewing Stanley Kurtz. Mr. Kurtz is a conservative writer who this week forced the University of Illinois to finally open its records on Sen. Obama's association with William Ayers, the unrepentant 1970s Weather Underground terrorist. An Obama campaign email to supporters called Mr. Kurtz a "slimy character assassin" whose "divisive, destructive ranting" should be confronted. WGN producer Zack Christenson says the outpouring of negative calls and emails is...

When John McCain named Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, as his vice presidential running mate, I was sitting at the bar of New York City's oldest saloon, Pete's Tavern, watching the event with my 81-year-old father and four of his long-time friends. The initial reaction of these retired city cops and longshoremen to Mrs. Palin was positive. A gun-toting beauty queen, mother of five, married to a blue-collar union member and small business entrepreneur, who by hard work and a touch of audacity beat a corrupt political establishment - what's not to like? They'd all be proud to have a granddaughter...

If McCain can show that Obama is a far-left liberal, he can win in November. A liberal like Obama can win only if he can paint himself as a centrist. With a message slightly more appealing to his far left sponsors than Howard Dean's message four years earlier, Obama limped across the finish line first. He won, and Dean lost, even though Dean was far more attractive to centrist Democrats. What happened? The same MoveOn-George Soros-radical left coalition supported both candidates. The difference was the black voter. Were Obama white, the black vote would have split and Hillary would have...

Even as Barack Obama gave his soaring speech Thursday night, his campaign was playing hardball with its critics. Team Obama has launched an offensive against WGN, the Chicago Tribune's radio station, for interviewing Stanley Kurtz. Mr. Kurtz is a conservative writer who this week forced the University of Illinois to finally open its records on Sen. Obama's association with William Ayers, the unrepentant 1970s Weather Underground terrorist.

Even as Barack Obama gave his soaring speech Thursday night, his campaign was playing hardball with its critics. Team Obama has launched an offensive against WGN, the Chicago Tribune's radio station, for interviewing Stanley Kurtz. Mr. Kurtz is a conservative writer who this week forced the University of Illinois to finally open its records on Sen. Obama's association with William Ayers, the unrepentant 1970s Weather Underground terrorist. An Obama campaign email to supporters called Mr. Kurtz a "slimy character assassin" whose "divisive, destructive ranting" should be confronted. WGN producer Zack Christenson says the outpouring of negative calls and emails is...

In her speech at the Democratic Convention, Michelle Obama attempted to paint a picture of her husband as a man who defied the odds, who despite being raised by a single mother and his grandparents, worked through adversity to achieve his success and who uses his accomplishments to better his community and our world. She explains that they have similar values and experiences and assures the American people that when he becomes president they will change this country for the better, to reflect their utopian vision for our society. There’s just one sticky point. Anyone with more than a superficial...

As his sentencing nears, pressure is mounting on Tony Rezko to cooperate with federal investigations into some of the highest-profile politicians in the state -- including Gov. Blagojevich. Two more trials -- one in Chicago next spring, one in Las Vegas -- hover over the Wilmette businessman and onetime prolific political fund-raiser for the governor and Barack Obama. Now, sources tell the Chicago Sun-Times that Rezko has been seen at the federal courthouse as many as a dozen times since his June conviction. He's been held since then at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in downtown Chicago.

In a continuing effort to erode the credibility of the Democratic presidential nominee, the ad describes Obama’s relationships with three characters that have frequently been used in efforts to tar Obama’s patriotism and honesty.

A federal judge postponed the sentencing of political fund-raiser Antoin "Tony"Rezko, by nearly two months, after his lawyers said they need more time to put together a complex package for what could be a contentious hearing. The sentencing date now stands at Oct. 28 -- one week before U.S. Sen. Barack Obama faces John McCain in the presidential election.

McCain might not know how many houses his wife's trust fund owns because their finances are separate but Obama doesn't know how many abandoned, broken down apartment buildings he and Rezko scammed his constituents with. It's eleven dilapidated apartment buildings in Obama's State Senate district. Obama gave Rezko 14 million taxpayer dollars to fix the buildings in order to supply low income housing. Rezko never did and now Rezko is in jail and we cannot afford to let Obama have control of the White House . . . (see ad video at link)

McCain might not know how many houses his wife's trust fund owns because their finances are separate but Obama doesn't know how many abandoned, broken down apartment buildings he and Rezko scammed his constituents with. It's eleven dilapidated apartment buildings in Obama's State Senate district. Obama gave Rezko 14 million taxpayer dollars to fix the buildings in order to supply low income housing. Rezko never did and now Rezko is in jail and we cannot afford to let Obama have control of the White House

It looks like convicted Chicago power merchant Tony Rezko could have two friends in the White House come Jan uary - if the Democratic ticket is elected, that is. Barack Obama's ties to the prolific fund-raiser and developer - who faces up to 20 years behind bars following his June conviction for wire fraud, mail fraud, money-laundering and soliciting bribes - are relatively well-known. Over the years, Rezko raised some $250,000 for Obama's campaigns. And, in 2005, he helped Barack and Michelle Obama by buying a lot they couldn't afford right next to the home they'd just purchased - then...

Former governor Mitt Romney, perhaps continuing his audition to be John McCain's running mate, attacked Barack Obama today for making an issue out of McCain's many homes. Speaking to reporters at a lunch sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor, Romney said that while McCain deserved his houses because of the "hard work" of himself and his family, "Barack Obama got a special deal from a convicted felon." "I think it was a strange thing for Barack Obama to seize upon," Romney said. "If homes is going to be the topic of discussion that Barack Obama is going to end up...

Jabir Herbert Muhammad — son of Nation of Islam founder Elijah Muhammad and former manager of boxing great Muhammad Ali — died Monday afternoon at the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center.Mr. Muhammad, 79, had undergone open-heart surgery last week, said Joseph Morris, a Muhammad family attorney. Mr. Muhammad had been in the news last year because of a lawsuit he filed against convicted political fund-raiser Tony Rezko to stay in his South Side mansion, a home built by the late Elijah Muhammad.In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times last year, Mr. Muhammad said Rezko had “embezzled” him out...

JOSEPH CARI : 30-year friend of VP pick guilty in kickback scheme . No matter what help Barack Obama might get from Sen. Joseph Biden, his newly named vice presidential running mate won't give Obama much cover on the Tony Rezko front. Biden has described himself as a 30-year friend of a key figure in the Rezko trial who's pleaded guilty to a federal extortion charge in Chicago and is awaiting sentencing. When the Delaware senator began contemplating his own 2008 presidential run, he initially was helped by Chicago lawyer Joseph Cari Jr., who also served as Biden's Midwest field...

One advantage of a big, media-focused convention is that so many shadowy campaign "insiders" seek the spotlight. In Denver, one of Sen. Barack Obama's closest advisers has been making the media rounds: Valerie Jarrett. Jarrett has been part of Obama's inner circle since his days as an Illinois state senator. She identifies herself as a Chicago businesswoman, but according to Obama campaign advisers, she is much more than that. She is Iranian-American, for one thing, and the Obama campaign has sought to keep her ties to Iran from press views, as it has also sought to keep her political background...

No matter what help Barack Obama might get from Sen. Joseph Biden, his newly named vice presidential running mate won't give Obama much cover on the Tony Rezko front. Biden has described himself as a 30-year friend of a key figure in the Rezko trial who's pleaded guilty to a federal extortion charge in Chicago and is awaiting sentencing. When the Delaware senator began contemplating his own 2008 presidential run, he initially was helped by Chicago lawyer Joseph Cari Jr., who also served as Biden's Midwest field director in his failed 1988 bid for president. In 2005, Cari admitted to...