If Bill and Hillary were somehow able to argue that all of their corrupt contributors and friends didn't make them corrupt I don't see how they can tie this guy to Obama in order to tarnish him.

There is so much about Rezko and Obama that have not hit the mainstream. When Obama was in State Senate,long after the 5 hrs he spent on Rezko's case, Rezko was a slum lord owner

in Obama's district and they were often together because

Retzo helped Obama get elected to the nState Senate When Retzko wanted money to fix up his property, he had a lot of help getting the money. Rezko used inferior materials and the project was a disaster Obama remained strangely silent, even when people in the district sought his help.

When the Obama's wanted to buy thier house.

They couldn't afford it. Rezko cut a deal with the seller

to buy the land next door and

pay more for it so Obama could get his

piece for what he could afford. Then

Rezko turned around and sold him an additional piece at a lesser price than paid. Obama has not been

forthcoming about the extent of his involvement

with Rezko. The press has only convered the little piece he was sold and not the whole story of the sale.

We also don't know what Patrick Fitzgerald

has and why Obama is in the case.

will give fodder to the republican nominee to go after them. Obama has some. Guess what folks, Obama plays politics the old way too. What has not been self-evident, despite his rhetoric, that he plays politics a new way.

The presidency is more than just making flowery speeches and public appearance. Look, we have a president now that for all intents and purposes, does only that while our country is heading to recession. We need someone who can do more than provide rhetoric. As Dubya has proven, you cannot run the country on keen messages and PR stunts.

I'm looking forward to Obama unveiling how operating in a new way of politics works. Until then, the press and the republicans will start to reveal how Obama operates in the old way of politics as well.

You mention only the Obama camp being affected by his arrest. As a raving Obama supporter but also as one of those 'insurgent' Democrats who wants a clean and lean party -I look forward to the truth coming out.

But especially because I want to watch several 'long-time' friends of Rezko -who've been members of the Clinton's staff for a 'long-time' - do the shuffling perp walk out of the Clintons headquarters.

Not exactly the dance of a 'brother' we expected, but this will do!

I can't deny that the Rezko thing gives the appearance of conflict and is not resonant with his message. However, to say the skeleton is untested is to ignore the attempts by the Chicago Sun Times to hang this around him for about 2 years now. They haven't been able to find enough to go beyond the "this looks bad" realm (which it does). Several Clinton surrogates and supporters keep implying "this isn't it, but it will come..." and to me this looks like a whisper campaign to try to magnify Rezko without having to actually provide any substantiated claims.

Take a look at Media Matters (which can't be accused of slanting against Clinton):

http://mediamatters.org/items/200801250006?f=h_top

aka "UPI baselessly asserted that Obama paid 'substantially lower than market value' for Rezko property"

I also take issue with the general meme that "Hillary's skeletons are battle tested" thus her many campaign financing scandals etc. somehow don't count. That's a rousing election slogan, btw: "Hillary: because we already KNOW she's corrupt".

And I think Obama can put plenty of blowback on John "Keating 5" McCain if they want to go that route...

Last Friday, Matt Lauer pulls an undated photo out of the Clintons posing with Tony Rezko. Tim Grieve wrote this about it:

Unless there's other evidence of a relationship -- as there was, say, when Time obtained a photograph of Jack Abramoff with George W. Bush -- it's pretty unfair to read anything into a single, undated, context-free grip 'n' grin. As Clinton explained -- and we've got no reason to doubt her -- "I don't know the man, I wouldn't know him if he walked in the door, I don't have a 17-year relationship with him. There's a big difference between standing somewhere taking a picture with someone you don't know and haven't seen since, and having a relationship."

I agree with Mr. Grieve, who termed the stunt a "pathetic" gotcha moment, and I believe Senator Clinton's explanation of the phote and dismissal of it's signifigance.

However, I am growing tired of commentators, like Mr. Grieve, who continue to traffic in the drivel that seeks to tie Mr. Rezko's legal troubles to Senator Obama's campaign.

Mr. Rezko stands accused of using his relationship with top Illinois state officials, notably Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, to extort companies wanting to do business with two state boards, the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board and the state's Teachers Retirement System Board. No one has alleged that Senator Obama is in any way involved in that scheme (as it has been alleged concerning Governor Blagojevich).

Neither has anyone yet demonstrated how Mr. Obama's and Mrs. Rezko's purchase of adjoining properties points to a violation of the law or of ethics. Yes, clearly the Rezko's hooked the Obama's up by agreeing to buy that empty lot, thereby allowing the Obama's to move their two little girls out of the condo that they were living in. And...? Do the sellers allege that they have were cheated? No. Were the realtors cheated out of their commissions? No. And as for the "sold part of the lot to Obama for less than what she paid for it" canard: Mrs. Rezko sold one-sixth of the lot to the Obamas... for one-sixth of her original purchase price. So that the Obamas could install a sidewalk.

If, however, there is more to the story than that, then journalists ought to get on the street, do some investigating, and report on it. The seedy implications, however, have gotten more than old.

Raining on his parade, Mr. Grieve? More like your pissing on your readers' legs and insisting it's sunshine.

When folks decry the sleazy campaign tactics of Senotor Clinton and "her surrogates," this is the kind of B.S. that they're talking about.