Obama Media

Final Debate Thoughts

Obama looked great. Kucinich’s and Gravel’s closing barbs helped him to appear calm and cool.

Obama disingenuously referred to his criminally indicted friend of 17 years and political patron Tony Rezko as “this donor” (I wonder if HRC smiled at that one) and as someone “engaged in ethical [sic] behavior and I denounced it.”

Obama appropriately spent more time talking about the rise in black infant he did on the Confederate flag.

Best tie: Edwards’, followed by Richardson’s.

Nary a negative word about hedge funds.

Brian Williams asked horserace, not substantive questions. Does it matter to anyone how Biden feels about the LA Times calling him a “gaffe machine?”

HRC oddly referred to Cho as “this shooter, as he’s called.”

Obama’s Friend Tony Rezko

Tim Novack of the Sun Times has a look at past Obama donor and friend Tony Rezko:

Obama has been friends with Rezko for 17 years. Rezko has been a political patron to Obama and many others, helping to raise millions of dollars for them through his own contributions and by hosting fund-raisers in his home.

Obama, who has worked as a lawyer and a legislator to improve living conditions for the poor, took campaign donations from Rezko even as Rezko’s low-income housing empire was collapsing, leaving many African-American families in buildings riddled with problems — including squalid living conditions, vacant apartments, lack of heat, squatters and drug dealers….Over the years, Rezko, Mahru, their wives and businesses have given more than $50,000 to Obama’s campaign funds, records show. And Rezko has helped raise millions more.

Rezko was among the people Obama appointed to serve on his U.S. Senate campaign finance committee, the Sun-Times reported in 2003. The committee raised more than $14 million, according to Federal Election Commission records, helping send Obama to Washington in 2004.

As a U.S. senator, Obama grew closer to Rezko.

Two years ago, Obama bought a mansion on the South Side, in the Kenwood neighborhood, from a doctor. On the same day, Rezko’s wife, Rita Rezko, bought the vacant lot next door from the same seller. The doctor had listed the properties for sale together. He sold the house to Obama for $300,000 below the asking price. The doctor got his asking price on the lot from Rezko’s wife.

Last year, Rita Rezko sold a strip of that vacant lot to Obama for $104,500 — a deal Obama later apologized for, acknowledging that people might think he got a favor from Rezko. Obama called the episode “boneheaded'’ and a “mistake.'’

At the time Obama bought that strip of land, it had been reported that Rezko was under federal investigation for influence-peddling involving the administration of Blagojevich, whose campaign also received Rezko’s financial support.

Rezko has since been indicted for allegedly demanding kickbacks from companies seeking state business under Blagojevich. Rezko’s trial has been postponed while investigators sort through his finances.