Obama, all the questions that are off limits

The term 'teflon' is quickly sticking to Barack Obama. All the details of the dirty Chicago politics that are finally coming to light, don't seem to peak the interest of the MSM -- yet, but they will.

That may change today as the trial of Antoin "Tony" Rezko, Mr. Obama's friend of two decades and his campaign fund-raiser, gets under way in federal court in Chicago. Mr. Rezko, a master fixer in Illinois politics, is charged with money laundering, attempted extortion, fraud and aiding bribery in an alleged multimillion dollar scheme shaking down companies seeking state contracts.

John McCain's dealings with lobbyists have properly come under a microscope; why not Mr. Obama's? Partly, says Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass, because the national media establishment has decided that Chicago's grubby politics interferes with the story line of hope they've set out for Mr. Obama. [snip]

For its part, the Democratic Party may once again nominate a first-time candidate they haven't fully vetted politically. [snip]

Mr. Obama has admitted that the 2005 land deal that he and Mr. Rezko were involved in was a "boneheaded" mistake, in part because his friend was already rumored to be under federal investigation. The newly elected Mr. Obama bought his $1.65 million home on the same day, June 15, that Mr. Rezko's wife bought the plot of land next to it from the same seller for $625,000. Seven months later she sold a slice of the land to the trust that Mr. Obama had put the house into, so the senator could expand his garden.

Mr. Obama has strenuously denied suggestions that the same-day sale enabled him to pay $300,000 under the house's asking price because Mrs. Rezko paid full price for the adjoining lot, or that he asked the Rezkos for help in the matter. Both actions would be clear violations of Senate ethics rules barring the granting or asking of favors.

Still, there are anomalies. Mr. Obama admits that he and Mr. Rezko took a tour of the house before it and the adjoining plot were sold. Financial records given to federal prosecutors a year later show Mrs. Rezko had a salary of only $37,000 and assets of $35,000. In court proceedings at that time, to explain how much his bail should be, Mr. Rezko declared that he had "no income, negative cash flow, no liquid assets."

So where did the money for Mrs. Rezko's $125,000 down payment -- and the collateral for her $500,000 loan from a local bank controlled by Amrish Mahajan, like Mr. Rezko a Chicago political fixer -- come from?

The London Times reports that, three weeks before the land transactions, Nadhmi Auchi, an Iraqi billionaire living in London, loaned $3.5 million to Mr. Rezko, who was his Chicago business partner. Mr. Auchi's office says he had "no involvement in or knowledge of" the property purchase. Mr. Auchi is a press-shy property developer (estimated worth: $4 billion) who was convicted of corruption in France in 2003 for his involvement in the Elf affair, the biggest political and corporate fraud inquiry in Europe since World War II. He was fined $3 million and given a 15-month prison term that was suspended provided he committed no further crimes.

Mr. Auchi was also a top official in the Iraqi oil ministry in the 1970s. He has for years vigorously denied charges he had dealings with Saddam Hussein after the first Gulf War. However, an official report to the Pentagon inspector general in 2004 obtained by the Washington Times cited "significant and credible evidence" of involvement by Mr. Auchi's companies in the Oil for Food scandal and illicit smuggling of weapons to the Hussein regime. (continue reading at WSJ)

On the subject of racism and the 2008 elections, Zee at Road Sassy has concluded:

The charge of racism today has become no more than a handy shibboleth intended to silence all criticism. It no longer holds weight with me. It is another word hollowed out of all meaning by the language re-framers on the left. [snip]

My guess is, the “unexpected consequences” of multiculturalism and political correctness that abets race-card politics has resulted in multitudes of Americans feeling about the same [as I do].

With Obama being teflon-ed from relevant criticism by his supporters it appears I will be visiting the topic of racism yet again.

Remember Obama said, "Nobody is suffering more than the Palestinian people."

Carl at Maverick News Network and Israel Matzav wonders why Obama is ashamed of his middle name:

Using Hebrew names only is a matter of pride in our community, and it's something much more common in my children's generation than in mine. If Hadassah Lieberman (Senator Lieberman's wife) ran for President, she would use the name Hadassah and everyone would know she is Jewish.

Is Barack Hussein Obama ashamed of his middle name? Does its use disclose something he would rather hide? And if it does, why is the Republican National Committee helping him hide it?

Oh yes, there is a movement afoot to pick a new middle name for Barack Hussein Obama, since it's off limits to actually use his given middle name. See Wolf Howling, Fausta's Blog for details; and see Don Surber for some interesting suggestions. Even Instapundit's getting in on it.

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On a personal note, sorry for the light posting today. We've had thunderstorms and I don't intend to let lightning run in on another computer and fry it, so I've been unplugged. --------------------------------

Comments

[Dean04Prez]

Their is lots of conjecture hear but little of any substance. Also your take on the whole thing is wrong.