Tony Rezko found guilty - Barack Hussein Obama's chief politcal fixer

Did you hear of Obama's tight ties on the network news?
EGO ADSUM

Barack Obama released a statement last night saying he was "saddened" that Tony Rezko, his old friend and top fundraiser, had been convicted on 16 out of 24 counts of fraud and political corruption by a Chicago jury. Previously, Mr. Obama felt compelled to donate over $150,000 in Rezko-linked campaign contributions to charity.

But that probably won't be enough to erase Tony Rezko from the 2008 fall campaign as an issue. Mr. Rezko offered Mr. Obama a job back in 1990 just as he was leaving Harvard Law School. Mr. Obama didn't take it, but nonetheless became close to the Syrian-born political fixer. In 2005, Mr. Rezko was helpful in Mr. Obama's purchase of a large Hyde Park house by having his wife, Rita, buy the adjoining garden on the same day Mr. Obama closed his transaction. Mr. Obama has since said the move was a "bone-headed" mistake, especially since newspapers were already full of reports that Mr. Rezko was being investigated on charges he had corruptly influenced appointments made by Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Mr. Obama has yet to answer a lot of questions about his relationship with Mr. Rezko or his business partner, Iraqi-British billionaire Nadhmi Auchi. He claims the Rezko case simply highlights the need for more campaign finance reform laws. Yesterday, he issued a statement adding that the man convicted in a Chicago courtroom "isn't the Tony Rezko I knew." Hmmm... But Mr. Obama knew him as a close friend and ally for over 20 years as Mr. Rezko rose to become Illinois' top political fixer. Exactly which Tony Rezko did Mr. Obama know?