So during last night's debate, Hillary Clinton finally uttered the name I have been waiting to hear, "Rezko." Antonin Rezko is a staple in the Chicago papers. He's an unsavory character whose federal corruption trial begins next month. He has ties to many Illinois politicans -- including Barack Obama, who represented Rezko in a matter regarding a slum apartment in 1994. The two men have been friends for years and Obama accepted tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Rezko. I believe Obama returned the money, but that's not my point:OF COURSE HE HAS TO ANSWER FOR THIS!
So it was Hillary that brought it up. Big fuckin' deal. Someone was going to. Obama simply has to learn how to take a punch. I think this has gotten so much attention because both of these candidates have achieved celebrity status and because we're not accustomed to seeing a woman land such a solid shot to the jaw. But trust me, folks, Rezko is a sleaze, and it's not out of line to question Obama's judgment in getting involved with him.
I've heard comments about how good the Clinton "machine" is, how carefully they scoured Obama's past to find this. Oh puh-leeze! Stories about Antonin Rezko are not hard to find. All you have to do is type the word "Rezko" in the Chicago Tribune's search engine and you find more than two pages' worth of articles.
This is what's bothered me about Obama from the beginning. He ran virtually unopposed for his Senate seat. (His opponent was Alan Keyes, for heaven's sake.) He doesn't appear battle hardened. I hope he toughens up fast.
