Obama says he won't pardon Rezko as president

Slow blogging day...in a conference all day....

Anyway, presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama made a promise that he would not pardon his longtime friend Antoin "Tony" Rezko if he becomes president, as CBS 2 Chicago reports:

If elected president, Sen. Barack Obama would not pardon convicted political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko, Obama's campaign staff confirms.

Rezko, a prominent fundraiser for Obama and Gov. Rod Blagojevich among others, was found guilty Wednesday of fraud and money laundering after a high-profile federal trial provided an unusually detailed glimpse of Illinois pay-to-play politics.

Rezko has known Obama since he entered politics and was involved in a 2005 real estate deal with the Democratic presidential candidate, although testimony barely touched on their relationship. Most of the focus was on shakedowns prosecutors said Rezko arranged when he was a top adviser to Blagojevich.

Obama released a statement Wednesday night stating that he was "saddened," adding in part that "this isn't the Tony Rezko I knew, but now he has been convicted by a jury ... that once again shines a spotlight on the need for reform."

Really? Where was that call from Obama when Rezko was raising for him?

Meanwhile, one of Obama's mentors, State Senate President Emil Jones, dismissed the belief that the people of Illinois will be less trusting of Illinois government after yesterday's Rezko verdict, telling reporters, ""We have 12 million people in the state to take care of. It has no impact."

Much of Obama's vaunted Illinois state Senate record was the work of Jones, as you'll read below.

Related posts:

Obama's state legislative record--he got a lot of help

Recall amendment dies in Ill. State Senate

Technorati tags: Chicago illinois Barack Obama Obama Politics Illinois Politics Emil Jones Democrats election Tony Rezko