Obama campaign complains about ABC News story" on Rezko land deal: UPDATED

Finally it appears the Rezko land deal issue is picking up notice outside of Illinois, as you'll read in the below post.

And of course the Obama campaign isn't happy about it.

Here's the latest from ABC News, the headline reads "What Did Obama Know? When Did He Know It?"

After ABC News cited a December 2006 Washington Post story about Senator Barak Obama's knowledge of legal problems faced by his friend Antoin "Tony" Rezko, the Obama campaign complained that the Post story mischaracterized what Obama had told the Washington Post reporter.

The Post reported that "Obama said that he was unaware of Rezko's brewing troubles in 2005," at the time Obama called Rezko about a real estate deal. Washington Post assistant managing editor Bill Hamilton told ABC News it stood by its reporter's story.

"Our story was accurate and the Obama campaign never raised any questions before," he said.

Obama's knowledge of the extent of the investigation of Rezko, now under federal indictment, is important because it raises questions about his judgment in approaching a man who was under federal investigation.

All Obama had to do in 2005 is pick up an Illinois newspaper once in a while and read that the federal authorities were investigating Rezko, a prominent Democratic political insider and fundraiser. How could he have not possibly known? Rezko was most likely Obama's first political sponsor--Rezko sought out Obama and offered himself as a mentor for for the future senator while he was still a Harvard law student. After leaving Harvard, Obama did occasional legal work for Rezko, who had battles with the City of Chicago over some of the slum properties he partially owned, including an unheated complex located in Obama's legislative district.

Audacity!

Rezko's political clout in Illinois reached the the stratosphere in 2003, when Rezko allegedly began his influence peddling schemes. A federal indictement charges that people were told by Rezko that if money was donated to the campaign fund of Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich, they'd win state contracts and jobs. In 2003 Obama was a state senator, his Illinois legislative career is something he likes to bring up a lot, mainly because his US Senate accomplishments are meager--he's been running for president for roughly half of his career working in the upper chamber.

Did Obama not know about his mentor's rise? Heck, I knew about it. Are we to believe that a man so smart could be so blind?

If you think I'm being too tough on Obama, keep reading.

Andy Shaw, a political reporter for ABC 7 Chicago, wasn't blind when he wrote this paragraph in 2006:

Rezko is one of few private Illinois citizens who can walk past the governor's security detail and whisper in Blagojevich's ear. Rezko had access to Blagojevich and donated at least $49,000 to his campaign fund through personal and corporate names since 2004. Having money and having access to politicians goes hand-in-hand in Illinois, according to Paul Green, Roosevelt University political science professor.

For more, keep scrolling down....and bookmark.

UPDATE January 11: Newsbusters has a lot more, here is an excerpt of Thursday's Brian Ross' Good Morning America report:

ROSS: Senator Obama told one paper that he knew Rezko was under investigation at the time. But the Washington Post says Obama told them he had no idea of Rezko's brewing trouble. The first answer was more accurate. We found more than a hundred stories in the Illinois papers in the preceding five months, detailing allegations that Rezko was a corrupting influence in Illinois politics, including a Sunday editorial in the Chicago Tribune, ten days before the house purchase, focusing on Rezko and his behind the scenes connection to the Illinois governor. By our count, Rezko and people in his circle have given Obama more than $120,000 for his U.S. and state senate campaigns. A spokesman for Obama says the Senator has donated the 44,000 of that to charity since the indictments in Chicago. And the senator insists no favors were asked of him by Rezko and none was granted.

It's time for Obama to explain the Rezko deal once and for all, and not on Oprah.

And here is the one question that must be asked: "Was the Obama-Rezko deal a backhanded loan--to a US Senator--that allowed the Obamas to purchase a house that he otherwise couldn't afford." Followed up with, "Was it your goal to buy back the 'Rezko Strip.'"

I've seen the house and the property. The Rezko Strip is very narrow compared to the other homes and lots, and Obama's street, I have so say it, is a Mansion Row.

And if Obama becomes president, I can't see the Secret Service allowing the land to be developed. The only structure that makes sense to me is a townhome strip facing south--and the backdoors of each home would be quite close to Obama's house.

The feds will buy it, or the Obamas will end up purchasing the property, getting what they wanted after all.

Technorati tags: Obama politics Barack Obama Illinois 2008 Election Democrats Chicago Tony Rezko corruption real estate Media MSM