Details of Rezko trial emerging

Because he has so little practical experience to show voters that he's qualified to become president of the United States, at times Barack Obama is compelled to bring up his eight years as a State Senator in Illinois.

But it was the last two years of his time in Springfield are headache for him. Rod Blagojevich, the liar who told Illinoisans that he "would govern as a reformer," became the state's first Democratic governor in twenty-six years. In reality, one corrupt politician replaced the now-imprisoned George Ryan.

Shortly after getting sworn in in 2003, now-jailed Antoin "Tony" Rezko became one of Blagojevich's closest advisers. Rezko, as most people who follow politics now know was one Obama's first political sponsors.

Tony Rezko's corruption trial begins March 3. Courtesy of the Chicago Sun-Times, here's what he can expect:

Insiders from Gov. Blagojevich's administration will testify in the upcoming fraud trial of political fund-raiser Tony Rezko that Rezko was "one of a handful of extremely powerful political leaders” who had "significant influence" on gubernatorial appointments, according to a new federal court filing.

The document shows in the most detail yet how deeply federal investigators are probing into the inner workings of the governor's office.

Witnesses for the prosecution include people "who helped select and process" gubernatorial appointees to state boards and commissions, according to the filing.

Prosecutors for the first time also said they have "internal governor's office documents” that show Rezko was the "political sponsor" of four people who became members of a scandal-tainted government board that was involved in kickback schemes Rezko allegedly helped orchestrate.

Obama told the media that he's through talking about Rezko. The senator, who by the way, is so smart, must've have believed that there was "change" in the air with Rezko's rise to prominence. In the summer of 2003, Rezko hosted a $1,000 a head fundraiser for Obama's US Senate campaign at his Wilmette mansion.

Two years later, when he got involved with Rezko for those now-famous real estate deals, Obama claimed that at the time he "had no idea" that his now-jailed pal was under federal investigation for corruption.

It will be an interesting trial.

Technorati tags: Obama politics Barack Obama Illinois 2008 Election Democrats Chicago Tony Rezko corruption Blagojevich Rezko law legal