Edward McClelland's Salon puts together an insightful study of the relationship between jailed-political insider Tony Rezko and Barack Obama.
Obama's dealings with his hinky friend have never led him afoul of the law, but they show that, despite his high-minded politics, he was no purer -- or no savvier -- than Illinois' biggest hacks in his weakness for a generous contributor. He wouldn't even say no when Rezko cooked up a deal to help the newly elected senator buy a gracious Georgian-revival home.
Rezko, after all, built part of his fortune by exploiting the black community that Obama had served in the state Senate, and by milking government programs meant to benefit black-owned businesses. But Obama took Rezko's money even after the businessman was sued by the city of Chicago for failing to heat his low-income apartments, and even after Rezko was caught using a black business partner to obtain a minority set-aside for a fast-food franchise at O'Hare Airport.
Now Rezko is wearing an orange jumpsuit. And Obama may spend the rest of the presidential campaign wearing the jacket for his friendship with the fixer.
McClelland tracked down James L. Merriner, the only man to interview Rezko since his 2006 indictment. He says:
The national media, they tend to overlook that Obama is a regular Cook County Democrat. Maybe he's a cut above, but he's still an Illinois politician.
The article concludes, "But he still lives in the house. And he still has the power Rezko helped him attain." The house, taken in June from the side of the "Rezko lot," is pictured above.
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