In one word - Rezko. And this is how McCain and the Republicans are going to try to beat Obama if he is the Democrat's nominee.
On 10/23/06, the Chicago Tribune reported that Assistant U.S. Atty. Christopher Niewoehner said:
Rezko has significant ties to the Middle East, and his wife and daughter met him in Damascus recently. He [Rezko] has transferred money around the world, Niewoehner said, including $400,000 to Beirut in 2004.
On 1/29/08, the Associated Press reported that:
An FBI affidavit said Rezko actually received $3.5 million from a Lebanon-based bank account of General Mediterranean Holdings, a Luxembourg company owned by London-based Iraqi billionaire Adhmi Auchi. Rezko's attorney said Rezko has had business dealings with Auchi.
Source: Bond Denied for Charged Obama Fundraiser, The Associated Press, 1/29/08
It wont matter that "Obama's campaign...was giving to charity more than $70,000 in additional contributions linked to Rezko. That brings the total given to charity to nearly $150,000 in contributions received by the candidate's House and Senate campaigns that came from Rezko, his employees, his associates and his family." (from AP cite above) Unfortunately Obama, through his dealings with Rezko, has made his campaign and fund-raising a likely hot topic for Republicans in the fall. My concern is that McCain and the Republicans will win in the general election with a few short leaps by tying Obama (B..."Hussein" O... who is tied to Rezko, Rezko who is tied to the Middle East) to the place Americans fear most. This is all voters will need to hear and they'll vote for McCain.
Forget what the polls say now about Obama beating McCain for two very obvious reasons. The polls in this election have proven to be somewhat poor measures of what people are doing in the voting booth. Also, these polls reflect feelings about a candidate before high negatives are introduced. Obama has not had the Republican hit squad aimed at him and why Obama's Rezko connection should be very troubling for Democrats. I like Obama, I support Hillary, but most of all I want to win back the White House.
Is this a sign of more troubling news for Obama ahead? More below the fold.
Rezko's trial is set to begin on February 25. More reports are coming out regarding Rezko's Middle East connections and also questions of war-profiteering, again very troubling for Obama.
On 1/29/08, ABC News reported that:
The money to Rezko came from an Iraqi businessman implicated in the oil-for-food scandal, Nadhmi Auchi, the chairman of General Mediterranean Holding. According to an FBI affidavit filed in the case, Rezko sought to get a visa for Auchi to visit the United States by contacting "certain Illinois government officials."
On 2/1/08, the TimesOnline UK reported:
An undeclared $3.5 million (£1.8 million) payment from a corrupt Iraqi-British businessman has landed Barack Obama's former fundraiser behind bars. The payment, disclosed in court papers, is the first time that Mr Obama's long-serving bagman Antoin "Tony" Rezko, a Syrian immigrant to the United States, has been linked to Nadhmi Auchi, the Iraqi-born billionaire who is one of Britain's richest men. The relationship is a potential embarrassment for Mr Obama, who has made his opposition to the Iraq war a central plank of his campaign.Update [2008-2-18 10:9:28 by grlpatriot]: Rezko's trial is set for March 3rd. It had previously been reported that his trial date was set for February 25th.
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