Maani, I don’t see how it is hypocritical.  I explained that if the story is true that it would come out SOON ENOUGH.  As the story stands it really is a story that says Obama isn’t implicated, but knows people who MAY have committed a crime.  Personally I don’t think the future looks to bright for Rezko and his business associates.  Just the same, this same enity and writer IGNORED this type of in depth, connect the dots in the other article.  Especially with that Clinton connection as a factor.  I said it seems off and it certainly seems off to me yet.

Also, Obama is our best option as a country and for the democratic party.  With Nader entering the race things will certainly get interesting when we get down to the general election.  All I’m saying is they are “playing” it one way.  Does it have any connection to B. Clinton?  I don’t know.  But I couldn’t find a follow up in the Times on it.  It’s no secret that I think it would be a bad idea to have H. Clinton as president but if she wins the primary or enough superdelegates, what can I do?  Maybe Nader then for me…....maybe Nader anyway….we’ll have to wait and see.

Obama: Clinton “periodically… attacks to boost appeal.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qNpeGPdhEw

By the way,  Outraged, I don’t mind if BO has Syrian and Iraqi connections. That must give him some “overseas experience” to help him keep up with Hillary.

That’s better than him criticizing her ‘monthly periods’ (actually, she’s a bit old for that, uhh) as “unhelpful” to the needs of the nation.

It should also help him in fending off the hot advances of his handler on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Condoleeza Rice, who has been kindly ‘educating’ him in Russian…..

Yes, interesting, isn’t it, and you have a right to be “Outraged”, uhh.

The media have played Obama up and now they are playing him for a sucker. They’re doing it at the last minute to keep everyone on the hook - a real tearjerker if they can manage to manufacture it…....

Outraged:

“What will the “Times” do if the story ends up all for naught…?  Say sorry…we were just reporting what we “knew”.  Before I’d put any “faith” in the Times, I’d have to see some follow up on this other story.”

Do you not see your hypocrisy here?  You put PLENTY of faith in ANY story that is critical of Hillary, no matter whether or not there is any “follow up.”

This is why I find it hard to take seriously many in the anti-Hillary camp here, including you, CY, MMC, Leefeller, Cyrena et al - you ALL do this.  You are ALL hypocrites, finding any and every justification or rationale for anything and everything Obama says, does or is accused of saying or doing, while automatically assuming culpability on Hillary’s part no matter what source it comes from.

Peace.

I’m not trying to “diminish” anything.  If there’s a connection and it’s valid it’ll be found out soon enough.  But “The Times” IS firing people for speaking out.  As in this portion of the article:

“Ian Spiegelman, a reporter dismissed three years ago over a threatening e-mail, claimed that gossip items were spiked to protect the business interests and friends of Rupert Murdoch, the News Corp chairman.”

And corruption, which at this level IS NOTEWORTHY, is this blatantly KNOWN why such a short little story about it.  Were they CAUGHT between a rock and a hard place and then wrote up this short little “admission”?  Let’s face it these are writers.
If they wanted to spin something they could.

Yet, information which appears to be to be a big deal (think of the repercussions) gets a short little story void of any in depth, investigative-type elaboration.  On the other hand, the “The Times” apparently felt it extremely important to pursue EVERY LAST DETAIL or POSSIBLE CONNECTION with the Obama story.

The story I linked to appears to have possible connections to Bill Clinton but NO details.  This is important.  The issue is the implication of the ability to “buy good press” if you have “the right connections”.  But is also one of corruption and individuals being FIRED for “speaking truth to power” or NOT “playing ball”.

What will the “Times” do if the story ends up all for naught…?  Say sorry…we were just reporting what we “knew”.  Before I’d put any “faith” in the Times, I’d have to see some follow up on this other story.  Clinton’s losing her ass and suddenly, there’s a story smearing Obama.  And it coincides perfectly with the photo of Obama in the Somali clothing.  Coincidence…....I think not.  This smells to high heaven.

“If we approach this campaign from the standpoint that we need to take political sensitivity training because one candidate is a woman or one candidate is black, I think we are approaching it from the wrong standpoint because that already handcuffs us,” said Republican strategist Tony Fabrizio. “If McCain is afraid, or shies away from taking on Obama because that’s what they worry about, then they’ve lost the battle to begin with.”

***

That paragraph points out the real issue when it comes to republican campaign methods. The fact that bad habits perfected over decades are threatened because of race and gender.

The fact they view that as being handcuffed.

By their own position they verify what everybody already knows. These folks don’t know how to run a clean campaign!

Rather than focusing on how to lay out the “issues” they’re already focusing on the individuals. They simply have forgotten there is another way to run campaigns! How many years will it take them to climb out of the hole they dug for themselves?

They really are in trouble. Because their base ... that undisciplined narrow minded base ... will provide all the race and gender bias they claim to not want. Nobody knows that better than McCain, having been on the receiving end of blind hatred generated by politicians who appeal to the lowest possible common denominator.

Yep ... they really are in trouble.

But so are the democrat candidates ... the habit of attacking the person rather than the issues is alive and well among alleged democrats, who will sink the dems boat before they’ll back off of their “hate the guy” rhetoric!

“The smart money has it that Hillary Clinton will attack Obama over Tony Rezko in tonight’s California Democratic debate. The smart money must have amnesia.”

http://www.margieburns.com/blog/_archives/2008/1/31/3497614.html

Actually by the time a dem candidate is selected the dem side will have already supplied the repubs with more ammunition than they know what to do with. Which brings to mind another very successful repub method.

Divide and conquer!

Meanwhile today, the media is asking the question ... “Which Hillary will show up tonight?”

Who’s responsible for that perception?

...And keep in mind we’re only on Rezko right now (which is likely to get WORSE for Obama as Rezko’s trial gets underway in March…).  Next up, Exelon.  And then…?  Trust me, where there is one Rezko and one Exelon, there are others.  The GOP is going to have a field day with Obama.

Peace.

Issues with compatibility with browsers other than IE….. In Opera, can open the page, the header, the ads + the stuff on the side but not any of the blog.

No, I’m NOT ging to bother emailing your webmaster - never get a reply anyway, uhh. Solve it or lose people…....

You are attempting to diminish the story about Obama by bringing in something completely irrelevant from another story altogether (about Rupert Murdoch, uhh), Outraged.

It may be that “Mr Obama has publicly sought to atone for his closeness to Mr Rezko, paying $150,000 to charity to distance himself from a man accused of political corruption…” but that was something separate from his dealings (and Rezko’s) with Auchi, the Iraqi billionaire.

Thus, the article does not “ramble” but ges further into this over three pages…...

The spotlight fell on Mr Rezko’s ties to Mr Auchi last month when the Chicago businessman was thrown in jail for violating his bail terms by failing to declare a different $3.5 million loan from the British billionaire, made in April 2007. Prosecutors feared Mr Rezko, who travels widely in the Middle East, might flee to a country without an extradition treaty such as his birthplace of Syria…...

Prosecutors say that, after Mr Auchi was unable to enter the United States in 2005, Mr Rezko approached the US State Department to get him a visa and apparently asked “certain Illinois government officials to do the same.”...

Perhaps you can smooth away the Iraq and Syrian connections to Obama now as well as his potentially corrupt Kenyan links and other issues relating to Indonesia and Islam by distracting us yet again, Outraged?

I checked out your link and one of the writers also wrote this story which I found interesting. Remember the Times is owned by News Corp or Rupert Murdoch.

Quote: “The charges were made in a law suit being threatened by Jared Paul Stern, a former Page Six contributor dismissed last year after allegedly suggesting to Ron Burkle, a friend of Bill Clinton, that he could buy positive coverage in the column. The charges were presented by Mr Stern “with a demand for money”, the newspaper said.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1816603.ece

The other thing I noticed is that the article rambles on and on concerning the Obama story but admits that Obama isn’t “accused” of anything.  Something just doesn’t add up quite right here.  I’m not saying Obama is the angel of propriety, but this article seems off.

““You can’t run against Barack Obama the way you could run against Bill Clinton, Al Gore or John Kerry,” said Jack Kemp, the 1996 GOP vice presidential nominee, who expressed concern that the party could be reduced to an “all white country club party” if it does not tread cautiously.”

LOL…..I think what he means is THEY can’t act the way they usually do, it “might” be construed as “racist” or “misogynistic”.  How revealing is that?  Who are they trying to convince?  Us…?!

LOL, listen Republicans….don’t let it throw you.  We already know about THAT DIRTY LITTLE SECRET.  Now if I could just find it on the list….....

BO has already “macaca-ed” himself judging by the latest on Rezko and the appearance of a British connection. Its mere baby steps to worry about racial slurs, etc when corruption is first in line as an oportunity for the Rpg’s….....

Mansion ‘mistake’ piles the pressure on Barack Obama - A British-Iraqi billionaire lent millions of dollars to Barack Obama’s fundraiser just weeks before an imprudent land deal that has returned to haunt the presidential contender, an investigation by The Times discloses.

A company related to Mr Auchi, who has a conviction for corruption in France, registered the loan to Mr Obama’s bagman Antoin “Tony” Rezko on May 23 2005. Mr Auchi says the loan, through the Panamanian company Fintrade Services SA, was for $3.5 million…. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article3433485.ece?token=null&offset;=0

Seems the TruthDig website was “macaca-ed” for a while tonight again too and this page wouldn’t open. Other times recently, it has been so slow…..... server problems?