The question is: Is there more to Obama's relationship with Tony Rezko that could become a distraction?
[end video clip]
OPPENHEIM: Wolf, Senator Obama has been trying pretty hard to distance himself from Tony Rezko. Last week, his campaign donated $23,000 in charity -- that's money that came from three of Rezko's business associates. Now, last year, the campaign donated $11,000 in charity. That's money that came directly from Tony Rezko. Back to you, Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, thanks very much. Keith Oppenheim, watching this story in Chicago for us.
Other media outlets -- including Fox News and MSNBC.com -- reported Burton's comments to the Sun-Times but failed to note Duffy's claim that Rezko never asked Obama to write the letters.
From a June 13 entry on MSNBC.com's First Read weblog:
The Chicago Sun-Times reports today that, as a state senator, Obama wrote letters supporting indicted developer Tony Rezko's bid to win more than $14 million in contracts, which appears to contradict Obama's earlier claim that he's never done favors for Rezko. Obama's camp responds that the letters he wrote were intended to benefit the community, not Rezko. "As the Sun Times acknowledges in today's article, Senator Obama didn't support this project as a favor to anyone -- he did in an effort to have the most positive impact on his community possible," the campaign says. One thing seems to be sure, however: So far, Obama is getting tougher treatment from his hometown newspapers (especially the Sun-Times) than Clinton is from hers.
From the June 13 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume:
BRIT HUME (host): Barack Obama's hometown newspaper is reporting that he wrote letters to city and state officials nine years ago supporting political patron Tony Rezko's efforts to build apartments for senior citizens. The Chicago Sun-Timeswrites the letters appear to contradict a statement last December where Obama said, quote, "I've never done any favors for him."
Rezko was indicted last fall on federal charges that he demanded kickbacks from companies seeking state business. Obama has admitted to what he called a "bone-headed" -- his word -- real estate deal with Rezko, calling it a mistake. Rezko has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Obama's election efforts.
Obama's campaign press secretary says the Rezko letters were written in order to benefit the people who would live in the apartments that Rezko was trying to build.
—S.S.M.
Original Article: http://mediamatters.org/items/200706140007
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