Yard 4 Sale

Barack Obama, the fastest falling star of the "left" has had November woes. "Obama would be wise to explain, fully and quickly, the prelude to a real estate deal and subsequent transactions related to his acquisition of a $1.65 million home on Chicago's South Side. If Obama doesn't shine his own spotlight on his real estate relationship with indicted political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko, he'll be fielding questions about Rezko in two years and in 20." (Foto AP/Randy Squires)

Obama made the purchase to enlarge the yard around his south-side Chicago mansion. Rezko had purchased the neighboring lot the same day Obama purchased his mansion. Shortly afterwards Rezko was putting a fence up, city ordinance I think, and Obama made the deal to purchase 1/6 of the lot to "balance out" his yard from the fence. "Rezko, however, was the one who was to pay for the fence, although that $14,000 bill has not been paid, the fence company told the Tribune."

And Obama, as all good neighbors across America … "pays his landscaper to mow Rezko's 7,500-square-foot yard. Obama said that he intends to have the landscaper figure out a pro-rata cost for that mowing and send that bill to Rezko, but that he hasn't yet done so."

"Consider just how meteoric Obama's rise has been. In 2000, he lost badly to Bobby Rush in the Democratic primary in Illinois 1st Congressional District. Four years later, with only about a month left in the 2004 Democratic Senate primary, Obama was running tied with Dan Hynes for second place, ten points behind gazillionaire Blair Hull - until the frontrunner's campaign imploded in mid-to-late February amid revelations his wife had filed a restraining order against him for abuse (I think he admitted kicking her in the shin during a spat, if I recall). Barring that last minute turn of events, Obama would still be an Illinois State Senator and two-time loser for higher office that no one in the country had ever heard of."

Maybe Obama owes his meteor in part to "Tony" Rez, the Chicago area political fundster and moneyraiser indictee. "Rezko and his companies donated nearly $20,000 to Obama's state Senate races and federal fund. Obama has said he would divest the federal donation." (Approx. $11,000 by some reports.)

"Obama's defenders say Rezko's quick purchase of the property next to Obama shows just how far he'll go to literally get next to public officials." Purchased on the same day Obama purchased his home, maybe Barack mentioned it to Rezko in passing.

I believe "Tony" is currently out on bail, (for a while his whereabouts unknown, suggestions of back to his native Syria) after the indictment for shakedowns, kickbacks, extortion, etc. (The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt.) Charges courtesy of none other than Patrick J. "Fitzmas" Fitzgerald (another former "left" hero).

"Tony" Rezko incidentally has/had friends in high places. For instance, "Messrs. Rezko and A. (censored) were introduced several years ago by a mutual acquaintance in London. They teamed up recently on a $150 million contract to build a power plant in Iraq. Mr. Rezko, a close confidante and fundraiser for Gov. Rod Blagojevich, arranged for Mr. N.A. to meet the Governor and State Senate President Emil Jones on a visit to the U.S. last year."

And to make matters worse, Tony is facing lawsuits from Chicago Riverside Investments LLC, managed by Muhamad Dabbouseh, over the Near South Side development, and in October another investor sued Mr. Rezko, claiming he's "owed millions of dollars and a stake in Mr. Rezko's Panda Express food chain business."

Tony's Riverside development plans " fizzled last year after Mr. Rezko, an adviser and fund-raiser for Gov. Rod Blagojevich, became embroiled in a minority contracting scandal, imperiling the development’s chances of getting as much as $140 million in city tax subsidies. Last fall Mr. Rezko’s partnership sold the property for $130.5 million to a company led by Iraqi-born British billionaire "you know who.

The point of the story? I dunno. Maybe just to skirt around the name of billionaire you know who or maybe to point out that Obama's "poverty to prominence" rise may be politically stained because he was caught giving a mowjob.