stlouisinsite's Blog

     A federal jury in Chicago has convicted Obama friend and fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko on 16 counts of mail fraud, wire fraud and aiding and abetting bribery.  Rezko allegedly used his political connections with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to manipulate state contracting decisions to squeeze contractors for bribes, according to the Post-Dispatch.   

     Obama's reaction is puzzling.  His handlers issued a statement saying Obama is "saddened" and "this isn't the Tony Rezko I knew..."  No, of course not.  But being 'saddened' really doesn't begin to get it.  First off, Obama is one of the few citizens of Illinois to be saddened by the conviction of a criminal.  The fact that presumably Obama was misled by Rezko -- an admitted personal friend whose wife purchased a piece of property next door to Obama's to sell it to him -- should not make one saddened, but angry.  

     Now, one might be saddened if your fifth grade pal was sent to the principal's office for misdeeds.  But this rises far above such trivialities.  This involves political corruption at the highest levels of state government, involving persons who were caught and prosecuted by conscientious federal officials doing their duty.  

     One should not be saddened by such events but thankful to the federal government for going after crooks.  

     Apparently Sen. Obama here fails entirely to grasp in any way the magnitude of these events.  His only reaction is an emotional, even superficial, 'sadness.'

     This from the man who wishes to be president of the United States.