The Discerning Texan

You might remember the name Patrick Fitzgerald as the man who prosecuted Scooter Libby, and also successfully prosecuted the "Blind Sheik" in the first World Trade Center bombing, but I'll bet many of you aren't aware that Fitz is also the prosecutor in the case against one Tony Rezco, whose wife appears to have been a big player in purchasing the $625,000 lot for His Holiness Barack Obama's mansion.

You also might not know that the Court in the Rezco case has ruled that Fitzgerald may make public records in the case which may implicate Barack Obama in the scheme:

Experiences (he's had a few): The Chicago Tribune reports that "Obama's name likely to come up at Rezko trial" (prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald):

The name of Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama is likely to brush up against the impending federal corruption trial of Antoin "Tony" Rezko as the result of a judge's ruling Monday.

U.S. District Court Judge Amy St. Eve, who is presiding over Rezko's trial, told prosecutors they could introduce evidence to support allegations that Rezko used straw men to make political contributions on his behalf.

Prosecutors have alleged that the money came from fees Rezko illegally siphoned from a state pension board. [Someone I know is researching the "coincidence" that during the three-plus months that Illinois State Sen. Barack Obama was appointed to the senate's pension committee -- just three months -- the senate prevented the consolidation of state pensions, which would have adversely affected Rezko's pensions schemes, that bilked millions from the state pensions. The bald facts are there, but my friend is still digging for details. - SusanUnPC]

There are new developments regarding the Obamas' home purchase ...

It was a sweetheart of a deal, that directly involved Tony Rezko, who was already under intense federal investigation, and Rezko's wife. As you'll see below, several newspapers are reporting Tony Rezko tried to get a state appointment for the real estate agent who did the home sale/purchase, and that an Iraqi/British billionaire involved with Rezko "lent millions of dollars to Barack Obama's fundraiser just weeks before an imprudent land deal that has returned to haunt the presidential contender." (By the way, City Nell's original article on February 4 here at NoQuarter -- "How to Buy a Mansion You Can't Afford" -- broke new ground on the story, and has been quoted widely across the 'net.)

"Obama as a State Senator: Does He 'Deserve a Promotion?'," the companion article to last night's ABC Nightline provides some background.

Big Media is staying as far away from this as it possibly can--although as mentioned above, Nightline did touch on it last night. But it may not be possible for even the elites to steer clear for much longer: the Democrats are about to nominate a Presidential nominee that is may be every bit as corrupt and sleazy as the Clintons--only this time there may be real proof. Don't be surprised to see the presumptive nominee in the Grand Jury box soon. And one need only look at the zeal with which Fitzgerald went after Scooter Libby--with the goal of getting at Cheney or Rove--to understand that Fitz is unlikely to merely look the other way for the new "Messiah". Here is more from the Times of London:

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.

The money transfer raises the question of whether funds from Nadhmi Auchi, one of Britain’s wealthiest men, helped Mr Obama buy his mock Georgian mansion in Chicago.

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.

Three weeks later, Mr Obama bought a house on the city's South Side while Mr Rezko's wife bought the garden plot next door from the same seller on the same day, June 15.

Mr Obama says he never used Mrs Rezko's still-empty lot, which could only be accessed through his property. But he admits he paid his gardener to mow the lawn.

Mrs Rezko, whose husband was widely known to be under investigation at the time, went on to sell a 10-foot strip of her property to Mr Obama seven months later so he could enjoy a bigger garden.

Mr Obama now admits his involvement in this land deal was a “boneheaded mistake”.

Mrs Rezko’s purchase and sale of the land to Mr Obama raises many unanswered questions.

It is unclear how Mrs Rezko could have afforded the downpayment of $125,000 and a $500,000 mortgage for the original $625,000 purchase of the garden plot at 5050 South Greenwood Ave.

In a sworn statement a year later, Mrs Rezko said she got by on a salary of $37,000 and had $35,000 assets. Mr Rezko told a court he had "no income, negative cash flow, no liquid assets, no unencumbered assets [and] is significantly in arrears on many of his obligations."

Mrs Rezko, whose husband goes on trial on unrelated corruption charges in Chicago on March 3, refused to answer questions about the case when she spoke by telephone to The Times.

Asked if she used money from her husband to buy the land next to Mr Obama's house, she said: "I can't answer these questions, I'm sorry."

Asked how long she and her husband had known Mr Auchi, she replied: "I will not be able to answer this question."

Mr Auchi's lawyer, asked whether the Fintrade Services loan was used to buy the land which became Mr Obama's garden, stated: "No, not as far as my client is aware."

McCain would be smart to use this for every drop of mileage he can get from this. (I'll believe that when I see it...) But I also wouldn't put it past the Clintons to sabotage Obama this year so she can take another shot at it in 4 years at a middle of the road McCain. Call me cynical, but I see that as at least as likely--if not more so--than Hillary's cooing sweet nothings into Obama's year for the entirety of the fall campaign.

If Hillary does not win the nomination this year--and unless she abandons her life's dream after getting so close to realizing it (unlikely...)--it is Hillary who would benefit the most from an Obama loss. I don't see him naming her VP--not with Michelle around. So her best chance is for Obama to lose. And I don't even want to hear it that she cares more about her party and country than her own ambitons. That dog is just not going to hunt around here.

The halo may disappear from "His Holiness" very soon now, and it could be a really target rich environment (figuratively speaking) this fall.

Works for me.