OBAMA MEETS WITH TONY'D UP SENATE CANDIDATE

The decision by Barack Obama to actually fly to Chicago and stump for Alexi Giannoulias while the jurors in the Rod Blagojevich trial deliberate the former Illinois Governor's fate is curious indeed. Obama does so at precisely the time that the Democrat candidate for the seat he once held, is tied to Tony Rezko. Both testimony and evidence in the trial forced Giannoulias to change his stories, making him look more than a little sleazy.

Another theme that developed during the presentation of the prosecution's case was Blagojevich's belief that Obama wanted to be as far away from Chicago politics as possible and that the reason he wouldn't bring Blago to Washington, D.C. was because of Rezko. During one conversation with his Chief of Staff, John Harris, Blagojevich stated that it was "galling" of Obama to push Rezko off on him (Blago) when Obama was "more Tony'd up," according to Blagojevich.

Obama's behavior seems to be flying in the face of that assertion on the part of Blagojevich.

Via Bloomberg:

President Barack Obama, who left Chicago promising hope and change, appears in his adopted hometown today to raise money for a U.S. Senate candidate amid reminders of the difficulty of getting away from the tarnish of a place renowned for its political corruption.

Obama’s speech at a downtown hotel for Alexi Giannoulias, the Democrat seeking the seat he once held, will be two blocks from the federal courthouse where jurors are weighing the fate of Rod Blagojevich. The former Illinois governor stands accused of trying to sell the Senate post to the highest bidder.

On its face, Obama's willingness to stump for Giannoulias almost seems, in part, to be an attempt to completely discredit Blago's claims that Obama wants nothing to do with Chicago politics. Blagojevich is absolutely aware that Obama is two blocks away. He's also aware that Giannoulias has been exposed as having been "Tony'd up". If Obama is more "Tony'd up" than Blagojevich - the reason given to Harris by Blagojevich for why Obama wouldn't deal - why is Obama campaigning in Chicago during Blago's trial, for another "Tony'd up" politician?

Obama’s fifth trip to Chicago since his inauguration in January 2009 comes as Broadway Bank, the now-defunct institution Giannoulias’s family operated, was in the headlines again this week because of a newly reported 2006 loan to convicted Illinois influence peddler Antoin “Tony” Rezko.

Republicans, along with spotlighting the bank issue, have tried to tie Obama and Giannoulias to Blagojevich, who became the state’s most recent mascot for political corruption.

On a side note, reports are that there was vehement disagreement between Blagojevich's defense attorneys (Sam Adam and his son) about whether he should testify. The senior Adam won the argument not to pursue that course. The White House received an extremely fortuitous bounce as a consequence of that. If Blago is convicted, there will be a lot of second-guessing with Obama and his staff benefitting greatly.

Read it all.