Hillary and Obama,"Resco" and Dancing

UPDATE, February 21, 2008: Obama Discloses New Rezko Details
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UPDATE, January 28, 2008: Bond for Tony Rezko revoked

A federal judge Monday revoked the bond of Antoin "Tony" Rezko at least until a court hearing tomorrow.

The action by U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve came after Rezko was arrested at daybreak at his Wilmette home and prosecutors raised concern about a $3.5 million wire transfer to Rezko from Lebanon.

Some of the money went to certain property owners who had posted their homes to secure Rezko's release, a move that removed their financial risk if Rezko fled, prosecutors argued.

St. Eve said she was most disturbed to learn that Rezko had access to funds from overseas after she was told just the opposite last year.

"I feel that the financial picture that was presented to the court in January '07 is obviously far from an accurate financial picture," she said in court.

The judge suggested she would not have released Rezko, a Syrian native, if she had known he had access overseas to that kind of money.

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The Democrats drew blood last night.

Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards were hitting with closed fists during the debate, sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute and CNN.

Most of the notable blows were exchanged between Hillary and Obama. Edwards spent a good deal of time drinking from his mug, trying to look busy.

Hillary was fighting like a professional. She used a relentless, rapid-fire technique. Obama seemed like he was having trouble maintaining his footing, and he was getting angrier and angrier at Hillary. Edwards seemed happy when he was able to get in a jab or two.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- Democratic presidential rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama accused each other of repeatedly and deliberately distorting the truth for political gain Monday night in a highly personal, finger-wagging debate that ranged from the war in Iraq to Bill Clinton's role in the campaign.

Obama told the former first lady he was helping unemployed workers on the streets of Chicago when "you were a corporate lawyer sitting on the board at Wal-Mart."

Moments later, Clinton said that she was fighting against misguided Republican policies "when you were practicing law and representing your contributor ... in his slum landlord business in inner city Chicago."

Obama seemed particularly irritated at the former president, whom he accused in absentia of uttering a series of distortions to aid his wife's presidential effort.

"I'm here. He's not," she snapped.

"Well, I can't tell who I'm running against sometimes," Obama countered.

It's interesting that AP writer Nedra Pickler chooses to omit the name Tony Rezko and opt for "your contributor ... in his slum landlord business in inner city Chicago."

Even funnier is CNN's transcript of the debate.

(Excerpt)

CLINTON: Well, you know, I think we both have very passionate and committed spouses who stand up for us. And I'm proud of that.

But you also talked about the Republicans having ideas over the last 10 to 15 years.

OBAMA: I didn't say they were good ones.

CLINTON: Well, you can read the context of it.

OBAMA: Well, I didn't say they were good ones.

CLINTON: Well, it certainly...

OBAMA: All right, Wolf.

CLINTON: It certainly came across in the way that it was presented, as though the Republicans had been standing up against the conventional wisdom with their ideas. I'm just reacting to the fact, yes, they did have ideas, and they were bad ideas.

OBAMA: I agree.

CLINTON: Bad for America, and I was fighting against those ideas when you were practicing law and representing your contributor, Resco, in his slum landlord business in inner city Chicago.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: No, no, no.

BLITZER: Hold on one second. Hold on.

Senator Edwards -- Senator Edwards has been remarkably patient during this exchange. And I want him -- I don't know if you want to get involved in this, Senator Edwards.

EDWARDS: What I want to say first is, are there three people in this debate, not two?

Wouldn't you think that the transcriber would know that "Rezko" is the correct spelling?

What's "Resco"? Is that intentional? If it is, it's pretty lame.

In case the transcript is altered later, here's the screenshot:



The Washington Post is using the same transcript, including the misspelling. It's provided by CQ Transcripts Wire.


That's a major error -- RESCO.

REZKO. REZKO. REZKO.


Hillary, Tony Rezko, and Bill -- Well, I'll be darned!
This was a really weird exchange.

To be fair, it was in response to a weird question.

JOE JOHNS: Senator Obama, appreciating what you said about the media's preoccupation with race, there is...

OBAMA: Here we go.

JOHNS: Right. The Nobel Prize-winning African-American author, Toni Morrison, famously observed about Bill Clinton, "This is our first black president, blacker than any actual black person who could ever be elected in our children's lifetime."

Do you think Bill Clinton was our first black president?

(LAUGHTER)

OBAMA: Well, I think Bill Clinton did have an enormous affinity with the African-American community, and still does. And I think that's well earned.

Like John, one of the things that I'm always inspired by -- no, I'm -- this I'm serious about. I'm always inspired by young men and women who grew up in the South when segregation was still taking place, when, you know, the transformations that are still incomplete but at least had begun had not yet begun. And to see that transformations in their own lives I think that is powerful, and it is hopeful, because what it indicates is that people can change.

And each successive generation can, you know, create a different vision of how, you know, we have to treat each other. And I think Bill Clinton embodies that. I think he deserves credit for that.

Now, I haven't...

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: I have to say that, you know, I would have to, you know, investigate more of Bill's dancing abilities.

(LAUGHTER)

OBAMA: You know, and some of this other stuff before I accurately judge whether he was in fact a brother. But...

(APPLAUSE)

BLITZER: Let's let Senator Clinton weigh in on that.

CLINTON: Well, I'm sure that can be arranged.

Of course, Obama was joking about making a judgment on Bill being "a brother." He's making fun of a stereotype.

However, do you think that a Republican, or a white Democrat for that matter, could have joked about black people being able to dance and white people being rhythmically-challenged?

Can you imagine if Hillary said that?

Al Sharpton would be demanding an apology. He might even call for her to drop out of the race. After all, it seems that he'd be happier if Bill Clinton would drop out of the race.