Obama Hits Clinton on NAFTA Support

Feb 24 03:52 PM US/Eastern
By DAVID ESPO
AP Special Correspondent 6 Comments



LORAIN, Ohio (AP) - Barack Obama accused Democratic presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday of trying to walk away from a long record of support for NAFTA, the free trade agreement that he said has cost 50,000 jobs in Ohio, site of next week's primary.
At the same time, he said attempts to repeal the trade deal "would probably result in more job losses than job gains in the United States."

One day after Clinton angrily accused him of distorting her record on the North American Free Trade Agreement in mass mailings, the Illinois senator was eager to rekindle the long-distance debate, using passages from the former first lady's book as well as her own words.

"Ten years after NAFTA passed, Senator Clinton said it was good for America," Obama said. "Well, I don't think NAFTA has been good for America--and I never have."

"The fact is, she was saying great things about NAFTA until she started running for president," Obama told an audience at a factory that makes wall board, located in a working class community west of Cleveland.

"A couple years after it passed, she said NAFTA was a 'free and fair trade agreement' and that it was 'proving its worth.' And in 2004, she said, "I think, on balance, NAFTA has been good for New York and America," he said.

A spokesman for Clinton, Phil Singer, said the former first lady was critical of NAFTA long before she ran for president. He cited remarks from March 2000 in which she said, "What happened to NAFTA I think was we inherited an agreement that we didn't get everything we should have got out of it in my opinion. I think the NAFTA agreement was flawed."

Singer also said that in 2004 in Illinois, Obama spoke positively of the trade agreement, saying the United States had "benefited enormously" from exports under NAFTA.

LOL!!! I thought she was gonna say "You're not gonna wave a majic negro...."

Posted by.....Bill Clinton!

"Aunt Jomama"..... lmfao!!

A reminder that the prosecutors in the case have stated publicly that Senator Obama's name has not come up in conjunction with any of the investigations into Rezko's activities.

I did NOT have sex with that crook.

--Barack Hussein

".... the court-attested fact that the Illinois Senator is not as free from the influence of sleaze as he likes to suggest."

If it doesn't give pause to Obamites that his mentor, funder, and friend of 17 years in Chicago is up on felony charges of selling political influence, then one supposed that nothing will.

A reminder that the prosecutors in the case have stated publicly that Senator Obama's name has not come up in conjunction with any of the investigations into Rezko's activities. YET.

Posted by SanAntonioRogue at 2008-02-25 10:46 AM

There, I fixed it for you.

Our lack luster Govenor rod blowagovich is looking for money, and fast. He's run off most business that aren't tied to agriculture and he can't figure out wtfh.

A reminder that the prosecutors in the case have stated publicly that Senator Obama's name has not come up in conjunction with any of the investigations into Rezko's activities.

That's a good point, but Obama never should have bought his house in conjunction with a guy of such dubious background. I'd like to see a story that explains what Obama could have known about Rezko at the time they did that deal together.

This will be a very interesting time for Obama in my opinion. You've got this story, the possible senate investigations this week into his claim about troop supplies in last week's debate, and today Clinton put out a picture of him in a turbin and other somali/arabic looking clothes.

If he still does well in the upcoming primaries the Hil definitly should go, and I doubt anything could stop him from taking the White House.

"That's a good point, but Obama never should have bought his house in conjunction with a guy of such dubious background. I'd like to see a story that explains what Obama could have known about Rezko at the time they did that deal together.

Posted by rcade"

According to the Sun Times, and other sources that have investigated the story, Rezko was NOT under investigation at the time Obama purchased the house. However, he was by the time (6-7 months later) that Obama purchased the 10' strip of the adjacent lot from him.

That is the deal Obama has admitted was a poor decision on his part.

I did NOT have sex with that crook.

--Barack Hussein

I did not have sex with that crook, but I did make him a campaign co-chair. It's just so damned hard to find unindicted Republicans these days.

John McBush.

Its quite amusing and certainly ironic to have a Clinton supporter arguing guilt by association.

Guilt by mentorship.

"Guilt by mentorship."

So then are we to assume that Hillary is a philandering womanizer?

NewsBusters is not a credible source, Corky.

Well, she is a lesbian... so, YES!

Are the Sun Times and the Chigago Tribune that they link to credible sources?

Try The Google.

"Are the Sun Times and the Chigago Tribune that they link to credible sources?"

Yes.

Either way, Sanantoniorogue only talks about the Chicago newspaper stories that sound off in Obama's favor. Those papers have done plenty of stories alleging a dubious connection to Rezko that Sanantonio ignores. I've posted them here before and he simply lies about them.

"Are the Sun Times and the Chigago Tribune that they link to credible sources?"

Didn't the Chicago Tribune hand Obama the State Senate? You know that little thing about unsealing a certain divorce record in California.

You seem to be the one who is accuracy-challenged, Joe. The Sun Times investigative report was not "in Obama's favor". It raised a lot of questions. However it didn't have any answers to those questions and the bottom line was that there have been no allegation of any wrong-doing on Obama's part either by the media investigating him, or by law enforcement agencies.

THAT is the truth. Could there be more to the story that hasn't come out yet? Sure. But as of this moment, no quid pro quo has been shown or alleged. In fact, during their investigation the Trib noted Obama's "unusually frank" ethics disclosures.

So look really closely at yourself and your agenda before you call someone else a liar young man.

This will be a very interesting time for Obama in my opinion. You've got this story, the possible senate investigations this week into his claim about troop supplies in last week's debate, and today Clinton put out a picture of him in a turbin and other somali/arabic looking clothes.

If he still does well in the upcoming primaries the Hil definitly should go, and I doubt anything could stop him from taking the White House.

Posted by Rob_The_A_Hole

This ought to play well with the Farrakhan endorsement this weekend.. let the games begin

However, he was by the time (6-7 months later) that Obama purchased the 10' strip of the adjacent lot from him.

That is the deal Obama has admitted was a poor decision on his part.

Posted by SanAntonioRogue


"Watch the pennies and the pounds take care of themselves"


which portends problems in the future..

Joe - the second lot was 80' x 100'. It was legally 2 separate lots but the owners had treated it all as one big lot while they owned it. When they decided to sell they had the option to sell both together as a single sale, or to sell them separately.

They separated the lots into separate sales, not 1 lot into 2. If they had actually subdivided 1 piece of property into 2 there would be a legal record of doing so, doncha think?

Girls, girls, girls, relax. If ol Barack is even the least bit guilty, you will find out about it in the Trib and/or the Sun Times. I've lived here (Chicago and the Chicago burbs) my entire life and whether they like a candidate or not, they LOVE digging up corruption. He'll never get a pass from either paper here, even if they endorse him. Remember, politics in Illinois is a contact sport. Vote early, vote often and death does not disqualify a voter!

"which portends problems in the future.."

Yes, because God knows no one, and certainly none of us here have ever made a decision we later regretted, but still went on to be successful, upstanding and honest business people, civic leaders, or citizens.

No, that only happens to republican candidates. Dem mistakes MUST BE aired out daily...for life.

"It was legally 2 separate lots but the owners had treated it all as one big lot while they owned it."

You're making that up. Obama himself admitted that the previous owners separated the lots.

You're making that up. Obama himself admitted that the previous owners separated the lots.

Posted by JOE at 2008-02-25 01:02 PM | R


He also admitted he could not afford the property and sought help from Rezko. Funny how that comment has disappeared.

"You're making that up."

No Joe, you just think that because the truth doesn't suit you.

Do you understand the difference between choosing to sell 2 pieces of property in separate sales vs. selling them both together?

Your own language, as well as Obama's, the newspapers, and the sellers bears that out. LOTS - plural. Not LOT, singular. A single lot was not subdivided into 2 lots, plain and simple, no matter how much you wish it to be otherwise.

Use your head for once. I could own 20 separate lots and choose to sell them individually in 20 different sales or I could choose to sell all 20 of them in one sale.

"A single lot was not subdivided into 2 lots, plain and simple, no matter how much you wish it to be otherwise."

That's funny. Obama said "The sellers were the ones who had separated them, and Mr. Rezko became interested in that other lot." The fact that the term "lots" - the plural - is used in these articles in no way supports your argument that the property was not divided into two lots.

The previous seller separated the property into two lots. Why that was done will most likely be found out later. In the meantime, come to grips with reality.

Ok Joe. The sky isn't blue, either.

Ok Joe. The sky isn't blue, either.

Posted by SanAntonioRogue at 2008-02-25 01:30 PM

What's next? ABC news is Rightwing?

n June 2005, Obama bought a 98-year-old Kenwood mansion from a University of Chicago doctor for $1.65 million, using a $1.69 million advance he received from publishers Crown for his book, "The Audacity of Hope." The same day Rezko's wife Rita paid the doctor $625,000 for the empty lot adjoining Obama's property.

Even though at the time Rezko was under federal investigation for influence-peddling in Illinois Governor Blagojevich's administration, Obama did business with him, buying for $104,500 a 10-foot wide strip of Rita Rezko's lot, ostensibly to provide space for a fence. The deal left Mrs. Rezko's lot too small to build upon, thereby lifting the value of Obama's home.

Obama denies wrongdoing. "I misgauged the appearance presented by my purchase of the additional land from Mr. Rezko," Obama told the Chicago Sun-Times. "It was a mistake to have been engaged with him at all in this or any other personal business dealing that would allow him, or anyone else, to believe that he had done me a favor."

Obama now calls "boneheaded" his decision to continue to consort with Rezko even after a grand jury investigation into his dealings had begun and he has given about $150,000 of Rezko's campaign contributions to charity.

But that was not the end of the affair. The senator's claim to have been completely open about his relationship with Rezko was called into doubt on Monday when the senator belatedly admitted that, before he bought his home, he and Rezko visited the property together.

If aa republican candidate had engaged in this behavior it would be on the front pages non-stop and likely doom his campaign.

Not only has Obama admitted he made a mistake, but now he's been caught lying about the extent of the relationship with Rezko. Given how little experience Obama has, he sure didn't waste much time in getting involved with a corrupt chicago political operative.

Oh... the owner wanted to sell BOTH PROPERTIES at the same time, Joe.

Also, as has been pointed out in both the Sun Times and Trib articles, as well as AP and CBS, Rezko was NOT under investigation at the time of the house purchase, but was 6 months later when Obama purchased the piece of the adjacent lot. ABC got that part incorrect. The rest jibes with the various other reporting.

Oh... the owner wanted to sell BOTH PROPERTIES at the same time, Joe.

Also, as has been pointed out in both the Sun Times and Trib articles, as well as AP and CBS, Rezko was NOT under investigation at the time of the house purchase, but was 6 months later when Obama purchased the piece of the adjacent lot. ABC got that part incorrect. The rest jibes with the various other reporting.

Posted by SanAntonioRogue at 2008-02-25 01:34 PM |


Oh Really????

First he sought help from Rezko because he couldn't afford it.

Now he claims...

Responding to questions about Rezko and the home sale last month, the Obama campaign repeatedly cited the candidate's on-the-record statements: "I don't recall exactly" conversations about the house with Rezko; "I am not clear" how Rezko decided to join in the purchase; and "I may have mentioned to him the name of a [developer] and he may at that point have contacted that person."

"the owner wanted to sell BOTH PROPERTIES at the same time, Joe"

You act as though this supports your argument. I've been saying all along that they split it into TWO PROPERTIES. You, for some unknown reason, continue to disagree with me.

And why do you keep pointing out that Rezko wasn't under investigation at the time of the deal? If you commit acts of impropriety with someone, it doesn't matter whether they are under investigation at the time. If I take a bribe from you today and you are indicted tomorrow, am I off the hook? No.

You know it's bad when Tony Roma can't even defend the Obama man. Maybe he is still researching something.

"A longstanding relationship

Rezko is one of Obama's earliest political patrons. Long known as a prolific fund-raiser, the Syrian-born businessman helped raise money for Obama's political campaigns beginning in 1995, when Obama was running for the Illinois Senate.

In 13 years in politics, Obama has gotten at least $168,000 in campaign donations from Rezko, his family and business associates. The Sun-Times reported that figure last June. Obama's "best estimate" seven months earlier had been that Rezko had raised no more than $60,000 for him.

When Obama ran for the U.S. Senate, Rezko held a June 27, 2003, cocktail party in Rezko's Wilmette mansion, picking up the tab for the lavish event. Obama's campaign staff has said it has no records to show who attended that party, or how much it cost.

Obama's relationship with Rezko dates to 1990, when Obama, then a Harvard law student, interviewed for a job with Rezko's development company, Rezmar Corp. Obama turned down the job, instead going to work for a small Chicago law firm -- Davis Miner Barnhill. That firm did work on more than a dozen low-income housing projects Rezmar rehabbed with government funds.

Eleven Rezmar buildings were in the state Senate district Obama represented between 1996 and 2004. Many of the buildings ended up in foreclosure, with tenants living in squalid conditions, the Sun-Times reported last year. In one instance, Rezko's company left tenants without heat for five weeks. Obama said he was unaware of problems with the buildings and minimized the legal work he'd done.

This will not make the MSM--they love Obama.

Murphy

Resident who were freezing while Davis/Rezco said they didn't have enough money to fix the heat, but donated to Obama's campaign at the same time.

You guys haven't even breached the Michelle Obama Chicago hospital fiasco, a hospital that nearly tripled her salary as Obama went to the Senate, a hospital that has been all over the Chicago papers for profiteering and for not treating emergency room patients, leading to at least one death.

You might check on the company she had to quit the board of when Obama started his run as their main customer was WalMart, when Obama wanted to attack Hil on WalMart.

Try the Google.

"If you commit acts of impropriety with someone, it doesn't matter whether they are under investigation at the time."

That is true. So IF and WHEN Obama is accused of any impropriety we can certainly discuss this further.

Until then I'll leave you once again with this...

Sun-Times Article 01/20/08

"Obama was never asked to do anything to advance Rezko's business interests. In 1999, for example, when Obama was a State Senator, he opposed legislation that would have favored Rezko's business interests (a casino license for Rosemont, a suburb of Chicago).

None of the cases against Rezko have anything to do with Obama except for the $10,000 donation made to Obama in '04 from money that is the subject of one lawsuit."

Sun-Times Article 11/5/06.

Obama has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Rezko


Obama's name has not come up in connection with any of the corruption charges swirling around Rezko. In fact, prosecutors indicate that the source of Rezko's clout was somewhere within Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration. (AP & Chicago Trib.)"

and

"The paper also examined files from the Illinois Housing Development Authority and the city housing department, as well as the hundreds of clients Obama listed in the UNUSUALLY FRANK ETHICS DISCLOSURE REPORTS he filed as a state senator from December 1995 through April 2004." (Chicago Trib)

This will not make the MSM--they love Obama.

Murphy

Posted by MURPHY at 2008-02-25 01:55 PM


Thank God for Conservative talk radio and Blogs.

More on the Obama-Rezko-Davis New Kenwood deal...

Davis and Rezko hired Daley & George, the law firm of the mayor's brother Michael, to help them get $3.1 million from bonds issued by the city of Chicago.

Rezko and Davis paid the city $1 for the land and spent more than $100,000 to clean it up, including the removal of an underground storage tank. Some tainted land was left behind, but state environmental officials approved construction after Rezko and Davis agreed to cover the polluted areas with parking lots, sidewalks or three feet of dirt, records show.

The $14.6 million Cottage View Terrace was funded entirely by city, state and federal taxpayers.

The project included $855,000 in development fees for New Kenwood. Records don't show how Davis and Rezko split the money. Davis owned 51 percent of New Kenwood, Rezko 49 percent, according to the records.

In addition to the development fees, a separate Davis-owned company stood to make another $900,000 throughfederal tax credits.

Cottage View Terrace was supposed to be managed by Davis' longtime business partner, William Moorehead. But Moorehead said last week that his company was dumped before the apartments opened in 2002. The apartments are now managed by Urban Property Advisors, a company owned by Davis' son, Cullen Davis.

Moorehead is due to report to prison next month to begin serving a four-year sentence for stealing more than $1 million from the Robert Taylor Homes and other public housing projects he managed for the Chicago Housing Authority and the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department, as well as from two developments he co-owned with Davis near Cabrini-Green on the North Side.

Let's just look at the facts:

The property (prior to dividing) was worth ~$2.3M based on the prices paid by Obama and Rezko.

Obama paid Rezko $104,500 for part of the land Rezko paid $650,000 for in the orginal transaction.

As a result of the sale, the Rezko lot is not buildable - meaning the value is close to $0 for anybody but those with adjacent lots that may want to increase the size of their backyard.

The Rezko loss on the transaction is ~$550K, with the beneficiary being Obama as he:
1.) Was able to afford the house due to the sale splitting the parcels
2.) Benefited in terms of housing price appreciation due to the other lot being unbuildable

So, maybe - just maybe - Mrs. Rezko is the world's worst real estate investor despite the family business being home building, or maybe - just maybe - this was a 'bribe' to Obama for future help. $500K is a lot of money for a 40 something with no assets and the timing is pretty strange given the sales occured pretty much right after he became a US senator. There is a story here and the MSM is not doing thier job by ignoring it.

Nothing like paying off the environmentalists and burying the toxic waste under 3 ft of dirt on the development/ homesite.

No wonder most lawyers and environmentalists are Democrats...

"That is true. So IF and WHEN Obama is accused of any impropriety we can certainly discuss this further."

No. Your defense to Obama's conduct was that REZKO had not been accused of impropriety at the time of the transaction which, given the latest developments, may or may not be true. However, the fact remains that just because Rezko appeared to the public to be a decent guy at the time of the transaction does not mean that all transactions he engaged in with Obama were automatically legit. In fact those two ideas have nothing to do with one another.

She's terrific," added Michael Riordan, who was president of the hospital in March 2005, when Michelle Obama was promoted to vice president for external affairs and had her annual salary increased from $121,910 to $316,962

Yet until recently she wasn't proud to be an American.

"She was hired before Barack was Barack,"...

...and paid off triple the minute Barack BECAME Barack. LOL!

The Obama's are not only corporate whores, They're damn cheap ones. LOL!

"The Rezko loss on the transaction is ~$550K, with the beneficiary being Obama as he:"

Actually, according to the Trib on Feb. 24, 2007 Mrs. Rezko made money on the deal after all.

On Dec. 28, 2006, land records show, Rezko's wife, Rita, sold the garden lot she owned next to Obama's home, transferring it to a company that plans to develop housing there. That sale deed became public this month when it was registered with the Cook County recorder of deeds.

Rezko's wife and Obama bought the adjoining South Side lots in 2005 and then engaged in a series of personal financial transactions to re-divide and improve their parcels. After their dealings were disclosed by the Tribune, Obama said he was "bone-headed" to enter the financial arrangements because Rezko was reported to be under grand jury investigation during that period.

Rezko's wife appears to have netted roughly $54,500 from her dealings with the parcel, but that figure does not include expenses and property taxes. She bought the parcel for $625,000 in June 2005.

"Rezko's wife appears to have netted roughly $54,500"

Wow, maybe this is legit but I would like to know the buyers name on this - probably Jack Abramoff. You see, Chicago real estate went through a meltdown since 2005 so I find it hard to believe that she may money on this through arms length transactions given she paid an inflated price for the land in the initial transaction. Then again, the buyer could have been an Obamaniac that wants to live closer to the Messiah....

"Rezko's wife appears to have netted roughly $54,500"

Wow, maybe this is legit but I would like to know the buyers name on this - probably Jack Abramoff.

Any chance there was some little land deal in Arkansas????

62 pots and only Sanantonio has come to the defense of Bin-Obama. One would think all the change lovers here would be hammering the keys in his defense. What gives??? Are they waiting for their talking points?

62 pots and only Sanantonio has come to the defense of Bin-Obama.

Sorry. 62 Posts. Must be the pots.

Of course I meant that Obama would stay a mile away from even the appearance of anything untoward involving Rezko.

THANK GOD FOR PATRICK FITZGERALD!!!!!!


He is the Fedral DA on this one. He got the the Scotter Libby thing done as best anyone could so lets hope he can clean up Chicago. That city is a huge embarassment to anyone who lives in IL below Champiaigne/Bloomington. I live in a rotaion between the middle of the state and the south end of the state. This Rezko trial has been hot news in IL. I guessa DEM being investigated for curruption isnt a sexy story. There has been talk and investigation into our GOV, his aides, and sevral senators. I hoep we can dispose of Rom Imanuel while we are at this. Mike madigan too while we are at it. Ask anyone in IL who half pays attention about Rezko&Obama and you will get a hell of a answer.

sorry its 350 a year. still a crook