The friends of Obama

Robert Novak:

As Sen. Barack Obama nears the Democratic presidential nomination, a corruption trial of his former fund-raiser Antoin (Tony) Rezko on charges of influence peddling begins in Chicago today (Monday). Sen. Hillary Clinton's operatives have tried frantically, but not effectively, to interest U.S. news media outside Chicago in Obama's possible connection with his home state's latest major scandal.

Obama bought a mock Georgian mansion on Chicago's south side on June 15, 2005, the same day Rezko's wife bought a plot next door from the same seller. Obama then purchased from Rezko another parcel at above-market value. Federal prosecutors recently revealed that Nadhmi Auchi, an Iraqi billionaire who lives in London, wired $3.5 million to the financially strapped Rezko in Chicago less than a month before the Obama-Rezko purchases. James Bone, investigative reporter for the Times of London, wrote last Tuesday that "the money transfer raises the question of whether funds" from Auchi "helped" Obama buy his house.

This is what candidate Clinton had in mind after losing Iowa's caucuses when she claimed Obama had not been properly "vetted" to be president. For months prior to that, her agents had hinted darkly that Obama's past could be used by Republicans when the time came. But these were only hints, because of fear that explicit revelations would backfire against Clinton.

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Howard Wolfson, Clinton's sharp-tongued communications director, was not giving up and was more precise than his candidate Feb. 14, when interviewed by "National Journal On Air." He contended: "There are many questions ... about his relationship with indicted political fixer Tony Rezko that he could answer, that he has not. What was the exact nature of his relationship with Mr. Rezko? ... How much money did Mr. Rezko bundle for him? ... What favors did Sen. Obama perform for Mr. Rezko?"

Clinton agents have shopped this story around the news media since her 10-state losing streak started. A "Rezko Watch" blog attacks both Rezko and Obama daily, while alleging connections between them. The blog appears to be written by a self-styled "citizen journalist" who calls himself "B Merryfield" and dispenses the straight pro-Clinton line.

Obama has conceded his simultaneous home purchase with Rezko was a "boneheaded" mistake. He is returning $150,000 raised by Rezko and his associates, and is contributing to charity $72,650 in Rezko contributions. Asked by Tim Russert on NBC's "Meet the Press" last Nov. 11 why he was "associating with such a person," Obama replied, "There was no evidence of wrongdoing," but added, "There's no doubt that it was a mistake on my part." He made clear he had cut off all contact with Rezko "since he got in trouble with the law."

But the case against Rezko prepared by the always determined U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald poses possible new pitfalls for the Democratic front-runner by introducing into the proceedings Auchi, who has been convicted on corruption charges in France and given a suspended sentence. While his friends describe Auchi and his family as victims of Saddam Hussein's tyranny, Pentagon sources call him a "bagman" who laundered money in London for the Iraqi dictator.

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What the Auchi connection does is add context to Obama's opposition to the liberation of Iraq. It is a context that makes that opposition one of self interest rather than the picture he tries to convey of high minded opposition to a "mistaken" policy. I am not sure how important that might be, since his current Iraq policy is so incoherent, but it might hurt him with independents.