[Dean's World] Aziz P: shine on, you crazy diamond

[notify at powerblogs.com]

Posted by Aziz P:
shine on, you crazy diamond
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1203441481.shtml


   via bloomberg, looks like [1]the rezko thing is as dead as HD-DVD.

     The couple who sold Barack Obama his Chicago home said the Illinois
     senator's $1.65 million bid ``was the best offer'' and they didn't
     cut their asking price because a campaign donor bought their
     adjacent land, according to e-mails between Obama's presidential
     campaign and the seller. [...] The sellers hadn't previously made
     their side of the story public out of concern for their privacy,
     according to Bill Burton, a spokesman for Obama's campaign. They
     approached Obama's Senate office 15 months ago and agreed to break
     their silence now through the campaign out of concern that the
     story was being distorted in the media, Burton said.

     Toured Property

     Burton said Obama, 46, toured the property with Rezko for 15 to 30
     minutes at some point before the purchase. Burton said Obama wanted
     Rezko's opinion of the property because Rezko was a real-estate
     developer in the area. Burton said he didn't know when the pre-sale
     tour occurred.

     Burton said a campaign adviser discussed the sale with Wondisford
     by phone and followed up with an e-mail to Wondisford repeating his
     points. Wondisford responded: ``I confirm that the three points
     below are accurate,'' according to the e-mail, provided to
     Bloomberg News and authenticated through records shown by the
     adviser.

     The e-mail says that the sellers ``did not offer or give the Obamas
     a `discount' on the house price on the basis of or in relation to
     the price offered and accepted on the lot.'' It also says that ``in
     the course of the negotiation over the sales price,'' Obama and his
     wife, Michelle, ``made several offers until the one accepted at
     $1.65 million, and that this was the best offer you received on the
     house.''

     Wondisford has declined to talk directly about the matter.

     Three Bids

     The Obamas submitted three bids: $1.3 million on Jan. 15, 2005;
     $1.5 million on Jan. 21; and $1.65 million on Jan. 23, according to
     a copy of the sale contract shown to Bloomberg News. Obama received
     more than $1.2 million in book royalties and a book advance in
     2005, the year he was sworn in to the U.S. Senate, his financial
     disclosure statement shows.

   However, Obama's middle name is still Hussein, so it's not like
   McCain's campaign will be wanting for attack material come October.

References

   1. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a_9sOMpy91Js&refer=us