Obama 'Saddened' His Buddy Is Going to Prison, Lamely Calls for 'Reform'

Apparently, Barack Obama thinks we're all as stupid as the rest of his supporters.

In up to his jug ears with Tony Rezko money, he uses the occasion of his friend's conviction to call for reform.

I think the appropriate word here is chutzpah.

A day after Barack Obama sealed the Democratic nomination for president, a corruption scandal involving a fundraiser who once bankrolled his campaign resurfaced to slightly dampen the festivities.

Slightly dampen? Just imagine if a close friend and benefactor of John McCain were convicted on 16 federal counts. Would the media portray that as slightly dampening the festivities, or would it be 24/7 news?

You know the answer.

Chicago businessman Antoin "Tony" Rezko, 52, was convicted Wednesday of fraud, money laundering and aiding and abetting bribery in a plot to squeeze illegal payoffs out of firms hoping to do business with the state.

Republicans are already capitalizing on Rezko's ties to Obama, even though the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee is accused of no wrongdoing and his name was barely mentioned at trial.

"Today's verdict and Obama's friendship with Rezko raises serious questions about whether he has the judgment to serve as president," Robert M. "Mike" Duncan, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said in a statement.

Rezko's $8 million bond was revoked and he was taken into federal custody after the verdict in the nine-week trial that exposed a corrupt culture of payoffs and campaign finance abuses plaguing Illinois politics.

U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald said the verdict represented "an antidote to the poison of corruption" that trial testimony alleged included the fixing of state boards that controlled a $40 billion pension fund and made major decisions about million-dollar hospital construction.

The trial included explosive testimony about all-night drug parties involving the government's star witness and allegations that Gov. Rod Blagojevich personally discussed a state job for a campaign contributor.

Rezko has known Obama since he entered politics, raised money for his Illinois campaigns and was involved in a 2005 real estate deal with him. Obama has donated $150,000 in Rezko-related contributions to charity.

He issued a statement saying he was "saddened" by the verdict. "But now he has been convicted by a jury on multiple charges that once again shine a spotlight on the need for reform." Obama said.

You've been warned, folks. If you slurp down the Obama Kool-Aid, don't feign surprise when his administration is mired in corruption.

As usual when it's time to toss one of his pals under the bus, The Wizard of Uhhhs says he's not the person he knew.

Weak.