Cleaning Up the Neighborhood

Should have gotten up earlier and jogged over there. Tony Rezko arrested at his Wilmette home early this morning. This sort of reminds me of the PRC sweeping up the embarrassing rifraff before foreign dignitaries come to town, only in that case they were imprisoning human rights activists--in this case it's an indicted buddy of Barack's before Super Tuesday. Tribune:

Antoin "Tony" Rezko was arrested early Monday at his Wilmette home by federal agents, the Tribune has learned.

Rezko, who is scheduled to stand trial on corruption charges in less than a month at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, was taken into custody due to an alleged bond violation, a source confirmed. Investigators had in recent weeks become concerned about the movement of some of his finances, a source said.

Hmm, maybe he was contributing to Obama's campaign again.

P.S. From the Trib's endorsement editorial of Obama yesterday:

Last week, Hillary Clinton attacked Obama for his association with alleged influence-peddler Tony Rezko. If Obama had dealt with the Rezko issue forthrightly long ago, it might rank in public memory with Clinton's remarkable success in cattle futures.

Instead, as we've said, Obama has been too self-exculpatory. His assertion in network TV interviews last week that nobody had indications Rezko was engaging in wrongdoing strains credulity: Tribune stories linked Rezko to questionable fundraising for Gov. Rod Blagojevich in 2004 -- more than a year before the adjacent home and property purchases by the Obamas and the Rezkos.

One more time, Senator:

You need to divulge all there is to know about that relationship. Until you do, the journalistic scrubbing and opposition research will intensify. You should have recognized Rezko as a political seducer of young talent.

UPDATE: WSJ, Obama Gains, But Still Lags in Blue States:

Among the major Super Tuesday contests, Mrs. Clinton has wide -- in some cases double-digit -- polling leads in California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Arizona, Missouri and Alabama. Mr. Obama leads in his home state of Illinois and in Georgia.

The demographics in many of those states also seem to play more to Mrs. Clinton's strengths, with big populations of Latinos and white women, groups that helped carry her to victory over Mr. Obama in New Hampshire and Nevada.

Other than Illinois, he has his work cut out for him. And that carries some risks. But maybe the Kennedy endorsements will do the trick, knocking off one aging pair by invoking the memory of another fading liberal icon.

UPDATE: Hosted by Mark Johnson, Illinois GOP Network's Blogtalk Radio: John, Marathon Pundit and Tom, The Bench on Rezko and other good stuff.

Related posts: Imaginary Obama, Hillary-Rezko Connection, Obama Slammed with Rezko