Obama, Governor Top 15

Nice graphic from the Rezko trial of the governor's top 15 contributors, courtesy of Cal Skinner with comments. John Ruberry notes the irony, and the we don't want nobody nobody sent Chicago way. NY Times takes David Wilhelm's word for it that mention of Obama's name in an email message at the Rezko trial Monday is a non-story. Maybe it is, but we don't know, do we:

CHICAGO — An e-mail message made public on Monday in the fraud trial of Antoin Rezko, a businessman and political contributor, brought attention to Senator Barack Obama’s role in discussions involving a state health planning board that Mr. Rezko is accused of improperly influencing.

The message indicated that Mr. Obama, now a Democratic presidential candidate, and other top Illinois politicians consulted in 2003 on legislation to keep the board, which approved the construction of health facilities, from expiring under sunset provisions in state law.

The vaguely worded message also seemed to raise the possibility that Mr. Obama, who at the time was chairman of the Illinois Senate’s health committee, had been involved in recommending candidates for the board.

Oh well. Trib take:

While prosecutors were shining a spotlight on Rezko's clout, his lawyers spent much of Monday stressing just how commonplace it was in state government for politicians and insiders to try to win appointments for friends, family and business associates.

Pointing to internal Blagojevich administration e-mails and spreadsheets on state board appointments, Rezko's lawyer, William Ziegelmueller, said recommendations for posts came from everybody from U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin to U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez to the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Illinois House and Senate.

The Rezko defense--it was business as usual. The Obama mention:

Rezko and other Blagojevich insiders were shown on the vetting sheet as sponsoring several applicants for positions on the Illinois Finance Authority, an agency that made low-interest loans to businesses and non-profit groups.

Senate President Emil Jones Jr. also was recorded by Hayden as sponsoring Martin Nesbitt, the president of a parking company, as a candidate for the finance authority. Nesbitt is a close friend and campaign supporter of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Obama's name surfaced briefly Monday as Rezko's lawyers introduced a series of e-mail exchanges in June 2003 involving lobbyist Matthew Pickering, Blagojevich lawyer Susan Lichtenstein and Monk, then the governor's chief of staff.

Pickering worked in the lobbying firm of David Wilhelm, who ran Blagojevich's 2002 campaign. In one e-mail, Pickering laid out a list of four people he and Wilhelm wanted Blagojevich to consider for appointment to the hospital planning board. Pickering also mentioned that the firm had worked closely with several top legislators, Obama included, in pushing legislation to overhaul the hospital board.

Lawyers for Rezko said the e-mail did not suggest a connection between Obama and the candidates pushed by Wilhelm for the hospital panel.

It's going to be a long few months.

Related posts: Obama-Rezko Primer, Obama Pastor in Hot Water, Assessing Barack Obama, Barack's Apple Pie America, Victim or Corrupt Power Broker, Parade of Horribles, The Sanjaya Effect, Barack is Not Ready at 3 a.m., FARC Terrorists Heart Obama, Dem Shoes in the Closet, Michelle Profile