SNL Sees Reality

Saturday Night Live’s (SNL) first post-writer’s strike show aired last night. In a biting satirical opening, the SNL players depicted the last Democratic debate with an amusing skit that was all too close to real life. The SNL ‘debate moderators' asked the Barack Obama character obsequious softball question after softball question (“Are you comfortable, Senator Obama”). The female moderator got the vapors as he answered each. The Hillary Clinton character was asked vicious questions that were designed to make her look bad.

It’s interesting that SNL sees reality in a way that seems to be eluding a significant segment of the American Public. The MSM appear to be smitten by Obama and will not address legitimate subjects that might bring his savior-like persona back down to earth.

The New York Times recent hit-piece on John McCain, alleging improprieties without a shred of hard evidence has been denounced by some NYT editors themselves. But the piece opened the door for CNN and other MSM outlets to ask, “Has John McCain had contact with lobbyists? Has there been any undue influence?” These questions are certainly reasonable and should be asked.

My question is this: “Why haven’t similar questions been asked about the many highly-questionable associations in Barack Obama’s immediate past. One explosive story (which most of the MSM has tried very hard to ignore) concerns Antoin "Tony" Rezko, whose trial is due to start in federal court in Chicago tomorrow. His association with Obama is discussed by Nicholas Wapshott :

In June 2005, Obama bought a 98-year-old Kenwood mansion from a University of Chicago doctor for $1.65 million, using a $1.69 million advance he received from publishers Crown for his book, "The Audacity of Hope." The same day Rezko's wife Rita paid the doctor $625,000 for the empty lot adjoining Obama's property.

Even though at the time Rezko was under federal investigation for influence-peddling in Illinois Governor Blagojevich's administration, Obama did business with him, buying for $104,500 a 10-foot wide strip of Rita Rezko's lot, ostensibly to provide space for a fence. The deal left Mrs. Rezko's lot too small to build upon, thereby lifting the value of Obama's home.

Obama denies wrongdoing. "I misgauged the appearance presented by my purchase of the additional land from Mr. Rezko," Obama told the Chicago Sun-Times. "It was a mistake to have been engaged with him at all in this or any other personal business dealing that would allow him, or anyone else, to believe that he had done me a favor."

Obama now calls "boneheaded" his decision to continue to consort with Rezko even after a grand jury investigation into his dealings had begun and he has given about $150,000 of Rezko's campaign contributions to charity.

But that was not the end of the affair. The senator's claim to have been completely open about his relationship with Rezko was called into doubt on Monday when the senator belatedly admitted that, before he bought his home, he and Rezko visited the property together.

Rezko is a presidential candidate's nightmare buddy. He stands accused of demanding fake finder's fees for payments made to Illinois teachers' and health workers' state pension funds. And he is accused of defrauding GE Capital out of $10 million in loans for his fast-food franchises.

According to court documents, Rezko is also accused of prompting "at least one other individual" to give money to Obama's senatorial campaign, then reimbursing him, in violation of federal election law.

Prosecutors have submitted to the court a 26-page list of those Rezko wanted appointed to posts in Illinois Governor Blagojevich's administration. The list contains those whom Obama recommended for state jobs. On Thursday it was reported that among those Rezko proposed for a job was the real estate agent who conducted the sale of Sen. Obama's home.

Where are the media stories about this? If John McCain’s past associations are fair game (and they should be) why do we hear nothing about Barack Obama’s. Curious, huh?

And while the MSM are at it, how about looking into Obama’s associations with Bill Avery and Bernadette Dorn—two ex-Weather Underground terrorists (who bombed public building and are unapologetic about their activities) from the 70s who were among Obama’s political coterie in Chicago. How about Obama’s association with his mentor Reverend Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. of the Trinity United Church of Christ who, to quote Jonathan Raban “delivers magnificently cranky sermons on how the "African diaspora" struggles under the yoke of the "white supremacists" who run the "American empire" and whose in-house magazine recently lauded black Muslim and overt anti-Semite, Louis Farakan. That’s a reasonable start for the intrepid MSM reporters whose empty claims about searching for the truth would be laughable if they weren’t so damaging to the public’s right to assess these candidates fairly.

So far, SNL has it exactly right. Obama is untouchable and as a consequence, it’s extremely difficult to get a clear picture of the man, his background, and most important, he true beliefs and likely style of governance.

Since Obama is the “hope” and “change” candidate, I for one HOPE that the media’s ridiculous deference toward Obama will CHANGE.