Road to Damascus

The Road to Damascus is the story of St. Paul's conversion to Christianity in Biblical Syria. Barack Obama's road through Damascus with Catholic Syrian born and convicted criminal Antonin Rezko serving as his longtime political supporter is a bone of contention for Obama's stance on political independence. Although the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance law has already trailblazed in these efforts, Obama vows to restrict donations from soft money contributions such as political action committees (PACS) and lobbyists. This does not stop Obama from allowing the well-connected volunteer to engage in a land sale or host a million dollar fundraiser or two like the one Peter Paul embroiled himself in a legal battle for Hillary Clinton. Antonin Rezko co-chaired a "mega-million" fundraiser for President George W. Bush in 2003. Like the crumbling interiors of his South Side Chicago properties, Rezko has been a "fixture" in Chicago politics since the city's first African-American Mayor Harold Washington even befriending Muhammad Ali. Facing a guilty verdict for funnelling political kickbacks through his businesses to Chicago Governor Rod Blagojevich, knighted and dubbed a "slum lord" by Hillary Clinton, Antonin Rezko leaves Obama anxious enough to call a meeting with the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune regarding their seventeen-year association. Obama has known Antonin Rezko since Obama's job interview with Rezko's Rezmar Inc. during his days as a 2L at Harvard Law School. Rezko has been Obama's ace ever since that time raising at least $250,000 in campaign funds over the course of Obama's mounting professional and political career. During the Rezko trial, a deal where Obama bought his 1.65 million dollar house and campaign headquarters $300,000 under market value adjacent to Antonin and Rita Rezko's property was a source of media inquiry. Right before the Rezko's federal indictment surfaced, Obama sold the adjacent one-sixth vacant lot to Rita Rezko calling the move a "mistake." Obama has been magnanimous enough to donate the fruits of his friendship and business relationship with the federally indicted Rezko to charity. However the question remains, do contributions that don't make it to the offering plate count?