Obama and Chicago's Corruption

John Kass reports on Obama's meeting with Chicago Tribune reporters:

Obama was asked if coming out of the most politically corrupt city in America hinders his image as a reform candidate for the presidency.

"Look, Sen. [Hillary] Clinton comes out of New York, and there are apparently some issues there as well," he said, chuckling about the flameout of Clinton's superdelegate and soon-to-be-former-governor, Eliot Spitzer. "I think that all of you have been following my career for some time. I think that I have done a good job in rising politically in this environment, without being entangled in some of the traditional problems of Chicago politics.

"I know that there are those, like John Kass, who would like me to decry Chicago politics more frequently."

Just the corrupt parts, I said.

"I'll leave that to his editorial commentary, but I think it's fair to say that I have conducted myself in my public office with great care and high ethical standards," he said.

Except for Rezko.

He did state, unequivocally, that if elected president, he would keep U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald as the federal hammer in Chicago, no small announcement given that Rezko is on trial and Obama ally Mayor Richard Daley is feeling federal heat.

Obama and Republican John McCain are the only presidential candidates who have formally committed to Fitzgerald. Hillary remains mum on the subject. Perhaps she and Bill hope to hold a federal carrot or a stick out to the Daley boys, should she win the Democratic nomination.

"I think he [Fitzgerald] has been aggressive in putting the city on notice and the state on notice that he takes issues of public corruption seriously," Obama said.

Will this announcement on Fitzgerald harm your relationships with Chicago politicians?

"I can't speculate on that," he said. "You can."