Obama to Fire Fitzgerald? What the new Rezko Related Indictment of William Cellini Means

John Kass of The Chicago Tribune reports:

The Cellini indictment is a direct offshoot of the investigation of convicted influence peddler Tony Rezko, convicted in the federal government's Operation Board Games investigation. Rezko's sentencing was delayed, to allow him to clear his throat before possibly talking to a federal grand jury. Rezko was also the real estate fairy for Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, who is campaigning for president as a reformer and received his dream house in a questionable but smoothly coordinated real estate deal involving Rezko.

Cellini and Rezko allegedly worked together stacking those boards and commissions to make profits and to leverage campaign funds for Blagojevich. Cellini is also alleged to have worked behind the scenes, hoping to use Republican White House political connections to try to get rid of Fitzgerald, the independent federal prosecutor who was breathing down their necks.

It was the Bush White House that targeted troublesome federal prosecutors for removal, and one of them on the administration's target list was the Combine's nemesis, Fitzgerald. The media properly shamed the president for daring to play politics with federal justice. But now, the media must be fair and pose the question to Obama:

Mr. Obama, if elected president, do you give your word not to pardon Tony Rezko?

The answer must come directly from Obama's own lips. An earlier statement from a junior press aide that there would be no Rezko pardon isn't good enough. Not now, with Rezko considering cooperation with prosecutors and the investigation widening. This is serious business, affecting not only Illinois corruption cases but how the U.S. Justice Department under a President Obama would treat the sensitive Rezko, who may have more to say about everything he knows.

You'll want to read this one.It's not something the New York Times wants you to think about: is Barack Obama more involved in Operation Board Games than you think?