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SEIFFE:  Present At The Creation 

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

By Ralf Seiffe

Shortly after the Second World War, Americans soured on our relation with the Soviet Union.  Public opinion about the nature of the communist nation had been formed by flawed reportage during the 1930’s.  Later, we were willing to overlook the enormity of Stalin’s evil because they were our ally in the war against Hitler.  Even after the war, a good portion of America’s intelligentsia were still in the Kremlin’s thrall.  Despite the media bias in favor of the USSR, more perceptive politicians began to understand the real danger the Soviets posed.  In response, they created the Truman Doctrine, the object of which was to contain Soviet expansion.  The phrase, “present at the creation” was a badge of honor for those politicians and advisors who developed the policies that created the “Cold War.” 

This notion of “presence at the creation” is important because long after these men had passed from the scene, their work endured.  From the years just after World War II until Ronald Reagan decided to break the Soviet Union, this policy animated our defense posture, the creation of the Interstate Highway System, the space programs and any number of other endeavors.  Indeed, one can make the argument that the Truman Doctrine was the foundation for much of the government’s activity in the second half of the Twentieth Century. 

Present at the creation is exactly how Barack Obama explains his relationship with Tony Rezko.  According to reports in The Sun Times and The Chicago Tribune, Obama was a lawyer representing several non-profit organizations which partnered with Rezko’s company, Rezmar.  The senior partner at Obama's firm reported that the future senator was responsible for due diligence on the deals.  Those deals had Rezmar involved in rehabbing decrepit apartments for the poor.  Between the various governments and private lenders, approximately $100 million was invested. 

One wonders how a recent immigrant could become such a factor in the poverty industry.  To be trusted with one hundred million dollars seems like a lot of money, even by government standards.  Conventional judgment of these projects’ results would indicate the trust was misplaced; foreclosures, denial of tax benefits and, by the way, boarded up apartments that were meant for the unfortunate. 

Looked at another way, these projects were a roaring success for those who controlled the money.  Rezko apparently became a recycling machine for poverty dollars; on the one hand, Rezmar and some of Rezko’s other companies operated as vendors to the state and local governments.  On the other hand, Rezmar became a huge contributor to politicians here in Illinois and in other jurisdictions.  Is there a connection?  Your eyes are as good as mine. 

What we do know is that Rezko and Obama have a long history, starting with a job offer while Obama was still in law school. This relationship continued through the years Obama operated as a poverty engineer and as a state senator with some of the projects occurring in Obama’s district.  The last manifestation is a smelly real estate deal over a piece of land Rezko owned next to Obama’s mansion. Coincidence?  Who knows. 

The “Rezko Doctrine” has been a boon to politicians in Illinois but I wonder whether these politicians are the creation of Tony Rezko’s contributions or if the truth is the other way around.  Did a smart young hustler figure out how to shake the public money tree or did a smart young lawyer with a poverty practice see a perfect front man to bankroll his political ambitions?  To know, I guess you had to be present at the creation.

© 2007 Ralf Seiffe

Ralf Seiffe advises business start-ups and product launches from Chicago, Illinois and is a political analyst and columnist for the Illinois Leader and Illinois Review.

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