Biden has deep ties to Rezko accomplice

[Editor's Note] This news came out this morning. I will comment on it tomorrow, for now I just wanted to get this up on the blog. Busy news cycle.

Biden has deep ties to Rezko accomplice

JOSEPH CARI | 30-year friend of VP pick guilty in kickback scheme. Joseph Cari Jr., who took part in an $850,000 kickback scheme, was Joe Biden's Midwest field director.

DENVER — No matter what help Barack Obama might get from Sen. Joseph Biden, his newly named vice presidential running mate won't give Obama much cover on the Tony Rezko front.

Biden has described himself as a 30-year friend of a key figure in the Rezko trial who's pleaded guilty to a federal extortion charge in Chicago and is awaiting sentencing.

When the Delaware senator began contemplating his own 2008 presidential run, he initially was helped by Chicago lawyer Joseph Cari Jr., who also served as Biden's Midwest field director in his failed 1988 bid for president.

In 2005, Cari admitted to taking part in an $850,000 kickback scheme that prosecutors say was part of a larger political fund-raising operation for Gov. Blagojevich overseen by Rezko, who was convicted in June of wide-ranging corruption involving state deals.

Read the rest of this story here.

Joe Biden seems to be a gift that just keeps giving.