The Obama Rumor...Identified?

Mary Katharine Ham | November 19, 2007 3:03 PM

John Fund ($):

The murmured charge is that as an Illinois state senator, Mr. Obama engaged in a real estate deal that benefited him in exchange for legislative favors. In short, what might pass for standard operating procedure in the Illinois legislature could nonetheless prove embarrassing to someone campaigning as a paragon of political virtue for president. So far, however, no proof of the allegation has been presented.

A little boring as scandals go. No proof, dry substance, too convoluted a deal to stick in the public consciousness, probably.

Marc Ambinder speculates on from whom the leak came:

So if campaigns don't traffic in these rumors, who does?

Supporters do -- it's true that reporters in Iowa and New Hampshire are accosted by Democrats who don't like Hillary Clinton and wonder why the press doesn't ask her about her husband's fidelity.

Donors do -- think of Gossip Girl set in a Georgetown salon.

Opposition parties do -- everyone tends to assume that negative stuff against Hillary Clinton is being sent around by her Democratic opponents. Not always true.
And reporters do -- we can't help it.

And, Mickey Kaus wonders if the rumors are part of an attempt at a sort of Mutually Assured Destruction understanding between Camps Hillary and Obama. (I can't load Slate, so just type it into your browser when you get a chance: www.slate.com.)