One-degree of separation: Update to Obama "dropped in" to do Rezko favors

This update to RezkoWatch's March 13, 2008, article Obama "dropped in" to do Rezko favors is taken from the March 14, 2008, exclusive interview by the editorial board and reporters of the Chicago Sun-Times with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

According to the published transcipt, Obama was asked "Did you ever meet Nadhmi Auchi or Dr. Aiham Alsammarae?"

A: I have to say I do not recall meeting them. It's been reported that a dinner Tony hosted at the four seasons, I don't have the exact date, so I don't know whether it was the before November '04 when I hadn't been elected but had already won the primary or whether it was after the election, in which I was . . . Tony called and asked if I could stop by because he had a number of friends that he had invited to dinner and he wanted mew to meet them. I told him that I would be happy to come by if my schedule allowed it. And it did. Although I couldn't, I think, stay for dinner, so I remember meeting a bunch of people who I had not met before. I frankly don't remember what their names were. Business was not discussed at the meeting. It was more of a social meeting and they asked me questions about the senate race and so fourth and so on.

I have no specific recollection. They may have been there. I can't say unequivocally that I did not meet them, but I just don't recall.

Perhaps RezkoWatch can provide a few hints to jog Sen. Obama's recollection about that "social meeting". First of all, Obama won the Senate primary on March 16, 2004.

This is Nadhmi Auchi.



This is Aiham Alsammarae.



And this is Nadhmi Auchi, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, and Aiham Alsammarae together in April 2004 at the Four Seasons in Chicago.




For articles about these named individuals, click on their names below.