Meanwhile, in Chicago, a federal judge has ordered the jailing of one of Obama’s former top fundraisers, Antoin Rezko. Rezko was indicted in 2006 on charges of business fraud and influence peddling but had been free on bond. On Monday, a judge revoked bond and ordered him to be held in jail. Rezko has raised as much as $200,000 for Obama since 1996 and helped Obama purchase his home. Last week, Senator Hillary Clinton raised Obama’s link to Rezko during the debate in South Carolina. Last year, one of Hillary Clinton’s top fundraisers, Norman Hsu, was arrested for swindling investors. Hsu had raised some $800,000 for Clinton’s campaign during a time when he was a fugitive from justice.

Sen. Clinton: “I was fighting against those ideas when you were practicing law and representing your contributor, Rezko, in his slum landlord business in inner city Chicago.”

Wolf Blitzer: “I just want to give you a chance, Senator Obama, if you want to respond. Senator Clinton made a serious allegation that you worked for a slumlord, and I wonder if you want to respond.”

Sen. Obama: “I’m happy to respond. Here’s what happened: I was an associate at a law firm that represented a church group that had partnered with this individual to do a project, and I did about five hours worth of work on this joint project. That’s what she’s referring to.”