Monday will be a special homecoming for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).
His image makers, used to playing offense--as in how many positive stories a day can they generate--will be playing defense since Obama got caught in a real estate deal with the shady Tony Rezko.

Obama, in a story by my Sun-Times colleagues Dave McKinney, Chris Fusco and Mark Brown about the circumstances surrounding the purchase of his mansion, revealed that HE APPROACHED Rezko at a time where everybody knew Rezko was under a cloud.

Obama told the Sun-Times, "To the best of my recollection, I told him about the property, and he developed an interest, knowing both the location and, as I recall, the developer who had previously purchased it."

Obama is supposed to be the big draw at rallies on Monday to help Democratic House candidates Tammy Duckworth, Melissa Bean and Dan Seals.

The Obama operation manages his image in part by only releasing in advance portions of even his PUBLIC schedule. He did not want y'all in Illinois to focus on this, but Obama is wrapping up his national travel tonight (between his book tour and the election, he's been on the road since Oct. 18) at an event in Iowa--the state with the first '08 presidential test vote. Obama is also stumping hard Sunday in Tennessee for Harold Ford's Senate campaign in Tennessee.