Photo of Clintons: Obama Achilles Heel on Other Foot?

Jan. 25, 2008 — -- An undated photo of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and her husband posing with Chicago landlord, and former Obama fundraiser Tony Rezko, raised eyebrows today. But will the photo blunt the effectiveness of one of Clinton's most recent attack points against rival Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.?

The photo, which first appeared on the Drudge Report, and was carried by several media outlets, shows Rezko — who awaits trial next month on federal corruption charges — flanked by the Clintons. The date, the context and the source of the photo are unclear.

In the Democratic debate, earlier this week in South Carolina, Clinton called out Obama for taking part, while he was an Illinois state senator, in a land deal with the man she described as a "slum landlord."

Although Obama has severed ties with the businessman, Rezko's trial, on charges of attempted extortion and money laundering, starts next month, just as the primary season heats up.

Asked about the photo on NBC's "Today" show, Clinton said, "I probably have taken hundreds of thousands of pictures. I don't know the man. I wouldn't know him if he walked in the door."

She explained that she didn't feel the photo undermined her criticism of Obama over his relationship with Rezko.

"You have to look at the record and the facts. There's a big difference between standing somewhere, taking a picture with someone you don't know and haven't seen since, and having a relationship that the newspapers in Chicago are exploring."

But will it change campaign strategy in the increasingly acrimonious Democratic primary fight?

By Friday afternoon, it did not appear the photo had caused the Clinton campaign to back off the issue. The Clinton campaign press office alerted reporters to a story about the Obama campaign and Rezko's money.

But one political scientist says he thinks the photo will have further impact.

"Not only does it kill the Rezko issue, but it opens the door for the best remaining shot that Obama has, which is to rekindle Clinton fatigue, and remind voters of all those controversies from the 90s involving the Clintons," argued Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

Sabato was surprised that the Clinton campaign, known for its thorough and efficient campaign machine, seemed caught by surprise by the appearance of this photo.

"If you're going to attack your opponent for associating with a slumlord, you better make darn sure that you, yourself, have not associated with that slumlord," said Sabato. "Her campaign has so many hundreds of staffers, and not one of them did some research to check into her and Rezko?"