President Obama Portrayed as a Mobster in "Goodfellas" in RNC Ad Against Alexi Giannoulias

President Obama portrayed as mobster from "Goodfellas" in latest RNC campaign ad against Chicago Democratic candidate Alexi Giannoulias.

RNC brings up Chicago slumlord Antonin Rezko in latest ad over President Barack Obama heading to Chicago to raise funds for Alexi Giannoulias. The ad portrays the president as a mobster in Goodfellas. It reads, Goodfellas, Obama returns to Chicago to raise cash for banker pal Alexi Giannoulias, despite ties to seedy Chicago Underworld. Is this fair game or is the RNC's ad a smear job on President Obama? Here's an excerpt from the press release:

GIANNOULIAS’ FAMILY BANK LOANED MILLIONS TO MOBSTERS AND CONVICTED FELONS

In 2006, “Politically Radioactive” Tony Rezko Was Loaned $22.75 Million By Giannoulias’ Bank. “By February 2006, businessman and political fixer Tony Rezko was already politically radioactive, caught up in a federal investigation that would see him criminally charged by the end of that year. Giannoulias, the Democrat now running for U.S. Senate, had left his post as a senior loan officer at the Chicago bank in late 2005 to mount a successful campaign for Illinois state treasurer, though he still held an ownership stake in the bank. … On Feb. 14, 2006, newly obtained records show, the bank made a $22.75 million loan to a company called Riverside District Development LLC, whose owners, it turns out, included Rezko.” (Abdon M. Pallasch, Chris Fusco & Tim Novak, “A New Headache For Giannoulias? Another Rezko Loan,” Chicago Sun-Times, 8/2/10)

Well, I guess all is fair game in politics, but to compare the president to a mobster is just downright wrong. This is just another scare tactic by the GOP. I have no qualms about them exposing Giannoulias, but let's see if the negative campaign tactic sticks.