yesterday's freedom fighters are today's terrorists.  They're rewriting history in France, for one.

is in a Chicago Tribune article dated 2/10/06.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/...

For the highlights, Martin ran against Obama in 04 is the first mention of the two of them in the same article. At any rate, Martin is cited by rightwingers as a Middle Eastern expert noting he first went in 1971 and was bureau chief (of what?) in 2003. Martin notes that he received his law degree from the University of Illinois in 1969 and worked for Senator Paul Douglas (summer intern job) and was instrumental in laying the groundwork for Operation Graylord, exposing many politicians as crooked and corrupt.
He is referred to as a GOP researcher though he has been in both parties depending on his location and time.  The Tribune article deconstucts him nicely.
He is described as a perennial office seeker who has run for every office from county clerk to mayor to state legislator to Congress to President in Illinois, Florida, and Connecticut. In 1973, the Illinois Supreme Court denied him a law license, noting his Selective Service records refer to his "character defect" of ideation coupled with paranoia and self aggrandizement. He was said to lack the necessary responsibility, candor, self restraint, fairness, objectivity and respect for the judicial system necessary for professional licensure.  He has been sanctioned numerous times since then for spurious and frivilous lawsuits.  His response to his run-ins with the judiciary and others reflect an apparent basic  anti-Semitism, according to the Tribune.
In 1980, he was convicted of mail fraud but this was later overturned. However, there is an active warrant for his arrest still extant in Florida.
Most recently, it appears he is gearing up for a run against Durbin but has about 1% support, it appears from polls.
This is the guy who is swiftboating Obama?
The GOP is really scrapping the bottom of the barrel if this is the best they can do to scuttle Obama.