On Friday Barack Obama sat down with the editorial boards of both the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times. The result? A flood of almost totally positive coverage.

The Trib's featured editorial today begins:

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama waited 16 months to attempt the exorcism. But when he finally sat down with the Tribune editorial board Friday, Obama offered a lengthy and, to us, plausible explanation for the presence of now-indicted businessman Tony Rezko in his personal and political lives.

The most remarkable facet of Obama's 92-minute discussion was that, at the outset, he pledged to answer every question the three dozen Tribune journalists crammed into the room would put to him. And he did.

Apparently, these days you get points just for showing up and answering questions. Obama had been vigilant in stiffing inquiries by the Chicago Sun-Times over the course of the primary season, but he sat with them for 80 minutes as well, saying, "We want to put the sense that we're not being forthcoming behind us as quickly as possible."

The move seems to have had the desired effect. Carol Marin, a constant critic of Obama's unwillingness to address the issue, appeared satisfied with Obama's explanations, declaring he has "come clean" on his relationship with Rezko.

Another columnist for the Sun-Times, Mark Brown, was also impressed but a bit more skeptical:

Am I satisfied with all his answers, especially in relation to the house transaction about which I've been harping?

Not entirely. But, barring some new facts or information from some other source that would contradict him, I don't know how much further we can push the issue.

Heck, Obama even came close to winning over John Kass of the Chicago Tribune:

Barack Obama looked me straight in the eye. I heard him speak. Yet unlike some other pundits, I felt no thrill going up my leg.

I did feel a twinge of Rezko, though, and figured Obama could feel it, too, like when the bottom of your foot cramps up inside your shoe and you can't dance.

That's "hardball" the Chicago way, as Barack visited the Tribune on Friday to discuss his old friend, fundraiser and real estate fairy, indicted political fixer Tony Rezko. Rezko himself was quite busy, in federal custody, preparing for this week's testimony in his corruption trial. [snip]

He tells us that Rezko helped him scope out his dream house, yet Obama never thought he'd get a call from Tony saying his back was itchy.

"No," Obama said. "Because I had known him for a long time, and so I would have assumed I would have seen a pattern [of Rezko asking for favors] over the course of 15 years."

I'm too old to believe in fairy tales.

Kass concluded by saying of Obama, "I disagree with his policies, but I like the man. And I almost liked his answers. Almost."

Will Obama's press offensive put an end to the stories about his relationship with Rezko? Perahps. But if I were Senator Obama, I wouldn't go hanging up the "mission accomplished" banner just yet.