With the Tony Rezko trial starting today, the Clinton campaign is holding a conference call right now to demand that Barack Obama answer more questions about his relationship and dealings with the defendant.

Howard Wolfson, Clinton’s communications director, blasted Obama for his “ongoing refusal to answer basic questions about his longtime relationship with indicted fixer Tony Rezko.”

Wolfson later referred to Rezko as Obama’s “political mentor and patron” and suggested his efforts to downplay their relationship were “quite comical” and he said they “don’t pass the smell test.”

Clinton spokesman Phil Singer also noted that in view of the fact that the Obama campaign has said they weren’t concerned about the Rezko matter, he thought it was “rather curious that they were concerned enough about it to send a staffer” to the trial to take notes. He said it “should set off alarms in newsrooms across America.”

As for tonight, Wolfson said he was “bullish” on Clinton’s prospects in Ohio and Texas, and believes that Clinton has closed well with the focus on the economy and who is prepared to be commander in chief, and that Obama is first now coming under scrutiny. He said that one of the reasons Obama has had trouble closing the deal is that “Democrats know he hasn’t been vetted.”

All of this, in my view, raises the likelyhood that Clinton will continue on after tonight, even were she to lose Texas. With Rezko on trial and the media finally grilling Obama, she’ll likely want to hang on a bit longer to see how he weathers the storm.