Tag: jesse jackson jr

I have a radical suggestion about Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s vacated IL-02 seat.

Now that he’s resigned it… how’s about trying to, maybe, I don’t know: win it?

Hold on, hear me out.  Let’s jump back for a second to 2009.  You might remember that in 2009 Rahm Emanuel resigned his House seat (IL-05) in order to bungle being White House Chief of Staff.  Well, that caused a special election to trigger, and at the time I took the position that hey, how’s about trying to, maybe, I don’t know: win it?  …And I was told, quietly but firmly, no.  Folks didn’t like the candidate, didn’t like the idea of spending the money, didn’t want to contest the seat.  And that’s fine; but here’s the thing.  The Democrat who won (Mike Quigley) the primary was cordially hated by the rest of the Illinois Combine, and the general election he beat Rosanna Pulido, 30.6K to 10.6K.  Two years later, Quigley’s opponent David Ratowitz got 38.9 K votes in the 2010 general election.  Didn’t matter then, because Quigley got 108.3K votes… but it shows that there were in fact enough potential Republican voters in the IL-05 to win a low-turnout special election, if sufficiently motivated. Continue reading I have a radical suggestion about Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s vacated IL-02 seat.

#rsrh Jesse Jackson, Jr (D, IL) at Mayo. For depression.

I originally had ‘depression’ in scare quotes in the title, but what the hell…

Democratic Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who has been absent from Capitol Hill since mid-June, is receiving treatment for depression.

The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota said the Illinois lawmaker had arrived at the healthcare center for “extensive inpatient evaluation for depression and gastrointestinal issues,” in a statement from the congressman, released late Friday by the clinic.

…it might even be true.  Won’t save him if the rumors about corruption are true… which is probably itself depressing for the man, come to think of it.

Moe Lane

 

Democrats condemn racist redistricting map! …for Illinois.

No, really: all three African-American Congressmen from Illinois are loudly complaining that the current redistricting map as drawn may be in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.  Illinois Republicans are currently suing to have the map overturned, largely on the grounds that under the usual interpretation of federal law the new map needs to have more than one majority-Hispanic district.  As this Roll Call article notes:

The Hispanic population in Illinois is greater than the black population. But the map drawn by Illinois Democrats creates three districts with a black voting-age population of more than 50 percent and one district with a Hispanic voting-age population of almost 66 percent. The district with the Hispanic super majority was drawn for Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D).

…and that Representatives Danny Davis, Jesse Jackson, Jr., and Bobby Rush all refused to contribute to the Democratic defense fund set up to handle court costs from the lawsuit (Jackson in particular has been pushing Section 2 issues with this administration).  To call this open break within the Democratic party ‘awkward’ is an understatement; it is in fact seriously jeopardizing the Left’s attempt to retroactively destroy the GOP’s remarkable gains in Illinois in 2010. Continue reading Democrats condemn racist redistricting map! …for Illinois.

PROSECUTORS: Jesse Jackson Jr. knew of Senate seat offer.

Hoo, boy.

A supporter of U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. told the Democratic congressman in 2008 that he would raise $1 million in return for then- Gov. Rod Blagojevich naming Jackson to the U.S. Senate, a federal prosecutor said Wednesday.

The allegation, made on a busy day at Blagojevich’s federal corruption trial, was the first time authorities publicly suggested Jackson was aware of efforts by his allies to swap campaign cash for his appointment to the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

Via AoSHQ.  Incidentally, this is what Rep. Jackson had to say about the suggestion that he was involved:

“I never sent a message or an emissary to the governor to make an offer, plead my case or propose a deal about a U.S. Senate seat, period.”

Continue reading PROSECUTORS: Jesse Jackson Jr. knew of Senate seat offer.

Rep. Jesse Jackson’s campaign payments to wife.

Rep Jesse Jackson Jr (D-IL) – already under a federal probe for his possible connections with former Illinois Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich – is now dealing with questions about payments from his campaign to his wife Sandra Jackson:

Jesse Jackson Jr. Pays Campaign Funds to Chicago Alderman Wife

May 21 (Bloomberg) — Representative Jesse Jackson Jr.’s congressional campaign organization has paid his wife at least $247,500 since 2001, including at least $95,000 after Sandra Jackson joined the Chicago City Council two years ago, according to federal election records.

Jackson’s political committee also gave at least $298,927 in cash and in-kind contributions to Sandra Jackson’s campaign fund, which bankrolled her races for a city council seat that pays more than $100,000 per year and an unpaid position on the Cook County Democratic Committee.

Sandra Jackson, known as Sandi, received the $95,000 for political consulting after pledging during her campaign to give “my full attention” to the alderman’s post.

I would normally be nodding agreement with CREW spokesperson Melanie Sloan when she points out that this mostly shows ‘the scandal in Washington often is what’s legal,’ except for this one little bit.
Continue reading Rep. Jesse Jackson’s campaign payments to wife.