Jesse Jackson Jr.: 'I want my name back'; Can't serve as Senator until name cleared

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: CNN

U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. said Friday that he was fighting to get "my name back" after he was identified as "Senate Candidate 5" in a criminal complaint against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Jackson, the son of famed civil rights leader Jesse Jackson and a six-term Democratic congressman from Chicago, had publicly sought to succeed President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate.

Jackson had talked to Blagojevich, the person with the sole power to make the appointment, on Monday, just one day before federal agents arrested the Illinois governor. Jackson said he only presented his credentials and polling information that suggests he could win re-election in 2010.

Jackson said he had fought corruption "since day one" but said he could not serve as Illinois senator until his name was cleared in the public eye. "While I would be honored to serve the people of this state, it is clear to me that I am no capacity to serve them if there is a cloud over my head that seems to suggest that I am involved in some unscrupulous scheme to be a United States senator or anything else," Jackson told CNN's Don Lemon.

Prosecutors accuse Blagojevich of selling the Senate seat in exchange for campaign contributions and other favors. However, they did not accuse Jackson or any of the other candidates referred to in the complaint of wrongdoing. Jackson denied participating in the "pay to play" politics that Blagojevich is accused of in a federal criminal complaint. Jackson also said he was eager to talk to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald about his role....

Jackson said he does not understand why Blagojevich believed he would trade favors in exchange for an appointment to the Senate, saying he had "nothing to offer but my record of public service." He also said he did not send an emissary -- including his father or his brother, Jonathan -- to Blagojevich offering favors....

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/12/jackson.jr.blagojevich/index.html

[Tarheel_Dem]

1. I wonder what polling information JJJ is referring to? I just don't see

Jesse, Jr. having much appeal outside the Chicago metro area? While being the namesake of Sr. might be a plus in the Chicago area, I wonder how well the Jackson name will play outside Chicago? It's unfortunate that anyone who ever spoke with this criminal in the governor's mansion may now come under suspicion, even if they never did anything wrong.

[Critters2]

4. He's going to have to explain why his brother and some other supporters

held a fundraiser for Blagojevich. Some who were invited were, reportedly, told that raising funds for Blago would help JJJ get the seat. Honestly, I don't believe JJJ knew about this...but having people who would do such a thing around him is problematic.

As to the downstate thing, people I know like him, think he's honest. But downstaters are so disgusted with Cook Co pols at this point that any of them will have trouble getting support. Chicago so outweighs downstate in terms of population now, though, that we downstate are basically disenfranchised. Chicago will get what Chicago wants.

[Tarheel_Dem]

8. Thanks for that info. I'm just hoping that JJJ will be able to successfully..

rescue his name, when the dust settles. This Blago guy is radioactive to every Dem in the state of Illinois, and it's sad to think that one bad apple could bring down an entire state party.

[Critters2]

9. Most Dems hated the man, too. Ad he shouldn't hurt downstate Dems.

He had little to nothing to do with downstaters, and everyone knows it. He wouldn't even live in the Governor's Mansion because it's not in Chicago.

And Lisa Madigan, the state AG, and he were always at each other's throats. He won't hurt her.

One thing that would help would be to close the Thompson Building in Chicago, and force top ticket office holders to live in Springfield. They're all too closely entangled with the corruption that is Chicago city government. Of course, this will never happen...because they're all too closely entangled with the corruption that is Chicago city government. But it would be the right first step to cleaning things up.

[eilen]

15. Welcome to our world

Upstate NY-- we feel we have little voice in the state capital. I can't even go anywhere in the country without people asking why I don't sound like a New Yawhkah. They automatically equate NY with NYC. I actually live closer to Toronto, ON, Pittsburgh, PA and Boston, MA (miles wise).

[jody]

2. If JJJ is innocent, Blagojevich could also be innocent. n/t

[patrice]

3. From the sound of it, Blago apparently thought anyone and everyone would pay to play.

People around JJJ could have been PLAYING THE WELL-ESTABLISHED, STATUS-QUO GAME, without his specific knowledge. HOW do we differentiate between actual (ignorant) innocence and plausible-deniability? HOW does JJJ make this case? It's not even possible to prove what a person didn't know.

[Cronopio]

5. A rhetorical question and a non-rhetorical one.

Why do politicians care more about "their name" than doing the right thing?

Seems like doing the right thing should be the ticket to getting a good name back. And if not, there's the positive energy that results from good works. If he thinks he's going to get his name back from the people who took it from him in the first place, he's incredibly naive about the game of politics he's playing and the people he's playing it with.

"... saying he had "nothing to offer but my record of public service." ..."

If that's the case, how could he prove it one way or the other to anyone not directly involved in the situation? He can't. That's the x-factor in reputation politics. Why would Blago put him on the list? People will draw their own conclusions about that, no matter what Jesse does.

All you have left at the end of the day is being able to do the right thing and hoping that people notice and respect it. He should take a lesson from Dennis Kucinich and Howard Dean about that. There are no surefire tickets to success in a corrupt game.

[jetphixer]

6. Not Real Far Out of Chicago

Im not a long way from Chicago and feel the influence of the city. But I don't 'Jessey" going anyplace past where he is. HE IS NOT TOAST, however he has advanced to his MAXIMUM NOW No Senate for him.

[patrice]

7. It is true that a person usually knows how things are done, even if s/he doesn't know the

particular facts of the doing.

It's an interesting problem: how does one turn-off the juice that puts you in the position that you're in? How DO you clean-house? You'd have to say to everyone who put you where you are "ABSOLUTELY no more! AND Do NOT do business with anyone else who is doing things the old pay-to-play way." HOW exactly would that work?

[davidinalameda]

10. I think that Jackson is effectively out of the running

I also think that whomever is chosen/elected to the seat that they won't be a place holder

they'll be the real deal and run again in 2010

[TankLV]

11. Even if he is innocent - and proven so - the repukes have already filed this all away

to bring it all up again sometime in the future when they deem it necessary, even if what they dredge up will have been proven a LIE...

[BlueJessamine]

12. What happened to innocent until proven guilty?....

U.S. Rep.Jesse Jackson Jr. hasn't even been charged with anything and the Chicago Tribune is reporting :

Protesters call for Jackson Jr. resignation

At least some of his constituents want embattled Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. to resign.

About a dozen protesters stood outside his Chicago office today shouting, "Ho ho ho, Jesse Jr.'s gotta go."

Protest organizer Harold Davis says he believes allegations that an emissary may have offered to raise money for Gov. Rod Blagojevich in exchange for Jackson being appointed to President-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat.

Davis says Jackson has tainted the democratic process and his political career is over.

Others in the south side neighborhood disagree. Several passersby shouted support for Jackson and one yelled, "Leave Jesse alone."

Jackson denies any wrongdoing.

link:

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/12/citizen-group-calling-for-jackson-jr-resignation.html

[Spouting Horn]

19. Innocent until proven guilty

is the standard for Courtrooms.

Common sense doesn't always have to follow Innocent until Proven Guilty, especially when there are tape recordings.

Blago said JJJ might be willing to go up to $1 million, and JJJ's money men were busy raising $1 million for Blago.

Coincidence?

[No Elephants]

13. Seems as though the legislature is going to require a special election. So

aggravating! A Dem Senator becomes President Elect and a Dem Governor could have just put a Dem in that seat. And, now Obama's name will forever be linked to this mess, even if only indirectly. I'd like to hit Blago!

[tuckessee]

14. Careful JJJr, you might wind up as the Roger Clemens of politics. n/t

[Sex Pistol]

16. I have a feeling that quite a few people will be fighting to get their names back

before the smoke clears on this one.

[goforit]

17. He's got to earn this seat. We don't need another silver spoon.

[ronnykmarshall]

18. Amen.

If he wants to run against whoever gets the appointment let him. Same with Caroline Kennedy.