How is Jesse Jackson Jr. connected to Rod Blagojevich?
A video of the report can be seen here: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6557529
According to the report, "The topic was a proposed third airport at Peotone, Jackson's pet project which needed more state money. Rezko allegedly demanded that the governor be given control of the airport's board. Jackson refused and state support for the project stopped.
Then last summer, weeks after Rezko was found guilty of un-related corruption, the U.S. Attorney's Office interviewed the congressman as a possible witness against the governor in the Peotone matter.
And sources tell ABC7 that Jackson has been in regular contact with the feds and has told the government that in 2003 Blagojevich denied the congressman's wife Sandi an appointment as Illinois lottery director because Jackson would not donate $25,000 to the governor's campaign fund."
This report paints Jackson as not only an innocent party, but as wronged by Blagojevich. I have several questions about the news piece. Was it Rezko who demanded that the governor be given control of the board or was it really Jackson that made demands upon Rezko? Did the governor side with Will County control, which angered Jackson? What is the real reason that state support of the airport stopped? Why was Jackson in, as the story says, "regular contact with the feds?" Why would Jackson refuse to donate $25,000 to Blagojevich's campaign? Was it really related to Sandi's appointment to the Lottery board or Blagojevich's refusal to give Jackson what he wanted?
There are several different scenarios that would bring Jackson together with federal prosecutors. Perhaps Jackson was using vengeful tactics against Blagojevich because Jackson didn't get what he wanted — the state to turn over to Jackson's airport authority — ALNAC — the land it owns for the airport. Or, did Jackson make up this story for the benefit of reports because he is really running for his political life? Or, is Jackson the good citizen, as is presumed in this news piece? Or is Jackson under investigation too and his "working with the feds" is to help his own case?
I'd love to hear from people about this one. What do you think is behind Jackson's behavior? Is he a good guy or bad guy? Issue your comments here. I'd prefer names, but will gladly accept anonymity because I really want to know people's feelings.
Please feel free to pass on this post so that we may get a good representative view of opinions.
Categories: Gov. Rod Blagojevich, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson, corruption, Illinois, South Suburban Airport, Jackson, ALNAC, Peotone airport, scandal
Painting Jesse Jackson Jr. as a knight in shining armour who is doing his civic duty to help the feds destroy corruption in Illinois is absurd! Jesse is the poster child of pay to play politics. He learned his trade from his father who shook down the Budweiser Corp. in order to get his son a lucrative Chicago Beer Distributorship. Jesse shook down local municipalities several years ago to extort $250,000 for an advertising campaign to push the Governor to hand over land acquired by the State for the proposed Peotone airport. He again asked congress for $240,000 just this year for his ALNAC group to help build his airport. I learned first hand from his opponent in the last two congressional elections ( Rev. Anthony Williams )what an expert Jesse is in "pay to play" Rev. Williams told me on two occasions Jesse offered to help him defeat Dolton mayor William Shaw if he would distance himself from the anti-airport group STAND so in Jesse's words " could play the race card if Rev Williams would get his black --- out of the media photo's." He again in the 2008 election offered the Dolton mayorship to Williams who was running as the Republican candidate if he would agree to drop out of the race, and stop circulating negative adds in the 2nd district. I don't believe anything this congressman says, as I feel he is the best example of just how corrupt Illinois politics are. I hope that Rezco,Blago, and anyone else involved in this scandal sing like canaries and tell EVERYTHING they know about Jesse Jr. He is no saint, and looks out for himself. Look how hard he pushed for the senate seat..........He wanted it (still does) and I believe he would do ANYTHING to get it!
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It's a lonely crusade agnainst these avarice politcians. Projects bring influence purchased by PAC contributions to benefit the sponsoring politician. Gary In. is the best spot for a third airport. Everything is now there except the influence to support it.
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Jackson is spinning like a top, and got ABC-7 to buy it. I don't doubt that Jesse went to the feds when Blago tried to shake them down for Sandi's job. (But why was Sandi about to get a job as director of the Illinois lottery? Was she the most qualified person in the state? This is another example of political corruption.)
The ABC story says that since Jesse was working as a snitch for the feds against Blago, it proves that he could not have been in the business of trying to buy the senate seat. ABC is stunningly illogical: those two behaviors are not mutually exclusive.
This is another example of Jesse manipulating the media with distortions of reality which, based on past performance, he appears to end up believing himself. That's a dangerous road to go down, Jesse, believing your own lies. Ask brother Blago!
Jesse's freak-out when named candidate 5 in Blago's indictment was real, and obviously more than fear of not getting the senate seat. The fact remains that his folks approached Blago's camp to buy the seat, and it is extremely unlikely they kept this from Jesse--in fact, he was not directing the show!
Patrick Fitzgerald's commitment to doing his job honestly and thoroughly appears genuine, rooted in internalized moral principles reaching back to his altar-boy days, which means that if he has the goods on Jesse, whether or not Jesse went whining to the feds in the past, Fitzgerald will do the moral thing and prosecute him.
Yes, Jesse is (finally, after a nervous breakdown) doing a masterful job of spinning, and ABC bought his bs, just like the Southtown bows down to Jesse, out of fear of the race card.
George
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