Results tagged “jessejacksonjr”

Yesterday, Mick Dumke at the Reader explored the possible identities of candidates named in the Blagojevich complaint, including Jesse Jackson, Jr.

Senate Candidate 5:

Continue reading "ABC News: Jesse Jackson Jr. Is Candidate 5"

While everyone is getting themselves in a tizzy over this Obama Birth Certificate issue, one of the major local political stories continues to be Sen. Durbin's (pictured right) letter to President Bush asking for a commutation of former Governor George Ryan's sentence. While Gov. Blagojevich has already come out in favor of Durbin's request (no surprise as he will probably be facing a similar fate to Ryan's very soon), earlier this week, U.S. Congressman Mark Kirk (Rep.) sent Pres. Bush a letter disputing Durbin's request and State Attorney General Lisa Madigan also said she was opposed to a commuting of Ryan's sentence.

Congressman Bobby Rush has called on Governor Blagojevich to name a black politician to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-Elect Barack Obama, announcing a state-wide petition drive on the issue. Rush, who has no interest in the seat, spoke at a press conference yesterday, saying, "In the past, Governor Blagojevich has demonstrated in some respects that he's a friend. We just want him to continue to be friendly." With Obama's seat vacated, the U.S. Senate has no black senators. Two of the leading candidates to take over the seat are black: Congressmen Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Danny Davis. Outgoing State Senate President Emil Jones has also been mentioned as a possible replacement, but is considered more of a long-shot.

It appears Jesse Jackson, Jr.'s lobbying efforts are beginning to pay off. Already considered a leading candidate to be appointed by Gov. Blagojevich to take over Obama's now-vacant U.S. Senate seat, Jackson got a boost today by way of an endorsement from the Sun-Times. In the endorsement, the S-T compares Jackson to the man he would be replacing.

We believe Jackson, 43, has the drive, the passion and the experience. In his 13 years in Congress, he has distinguished himself as a thoughtful, committed legislator who fights for what he thinks is right...

Continue reading "Sun-Times Endorses Jackson For Vacant Senate Seat"

U.S. Congressman from Illinois' 4th District Luis Gutierrez has asked Gov. Blagojevich to be appointed to President-Elect Barack Obama's vacant senate seat. But Gutierrez's request comes with stipulation that will probably take him out of the running: he doesn't want to run for re-election in 2010 even though Blago's preference is for someone more long-term. Gutierrez issued a statement, saying, "Gov. Blagojevich shared with me today that he was very interested in me as a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat, but that his preference is to appoint someone who will run for a full term in 2010." Thanks for sharing with the class, Luis.

Illinois Senator and U.S. President-Elect Barack Obama has announced he will resign from his Senate Seat this Sunday. In a statement, Obama said, “It has been one of the highest honors and privileges of my life to have served the people of Illinois in the United States Senate." The responsibility for replacing him now falls on Gov. Rod Blagojevich who has said he is not interested in naming himself to the seat. While there's no deadline for making the appointment, aides to the Governor say that the replacement should be named within 60 days of Obama's resignation. We can hear Jesse Jackson, Jr. licking his lips from here.

We talked a few days ago about the high demand for Obama inauguration tickets and the high prices being paid for them, even though they're technically free. Well, any hopes Illinois residents had of the state getting a few extras to hand out since we're Obama's "home" state have been dashed. It seems that each Congressional district in the country will get a paltry 198 tickets to hand out to those who signed up with their respective offices. Jesse Jackson, Jr. spokesman Ken Edmonds said, "We received about 1,500 requests in 48 hours on our Web site, not including the thousands of calls since last week. We're disappointed that we'll have to disappoint some of our constituents."

A few weeks ago, we pointed out how Jesse Jackson, Jr. dismissed the notion of replacing Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate while at the same time posting stories to the contrary on his website. A politician contradicting himself? No! Well, in the newest example of Jackson's "No-I'm-Not-Yes-I-Am" campaign, it seems Jackson's U.S. Rep Office has sent out an email touting Jackson as the candidate to replace Obama in the Senate. Steve Rhodes breaks it all down over at Division Street, including the results of a Jackson-ordered Zogby poll of possible replacements. Of course, as Rhodes points out, all of the polling data Jackson includes is pointless as it's up to Governor Blagojevich to name a replacement and 2010 would be the next election for the seat anyway.

Our Esteemed Governor, Rod Blagojevich, has announced a press conference this afternoon to discuss the possibility of a commission to discuss who might possibly take over for YESHECAN when he takes office in January. Rather than handicap all the possibilities for the vacant seat, here's a quick list of "maybes" and we'll leave it to you to virtually wager your digital matchsticks or Halloween candy miniatures on who's going to get the nod. Here's some of the people who've been mentioned:

Remember when you were a kid, and one day one of your classmates would hand out invitations to his or her birthday party, except they didn't give you one and you felt like such a tool for being left out? No? That was only me? Well, fine. But at least Governor Blagojevich knows how I feel. It seems that his name is not on the long list of VIP guests for next Tuesday night's Obamapalooza. Sure, there's Lisa Madigan, Emil Jones, Jesse Jr., and, naturally, Mayor Daley. But no Blago. Can't say we're surprised, what with indictments and convictions on every side of G-Rod. Still, it's gotta smart to be lumped in with the likes of Rev. Wright. Of course, I'm sure Sen. Obama's leaving me off that list was simply an oversight and I'll be getting my invitation in the mail today. Of course. That's all it is: slow mail. Yep. Has to be.

If Illinois Senator Barack Obama is elected President next week, then someone will have to fill his shoes in the U.S. Senate and recent speculation has centered around Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. getting the nod from Governor Blagojevich and then Jackson's wife Sandy taking his congressional seat. Jackson dismissed the speculation and said his current focus is on getting Obama elected.

Wow, and I thought everyone saying "can't we all just get along?" on this week was moving. FotS and WBEZ correspondent Justin Kaufmann sends along this video from the Illinois delegation's breakfast in Denver this morning. Hugs for everyone!

As the Democratic National Convention got underway last night, much of focus has been on the ongoing Clinton-Obama struggle and an appearance by stricken Senator Ted Kennedy. But Monday night, with the theme of "One Nation" focusing on Barack's background, featured a plethora of Chicago and Illinois politicians stumping for Candidate Obama, including the ladies of the Obama family. Amongst the Chicago politicians who spoke yesterday (though you wouldn't know it given the way Wolf Blitzer talked incessantly over the speeches - viva la C-SPAN!) was Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., who used old-school baseball analogies for Obama and the Clintons:

“Barack Obama has the capacity to hit,” Jackson said a breakfast panel just before the opening of the Democratic National Convention. “But he is in the situation where he can’t hit back, which Jackie Robinson could not do…He had to be able to run the bases, even though the crowd was jeering the first African-American on the field...He has to keep smiling, because no one wants an angry African-American man in the White House.”

Continue reading "Chicago, Mrs. Obama Take Center Stage In Denver"

Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. and Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. filed FOIA requests following reports that high-ranking Secret Service agents circulated racist e-mails, one of which joked about the elder Jackson's assassination.

21st Ward Alderman Howard Brookins accepted Jesse Jackson's endorsement for Cook County State's attorney Sunday at Jackson's South Side Rainbow/PUSH headquarters.

The race for Cook County state's attorney has been hot and heavy in the past few weeks, with candidates taking plenty of shots at each other in a debate last week. (You can watch the debate here.)

Hillary Clinton's "Emotional Moment" in the Portsmouth, NH café on Monday has already become the stuff of myth, with many pundits directly and indirectly attributing Clinton's surprise victory in Tuesday's primary to the tears that almost fell (but never actually did). Leave it to Chicago's own Jesse Jackson Jr., co-chairman of Barack Obama's national campaign, to siphon the tears out of the excretory ducts of Clinton's eyes and leverage them for political gain:

Congressman and mayoral wannabe Jesse Jackson Jr made some strange bedfellows this weekend when he announced that he's endorsing Larry Suffredin for Cook County state's attorney.

Jesse Jackson Jr wants the FEC to tell him whether he can use his campaign funds to help his wife, 7th Ward Alderman Sandi, to unseat Bill "Hog With the Big Nuts" Beavers as ward committeeman. In the advisory opinion request he submitted to the federal commission on October 15, he specifically asked for clarification on several issues, including how much money, if any, his re-election campaign can give his wife, as well as the...