Outside the Beltway

Jesse Jackson Jr. ‘Senate Candidate No. 5’

James Joyner
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Jesse Jackson Jr. is the infamous “Senate Candidate No. 5,” ABC’s Brian Ross reports.

Chicago Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., is the anonymous “Senate Candidate No. 5” whose emissaries Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich reportedly offered up to $1 million to name him to the U.S. Senate, federal law enforcement sources tell ABC News.

According to the FBI affidavit in the case, Blagojevich “stated he might be able to cut a deal with Senate Candidate 5 that provided Rod Blagojevich” with something “tangible up front.”

The phrase  “whose emissaries Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich reportedly offered up to $1 million to name him to the U.S. Senate” is amazingly awkward.  One has to read it several times to verify that Jackson isn’t being accused of doing anything wrong.

Of course, one wonders what his “emissaries” did with said offer.

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12 responses to “Jesse Jackson Jr. ‘Senate Candidate No. 5’”

  1. Bithead Avatar
    Bithead

    It’s amazing, isn’t it, how many people, our moral and intelectal superiors, we’re told… didn’t know this was going on, and yet how many deals are cut on it’s basis.

    Almost as trustworthy as the assertion that Obama sat in a church preaching racist hate and didn’t know what was going on.

    “this is not the (insert individual or group name here) I knew”

  2. Franklin Avatar
    Franklin

    I’m not entirely sure Jackson’s emissaries are guiltless. This bit from the transcript I found somewhere over on Salon.com … it sounds to me like Rod was approached by Jackson’s guys:

    In a recorded conversation on October 31, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH described an earlier approach by an associate of Senate Candidate Five as follows: “We were approached ‘pay to play.’ That, you know, he’d raise me 500 grand. An emissary came. Then the other guy would raise a million, if I made him (Senate Candidate 5) a Senator.” …

    ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated he might be able to cut a deal with Senate Candidate 5 that provided ROD BLAGOJEVICH with something “tangible up front.”

  3. Franklin Avatar
    Franklin

    Bithead-

    Maybe I’ve missed something, but no one has provided an audio or video recording of this so-called “racist hate” when Obama was actually in attendance. I would presume the mudslingers would have searched for such a recording, and came up with nothing.

  4. Jem Avatar
    Jem

    Well, this is Chicago we’re talking about, and “Junior”, of all people, would know a shakedown when he saw one–it’s the family business. He and his minions knew exactly what they were getting involved in by discussing the appointment with Blagojevich. The only question in my mind is “who was shaking down whom?”

  5. just me Avatar
    just me

    I could easily see Jackson being on board with a little quid pro quo-not saying he is, but given who his father is and how his father operates, it wouldn’t shock me.

    This kind of stuff is a good example of why special elections to fill empty seats is better than governor appointments. And considering how many days Obama, Clinton, and McCain missed during the election season I have a hard time being convinced the seats have to be filled immediately with some crony of the governor.

  6. PD Shaw Avatar
    PD Shaw

    Here is the core of the problem in Illinois. The office-holders aren’t the crooks per se. They have people to take care of things. And the office-holders may never know. (or we may never be able to prove) And the crooks may be free-lancing at any given time.

    Now if the government was legislating in this area, it would be respondeat superior all the way. You are legally responsible for the people who call you master.

  7. Bithead Avatar
    Bithead

    Maybe I’ve missed something, but no one has provided an audio or video recording of this so-called “racist hate” when Obama was actually in attendance. I would presume the mudslingers would have searched for such a recording, and came up with nothing.

    You would also presume, apparently, that they changed the subjects and the attitudes depending on Obama being in attendence?

  8. Bithead Avatar
    Bithead

    And considering how many days Obama, Clinton, and McCain missed during the election season I have a hard time being convinced the seats have to be filled immediately with some crony of the governor.

    With the majority being just on the cusp of super-majority, you can understand why democrats would want all hands on deck… errr… all their seats filled.

  9. ggjr Avatar
    ggjr

    You would also presume, apparently, that they changed the subjects and the attitudes depending on Obama being in attendance?

    I think there’s a tendency to presume the other side is guilty. Many democrats presume Bush lied about the WMD, many republicans presume Obama was there during hate sermons.

    Its possible both are right, its possible both are wrong. Which kind of makes proof nice – and actually useful, as not requiring proof tends to sound like political bias to independents.

  10. Drew Avatar
    Drew

    FRanklin must be the most naive person in the world………..or from Mars.

  11. Drew Avatar
    Drew

    “Just me” understates the issue: JJ Sr is the mother of all shakedown artists………that JJ Jr would be hip to the deal would be nothing but expected……..

  12. Bithead Avatar
    Bithead

    I think there’s a tendency to presume the other side is guilty.

    Perhaps so. But just so you know, I thought Ryan was guilty, too while others were still defending him. I know the politics of the region, and what they always have been.

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