He claims Obama weakens the Jacksons. I spit up my soda on that one.
Chicago Democratic enemies of the Rev. Jesse Jackson and his son the congressman are claiming that the landslide nomination for the U.S. Senate of state Sen. Barack Obama means the Jacksons are washed up in Illinois politics.
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. vigorously denies that, contending he and Obama support each other. Nevertheless, anti-Jackson Democrats are delighted that Jesse Jr. has been supplanted by Obama as the top African American among Illinois Democrats.
The word has been spread in Chicago Democratic circles that the Jacksons plan to relocate in California, but the congressman told this column that there is absolutely no truth to that report.
This assumes the Jacksons couldn’t have kneecapped the guy. The reality is they handed him their machine for the election. The cost of that is unclear to Obama, but given he is known for independence one can expect he’ll primarily be called on for favors in upper chamber regarding pork.
UPDATE: Note to self–read the Hotline if you aren’t going to sift through Letters to the Editors.
One of the most satisfying aspects of the March 16 primary was that voters throughout Illinois rejected the worn conventional wisdom that said we could not build a multiethnic, multi-racial coalition for a responsible new direction in Washington.
Now, in his April 4 column, Robert Novak has spun another myth. Novak suggests that my victory in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate was a defeat for the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. Novak advances this flawed theory, despite the fact that both Rev. Jackson and Rep. Jackson were early, strong and enthusiastic supporters of my candidacy, and despite the fact that their records of service helped pave the way for my own success.
Novak apparently believes that if one leader from the African-American community succeeds, it somehow diminishes others. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Leadership is not a zero-sum game. All our voices and talents are needed.
I look forward to working closely with Rep. Jackson, Rev. Jackson and leaders throughout the state to address issues of importance to all our people.
State Sen. Barack Obama
(D-Chicago)
IOW–I’m his man for pork!