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3-year-old makes news at State of the Union (JUNIOR JESSE ALERT)
Daily Southtown (Chicago) ^ | Thursday, January 22, 2004 | Phil Kadner

Posted on 01/24/2004 11:16:20 AM PST by Chi-townChief

Five days before the president spoke to the nation, a decision was made that would significantly alter TV coverage of the State of the Union address.

Three-year-old Jessica Jackson decided she wanted to meet "President Boosh."

"Every time her mother drives by the Capitol building with Jessica in the car she points to it and says, 'That's where Daddy and President Bush work,' " said U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-2nd) of Chicago, also known as Jessica's father.

Jackson said his daughter told him five days before Tuesday's speech that she wanted to meet the president.

He agreed to take her.

"Then we begin this process that involves four hours of hair braiding, which is no small task," Jackson said.

"She cries all through it, but she knows she's going to meet 'President Boosh,' so she puts up with it. Every day she tells everyone in the house she's going to meet President Bush.

"Then she decides the day before she needs a new dress to meet the president. That's the one you saw her wearing on television."

On the day of the speech, House Speaker Dennis Hastert made an announcement to his fellow congressmen.

"At 11 a.m., he said no children would be allowed on the House floor. At 5 p.m., he again tells us that no children will be allowed on the House floor," Jackson said.

"I went up to the speaker and said Jessica Jackson has gone through some extraordinary measures to meet President George Bush, and you have no idea what's going on in my household.

"I'm prepared to take whatever sanctions you may want to impose, but my daughter's been waiting for this, and I can't tell her now that she's not going."

According to Jackson, the speaker of the House told him, "I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to look the other way."

Jackson explained that there are no seating assignments for members of Congress during the State of the Union address, so early in the day he found a chair along the main aisle.

"I placed my name on a piece of paper and left it there. But anybody could have removed it.

"So every few hours throughout the day, I would go back and check on it."

At 8:45 p.m. EST, 15 minutes before the president's speech was scheduled to begin, Jessica arrived via a one-car motorcade (her mother drove).

"That's about 15 minutes after her normal bedtime," the congressman said.

Were there concerns that an over-tired Jessica might disrupt the speech?

"She never cries at public events," Jackson said. "Never."

I wondered about Jessica's motives.

The congressman has been an ardent critic of the president's foreign and economic policies.

Was it possible that Jessica had been exposed to some exaggerated descriptions and — out of curiosity — had asked to see the president's horns and tail for herself?

"Not at all," Jackson said. "In fact, she has never heard me express my opinions of the president at home.

"Unlike some people in politics, I keep my professional and private lives very separate.

"I never take political disagreements personally."

So at 9 p.m. EST, the president was announced to the joint session of Congress, the members stood as one, and as Bush made his way up the aisle shaking hands left and right, he came upon the Jacksons.

He put out his hands, hugged Jessica and gave her a big fat smooch on the cheek.

The TV cameras caught the action and, throughout the one-hour speech, returned repeatedly to Jackson and his daughter.

"She applauded every time the president talked about his tax cuts," Jackson laughed.

"I think she may be a Republican."

Throughout the following day, playmates kept calling the Jackson home.

"She's booked solid with play dates for the next month," the congressman said.

On a more serious note, Jackson said he is well aware of the glass ceiling that prevents many women from rising beyond a certain point in their careers.

"I want my daughter to know that she can dream of doing anything," he said.

"She can be a congressman. She can become president of the United States."

On Wednesdays and Fridays, Jessica takes karate classes.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, it's ballet.

On Mondays and Saturdays, she attends gymnastics.

As for Jessica, "Her favorite politician today is President Bush," Jackson said.

One thing about the people she met did puzzle her, however.

"She wanted to know why so many of them seemed to have the same first name," Jackson said.

"Senator."

And Jessica, unlike many in the United States, didn't fall asleep until the president neared the end of his speech.

"I think it was the part about Iraq that did her in," Jackson said.

Phil Kadner may be reached at pkadner@dailysouthtown.com or (708) 633-6787.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: bush; inspirational; jessicajackson; sotu
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To: GraniteStateConservative
We have to assume this story is true...........and on some level it stretched credulity.
41 posted on 01/24/2004 12:46:53 PM PST by OldFriend (Always understand, even if you remain among the few)
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To: Chi-townChief
All well and good, but is it fair, I mean really fair? Jesse Jackson has illegitimate children all over the place and are their children given this sort of national attention? No, they are not and they will suffer for it as they grow older. It would only fair for Bush to ogle evry one of Jesse's grandchildren, legitimate or not, criminals or not, running scams or not. Just because Jesse may not know who they are, their mothers know that Jesse was the father.

And talking about fair, it is not fair that Jesse's grandchildren get all this attention and the true black hero, ML King, gets nothing but lip service from folks who resent the money grubbing of Corrie and her clan. It was King who got shot and is the martyr. Jesse was just nearby, yet gets all the attention and big bucks. That's not fair.

42 posted on 01/24/2004 12:49:48 PM PST by Tacis
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To: M0sby
She behaved 1000% better than most dems.
43 posted on 01/24/2004 1:02:24 PM PST by wattsup (wattsup)
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To: Chi-townChief
Ahhhhh! What a sweet angel!
Now my girls are jealous!
44 posted on 01/24/2004 1:16:31 PM PST by netmilsmom (God sent Angels- Why would I trust them to anyone else?-homeschooling 1/5/04)
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To: Chi-townChief
I saw her and she is a delight an adorable sweet child. It was really a pleasure to see her and now to know at age 3 she wanted to meet the president she is on a mission from the Lord!

My heart will hold a place for her!
45 posted on 01/24/2004 1:16:32 PM PST by restornu ( "Faith...is daring the soul to go beyond what the eyes refuse to see."J.R.R. Tolkien)
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To: Chi-townChief
Very nice and funny article, and thanks for posting that picture. At the risk of sounding mushy, that is precious! Cute little girl!
46 posted on 01/24/2004 1:21:58 PM PST by Theresawithanh
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To: WhyisaTexasgirlinPA
That is funny.

I couldn't figure why someone would bring a three year old there, but the Jackson's love the camera so I'm sure that was part of the plan.

47 posted on 01/24/2004 1:23:55 PM PST by Cagey
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To: WhyisaTexasgirlinPA
Speaking of four hour hair braiding sessions, have you seen the SPRINT commercial with the little girl talking a mile a minute while braiding everyone in her family's hair? It's hilarious.
48 posted on 01/24/2004 1:26:01 PM PST by Cagey
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To: Chi-townChief
Awwwww a mini-Bush bot
49 posted on 01/24/2004 1:30:21 PM PST by cyborg
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To: WhyisaTexasgirlinPA

50 posted on 01/24/2004 1:30:36 PM PST by Cagey
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To: Chi-townChief
On a more serious note, Jackson said he is well aware of the glass ceiling that prevents many women from rising beyond a certain point in their careers.

Cute article, but leave it to triple J to get this not so subtle "it's all Bush's fault dig in. It seems to me that thanks to President Bush little Jessican can at least aspire to be National Security Advisor today, so that's a start.

I would also like to point out that women and minorities (or any other "special interest group") have the ability to persue any dream today as long as they are not conservative judicial candidates. In those cases, their sex or race works against them.

51 posted on 01/24/2004 1:31:36 PM PST by presidio9 ("it's not just a toilet, it's a lifestyle.")
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To: Chi-townChief
A really sweet article. What a pleasant change from the current day inter-party ugliness.
52 posted on 01/24/2004 1:46:12 PM PST by iconoclast
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To: Chi-townChief
Cute kid, but I don't buy the story. If Jessica Jackson really wanted to meet President Bush, I'm sure that her father (or grandfather) could have made arrangements for a private meeting. Instead, her father just happened to choose the nationally televised SOTU as the appropriate time for little Jessica to meet the president, in spite of the rules against children being present. I think it was a prearranged photo-op.
53 posted on 01/24/2004 1:46:46 PM PST by freedox
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To: mass55th
It's all very simple, she and her illegitimate aunt are about the same age.

Does the sun ever shine in your world?

54 posted on 01/24/2004 1:50:46 PM PST by iconoclast
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To: iconoclast
It takes quite a while for sun to get down in the hole.
55 posted on 01/24/2004 1:53:51 PM PST by cyborg
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To: Chi-townChief
Okay, so here's the question. Does all of the good congressman's constituents have the means to send their kids to karate class and ballet, etc? Just wondering about all those good people on the South Side of Chicago, home of BAD, BAD LEROY BROWN.
56 posted on 01/24/2004 2:06:40 PM PST by Terry Mross
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To: mhking
Read this earlier and was thinking about it as supper was being thrown together.

The underlying message here is:....My child respects the president.....It's OK to like "W".......The democratic party no longer controls everything and every one in my household......

Look out in the fall! We may see some major swings in the vote.
57 posted on 01/24/2004 2:54:54 PM PST by hoosiermama (prayers for all)
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To: mhking
Hey is it possible this cute little girl has another daddy? Maybe Mrs. Jackson saw what her father-in-law was doing and decided she needed an apple that would fall far, far away from that tree.
58 posted on 01/24/2004 3:11:24 PM PST by Vigilanteman
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To: Chi-townChief
I actually think Jesse Jackson Jr. was touched by President Bush's sweet exchange with his daughter. When Bush talked about the little girl's letter, I could've sworn that I saw tears in Jesse Junior's eyes.

I think Jr. is just fulfiiling his role as his Daddy's son. He might actually admire that Bush has put Condi and Colin in such high places of power, which they so richly deserve.
59 posted on 01/24/2004 3:18:46 PM PST by faithincowboys ( Zell Miller is the only DC Democrat not committing treason.)
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To: iconoclast
"Does the sun ever shine in your world?"

It sure does, that is when it isn't snowing or raining!! I apologize for not being as benevolent to the Jacksons as you think I should be. But, nobody said I had to say kind things about scum.

60 posted on 01/24/2004 3:43:42 PM PST by mass55th
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