Posted on 06/10/2005 8:08:02 PM PDT by Land_of_Lincoln_John
Illinois congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. is making a political power play in his fight to get a new airport for Peotone. Jackson says if Mayor Daley will back the Peotone plan he may not run against Daley in the race for mayor.
Congressman Jackson is in the mayor's face every time another City Hall corruption scandal breaks, and Jackson is definitely considering a challenge to Daley in 2007. But Jackson says his top priority is to get a new airport built near south suburban Peotone, and he considers Daley an impediment. So, the congressman is offering the mayor a strategy for avoiding a showdown by doing something that makes political and economic sense for both of them.
"It doesn't have to be political. I would rather be building this airport. I would rather be providing jobs for people and not focusing on the political problems of the mayor," said Cong. Jesse Jackson Jr., (D)-Chicago and south suburbs.
The congressman is challenging the mayor to help him build a privately financed airport in the south suburbs by encouraging the governor to give the airport developers 4,200 acres of land.
Jackson says if the mayor supports a project that will provide Chicagoans with thousands of jobs and millions of economic development dollars he probably won't challenge Daley in the next election.
"I just want to finish this project. It has been my focus. If there are impediments to finishing that process I will use whatever courage, whatever credibility that I have built among the people to let the people know what the impediments are," said Jackson.
"Part of politics is using whatever leverage you got to get your priorities in place, and I think this is an important priority," said Senator Barack Obama, (D)-Illinois.
The mayor responded with a statement that says, "Regardless of Congressman Jackson's political plans, I will never stand in the way of any project that benefits Chicago. If the Peotone airport can be built, it should be built. I've never tried to stand in the way of anything that benefits Chicago."
But Jackson is demanding more than words. In the meantime, he is also focusing on maintaining a 100-pound weight loss that followed radical stomach surgery that he is talking about candidly for the first time.
"Who wants to talk about weight? I'm embarrassed because it shows you have the possibility of getting out of control if you cant stop your own consumption. I was ashamed of how much weight I had gained since coming to congress and didn't feel very good about it," Jackson said.
Jackson finally decided to fess up and admitted to having a procedure out in California known as a duodenal switch. Now he's encouraging anyone with an obesity problem to at least consider radical procedures.
Golly, if all Jesse Jr.'s illegitimate half brothers and sisters and they mommas can vote, Daley is in deep trouble.
Jesse Jackson Jr.---taking after the old man..
Using blackmail talk as a way to try to get things done he wants...
and going for the easy way out...don't exercise and diet, just go for surgery....I wonder if his stomach looks like Pelosi's face??? They both get surgeries done in California, maybe they use the same doctor!!! LOL
Peotone would be a pathetic waste of money.
They've been talking about it for 20 years, and its never been a good idea.
Why build an all the way out in Peotone, 50 miles away from Chicago, when improvements could just as easily be made on O'Hare and Midway?
Either way, no one could topple Daley, not even Jackson.
Mapquest from State and Madison says 53 miles to Peotone. 50 miles I can see, but 53 miles is too far.
Hey, lets start a Freeper Campaign Fund for Jackson for Mayor of Chicago NOW!!! That way we won't have to hear from him on national issues for at least a few years. That would it be worth it!
Probably this is the only thing I will agree with JJ,Jr. Expanding O'Hare will be a disaster. Developing a new airport in Peotone makes a lot more sense than expanding O'Hare.
JJJ is just a trial ballon to get Daley to "retire" rather than having to work himself to death to steal another election in 2007.
To Jr. I say: good luck. I'm for anyone who tries to topple or at least drain Daley. I hate this guy with a passion.
This will happen more and more as one by one the rats admit to themselves that they will not even sniff power in the House for a very long time. When each concludes that he/she is not young enough to wait it out, BANGO its off to some other safe seat. Soon the only rats in Washington will be the 20 somethings (waiting for the pubbies to die) and the 60 somethings ( waiting for their chairman to die).
Sit down and shut up, boy. Don't you know who runs the Democrat plantation? The very idea of calling out the white massa! Some uppity blacks just don't know their place.
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