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| JACKSON: Accepting his apology? |
Those
were the words of wisdom uttered Wednesday by Jesse Jackson, Jr., following his
court appearance in the District of Columbia at which he formally entered a “guilty”
plea to the criminal charges based off the fact that he spent significant
amounts of his campaign contributions on celebrity memorabilia for himself.
Which
must be a disappointment for those ideologues who for months, if not years,
have been ranting that “Junior” is on his way to prison for trying to “buy”
himself a seat in the U.S. Senate, or a series of political deals they
desperately want to view as corrupt because they don’t comply with their own
ideological hang-ups.
INSTEAD,
JACKSON FACES the possibility of about five years in a federal correctional
center of some sort (probably a minimum-security work camp) because he
absolutely needed to have a fedora once worn by singer Michael Jackson.
Too
bad the Congressman couldn’t have used his campaign cash to buy that famed
white glove – that would have been too perfect!
The
court appearance Wednesday morning (wife Sandi had her own court appearance in
the afternoon) was unique because few of us have seen the now-former
Congressman in public anywhere.
Personally,
the last time I encountered him was back in May (or was it late April?) when he
made an appearance in suburban South Holland to talk up the concept of a new
airport in rural Will County – a project that many other political officials
may steer away from just because it is so associated with Jackson’s name.
IT
IS THE airport tentatively given the International Air Transport Association code
of “JJK” (to go along with “ORD” for O’Hare International and “MDW” for Midway
airports). How quickly will those officials now try to erase any evidence that
they ever considered making the likely Chicago Southland International Airport
a tribute to Jesse, Jr.?
Perhaps
it is with that thought of self-preservation in mind that Jackson himself felt
compelled to issue the apology. Because most officials in those moments just
after having to enter the “guilty” plea (which forecloses any attempt to defend
themselves legally) don’t worry about such concerns.
Or
else they try to come up with some line that, in their minds, diminishes their
guilt.
Instead,
Jackson wants us to not hate him for his actions; which technically, if handled
in a different manner, could have been construed as legal – if not still a
tacky waste of cash that could have gone to something more worthwhile.
THAT
IS WHAT makes this whole Jackson affair so laughable!
We
were supposed to think that Jackson was conniving with former Gov. Rod
Blagojevich to get himself appointed to a U.S. Senate seat – even though the
reality was that Blagojevich himself was petty enough that he NEVER would have
given Jackson such an influential post.
Despite
the fact that Jackson probably would have been the best qualified of all the
people in serious running for the post. The fact that Roland Burris ultimately
got the appointment was more a “drop dead” gesture from Blagojevich to people
who had a problem with the governor himself being enriched in any way.
I
suspect that the people who wanted to believe the worst are going to continue
to still do so. They are the ones who I suspect are going to refuse to accept
anything in the way of apology.
HECK,
THEY’RE THE ones who already are on the Internet ranting and raging that
Jackson wasn’t immediately sent to prison (he’s scheduled for sentencing in
June).
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| RYAN: Replaced by Jackson for public contempt? |
It
has me thinking that the people who for years have let their venom build up
against former Gov. George Ryan will now transfer their hate to Jackson – he’ll
be the guy whom they make tacky jokes about and will probably wish has
something horrible happen to him during his incarceration.
Personally,
I can’t comprehend such hate. The fact that Jackson felt the need to own items
that once belonged to martial arts expert Bruce Lee is more laughable than
criminal.
So
as far as I’m concerned, accepting Jackson’s “apology” ought to be a
no-brainer. Rather than linger in a pool of political bile, it allows all of us
to get on with our lives.
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