Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr Rebuts Dad: Obama Is "Powerful, Consistent and Effective" Advocate For Blacks

Chicago Sun-Times:

Contradicting his father, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) writes in a Sun-Times column running Monday on the paper's editorial pages that White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is a "powerful, consistent and effective" advocate for African Americans.

Jackson mounted a strong rebuttal to a column by the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. that ran in the Nov. 27 Sun-Times editorial pages where he chastised the Democrats running for president -- with the exception of former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) -- because they "have virtually ignored the plight of African Americans in this country."

Read the whole story: Chicago Sun-Times

Comments

[SeanGardner]

04:26 PM on 12/03/2007

Guess what Robert Reich (Labor Secretary under Bill Clinton) wrote on his blog(http://robertreich.blogspot.com/2007/12/why-is-hrc-stooping-so-low.html)? He defends Obama against Hillary's attacks. Here is a sample:

"I"m becoming increasingly concerned about the stridency and inaccuracy of charges in Iowa -- especially coming from my old friend (Hillary Clinton). While I"m as hard-boiled as they come about what"s said in campaigns, I just don"t think Dems should stoop to this. First, HRC attacked (Obama's) plan for keep Social Security solvent. Social Security doesn"t need a whole lot to keep it going " it"s in far better shape than Medicare " but everyone who"s looked at it agrees it will need bolstering (I was a trustee of the Social Security Trust Fund ten years ago, and I can vouch for this). Obama wants to do it by lifting the cap on the percent of income subject to Social Security payroll taxes, which strikes me as sensible. That cap is now close to $98,000 (it"s indexed), and the result is highly regressive. (Bill Gates satisfies his yearly Social Security obligations a few minutes past midnight on January 1 every year.) The cap doesn"t have to be lifted all that much to keep Social Security solvent " maybe to $115,00. That"s a progressive solution to the problem. HRC wants to refer Social Security to a commission. That's avoiding the issue, and it's irresponsible: A commission will likely call either for raising the retirement age (that"s what Greenspan"s Social Security commission came up with in the 1980s) or increasing the payroll tax on all Americans. So when HRC charges that Obama"s plan would "raise taxes" and her plan wouldn"t, she"s simply not telling the truth.

"I"m equally concerned about her attack on his health care plan. She says his would insure fewer people than hers. I"ve compared the two plans in detail. Both of them are big advances over what we have now. But in my view Obama"s would insure more people, not fewer, than HRC"s."

Whoa?!!!

[Lilly06]

03:59 PM on 12/03/2007

The fact is the first post is right. Having a black president would be the biggest testament to civil rights in this country however; disunity and an inability of the black community to really stand behind Obama really doesn't surprise me but raises disgust because we're all willing to stand up for the Jesses and the Al, the has beens with no credibility but we can't stand up for a visionary leader.

I actually like Hiliary but I would really like to see Obama become president. The significance of that should be enough for blacks to see its implications for young black men growing up in the United States today.

[mudfiles]

12:20 PM on 12/03/2007

If Jesse Jackson Sr. thinks any of the nominees are better suited for African-Americans than Obama, he's living in a fantasy land. Electing the first black American President would be the biggest Civil Rights victory to date, and it is disappointing that members of the Jackson family can't see that.

Do they honestly think that the millions of African-American children born in the millennium are going to find more hope and inspiration from Clinton or Edwards? Nope. Only Obama can pave the way for their future and give them a sense of real accomplishment.

Supporting Clinton is truly looking like an inside-the-box political measure at this stage. She's someone who has 'Democrats' on her side, but not the general public. Not men, not Republicans and only half the minorities. She's the least bipartisan candidate out of both parties, actually.

[THEUNHEARDVOICE]

11:56 AM on 12/03/2007

And Jesse marched with Dr King!He must have missed the I HAVE A DREAM SPEECH,Obama is Child Dr King talk of when he said Content not skin color.OBAMA 08

[jmpurser]

11:36 AM on 12/03/2007

To date Obama hasn't been power, consistent, or effective for anybody.

[ExposingCommunists]

11:12 AM on 12/03/2007

I'm just wondering when Obama will show the school kids how to roll a joint.

He's a great role model! He's also a racist and this post is racist!

[RAMHaiti]

10:34 AM on 12/03/2007

Mrs. Obama is the one with the pants in the family (thats why Oprah likes her). Neither Obama has the experience or the ability to run the big show.

[nihilon x]

09:21 AM on 12/03/2007

Eventually people will get it through their mind that no black individual, group, or "leader" can claim to speak for the "black" community any more than any "white" or "asian" individual, group, or "leader" can claim to speak for all whites, asians, or any larger social group in America.

Eventually.

[Independent voter]

09:13 AM on 12/03/2007

Little Jesse wants a job in the White House.

[BeamMeUpScotty]

08:43 AM on 12/03/2007

Senator Obama is charasmatic and charisma coupled with intellect wins elections.

[guajiro]

07:23 AM on 12/03/2007

Guess Chavez lost the referendum in Venezuela.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/546FC5D4-E1A1-44DB-AD62-4091818CF4D0.htm