Monday morning e-mail delivered the newest round in the Jackson vs Beavers escalating political rivalry.
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) sent out a fundraising appeal an hour ago for his Aug. 7 golf outing at the Calumet Country Club in Homewood, using Ald. William Beavers (7th) taunts against him–“he can’t raise one dime against me” to bolster his campaign warchest.
“PROVE BEAVERS WRONG AND HELP DRIVE HIM INTO EXTINCTION,” is the headline on Jackson’s fundraising note.
Beavers is the architect behind the sleazy political trifecta now unfolding. The story so far.
1. Beavers is lining up support to install Ald. Todd Stroger (8th) in the Cook County Board post vacated by his ailing father, now former Cook County Board President John H. Stroger Jr.
2. Beavers is poised to take the senior Stroger’s board seat for himself.
3. Beavers is orchestrating Installing his daughter Darcel in his aldermanic seat.
4. In reaction to this Jackson, a potential mayoral candidate, is talking up his wife Sandi to run for the 7th ward seat. (This scoop delivered in colleague Mark Brown’s column.
As my other colleague Fran Spielman reportered, “Beavers said his daughter has nothing to fear in an aldermanic race against Jackson’s wife.
“He couldn’t raise one dime to run against me or even put anybody else against me [in 2003]. In fact, my supporters, who also support him, told him they would not give him another dime. … Not only that. They’d give me half a million. … But, I have a half a million in my coffer now,” Beavers said.
For Spielman’s most recent overview go to http://www.suntimes.com/output/elect/cst-nws-beavers13.html
Jackson is no slouch at fundraising. He’s a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, j ust about the most fertile perch in Congress to raise political money.
He is facing nominal November opposition. Jackson has, as of June 30, $1,304,681 in his Jackson for Congress fund. His wife, Sandi is his campaign treasurer and she draws a salary for the job. So far this campaign cycle–2005 through June 30–she has been paid $60,000 from the Jackson congressional fund, operating as J. Donatella and Associates/Lee Stevens.
The golf outing invitation has an interesting list of ceremonial inviters: The House Democratic leadership, including House Dem Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) boss of the House political operation. Emanuel has been after Jackson to pay his House Dem dues, a long-running issue between the two.
Locally, Dem treasurer candidate Alexi Giannoulias name is also on the inviter list, along with the state House and Senate legislators who are part of the growing Jackson political organization: Robin Kelly, James Meeks, David Miller.
Here’s the funding pitch from Jackson…
PROVE BEAVERS WRONG AND HELP DRIVE HIM INTO EXTINCTION
I invite you to join me in proving wrong Chicago Alderman William
Beavers. With characteristic bluster and bravado, Alderman Beavers
has vowed to undermine and obstruct support for my campaign. I need
your help. http://www.jessejacksonjr.org/golfouting.pdf
Alderman Beavers’ insider, back-room deals, manipulation and
machinations always come at the expense of honest, good and open
government. As has been reported, Beavers is conspiring to
circumvent elections and deny an experienced, qualified and
hard-working woman, Cook County Commissioner Bobby Steele, from
ascending to higher office, succeeding the retiring John Stroger
as Cook County Board President.
Instead, Beavers’ devious, egregious scheme sidelines Commissioner
Steele, and allows him to appoint himself to John Stroger’s County
Board Seat; to install a new County Board President; and to anoint
his own successor to the Chicago City Council — all without having
to face the voters. Clearly, Beavers puts personal interest ahead
of public interest, patronage over principle, and selections above
elections.
Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell may have put it best:
“These elected officials aren’t even pretending to be interested in
public service…In fact, these elected officials are willing to let
taxpayers pay two men to do the job of one women.” What an outrage!
Like you, I believe the people should decide who represents them.
We want honesty and integrity in public office. My wife, Sandi, and
I believe in these principles so much that Sandi may stand as a 7th
Ward Aldermanic candidate to succeed Beavers in the municipal
elections on February 27, 2007. I Need your help.
http://www.jessejacksonjr.org/golfouting.pdf
Beavers says: “Committeemen make congressmen. Congressmen don’t
make committeemen. He can run Mickey Mouse, if he wants to. But he
won’t be able to raise a dime for her or for himself.” I need your
help http://www.jessejacksonjr.org/golfouting.pdf
Is Beavers right? I don’t think he is. I don’t think he speaks for
you or represents you anymore now than he did when plotting behind
closed doors to skirt and squelch your voice in elections. I think
Beavers is a throwback to a bygone era.
So, let’s prove Beavers wrong. Join me for my 2nd Annual Golf
Tournament on Monday, August 7th, 2006 at the Calumet Country Club
in Homewood, Illinois. I’ve attached a flier with all the details
about the event. http://www.jessejacksonjr.org/golfouting.pdf If you
can’t make it, I hope you will consider generously contributing
online to my campaign at http://www.jessejacksonjr.org .
Together, we can help usher in a new era in Chicago. And, prove
Beavers is indeed a dinosaur headed for extinction.
Sincerely,
Jesse
