A sordid tale of Chicago politics that reveals how Obama got his start
By ANDREW MALCOLM
Posted 09:02 AM ET
Ah, Chicago and its politics. There's no other American city quite like it.
Fortunately.
It's a beautiful city from the outside. And a political cesspool inside, a seeping source of conniving and corruption that spawned Barack Obama and his top aide Valerie Jarrett and is now ruled by the president's ex-chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel.
Another amazing chapter in the Windy City's sordid politics began unfolding Wednesday, one whose lineage can actually be traced back to the very beginnings of Obama's political career, which now has an extended expiry date of Jan. 20, 2017. Today, Obama lunches with the man he defeated, Mitt Romney.
See if you can follow along now. The details are revealing of the uncompromising history, incestuous inner workings and municipal mores of the place that produced Obama the politician.
Yesterday Mel Reynolds announced his candidacy for the House seat representing Illinois' 2d Congressional District, which includes the city's South Side and -- oh, look! -- Obama's Hyde Park house. So, he'll be eligible to vote in the February Democrat primary and the meaningless April special election.
That special election became necessary after the sudden resignation last week of the district's easy Nov. 6 election winner, eight-term member Jesse Jackson Jr.
Jackson Jr. has been absent from his House duties most of this year during treatment for depression and bipolar disorder. His situation was complicated by revelations that federal authorities are probing allegations of his misuse of campaign funds, not a rare occurrence in Chicago politics.
That resignation and special election is an interesting coincidence because Jackson Jr. was also initially elected in a special election, in December 1995. That followed the sudden resignation of the district's House incumbent after his conviction on 12 counts of sexual assault, obstruction of justice and solicitation of child pornography.
That new convicted felon was Mel Reynolds.
Reynolds had been elected to the House in 1992 succeeding Democrat Gus Savage, who'd been condemned by the House Ethics Committees over allegations of sexual misconduct with a Peace Corps volunteer during an official visit to Zaire.
During the 1994 House campaign, Reynolds was indicted for sexual assault and criminal sexual abuse. The married congressman had developed an attraction to a 16-year-old female constituent, who became a campaign volunteer and candidate mistress. At one point the teenager confided her underage relationship with Reynolds to a neighbor. The neighbor was a police officer.
Reynolds denied the charges, said they were racially-motivated, continued his second House campaign and, naturally, was easily reelected in November 1994.
AP (Former Rep. and Federal inmate Mel Reynolds)
So, Mel goes off to state prison while Jesse Jr. wins a crowded 1995 Democrat primary, tantamount to election in those parts. While in prison, Mel receives an additional 6 1/2 year federal term on 15 counts of bank fraud and lying to the SEC.
You may recall December of 2000. That month Republican George W. Bush was declared the next president.
As a loyal former elected Democrat, Mel Reynolds writes a plea to the White House for a commuted sentence.
The letter is delivered to Democrat Bill Clinton by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Democrat father of Reynolds' Democrat successor. Hours before President Clinton surrenders the White House to his GOP successor, he commutes Reynolds' federal fraud conviction.
Upon release, Reynolds is hired by Rev. Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition as a counselor to black teens.
In appreciation, Reynolds challenges Jackson Jr. in 2004. He is roundly thumped.
Reynolds now describes himself as a self-employed financial consultant, bringing together African investors and American companies. He acknowledged past mistakes. "Nobody's perfect," Reynolds claimed. He said he intends to run a "Reelection" campaign to finish his work interrupted 17 years ago.
This winter's primary looks to be crowded again since, barring involvement by federal investigators, the seat is a tempting party sinecure. One candidate pondering a run is -- wait for it -- Jonathan Jackson, brother to Jesse Jr.
Now, about the Obama involvement in all this. Back in 1995 the state Senate seat that covered much of Chicago's South Side, including Hyde Park, was held by a popular incumbent named Alice Palmer. Given Reynolds' legal predicaments, his House seat became a ripe target. Palmer announced her challenge and won the endorsement of Emily's List.
Alas for her, however, Jesse Jr.'s name recognition trumped her legislative experience and everyone else in the splintered field of competitors.
However, Palmer's bid for that federal seat left her state Senate seat vacant. This Obama fellow stepped up. He won, followed orders and voted Present 130 times. He also became a Real Good Talker, who introduced himself to a grateful nation with a well-received speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. And he hasn't stopped giving them since.
The rest is four more years of history yet to be written.
RELATED:
36 Obama aides owe the IRS $833,000 in back taxes
The election behind him, Obama returns to the campaign trail
Obama just now writing rules for the last 4 years of drone killings
The Chicago Way: How a minor House speech tied into Obama's reelection
__,_._,___
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment