Illinois political insiders say Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who defended Barack Obama after his father famously threatened to castrate him, is the favorite to replace the Democratic nominee in the Senate.
That alone should cause us to elect Senator McCain. This joker is the Congresscritter next door to my district and he makes "Mister Ten Percent" Zardari look like an djinn angel. |
Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) scolded his father, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, publicly after his comments were caught unexpectedly on tape before an interview with Fox News this summer.
But Jackson Jr.'s path is by no means assured. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) also wants to replace Sen. Obama (Ill.) in the upper chamber if he is elected president.
| Another uber-liberal and a bad choice for all of us. |
This gives Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who must choose between an African-American political scion and a close ally of the labor movement, a difficult decision.
| Assuming Blago hasn't been indicted ... |
Jackson has made plain that he would like to succeed Obama in the Senate. "If Sen. Obama wins -- and I'm optimistic that he will, I indeed would be honored and humbled to succeed him in the U.S. Senate," said Jackson in a statement. "But, in the end, the decision rests with Gov. Blagojevich and I'm confident that he'll make an appointment in the best interest of the state as well as the nation."
Jackson's case is strengthened by the fact that Obama is the only African-American member of the Senate. Presumably, Obama would like to see at least one African-American representative in the chamber.
| What the voters want, of course, is of little consequence. This is Illinois, after all ... |
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