America may have learned more than it wanted to know last week about the personal affairs of the First Family. But the week also offered an intriguing look at the differing public styles within one of Chicago’s premier political families.
There were few greater contrasts in political positioning on the White House sex scandal than within the father-and-son political dynasty of the Jacksons, Jesse and Jesse Jr.
The night before President Clinton admitted his sexual liaison with a former office intern, Rev. Jackson was playing the role of the administration’s Billy Graham: He arrived at the White House with full fanfare to provide spiritual counseling to the Clintons, especially Hillary and Chelsea.
In such a crisis, that kind of public appearance from a noted political figure is a critical sign of support. Jackson, a leader respected by such core Democratic constituencies as African-Americans and ideological liberals, was lending his own credibility to Clinton by standing with him.
That kind of spontaneous, symbolic gesture comes naturally to the senior Jackson, the theatrical civil rights leader enchanted by the glow of even faraway television lights. His own presidential campaigns were not so much realistic attempts at office as rallying points for the party’s liberal wing.
Such a public airing of spirituality and family counseling was in perfect sync with the focus sought by the White House, as were Jackson’s televised comments.
“Hillary’s had to face the humiliation of it all,” Jackson said. “But then she’s mature, and they are in love, and their marriage will survive this.”
In other words, the central moral issue here was not lying to the nation, not possibly obstructing a legal case, not taking sexual advantage of a willing but clearly star-struck subordinate. No, the moral issue was adultery, a sin that many have committed and which few in this country would wish to become a matter of public inquisition.
Contrast the senior Jackson’s role with his congressman son’s non-role in this situation.
The South Side Democrat is restrained by a measure of caution and his elected position. His father’s only true political office these days is the platform of public persuasion.
Unlike the father who has always played the outside game, the son aspires to be a part of the inside game, even now maneuvering for a place on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. The political aspirations of the father mostly are past, but the son’s political life remains mostly ahead, and one day his public career could depend on a broadened coalition.
On the night of Clinton’s speech, Jackson Jr. was, like almost all of his Democratic congressional colleagues, conveniently unavailable. For instance, House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) was in France.
Jackson Jr. didn’t have the good fortune to be an ocean away; his excuse was a trip to Connecticut, which, a spokesman said, required him to be “literally in a cab or something like that” while the president spoke.
The next day, while Clinton was searching for support, the junior Jackson remained unavailable through the afternoon. Finally, early Tuesday evening, Jackson Jr. released a cautious, carefully drawn statement. He later acknowledged he spent an hour weighing the wording.
Jackson Jr. didn’t include any sign of support for the president. Instead, he expressed his “confidence and trust in both the constitutional and judicial process.”
“As the process to get at the truth continues, final judgment must be suspended until all the facts and evidence are gathered and weighed,” the statement continued.
Translation: At least for now, you’re on your own, bud.
Push-ups, anyone?: Enmeshed in a difficult re-election race, U.S. Rep. Lane Evans (D-Ill.) was to share the stage Saturday at a Rock Island Veterans of Foreign Wars hall with a welcome partner, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Charles Krulak.
Krulak was in the western Illinois district to join Evans, a Marine veteran, as they both received awards from the Illinois Marine Corps Association. Evans, perhaps not incidentally, is a member of the House National Security Committee, which oversees the Marine Corps.
No warranties: Failure doesn’t always come cheap. According to recently released Federal Election Commission figures, Jay Pritzker’s unsuccessful primary campaign to replace the retiring U.S. Rep. Sidney Yates, the Chicago Democrat, was the seventh-most expensive House campaign in the nation through June 30.
Financing for the campaign totaled $1.9 million, according to the FEC.
