* A quick JJJr roundup…
* Feds believe Jesse Jackson Jr. got tip about probe into his finances: Federal authorities believe Jesse Jackson Jr. was tipped off to the federal investigation that ultimately contributed to the demise of his once-promising career. Sources with knowledge of the probe told the Chicago Sun-Times that investigators believe Jackson had learned of the federal scrutiny of his financial activity prior to his June 10 leave from Congress. The sources said it didn’t necessarily mean the tip was from an investigative source, saying it was possible the congressman received a tip from someone who was notified about the probe, possibly through a subpoena.
* A Talk with Ald. Will Burns: Looks Like He’s Running for JJJ’s Seat
* Blacks fret free-for-all for Jesse Jackson Jr. seat
* Jesse Jackson Jr. resignation letter read aloud in U.S. House
* The setup…
Seventeen years ago, Jesse Jackson Jr. ran for Congress to replace a beleaguered rep who had been convicted in a federal scheme.
Jackson replaced Mel Reynolds, who ultimately resigned in disgrace.
On Wednesday, Jackson resigned in disgrace, the subject of a federal investigation.
Guess who now wants his job back? Mel Reynolds.
“So He Can Finish the Work,” is the news release that Reynolds sent out today, announcing he would officially announce his intentions to run for Jackson’s seat at noon.
* The Question: Mel Reynolds campaign slogan?
I know this will be difficult, but you must absolutely keep it clean in comments. I’m serious.
LIVE session coverage...
- siriusly - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:03 pm:
Mel Reynolds will serve the people, you can take that to the bank. The East Bank Club that is.
- Very Old Soil - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:04 pm:
I won’t get caught this time.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:04 pm:
A Federal Insider, in More Ways than One
Time for Double Jeopardy
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:05 pm:
“No Change”
- walkinfool - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:06 pm:
“Build on our District’s legacy.”
BTW: Will recently shaved his beard. He’s runnin’.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:07 pm:
Mel Reynolds - So we Know Where He is At.
Mel Reynolds - Meh, ok …
Mel Reynolds - You Tried Me, you Tried JJJ, Now Back to Me!
Mel Reynolds - Bugless, Wireless, Was Homeless, No Congress!
Mel Reynolds - A 2nd District Oldie but a Goodie
Mel Reynolds - Nothing Can Stop Me Now … No Seriously, Nothing Can, I Checked.
Mel Reynolds - From Halfway House to the People’s House, One More Time.
Mel Reynolds - Noy Your Typical Retread, and It’s Not a Typo
Mel Reynolds - This Time, I Will Make Good, I Think.
Mel Reynolds - From the Congress Street SRO, to Congress, in DC.
Mel Reynolds - Congression Experience With Scared-Straight Charm.
- Angry Chicagoan - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:17 pm:
Because what you see is what you get. If you settle for me, you won’t be disappointed!
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:17 pm:
Mel Reynolds - One More Candidate to Help Deebie Win.
Mel Reynolds - Representing the Best of Former 2dn District Congressman.
Mel Reynolds - Couldn’t Hurt …
Mel Reynolds - One of 435, So the Damage is Minimal.
Mel Reynolds - Caucus Chair in Prison, Congressman for You.
Mel Reynolds - From Holding Cell to Cloak Room, for You.
Mel Reynolds - I was Pardoned, so Pardon Me if I take My Seat Back …
Mel Reynolds - Because I have to Start Over to Get my Pension Back.
Mel Reynolds - Because Rahm & the Law Says I Can’t Run for Alderman.
Mel Reynolds - Forget the Bad, Remember the Good!
Mel Reynolds - We Spell Redemption M.E.L.
Mel Reynolds - From Serving Lunches in Prision to Serving You in Washington!
- Say again - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:18 pm:
This would be way more fun if we didn’t have to keep it clean.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:19 pm:
I will being Felony Franks to you neigborhood!
- Robert the Bruce - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:19 pm:
“Better the con you know…let’s stop at 2 Congressmen going to prison from our district”
- siriusly - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:22 pm:
Mel Reynolds - he’s STILL not Gus Savage.
Mel Reynolds - he’s constitutionally eligible.
Mel Reynolds for Congress, I won’t let you down again, again, again, again.
- OneMan - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:23 pm:
“Uniforms”
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:25 pm:
My crimes were less serious than my successor!
- OneMan - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:25 pm:
“You know he went to Harvard and spent some time at Oxford”
- Wensicia - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:26 pm:
“It takes an ex-con Congressman to replace the next convicted Congressman!”
“Vote for Mel!”
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:28 pm:
Mel Reynolds - New Boundaries, Less That Know me!
Mel Reynolds - A Chicago Tale.
Mel Reynolds - Never Thought I Could Get a 2nd Chance, in the 2nd District.
Mel Reynolds - Misunderstood, but Transcripts Fixed That.
Mel Reynolds - Giving “Let Me Say for the Record” a Whole New Meaning.
Mel Reynolds - @nd district Elected, President Clinton’s Pardon Approved!
Mel Reynolds - Can’t Question Bill Clinton, Can Ya?
Mel Reynolds - Guess What? Travel Restrictions Lifted!
- Cincinnatus - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:30 pm:
Mel can ring your school bell.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:30 pm:
Hey - OneMan - !
Mel Reynolds - From Harvard to Oxford to Congress, the Long Way!
Well Done, - OneMan -!
- frustrated GOP - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:34 pm:
Don’t know about the campaign but the book should be “Pardon me, Mr. President” oh wait someone did that,
Slogan; A man with convictions.
- OneMan - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:36 pm:
“You Know What You Are Getting”
“The only candidate with experience following a candidate with issues”
“Are you wearing a wire”
“Come one, he wouldn’t do something dumb a third time”
“Already has a prisoner number”
- OneMan - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:37 pm:
A Special Candidate For A Special Election
- PublicServant - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:38 pm:
Vote for Mel and he WON’T kiss your baby…until she’s in high school.
- Jake From Elwood - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:38 pm:
Mel: Don’t Confuse me with Alderman Mell as I want no link to that jailbird Blago.
- Sir Reel - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:41 pm:
Mel Reynolds: the only candidate with the experience to resign in disgrace when the time comes.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:47 pm:
Mel Reynolds - Beacuse Locally I Can’t Come Back.
Mel Reynolds - D.C. Needs More Like Me, I Guess.
Mel Reynolds - I Left My Work in D.C. Incomplete.
Mel Reynolds - Where Shawshank and Mr. Smith Meet in D.C.
Mel Reynolds - To Re-Write the Law Books I Read in Prison.
Mel Reynolds - I Know! Can You Believe This?
Mel Reynolds - Endorsed by The Pardoned Everywhere!
Mel Reynolds - Yep, My Plan “C” in a Nutshell.
Mel Reynolds - Just How I Planned it Years Ago.
Mel Reynolds - Pardoned by Bill, Maybe Pardoned by Hillary?
Mel Reynolds - Chicago’s Very Own, and Oxford’s Too.
Mel Reynolds - Most Likely to Go to Congress, Go to Prision, Get Pardoned …
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:50 pm:
A special election? Did I win the Lotto?
- Big Red - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:52 pm:
If any con can I can.
- JustaJoe - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:53 pm:
Taking the pride in Illinois to a new level!
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 12:56 pm:
===A special election? Did I win the Lotto? ===
Gonna be difficult to top that one.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 1:00 pm:
In 2013 it will be 18 years since I was in Congress. 18 years — so it will be legal.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 1:00 pm:
=== ===A special election? Did I win the Lotto? ===
Gonna be difficult to top that one.===
WOW!!!!!
(Oswego Willy Walks away)
Well Done!
- Responsa - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 1:05 pm:
So vote for me–Melvin Reynolds for congress. Note: Melvin. M-E-L-V-I-N. Do not confuse me with that convicted ctiminal Mel Reynolds who used to be in the U.S. House of Repreasentatives.
- Third Reading - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 1:07 pm:
Mel for Congress: It’s a Reynolds Wrap. (I mean, rap. No, I mean wrap!)
Mel Reynolds: putting the con back in Congress!
Mel Reynolds: from Rhodes Scholar to roads scholar. And back!
I’m outta here.
- Archimedes - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 1:10 pm:
Vote for Mel and have deja vu all over again.
- Dave Dahl - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 1:21 pm:
47th Ward beat me there.
- Levois - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 1:21 pm:
“Mel Reynolds - Never Thought I Could Get a 2nd Chance, in the 2nd District.”
I think he’s working on his 3rd chance in fact lol
- 3rd Generation Chicago Native - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 1:24 pm:
Better than Elmo.
- The End Is Near - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 1:28 pm:
“Let Mel atone; fly Peotone”
- Darienite - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 1:31 pm:
Mel Reynolds - I now ask for identification.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 1:36 pm:
===A special election? Did I win the Lotto? ===
Willie’s memory is strong. I think I tried to scrub my memory of Mel like Henry did his trunk of Billy Batts.
- siriusly - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 1:43 pm:
47 game over that’s too good
- shore - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 2:10 pm:
The biggest winner in all of this is Derrick Smith.
- hisgirlfriday - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 2:18 pm:
Mel Reynolds… Because if you sleep with an underage intern no one remembers you were convicted of bank fraud
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 2:22 pm:
I can’t compete …
47th Stopped the show, and should be congratulated.
Very Well Played!
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 2:23 pm:
–Federal authorities believe Jesse Jackson Jr. was tipped off to the federal investigation that ultimately contributed to the demise of his once-promising career.–
Reading the whole story, it appears to me that the sources must be from within the Justice Department, FBI or some other federal agency.
I don’t see how you could write a story claiming to know what “federal authorities believe” unless it comes from those federal authorities.
Anyone have a problem with the federales leaking stuff to the press regarding a target under investigation? One who has not been indicted of anything, by the way?
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 2:24 pm:
Thanks Willy, that’s very high praise coming from you.
- Brendan - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 2:24 pm:
Mel Reynolds - Teeth Like Yours!
- Commonsense in Illinois - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 2:31 pm:
I’ll be good…promise!
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 2:32 pm:
- 47th Ward -,
Very easy to praise something so pithy and so genius.
I learn more and more from everyone here.
Well done!
- OneMan - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 2:33 pm:
At this point…What do you have to lose…
- OneMan - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 2:35 pm:
Investigation Free Since before 2003
Experience with law enforcement
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 2:37 pm:
Reynolds: Let Us Continue Our Legacy Of Sending Congressmen With Convictions To DC!
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 2:47 pm:
47, I missed that the Lotto line was yours.
Yeah, that’s your winner.
That’s about as short, nasty and as on-point as you can get within the rules of the house.
Now, I think I’ll hit the delousing station.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 2:49 pm:
Reynolds: I Know Paducah
- train111 - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 2:51 pm:
Mel Reynolds, Elmo, and R. Kelly now appearing together at every 8th Grade graduation on the southeast side.
train111
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 2:52 pm:
I’d Vote For Me If I Could
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 2:59 pm:
===Now, I think I’ll hit the delousing station.===
Mel Reynolds will do that to you.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 3:08 pm:
Registered. Just not as a voter.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 3:11 pm:
See my newest address at: HTTP://www.isp.state.il.us/sor
- walkinfool - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 3:33 pm:
Once the Feds start “investigating”, ie. asking certain individuals pointed questions, the word gets around. I wouldn’t assume this was a deliberate leak.
- dupage dan - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 3:40 pm:
Mel Camino - drivin’ to DC one vote at a time.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 3:42 pm:
Walkinfool, I don’t believe a good reporter would write a lede saying “Federal authorities believe” unless the sources were federal authorities, and not some third party.
I hope a reporter wouldn’t do that. But I also believe that if the sources were federal authorities, their actions are unethical, to say the least.
Just a reminder: Jackson has not been charged, much less convicted, of anything.
“Federal authorities” have awesome resources to bring their cases in front of judges and juries. They don’t need to be working the p.r. whisper campaigns. That’s an incredible abuse of very scary power.
- jerry 101 - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 3:54 pm:
One Man With the Experience.
One Man With the Record.
One Man With the Convictions.
Mel 2013.
- Anonymice - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 3:56 pm:
I won’t sell my old seat after I win!
- Cook County Commoner - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 4:11 pm:
Vote for me, and I’ll keep our district on the front page.
- RNUG - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 4:30 pm:
You can trust me … this time!
- soccermom - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 4:42 pm:
“Checking IDs since 1994″
- soccermom - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 4:46 pm:
Although this has clearly become a battle for second place. 47th, as ever, you are my hero, role model and inspiration.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 4:59 pm:
Thanks Soccermom, and right back at you.
- Soxfan - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 5:16 pm:
Gus Savage, JJJ, Mel Reynolds — only one has the conviction to lead this district (as of today).
- Excessively Rabid - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 5:39 pm:
Well, it’s long over, but:
“Yes we con!”
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 5:42 pm:
I’m not even getting in the game.
Very nicely played, 47th.
- Boone Logan Square - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 6:07 pm:
Mel Reynolds — “I believe the children are our future.”
- DuPage Dave - Wednesday, Nov 28, 12 @ 7:53 pm:
Vote for me- I’m a peach of a guy.
- Das Man - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 4:54 am:
A vote for Mel is not a vote for Mel-ancholy
- smurray - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 6:51 am:
Mel Reynolds - Keep the Change