Absence is Unlikely to Effect Jesse Jackson's Re-election

From The Frontrunner on July 16, 2012 A report on Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s (D) much-discussed absence from Congress over the past several weeks, says, "While not much is clear about Jackson's condition - he's being treated for a mood disorder, staffers say - at least one thing is certain: If and when he returns, his Chicago-area seat is his to keep for as long as he wants it." Chicago political consultant Don Rose is quoted as saying, "Even if he stayed where he is and ran from the hospital he's in or the facility he's in and just sent a message - to his constituents - he'd win it." Politico adds, "Jackson's job security is in part a reflection of the 2nd District's design: It's a majority black, heavily Democratic seat." However, "it's also a testament to the political brand he's built, which is distinct from that of civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, his father." 

When Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. disappeared last month for a mysterious medical leave, it took weeks for anyone in Washington to even notice.

It was a measure of the disconnect between his famous name and his stature on Capitol Hill. The 47-year-old son of the legendary civil rights leader has become simply a congressman who can deliver the pork back home.

Jackson arrived in Washington 17 years ago with a star quality that set him apart from his 434 colleagues in the House. Yet he has never lived up to those high expectations on the national stage, gaining a reputation in the nation's capital for quixotic pursuits such as trying to impeach President George W. Bush and push through constitutional amendments that had no chance at all.

One big reason given for his failure to rise to a more statesmanlike role is the cloud of suspicion that has hung over him for more than three years because of his dealings with corrupt former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

"He was, up until about 2008, clearly a rising star," said Dick Simpson, a former city alderman and a political scientist at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "After that his whole reputation collapsed, and he's not been able to move forward."

None of that seems to matter in his Chicago-area district, where the Democrat has brought home close to $1 billion in federal money and won every election since 1995 in a landslide.

Now, many of his constituents are willing to cut him some slack over the way he has released only scant details about his medical condition in recent weeks. [MORE]  

Durbin Wishes Jackson Well On His Rehabilitation.

Senate Majority Whip Durbin was asked on NBC's Meet The Press (7/15, Gregory) if Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. will return to Congress. Durbin said, "I don't have any inside information here. ... We want him to get well and get home soon. I think my colleague Sen. Kirk has set the right standard by talking about his rehabilitation and the progress he's making. I hope very, very soon that Rep. Jackson can tell us what he's facing. I think the people in Illinois and this country are going to embrace anything he's doing to put himself back in a good, strong position to return to his family and to Congress."