Lots of Illinois blogging today. But "the other" Jackson family that pops up in the news is of national concern. Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., D-IL, is stong proponent of the proposed airport in Peotone, IL. 53 miles south of downtown Chicago.
From ABC 7 Chicago, an excerpt:
Illinois congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. is making a political power play in his fight to get a new airport for Peotone. Jackson says if Mayor Daley will back the Peotone plan he may not run against Daley in the race for mayor.
Congressman Jackson is in the mayor's face every time another City Hall corruption scandal breaks, and Jackson is definitely considering a challenge to Daley in 2007. But Jackson says his top priority is to get a new airport built near south suburban Peotone, and he considers Daley an impediment. So, the congressman is offering the mayor a strategy for avoiding a showdown by doing something that makes political and economic sense for both of them.
"It doesn't have to be political. I would rather be building this airport. I would rather be providing jobs for people and not focusing on the political problems of the mayor," said Cong. Jesse Jackson Jr., (D)-Chicago and south suburbs.
The congressman is challenging the mayor to help him build a privately financed airport in the south suburbs by encouraging the governor to give the airport developers 4,200 acres of land.
Jackson says if the mayor supports a project that will provide Chicagoans with thousands of jobs and millions of economic development dollars he probably won't challenge Daley in the next election.
Mayor Richard Daley has taken a lot of hits lately over a lot of scandals. But if Jesse Jr. is in charge of America's third largest city, does anyone think Jesse Sr. will just stay in the background?
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