Obama to endorse Jesse Jr. in Dem primary

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL), who is facing a primary challenge next March, will receive president Obama's endorsement. Junior is the target of a House Ethics Committee investigation in regards to his alleged role in participating in Rod Blagojevich's failed attempt to sell Obama's old US Senate seat to the highest bidder.

Junior faces Debbie Halvorson, who served one term representing Illinois' 11th District, she was defeated last year by Republican Adam Kinzinger. Halvorson is a former state Senate Majority leader, serving under Blago ally and Obama crony Emil Jones, Jr., who was then president of Springfield's upper chamber.

The last time a president backed an ethically challenged Illinois US House Democrat was in 1994, when Bill Clinton supported powerful Dan Rostenkowski over Edwin Eisendrath. Rosty won that primary, but was defeated in the general election and he later went to prison for mail fraud. The Chicago pol was one of Clinton's 2001 "midnight pardons."

Ironically, Eisendrath challenged Blago in the 2006 Democratic gubernatorial primary.

Oh, Blago ended up in Rosty's seat.

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