Report: Reid Snubbed Jackson: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pressured Blagojevich not to appoint Rep. Jesse Jackson to Senate seat, report says:
The Nevada Democrat made one call to Blagojevich on Dec. 3 to discuss the seat vacated by the president-elect, Reid spokesman Jim Manley confirmed. Six days later, authorities arrested Blagojevich for allegedly trying to sell Obama's seat.
The Sun-Times reported Friday that during their discussion Reid pressured Blagojevich not to appoint Jesse Jackson Jr., Danny Davis or Emil Jones because he feared they'd lose to a GOP opponent in the next election.
Jackson and Davis are both Democratic congressmen from Illinois, and Jones is the Illinois Senate president and Obama's political godfather.
Instead, Reid pressed Blagojevich to appoint either state Veterans Affairs chief Tammy Duckworth or Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, sources told the newspaper.
William Walls of the Committee for a Better Chicago called Reid's opposition to the appointment of Jackson, Davis or Jones, all of whom are black, an act of racism.
Reid is a Mormon. During Romney's Presidential run, I seem to recall some people, including members of this board, arguing that the Mormon church is institutionally racist against blacks.
