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Why is Cong. Jesse Jackson, Jr. still MIA?

Why is Cong. Jesse Jackson, Jr. still MIA?

Why is Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., still MIA? And why is his office issuing vague statements instead of disclosing to his constituents just what is going on with their Congressman?

That’s what everyone is starting to ask after the U.S. Representative (D-IL) continues his absence from public life. On June 25, Jackson’s staff had announced that the Congressman had been taking a leave of absence due to exhaustion since June 10. His office issued the following statement Thursday:

Recently, we have been made aware that he has grappled with certain physical and emotional ailments privately for a long period of time … At present, he is undergoing further evaluation and treatment at an in-patient medical facility. According to the preliminary diagnosis from his doctors, Congressman Jackson will need to receive extended in-patient treatment as well as continuing medical treatment thereafter. We ask that you keep Congressman Jackson and his family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult period…

Jackson is currently being investigated by the House Ethics Committee for his involvement with Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s attempts to sell the Senate seat in Illinois as well as using campaign funds to fly his mistress to Chicago.

The statement provides no details as to where he is or for what he is being treated. The vague statements are leading to speculation (including from his democratic challenger) as his mystery ailment remains undisclosed. Reports from activists on the ground in Chicago are more pointed, though at this point unsubstantiated:

His twitter account has not been active since June 25.

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Comments

My guess would be one “social disease” or another.

An OD on pills being one…

    pfg in reply to Ragspierre. | July 6, 2012 at 9:06 pm

    I’d go with depression as he came to realize that as a Democrat he was incapable of fulfilling his Article 6 oath to “this Constitution” (you know, the WRITTEN one). Crossing his fingers as he took the oath, as ALL Democrats do and far too many Repubs as well, knowing that he meant not a word of his oath just became too much to bear.

    Until further info comes in this is the fairy tale that I’d like to believe.

      Ragspierre in reply to pfg. | July 6, 2012 at 11:19 pm

      Hmmm… It has the cardinal flaw of assuming a conscience.

      But, hey, I like it, as fairy tales go!

Bitterlyclinging | July 6, 2012 at 4:25 pm

A little HIV. Sort of like saying your wife is only slightly pregnant.
Five years from now we can be treated to the spectacle of the Democrats digging him up again to prove he was poisoned instead.
So far no one’s come up with any tape recordings of Jackson Jr similar to the ones the Russians obtained when the KGB bugged the room Arafat and his head of security were staying in during one Moscow visit. Those KGB infidels caught every whoop, yelp, howl, and squeal of delight as the two frolicked for most of the evening and into the wee hours of the morning.

Chicago thugocrats are used to getting away with whatever they want, because nobody ever says anything about it. In fact, nobody ever *sees* anything either.

They thought they could take Chicago with them wherever they went.

Oops.

Of course all they have to do now is claim RACISM.

I have enough to deal with as Queen Sheila is local. I don’t have time to deal with this thug. He’ll show up just in time to get re-elected. Poppa 2J will take care of everything for his misfit son.

    TrooperJohnSmith in reply to texan59. | July 6, 2012 at 7:23 pm

    JJJr. can’t play the “Ambien” defense, nor the “substance abuse” defense. As lame as the “Ah’m jis reeeeal tired an’ ment’lee wo’ out,” defense, I think he should either go big or go home and break new ground in the Ain’t My Fault Excuse Derby. To be extra audacious, he can try the, “I’m too much like my Daddy, so I’m not accountable for anything I do,” defense. Hell, I’d almost believe that!

    As far as Queen Sheila Jackson Lee goes, she has all kinds of ethics violations, as well as the highest staff turnover on the Hill. Her staff are little better that lackeys and go-fers. But she must have some photos of Pelosi… because nothing sticks to her.

    I always look forward to Sheila’s poorly-written (borderline illiterate) press releases. In one last year, she described the President’s military role as the Commander and Chief. She’s a buffoon, which means she will soon be in line for a plumb committee chairmanship, a la Sylvester Reyes (D-El Paso).

    You remember Reyes? He was up for the Homeland Security Chair, and he didn’t know the difference between Sunni and Shia. According to one El Paso newscaster, Reyes was unsure whether Al Qaeda was an ally or foe.

Henry Hawkins | July 6, 2012 at 5:07 pm

Given he was recently functioning well enough, if there’s a genuine diagnosis, I’d guess depression, bipolar disorder, chemical dependency, or some combination of these. Sometimes people take psych meds, feel better, assume they are better, and then go off the meds. They then decompensate and sometimes need to be hospitalized until therapeutic levels of the meds are again achieved.

Another distinct possibility, given his legal situation, is that he is malingering, evading consequences by hiding behind patient confidentiality at a time he may fear subpoena or indictment. There are plenty of hospitals that will play along with that game if you are rich and/or famous enough.

I’m with texan59 a little. Why is this even important? Any personal failure of his is excused at least three ways. He’s a Democrat. He’s an Obama supporter. He’s the son of a famous man. Oh, and it’s not even mentioned by most of the lame-stream, either, so it didn’t happen. Nothing to see here.

Hiding from the subpoena servers.

stevewhitemd | July 6, 2012 at 5:29 pm

Junior’s not only got his problems (affair, sleazy finances, etc) but he’s also a nut. He pops off now and again with some really stupid stuff; I imagine Pelosi and the Democratic Whip are used to shushing him at this point. He’s clearly the Peter Principle at work.

He’s also been a big proponent of the far south (‘Peotone’) 3rd airport for Chicago that no one else really wants; I think he sees a particularly fat payday in the consulting and the contracts.

Wouldn’t surprise me at all to hear that he’s got some ‘Patches’ style problems.

l personally would guess its that as he has to lay low with the mistress he has returned to his previous practice of chronic masterbation. . “And the beat goes on (up), & the beat goes on. (down) . . (to you youngsters its the chorus to an old , l believe , Sonny & Cher song.)

It has to be some kind of rehab.

Maybe he has skipped the country.

    Milwaukee in reply to logos. | July 6, 2012 at 8:29 pm

    I recall that when Michelle 0bama, the First Lady of the United States of America took her Spanish Vacation she stopped in at Jesse Jackson Jr’s place. Where he got that kind of money is anybody’s guess. Lucky at cards would be mine.

MacsenMcBain | July 6, 2012 at 7:03 pm

Hopefully the “word on the street” is wrong, and he gets better. I prefer to wish him good health and poor luck at the polls.

Henry Hawkins | July 6, 2012 at 8:35 pm

I’ve had an epipany. JJ Jr. is in hiding while the Obama team prepares him in case he is needed as an October Surprise by a badly losing Obama – a last minute replacement as Obama’s VP.

If he can resign from Congress, all their ethics probes stop immediately since the House has no authority to investigate former members. A lot depends on whether enough evidence exists already for a referral to prosecutors. He need not worry about Holder [high five, chest bump] but there may be new US Attorneys before the statute of limitations kicks in.

Jesse’s corruption has been passed along. Another son, Yusef, was a football star at UVA but not pro caliber. He got an Anheuser-Busch distributorship in Illinois. That’s instant money, people pass those things down in the family, you just don’t get out of college and win one. But you don’t see the Rainbow Coalition picketing Bud, do you?

    stevewhitemd in reply to Estragon. | July 7, 2012 at 1:55 pm

    There are several in the family who have beer distributorships and you are right; those are a license to print money. Illinois has laws that particularly favor distributors at the expense of retailers and suppliers (brewers and distillers). The Wirtz family (owners of the Chicago Blackhawks) were pioneers in this sort of rent-seeking.

On the plus side, if he is not voting, he is not raping the Constitution.

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