Illinois voters will head to the polls in five weeks, and when they do, there’s a good chance they might not have any idea whether casting a ballot for Representative Jesse Jackson Jr will actually convince the longtime Congressman to show up for work. The son of the famous reverend and civil rights leader was sent to Washington to speak for his district all the way back in 1995. For more than fifteen years, he served with a huge approval rating, but three months ago, things started to get really weird.
Jackson stopped showing up for work and stopped appearing publically. After questions started being asked, staffers finally revealed he’d been hospitalized for severe depression and gastrointestinal problems. The explanation was enough to satisfy critics for a few months, but over the past few weeks, the mumbles have started getting significantly louder, especially after a recent real estate decision.
According to The Huffington Post, the Jackson’s just put their house in Washington DC up for sale. They’re apparently hoping the property will help handle some of the medical bills, but considering many voters are wondering whether Jesse Jr will ever return to work in Washington, the move has angered many Democrats, Republicans and members of the media.
Here’s how Jackson’s opponent Brian Woodworth summed it up…
”You ask anyone in this district, which one of them could take 90 days off of work?"
With a district overwhelmingly filled with Democrats, it’s likely Jackson will still win his race, but if he doesn’t get his act together soon after that, there will be serious calls for his job from members of both parties.
Whatever he’s dealing with, Pop Blend wishes him a speedy recovery. We just wonder if maybe he’d be better served stepping aside while trying to get better.
