“President Obama’s first year has exposed the clout of corporate interests — and how easily they can buy support in Congress, particularly the Senate. Obama has challenged the entrenched interests that get in the way of reforms this country desperately needs: the health insurance industry, Big Oil and King Coal, Wall Street, and big corporations (with the proposed Employee Free Choice Act).” (Jesse Jackson from his recent commentary “Don’t let senators off hook on this one”)

The other Jesse
(2004)

Jackson still has his friends, and his backers. This year, as last, Time Warner will be a major sponsor, hosting the opening reception and two workshops. Jackson has long had a friend at TimeWarner’s CNN, which hosted his weekly talk show, “Both Sides with Jesse Jackson,” shortly before the 2000 elections. Perhaps they are thinking of a remake, just in time for this year’s open season on George W. Bush.

One thing Jackson has understood with the savvy of the former street operator he is: Corporate America is easily aroused to guilt, and is willing to pay big money to assuage it. In recent years, Jackson has focused on two industries and milked them for millions of dollars in contributions to his Citizenship Education Fund and Rainbow PUSH Coalition: the telecoms, and the consumer banking and brokerage industry.

Both industries fit Jackson’s bill as potential shakedown victims. Operating nationwide, they serve large numbers of consumers, including those in traditionally minority communities. That gives Jackson leverage for his satisfy-my-demands-or-I’ll-boycott technique.

Victims have included telecoms SBC Ameritech, Verizon, AT&T and GTE, brokerages such as Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers and Solomon Smith Barney and banks such as Citicorp and Bank of America.

Jesse Jackson Admits Contributions From Enron