Don’t you just love it when the word “racist” gets flung around by someone to hide their own questionable conduct? Well, Campaign 2008 has had an instance of that happen already, over questions about an endorsement made by a powerful black politician in South Carolina.

Days before U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton makes her first visit to South Carolina as a presidential candidate, one of her top supporters here faces accusations that his support for her is tied to a contract his firm landed with ClintonÂ’s campaign.

State Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Richland, said such accusations are offensive and smack of racism.

When asked Tuesday by a reporter, Jackson said he was backing Clinton, D-N.Y. A day later, a national political Web site reported JacksonÂ’s consulting firm, Sunrise Enterprises, had agreed to work for Clinton for $10,000 a month.
That story was picked up by The New York Post and on cable television. The Post story questioned whether “Jackson’s endorsement was bought by a higher bidder.”

That, Jackson said, was a low blow.

“I’m somewhat offended in the sense that ... the national media thinks that an African-American in my position cannot support a candidate without being paid off,” Jackson said. “Second, they seem to have a hard time believing that in South Carolina there could be a legitimate African-American public relations firm that’s not a hustler.”

Well, the fact that Jackson was, in fact, paid to work for Clinton just days before he made his public statement certainly raises questions. So does the fact that Jackson didn’t disclose that financial relationship when he made his endorsement. There is certainly an appearance of impropriety there, related to the timing issue, which Jackson himself calls “unfortunate”. So what makes asking these questions – questions which could be legitimately asked of any white politician with a consulting firm – racially tinged? The answer, of course, is absolutely nothing, and the charge is simply intended to obscure the scandal and stop it in its tracks.

Posted by: Greg at 12:19 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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