Obama and Clinton were competing for the support of an "influential African-American consultant -- a state senator who is pastor of a 10,000-member megachurch," named Darrell Jackson. The Obama campaign thought they had secured Jackson's support, but they apparently were outbid by Clinton. Sweet reports:
Clinton's campaign made a deal, worth at least $10,000 a month, with state Sen. Darrell Jackson's firm, Sunrise Enterprises. The contract surfaced when Jackson earlier this week endorsed Clinton for president without mentioning his company would be working for her.
What makes the story interesting is that someone leaked Sweet a series of emails between Obama campaign adviser Steve Hildebrand and Jackson's sister Andrea McCoy:
• 7:40 a.m. Feb. 6. Hildebrand sent an e-mail to McCoy: "Senator, I spoke with David Ploufe, Barack's campaign manager about your contract and we agree to start it on March 15. I'm looking forward to working with you. I'm very glad you are on our team."
• 6:39 p.m. Feb. 6. Hildebrand gets an e-mail from McCoy, asking for 48 hours before making a "definite commitment" to Obama. "He has received information of which I am not at liberty to discuss and is taking it into consideration."
• 9:47 a.m. Feb. 7. Hildebrand e-mails McCoy, "I know that Senator Jackson and Barack spoke last night. Barack is very concerned about this and wants to ensure that he has Senator Jackson on his team. If Darrell has a concern about the contract we proposed, we need to make sure we work out these concerns."
• 8:21 p.m. Feb. 7 Hildebrand writes, "I hope this is not problematic. I did leave the Senator a message a couple of hours ago. If there are questions he has, I hope that he will bring them to us. Barack needs his help and we take his possible support very seriously.
It seems clear from this exchange that Obama, too, was offering Jackson a "contract," but Clinton came through with a better deal, and secured Jackson's support. Not an edifying episode, to say the least. The obvious question is, who leaked the emails to Sweet? It is hard to see any reason why Jackson or his sister would do so. That appears to leave Obama's staff. Did they leak the emails to show what dirty pool Clinton is playing? Maybe, but it's hard to work up a lot of sympathy for a candidate who set out to buy support, and got outbid. For now, at least, it's a mystery.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. This is what campaign finance reform has gotten us? I thought buying votes was illegal in our system?
I guess there's no point in holding my breath waiting for the FBI to sweep in?
prairiemain at 10:46PM on Feb 22nd 2007
2. Democrats are nasty people, they've had plenty of practice in the six years of the Bush Presidency. Hillary and her people are very practiced at the nasty arts, and Obama and his people had better watch out.
Wally Lind at 10:45PM on Feb 22nd 2007
3. My political advisor says, given the realities of the market--and the fact that the voters are going to be sick to death of ALL of these people by this time next year--that it's better to lease than to buy. Just a word to the wisenheimers...
Clioman at 12:51AM on Feb 24th 2007
4. The old smoke filled backrooms of the DNC, still control the game it seems withing the Democrat Party.
Only now, they are aided with the modern computer to peddle influence.
No one should be surprised, Hillary Rodham needs to purchase support.
The impressive volunteer 'get out the vote' effort of the GOP, is truly revealing, as compared to Democrats hiring help to their voter drive.
Congratulations to the mighty POWERLINE, for the new AOL presence, bringing instant improvement to AOL.
It still amazes, to believe the Democrat Partisans would support a return of the Clintons, after they lied about the Genocide in Rwanda, peddled pardons to the 'Rich', enabled the corruption of the 90's with mindless loan guarantees to Enron, etc., etc...
Even Hillary's Senate career is mired with many ugly moments, including tired ethnic jokes about Gandhi and Gas Stations.
Hoping fellow Americans will reject the 'Corrupt Clinton Celebrity Perversion', for our Nation's health and future.
HNAV at 11:59PM on Feb 22nd 2007
5. Prairieman,
You have raised an excellent point.
Hillary has allegedly run foul of election laws already in her six-year-old political career, so maybe she has done it again. It certainly seems wildly disgusting that it is legal for Hillary to dump $120,000 a year on sleazy pols, but it is illegal for people to spend far less money on various forms of political speech during the height of a political campaign.
Hillary Clinton is as shameless and dishonest as her first-mate, Bill.
Matthew Goggins at 2:09PM on Mar 15th 2007
6. Why should anyone be surprised by this? After all, the Clintons traded overnights in the Lincoln Bedroom for campaign donations.
Isabell at 10:48PM on Feb 23rd 2007
7. Obama just better stay from Fort Marcy Park.
APR at 3:03PM on Feb 23rd 2007
8. Geffen woke up. It's that simple. He's a big-time liberal, and usually supports the leading democRAT. However, the trail of dead bodies from Arkansas to the White House, the rape, the cat killing, the Lewinski, giving the Chinese missile guidance in return for their sending back the $20 million he sent them for bombing their embassy, etc, etc, finally got to him.
Tom
Tom at 11:42AM on Feb 23rd 2007
9. It would be interesting to learn whether Sen. Jackson endorsment was purely enconomically motivated.
Peter O'Keefe, Sr. at 12:06PM on Feb 23rd 2007