Bush Administration 'Duped' by Jesse Jackson Event

CNSNEWS.com ^ | 1/06/03 | Marc Morano

[kattracks]

CNSNews.com) - Conservative critics of Jesse Jackson and his liberal political agenda are railing about what they see as a "terrible mistake" by two prominent Bush administration officials who have agreed to speak at Jackson's annual Wall Street fundraiser next week.

Some say the administration is being duped into participating in Jackson's event, while others say they're appalled by the participation of Bush administration officials.

Michael Powell, the Bush designated chairman of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), and Roel Campos, the Bush appointed commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) are both scheduled to appear Jan. 16 at Jackson's 6th annual Rainbow/PUSH Wall Street Project.

Powell is a Republican and the son of Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Fenimore Fisher, the deputy director of the Wall Street Project confirmed to CNSNews.com that Powell and Campos are going to appear at the awards luncheon.

Powell is scheduled to introduce NYSE chairman Richard Grasso and Campos will be a keynote speaker for the event titled "Necessities for Economic Stimulation & Parameters for Corporate Governance." The 2003 Wall Street Project is being billed as "Equity for All: Establishing the Economic Agenda for Growth" and runs from Jan. 14 -17.

Powell's office did not respond to four inquiries seeking comment, but Campos' office did confirm that the SEC commissioner would be speaking at the awards luncheon.

When asked whether the appearance of Campos at Jackson's event would amount to an endorsement of Jackson's politics, an official with the SEC who did not wish to be identified downplayed Campos' role as "very limited."

Jackson's detractors were quick to denounce the appearance of the two Bush administration officials.

"The good efforts by the Bush administration are being manipulated by Jackson in an attempt to rehabilitate his cash cow machine," said Niger Innis of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), a conservative African American civil rights group.

"It is a terribly dangerous signal to send for the FCC chairman and the commissioner of the SEC to participate in any way shape or form with Jesse Jackson's endeavor," Innis told CNSNews.com.

Innis believes Jackson stokes racial controversies in order to direct corporate dollars to Jackson's friends and associates.

"Jesse Jackson's Wall Street Project helps Jesse Jackson's Wall Street friends. Certain members of the Bush administration are unknowingly being duped," Innis said.

"Michael Powell needs to know that Jesse Jackson is not on our team," Innis added.

Last October, it was Jackson who complained that Colin Powell was ''not on our team," while defending the comments of entertainer Harry Belafonte. In lambasting the Bush administration, Belafonte had described Colin Powell as the Bush administration's "house slave."

Ken Boehm, chairman of the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), called the Bush administration's involvement in the Wall Street Project "appalling." NLPC is a Washington, D.C.-based legal watchdog group that filed a formal complaint regarding Jackson's finances with the IRS in 2001.

"Jackson has a very tawdry history of using his association with government figures improperly and unethically. [They] should stay as far away from Jackson as they can possibly get," Boehm said.

The Wall Street Project is Jackson's "premiere fundraiser," Boehm said, adding that for the administration to send two members to the event "shows bad judgment."

Last year's Wall Street Project also featured at least one Bush administration official. Connie Newman, the assistant administrator for Africa from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), made an appearance.

Launched in 1997, the Wall Street Project is designed to promote minority participation in corporate America. The annual conference was once one of Jackson's proudest accomplishments, but the stock market crash and corporate accounting scandals have made Wall Street a less inviting place lately.

Financial investigations of Jackson's own organizations and the acknowledgement that he fathered a child out of wedlock may also have tarnished his image among corporate investors.

Some in the press last year commented that Jackson's Wall Street Project was notable for who was not in attendance. The New York Daily News cited the absence of Kenneth Chenault, chairman of American Express; Stanley O'Neal, president of Merrill Lynch and Richard Parsons, AOL Time Warner executive -- three of the top black executives in America. The paper also pointed out that neither New York Gov. George Pataki nor New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg attended.

In explaining the necessity for his 2003 Wall Street Project, Jackson complained in a statement that, "Workers, entrepreneurs and consumers of color in America today are not valued, respected and employed in the way that we all deserve."

The 2003 Wall Street Project is being sponsored by such corporate giants as Citigroup, Coca Cola, AOL Time Warner, Freddie Mac, AT&T, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, IBM, Kodak, Boeing and the Daimler Chrysler Corporate Fund.

E-mail a news tip to Marc Morano.

Send a Letter to the Editor about this article.

[APBaer]

Aiding and abetting extortion?

[per loin]

Jan 16. Isn't that the day that Bush has to decide on filing against affirmative action?

[TLBSHOW]

Now this is bad! What is Bush thinking....

[APBaer]

Purple People Eater,
a "Consumer of Color"

[TLBSHOW]

[TLBSHOW]

BOND (Brotherhood Organization of A New Destiny) will host its 4th Annual "National Day of Repudiation of Jesse Jackson" on Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday, on Monday, January 20, 2003, from 10 AM till 12 Noon P.S.T. in front of Rainbow/PUSH L.A., 1968 West Adams Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90018.



Rev. Peterson said, "On the first anniversary of 9-11, the American people are paying their respects to the victims of the terrorist attacks, and President Bush is preparing the nation for possible war against Saddam Hussein and Iraq. Meanwhile, domestic enemies like Jackson are concocting ways to undermine our war efforts." Rev. Peterson added, "For Jackson to demand that we open our borders and stop profiling suspected terrorists in time of war is insane!"

In a recent statement Jackson said, "…He (Ashcroft) had been a foot soldier for the race-bait, anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-civil rights politics of the radical right." He added, "Ashcroft's Justice Department is a threat to established American civil rights and civil liberties…" Jackson also said that, "The Bush White House considers itself above the law, and immune to scrutiny and accountability." Jackson and others including the NAACP, AFL-CIO, National Organization for Women, ACLU, and the Arab American Institute are making numerous demands including: an end to racial profiling, voting rights for ex-felons, same-day voter registration, and for more relaxed immigration laws.

"Jesse Jackson is out of control! He has lost his moral authority to lead, and he is desperately trying to make himself relevant both on domestic and international affairs," said Rev. Peterson. "Our goal is to repudiate Jackson once and for all and show the entire nation that this man is a racist, anti-American who is a threat to the security of this country. Furthermore, I'm offering Jesse Jackson a 'free one way ticket to Baghdad' if he'll turn in his passport and promise never to come back," concluded Rev. Peterson.

http://www.bondinfo.org/servicesactivities/specialevents/repudiate/repudiate.htm

[Mo1]

Well I don't like nor trust Jackson, but I'm thinking there might be a reason why they are attending ..

So before I comment any further .. I think I would like to hear with Powell has to say first, before I make a final judgement

[TLBSHOW]

A good Freep of the event would do!

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

"Aiding and abetting extortion?"

Why give the 'reverend' Jackson any legitimacy? The guy is a joke. Why honor a joke?

Well... perhaps the idea is to keep Jackson in the headlines, to make him more of an albotross for the left. Even if things turn lunatic, fine. Let them make fools of themselves.

[pray4liberty]

This is an intelligence-gathering operation. [/sarcasm off]

[Claire Voyant]

I'll bet that Michael Powell votes DEMOCRAT!!!

[David Isaac]

The word duped implies ignorance, stupidity, or naivete. It is quite amazing to look at the list of GOP leaders and/or advisors who have been guilty of any or all of the above. Indeed, one wonders if it has anything to do with such ahortcomings.

[RWG]

Powell is a Republican and the son of Secretary of State Colin Powell...probably not a mistake but treason.

[Taxman]

I'm reminded of Rush's admonition to the Freshman Congressional Class of '94: [Words to the effect that] "Don't try to make friends with the liberals. They will never like you and there is nothing you can do about it."

DubYah and his advisors need to heed Rush's advice. By participating in Jesse's event, the administration is painting a veneer of legitimacy on what is essentially a massive shake down by a master con artist/racist pimp.

Niger has got it right.

[bushfamfan]

It's time for Republicans to discontinue this farce of speaking at events that are clearly Demonrat/liberal events. They want legitimacy, like they are somehow "apolitical", "respectable" organization just out for civil rights, when the facts are they've continued to divide and speak hatefully and yet Republicans want to continue to play this game?? Why not just finally decline and confront these partisan, very political organizations. Their hate antics continue to go on unchallenged and I'm sick of it. Those Bush administration officials are being tremendously foolish and the problem will never get better because there are no voices to put those leftwingers in their place.

[mickie]

The heck with the 'Editor'.....send a letter to O'Reilly!

[TLBSHOW]

They sure are Duped, Jesse Jackson is a racist!

[Fred Mertz]

Minorities can't be racist, at least that's what I've been told.

I don't see this participation as a bad thing. It might turn out to be a good thing. I hope Michael Powell takes his body guards just in case.