Growing up in Chicago, Jesse Jackson's home base, one always heard the whispers and innuendo about Jesse Jackson--and not just from his enemies and detractors "on the right". This is a man who has always walked a fine line.
Jesse has been controversial within the civil rights community, where many believe Jackson had greatly exaggerated and manipulated the truth about the scope and nature of his relationship with Martin Luther King, Jr., pushed other spokespersons aside to assure the spotlight stayed firmly on Jesse himself, talked one game while playing another with his various operations-particularly Operation Push and his relationships with various corporations, and so on. There were always rumors about his personal life. And, most interestingly, rumors within the religious community, where many wondered how anyone could take "Reverend" Jackson seriously given he had no actual, visible religious life to speak of.
Of course, the "powers that be" in Chicago didn't always-heck, lets be honest, virtually never-dealt with Jackson and his fellow travelers with much integrity, honesty or respect. That rumors and innuendo surrounded Jesse was no real surprise-they surrounded the perceived enemies of the Chicago power structure in all cases regardless of race, creed or nationality. So, one heard all this but remained skeptical-it was what you expected. Nonetheless, one always had a bit of a queasy feeling about Jesse-something just didn't jive there.
Apparently there was a reason for that. Kenneth R. Timmerman's book raises question by the boatload. Well, actually, it makes allegations and accuses Jesse of great improprieties by the boatload. Does Timmerman have an obvious agenda? You bet he does-this is no fan by any stretch of the imagination. Should we therefore dismiss what he says here?
No objective observer can do that. I was pretty ambivalent about the man generally but this book is, if nothing else, a "smoking gun" with a vengeance. Given many of the recent revelations that even Jackson himself has had to make in recent months and years, the case Timmerman makes is both thorough and impressive. Is all of it true? Who knows? That's not the main point. If even a substantial portion of it is true, the best you can say is that sleaze seems to be a core component of Jackson's personality and worldview.
There will be those who have a knee jerk reaction to defend Jackson and attack Timmerman. Of course, there are still people who say Nixon was railroaded. The hardcore Jackson supporter/hater will be swayed by nothing written here. The objective observer will have grave doubts about this man---and his legitimacy as a spokesperson for racial, social and economic justice.
The real shame is it's guy's like Jesse who crowd out those who have a genuine desire to do social good. The real crime of his life isn't the corporations and organizations he's shaken down, it's that in that process he represses by his actions those who would genuinely help their people. That's the truly unforgivable part of this sad, sorry story.