Obama and Hillary offered to buy the support of key black South Carolina politicians

[Herman Munster]

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/02/an_endorsement.html

State Sen. Darrell Jackson (D) is the pastor of the Bible Way Church in Columbia. which has one of the largest congregations in South Carolina. He was the youngest African American ever elected to the legislature. His endorsement is among the few in the state that can change minds and move votes. Jackson is also a prized political consultant, and, during the past two South Carolina primary campaigns, has been the object of a bidding war between top-tier presidential candidates.

Yesterday, Jackson confirmed that he had decided to endorse Sen. Hillary Clinton, less than six days after his public relations firm, Sunrise Enterprises, agreed to a contract with Clinton's campaign worth at least $10,000 a month through the 2008 elections - a total of $210,000. (The contract has not been signed.)

A few days before that, Jackson was deep in negotiations with Steve Hildebrand, a senior strategist for Sen. Barack Obama's campaign. On the table was a contract worth in excess of $5K a month, beginning on 3/15/07. Separately, Obama was personally soliciitng Jackson's endorsement. There's no question that the contract and the negotiations are legal. Sunrise is the oldest political consulting firm run by African Americans in the state and its services were in demand: at least five candidates, including Gov. Bill Richardson and Sen. Joe Biden, reached out to Jackson.

"It's not about money," he said. "Quite honestly, I've turned done more money from some of the other candidates." Jackson said that when he told an official for another campaign about his Clinton endorsement, the official offered to "double" whatever Clinton offered him. Jackson told the official, whose name and campaign affiliation he declined to identify, that he was offended at the thought that his endorsement was bought. Jackson: "I don't even take a salary" (at Sunrise).

[postulater]

1. It's a public relations firm

They can certainly handle more than one client at a time. I'm surprised he isn't taking money from them both.

[sandrakae]

2. It sounds a lot like buying votes.

[Katherine Brengle]

3. It's pretty standard.

Doesn't make it wonderful or right but it's certainly not a rare occurrence.

[rebel with a cause]

4. Funny thing is that only Clinton and Obama are named

in the headline, when the article makes it clear that others had also offered him money, more money in fact, but they were the two that interested him. Don't you all think that is a bit odd, or should I say misleading. And that they would not even name the others who had made him offers. WTF? Why would they only want to name two of the candidates? Hmmmmm?