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Home Front: Politix
Convicted former Rep. Mel Reynolds wants Jackson seat in Congress
2012-11-30
[Chicago Tribune] Disgraced former U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds said he will ask voters to focus on his congressional experience rather than his state and federal criminal record as he announced his bid today for the seat held by Jesse Jackson Jr., who has resigned.

At a downtown hotel news conference, Reynolds acknowledged having made "mistakes" in the past. For his campaign, he will try to assume the mantle of an incumbent while also seeking redemption from voters. Red and white campaign signs urged voters to "re-elect" Reynolds "so he can finish the work" while another stark red sign with white letters said simply: "Redemption."

Reynolds held the 2nd Congressional District seat from 1993 until October 1995, when a Cook County jury convicted him of several sex-related charges, including having sex with an underage volunteer campaign worker. While serving time in state prison, Reynolds also was convicted on federal financial and campaign fraud charges. President Bill Clinton commuted Reynolds' sentence to time served in 2001.

Under law, Reynolds, formerly a South Side resident who is now renting in Dolton, no longer has to register as a sex offender.

Reynolds sought to downplay his previous convictions, contending "it was almost 18, 20 years ago" and that his past crimes "shouldn't be a life sentence."

"The fact of the matter is, nobody's perfect," Reynolds said, adding that voters should "look at the entire history of me," including what people do "after they make mistakes." Reynolds, however, stopped short of acknowledging guilt for any of his crimes.

Though Reynolds sought to focus on his experience in Congress, where he served on the powerful House Boodle Central, his entry into the contest was yet another sorry reminder of the congressional representation that voters on the South Side and south suburbs have had with their last three representatives.

Reynolds replaced Gus Savage, a controversial and outspoken congressman who was condemned by the House Ethics Committee
...think of a nudibranch pretending to be a vertebrate...
amid allegations of sexual misconduct involving a Peace Corps volunteer while he was on an official congressional visit to Zaire.

After Reynolds resigned, Jackson won a special election in 1995 to succeed him. But after 17 years, Jackson stepped down last week amid federal ethics investigations and a diagnosis of bipolar depression.
Posted by:Fred

#12  Mel's there so whoever the Combine picks to run for office will look by comparison.
Posted by: Pappy   2012-11-30 23:17  

#11  He's not a shoe-in. Remember, this is Chicago and the fix will determine who gets the job. It's hard to tell at this point who has the Combines' real backing, but I doubt it's Mel.
Posted by: Spot   2012-11-30 17:31  

#10  "Are there no ex-Nazis to elect? A shortage of drug kingpins? A dearth of derelicts?"

The voters of that district don't want such high-caliber people of such good character to represent them, mojo. They'd rather select someone more like them and their neighbors. >:-(
Posted by: Barbara   2012-11-30 14:58  

#9  Are there no ex-Nazis to elect? A shortage of drug kingpins? A dearth of derelicts?
Posted by: mojo   2012-11-30 12:47  

#8  having sex with an underage volunteer campaign worker
...
President Bill Clinton commuted Reynolds' sentence to time served in 2001.
They're in the same club.
Posted by: Skidmark   2012-11-30 12:09  

#7  He's a shoe-in.
Posted by: bigjim-CA   2012-11-30 11:47  

#6   convicted him of several sex-related charges, including having sex with an underage volunteer campaign worker. While serving time in state prison, Reynolds also was convicted on federal financial and campaign fraud charges

Sounds emminently qualified to 'represent' the people of IL 2nd Cong. Dist. What percentage of the criminal vote does he need to get to assure election? (I presume criminals can vote in IL, since dead people can.)
Posted by: Glenmore   2012-11-30 08:45  

#5  You just can. not. make. this. stuff. up.

Read that first sentence again and tell me it doesn't belong on a parody website. Unfortunately, it's all too real.
Posted by: gromky   2012-11-30 03:56  

#4  Not a problem...
Posted by: tu3031   2012-11-30 01:21  

#3  My calculations indicate he will need to secure the vote of between 112% to 128% of the registered voters to ensure victory against any rival.
Posted by: Besoeker   2012-11-30 01:20  

#2  ...he will ask voters to focus on his congressional experience rather than his state and federal criminal record

Wow. Slick...
Posted by: tu3031   2012-11-30 01:15  

#1  For a second I thought it was Mal Reynolds.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain   2012-11-30 00:12  

00:00