Jesse Jackson Jr. plans memoir
It didn鈥檛 take long for Jesse Jackson Jr. to follow the footsteps of other disgraced politicians 鈥� right to a publisher.
That鈥檚 right, the former Democratic representative from Illinois 鈥� who鈥檚 recently been plastered across headlines for misusing at least $750,000 in campaign funds over seven years 鈥� is writing a memoir.聽
According to the , Jackson Jr. is writing a memoir to 鈥渃lear up his legacy.鈥�
鈥淗e has nothing else to do right now,鈥� the source told the Tribune. 鈥淗e's desperately trying to change the narrative of his life story.鈥�
The former congressman and son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson pleaded guilty Feb. 20 to misusing more than $750,000 in campaign money over the course of a seven-year shopping spree in which he bought such items as a Rolex watch, furs, a cruise, celebrity memorabilia, and two stuffed elk heads. He will be sentenced June 28 and is facing up to 57 months in prison.
In the meantime, it seems, he鈥檚 turned to pen and paper to begin his redemption. It wouldn鈥檛 be the first time a disgraced politician took the familiar route.
罢丑别谤别鈥檚 Arnold Schwarzenegger, of course, who came out with a doorstopper of a book, titled 鈥�Total Recall," after news emerged of his affair with his housekeeper, Mildred Baena, with whom he had an affair and fathered a child.
And from Jackson Jr.鈥檚 own state comes the example of disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who wrote 鈥淭he Governor,鈥� in which he blamed his downfall on prosecutors and political enemies, while awaiting trial. He was eventually convicted of trying to sell a US Senate seat in exchange for campaign cash.
That鈥檚 the illustrious band of characters Jackson Jr. joins in his latest writing venture (it鈥檚 not his first 鈥� ironically, his first book was a collaboration with his father on a personal finance book, 鈥淚t鈥檚 About the Money.鈥�)
The only problem 鈥� Jackson Jr. hasn鈥檛 yet found a publisher and industry watchers say it won鈥檛 be easy.
鈥淗ad he not been accused of a crime, and now... pled guilty to a crime, there might have been a market for a book from him. But now he鈥檚 tainted. It鈥檚 going to be tough,鈥� publicist Glenn Selig told . Selig helped former Gov. Rod Blagojevich get his book "The Governor" published before he was convicted of corruption charges.
鈥淭o get big money you'd need a publisher who is really, really interested in his story,鈥� Gail Ross, a lawyer and literary agent in Washington, told the Chicago Tribune. 鈥淢ost people I work with don't want to line the pockets of a crook.鈥�
If recent history is any indication, however, we think it鈥檚 just a matter of time before Jackson Jr. lands a publisher 鈥� and lands in a bookstore near you.
Husna Haq is a Monitor contributor.
