Corruption: From C (Chicago) to Z (Zogby polls)

It is well known that people's opinions are shaped by what they believe are the opinions of OTHERS. The ability of pollsters to shade results through nuanced wording ( or more overt means) is so obvious that we have "Democratic" pollsters and "Republican" pollsters. The results of the Zogby polls on U.S. voters relevant to the Middle East have long been questionable due to the two brothers: one Zogby, the pollster, the other the head of an "Arab-American" lobbying organization. Now we might see a Chicago innovation: from "pay-to-play" to "pay-to-say." Also, the link to a pre-eminent family of perhaps-legal-but-clearly-unethical corruption: the Jacksons of Chicago.Jesse Jackson Jr. Pays Campaign Funds to Chicago Alderman Wife By Timothy J. Burger May 21 (Bloomberg) -- Representative Jesse Jackson Jr.’s congressional campaign organization has paid his wife at least $247,500 since 2001, including at least $95,000 after Sandra Jackson joined the Chicago City Council...received the $95,000 for political consulting after pledging during her campaign to give “my full attention” to the alderman’s post. ... the Chicago Democrat’s fundraising is so entangled with his family’s interests that he’s pushing the limits of propriety, said ... a nonprofit ethics watchdog group.“Much of this may be legal, but let’s refer back to an old quote: the scandal in Washington often is what’s legal,” ...Jackson is availing himself of the full range of loopholes by which he can transfer money to his family.”...“Both the congressman and alderman take pride in being in compliance with federal, state and local laws, and rules and ethics codes.”Jackson,...is the subject of a House ethics probe into his contacts with ousted Illinois Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich...Voter ‘Favorite’ Last November, Sandi Jackson’s political committee paid for a statewide poll showing her husband as “the favorite” among Illinois voters to fill Obama’s Senate seat.... Questioned during the City Council race about living in Washington, Sandi Jackson wrote on a campaign blog that, if elected, “it is my intention to reside full time in Chicago and to give the ward and its residents my full attention.”...Different Names/“Using all these different names to describe the same person raises questions as to whether they’re intentionally disguising information on their FEC reports,” said ...a former FEC official....the filings create the appearance that Jackson “made efforts to hide some of the expenditures to his wife by using names different from how his wife is known.”...In addition to payments for consulting work, Jesse Jackson’s political committee has transferred more than $227,000 to Sandi Jackson’s campaign organization since October 2006, according to his campaign reports. He provided in-kind benefits of $71,914, including billboard space worth about $66,000....The congressman got some reciprocal benefit when the “Friends of Sandi Jackson” campaign bankrolled a Zogby International poll that showed Jesse Jackson atop a list of 10 possible contenders to replace Obama in the Senate. Sandi Jackson’s campaign reports show almost $26,000 paid to Utica, New York-based Zogby two days before polling began....the Jacksons are “now reviewing the circumstances of the poll, to determine whether reimbursement is appropriate.”....................
http://tinyurl.com/qwexks
Corruption in Illinois Costs Each Family $109 as Reform Stalls