Jesse Jackson Jr.

After spending much of the past year and a half out of the public eye (thanks in large part to his prominent role in the Rod Blagojevich trials) the Congressman is making a comeback, gunning for re-election and putting a happy face on his recent foibles.

Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. is poised for a big year in 2012.

After spending much of the past year and a half out of the public eye (thanks in large part to his prominent role in the Rod Blagojevich trials) the congressman is making a comeback, gunning for re-election and putting a happy face on his recent foibles.

Sometime in January 2012, the South Side politician began making public appearances, talking about health care and immigration.

Unfortunately for the congressman, the media will not be watching for policy prescriptions out of the 2nd district.

Instead, the focus will narrow in on Jackson Jr.’s personal life (marital infidelity), his campaign (stiff competition) and the expected restart to a congressional ethics investigation into whether Jackson Jr.  tried to use a campaign bundler to raise funds for Governor Rod Blagojevich in exchange for being appointed to a Senate seat (corruption).

Ward Room figures that Jackson Jr. will be a top news maker during the coming months and so, we’re adding him to our list of the 9 most influential politicians in Chicago. Followers of this blog know that means we’ll cover, in gritty detail, every aspect of Jackson Jr.’s life going forward.

His inclusion on the list means that our editors will bump down Chicago’s iconic Mayor Richard Daley.

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