Shakedown: Exposing the Real Jesse Jackson

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Analysis, Long Overdue
Review: Finally! It is so nice to get the other side of Jesse Jackson, his dark side, rather than the adulation of the Liberal Press. People point out that Jesse Jackson has done some good. True. But then again, so did Al Capone and Adolf Hitler. That didn't change them from being what they were- people guilty of terrible injustice. So too is Jackson. Timmerman's work is an excellent cataloguing of the things he has done and gotten away with.
The worst thing about Jackson was his connection to the El Rukn gang. They were drug dealers and extortionists who manned the barricades of Jesse's early boycotts, using intimidation for those who did not want to play along.
Jesse's shakedowns of businesses that actually work for a living is old news for anyone- save for Liberals living in a permanent state of denial. However the disasters he caused the people of African states like Sierra Leone, Liberia and South Africa were new to me (though hardly surprising). A special thing to note is that Foday Sankoh, the murdering guerrilla leader that Jesse saved, helped finance 'al-Qaeda with the diamond mines he controlled. Jesse helped bring about 9-11.
One of the saddest things is the treatment that Black Conservatives and Republicans receive at the hands of Black Democrats such as Jackson. Timmerman basically wrote this book at the behest of Black Reverends(real Reverends who were properly ordained, unlike Jackson, who is no true man of God, either in terms of ordaination or in deed) who were afraid to speak out against Jackson for fear of retaliation. If what Barbara Reynolds recived is any indication, they would perhaps have reason to fear for their lives.
Timmerman outlines the activities of Noah Robinson, the "Reverend"'s brother. He is now serving life for murder. His crimes are catalogued in the book.
I admire Timmerman's courage in writing this work, as his life may also be in danger, as was that of Ms Reynolds. He is a patriot and warrior for truth. I wish to thank him for his research and dilligent pursuit of truth. He deserves the thanks of the nation for exposing the activities of an unscrupulous man who is abusing the generousity of the American people.

Rating:
Summary: Shakedown: A Biased Account
Review: Since what follows is a review of Kenneth R. Timmerman's book, "Shakedown: Exposing the Real Jesse Jackson" I will let it be known that, although I do not agree with all of Jackson's goals and methods, I do support overall the positive impact he has had on the black community and America at large.

That said, Mr. Timmerman has written a "hit" book in the style of David Brock's "The Real Anita Hill." What both have in common is a lack of basic ethics when it comes to covering a subject. To wit, Timmerman, as did Brock, uses unsubstantiated allegations, rumor and innuendo and presents them as "facts" in his book. He gets allegations from Jackson's detractors and prints them unsubstantiated and without talking to others who could provide balance.

Timmerman makes so many factual errors in his book that it calls into question how much he really knows about his subject. For example, he calls Mellody Hobson of Ariel Capital Management, a "white assistant" to the black owner of the firm, John Rogers, when in fact she is the President of the firm. He also mentions Hermene Hartmann, publisher of N'Digo magapaper, as having once been married to the Rev. Calvin Morris, the first director of Operation Breadbasket. In fact she was married to the Rev. David Wallace.

These are two of many such errors in the book. Apparently in doing the research, Timmerman did not set out to learn about his subject for the book, in order to deliver an unbiased account. In essence, Timmerman has written a book that is basically his opinion of Jackson, preconceived as character assassination. He got his information, much of it factually wrong, "interviewing" like minded people and neglected to provide substantiation. Timmerman's book thus has serious credibility issues.

Jackson's Wall Street project, Operation Breadbasket and PUSH advocated on behalf of black business. Much of what these organizations and individuals have accomplished is no different than what chambers of commerce do day in and day out, which is to use the business, political and economic leverage of their members to advance their economic interests. Timmerman's premise, and that of Jackson's detractors, is that blacks do not have a right to advocate in similar ways for their economic benefit, as others have done and still do. A basic tenet of free market capitalism is that one can spend one's money with whomever he sees fit, and is not required to spend it with firms that do not reciprocate. There is nothing wrong with organizing around this concept.

I bought the book for the same reasons I always do; to learn more about subjects that interests me. I suspect that many bought the book as it held out the promise of a character assassination of Jackson, facts be damned. It also appears that this is exactly what Timmerman had in mind.

That this book is a best seller is not so much a tribute to a great tome in the tradition of investigative journalism, but to the great numbers of people who feed off racism and discrimination and will pay to have their beliefs confirmed, the facts be damned. That Timmerman made such a great number of factual errors in the book shows that he had little concern for facts or truth, but only to preach to the choir.

Rating:
Summary: Finally, someone has the guts to tell the truth about Jesse!
Review: In this book, Timmerman meticulously documents Jackson's rise to become the de facto power broker for his race. It starts with his involvement with Chicago gangs, then went on to the way he forced his way into Martin Luther King's organization (King did not trust Jesse and for good reason!). It goes on to document how the press gave Jesse his title of "Reverend" when he was not ordained by any church (he never corrected them) and of the sleazy shortcuts he used to finally get the title years later.

It details the start of his PUSH organization and how he used his political connections to avoid the required audits which would have exposed the organization for what it really is. It tells how he learned to use corporations and U.S. & state & city governments to bankroll his high living style and that of his family and cronies. It tells how he routinely refuses to help any downtrodden blacks unless they put up the cash first. Probably the most shameful (and least known) thing he did was connect himself with the dictators in Africa, cashing in on millions from them, at the expense of the race he pretends to protect. The way he wasted millions of dollars as President Clinton's "special envoy" will make you physically ill. It is high time that the facts about "Reverend" Jesse Jackson become known.

The only complaint might be that it makes for rather dry reading in some places, because Timmerman so carefully documents every detail. Also, he barely touched on Jesse's many extramarital affairs (but that would probably fill another entire book)! I thought I knew of most of Jesse's scandals, but I was wrong--I was astounded at the shear volume of criminal things this guy has been able to get by with! Thank you Kenneth Timmerman

Rating:
Summary: The Truth
Review: This book, like so many others of late, uncovers what the elite left and the mainstream media are afraid of and hate the most...The Truth. I'd like to see Jesse go after Turner Enterprises...which will happen the day Ted Kennedy pushes for a tax cut.

Rating:
Summary: No surprises
Review: If I were wealthy enough, I would buy a copy of this book for every American with an interest in politics and public affairs - both liberals and conservatives. The only way to stop Jackson is with the truth, and this is it. The case is all the more convincing when Timmerman liberally quotes black and liberal activists who repudiate Jackson over and over again.

On balance the book contains no surprises for me, just the details and data to prove what I always knew: that Jesse Jackson is a complete fraud. The "public" Jesse doesn't exist. He is not a man of compassion. He is not looking out for the black man, or the poor. He is looking out for #1. The book is merely a chronological litany of excesses and outrages, all for the personal gain of one person: Jesse Jackson.

Rating:
Summary: wow
Review: When one visualizes so many corporate heads, falling over themselves to make a deal with Jesse, rather than face the wrath of Jeff Fort's El Rukn thugs, the head shakes almost nonstop. CNN, Anheiser Busch, IBm and others are mere pawns of his criminal enterprise. A must read for those who thought they understood Chicago, politics and Jesse. The research is impecable. The story is scary. The book is hard to put down.

Rating:
Summary: The Sordid Truth About Je$$e Ja¢k$on
Review: How refreshing to finally have someone thoroughly investigate Je$$e Ja¢k$on and expose him for what he really is. Mr. Timmerman's courage is to be admired in today's politically correct America. He has conclusively documented the extortion, corruption, fraud, greed, and lies in Ja¢k$on's public and personal life.

That anyone as evil as the klintons or Je$$e Ja¢k$on can exist for longer than 10 seconds in the political arena speaks volumes about the left-wing censorship and bias of the mainstream media. It will convince you once and for all to doubt anything espoused by Ja¢k$on's racist defenders and apologists.

Regardless of your political persuasion or even if you are apolitical, you owe it to yourself to read this book. It may sicken you, but it will certainly enlighten you about Je$$e Ja¢k$on in particular and left-wing extremists in general.

Rating:
Summary: So little time, so much money
Review: It's all about money and power for Jesse. But what is it all about for the media who backed him for decades? And why was the American media so unconcerned about the thousands of dead African children, dead as a direct result of Jesse's support for killers in Africa? (nothing like the reportage on women in burkas in Afghanistan).

The poor black Americans get pennies of the millions Jesse bilks from the federal government (tax money paid by both poor blacks and whites) while Jesse and his few black buddies rake in billions. But the poor black Africans got dead, or at best got arms and legs chopped off. The mainstream media, Jesse, the Congressional Black Caucus and Clinton have a lot of blood on those money-filled hands.

Rating:
Summary: Jesse is more then just a race pimp-
Review: I have always thought that jesse Jackson was just a race pimp. I was wrong, he is close to being a tratior.

The KKK in its wildest dreams could not have done more for race hatered then Jesse Jackson has. The basic point of the book is that the "Rev" Jackson is a solution in search of a problem and lots and lots of cash.

On the national front the "Rev" Jackson baslicy flys from race problem to race problem in seach of the TV camera once the tv lights are gone- so is he. This is coupled by a orgnization and protection racket that would have made al copone cry with envy. On the international front the "reverend's" antics are close to treasonous. That is exposed for the first time in the book is the fact that while runing for President the "reverend" was taking money from numerous Arab Dictators.

Note: I use the " " about the title Reverned becasue Mr. Jackson never gradutated from divenity school- a fact also noted in the book.

Rating:
Summary: Wake Up Call
Review: A well written and documented book that exposes the real Jesse Jackson stripped of his ability to hide behind cries of racism if anyone speaks of his less than ethical dealing throughout his years in the public spotlight.

The depth of his political connections (shady and legitimate)are represented in a way that is fair and balanced; leaving little doubt that this man's dealings and should have been exposed in the mainstream press years ago.

The author Kenneth Timmerman does an excellent job in weaving an expose that leaves the reader with a clear understanding of facts from fiction that surrounds the icon of Jesse Jackson.

Dealing with street gangs, political connection that netted millions from (perhaps well intentioned) federal programs that had little or no results, accounting practices that are a best sloppy and at worst criminal, corporate shakedowns, dealing with communists operatives, etc, etc, etc.

A real wake up call for me.