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Democratic Love Triangle

Date Added: Sept. 27, 2002
Last Updated: Aug. 23, 2005

The relative anonymity of e-mail allows us to say things we wouldn't normally say, knowing that there will likely be be few consequences. Similarly, we can pass along the words of others to express thoughts that we may have, but can't quite express ourselves. When that message is politically charged, you get a long-running chain letter like this one.

Jessie Jackson has added former Chicago democratic congressman Mel Reynolds to Rainbow / PUSH Coalition's payroll. Reynolds was among the 176 criminals excused in President Clinton's last-minute forgiveness spree.

Reynolds received a commutation of his six-and-a- half-year federal sentence for 15 convictions of wire fraud, bank fraud and lies to the Federal Election Commission. He is more notorious; however, for concurrently serving five years for sleeping with an underage campaign volunteer.

This is a first in American politics: An ex-congressman who had sex with a subordinate, won clemency from a president who had sex with a subordinate then was hired by a clergyman who had sex with a subordinate. His new job? .....Youth counselor.

This message began circulating in late summer, 2002. The text was taken from an article by Deroy Murdock, a columnist for Scripps Howard News Service. The events and circumstances it relates are fundamentally true:

In the mid 1990's, Bill Clinton admitted to inappropriate sexual behavior with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, thus the "president who had sex with a subordinate."
In 2001, the National Enquirer reported that Reverend Jesse Jackson had an affair with a former Rainbow/PUSH Coalition aide, thus the "clergyman who had sex with a subordinate.
Before he left office, Clinton commuted sentences ex-congressman Mel Reynolds was serving for having sex with an under-age campaign volunteer and for using campaign money for personal interests.
In 2001, Reynolds became a consultant for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition as a consultant for prison reform. He is employed as the community development director of Salem Baptist Church in Chicago.

It is the relative simplicity of the message - politicians (particularly democrats) have an informal club of immoral colleagues who guard and watch over each other - is what makes this one so popular. And, you could probably come up with dozens of examples from both sides of the political fence (as many have done when this gem gets posted on most message boards).

Despite the relative truth in this one (setting it apart from most politically charged chains), BreakTheChain.org recommends against forwarding the work of another person via e-mail. The potential to misinform is just too high. As this one circulates, I've seen versions combining it with other, less-valid rumors or including false attribution from folks who have passed it along. Break this chain.

References: Snopes.com, TruthOrFiction.com

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