Could Become Issue In 2007 Chicago Mayor's Race

Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., says he backs the idea of re-establishing an airport on Northerly Island, where Meigs Airport stood before it was ripped out of the ground on orders from Chicago Mayor Richard Daley two years ago. The airport issue could well become a major plank in the Jackson campaign, should the young Congressman decide to run for mayor.

The Meigs Action Coalition, a group dedicated to rebuilding the airport that Daley destroyed, has published a letter from Jackson, saying he supports their plan for a combination airport and city park on Northerly Island.

"Your plan offers a compromise that preserves an important aviation asset while creating a new lakefront park space," Jackson wrote in his message to Rachel Goodstein of the MAC. "I agree that Meigs needs to continue to play a role in the city's emergency response and security system."

Jackson says he has no plans to run against Daley when the current mayor's term expires in 2007. But Daley is currently preoccupied in two scandals. If they continue to cause his administration problems, other politicians -- perhaps even Jackson -- might reconsider their aversion to opposing the 16-year incumbent.

FMI: www.egov.cityofchicago.org, www.jessejacksonjr.org