In this post I photographed a black SUV with congressional plates in the Gold Coast and said it was Jesse Jackson Jr’s.
In fact, it is from the first congressional district (the “1” I guess, now in hindsight that is obvious) and it is Bobby Rush’s.
Like Jesse Jackson Jr., Bobby Rush is a lockstep Democrat, voting for all of the environmental programs and it is very surprising that such an individual would go for a giant, expensive gas guzzling SUV when their party wants all of America to get into a tiny, fuel efficient economy car. But principles are for the “little people”, not those in power, right?
As far as Jesse Jackson Jr – it is TRUE (according to this post on the Channel 5 blog, a local news channel, so presumably a pretty reliable source) that he doesn’t drive a Lincoln Navigator – but he drives a FORD EXPEDITION.
Bizarrely enough, Mr. Jackson must not be much of a negotiator, because he is paying $1161 / month for a Ford Expedition while Bobby Rush pays $746 / month for a Lincoln Navigator, both 2007 models. He is paying much more to lease the less expensive model. According to MSN, the 2007 Ford Expedition retailed for between $29,000 and $39,000 depending on option packages, while the 2007 Lincoln Navigator retailed for between $45,000 and $51,000.
Using the midpoint of the price range, the Lincoln Navigator costs 41% MORE than the Ford Expedition, and yet Bobby Rush is paying 36% LESS than Mr. Jackson. Very odd.
But to get back to the heart of the matter – as anyone who knows anything about cars understands, the Lincoln Navigator and the Ford Expedition are ESSENTIALLY THE SAME TRUCK. The Ford Expedition weighs around 6,000 pounds, and the Lincoln Navigator weighs around 6,000 pounds. According to the NBC 5 blog post, the Lincoln Navigator actually gets BETTER gas mileage, too, although they are both terrible, as anyone who owns one can attest.
But Jesse Jackson Jr. wasn’t hanging out in the Gold Coast instead of hanging in their neighborhood with their own constituents, Bobby Rush was. He is about 18 miles out of Evergreen Park. After all, why hang out with those that elect you in the first place.
SO, in conclusion:
– I was wrong, Jesse Jackson Jr. doesn’t drive a Lincoln Navigator and wasn’t hanging out in the Gold Coast Friday night
– BUT Jesse Jackson Jr. does drive ESSENTIALLY the same car, a giant gas-guzzling SUV of the type his Democratic party routinely condemns, according to our local news station (see link above)
– Jesse Jackson Jr. doesn’t appear to be much of a negotiator, either, at least compared to his other gas-guzzling hypocritical Democratic congressional brethren
Mayor Quimby (commenter) – care to comment from the US House of Representatives on why someone who votes 100% with environmental causes drives a huge, gas-guzzling SUV, essentially identical to the one that I said he drove in the original post?
Cross posted at LITGM
Carl, are both these esteemed gentlemen paying out of their own pockets for their toys? I doubt it.
No they get a congressional allowance to do with what they please.
Then there is your answer to a “bad negotiator”: it’s not his money, why would he bother to negotiate better price? His bills are paid by someone else…in fact, they are paid by poor shmacks whom he makes to follow the “green” line.
The laws of nomenklatura are universal.
I think it was Friedman who came up with the four different kinds of money.
1. Your money that you spend on yourself.
2. Your money that you spend on others.
3. Others money that you spend on yourself.
4. Others money that you spend on others.
I believe the listing above is in order on how thrifty you are with the money, but I am too lazy to check.
Typical liberal way of doing things: “do as I say, not as I do.”
He is doing what he can to patriotically support Ford Motor Company, the only private auto company left of the original Big Three. Leave him alone. I read a couple of years ago that the Navigator produced the highest profits of any product for Ford, about $15,000 per car.
Go, Bobby !
As far as gas mileage is concerned, my wife has a new Tahoe and it gets 24 MPG on the highway, far higher than the Chevy Trailblazer that she traded in. We can now drive from our home in Orange County, CA to our second home in Tucson on one tank of gas. I believe the tank is the same size and the older car took two fillups to make it. Now, if real estate prices will recover just a bit before the final collapse of California, we can settle in Tucson and watch California float away on a sea of debt.