Presumed privilege.

He´s black, he´s entitled.

I´m not able to access the article. Did someone pull it?

Ghetto mentality. Simple as that.

Is this a surprise to anyone? He is/was about as sharp as a marble, with the intellect and conscience of a fruit fly.

How is the welfare queen in the White House different?

link does not work please correct

What they misappropriated was chump change compared to the rest of the slimy creatures in O´s circle of friends.

Why, just look at Corzine. Over one billion dollars gone......poof! He´s guilty as sin, free as a bird.

Why would the Jackson´s think they would be singled out for punishment.

Like Blago, there is a lot more going on here.

He is a disgrace to the family name. His father is a preacher and shake-down grifter that sired a child out of wedlock and Junior is an under-achiever in this circle. I am beginning to think there is a dishonesty flaw in the entire family.

Its the culture, stupid!

There is an easy answer. He watched his daddy get away with all kinds of thievery, without penalty, including personal expenditures from foundation money, paying off an employee that the rev knocked up, and junior thought he could do the same.
But trying to buy the senate seat got his people caught up on the telephone taps on Blago (which were shut off quickly when the kenyan klown´s operatives showed up) and federal attorneys had no choice but to investigate the congressman.

Link does not work - but the question in the header is worth examining.

The writer´s moral confusion is apparent in the question itself, which, instead of dealing with right and wrong or even obedience to law and order, proceeds directly to a risk-benefit analysis. Not "Why did they do something that was wrong, i.e. misappropriate campaign funds for personal use," but "why did they not give more consideration to the consequences if they were caught?"

The latter question might be asked of anyone who commits a criminal act. The answer, in most if not all cases, is self-evident: the criminal does not expect to be caught. Precautions of various kinds are inevitably taken to escape apprehension.

In the case of a Federally and politically and journalistically protected personage like Junior Jackson, of course, an additional consideration undoubtedly applied. Jackson and his wife surely figured that even if their illegal use of funds was noticed, no really severe consequences would befall them because of who they were.

Thus it is no mystery why they thought they could get away with it. It is a mark of the columnist´s naivete that such a question would arise. The more important question is, why were their ethical and moral values such that they would engage in such behavior in the first place - even if they could be quite certain they would not be caught or suffer consequences if they were?

"Revenge"!

If you are going to pretend to be wealthy, it is important to know that a platinum Rolex is easily identified by those "who know" as an expensive piece of jewelry. I am fascinated by the gold-plated Rolex. It truly is a case of gilding the lily.

A liberal owning a fur coat? Does PETA know?

Because he watched his daddy do it since he was a little tyke!

The Post ends their article asking why we should not have compassion for the Jackson´s. Don´t we have the same faults and problems as the Jackson´s in our spending? they ask. As if to condone their actions.
The Post still trying to cover for their ilk.
We have problems with credit cards and mortgage and car payments. But we don´t break the law doing it.
So Ms. Singletary, don´t try to bring the rest of us down to their level. Just report the facts and forgive us the moral story. That is why we go to church.

FTA: Why would a couple risk so much — respect and even their freedom — for furs, furniture and a fedora?

Obviously Mr and Mrs Jackson Jr. never asked themselves this while they were ripping off their campaign contributors probably becuase they didn´t see it as thievery.

And I´m tired of the whine from the MSM about these events being a tragedy. This was no tragedy that they had no control over - they did it to themselves. Screw ´em.

Most likely an imperious, entitled mindset prevailed.
Quite likely, Jessie Jr has never had a real job in his whole life.

The man has lived 50 years being told "you´re owed" by his agitator father and other "community organizers." What else do you expect?

Where in the world would you even BUY a fur cape??

Never mind WHY. . .

The money Corzine stole (keeping a nice % for himself) went to paying for early Obama campaign ads. To this day, not a dime has been repaid. And Corzine is living the good life. This is the signal event that convinced me that the country is likely done for.

´S not stuff, yo.
It be BLING.
Whitey don´ unnerstan, it be an urban thang.

JJ Jr. and Sandi lived like most of the other black people in their district, it´s all for show. My in-laws lived in a very poor and mostly African American suburb in the 2nd Congressional District. The houses in their town were tiny, cheap and rundown but the cars the driveways were big, flashy and expensive. On Sundays we´d see their neighbors coming home from church and based on the way they dressed you´d think they lived on the Gold Coast and not the one of the poorest southern suburbs. Living within your means appeared to be a foreign concept in that town.

"...judged by the content of his character"? Still want to hold to that idea Jackson (senior and junior) admirers?

Anyway, content of character is the answer to the question posed at the top of the article.

Great responses all, and excellent analysis by the esteemed #12.

But I can summarize #12 in three words:
No moral center.

Perhaps just ´no morals´ would suffice. Despite his heritage, or quite likely BECAUSE of it, he may truly not know right from wrong.

I´m beginning to wonder if all liberals hear ´right´ and don´t connect it to its opposite of ´wrong´ or something morally desired and achieved, but rather equate it to ´entitlement´ or perhaps even ´evil Republicans´.... ??? Could they be that far gone?

With his father successfully extorting money from companies for years, he didn´t think that the laws applied to their family.

Absence of ethics and morals.and the presence of faux ethics like current day blacks are owed something because of the slavery their ancestors endured.

A mixture of unadulterated greed, contempt for the laws of this country, and a feeling of superiority (being above the laws that others must obey.)

The same symptoms that WAY too many crumbs in Washington are "victims" of.

Because democrat politicians consider everyone else´s money, theirs?

I´d be willing to bet it´s NOT all about "stuff." There´s probably a tidy sum stashed away somewhere so they can live comfortably for the rest of their lives after getting out of this little scuff-up.

I learned a long time ago that common sense, brains & class have nothing to do with what kind of "bling" you
wear. I knew a highly successful lawyer who bought his watches at Walmart, because he was always losing them. I know another woman who with her husband own a very successful business. She shops at thrift stores for clothes & household items - but they pay cash for cars & bought a huge house & land with CASH. She says they do not like to make payments to credit card or mortgage companies. I suspect that JJ Jr. doesn´t think about anything but instant gratification - a sign of a small mind.

No mention that he´s a democrat. Crap piece designed to minimize the crimes committed and blame "stuff" for his demise.

Writer is a typical WaPo/democrat con artist. We see right through you, honey.

Agree 100% with poster #34. I sure her piece on poor Bernie Madoff will be forthcoming (when a certain eternal location freezes over)

#2 - (D) as well

Why should anyone feel sorry for them? JJJ lived a life of privilege. He attended the same private school in DC that algore attended--St. Albans. JJSr had plenty of money from his shakedowns and Operation Push donations. Maybe he taught Jr. how to skim a little for himself. The only time JJJ has been in the ghetto is when he has been trolling for votes. Why did they do it? Because they could.

I just wonder if a $43,000 watch tells more accurate time that a $9.95 Timex? All watches in today´s world are battery driven electronic, so I ask my question.

"Why" is a bit of dumb question - it´s called greed. So simple. So much a part of human nature. So great a drive in the lives of politicians.

Judging from the list of things he bought, it looks like he wanted to dress like a pimp.

He or they will get a pardon or a commutation from the Obamster.Count on it.

Why? Because anyone stupid enough to contribute to JJJ deserves to be ripped off.

Agree with #43.

If the named sum total was $700,000.00, you can bet you last dollar it was at least 10 times that amount. Maybe he can run a big bank when he get his sentence reduced at the next hearing.
You know, steal $2 Billion, pay $10,000.00 fine.

"We´re going to take the only thing Chicago cares about--its money."
Tom Hanks as Mike Sullivan in "The Road to Perdition."
This was Three J´s mistake. Those campaign donations were supposed to be spent on bribes--to voters, to judges, to union goons, to aldermans, to election committees. He was supposed to buy bumper stickers and yard signs from union print shops. He was supposed to spread the wealth around.
Instead, he bought bling and Michael Jackson memorabilia.
The Chicago machine could not look away--not this time.

The writer is confused about her objective with this piece. She pretends "not to make excuses" for this criminal couple -- then, she proceeds to insinuate excuses.

And what a weird little sermonette Ms Singletary delivers at the end of this embarrassing piece:
"Before you pass judgment on the Jacksons, think about the mess you might have made of your finances..."

Dear Ms. Singletary, many of us in America have not made a "mess" of our finances. We live within our means --while we pay through the nose for legions of liars and chiselers, and their enablers ... like you.

Willie Brown has a fedora.

If 3J only made off with $750,000, he is a virtual paragon of virtue compared to his old man, John Corzine, Billy Jeff and his bride Hildabeast, and the current residents of The White House.

What happens
when your church
teaches social justice
instead of
social service?

They believe their own propaganda when whites write on their faces that they are Unfair (or whatever).

How stupid do you have to be to allow someone to write on your face, and then allow them to film it.

Those people are using carbon credits that could be put to better use. Like AlGore´s jet.

None dare call them Reparations, in this and in many other contexts. Follow the money. Entitlement, retribution, however you want to define it. Obama´s America.