NYDailyNews Al Revs Up With Attack on Jesse

With Rudy Giuliani practically out of time in office, Al Sharpton has found somebody else to pick on: Jesse Jackson.

Perhaps he fears Jackson might be an impediment to his likely run for President in 2004, but the 47-year-old Sharpton — who has been blasting Jackson for some time — takes the collar off and rips into his fellow reverend in next week's issue of New York magazine.

Al Sharpton "I do feel it's time that I share the stage with him [Jackson] as an equal," says Sharpton. "But his ego is bigger than mine, so he is having a hard time giving me my space.

"Jesse has lost some of his instincts for issues. He looked silly trying to suspend Halloween. He messed up by saying the Taliban had invited him to mediate. Jesse is like Muhammad Ali now. He can't fight no more, but he is still a great champion."

Sharpton last went after Jackson in June, while he was in jail for his protest against the bombing on Vieques, Puerto Rico. Asked about his involvement in the Tawana Brawley rape case during a TV interview, Sharpton responded by raising the issue of how Martin Luther King Jr.'s blood came to be on Jackson's shirt after King was killed. Sharpton brought up an old allegation that Jackson smeared the blood to help position himself as King's successor.

After the interview aired, Sharpton was criticized for his remarks, and he immediately issued an apology to Jackson.

These days, Sharpton admits he has learned much from one-time presidential candidate Jackson over the years, but he wants his 60-year-old former mentor to step aside to let a "new generation share leadership." When asked what's responsible for the chasm between them, Sharpton points to former President Bill Clinton.

"I felt Jesse used his tremendous access to the [Clinton] White House to help ... those Wall Street guys more than to help working people and consumers. He got too close to power," says Sharpton.

On the other hand, Sharpton knows that, without Jackson's support, it's doubtful he can ever be taken seriously as a national candidate.

"When I'm running, Reverend has to react to me," says Sharpton. "Does he support me, or does he support [Sens. Tom] Daschle or [John] Edwards? Does he accept some role in my campaign? What does he do if the Democratic National Committee asks him to stop me from running? Reverend will have to make decisions in response to my candidacy."

Of course, if Sharpton keeps mouthing off, he may lose Jackson forever. Jackson was contacted by the magazine for its article. After ranting off the record for 40 minutes about Sharpton, according to the magazine, Jackson finally had this to say on the record:

"I have no interest in this subject of me and Al. This so-called feud is a white version of black reality. Ask me about poverty. Ask me about economic development. Ask me about AIDS and hunger. Ask me about Afghanistan and terrorism. But don't pull me into some racist media game ... ask me about real life. I got nothing to say about Al."

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2001

Answers

He's already lost Jackson forever. Jackson will never under any circumstances forgive Sharpton for those remarks (especially since there is a lot of truth in some of them).

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2001

I'd rather no one asked Jesse anything. Then he might shut up and go play dad to his newest bastard child.

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2001