Jackson on Davis: ‘I offer no challenge to his integrity’

George Talbot’s article in the Press-Register gives us the morning update on the Jesse Jackson / Artur Davis story.

An excerpt:

Jackson said in a statement late Thursday that he called Davis to discuss his remarks.

“I talked to (Davis) today to assure him of my abiding admiration of him as a leader who is engaged in a huge challenge,” Jackson said. “I offer no challenge to his integrity as a leader. Representatives should all vote their conscience in the interest of their constituency.”

Davis has said he supports efforts to reform the nation’s health care system but that the bill put forward by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “is not the best we can do.” He said he favors a bill proposed by the Senate Finance Committee, saying the legislation needs work but “comes closer to achieving the real reform we need.”

National political commentator Gwen Ifill gets at the same point that I was making yesterday when she told Talbot, “Obama was perfectly happy to have Jesse Jackson saying things about him — and it could be that Artur Davis feels the same way.”

Here is yesterday’s statement on the matter [.doc format] released by Jackson’s Rainbow Push Coalition. Left in Alabama weighs in here.

Related Articles:

• Jesse Jackson Calls Out Artur Davis