Jackson & Enron -- Jan. 31, 2002

Guess who else took Enron money? The Reverend Jesse Jackson, that's who. No wonder he's been only mildly critical of the collapsed Texas corporation.

At first, Jackson denied taking money from Enron, which would have been unusual since he’s fleeced a lot of major corporations over the years. Then he admitted his records show he accepted Enron money. He says he's not giving any of it back, though he has criticized the Bush administration for its relationship with Enron.

Al Sharpton, who is challenging Jackson for the cameras, thinks Jackson should fully disclose his relationship with Enron. In an interview with CNS News, Jackson criticized Fox's Bill O'Reilly for having an obsession about him. He says O'Reilly has done 56 stories on Jackson. That’s good! No one else will touch him for fear they'll be branded a racist.

Jackson admits he's in financial trouble. His day is past. He should quickly fade from the scene. Sharpton is bound to take his place because demagoguery abhors a vacuum.

I'm Cal Thomas in Washington.