Candidate Claims Media Misrepresented Statements on Jesse Jackson Jr.

A candidate in the general election for the Second District Congressional seat said Chicago Heights Patch misinterpreted his comments about incumbent Jesse Jackson Jr.

Independent candidate Marcus Lewis recently told Patch the news of Jackson's bipolar disorder diagnosis .

In these comments, Lewis seemed to cite an example of how the public would react if it learned the president of the United States had such a disorder, but Lewis claims he was not referring to a president in his example, but rather a candidate for president.

"You wrote it wrong," Lewis said. "I was talking about a person running for office, not someone already in office. I was talking about Jackson as a candidate, not as a Congressman. He's mental. He's unelectable. People should be able to use that information to make an informed decision."

Lewis referenced Thomas Eagleton's short-lived 1972 vice presidential candidacy. Eagleton resigned from the Democratic ticket after it was revealed he suffered from depression.

"He dropped out of the race because of mental health issues," Lewis said. "They knew it would hurt them."

While times have changed, Lewis said he believes Jackson's diagnosis should still factor into voters' decision.

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