Oct 2, 2009 4:17 pm US/Central
Did Beating Video Sour Chicago's Bid?
Rev. Jackson Says Images Of Teen's Death May Have Had Negative Effect
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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The Rev. Jesse Jackson (file)
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
The Rev. Jesse Jackson says he's "truly disappointed" in Chicago's Olympic loss and is questioning if video footage of a Chicago teen's beating death influenced the International Olympic Committee's decision.
Jackson tells The Associated Press that Chicago had the right combination to host the 2016 Olympic Games, with buildings and transportation. And the civil rights leader says Chicago sent the "A-Team" with visits to Copenhagen from President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey.
But he believes that the Bush administration had poor relations with the IOC and remnants of that era remain.
Jackson also said he wonders if repeated airing of footage of the beating death of 16-year-old Derrion Albert on television and the Internet might have influenced the IOC.
Albert, an honor student at Fenger High School, is believed to have stumbled into a disturbance between two groups of young people near his school. He was struck, kick and beaten, and was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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