Republican lawmakers have been buzzing about Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.’s (D-Ill.) recent floor antics.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/a-whip-without-portfolio--just-the-way-jesse-jackson-jr.-likes-it-2007-07-27.html

A whip without portfolio — just the way Jesse Jackson Jr. likes it
By Susan Crabtree
July 27, 2007
Republican lawmakers have been buzzing about Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.’s (D-Ill.) recent floor antics.

During the last few weeks’ appropriations votes, he stood at the Democrats’ desk, jumping up and down, giving the thumbs — way — up sign, yelling to members how they should vote on amendments and, at times, talking excitedly into his Bluetooth earpiece — against House floor rules.................

Jackson freely admitted he’s not a member of the exclusive whip team and said he doesn’t want to be. According to him, he’s a volunteer, a whip without portfolio. As a concerned member of the caucus who sits on three appropriations subcommittees, he took it upon himself to assist the whip team during several recent votes on spending bills. He assumed the role after witnessing some confused Democrats voting against majority-supported bills after voting no on a long run of Republican amendments by anti-spending conservatives such as Reps. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.).

More than a dozen Democrats mistakenly helped vote down a recent Democratic amendment to the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development spending bill sponsored by Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), Jackson said. The bill went down by a slim margin, 207–220.

“We’re losing some substantive Democratic amendments because we are not getting our message out — are not being loud enough for our members to hear,” Jackson said. “I’m just echoing what they’re saying, but communicating it in a loud enough way so people can know what to do.”

Jackson’s allies argue he has provided a much-needed harder edge to Clyburn’s lower-key style.

We need more like that.