Even before the jury renders a verdict in the Rod Blagojevich political corruption case, there is one certainty: Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. entered his typhoon of questionable politics. What is not certain is whether Jackson will be hurt by it.

The phone taps and testimony show his political peers had such little respect for Jackson. Blagojevich only used him as a prop, threatening the Obama administration with his appointment to the vacated Senate seat, unless the former Illinois governor could get a reward.

Nowhere is the disrespect for Jackson more pronounced than the phone call Robert Blagojevich made to Rod on Nov. 12, 2008:

Robert: Jesse, Jr. is not emotionally stable to do anything other than, hell, cry. I mean he should not even be a God Damn congressman. He’s a f—ing articulate incompetent.

The Blagojevich inner circle did, however, start to take the appointment seriously when a group of Indian American fundraisers started promising money to get Jackson in the Senate.

Evidenced in a call Chief of Staff John Harris made to Rod Blagojevich at his home on Dec. 4, 2008:

Rod Blagojevich: Well, he’s come to me with, through third parties, you know with offers of campaign contributions and help.

John Harris: Right.

Rod Blagojevich: You know what I mean? 1.5 million, they’ve, they’re throwin’ numbers around.

U.S. attorney Chris Niewohner told Judge James Zagel outside of the presence of the jury that Raghuveer Nayak promised Blagojevich that he would raise $1 million for him to appoint Jackson to the Senate.

According to prosecutors, Jackson became aware of the effort to buy his appointment on Oct. 28, 2008 at a meeting in Chicago’s 312 restaurant.

Then on Dec. 9, 2008, the Feds arrested Blagojevich for what Patrick Fitzgerald described as a “crime spree,” which included trying to sell the senate seat.

Jackson held a press conference on Dec. 12 and said, “I reject and denounce pay to play politics and have no involvement whatsoever in any wrongdoing.”

He also said, “I did not know the process had been corrupted. I did not know that credentials, that qualifications, that a record of service meant nothing to the Governor.  I did not know that the Governor and his cronies were attempting to use the process to extort money and favors.”

U.S. attorneys contend that he knew, at least since the meeting at the 312 restaurant in October.

Jackson was never charged with anything, prompting the prominent columnist for the Chicago Tribune John Kass to say, “If he gives up politics, he should go to Vegas because he is pretty lucky.”

Still, the evidence in this case prompted the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington to list Rep. Jackson as one the 15 most corrupt members of congress and republicans smell blood in the water.

The National Republican Congressional Committee has invited Jackson’s challenger, Rev Isaac Hayes to join their young guns program, which would put that organization in his corner along with the Republican National Committee.

“I just got a call earlier today from Michael Steele’s office. I can’t disclose what’s going on right now, but I do expect a lot of support from the RNC,” Hayes told me on July 27.

Regardless of support and the Blagojevich trial touching Jackson’s reputation, the fight will be difficult for Hayes.  At the moment, he has only $30,000 in his war chest and Chicago’s 2nd district has not elected a republican since 1950.

The last election won Jackson more than 80 percent of the vote.  The appearance of corruption matters little when both of Jackson’s predecessors each left the office surrounded by scandal.

Hayes says he is willing to fight against the odds.

“I went to the RNC and said I wanted to challenge Mr. Jackson because I felt that the last 40 years of democratic control in my particular community was not moving us forward.”

He continued, “My district has suffered a three-peat of political corruption and my opponent is the third in the list of repeat offenders.”