All of these inequalities stem from the delegation of too much power to the states, Jackson said.

For example, he said, while Mississippi draws its education funds from taxes on sales of catfish and cotton, Washington state—where thousands of students receive complimentary laptop computers—draws its dollars for schools from tax revenue from Microsoft and Boeing.

“In Mississippi, there are no laptops,” Jackson said. He drew laughter and applause, when he added, “Because students at Harvard don’t eat enough catfish sandwiches.”

Jackson drew another round of laughter when he expressed confidence in the Democrats’ presidential chances in 2004, while criticizing the failure of presidents past and present to act on education reform. President Bush has yet to take any action, Jackson said, and “He ain’t gonna do it in the last year or two he’s got left.”

The son of former presidential candidate and Rev. Jesse Jackson was received by a relatively animated crowd, eliciting nods, cheers and finally a standing ovation.

“It’s so interesting to see somebody who has such passion and idealism in today’s world, where so few public figures speak from the heart and a sense of commitment,” said Institute of Politics Director Dan Glickman.

Glickman added that Jackson’s reception in the ARCO forum was exceptionally warm.

“People rarely give standing ovations,” he said.