*Brand New Video* Jesse Jackson’s “Insightful” Comments Caught on Tape
July 9, 2008
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Good old Jesse Jackson seems to have just handed Barack Obama his “Sistah Soulja” moment on a shiny sliver platter. The incident came during an interview with FOX’s Bill O’Reilly during an “off air” conversation that Jackson thought wasn’t being recorded in fact was. Needless to say O’Reilly plans on running with this to the hills and back, while Jackson is already apologizing left and right.
Here is a rundown of what took place, this comes courtesy of CNN who was the first to report the breaking story:
The Rev. Jesse Jackson issued an apology to Barack Obama Wednesday for making what he called a “crude and hurtful” remark about the Illinois senator’s recent comments directed toward some members of the black community.
According to Jackson, a Fox News microphone picked up comments he meant to deliver privately that seemed to disparage the presumptive Democratic nominee for appearing to lecture the black community on morality.
Jackson didn’t elaborate on the context of his remarks, except to say he was trying to explain that Obama was hurting his relationship with black voters by recently conducting “moral” lectures at African-American churches.
Jackson’s apology came a few hours before Fox News planned to air the remarks.
Speaking to CNN Wednesday, Jackson said he feels “very distressed” over the comments.
“This is a sound bite in a broader conversation about urban policy and racial disparities. I feel very distressed because I’m supportive of this campaign and with the senator, what he has done and is doing,” he said. “I said he comes down as speaking down to black people. The moral message must be a much broader message. What we need really is racial justice and urban policy and jobs and health care. That’s a range of issues on the menu.
“Then I said something I regret was crude. It was very private. And very much a sound bite,” he also said.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9cyGxn-TAg
And then here is the Chicago Tribune’s own Clarence Page talking about Jackson’s “candid remarks over on their blog, “The Swamp”:
Well, Swamp fans, as Jackson explained to me by telephone, his remarks occurred during an off-air moment during a Fox New Channel interview that aired Sunday.
Jackson didn’t realize that the mics were still “hot,” as in turned on and recording when he made a few off-the-cuff remarks about Obama’s faith-based programs.
Bill O’Reilly has the story and plans to report it on his Fox program, “The O’Reilly Factor” tonight.
Even though O’Reilly has booked me and another guest to respond to the video, he is withholding a full transcript or recording of Jackson’s remarks even from me until the program airs.
So far I have only been told by a producer that Jackson criticizes Obama’s proposed faith-based programs for “talking down to black people.”
And (A warning here to younger or more sensitive readers) Jackson also says something about how the senator was “going to get his (twin objects of male anatomy) cut off.”
Jackson, who recalled his remark as, “The senator is cutting off his you-know-what with black people,” expressed deep regrets for saying it, even in what he thought was a “private conversation.”
“I want to be clear,” Jackson said. “My support for Barack Obama is unequivocal. I apologize to Barack and the Obama campaign for my crude and hurtful comments.”
Huffingtonpost.com has also put up Barack Obama’s official response regarding Jesse Jackson’s tacky to say the least comments. Here’s what team Obama had to say:
A statement from the Obama campaign: “As someone who grew up without a father in the home, Senator Obama has spoken and written for many years about the issue of parental responsibility, including the importance of fathers participating in their children’s lives. He also discusses our responsibility as a society to provide jobs, justice, and opportunity for all. He will continue to speak out about our responsibilities to ourselves and each other, and he of course accepts Reverend Jackson’s apology,” said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton.
Here is video of Jackson calling into CNN and offering up his apology:
Comments
Got something to say?