Jesse Jackson apologizes for crude remarks about Obama
The civil rights leader didn't know a microphone was on when he criticized the Democratic presidential candidate.
NEW YORK — The Rev. Jesse Jackson apologized this afternoon for making crude remarks about Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama that were picked up during an interview with Fox News on Sunday.
The civil rights leader apparently did not know that his microphone was on when he made the whispered comments to another guest as he prepared to do an interview on "Fox & Friends."
"Barack, he's talking down to black people," Jackson said in a short clip the network aired this afternoon on "Special Report with Brit Hume."
Hume reported that Jackson also "threatened to cut off a certain part of Obama's anatomy."
The cable news network is set to air more audio and video of what Jackson said this evening on "The O'Reilly Factor" at 5 p.m. Pacific time.
But before that could happen, Jackson gave an interview to rival network CNN expressing regret for his comments, which he said he made as part of a discussion about Obama's calls for more personal responsibility during appearances before black churches.
"I said it can come off as speaking down to black people," Jackson said on CNN's "The Situation Room."
"And then I said something I felt regret for -- it was crude," he added. "It was very private, and very much a sound bite -- and a live mike. And so I feel -- I find no comfort in it, I find no joy in it. So I immediately called the senator's campaign to send my statement of apology to repair the harm or hurt that this may have caused his campaign because I support it unequivocally."
Obama spokesman Bill Burton said the Democratic presidential contender accepted Jackson's apology.
"As someone who grew up without a father in the home, Sen. 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," Burton said in a statement. "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 Rev. Jackson's apology."
CNN did not report the exact words Jackson used during the Fox interview. Anchor Wolf Blitzer said the language was "so crude" that the network could not air it.
Jackson said he hoped his remarks would not be taken out of context or construed as a lack of support for Obama's campaign.
