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Jackson apologizes for Obama remarks

By John McCormick and Monique Garcia and updated

Rev. Jesse Jackson formally apologized to Sen. Barack Obama today for disparaging comments he made during a recent off-air moment following an interview expected to air this evening on Fox News.

“If in this this thing that I’ve said in a hot mic statement that’s interpreted as distraction, I offer apologies for that because I don’t want to harm or hurt to come to this campaign,” Jackson said at a news conference inside his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition headquarters on Chicago’s South Side. “It represents too much of the dreams of so many who’ve paid such great prices.”

Jackson said he did not want his remarks, still not fully known, to distract from the Illinois Democrat’s presidential bid. “I hope what we’ve done in this situation does not distract from that message,” he said.

Fox has begun to release excerpts of the video, including one where Jackson whispers that Obama is “talking down to black people.” It is also believed that Jackson at one point talks about Obama having part of his male anatomy “cut off.”

Whatever he said, Jackson said he remains committed to trying to help Obama win. “What I want to get clear is my support for Barack and his policies are long-standing, broad-based and deep and unequivocal,” he said.

Jackson said he had not spoken about the matter yet with Obama. “We have a relationship that can survive this,” he said.

Obama’s campaign issued a statement almost immediately after Jackson ended his news conference.

“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,” Obama spokesman Bill Burton said. “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.”

Jackson would not directly say whether he thought Fox should air the unscripted moment, but he did not blame the media for reporting the incident.

“That’s a decision you guys have to make,” he said. “It’s my responsibility. It’s not yours.”

Jackson repeatedly stressed his “54-year journey” in the civil rights movement and that he believes Obama has taken the effort to a new level. “I wish Dr. King could see this,” he said.

Jackson’s remarks also drew a strong rebuke from his own son, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.

“I’m deeply outraged and disappointed in Rev. Jackson’s reckless statements about Sen. Barack Obama. His divisive and demeaning comments about the presumptive Democratic nominee — and I believe the next president of the United States — contradict his inspiring and courageous career,” he said in a statement.

“Revered Jackson is my dad and I’ll always love him,” he continued. “He should know how hard that I’ve worked for the last year and a half as a national co-chair of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. So, I thoroughly reject and repudiate his ugly rhetoric. He should keep hope alive and any personal attacks and insults to himself.”

Robert plotkin

The congressman’s unusually cold statement may represent an attempt to create a distance between himself and his father after years in which he felt it difficult to seek a higher political office due to controversy surrounding Rev. Jackson. Recently, the congressman acknowledged he discarded a potential run for the U.S. Senate seat Obama won in 2004 in part because of his father.

See the transcript of Bill O’Reilly’s segment on Jackson below, courtesy of the FOX News Channel, and see a video of the segment here, also courtesy of FOX.

Here is a transcript from The O’Reilly Factor, courtesy of the FOX News Channel:

“Hi, I’m Bill O’Reilly … thanks for watching us tonight … Jesse Jackson criticizes Barack Obama.

That is the subject of this evening’s talking points memo.

While speaking to Reed Truckson … from the United Health Care Group … Reverend Jackson had some negative comments about Senator Obama’s recent support for faith-based charities … operating with government funds.

Here is part of what Jackson said:

Jackson: “See, Barack been, um, talking down to black people on this faith based (pause), I want to cut his nuts (bleep nuts) out.”

Jackson: “Barack (pause) he’s talking down to black people.”

Now, I have no idea why Jackson framed his comments this way. We invited the Reverend on the program this evening and he declined.

Unlike what Jackson himself often does … talking points is not going to speculate about his motivation or describe his comments in pejorative any way.

You heard them … you can decide.

Also, it w …

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