Jesse Jackson Apologizes for Remarks on Obama
WASHINGTON — The Rev. Jesse Jackson apologized on Wednesday for critical and crude comments he made about Senator Barack Obama, remarks in which he accused Mr. Obama of “talking down to black people.”
Mr. Jackson, before an interview with a Fox News anchor on a different topic, sharply criticized Mr. Obama for how he has been referring to African-Americans. He specifically took issue with how Mr. Obama had singled out black men in recent speeches for failing to uphold their responsibility as fathers.
Mr. Jackson’s words, which included a vulgar reference, were recorded by a live microphone on Sunday. His apology came after Fox News said it would broadcast the remarks on “The O’Reilly Factor” on Wednesday night...
Mr. Jackson, who sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, has been a supporter of Mr. Obama. He has played no formal role in the campaign, but tensions have occasionally flared behind the scenes with Mr. Jackson, who is known for his outspokenness and his penchant for drawing attention to himself.
Mr. Obama’s candidacy has served as an example of a generational and stylistic shift in black political leadership in America. The remarks drew an unusually stern rebuke from Representative Jesse Jackson Jr., Democrat of Illinois, who also serves as a national co-chairman of Mr. Obama’s presidential campaign.
“Reverend Jackson is my dad, and I’ll always love him,” the congressman said Wednesday evening in a statement. He added, “I thoroughly reject and repudiate his ugly rhetoric. He should keep hope alive and any personal attacks and insults to himself.”
In a statement issued by the campaign, Mr. Obama accepted the apology from Mr. Jackson. But a spokesman said Mr. Obama would not refrain from calling upon fathers to take greater responsibility and participate in their children’s lives.
Mr. Jackson made his remarks before an interview on “Fox & Friends” on Sunday during a segment about health care. The comments, which came when Mr. Jackson thought he was speaking privately, were brought to light on Wednesday when Bill O’Reilly, the host of “The O’Reilly Factor,” announced his intention to play the exchange. At least one of the words had to be blocked out.
Mr. Jackson’s comments apparently were a reaction to a speech Mr. Obama delivered on Father’s Day, when he told a Chicago church congregation that “we need fathers to recognize that responsibility doesn’t just end at conception.” Mr. Obama often tells his audiences that absentee fathers are, in part, to blame for some of the problems afflicting black Americans.
That message prompted Mr. Jackson to accuse Mr. Obama of “talking down to black people...”
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"It's the crack babies, stupid?" This could actually help Obama in PA/OH/IA.
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