Jackson Apologizes to Obama

By Kevin Robinson in News on Jul 10, 2008 1:00PM

Rev. Jesse Jackson apologized to Barack Obama yesterday on CNN’s The Situation Room, and later at a press conference, for remarks he made off-air after an interview with Fox News. In fact, because Jackson spoke when he thought he was off the air, it took several hours to know exactly what was said.

After hours of hype, both on Fox and online, Bill O'Reilly finally played the tape on his show. At a press conference at his Rainbow/PUSH headquarters here in Chicago, Jackson said "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.... It represents too much of the dreams of so many who've paid such great prices." Obama, of course, accepted the 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," 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."