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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."
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They also overheard Jackson say "a hibbity, a jibbity, a rat-tat-tat-tat"
Isn't the first rule of doing interviews "Always assume the mic is on"?
This election is so ass backwards that all the "statesmen" who you assume be be pretty valuable to the candidates, i.e. Clinton for Hil, Jackson for Obama, are so egomaniacal that they are sacrificing the larger cause for one last desperate second in the spotlight. Pathetic.
So he apologized before he even knew what he said? And didn't even try to explain his comments (I still don't even understand what he meant.) The whole situation makes it seem like he must badmouth Obama pretty regularly.
The point isn't so much about Jackson as it is about O'bama playing communities against each other. He is not trying to heighten debate he is trying to score political points and he continues to do this
I agree Jenny. What's incredible is the fact that it wasn't recorded, the media didn't cover it, and Jackson's logic was to preempt the 'controversy' by bringing it up himself. Yes, he desperately needed to inject himself into the campaign.
I hope all the people he has shaken-down for contributions to PUSH return the favor. He's such a dirtbag.
Revision of my previous comment. I should've done more research outside of what Chicagoist provided. His mike was indeed on.
From CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/10/jesse.jackson/index.html
While talking to a fellow interviewee, an open microphone picked up Jackson whispering, "See, Barack's been talking down to black people. ... I want to cut his nuts off."
Haha! Real nice, Jesse.
"... I want to cut his nuts off."
This from the man who kept the shirt stained with the blood of Martin Luther King Jr.
He's been a joke for years. Jesse Jackson's comedy routine has done more harm for the black community than all the fussing over "the rap music" could even dream of doing.
I disagree with Obama on any number of issues, but he's spoken more plainly, more honestly about race than any of the old guard black leadership has done since...er...MLK Jr.
i just feel like ... this is sad for so many reasons.
1. don't ever say things with a microphone on that you don't want people to hear. and if you're inbetween commercial breaks, probably don't say anything, period.
2. in the lion's den? he was on 'fox and friends,' right? why would you EVER say something like that around there even in jest or whispered or anything? for god's sake, jesse. show some decorum and restraint. think about where you are and who you're with. they aren't going to hesitate for a moment to use anything to take down barack.
3. stick together or die separately. i don't care what you personally think of the guy, jesse, but if people don't stick together here, it could get really bad really quickly. as much as i love obama and have stars in my eyes, i have to remember there are people who will do anything to see him get torn down. this principle also applies to communities and groups in general. infighting will ruin something in a heartbeat.
it's one of the primary reasons republicans are so good at what they do. they rally their people and get them completely unwavering on a few points.
gah blah.
Hi Spook,
Can you clarify or specify what you are referring to about Obama playing communities against one another? I honestly don't understand how that describes the remarks Jackson was referring too.
My understanding is that Jackson is referring to certain speeches Obama gave about men taking responisibility for their children, parents turing the tv off, kids doing their homework, etc. I have seen him give this speech specifically refering to African Americans in front of a primarily African American audience. So, I don't understand how that is playing one community against another - he was not talking about one community about another community.
It seems to me that in this situation he was simply talking about responsibility, self-reliance, and empowerment. I also don't see how Jackson sees that as "talking down to black people." I don't understand how suggesting a man should care for his children is a bad thing.
Oh please. It was a distraction. It's supposed to make us forget Obama's vote to shred the 4th Amendment earlier in the day.
Also, white people might like him better if Jesse Jackson says something bad about him.
Obamas finger wagging speeches seem less geared at the blacks he's speaking to and more geared toward making white people feel comfortable.
not_another_username- You hit the nail on the head- Jesse Jackson talking bad about Obama on Faux News will only help Obama with Faux viewers.
And WTF is Obama doing voting for telecom immunity? What a huge disappointment.
Jackson,
Seems like you're "real" so I will try as best I can.
O'bama plays “Black” when suits him, which is to pander to conservative/blue collar white America and make liberals feel comfortable with out being challenged. Often this is done at the expense of the poor Black Community. Its the same republicans do and the same thing Bill Clinton did in 92.
O’bam’s pandering lacks integrity. Next he's gonna start with Ronald Regan’s "welfare Queens"! It’s the same thing.
And it’s a bold faced lie for his spokesperson to say he always talks about "a society to provide jobs, justice, and opportunity for all" Heck he just started talking about the lives of poor white folks after Jonathan Edwards started and later Hillary followed up before O'bama caught on.
But every time he opens his mouth with respect to Black folks, it’s always about what they are not doing. Never about the economic violence being waged against them based on race and class. O'Bama silent on Katrina, Silent on Jenna 6, silent on the prison industrial complex. But ready to talk about the right to bear arms, ready to talk about states rights for the death penalty, etc.
At least Jesse Jackson tells the truth on a national level. This doesn’t excuse his shameless poverty pimping or playing house shameless House Negro to Daley. But the only time O’Bama talks about race in a some what socratic level is when he is forced too, and even thin its still on a tepid NPR level, which is the way most of yall( perhaps excluding you) like it. I just wish yall would be honest about it. That’s what I like conservatives white folks. At least they are honest about their b.s
And for him to compare himself to the average Black child out there growing up with out a father
is audacity with out hope! Shame shame shame!
I saw this on the news last night and didn't think much of it.
Jackson isn't all that relevant. The guy would show up at the grand opening of a dry cleaner if he thought cameras would be there. I would pay more attention to his son. You can bet he was just thrilled to see his old man on tv again.....
The bi-partisan love-in that was telco immunity should remind all of us that *both* Democrats and Republicans will always place the needs of big corporations over the needs of their constituents. So how much more needs to happen before we're officially a plutocracy?
Spook,
Not sure what you mean by it seeming that I am "real." I have posted here mulitple times and have actualy had exchanges with you on other topics. I am not an Obama fan trolling if that's what you mean.
Now, I am the first person to admit that Obama is a politician and politician have politcal and selfish motivations for what they do. I have no doubt that anything any politician says has multiple motivations and purposes.
I do however quibble with the idea that a biracial man acts "black" when its convenient. What, precisely, does it mean to play "black"? Who are you, me, or anyone to tell another person what their experience of their race should be or how they should express it. The same goes for Obama's experience of being abandoned by his father. In his comment he does not say that his experience as a fatherless child was exactly the same as the "average Black child." Yes, Obama had an usual upbringing, but that doesn't negate the fact that his father's absence effected his life. I also find it interesting that you seem to think there is a standard monolithic fatherless experience for "Black" children.
Finally, as for Obama's absence on issues of poverty, Katrina, etc. Obama was a community activist working with low-income people. This work has driven many of his choices. Do I think he should talk about it more and do more about it? Absolutely. But I think it is not quite fair to ignore actual work he did on the front lines. I agree that his response to Jena 6 was slow and inadequate. But, you are wrong about his response to Katrina. In addition to numerous public statements,beginning in September 2005, Obama introduced or co-sponsored at least 12 acts of Katrina related legislation, ranging from bankruptcy protection to ending no bid contracts to investigating the government's response and toxic trailers to extending tax credits to Katrina families with children. He is a politician, not an activist, and he addressed Katrina as a legislator should.
Look, love Obama, hate Obama, vote for him or don't - I don't care. That's your choice, and I don't think I or anyone else really can influence anyone's convinctions. The thing that really bothers me is people making unsupported blanket statements and promoting them as facts. The Bush administration got away with crap like that, misinforming the public for far too long.