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Jesse Jackson's Hot Mic Mess
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 9, 2008
Modified Jul 10, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 9, 2008
Modified Jul 10, 2008
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Fox News captured the Reverend Jesse Jackson criticizing presidential candidate Barack Obama, saying, "See, Barack's been talking down to black people ... I want to cut his nuts off." Jackson was appearing on this past Sunday's Fox & Friends and was speaking to UnitedHealth Group's Reid Tuckson, a fellow guest--but didn't realize his mic was still on. Tonight, Bill O'Reilly aired the clip, and added that Fox News has "more damaging" audio of Jackson, but it's classy like that.
Jackson apologized, "I said something I felt regret for -- it was crude...For any harm or hurt that this hot mic conversation may have caused, I apologize." After saying Obama had his support, Jackson also tried to give some explanation; via CNN:
"I was in a conversation with a fellow guest on Sunday. He asked about Barack's speeches lately at the black churches. I said he comes down as speaking down to black people," Jackson said.
In a recent Father's Day speech at a black church, Obama took absent black fathers to task, saying, "We need them to realize that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child -- it's the courage to raise one."
While Jackson didn't cite any particular comment, he told CNN that Obama's message to black voters must be broader and serve as more than a "moral challenge."
The black community is faced with high levels of unemployment, home foreclosures and violence, "so we have some real serious issues -- not just moral issues," he said.
To make things a little more complicated, Jackson's son is co-chair of Obama's campaign. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. issued a statement saying:
"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...
The remarks like those uttered on Fox by Reverend Jackson do not advance the campaign’s cause of building a more perfect union.
“Reverend Jackson is my dad and I’ll always love him. 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.”
Obama's campaign said, "As someone who grew up without a father in the home, Senator 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. 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.”
Tagged
barack obama
bill o'reilly
fox news
hot mix
jesse jackson
Reverend Jesse Jackson
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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