Jesse Jackson Offers to Neuter Obama

When will people learn not to speak off-the-cuff when wired up at the Fox News studio? Well, maybe Rainbow/PUSH leader, activist and minister Jesse Jackson has learned a lesson.

Drudge and others are reporting that Rev. Jackson said some pretty nasty things about Obama prior to a taping at the Fox News studios on Sunday. Early reports quote Jackson as saying he'll "cut his n**s out". Oh my. Apparently Jesse is not fond of Obama's pushing African American men to be more responsible. I've often wondered, considering Jackson's lukewarm response to Obama, if there wasn't a little jealousy involved here.

CNN's Wolf Blizter had this to say prior to a phone interview with Jackson a short time ago. "Reverend Jackson, why did you say these things? Because it's so crude, we can't even repeat it on the air right now, what you said on this open mike."

Jackson's late response:

For any harm or hurt that this hot mic private conversation may have caused, I apologize," Jackson said in a statement issued to CNN. "My support for Senator Obama's campaign is wide, deep and unequivocal. I cherish this redemptive and historical moment."

"My appeal was for the moral content of his message to not only deal with the personal and moral responsibility of black males, but to deal with the collective moral responsibility of government and the public policy which would be a corrective action for the lack of good choices that often led to their irresponsibility," Jackson also said.

"That was the context of my private conversation and it does not reflect any disparagement on my part for the historic event in which we are involved or my pride in Senator Barack Obama, who is leading it, whom I have supported by crisscrossing this nation in every level of media and audience from the beginning in absolute terms.

The O'Reilly Factor will air the nasty bits in their entirety tonight at 8:00 PM EDT.

Jackson's son (and Obama's National Co-Chair) Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) said, "I thoroughly reject and repudiate his ugly rhetoric". In addition he said, "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." I'm thinking family relations may be a bit strained for awhile.

The Obama campaign's response:

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," the statement read.

"He will continue to speak out about our responsibilities to ourselves and each other, and he of course accepts Rev. Jackson's apology.