Jesse Jackson used N-word in TV interview

THE Reverend Jesse Jackson used the N-word during a break in a TV interview where he criticised presidential candidate Barack Obama, Fox News said.

The longtime civil rights leader already came under fire this month for crude off-air comments he made against Obama in what he thought was a private conversation during a taping of a Fox & Friends news show.

In additional comments from that same conversation, Jackson is reported to have said Obama was “talking down to black people”, and referred to blacks with the N-word when he said Obama was telling them “how to behave”.

Fox declined to release the full transcript of the July 6 show.

Jackson — who is travelling in Spain — apologised in a statement for “hurtful words” but didn’t offer specifics.

“I am deeply saddened and distressed by the pain and sorrow that I have caused as a result of my hurtful words. I apologise again to Senator Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, their children as well as to the American public,” Jackson said.

“There really is no justification for my comments and I hope the Obama family and the American public will forgive me. I also pray we, as a nation, can move on to address the real issues that affect the American people.”

Earlier this month in a reference to Obama, Jackson said: “I want to cut his nuts off”, not knowing his words were picked up on microphone.

Meanwhile, Barack Obama raised $52 million (€32.7m) last month for his presidential campaign, more than twice as much as Republican rival John McCain in a significant boost to his financial cache for the fall contest.

The Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee ended June with a combined total of $92.3m in the bank.