Reverend sorry for 'crude' Obama comments

The Rev Jesse Jackson has apologised for “regretfully crude” comments he made about White House contender Barack Obama’s speeches in black churches during what he thought was a private conversation.

The civil rights activist said he made the comments in response to a question from a Fox News reporter about speeches on morality that Mr Obama had given at black churches.

A Fox spokeswoman said the comments came during a conversation with a Fox & Friends guest before a live interview on Sunday from Chicago.

Mr Jackson said yesterday that he had said Mr Obama’s speeches “can come off as speaking down to black people” and that there were other important issues to be addressed in the black community, such as unemployment, the mortgage crisis and the number of blacks in prison.

“And then I said something I thought regretfully crude but it was very private and very much a soundbite and a live mic,” Mr Jackson told CNN.

Fox News aired the excerpt of Jackson’s comment, including a reference to wanting to cut off the Democratic senator’s genitals, bleeping out the offending four-letter word in its broadcast.

In a video shown last night on the Fox programme The O’Reilly Factor, Mr Jackson whispers to a fellow panellist “See, Barack been, um, talking down to black people on this faith based ... I want cut his **** off ... Barack ... he’s talking down to black people.”

Mr Jackson was making the remarks to Dr Reed Tuckson, executive vice president and chief of medical affairs for UnitedHealth Group.

Mr Jackson said he did not remember “exactly” what he said on Sunday but that he was “very sorry”.

Messages seeking comment were left for Mr Obama’s campaign yesterday.

“For any harm or hurt that this hot mic private conversation may have caused, I apologise,” Mr Jackson said in a written statement.

“My support for Senator Obama’s campaign is wide, deep and unequivocal.”

Mr Jackson said he had called Mr Obama’s campaign to apologise.

“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...,” Mr Jackson’s statement said of his comments.

“That was the context of my private conversation and it does not reflect any disparagement on my part ... or my pride in Senator Barack Obama.”

Although Mr Jackson is supporting Mr Obama, the two are not close.

Mr Jackson was even rebuked by his own son, US Rep Jesse Jackson Jr, for writing a column last year questioning the commitment of Mr Obama and other Democratic presidential candidates to the needs of black voters.

His son wrote a response in The Chicago Sun-Times with the headline, “You’re wrong on Obama, Dad”.

Mr Jackson is the third Chicago pastor to create problems for Mr Obama on the campaign trail.

In March, a videotape of Mr Obama’s long-time former pastor the Rev Jeremiah Wright created a political firestorm in the US primaries. On the tape, Mr Wright accused the US government of creating Aids and is seen shouting: “God damn America” during a sermon at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.

In May, Roman Catholic priest the Rev Michael Pfleger mocked Mr Obama’s then Democratic rival, Senator Hillary Clinton, during a guest sermon at Mr Obama’s former church, from which Mr Obama has since resigned. Mr Pfleger, who is white, pretended he was Mrs Clinton crying over “a black man stealing my show”.

The Obama comments are not the first Mr Jackson has had to explain after believing he was off the record.

In 1984, he called New York City “Hymietown”, referring to the city’s large Jewish population. He later acknowledged it was the wrong to use the term, but said he did so in private to a reporter.