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Rev. Jesse Jackson in the Hot Seat
Published by Pamela Gentry on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 12:15 pm.
By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Producer July 10, 2008 – The Rev. Jesse Jackson is no stranger to controversy, media spotlight or the ground rules when speaking with the press. But if he had forgotten, his latest slip of the tongue will serve as a pungent reminder to remember past lessons.
On Sunday, while in the FOX News studio waiting to be interviewed, Jackson leaned over to another guest, Reed V. Tuckson, the former chief medical officer for the District of Columbia and President of the Charles Drew University in Los Angeles, and whispered, “Barack has been talking down to Black people. …I want to cut his nuts off.” In a rapid response, the founder of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition issued a statement denouncing the “crude” nature of his comments and apologized to the presumptive Democratic nominee.
“I apologize,” Rev. Jackson said Wednesday. “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.”
Still, his actions brought swift rejection from the civil rights leader’s son, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.), the national co-chairman of Obama’s presidential campaign. In rallying behind his candidate, he proved that political alliances can be stronger than family ties. “I’m deeply outraged and disappointed in Reverend Jackson’s reckless statements about Senator 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,” Jackson Jr. wrote in a statement.
Jackson said his comments were in reference to visits Obama has made to Black churches during his campaign, at which the 46-year-old senator has said Black folks are responsible for their families and their communities. While Jackson has also been outspoken about Black America’s responsibility to play an active role in improving its plight, he has been careful to highlight the government’s responsibility to provide equal opportunity and racial justice.
But, Jackson knows that everything one says while wearing a microphone in a television studio is on the record. He also knows that a careless remark – even one he thought was off the record – can be costly. After all, it was his clumsy reference to Jews as “Hymies” and New York as “Hymietown” during his 1984 presidential bid that nearly destroyed his lifelong work within the Jewish community. And his gaffe late last year about Obama “acting White” perhaps revealed Jackson’s latent belief that the Illinois senator’s political perspective was out of line with that of the traditional civil rights establishment.
Granted, this was a careless move on Jackson’s part, but I also know it was not intended to do harm to the Obama’s shot at being commander and chief. After hearing his comments had been recorded, Jackson appeared on CNN to publicly apologize, issued a statement to the press and called the senator’s office with his apology.
His immediate actions may slow his roll on political chatter, but what it won’t stop speculation about some underlying dissention among old-school Black leadership regarding Obama’s candidacy. The topic wasn’t on the radar before this and support for Obama appeared unwavering.
Bill Burton, spokesman for the Obama campaign, suggested that the brouhaha was being blown out of proportion. “Of course” the senator accepts the reverends apology, he said. Jackson’s son’s wasn’t so forgiving. “Reverend Jackson is my dad and I’ll always love him,” he said But, “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.”
Whew, I bet the next family dinner will be a bit tense at the Jackson’s house.
jiffnn you spend a lot of time DEFENDING THE INDEFENSIBLE in jessie “pay me “jackson’s comments and behaviour… thats says a lot. if you can not find fault in what he is doing and can come up with bonkers ideas like ” he is saying things about obama cos he wants to make the whites like him . so he is using reverse phychology ” is so off the wall and just plain nuts.. jessie is jealous and peeved cos its not him up there … simple as that.. not many are supporting jessie so you can take a slug at me and anyone who can see it for what it is… jealousy . and jessie shut the fkk up for god’s sake …
well, at least one other person, black , white , blue or green actually realises that there is only one race on the planet THE HUMAN VARIETY…
Olounwa
I posted only two items on this subject and they were not in Jesse’s defense.What are you talking about ? Except too point out he was correct about faith based initiatives.
You can call it whatever kind of phychology you want,it works.
To go on Fox news which leans heavy to the right of politics (who has been critical of any Civil Rights Leader, any!); for the first time in 40 years he says something crude about a presidential hopeful; didn’t know the %~* was hot when he has moderated several of his own TV programs; his son is Co-Chairman of the Obama campaign, and goes on a “forgive Me tour.” I think the Rev. is moving himself further to the left and pusher Obama to the center of politics; or He truly doesn’t want to see an African American President in his lifetime (something he’s spent the greater portion of his life trying to achieve). The latter is illogical!
jffnn i disagree because nobody who has the intelligence to vote for change in your country is who is white is doing so because jessie jackson dissed barak obama.. lol!!!that is not the market who will even listen to the likes of jessie jackson.. plain silly to even think in that direction. jessie has been over as a so called “black leader” for yrs. he turns up to the opening of an envelope as long as he gets paid.. he comes to the uk to “speak on black issues”=talk about the increasingly hysterical black on black gang violence that is plaguing our cities and towns and then he takes the money and runs.! as effective as a wet blanket in a thunderstorm.. and just as useful.
Wishing Jackson would go away as a Civil Rights Leader is like wishing racism, sexism, or poverty would go away (its not realistic). For the mother who loses her son to gang violence, gun violence, unfair incarceration or police brutality; Civil Rights Leaders are realistic. As long as those evils still exist, Jackson will (fortunately or unfortunately) continue to be relevant.
Olounwa
Olounwa
Whether you agee/understand or not is neither here nor there because people in the know realize Obama seperating from Jackson or visa versa has a positive influence for Obama:that is why Obama’s poll numbers increased after last weeks “flak” from Jackson
In relay races, it is imperative that each man does his job and passes the paton to the next runner…..they are not jealous of the next runner, they dont hate on the next runner, they dont trip the next runner, they dont hand the next runner a weight, they cheer the next runner realizing that they are on the same team……come on Jessie, U betta than that
Olounwa:
You live in one country BUT you are native to another country. Neither country is America. Why should anyone care what you think about America? You didn’t have the guts to stay in your own native country and help your people but yet you condemn and ridicule all black americans on BET blogs (on a regular basis) who you disagree with. Aren’t you a proud African living in UK? Can you spell hypocrite!!!
Jessie Jackson needs a time out im turning 18 and even i know better! I think if we stop with all the madness and actually acting like a nation then there will be less violence,drug use, and smarter choices will be made nationally and economically. We need to start Thinking together making the best choices instead of trying to steal the limelight especially the politicians.Jessie u are suppose to be a role model for young children black children at that!!
Keep Doin yo THANG OBAMA
You all need to listen to Bill Cosby. He speaks the truth.
BET is racist, what would you say if someone started a WHITE ENT. TV. ? and not only that but what if all of the hosts were white and all of the people who watched were white and all of the videos only had white people???? Don’t give me that oh MTV is white people tv because it isn’t. Did you all know that the Charlotte Bobcat arena, the one owned by former BET owner bob johnson only employs minorities. do you really think thats right? think what you want my fellow bloggers but one thing if for sure, if you keep having the well whites do it so blacks should do it too mentality then we are not going to go anywhere as Americans. The right attitude shouldn’t be beacuse it happened in the past it shoulud happen now. Let me tell you something, black people are a whole lot more open when it comes to speaking their minds. the white community all around the nation is getting fed up.
black people,
How in the heck is BET racist when it is actually owned by a white man!!!! Get it right, yeah it was Bob Johnson’s creation, in 1980.,,,but he sold it 25 years later, and Debra Lee is Pres. and CEO, but a white man owns it……And furthermore if blacks brought suppressed white folks and brought them over on slave ships, and beat them and killed them, spat on them, hanged them, went thru a such thing called the Civil Rights era, Went through Segregation, and Integration, Went through their daughters being raped by black men, their sons being hanged, and you all overcoming that, Then I say you all deserve a White Entertainment Television………Good bye!!!
Black people,
But dont come on here saying that Blacks dont deserve BET, and BET is racist mess,….because its not, it may be geared more toward blacks because hey, it was created by a black man, and years ago, you couldnt find a black person on tv.,,,,and you didnt find any black people that owned networks, and back then in the late 70’s and early ’80’s racism was still so fresh, and blacks were told they couldnt do certain things……Whites have not endured the hate and malicious cruelty, like blacks have in this country, and who cares if Bob Johnson only employs minorities, go complain to the Better Business Bureau!!!!!
Can Obama win?
black people (obviously a white person)
in response to your comment “the white community all around the nation is getting fed up”
SINCE YOU ARE SPEAKING FOR ALL WHITE PEOPLE, LET ME TAKE THE SAME LIBERTY AND SPEAK FOR ALL BLACK PEOPLE.
THE BLACK COMMUNITY ALL AROUND THE NATION HAS BEEN FED UP WITH THE WHITE COMMUNITIES TREATMENT OF US FOR MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY DECADES!!!
NOW RUN TELL THAT AT YOUR NEXT KLAN MEETING!!!
I want all of you to check yourself. You should watch what you say to everyone because you’ll never know the favor that God have bestowed on one’s life.) that goes for me also)
I live right here in Colorado Springs. I am a Black woman. I’m not from Africa because if I was I’d get some benefits. People get it straight. We Are Black Americans. (you know the one’s that you came over and took on the ships. ) White people and Black people who live in Africa are African. They can come here and get free medical, school and everything else , but now you have to be a white african. don’t get it twisted. I’m black, living in the US ad I can’t get a food stamp if I need one. i have a mortgage company that owes Reparations to all black people and the very same people are trying to take my house, my life, everything. Now do you think I can get some help? Have i tried , yes. i’m just going to stay on this computer because i know the God I serve WILL NOT let this continue.
LORD HAVE MERCY on The United States of America