The Blog Formerly Known As Vote '08

OBAMA-JACKSON
Jackson apologizes for comments about Obama

CHICAGO (AP) - The Reverend Jesse Jackson says he’s “very sorry” for comments he made about Barack Obama during what he thought was a private conversation with a reporter.
Jackson tells The Associated Press he doesn’t remember “exactly” what he said after a Sunday interview about health care with a Fox News reporter when asked his opinion about Obama speaking in black churches.
Jackson says the comments were “a side light in a broader conversation about urban disparities.”
He issued a written statement Wednesday apologizing “for any harm or hurt that this hot mic private conversation may have caused.”
He says his support for Obama’s campaign is “wide, deep and unequivocal.”

What did he say? Oh, I’m not gonna go there. You can find it on the internets if you try a little.

Not gonna spend too much time on this as it’s quite the non-story .. except to say that this is nothing but a plus for Obama. He will win points with anyone considering him who doesn’t like Jesse Jackson, & lose support from … well, no one, actually.

What do you think?

UPDATE: Dan Balz of the Washington Post explains why this is such a boon to Obama:

“Obama did not have to rebuke an important constituency himself to define himself as different from the Jackson-Sharpton wing of the Democratic Party. Being attacked by Jackson was more than enough to get across the point. Whatever people may know or think they know about Obama, they can no longer mistake him as a direct descendant of old-style black politics.”

Totally non-important PostScript: This is a true story. In the summer of 1992 I was an intern at CNN in Washington, D.C. It was a pretty menial & somewhat pointless exercise but I did manage to have a lot of brushes with celebrities. As interns, we were instructed never to approach any of the famous “talent,” & at the time Jesse Jackson was in that group, hosting a show called “Both Sides with Jesse Jackson.” One day he interviewed Ross Perot, who that summer was giving both George H.W. Bush & Bill Clinton a run for their money. So just to say I did, I waited at the outside courtyard in front of the CNN studios to shake Perot’s hand (for the record, I was not a fan of Perot, but it was hard to pass up the opportunity). So finally Perot walks out of the building with Jesse Jackson all alone. No guards or assistants, just them. The height difference was remarkable. I believe Jackson is about 6′ 4″ or so & Perot stands about 4′ 10″ (just a guess). I approached them both, & remembering my earlier edict about not approaching “talent,” I said to Mr. Perot, “Mr. Perot I’m a big fan! Can I shake your hand?” He said “You’re very kind” & shook my hand & gave me an autograph. Jackson said nothing. I hope he didn’t take it personally - I just didn’t want to get in trouble if he saw me later.

Anyway, that was my brush with Jesse Jackson & Ross Perot. At the very least the above news story has given me a chance to tell that tale.

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