"Barack is talking down to black people. I want to cut his nuts off." Those words were uttered by Rev. Jesse Jackson under his breath as he prepared for an on-air interview with FOX News on Sunday. Clearly, Rev. Jackson's comments were private and not intended for public airing, but the damage was done. It seems Jackson doesn't like how Obama has been playing up personal responsibility talk to black fathers while speaking to black audiences. The African-American community is reacting harshly to Jackson's comments, with even his own son harshly criticizing him. "I'm deeply outraged and disappointed in Reverend Jackson's reckless statements about Senator Barack Obama," son U.S. Rep. Jess Jackson, Jr. said. "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 himself apologized for what he called "regretfully crude" comments.
The Obama campaign used the opportunity to talk about Barack's first-hand experience growing up without a father in the home. "As someone who grew up without a father in the home, Senator 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," his campaign said. "He will continue to speak out about our responsibilities to ourselves and each other, and he of course accepts Reverend Jackson's apology," said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton. It's funny how Obama is now using his own father as a bad example of parenting when he built him up in his autobiography entitled, "Dreams of My Father," where he enlarges the role of his father while diminishing the role of the single-parent mom who raised him.
Privately, I suspect a lot of African-American leaders who have played a real role in the civil rights movement, unlike Obama who grew up in a family with a white mother and white grandparents and attended exclusive private schools, share Jackson's sentiments but just can't say it out loud. Ironically, the public disclosure of Jackson's private comments may have the effect of politically cutting off his nuts. Deep down you know that Rev. Jackson really resents the fact that Obama is the one poised to become the first "African-American" president (and I use that term loosely) and not him. Anyone involved in Illinois politics will tell you that it's hard to find someone with a bigger ego than Jackson.
8 comments:
Wonder if Don Imus has any comment to offer?
Will Jackson will get a 'pass' because 'it's OK for a black man to say such-and-so about another black man?'
If his own son isn't giving him a pass, .....
Imaging John McCain saying that... Fox News only aired part of what Jackson had to say. Bill O'Reilly said they held back the more damaging statements because they didn't want to attack Jesse personally. Why? Why not play the whole thing? What's up with that crap? Fair and balanced my ass! Did Ted Turner purchase Fox News?
The part that they are not airing is that Jackson said he would like to "cut his nuts off". I suspect that is not being aired because of the graphic nature of it. His own son has disavowed the statement and Jesse apologized for the tasteless statement. I think this case is closed.
Oh sure, Junior gave Pop a bit of a tongue-lashing, but there sure hasn't been much angry outcry otherwise. Talk show fodder, that's about all.
I mean, this was an advocation of physical harm. There was quite a bit of outrage on the local level when Abdul made his 'beating' remark.
Jesse just says 'I'm sorry' that that's the end of that. Where's Al Sharpton's angry vitriol? Maybe I missed it, but I haven't heard any comment from him at all.
No one is clamoring for Jesse's 'job', throwing him off boards of director positions or other ramifications. And this guy is a 'man of the cloth!'
Maybe it's OK to threaten harm to presidential candidates now. I guess I missed THAT memo, too.
Jesse Jackson is a moron, but to equate what he said with Don Imus is somewhat off base. Imus was using his radio show to use racially-motivated slurs (nappy-haired hoes). Jackson was off the air having a private conversation and not using racial slurs.
If anything this helps Obama with white voters who aren't sure about Obama, because it is clear evidence that Obama is not a militant black preacher. And it has absolutely zero impact on black voters who are still equally excited about voting for the first black president.
OK, so a weak 'racial slur' (more of a personal insult) trumps advocating physical harm to a presidential candidate?
An alleged cleryman who clearly is advocating violence ("mutilation", even!), using such language it's NOT a one-time slipup, and from someone who hangs their hat on calling out others for doing same - well, THAT's OK?
EXCUSE ME????
"Let he who is WITHOUT SIN cast the first stone" Unless you are Jesse Jackson, then all bets are off.
If Jesse wants to mutilate the genitals of a 'good friend' one can only guess what his real views are on the rest of the population.
Well, I really can't stand Jesse Jackson, but come on...clearly, he isn't REALLY threatening to cut Obama's nuts off like some mafia don. He was just venting, which is something people do all the time. This time, he did it at the wrong place and time.
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