Jackson's Obama comment regretfully crude

The Rev. Jesse Jackson apologized Wednesday for “crude and hurtful” remarks he made against Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama after finishing an interview with a Fox News correspondent.

Jackson told CNN that the interview had wrapped up and he didn’t realize his remarks were captured by a “hot” microphone.

Jackson didn’t elaborate on the context of his remarks, except to say he was trying to explain that Obama was hurting his relationship with black voters by recently conducting “moral” lectures at African-American churches.

“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,” Jackson said in a statement issued Tuesday afternoon.

SHOCK: REV. JESSE JACKSON SLAMS OBAMA, WANTS TO 'CUT HIS N**S OUT'... APOLOGIZES FOR 'CRUDE AND HURTFUL COMMENTS' CAUGHT ON TAPE... FOXNEWS WILL PLAY JACKSON TAPE IN ITS ENTIRETY TONIGHT ON 'O'REILLY' 8 PM ET/5 PM PT... DEVELOPING...

Jackson Statement: For any harm or hurt that this hot mic private conversation may have caused, I apologize. 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.

_That was the context of my private conversation and it does not reflect any disparagement on my part for the historic event in which we are involved or my pride in Senator Barack Obama, who is leading it, whom I have supported by crisscrossing this nation in every level of media and audience from the beginning in absolute terms._

The Rev. Jesse Jackson was caught on a live microphone disparaging Barack Obama's relationship with African American church-goers.

Jackson, during a break in a Fox News interview, made a very crude statement regarding Obama's relationship with African Americans after the presidential candidate made several speeches on morality at black churches.

(UPDATE: Jackson is holding a news conference at 5 p.m. from Operation Push HQ).

Obama recently lectured that black males are ''acting like boys''

''There's a reason why our families are in disrepair," Obama said in a Father's Day speech at Apostolic Church of God on Chicago's South Side. "And some of it has to do with a tragic history, but we can't keep on using that as an excuse. Too many fathers are AWOL, missing from too many lives and too many homes. They've abandoned their responsibilities. They're acting like boys instead of men."

Rev. Jackson today apologized for the remarks.

"For any harm or hurt that this hot mic private conversation may have caused, I apologize," Jackson said in a statement. "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.''

Obama decided to leave his longtime church, Trinity United Church of Christ, after controversial remarks by former pastor Jeremiah Wright and Father Michael Pfleger.

In a sermon days after the Sept. 11 attacks, Wright said "America's chickens are coming home to roost" after the United States dropped atomic bombs on Japan and "supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans."

Pfleger, mocked Hillary Clinton from the Trinity pulpit, saying that Clinton thought she was entitled to the nomination but that "a black man'' was ''stealing my show.''

Pfleger, who is pastor at St. Sabina Catholic church on the South Side, was a guest preacher at Trinity when he made those remarks.

He said he thought there were other key issues facing the black community, such as unemployment and crime.

The reverend added: "See, Barack been, um, talking down to black people on this faith based... I want to cut his nuts off... Barack... he's talking down to black people."

Mr Jackson said he had called the Obama campaign to apologise "for any harm or hurt that this hot mic private conversation may have caused".

"My support for Senator Obama's campaign is wide, deep and unequivocal."

Mr Jackson said he was trying to appeal to Mr Obama 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".

A spokesman for the Obama campaign, Bill Burton, said the presidential candidate would "continue to speak out about our responsibilities to ourselves and each other, and he of course accepts Reverend Jackson's apology".

Mr Obama has had a number of problems with clergymen during his election campaign.

In May he said he was "deeply disappointed" with a sermon by supporter Rev Michael Pfleger, who suggested presidential rival Hillary Clinton had felt "entitled" to beat Mr Obama because she was white.

Earlier, Mr Obama denounced the claim by Rev Jeremiah Wright, who officiated at his wedding and baptised his daughters, that the 9/11 attacks were an example of "America's chickens coming home to roost".