O’Reilly Factor to Air Video of Jesse Jackson Comments About Barack Obama

By Chris Ariens 

Breaking: The O’Reilly Factor will air exclusive video of the Rev. Jesse Jackson making disparaging comments about Sen. Barack Obama. TVNewser has learned the comments were made prior to an interview Jackson did Sunday morning on Fox & Friends. We’re told some of the comments are so raw that O’Reilly will most likely only run a couple of soundbites.

The video will show Jackson chatting with Reid Tuckson, EVP of United Health Group. The two were at Fox News Channel’s Chicago bureau getting ready to be interviewed about a new health care initiative.

Jackson was apparently unaware his microphone was hot when he made the comments about Obama, which we’re told are racial in nature.

Advertisement

Just before 4:00pmET on CNN, anchor Don Lemon reported that Rev. Jackson had reached out to the network to apologize for the comments.

Later, during The Situation Room, Wolf Blitzer and Lemon interviewed Jackson about his comments. At one point, Blitzer said, “because it’s so crude, we can’t even repeat it on the air right now.”

When reached for comment about the story, a Fox News spokesperson said, “We want to thank CNN for driving tune-in to The O’Reilly Factor tonight.”

> More: Jackson will respond to the hot mic comments at 8pmET tonight — but on CNN, not FNC. He will be interviewed by Campbell Brown during CNN Election Center…

> More, More: Matt Drudge Reports Jackson will hold a news conference at 6pmET…

Click continued to read part of Jackson’s statement about the incident…

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 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 this historic event in which we are involved.

Advertisement