Jesse Jackson apologises to Obama

Chicago: Barack Obama's campaign tried yet again to contain a political storm kicked up by a vocal Chicago supporter as Reverend Jesse Jackson apologised for crude comments picked up by a live microphone about the Democratic presidential candidate.

Jackson said the "hurtful and wrong" comments came in response to a question from a fellow guest during a break from taping "Fox & Friends" on Sunday. The guest asked about speeches on morality Obama has given at black churches.

Not aware

Jackson said at a news conference Wednesday that he had said Obama's speeches can come off as speaking down to black people and that there were other important issues to be addressed in the community, such as unemployment, the mortgage crisis and the number of blacks in prison. He said he was not aware the microphone was still on.

Jackson declined to repeat the comments, but said he decided to apologise publicly after hearing from Fox News that it would air them.

Earlier Wednesday, Jackson said he didn't remember his exact words, but said he was "very sorry."

The Fox News aired Jackson's comment Wednesday night, including a slang reference to his wanting to cut off Obama's testicles ("I want to cut his nuts out"). The report bleeped out the slang but made clear what Jackson said with subtitles.

"It was not a public speech or a declaration," Jackson said, adding the comments "will not be helpful."

"For any harm or hurt that this private conversation may have caused, I apologise," he said.

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

Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton noted that the Illinois senator grew up without his father and has spoken and written at length about the issues of parental responsibility, and of society's obligation to provide "jobs, justice and opportunity for all".

"He will continue to speak out about our responsibilities to ourselves and each others, and he of course accepts Jackson's apology," Burton said.