Reverend Jesse Jackson just issued a statement to CNN, following news that Bill O'Reilly tonight will air a conversation a Fox News reporter had with Jackson over the weekend. The reverend claims to have not known the comments were on the record and preemptively apologized for what he said.

"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.

Obama has shown a certain level of tough love in his analysis of the African-American community in a few speeches, notably the one on Father's Day directed at black dads. We can't wait to hear what Jackson called Obama. We have a guess, but it's not something white people are allowed to say unless their father's brother is named Thomas.

Jesse Jackson apologizes for comments critical of Obama [CNN]
Earlier: Jesse Jackson Touts Obama’s ‘Clear Vision’

Update: Apparently he said Obama is "cutting off his nuts" with blacks. CNN has Jackson apologizing on air.