JESSE JACKSON: WAS HE SET UP BY FOX NEWS? And Should He Have Been More Vigilant?

The Reverend Jesse Jackson's crude off-air comments that he made against the presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee, IL Senator Obama, in what he thought was a private conversation during a taping of a "Fox & Friends" news show,has now grown even uglier. It was reported earlier that Jackson stated: "I would like to cut-off his n--ts (meaning Obama's testicles). Now it appears Jackson used the "N-word in referring to blacks in general. I am not surprised Rev. Jackson applies such language in his private conversations because it is done so among blacks rather freely in many circles; which goes to expose the hypocrisy of a leader preaching against the use of such words, while in private he practices the opposite.

Nonetheless,the forum in which he used the slur is quite baffling. Jackson knows quite well that he was not among friends at Fox News. As a matter of fact, Fox News abhor all that he stands for. And the cable news channel that I watch lets the entire world know their disdainful-negative sentiments towards the reverend with practically every mentioning of his name and actions.

As a consequence, I wonder if Fox News intentionally left the microphone on just to try and catch Jackson while his guard was down to get something to use to discredit him. I am not making excuses for his behavior, but I can't help but wonder if leaving the microphone on and recording an off-air comment was simply a mere coincidence and happenstance, or an intentional calculated act(?). After all Fox News could have chosen the option of ignoring or destroying the tape ,instead of making it public. Besides, is that any way to treat a guest? Would Fox News have made public such terms used by one of their conservative right-wing guests? I seriously doubt it. You decide!