Article: Why Jesse's so jealous of Barack's popularity ; If Barack Obama becomes President, it will be thanks to the struggles of the civil rights generation. But he still can't expect gratitude from all of them. By Rupert Cornwell

Ah, the perils of the open microphone. Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W Bush and Dick Cheney are among those bitten by this snake in the electronic grass.

Last week, it was the turn of Jesse Jackson. "Cut his nuts out", the black civil rights leader was caught remarking of Barack Obama, after an interview on Fox News. Unbeknown to Jackson, however, every word was still being picked up for posterity.

Mostly, such incidents are quickly forgotten. Who remembers Bush and Cheney privately agreeing that a certain New York Times reporter was "a major-league asshole"? But Jackson's suggestion that Obama might usefully be castrated is a major-league matter. Not in terms of any damage (physical ...

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