The Rev. Jesse Jackson withdrew from public view at a potentially critical hour for the civil rights movement Thursday after disclosing that he had an extramarital affair that resulted in the birth of a daughter a year and a half ago.
A steady stream of supporters -- including Jackson's son, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. -- visited with him at his Chicago home, some carrying Bibles. But the only word from Jackson was a statement issued in the early morning hours revealing the affair.
"I fully accept responsibility and I am truly sorry for my actions," he said.
Spokesman John Scanlon said Jackson issued the statement to get out in front of anticipated tabloid reports. Scanlon said the child was the result of an affair Jackson had with a woman who worked in the Washington office of Jackson's civil rights group, the Rainbow-PUSH Coalition.
In his statement, Jackson said he would temporarily step aside from public life to spend time with his family.
The statement came amid the Senate confirmation hearings for John Ashcroft, President-elect Bush's nominee for attorney general -- a choice denounced by Jackson and other civil rights leaders. Jackson has demanded that Democratic senators vote against Ashcroft.
Jackson's staff said he has not yet decided whether he will attend a rally Saturday in Florida to protest voting irregularities that he says disenfranchised blacks during the presidential election.
Jackson, a Baptist minister and one-time aide to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., said he has provided "emotional and financial support" since the baby's birth. "As her mother does, I love this child very much," he said.<
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DavidKristofferson said:
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