Obama on Michael Jackson's death
Posted: Thursday, July 02, 2009 1:48 PM by Mark Murray
Filed Under:
White House, Barack Obama
From NBC's Scott Foster
In an on-camera interview today with the AP, President Obama was asked for his reaction to the apparent perception in the black community that he wasn't "respectful enough" to the death of Michael Jackson.
The president responded that he knows "a lot of people in the black community, and I haven't heard that."
(To recap: Obama's spokesman spoke on the president's behalf during a White House briefing last week, and the White House issued a written statement over the weekend that the President had sent a condolence letter to the Jackson family.)
Today, Obama offered his public reaction, praising the legacy of Jackson -- while also noting the troubling aspects of his life.
"Michael Jackson is -- will go down in history as one of the greatest entertainers," he said. "I grew up on his music, still have all his stuff on my iPod. You know, I think his brilliance as a performer also was paired with a tragic and in many ways sad personal life. But, you know, I am glad to see that he is being remembered primarily for the great joy that he brought to a lot of people through his extraordinary gifts as an entertainer."
