The campaigns are sparring over comments by Rev. Jesse Jackson arguing that Barack Obama’s foreign policy will mean an end to “decades of putting Israel’s interests first.”

According to a report in the NY Post today, Jackson told an audience at the World Policy Forum in Evian, France last week that the  “Zionists who have controlled American policy for decades” will lose influence under an Obama administration.

“Obama is about change,” Jackson added. “And the change that Obama promises is not limited to what we do in America itself. It is a change of the way America looks at the world and its place in it.”

Obama, who had some early trouble earning the trust of some Jewish voters on the issue of Israel, quickly distanced himself from the comments.

“Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. is not an adviser to the Obama campaign and is therefore in no position to interpret or share Barack Obama’s views on Israel and foreign policy,” Obama national security spokeswoman Wendy Morigi said in a statement. “As he has made clear throughout his career and throughout this campaign, Barack Obama has a fundamental commitment to a strong U.S.-Israel relationship … As president, he will ensure that Israel can defend itself from every threat it faces, stand with Israel in its quest for a secure peace with its neighbors, and use all elements of American power to end Iran’s illicit nuclear program.”

Jackson reportedly acknowledged that he is just an Obama “supporter”  but also described the Democratic nominee as a “neighbor or, better still, a member of the family.”

Meanwhile, the McCain campaign used the report to continue to draw questions about what it says is Obama’s thin record.

“Literally, nobody knows what Barack Obama’s policies would be if he were elected president, but it’s very concerning that people believe he will not be a friend to Israel.”

UPDATE–11am Wednesday:  JACKSON RESPONDS WITH STATEMENT BELOW:

Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.

Responds to Distortions in NY Post Column

The recent column in no way represents my views on Middle East peace and security. The writer is selectively imposing his own point of view, and distorting mine.

I have a long held position of a two state solution to achieve peace in the Middle East. I stand forthrightly for the security and stability of Israel, its protection from any form of hostility, and a peaceful, non-violent resolution to co-existing with its Palestinian neighbors. I have advocated for peaceful, non-violent negotiation. This is a framework that all people who pursue peace and reconciliation embrace. Both presidential candidates embrace this approach to advance Middle East negotiations and the peace process. It is our national policy.

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President Bill Clinton said that he is willing to campaign for Senator Barack Obama “whenever he asks” adding that they had a “good talk” and that Obama requested the former President’s assistance,

“He said he wanted me to campaign with him and I said I was eager to do so,” Clinton told reporters, “But he is busier than I am on politics anyway so I just told him whenever he wanted to do it I was ready. So it is basically on their timetable. He’s got a lot of things to do between now and the convention of which this is simply one. So I will do whatever I’m asked to do whenever I can do it. “

Clinton came under fire for releasing only a brief statement of support for the Democratic nominee-in-waiting at the end of June stating that he was, “obviously committed to doing whatever he can and is asked to do to ensure Senator Obama is the next president of the United States.”

Clinton said he had “given no thought” to whether he wanted to speak at the Democratic National Convention where his wife is expected to give a speech at a prominent time slot.

Clinton was also asked about the recent Jesse Jackson incident where Jackson was caught saying crude and disparaging comments about Obama on an open microphone while he was preparing to tape a segment on the Fox News Channel.

Even though he hasn’t spoken with Jackson, he said that his swift apology was “a good thing” to do and had praise for the civil rights leader, “He was big enough to quickly apologize and if all of us lived on live mics then 100 percent of us in this room would be embarrassed from time to time,” Clinton chuckled, “ He’s a good man and he did what he could to make it right and I think we all know where his heart is on everything involving equal opportunity for people without regard to race and helping poor people in America and throughout the world and I think Senator Obama accepted his apology. I think its over.”

Clinton held the press conference to announce an initiative between his foundation and six drug companies to dramatically lower the price of malaria medications in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. His foundation has already worked to bring down the cost of HIV/AIDS drugs on these continents and the initiative has now expanded to malaria drugs.

The United Nations Special Envoy on Malaria and several representatives from the drug companies joined the former President at the press conference. Clinton also praised President Bush and Congress for passing Bush’s Malaria budget:

“I think it would be a mistake on all of our parts not to acknowledge the fact that the United States Senate has recently and overwhelmingly passed the President’s malaria budget and that we owe a debt of gratitude to the President and Congress for supporting this because it will enable the funds to go out across the world so that even at these reduced prices we will have countries able to purchase the medicines and get it out there to save all these lives.”

Each year 500 million people contract Malaria, and more than one million die from the disease, many of them children.

Barack Obama was warmly received at the 99th annual NAACP convention in Cincinnati, where the candidate paid homage to African American leaders who walked before him, including Julian Bond who introduced the candidate, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and John Lewis. “It is because of them; and all those whose names never made it into the history books – those men and women, young and old, black, brown and white, clear-eyed and straight-backed, who refused to settle for the world as it is; who had the courage to remake the world as it should be – that I stand before you tonight as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States of America,” he said.

But, he observed, “Just electing me does not mean our work is over. We’ve got more work to do.”

Part of that work, he said, will have to be done by individuals. Obama, who was recently crudely chastised by Reverend Jesse Jackson for his tough love message to the African American community, made it clear he will not back down from his beliefs that those in the community have to take on more responsibilities to better their lives and those of their families.

“Now, I know there’s some who’ve been saying I’ve been too tough talking about responsibility. NAACP, I’m here to report, I’m not gonna stop talking about it,” he said to a rousing applause. “Because as much as I’m out there fighting to make sure government’s doing it’s job and the market place is doing it’s job and we’re passing laws to bring more investment and more education and more infrastructure into our communities and putting our young people back to work. No matter how much money we invest in our communities, how many 10-point plans we propose, how many government programs we launch – none of it will make a difference, at least not enough of a difference, if we also at the same time don’t seize more responsibility in our own lives.”

Jackson implied Obama’s comments were condescending, but Obama stood tall before the African American group and continued, “We need societal responsibility and we need individual responsibility. We need politicians doing what they’re supposed to do and CEO’s doing what they’re supposed to do, and we need parents doing what they’re supposed to do….if we’re serious about reclaiming that dream, we have to do more in our own lives, there’s nothing wrong with saying that.” Based on the crowd’s response, they agreed.

Obama concluded his remarks with a promise to return on the NAACP’s 100th anniversary next year. “I will come back to you next year on that anniversary and I will stand before you as the President of the United States of America. And at that moment, you and I will truly know that a new day has come in this country we love. Thank you NAACP. God bless you. God bless the United States of America.”

Jesse Jackson since the Reverend was overheard saying crude remarks about Senator Obama on an open mic, the presumptive Democratic nominee told reporters on a four hour flight from Chicago to San Diego late Saturday night. The two did speak just prior to the incident, however. “We had actually discussed some of the concerns he had raised about my fatherhood speech,” Obama shared.

Last month, Obama bluntly said that many African Americans had shirked their family responsibilities during his “Fatherhood Speech” at a Chicago church. The candidate often urges African American parents to “parent” – to turn off the TV, put down the video games, and enforce curfews for their children.

During an interview with FOX News, Reverend Jackson, irritated that Obama was talking down to the community, made the controversial comments during an interview with FOX News. While Jackson quickly apologized and Obama immediately accepted that apology, there has been much ado about the interchange.

Focusing on what the two do agree on, Obama told reporters he and Jackson share positions on fixing “structural inequalities” in our society, including health care, early childhood education, creating jobs, and closing the achievement gap.

But the senator stands by his tough love message. “We also have to recognize that there is a particular problem when more than a half of African American children are growing up without a father in the house and often times not even knowing their father. That is a problem and I won’t back up one bit in asserting that that’s a problem that we have to be honest about,” he said.

When asked how he responded to Jackson expressing concern to his “Fatherhood Speech,” remarks that were particularly blunt he delivered on Father’s Day at a Chicago church, Obama said, “I think it would be hard for him to disagree with that since many of the things I have said are the things that he has said in the past.”

While Obama may not be able to change society when it comes to personal responsibility by passing laws, he said, “Obviously I’ve sparked a conversation as a consequence of my speech and I do think part of the role of president is to offer his or her opinions about critical issues, not all of which can be solved by government, but make a big difference in the quality of our society.”