Index: wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php
===================================================================
--- wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php	(revision 19630)
+++ wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php	(working copy)
@@ -619,7 +619,12 @@
 		$allowed_states = array('0', '1');
 	else
 		$allowed_states = array('1');
-
+		
+	foreach ( $allowed_states as $s )
+		$allowed_states_sql[] = "comment_approved = '$s'";
+	
+	$allowed_states_sql = 'AND ( ' . implode( ' OR ', $allowed_states_sql ) . ' )';
+	
 	// Select all comment types and filter out spam later for better query performance.
 	$comments = array();
 	$start = 0;
@@ -627,13 +632,13 @@
 	$widgets = get_option( 'dashboard_widget_options' );
 	$total_items = isset( $widgets['dashboard_recent_comments'] ) && isset( $widgets['dashboard_recent_comments']['items'] )
 		? absint( $widgets['dashboard_recent_comments']['items'] ) : 5;
+		
+	while ( count( $comments ) < $total_items && $possible = $wpdb->get_results( "SELECT * FROM $wpdb->comments c LEFT JOIN $wpdb->posts p ON c.comment_post_ID = p.ID WHERE p.post_status != 'trash' $allowed_states_sql ORDER BY c.comment_date_gmt DESC LIMIT $start, 50" ) ) {
 
-	while ( count( $comments ) < $total_items && $possible = $wpdb->get_results( "SELECT * FROM $wpdb->comments c LEFT JOIN $wpdb->posts p ON c.comment_post_ID = p.ID WHERE p.post_status != 'trash' ORDER BY c.comment_date_gmt DESC LIMIT $start, 50" ) ) {
-
 		foreach ( $possible as $comment ) {
 			if ( count( $comments ) >= $total_items )
 				break;
-			if ( in_array( $comment->comment_approved, $allowed_states ) && current_user_can( 'read_post', $comment->comment_post_ID ) )
+			if ( current_user_can( 'read_post', $comment->comment_post_ID ) )
 				$comments[] = $comment;
 		}