MSNBC host offers tearful apology to Romneys
Updated 1:49 p.m., 1/4/2014
(CNN) - MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry made a tearful apology to Mitt Romney’s family on her show Saturday, after she and a panel poked fun at a photo of the former Republican presidential candidate with his wife and 21 grandchildren by zeroing in on his adopted African-American grandson.
"Whatever the intent was, the reality is that the segment proceeded in a way that was offensive, and showing the photo in that context, of that segment, was poor judgment. So without reservation or qualification, I apologize to the Romney family," said the anchor at the open of her show, "Melissa Harris-Perry."
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Harris-Perry became emotional as she went on to apologize to all "other families formed through transracial adoption," saying, "I am deeply sorry that we suggested that interracial families are in any way funny or deserving of ridicule."
She highlighted her own interracial background, as the daughter of an African-American man and a white Mormon woman. But, she said, families are always "off limits," and the Romneys' grandchildren should never have been a topic of discussion.
"Adults who enter into public life implicitly consent to having less privacy. But their families, and especially their children, should not be treated callously or thoughtlessly. My intention was not malicious, but I broke the ground rule that families are off limits, and for that I am sorry," she said.
Harris-Perry first apologized on Twitter and MSNBC's website Tuesday, offering a similar mea culpa "without reservation or qualification."
During the segment last Sunday, Harris-Perry asked a panel to come up with a caption for the Romney family photo, and two panelists made jokes about the infant standing out.
Actress Pia Glenn began singing lines from the song popularized by Sesame Street, "One of These Things Is Not Like the Others." Comedian Dean Obeidallah said the picture "really sums up the diversity of the Republican Party."
Obeidallah appears frequently on CNN and writes a regular opinion column for CNN.com.
Harris-Perry described the baby as "gorgeous" and joked that in 2040 he would marry North West, the daughter of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.
"Can you imagine Mitt Romney and Kanye West as in-laws?" she said, to laughs.
Criticism was swift across social media, with prominent Republicans from Sarah Palin to former Sen. Scott Brown weighing in.
A spokeswoman for Romney told CNN he was on a family vacation this week and unavailable for comment. On Sunday, Romney will appear on “Fox News Sunday,” where he is likely to be asked about the episode.
MSNBC has been in some hot water recently after a handful of their hosts have made controversial comments. Alec Baldwin and the network parted ways in November after his homophobic outburst against photographers, and Martin Bashir resigned in December for his suggestion that Sarah Palin deserved graphic punishment for comparing U.S. foreign debt to slavery.
–CNN's Ashley Killough contributed to this report.
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As a republican, we should say enough with this. She's apologized, let's move on. What she did was undoubtedly wrong, but let's focus on bigger problems with our country at this point. I'm sure this is painful to the Romneys to have their character doubted in public, but I think they would say let's forgive and forget.
Fox can't apologize whenever it airs something bigoted or hateful. If it did, it would have to create a second network to air them 24-hours a day. Liberals apologize when they say something stupid because they're not supposed to say stupid things. With Republicans, their entire platform is being racist and hateful, so it makes no sense for them to be sorry.
Fire the whole lot of them. They are insensitive and rude and a tearful apology will not change them.
Just another example how sick and dysfunctional American society has become.
Even an innocent child , who cares what colour it is , becomes fodder for your unreasonable and ugly comments.
Shame on you...!!!!
reverse racism is becoming more prevalent in america. she needs to be fired and this needs to be a message that reverse racism will also not be tolerated. apology or not, her true self came out on live tv. this has nothing to do with party affiliation. this is the act of an individual herself. this type of behavior is most definitely not acceptable
Why hasn't this woman been fired yet????
I am an advocate for apology and forgiveness...I also think MSNBC is too stern towards their people.....I've lost so many good broardcasters {friends} because they may say what's true....your arch enemy doesn't do it.....I can understand not stooping to ones level...but Wow....You have the best staff of any network...You messed Bashir up....Getting rid of good people will cost good viewers......
I am waiting for a tearful apology from the Phil Robertson and his family. She should be the last in line to make any apology.
How long is this non story going to last, how many apologies are needed before we move on to another non story.
To Jeremy – unfortunately there are too many dumb and blind people. Just look at the catholics wailing about requiring employers to offer birth control – dumb and blind.
Her comments would have been considered her First Amendment right is she had a show on A& E and made duck calls.
What an acting job. Anyone that knows her knows she is an elitist snob liberal who is deeply racist. I suspect it is an internal battle between her white half and her black half, just like Obama. MSNBC hosts regularly and almost daily say racist and slanderous things. That is all the hosts on MSNBC do, slander and blather. I thought Comcast would get rid of people like her, Sharpton, Shultz, and Mathews who preach hate every day, but I was very wrong. That is the reason MSNBC will always be a second rate or lower network.
everybody else as FED UP with all this, Ohhh I said a word I shouldn't BS routine, Ohhh I'm so sorry, this political correctness by these Corporate Media Elitists is getting old and outta hand and ridlicious !!!
How many apologies do we have to hear from these so called tolerant liberals. Rarely when cameras are on do you catch them with their masks off.
I am incredulous over how overblown this whole situation has become. If most of the people who commented on this article and those on the right who are acting so outraged actually watched Melissa Harris-Perry's show on MSNBC, they would know she is one of the most strident and committed anti-racist broadcasters on television and would never intentionally allow racist comments on her show.
Harris-Perry's comment that Kieran Romney could marry North West is just a pointless popular culture joke which has no racial connotations as far as I understand it; Dean Obeidallah's joke that the photo “sums up the diversity of the Republican party” is a genuine comment on the inherent racism that pervades the party (and in my opinion, a pretty accurate statement). I agree that perhaps Pia Glenn's comment could be seen as having racial overtones, and I probably would not have said it on TV. However, this comment was said by an AFRICAN-AMERICAN woman on a show hosted by another AFRICAN-AMERICAN woman; if anyone has the right to be offended by a racist comment, it is them! Not the old white men of the Republican Party who will use any and all excuses to attack the left with baseless and ridiculous accusations.
None of these comments even suggested that anyone in the Romney family did something wrong by adopting an African-American child; indeed, I applaud their actions and think that many more people should follow their example. Ignorant people are simply using this minor incident to fulfil their own political agendas without acknowledging their own double standards. A huge drama is made out of one (isolated and rare) incident of a comment that could be perceived by some to have racial overtones made by someone on the left – when everyday someone on the right makes a disgusting, extremely offensive comment about any number of issues that range from rape to poverty to immigration. Do we see the same outrage as we have seen in reaction to MHP show? Do people demand the punishment of these people (even thought it would be common sense to expel these people from public office)?
Perhaps people should view these 'racist' comments in context, and take into consideration that MHP made a heartfelt apology on her show, acknowledging that the comments may have offended some people, which is significantly more than most Republicans do.
The original show was planned and approved, the public outrage was swift and decisive and the apology took a week and sounded pre-written and approved by management. I can put toothpaste back into the tube faster and with more sincerity than this lame attempt of an apology.
Bradley Olsen
So why do you really think the Romney's bought a black baby? Get real.
david
we all know why the romneys got the black baby ssshhhhhh
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First romenys didn't adopt the child. His daughter did. Second please tell us why his daughter adopted that parentless child. So do you believe that hollowood actors, singers, and liberals should adopt parentless minority children? God help you twisted sisters.
no big deal. people say and do stupid things and if they own up to them by real and sincere apologies, then forgive and forget.
Oh REALLY!. If Melissa Harris-Perry should be fired, then FOX News should be completely removed from the airwaves. With so many important news worthy items to discussed, is this the best thing that conservatives can come up with? Lets talk about the diversity of the Republican party. LOL... that is a real joke!!
Same woman that said parents don't own their kids, they belong to the community. now that's not at all a communist viewpoint. And now we learn she's a racist too. Not surprised.
Yes, an apology certainly was in order. I just wonder when the Romneys and other GOP leaders will apologize for all the racist and bigoted comments they have made against Pres. Obama and his wife and yes, sometimes, his kids? It will never happen! Since Pres.Obama was first elected it shows that we as a nation are nowhere near the so-called era called "post racial"; we are not even close! Until 'our' religious leaders bring their heads from beneath the sand and call racism for what it is, SIN, then folks will continue and then some unfortunately! I will continue to pray and have hope that they will speak out instead of saying that race relations is not their ministry? Really?
Reporters disrespect the President and First Lady on a regular basics fickle nick
So she's sorry that she forgot "families are off limits" and to "other" interracial families. Typical "apology" that comes with subtle caveats.
.
Why should she be forgiven when the Liberals Are so unwilling to forgive anybody that doesn't believe the way they do. She should be treated the same way they treat the ones that they disagree with. Intolerance breeds intolerance.
Crocodile tears!
What happened to just actually reporting the news instead of having an opinion party with 5 different pundits yucking it up?! It would be nice to just go back in time when the real professional anchors just spewed the news and didn't feel the need to interject their important opinions!