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."
[twitter-follow screen_name='politicalticker']
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.
From CNN Politics
- Pressure builds on Biden to act on guns in wake of Colorado mass shooting March 23, 2021 01:03 pm
- Sidney Powell argues in new court filing that no reasonable people would believe her election fraud claims March 23, 2021 12:15 pm
- Postmaster General set to announce 10-year plan including longer mail delivery times and cuts to post office hours March 23, 2021 12:02 pm
- Progressive group launches $3.2 million advertising buy to push federal voting law March 23, 2021 11:01 am
- US and allies announce sanctions against Chinese officials for 'serious human rights abuses' against Uyghurs March 23, 2021 10:32 am
- Analysis: Trump's army takes aim at 2022 touting his election lies March 23, 2021 05:01 am
So the Romneys have a Kenyan grandson? How ironic...
Tch...I swear to God both sides of this debate. The Right AND the Left (Liberals and Conservatives, Republicans and Democrats blah, blah..) act the EXACT SAME WAY. Both sides are loud mouth hypocritical idiots. Nuff said
Faux News is so over the top with Insults and Slander, where would you begin ? News ?; A Puppy, A train Wreck and Obamacare ! News ??
She deserves a raise! Nothing said was offensive. The only thing offensive about the whole story is Romney and his bizarre family and religion They should be indicted for tax fraud and his mostly stolen/off shored money should be taken and put into the national coffers.
Where is Rev. Al Sharpton? and why isn't he ranting about having this racist fired? ohhhhh, wait, it is okay if it goes the other way. got it.
Typical racist liberal. Now it is crying fake tears because it could lose its job at Pravda.
Scott
Reading these comments really sheds a light on just how far our country still has to go...sigh.
Disingenuous piece of garbage from a network gone over the edge. So pathetic. I used to watch MSNBC.
I find it hard to believe that Melissa put up a photo of Mitt Romney with the intention of being positive. MSNBC focuses on mocking conservatives and I believe that was her intent. Either mock the size of the family, the colour coordinated outfits, or the adopted grandchild.......doesn't matter.....the intent was to mock.
This is what happens when journalists flunk out of school and become "comedians" of the news organizations.
Ok. So they were, at worst, insensitive comments. But they were funny. Doesn't anyone have a sense of humor any more? Oh wait. That's right. Anyone with a sense of humor isn't allowed to show it for fear of "offending" someone. We as a society really need to toughen up and get over it. What a bunch wimps we have become.
Your first mistake was even focusing on Mitt. No one cares about that guy. You invited the problem on yourself when you decided to give him the appearance of being human. He is a monster and I am only thankful he was not elected president. That is all I need to know about that guy. Anything more is a waste of everyone's time. Learn from this and cover something meaningful like binding arbitration, bank regulation, tax holiday, NSA violations, etc.
Please, everyone just shut up! Your own prejudices are showing! I can't wait till the 2014 election and see how the results affect our nation. Time to start writing down all of your own hates and discontents, tape them on your bathroom mirror, and then see how things progress if your candidates win.
So why do you really think the Romney's bought a black baby? Get real.
Hey conservatives, did you yell and scream when Bush's people used racist push polls about McCain's adopted Bangladeshi daughter to defeat him politically? No, you didn't say a word. So spare us all your feigned outrage.
Romney hardly rates a tear-filled apology for dangling a black baby in front of a camera for a photo op, considering that he was the candidate chosen to represent the political party that has no problem letting thousands of children go hungry every morning.
To forgive is divine. Not my job.
I'm seeing a scary trend at MSNBC.
Too many loose cannons for their own good.
Time to reconsider their direction.
Why apologize....mitt was one of the worst shape shifting candidates I have ever seen.
One minute abortion is ok, the other minute not...who thinks that way?
He panders to the cameras incessantly and does nothing unless he thinks it will make him more money or power.
If I were the msnbc anchor I'd stick by my guns....much like the GOP...just own it.
Try getting an apology like this from someone on Fox News. They say things that'll make you're blood pressure go through the roof. If you ask them to apologize, they start talking about the first amendment. MHP is not even close to being racist. The comment that was made by the other woman on the show that day was worse, but not terrible. MHP is the only one in trouble. She also made jokes about Obama, but no one flipped out about that.
Crocodile tears.. I've seen this racist woman on that other racist show 'Totally Biased' yukking it up to anti-white humor.
reasonbyfaith, a conservative would never have apologized. All you have to do to know this is true is to ask how many times has any conservative radio host or anyone on Fox News ever apologized for anything they have said, many times far worse than what Harris-Perry and her panel said.
funny how she had to apologize , but yet the Duck guy is held to high praise bashing gays and calling them beast
She spent more time lecturing than apologizing. Didn't feel genuine.
What is it with that wicked MSNBC, anyways? Hate, hate, hate, hate...24-7.
Progressives have gone insane.
Racism is a serious issue, if it could impact a rich, white guy.
crocodile tears