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
Ahhhh, it was funny as heck! Romney adopted that baby to make it look better! He can't be adopting all those white babies now, that would be too Republican of him. Gotta make it look like he understands the plight, ya know.
Ok I find this funny that all these conservatives are outraged at what was clearly a joke... yes it was in bad taste, but Fox News has regularly said much more vulgar and disgusting things about Obama, Pelosi, and Harry Reid. And they NEVER apologize. In fact, what they typically say is "hey it was a joke, take a chill pill" But when liberals make bad taste jokes, they not only apologize, sometimes they get fired. And to make matters worse, when they do apologize it's never good enough for the ultra right wingers... they want more blood. The hypocrisy of the right knows no bounds.
Here come the righties "The nerve of those lefties..." Geez, you'd think the righties had never said one word derogatory toward President Obama. Oh wait, I forgot... he's ruining the country, he's Kenyan, he's (insert another wacked theory)......
The horror....The horror! Move on people, nothing to see here.
Many Catholic families have scads of children simply because Vatican II told couples they couldn't use contraception. Isn't that the dumbest reason to have children? 8 children. By accident. Every single one. The power of religion over people's common sense is amazing.
Why wasn't Rush fired? Oh right, I forgot. It's ok for "them" to make a "mistake" and not get punished for it.
Look as far as I believe this baby is a prop, and will be the next black republican congressman from Utah. .
And of course Conservative spokesman Rush Limbaugh has always apologized for his indiscretions like when he lambasted Sandra Fluke...NOT!
Makes you wonder if this so called tearful apology is only because execs could be saying that if apology doesn't work she will be fired.
Please Romeny does what he does for a tax break, most likely nothing more. The anchor may of been wrong for saying what she said, but Romney deserves NO sympathy.
I'm no Mittens Romney fan, but these fools messed up. It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. She needs to go for the sake of the credibility of MSNBC.
She should be fired? Why doesnt Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson speak for the Romney family?
No, she'll get a contract extension and a big fat raise. Stupid racist MSNBC.
Wow so this lady is a racist? those who say this probaly needs to go to the mirror and you will find a true racist...
I'm always amazed on how many stupid people there are in this world. And how many stupid comments they make. This idiot is just one of them.
I think she should PERSONALLY apologize not only to Mr. Romney, but also to his family members who made a wonderful decision to adopt a child who now has the opportunity to grow up with a family who can love him and provide him with opportunities in his life. I don't think she needs to be fired. I'm encouraged by the fact that she has apologized. However, the producers of her show would have cut that section out if they thought it could be offensive, but they didn't. So I think a personal apology would be appropriate, given the fact that his family adopted a baby with love in their hearts and all she could think to say was something hateful. But again... please don't fire her MSNBC.
That was NOT a heart felt apology to the Romney family.
It was much more a 'sorry I said that and people got angry, so I'll apologize so I can say I did' then a spewing of the party line about how such things are wrong. This only served to show how one way people view racism- as if you can only be racist if you are white and only be a real victim of racism if you are of color.
She read the telaprompter like her boss wanted, then probably went to lunch with her coworkers where they all laughed about how they couldn't believe she had to do that to keep her position. I'm sure she was comforted by a coworker who assured her it would all be forgotten next week because the viewing public is too stupid to remember so it's no big deal. After all it's not like she had to MEAN what she said. No one in journalism or politics ever has to mean what they are saying, just say it so the mindless public hears it.
Please right wing nuts say nasty hateful things about Obama's girls all the time.
Fire her or I will command secret service to go remove her. I have the power to do so noone cant overthrow me and I approve this message
JUST FIRE HER, and be done with it. If she had been a Republican, that's exactly what CNN would have already done, if she were a CNN rep. Fair is fair. Be gone.
Romney adopted the child no matter the race, so he could get a tax write off. His taxes are so screwed he needed something so he could get money back from the government that he tried to screw up in the first place.
Fire her
File under that trash from Duck Dynasty.
"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.
So, it is okay to treat people in public life "callously or thoughtlessly"? How about we treat everyone with respect instead?
She made a mistake. conservative publications ban left people all the time for posting contrarian ideas.
We are at war.
Victory, not accommodation, is the only rational choice.
hope some of the hysterical responders are from/close to Colorado and get their much needed pot without necessary delay...