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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The difference between Melissa Harris-Perry and Rush Limbaugh is that Rushbo would have "doubled-down" and then "tripled-down" on the insult.........
When any fox anchor will apologize?
MSNBC anchors and newsman have been making slander, bigotry comments for years – and now, an unknown anchor makes the same type of comments, but has to apologize? These MSNBC employees need to all become unemployed, because they do not know the true nature of their words. MSNBC is indirectly the cause of the American downfall, and this anchor's comments are just an example of what they cause. Apology should not be excepted, due to her immature negligence on bashing a polotical figure's family, and not keeping with just the facts; she should be fired. MSNBC should be sued by the Romney's for their irresponsible reporting, and being ultimately responsible for EVERY action of an anchor.
So based on the liberal model, I can be as offensive as I desire and either apologize or say 'no offense' and everything is ok? The double standard in the media IS offensive.
If this was a white person, there would be black people rioting around the country and the NAACP would be inciting riots in every inner city. Not to mention Jesse fake azz Jackson and Alvin shartptounge make their fake azz appearances. Fire this woman
Remember the tearful apology Rush Limbaugh gave for all the lying garbage he spewed at people over the years? Yeah, me neither.
I'm amazed that there on those that find MHP's original actions acceptable, or even justifiable.
The problem for MSNBC and the left (with whom I usually side) is that you can't go around pointing out the questionable racial comments and actions of your opponents and then ignore them when they comes from one of your own.
Yes, Fox news is worse. Yes, there are a few on the right who are flat-out racist when it comes to our President. So what ? This is about living up to the same ethical standards that the left routinely demands from other people.
Nothing short of a firing will be accepted!!! All this racial commentary has no place on television!!!
Vitriol begets vitriol, and ever has it been so. You conservatives asked for this. For years you have been vilifying the left. Now you get some payback, and you're a bunch of hypocritical crybabies. Pathetic , you are.
A hypocrite named "DeepeThought" blabbered the following nonsense:
"But this never would have happened if liberals were not hell bent on degrading anything and everything the is conservative."
1) you never start a sentence with "but", butthead. I'm guessing you rail against public education all the time, yet you are unable to do better than this publicly educated individual. Pathetic.
2) you started the fight, now you want to blame those you did the same thing to for fighting back with lessons learned from people like yourself. What an unbelievably simplistic 'person' you are.
The difference between MSNBC and Fox is that MSNBC will offer corrections, apologies and even fire people. Fox never does. Did anyone at Fox ever apologize for the Obama being born on Kenya?
She' bi-racial and she can get away with saying what she did? MSNBC and it's staff are reminiscent of the Nazi party in the 1930's.....
It's real simple. A lìb only apologizes to a conservative, when they are getting ready to lose their job, and they know it.
Mean, racist woman!
He's black and it is going to be an issue for this kids entire life...The Black Romney! That's his mantle and I hope he can carry it well.....but it is a fact!
When is AL Sharpton and Jesse Jackson coming to her rescue?
i'm so sorry that melissa harris-perry had to apologize to trash such as the romneys...mormons are racists...they literally believe if your black of skin that you are descendants of cursed people...their holy book (book of mormon–the one joesph smith received the word of god in the bottom of a hat) says that ALL people who are not white were cursed by god to be lo-some and filthy...furthermore being any other color than white makes you inferior...this is real...their book of mormon is explicitly specific on this issue–in writing (look up "black" in the index of the book of mormon)...so all who are mad at melissa harris-perry probably don't understand why someone black would feel that way...what the hell kind of god is that...
Not buying it.
Seriously..Genocide George...you mean the guy who basically led the Rwandan genocide...you mean the guy who was the VP of the 3rd world country of Rwanda (or "undeveloped" to be PC I think)...you think we should be held to the standards of Rwanda?? Wow...you have some high standards for a nation you pay 30%+ of your money to each year (assuming you're a tax paying resident). And when is he going to apologize? Well...seeing as he's dead (and died in prison)...I don't think that's coming any time soon.
As an adopted African American I was very insulted. Just because you are black doesn't mean you get a pass to be racist.
Don't believe a word,fake tears,just got caught.The apple doesn't fall far from the tree!!!!
I'm glad she apologized, unguarded comments often show one's true colors. I hope she changes her way of thinking.
what is so amazing to me is that Fox entertainment has said far worse about many people and never apologized that is the most insulting group of show host even Elizabeth Hasselback has become just like them Not only do they insult anyone who does not think like them but will say anything, true or not, to make their point. Now she should not have said that and it really makes her look like a racist, but at least she apologized
If it was a white person that said that they b fired on the spot
if she gets fired, she would get an offer from Fox News!