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
He said man is not composed of what goes in or comes out of his mouth as he is naturaly hungry but lacks the knowledge to feed himself or converse
Awful. Just plain awful. As a democrat, this is why I do not watch MSNBC. They are no different than FoxNews. They spew hate with a capital H every chance they get. This lady should find a new career.
Her behavior is actually quite typical of many of MSNBC's (call them Anchors, but they really aren't) people. They nearly "froth at the mouth" when speaking about Republicans / Conservatives.
The problem Melissa Harris and other anchors has nothing to do about racism. Its the fact the hosts of many of these shows have a standard playbook to denegrate individuals from the other party using any angle possible. Hopefully these individuals can reflect on how they historically treated these individuals and maybe be more respectful in the future. People with differing opinions are not enemies, they are our fellow Americans. What ever happened to having open debate? These anchors need prayers.
Let Sarah Payless say something crazy and see if they go after her for an apology don't think so. Leave the anchor be, she spoke her just mind just like anyone els would have done.
Blatant bigotry directed at a family for adopting outside their race and she wants forgiveness. In her apology she is 'I should have known better that family isn't fair game' when she should be realizing that bigotry is not a game at all...... All this coming from the woman who supposedly believes that all children belong to the community not the parents. I'm sorry I don't want my children being raised by a bigot like Melissa Harris-Perry who seems to be incapable of seeing past skin color.
Mrs "your children dont belong to you, they belong to US" caught with her foot in her lispy mouth once again.
Guess what? Melissa Harris Perry's MOTHER IS WHITE. Go ahead. Look it up. I will wait.
She comes from a wealthy family.
She grew up in a white suburb.
She and went to Princeton, with a bunch of privileged, white, trust fund babies. That's a demographic fact
She gets on Television and wants to play at being African American?
I lived with more African Americans than she did!
I wonder what her parents thought of her comments?
Wow, Shame on you, Ms. Perry. Don't apologize to us.
Go apologize to your mother.
oh good god way to much has been made out of this. Now they have a black woman crying cause she made a joke, while sitting with a panel of comedians, about one small black child surrounded by 40 of the whitest people in America, and asked to caption the picture. Stop crying and take your thumb out of your mouth while you are at it.
Isn't this the woman that is constantly complaining about racism???
Now we know . . SHE is the racist.
where the right winger outraged for those duck hunting rednecks, who is pouring all sort of weapons in this country. they always have excuses for those who say racial word by putting god into the mix. where is their outrage.
First, I'm tired of the term African-American to describe Black people. To be African-American, you need to have been born in Africa then move to the United States and become an American citizen. I had a friend in college that was an African-American and he was White. Black people born here are American, just as White people born here are American.
Second, with the epidemic of Black children being born to single parent homes, the fact that a Black child was adopted into a stable family should have been celebrated.
MSNBC is a joke, can not apologize for that.
OK Mellissa, you did the proper PC thing. Now, press on.
This is not the first bigoted rodeo for this show-hostess. She has been as shocking as is thinkable (tampon earrings) and espoused some frightening ideals (children do not belong to their parents), all of this shock talk has not improved her ratings. Most all of these hysterics on msnbc have ratings in the toilet....#3 in ratings after Foxnews and CNN. Maybe in their bag of tricks, the producers of msnbc, have some other disgusting humanless being that they cn march out to replace her.
Fire her now
Only because she is probably on the line to lose her job. Her comments she a hating racists bigot that can't understand how anyone doesn't believe exactly as she does.
Crocodile tears. Lesson leaned - if it has been learned - think before you speak. Better yet, put your political views and prejudices aside. If it were the Kennedys, or Cuomos, or any of her liberal ilk, she would have been paying tribute. Phony apology.
Ludicrous. We've all completely gone off the PC deep end.
Yeah, you are sorry alright.
Black or white people dont ridicule actions that are not cosmetic.
Just another example of fake outrage on the far right. This PALES IN COMPARISON to the things I've seen and heard TEApublicans say about this country's first African American president. In my spare time, I've collected a list of nasty, hateful, racist things that TEApublican elected officials or pundits have said since roughly 2008. That list is well over 100 now. So TEApublicans – STOP YOUR WHINING! Better luck in 2016!
I bet she thought she could get a pass or play a race card. Glad america is waking up and Not allowing only one group to get called on stuff like this. What a disgusting person. If someone made fun of her family she'd probably be calling for their resignation.
And these are our children's mentors and we wonder how bullying has gotten out of hand!! Totally downright ugly on Perry's part and why didn't someone at the "round table" just say "What the heck is wrong with you" instead of smirking and nodding...they are all a bunch of unprofessionals!
Thank you Melissa!