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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Can you imagine if this had been a Fox News host ? I don't watch any of these news shows but I can imagine the outrage these hypocrites would have shown if the shoe were on a different foot. Hypocritical bigots.
Keep it classy, MSNBC
In a desperate act to try to save her job MSNBC host tries to try to save her job. This is just another example of liberal tolerance. If that was a gay couple that adopted that child this would have never have happened but that's how it goes. That whole network is filled with hate filled bigots that have no tolerance for any one with an opposing view and we have seen SO many examples from these guys from Keith Obermann to Martin Bashar. A whole culture of hate an intolerance from the very people supposedly championing those very things. Hypocrites!!
Grown adults acting like complete fools. Shameful.
Crocodile tears
No matter what she says, this woman should no longer have a job
this woman is disgusting and disgraceful. Fire this one.
Another thing that steps out about the picture, which I think is a nice family portrait, than just the obvious that was discussed. Was that all the other boys had their plaid blue and whites and the African male, had on pink. And though the African child stands out, just curious if any of the other kids are adopted. Not that it makes any difference but just wondered. Many families that choose to adopt does more than one.
If a Republican had made the remarks about a Democrat, what would you want to see happen?
Work for that.
How about Obeidallah guy making an apology? But in a sincere way not his usual word-twisting senseless mambo-jumbo...I would appreciate if cn.n will van him from the website as well.
This apology is a good start.
Now the rest of MSNBC should apologize for being a horrible news organization
"Waaaaah I'm so sorry I'm a liberal hypocrite waaaaaah."
msnbc: home of the compassionate liberals
WHP needs to stop apologizing and MSNBC too. Does FOX or Ducky Dynasty do? Never!
This thing has gone on long enough. It's so dumb; people are just overly sensitive these days.
Fact is there is beauty in our racial diversity.
The problem is how the political elite have engineered their power by cultivating cultural divides along racial lines.
No, our problem isn't a racial one. It's the social engineering that the political elite have afflicted us with.
For example:
1. Chris Rock made it quite clear that President Obama is culturally white in his 2012 video appealing to 'White People'. (What does culturally 'White' or 'Black' mean?)
2. Who is Eminem?
3. Who is Rev. C. L. Bryant?
4. Why was President Clinton referred to as the first 'Back President'?
5. Why aren't first generation Africans in the U.S. culturally 'Black'?
Let's stop being manipulated and engineered into superficial divisions based upon race. Our cultural differences have been engineered to divided us for political gain and power.
I guess that since this woman is black that it's impossible for her own racist comments to be meaningful. The main thing is that she gets to be treated differently than white racists that make similar comments.
The child in this photo has a loving family and a bright future. But somehow Melissa Harris-Perry is angry that a black child might have a happy white family to live with.
Harris-Perry is only sorry for the repercussions, not the act itself (shameful). It is blatantly obvious in her half hearted apology to those involved with interracial adoptions.
Angelina, Jolie, Sandra Bullok, and all the other celebrities adopting black babies think Melissa is a funny F.
Get over it Mitt. The election is over!
As with most public Mea Culpas....they aren't sorry they said it, they're sorry people got upset about it.
"Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." What she said the first time is her true feelings.
MSNBC is a den of lies and hate!!
Please. She's only apologizing because she got into trouble. MSNBC and staff have no shame on judging others as they do the exactly the same things. Hypocrites.
Liberals are such hypocrites!