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
Much ado about NOTHING.
Hope this apology frenzy goes away soon. Never heard of this babe before this incident. Empty head, empty apology. Apologies on tv by "news" people and by politicians for their dalliances are so prevalent to now be meaningless.
Forget that MHP is farther left than most democrats, she owns some responsibility for the problem in American politics today! It is NOT WRONG to have different views! Different ideologies make our country stronger and keep it in balance! MHP and MSNBC have helped to create a culture that demonizes individuals who do not share their liberal ideals. The Republicans do the same. What kind of world do we live in where having a different viewpoint makes you criminal!!!!
MHP... you should be ashamed of yourself and you should lose your job! It is shameless to mock a child regardless of their parents political beliefs!
MSNBC... you need to use your position of influence in our country to encourage free thinking the welcoming of different perspectives. Republicans are far from perfect... but some of their ideologies can also contribute to workings of a great nation!
Hey folks, pretty soon you won't have your own opinion about anything, you will be told what to say and how you will say it. This country is becoming a joke.
Just another racist obama support I mean democrat
she should just resign.
First fo all @medellinbobs why would u be mad ? You should mad now at that stupid comment u made...Melissa it is time for you pack up your things and be escorted out the building. You white people say I'm not racist...but you are ...behind close doors, with friends that think as you do...really you can't help it. Being racist and making racial jokes, is in your heart . Enough said.
I believe her mom and dad or grandparents gave her a talking to after the offensive piece.
And I'm with the majority who believe that we can't just behave badly and then apologize to make it right.
Making it right involves an action...not just words.
This is a peculiar time to live in, as it follows the years when civil rights legislation went to a lunatic extreme and overthrew only the White community's social compact (The basis of ethnic influence because the word politics means community). This is why I wrote 'The Pioneer Little Europe Prospectus' which MSNBC actually hosts, however reluctantly, as a reference through Amazon's services. It advocates raising up a new and harder model of the White community, but along the way we should treat mixed families honorably – and accept this lady's apology too.
Thank you for your apology.
FIRED,
btw I don't blame. This girl alone,MIT is the culture of MSNBC to play the race card at all expense. As far as I am concerned MSNBC is nothing more than an arm of BET.
She could barely make herself apologize on twitter and now suddenly she is brought to tears on her TV program? What a joke. Do whatever you can to keep your job sweetheart. No one is fooled here. You are a racists.
In my experience some of the most hostile and dogmatic people are Progressive.
Let's get some facts straight, young liberals here on the site. You know, FACTS?
The baby is a grandchild. Romney did not adopt him.
This child was adopted after the election was over this past year. Therefore, he is not a political prop, now is he?
This is a picture of grandparents with grandchildren only. This is why the baby's mother is not holding him.
The child is the newest addition, the youngest, and cannot sit on his own yet. This is why grandpa is holding him.
Telling Romney to get over it is silly. Romney never voiced a complaint. It was the VIEWERS of this incident that inundated the media with outrage.
Yes, political jabs are taken by the right toward the Obamas. They are not taken toward their children. Fox News opinion jpundits never talk about excrement. They never go as far as the freaks on MSNBC. If you keep insisting that these two networks are morally equivalent, you are just in denial. Go watch Fox. Be honest afterwards. MSNBC is dark and creepy.
crocodile tears I am sure. She doesn't want to loose the $$$$$$$! FIRED!
That's why among many other reasons I don't watch MSNBC and won't, ever.
Wow, so sincere.
Social liberal fiscal conservative here (as in don't watch Fox & can't stand Palin) who voted for Obama in 2012 because Romney's social positions were more frightening than Obama's fiscal ones.
Ms. Harris-Perry has got to go. She has no business with a pulpit on TV. Her continued presence at the network brings profound shame and discredit to MSNBC. SMH.
Back in 2012 the Pew Research did a study and found that 85% of the news reported on MSNBC was opinion based which is more than Fox or CNN combined. And given during the last couple of months the problems MSNBC has been having with their commentators and their vile comments, it seems to me they need to start focusing more on news and less on opinion.
The only one ridiculous here is the one who ridicules the man that's got a JD/MBA from Harvard, that worked at Bain and Co., was a boss of Bain Capital, that ran Olympics, was a governor of a state, made so many beautiful grandchildren, and sharing his beautiful life with those of the less fortunate. Yes, you dumb broad, you're the ridiculous one.
I cant stand Mittsy-Poo, BUT you NEVER bribg children intro the debate–the entire "panel" of twerps should apologize and not be invited back.
The old saying "Sorry doesn't cut it" applies here.
Liberals, you keep apologizing for your behavior. How about changing your behavior? Your ideology has been clearly shown to be harmful to this nation. It causes you to have these deeply hateful and racist views that you cannot help but express. How about recanting Liberalism and the harm it causes? America may then forgive you.
She should be suspended without pay.
Drum her out of the business like so many before her, Paula Dean, Imus, Howard Cosell, etc, etc, etc. List is endless as well as timeless. Fake tears should not make Melissa Harris-Perry an exception. By the way, were is the NAACP, Jackson & Sharpton? This must not be a big enough head line to warrant "THEIR" cause!!!!
I would say most making comments here are missing the big point. It's ok for 'Black People' to say and do anything, about anyone and whoo be to the 'White' person who speaks his/her mind. I call it the Zimmerman, skittles mentality.