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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Her being fired isn't going to fix the fact of what she said or that she is owning up to the fact that it should have never been said. It is the fact that these so called journalists don't do thier job as journalists. There are a great many of them that should be fired because they can't or won't deliver the real news and talk about the real issues of the day. It's all about ratings, entertainment, and money. The networks get plenty of money and think that if they actually delivered the news without the fluff, entertainment and advertisment, nobody would watch. The days of Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley, David Brinkley, Frank Reynolds and Howard K. Smith are long gone.
She should be fired. Msn has some issues with who the hire and place on the air.
oharris30, just because YOU say Fox News does it, name ONE, or I that to much to ask. It's ok for liberal commentators to belittle conservatives, blame them to be racist, have no compassion for their fellow man, ( yet they give more money than ALL liberal combined to help the less fortunate) yet YOU forget that Al Sharpton, Jessie Jackson and Rev. Wright are bigger racists then anyone else. Guess right now they are on vacation.
She looks a little high-yeller herself. Oh I am soooo sorry. I am crying.
Typical racist liberal hack employed by MSNBC. I am only suprised she didn't claim it was racism that she was even being criticized, like the Obama camp does on a regular basis...
She should have the dignity to resign. MSNBC is a #racist network. This goes farther than just the talking head. The others involved who laughed at the racist comments and produced the show should be out also, they are all racists.
MSNBC..The voice of the Kremilin
Comcast owns NBC, MSNBC and all other NBC affiliated cable networks. Comcast obviously endorses these racially biased statements from the entire staff of Hosts on MSNBC. It is obvious political favor allowed Comcast to purchase the NBC brand from GE without any federal regulatory concerns. The polical favor must outweigh the public outrage from the statements and bias represented by the NBC Brand. The public's only recourse is to continue to express its shame on Comcast, MSNBC, NBC so that advertisers and viewers abandon these networks and when possible COMCAST itself.
MSNBC..Just invited Joe Stalin to debate Obama..Didn't they realize that both are dead ?
offensive? was when they referred to Michelle as The Queen.
As it has been with other media personalities that have made racist remarks, she should be terminated from the job. Her racist and hurtful attack on an infant and its family for the only reason that she is a democrat should not be tolerated by anyone. I wonder why Obama hasn't stepped up as a leader and condemned this kind of comment. That is what a true leader should do – set an example and make a statement for all to hear and follow.
Again...I watched the segment. The woman did NOTHING wrong. Why is she apologizing????????
I dont uderstad.segrigation or not. afermitiv action or not.the marches for the black kids to go 2 the all white school & the white fooks sayin same of these things dont belong wit da other over it.were thay wrong or right ? is I have a dream, now a nightmare? YOUR TAIRRING ME APART !!
Unacceptable....double standards? What person especially, an african american would make such comments when a good christian and wealthy family chose to give another parentless african american child a VERY promising future with all opprtunities that money can afford....SHE HAS REALLY DISCREDITED msnbcs commentaries and mostly their lack of profession journalism...let her go! Publicly! Gain my trust back msnbc.....
She shouldn't have said what she thinks. Bigot, filled with hate for "the other side." That minority child will receive immense love and have the best life has to offer and yet, Harris-Perry will get in the gutter to declare anything, to attack someone with an opposing political belief. Shameful. Now that her hate has been self exposed, no one will ever look at her again without remembering this outrageous behavior and beliefs. Let's hope the child never sees this kind of hate.
Probably not the right venue to make Jokes. However the panel was comedians and I do feel they were joking. No one would complain if it was an SNL skit. The issue is that the News shows should leave the comedy to other channels and focus on real news. They should also ban entertainment news from real news shows.
I accept her apology. Melissa stated that this wasn't the route she intended to go down when she first displayed the photo on her show. One of her guests started it and like locker room mentality everyone fell in line behind her.
I like how Melissa states how the toughest critics can sometimes be the best teachers. At least she isn't doubling down like a few have concerning Phil Robertson's statements. Seems as if their toughest critics have been expelled for teaching the best way to communicate, interact and to speak about and to one another.
Time and again, the Marxist progressives take off the 'mask' and we are able to see them for what they truly are! They claim to welcome diversity? Sure they do! They claim THEY are NOT racist? Give me a BREAK!! Is it any wonder their news ratings are in the gutter? Give me a group of American loving Tea Party Patriots ANY old day over these dyed in the wool Marxists!!!! Once again, their true colors come shining through!
They should have let this go a week ago. The media is their own worst enemy
Why all the calls for resigning?!?! People need to see what these folks are all about! Let them say what they really mean, so everyone know who they are! This goes for both sides!!
You Tube is full of her racist rants.Fire the racist.PERIOD.
Basic idiot!
She should be fired. Imagine what would have happened if a non-african american said such a thing about a black family with a white adopted kid. Protests/Jesse Jackson/Reverand Sharpton the list would go on and the sound bites for CNN and MSNBC would continue for months
MSNBC – where the M stands for misinformation. People comparing this to the situation with "Duck Dynasty" are ridiculous. First of all DD is a reality entertainment program, not a news program. To compare the two requires a serious amount of willful ignorance.
I tried to watch this woman's program this morning to see what she's all about. Frankly I don't know how people can sit through an hour of this nonsense. Every single thing the woman said was a biased, criticism launched at any and everything that involves conservatives. MSNBC is NOT news. It is yellow journalism, propaganda, and garbage. Throw it in the bin where it belongs. She and her crew for that day they made fun of the Romney baby, need to all be fired now!
If Mitt was a Dem and she said that, she would be fired and the network would be under fire from the other left wing tv stations. Double standards in this media age... Shameful...