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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What's the big news story. A pundit with a big mouth. Racist remarks were aimed at Obama by the right for the last 5 years and the GOP didn't have a problem with any of it.
The Romneys purchased a black baby for political purposes and Harris-Perry has to apoligize?
Not right
she should be fired.
So, why does she get to keep her job when others making fun or using racial slurs do not?
The crackhoe is afraid she will lose her six figure income; for opening her crap mouth...........terminate this pig
Anyone still watching MSNBC at this point is either dying in a DRs office waiting room, or had their plane delayed by AA in Newark.
Every anchor at that network is essentially a walking bag of feces.
The Romneys got the kid as an election year prop. Since they can't get a person of color to willingly stand on stage with them, they decided to buy one.
Families should be off-limits in politics, but of course that hasn't stopped Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich, and so many other conservative pigs from attacking the wives and daughters of Democratic politicians and candidates. Not surprisingly, many of the same people faking outrage over these idiotic comments are the same people who have made similar ones themselves towards the wives and daughters of Democrats.
If the politicians don't bury all of us the news media WILL.
MSNBC is simply BIZZARE. I certainly never watch it.
Good...it is about time these oppressive people apologize for the things they do to decent, hardworking Americans.
I've always found her to be mean spirited in her partisanship. Please just go away with Bashir, Baldwin, Beck, Olberman and take Maddow and Chris Hayes with you.
Anything to keep your job. MSNBC is a sad outfit.
She is still on the air? Only MSNBC will do such a thing.
She needs to fired. I can't stand her lisp – it's annoying.
She should be fired because she is so annoying to listen to. Her lisp drives me nuts.
So called "Liberals" have become so intolerant.
Typical liberal
No liberal should ever be fired again after the duck fiasco!
In fairness, consider this. If Romney had joked about a black family who had an adopted white child how forgiving and understanding would the media and others be?
I think Sara Palin deserves Graphic Punishment for being alive!
Save the crocodile tears, M-H-P. We all know you're a hypocrit, like most Progressives/Democrats.
This is a first, since for the most part liberals don't apologize for being snarky and offensive.
MSNBC does this all the time and then is quick with the apologies. Sorry doesn't make it right.
The tearful apology is her fear of losing her job.