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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I assume if it had only been white grand children her remarks would have been ok. It's time the far left quit living a double standard. Quit playing the race card all the time.
What happen to the melting pot theory?
I will not watch the network again until she is fired.
Well, at least she apoloigized. .unlike a few others like Rush.
I didn't think it was that bad.
I would rather see blacks and minorities grow some skin than whites sinking to their level and whining about every little slight.
just more bigotry and intolerance from the left. nothing new
"My intention was not malicious" – Of course it was! The whole point of enticing panelists to caption the photo was to stir the pot of racial tension through the veil of comedy. It's a textbook example of malice. Instead of saying. "I didn't mean anything by it" or "I broke an unspoken rule about families", she should be saying, "I realized through this experience that even though I pride myself on being a progressive liberal, I am just as racially insensitive as I think conservatives act. I need to grow as a person and refrain from using race to get a laugh or pander to like-minded liberal colleagues. Racial insensitivity is wrong and I am completely at fault for using this tactic on my show."
MSNBC isn't even a news station anymore. it is just a place for left wing crazies to sound off to the 300,000 people who watch it. so sad. 🙂
Marc, please enlighten us when one of Fox's major commentators made fun of a family (including the child) who adopted a minority child
II fear for my job, so I'm sorry!
The Democrat party and their voters EXPOSED as the feces they are.
So this racist is sorry, she should be forgiven because she is a mixed race? I heard Paula Dean repeatedly say she was sorry for the way she felt but she was robbed by our sickening society. I may not be right every time I say something but I stand behind it .I could care less what the bigots or liberals or gays think
Why did it takes so long?? And why isn't an apology required from Obeidallah? After the grotesque comments that Bashir made, maybe the whole group of them need to take a very hard look at themselves, their own racial predjudices, and the ease at which they spew cruel jokes.
Today on TV nothing can be said without apology.
Oh Mary godly mother,do you see what they doing to your kids?THEY.
She is tearful because she got got caught showing the real bigot she is. She deserves what she gets.
That's just disgraceful
She at least apologized. Dean Obeidallah wrote an "apology" letter too, except that his apology contains mostly new attacks and then one sentence like "if they are really offended then".
I'm a 68 year-old white woman who grew up in Louisiana. I am proud to be a MHP fan, and I consider the Duck Dynasty group a disgrace–a perpetuation of the stereotype of the ignorant, racist, white-trash state.
Its sad how partisan politics have gotten in this country. The Left Right sideshow has gotten so bad in this country, That they thought it was ok to mock a babies race on television. Because the grandfather is a Republican nominee and thus considered a safe target for which anything goes.
This internal division is why parts of this country are falling down due to urban decay and failed local governments. Yet we are still sending out billions in foreign aid. We need to fix this countries problems and stop allowing words like Liberal and Conservative to be socially acceptable slurs. As well stop the political circus which distracts us from actual issues. As that is what prevents progress by constantly covering up problems so they don't get taken care of.
How could she make fun of that cute little monkey baby?
Doesn't anybody find the picture that goes with this article to be a little odd. I mean, kind of late in the day to suddenly be acting like you're not a member of a religious organization with a long history of racism. Mitt Romney is the same guy who said "Who let the dogs out" while having his picture taken with a bunch of black kids. More than just an awkward moment. This kid is going to feel out of place for the next 18 years.
Can someone please explain to me why the Romney's are still news? He lost the election. A man of numbers couldn't even believe the polling showing him trailing. He's a failure of a politician. Let's ignore him.
I'm a Democrat who refuses to wear neither the "liberal" nor "conservative" label. Enough is enough with the talking heads, pundits, spin doctors, and "opinion piece" authors. They've done nothing but fan flames from all sides of a massive fire...everything BUT responsible journalism. Just think of what the world would be like if there were no Rush Limbaughs, Chris Matthews, Glenn Becks, etc in this world. I doubt that many people find themselves feeling the slightest bit enlightened after consuming this garbage. Offering fuel for anger and self-satisfaction are the only goals of the talking heads.
No bigger racists than leftists like her, Jesse, and Al, time has shown us again and again and again. So what's new?
I do not think she did anything wrong, these people are the most racist folks on the planet. Our son is a Mormon and we just shake our head and the hatred that comes out of his mouth in fact I think the church that Duck Dynasty attends is funded by the Mormon Church.