MSNBC Analyst Suspended, Apologizes For Obama Remark
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A cable TV news analyst said he may pushed his press freedoms one step too far on Thursday after comparing President Barack Obama to a slang term for male genitalia during an on-air segment.
MSNBC suspended senior political analyst Mark Halperin as the network's senior political analyst hours after Halperin gave his frank assessment of Obama's news conference on Wednesday.
During an appearance on "Morning Joe", Halperin was asked what he thought about Obama's strongly-worded rebuke against Congressional lawmakers embroiled in high-profile budgetary talks.
Podcast
"I thought he was kind of a dick," said Halperin.
Obama made headlines for the news conference after likening Senate Republicans to lazy schoolchildren as he prodded lawmakers on addressing the federal budget and deficit legislation.
Later during the same program, Halperin issued an apology.
"I can't explain why I did it, it was inappropriate, it was disrespectful, and I've already apologized to the president," he said.
Halperin also works as a senior political analyst at Time Magazine, which did not suspend him, but issued a statement calling his comments "inappropriate and in no way reflective of TIME's views."
Management says it's warned him that such behavior is unacceptable... and noted that he had, in the company's view, "appropriately" apologized.
