24 Hours Later, Thomas Roberts Apologizes for His 'Appalling' KKK Smear of Romney
Twenty four hours after linking Mitt Romney to the Ku Klux Klan, MSNBC's Thomas Roberts apologized for his "appalling" smear. The News Live host on Thursday waited until the show was 50 minutes over and then conceded, "During yesterday's 11am, we reported on a blog item that compared a phrase used by the Romney campaign to one used by the KKK in the 1920s." [Video of the original comments and the apology can be found below. MP3 audio here.]
He continued, "It was irresponsible and incendiary of us to do this and showed an appalling lack of judgment. We apologize to the Romney campaign." On Wednesday's show, Roberts slimed, "Plus, what Mitt Romney has in common with the KKK. Details on a rare Romney campaign blunder ahead."
He later trashed:
THOMAS ROBERTS: So you might not hear Mitt Romney say "keep America American" anymore. That's because it was a central theme of the KKK in the 1920s. It was a rallying cry for the group's campaign of violence and intimidation against blacks, gays and Jews. The progressive blog America blog was the first to catch onto that."
A MSNBC graphic piled on, "Romney's KKK Slogan?
On Wednesday's Hardball, Chris Matthews offered the first apology:
CHRIS MATTHEWS: We're back. During the 11am hour on MSNBC today we reported on a blog item that compared a phrase used by the Romney campaign to one used by the KKK way back in the 1920s. It was irresponsible and incendiary of us to do this, and it showed an appalling lack of judgment. We apologize, we really do, to the Romney campaign.
Al Sharpton also apologized on Wednesday. A transcript of the Roberts apology can be found below:
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12/15/11
11:50
ROBERTS: Now to some important housekeeping that I wanted to do myself. During yesterday's 11am, we reported on a blog item that compared a phrase used by the Romney campaign to one used by the KKK in the 1920s. It was irresponsible and incendiary of us to do this and showed an appalling lack of judgment. We apologize to the Romney campaign.
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Comments
"We" apologize?
Submitted by SickofLibs on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 1:54pm.
"I dunno, they just put stuff in front of me and I read it."
You're a real class act, Tommy Bobby.
So they KEEP a guy on who has APPALLING LACK OF JUDGEMENT??
Submitted by BBallleaper on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 2:06pm.
WTF?
If the MSM was going to
Submitted by killa37 on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 2:19pm.
If the MSM was going to apologize for an 'appalling lack of judgement', there wouldn't be any time left for anything else.
Between this and Chuck Todd's
Submitted by rwesley2.0 on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 4:29pm.
Between this and Chuck Todd's middle finger, I think that MSNBC's criteria for hires over there revolves around how vulgar and how stupid a person can be. The worse they are, the higher they are placed.
Romney Has To Quit Using Terms Like Progressive
Submitted by Avitar on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 2:10pm.
The Progressives were the foundation for the NAZI Party and the other European Fascists Parties. Every time Romney borrows from American liberals and leftist of the early twentieth century he runs the risk of aligning with the KKK because they were the core of the left.
Avitar...the KKK of the 1920's or today would recoil in horror
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 5:18pm.
at that claim.
Jer
why
Submitted by grammajane on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 2:13pm.
why say "us and we" apologise? You are the repulsive, foul-mouthed jerk that said it. Am really tired of these radicals on msdnc making these phony apologies that mean zero and are nothing but a bunch of disgraceful immature loud-mouths.Go away and peddle your BS. No decent person should have to listen to any of your shameful crap.
Apology not accepted.
Submitted by CT on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 2:26pm.
The vilest vitriol continues to be pumped by this network.
I almost wonder if they
Submitted by tcm14 on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 2:26pm.
I almost wonder if they weren't ordered to apologize by their White House masters. The lockstep of their apologizing seems pretty orchestrated.
What the man meant was, ...
Submitted by Newsbubba on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 2:36pm.
... he apologizes for saying Romney is a KKK shill NOW!!! MSNBC management was saving that for the general election.
"I apologize for saying it during the primary."
Right on the money
Submitted by Matthew Sheffield on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 3:35pm.
Totally agree!
Of course the claim wasn't that Romney is a KKK "shill" now
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 6:42pm.
or at any time. However, the fact there is a kernel of historical truth to these types of statements by the KKK [and other ostensibly America for Americans organizations] doesn't negate the clumsiness of the linkage with Romney, or excuse the lack of nuance in the shorthand references to the slogan or the omission of clarifying background details. As such, the MSNBC apology was entirely appropriate. Now if only Gingrich would offer a similar apology for his appalling associations of the Obama administration with Stalinist Russia.
Jer
Jer
Submitted by Radical1979 on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 6:51pm.
Is it possible Romney wasn't aware of the similarity of the comment? Up north we don't see as much of the KKK (except for their occasional forays up here where we drive by and call them names and tell them to go home).
It's possible, Rad...but he probably should have been aware
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 7:27pm.
of it. But, to be clear, Romney's infraction--if it can even be called one--was extraordinarily minor in comparison to the boneheaded mishandling of it by MSNBC.
Jer
A dirty shame
Submitted by deadeyedan on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 6:56pm.
Yes, you're quite right, Jer. Newt should apologize to the Russians for that one.
GLOBAL WARMING - authoritarian, rather than authoritative, science
Considering Newt's political tin ear and penchant for bombast,
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 7:22pm.
an apology to the Stalinista Soviet diehards wouldn't surprise me in the least.
Jer
Newts tin ear?
Submitted by Boudin on Fri, 12/16/2011 - 12:30am.
Is completely overwhelmed by Obama's.
Please Jer, inform us all of the current Admins policies to make the world a safer place, or financially stable.
Or Just call me a troll (again) and continue your belligerent nonsense.
I would Boudin, but
Submitted by Jer on Fri, 12/16/2011 - 12:43am.
your sobbing is beginning to annoy the grownups here.
Jer
Well as I knew in advance
Submitted by Boudin on Fri, 12/16/2011 - 3:30am.
The limp wristed lib could not produce. So Jer, why do you bother?
It was you Jer
Submitted by Boudin on Fri, 12/16/2011 - 3:45am.
Who was crying about debating points. So why do you refuse to answer mine.
BTW if it makes you feel better, go ahead and call me more names.
Thanks!
'Now if only Gingrich would offer a similar apology for---
Submitted by matthewdean on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 7:02pm.
the appalling Obama administration.'
That makes Jer's statement much more accurate.
No charge.
MD
Is there any doubt that if a Democrat had used that phrase, and
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 9:33pm.
Beck were still on Fox, he would be frantically scribbling on his blackboard while rifling through a stack of 20's Klan literature piled up on his desk in order to tarnish the offending politician?
The fact is that "Keep America American" was a not uncommon Klan slogan during that era. It was MSNBC's poorly explained connection, misleading screen chyrons, and the appearance of a cheap political hit which constituted the real outrage.
Jer
Is there any doubt that you will continue to run ---
Submitted by matthewdean on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 11:17pm.
interference for lefties and try and focus all possible blame on righties?
As far as Klan literature from the 1920's - have a large collection, do you?
I'm being sarcastic with that last question, as I really don't need another history lesson from the liberal professor emeritus of all things related to the South, Southern Democrats, and the Klan.
MD
Yes, there is considerable doubt since it is unlikely
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 11:37pm.
NB possesses sufficient bandwidth to accommodate all of the blameworthy material involving the righties. It would necessitate another archive dump.
Jer
I started to laugh, Jeringo, until ---
Submitted by matthewdean on Fri, 12/16/2011 - 12:36am.
I realized that leftists truly believe that silliness.
That's what makes 'em lefties.
As I am admittedly not a fan of your Messiah, could you help me out and name a few things he has done that are proving (note: proving) to be good for the country?
I can't come up with anything at all.
MD
You can't come up with anything? Really?
Submitted by Jer on Fri, 12/16/2011 - 12:46am.
That's never stopped you in the past.
Jer
One of your more lame comebacks, there ---
Submitted by matthewdean on Fri, 12/16/2011 - 4:33am.
as I have never said anything good about Obama because there is nothing good TO say about him.
"That's never stopped you in the past".
You are undoubtedly referring to me being less than complimentary to your messiah, but that takes no effort whatsoever - the man is a walking disaster.
And he is ALL yours; as only liberals are able to ignore his many faults in order that they may worship at his feet.
MD
Oh bull, Uncle Jer. Bull. Bull. Bull.
Submitted by The Vet on Fri, 12/16/2011 - 4:57am.
Uncle Jer: ...Gingrich would offer a similar apology for his appalling associations of the Obama administration with Stalinist Russia.
He is saying the threat from the Democrat agenda is just as big as the threat from the NAZI's and Stalinists. The threat of our becoming a radically different country.
Which leads us once again to the question you can never answer. What exactly did President elect Obama mean when he said he was going to FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORM this country? And how is that threat NOT as great as the threat of the NAZI's and Stalinists to changing this country?
VIEIRA: Can you honestly compare what’s going on with the Democrats with Nazi Germany?
GINGRICH: No it’s not a question of how evil they were. Nazi Germany was terrible, Stalin’s Russia was terrible, Mao’s China was terrible. It’s a question of finality. Had we lost either of those contests, we would have become a radically different country.
* * * *
WALLACE: So — but you compare that to the Nazis and the Communists?
GINGRICH: I compare that as a threat
Let's see ---
Obama: Fundamentally transform
Gingrich: we would have become a radically different country.
Hmmmm
Fundamentally transform into a radically different country.
Seems to fit.
Have you no shame in the way you distort things on a website that is about bias? Have you no shame sir?
MSNBC apology
Submitted by trueconserv on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 3:24pm.
So true!
If he had any sense of decency and character
Submitted by Clemenza on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 4:17pm.
He would have come on the air today and did and R. Budd Dwyer. I guess that is too much to ask of a left wing bone smoker.
At least he didn't do it on Twitter like
Submitted by Lipton on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 4:26pm.
David Gregory with his Grand Wizard slur.
I thought the MSLSD host was
Submitted by eaglewingz08 on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 4:29pm.
I thought the MSLSD host was chastising Romney for agreeing with some statement of KKK Grand Kleahle former US Senator Byrd. My bad.
So...which is worse...
Submitted by dydx on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 5:02pm.
...being called a nappy headed hoe or being compared to the KKK? Which is more "appalling?"
Why is one offense grounds for a suspension, and the other ameliorated by fessing up that it was stupid?
Love it how their colors show.
Gee Whiz!
Submitted by Bourbeau on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 5:05pm.
And Don Imus got fired for an offensive reference to the Rutgers female basketball team; what the hell was the difference?
Only "talentless airheads" work at MSDNC...
Submitted by gruyere cheese on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 5:36pm.
The only talent you need there is to be able to read teleprompters -- just like their boss at the White House. Having brain cells is not a requirement on their employment application. Being a bully, knowing how to curse, flip the finger, insult everyone that disagrees with you, insult the American people who are not Liberals....and the list goes on. Anyone remember the promo before Morning Joke when everyone was portrayed as a drunk before going on the air? A classy operation MSNDC is not.
Insincere teleprompter apology
Submitted by Model850 on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 5:38pm.
This "apology" is just some CYA boilerplate text whipped up by the legal department. Matthews and Roberts were just doing what they normally do: Reading a script off the teleprompter. Look at the wording.
CHRIS MATTHEWS: We're back. During the 11am hour on MSNBC today we reported on a blog item that compared a phrase used by the Romney campaign to one used by the KKK way back in the 1920s. It was irresponsible and incendiary of us to do this, and it showed an appalling lack of judgment. We apologize, we really do, to the Romney campaign.
ROBERTS: Now to some important housekeeping that I wanted to do myself. During yesterday's 11am, we reported on a blog item that compared a phrase used by the Romney campaign to one used by the KKK in the 1920s. It was irresponsible and incendiary of us to do this and showed an appalling lack of judgment. We apologize to the Romney campaign.
Sorry MSNBC. The apology is BS.
You changed the word he said!
Submitted by Injest on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 6:32pm.
Saw the ad video and what he said was “Keep America America.” Not “Keep America American.”
One is a slogan used by the Democrats KKK back in the 1920's One was not used as a slogan used by the Democrats KKK back in the 1920's.
Considering how much MSNBC is apologizing for smearing Mitt Romney, is there any question as to what he actually said?
Somehow the folks at MSNBC believe Mitt Romney is acknowledging his Klan roots by using a "similar phrase" in his 2012 campaign for the presidency.
UPDATE: Al Sharpton, on his show tonight, gave his seal of approval for MSNBC to apologize. Sharpton says he believes Romney deserved the apology because he has also been a "victim" of half-truths.
UPDATE: On tonight's edition of MSNBC's "Hardball," host Chris Matthews apologized for the "irresponsible" and "incendiary" attack on Mitt Romney.
You changed the word he said!
If that's the case, MSNBC's
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 8:52pm.
association was even more outrageous.
Jer
"America Blog" is a political Gay activist blog...
Submitted by OxyCon on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 8:39pm.
...which is probably why Roberts was using their material. It seems to me the prime motivation of these Gay activists in the media is hatred for everyone who isn't a Gay activist.
Roberts is a pedophile
Submitted by David Kramer on Fri, 12/16/2011 - 12:38am.
Now for my apology.
I am sorry if anyone was offended by my comment and took it the wrong way.