|
 In a commentary on Friday, Bashir called the former Alaska
governor "America's resident dunce" and a "world-class idiot," and
suggested she be punished for remarks about slavery by having
someone defecate in her mouth.
On Monday, Bashir said he deeply regretted what he said.
"I wanted to take this opportunity to say sorry to Mrs. Palin and
offer an unreserved apology to her friends and family, our viewers
and anyone else who might have heard what I said," said Bashir, who
hosts an hourlong commentary program on the cable network's
afternoon schedule.
Bashir's commentary came on the same day that MSNBC suspended Alec
Baldwin's weekly talk show for two episodes after the actor was
videotaped using an anti-gay slur against a photographer during a
New York street encounter.
An MSNBC spokeswoman did not immediately respond to questions
Tuesday about whether any further action was being contemplated
against Bashir. The former ABC "Nightline" host was on the air for
his show on Tuesday. A Fox News representative could not immediately
reach Palin for comment.
[to top of second column] |
Bashir had attacked Palin and her "long-diseased mind" after playing
video of a speech where she compared the United States' potential
indebtedness to China to slavery.
Bashir told the story of Thomas Thistlewood, a former overseer at a
plantation who left detailed diaries that described his punishment
of wayward slaves. In one case, Thistlewood ordered another slave to
defecate in the mouth of the miscreant. In another case, someone
urinated in the face of a slave who was being punished.
"When Mrs. Palin invokes slavery, she doesn't just prove her rank
ignorance, she confirms (that) if anyone truly qualifies for a dose
of discipline from Thomas Thistlewood, then she would be the
outstanding candidate," he said.
[Associated
Press; DAVID BAUDER]
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