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Martin Bashir Resigns From MSNBC

Dec 4, 2013  •  Post A Comment

MSNBC fixture Martin Bashir, after getting in hot water over comments he made about Sarah Palin, has resigned from the cable news channel, The Huffington Post reports.

Bashir announced his resignation in an email posted by Mediaite, the report notes. The move follows weeks of controversy after Bashir insinuated that Palin deserved to have someone "shit" in her mouth.

Here’s the text of Bashir’s email:

"After making an on-air apology, I asked for permission to take some additional time out around the Thanksgiving holiday.

"Upon further reflection, and after meeting with the President of MSNBC, I have tendered my resignation. It is my sincere hope that all of my colleagues, at this special network, will be allowed to focus on the issues that matter without the distraction of myself or my ill-judged comments.

"I deeply regret what was said, will endeavor to work hard at making constructive contributions in the future and will always have a deep appreciation for our viewers — who are the smartest, most compassionate and discerning of all television audiences. I would also wish to express deepest gratitude to my immediate colleagues, and our contributors, all of whom have given so much of themselves to our broadcast."

MSNBC President Phil Griffin issued a statement saying: “Martin Bashir resigned today, effective immediately. I understand his decision and I thank him for three great years with MSNBC. Martin is a good man and respected colleague — we wish him only the best.”

The Huffington Post adds: "Bashir had been a host on the network since 2011, and had frequently raised eyebrows with his hyperbolic commentary. But his comments in November in response to remarks about slavery by Palin touched off a firestorm. Among other things, Bashir said that someone should defecate and urinate in Palin’s mouth, a punishment delivered to some slaves. He apologized, but the comments continued to haunt him."

The move follows a recent controversy involving another MSNBC personality, the report notes.

"Bashir’s resignation came shortly after Alec Baldwin parted ways with MSNBC over anti-gay comments he made towards a photographer," the story reports. "At the time, many wondered why Baldwin, who was suspended for two weeks for statements he made off the air, was seemingly being punished more than Bashir, who was not given any immediate suspension."

Top candidates to fill the void left in the MSNBC schedule by Bashir’s departure include MSNBC contributor and guest host Joy Reid and recent hire Ronan Farrow, the piece notes. Reid will at least temporarily fill in for Bashir.

Thumbnail image for martin-bashir.jpgMartin Bashir

19 Comments

  1. A great day for television!!

  2. Now if only Palin would go away.

  3. Tim, she’s not going anywhere anytime soon because she isn’t a hateful, crass individual. Can you say the same thing about Mr. Bashir? Nope…and that’s why he’s HISTORY.

  4. You’re right Bill. I don’t think that Sarah Palin has ever said anything hateful to or about anyone. She is an angel, one of America’s great intellectuals, and should be considered a national treasure.
    Oh, and a monkey just flew out of my butt.

  5. Welcome to a nation so fractured that it can never be put back together. I am sure that Sarah Palin has been a very large part of why that has happened. No matter what any of you wak-jobs say…she has done a tremendous amount of damage even if she hasn’t directly called anyone names.
    God help us all.

  6. That was no monkey Scott, that was your brain.

  7. Can you be a little more specific lib?

  8. Yeah, he “resigned”…. right. I’m sure he headed right to the dry cleaners to get the footprint off the back of his jacket.
    While MSNBC is at it, they should unload that blowhard Ed Schultz.

  9. The ratings for Bashir and MSNBC are so low, that the only way it was known what he said was through the media. Glad he is gone, and they could deep six the entire network as a public service.

  10. Clearly, there are those who are glad that Bashir is off the air. (Yes, I’m talking to you, angry Drudge readers who followed a link here).
    I’m not one of those people. If you actually watched his segment — instead of merely relying on the twisted version of his comments on blogs — his comments are totally appropriate. It’s metaphor, folks. It’s the beauty of the English language.
    He never said “Someone should shit in Sarah Palin’s mouth,” as the click-hungry headlines shouted. It’s not only taking his thought completely out of context, it’s also completely rewriting what he said.
    Watch the damn clip. Make up your own mind. That’s kind of what the Internet is there for…

  11. Liberals give up too easy. He should have stood his ground and MSNBC should have stood right by him. This is why the right ends up dominating the narrative.
    They stand strong. Right or wrong and that’s what America craves more than facts or context. We Americans follow the loudest horn because we equate loudness with surety and strength.
    Liberals need to learn that message.

  12. WriterGuy has it right.
    The published ignorance happening in today’s “texting” and “blogging” is astonishing.
    Martin Bashir is a loss to MSNBC and to journalism.
    I will add that Phil Griffin has the corporate backbone of a snake.
    Any true head of such an organization would have stood behind Bashir and gone on with the business of JOURNALISM.
    Alas, that business is quickly, and sadly, becoming lost in America.
    Peter Bright

  13. Although I tend to agree with Mr. Bashir’s thoughts on the subject matter, as a professional broadcaster and journalist, one has to “watch their words” at all times because in these fields no one seems to get a second chance as it is the public’s airwaves.

  14. Jim: I am in agreement with your statement that journalists have to “watch their words”.
    I will add that in this case Martin Bashir intelligently and responsibly built his verbal case, strong though it may have been.
    He followed whatever outcry there was over his words with a professional acknowledgement and apology.
    The matter should have ended there and Bashir should have been left in position by Mr. Griffin.
    I guess the “instant mentality” and knee-jerk reactionary management “decisions” we suffer from today began in the fifties with instant coffee.
    It is too bad that we let that mentality grow to brew us the non consumable drek referred to loosely today as management.
    The loss of Martin Bashir is significant to the viewing public, and has dropped MSNBC yet another notch.
    Peter Bright

  15. I don’t suppose your middle name is “not so” is it?

  16. “Writer Guy” & Peter Bright…I watched the video. The whole clip. There is no way you can speak of “The Beauty of the English Language,” “metaphor” and “weak management” to justify or defend what he said. You guys will defend anything, as long as you agree with the ideology of the person saying it. With or without Bashir, MSNBC is as low as it gets. 85% of their content is opinion.

  17. Peter & WriterGuy,
    I respect your own perspective of Martin Bashir’s commentary aimed Sarah Palin but many other sober people like myself saw the segment and definitively don’t agree with you. There may be some wittiness (subjective term) to his scripted metaphor but there is clearly a direct desire for said punishment to Palin as painstakingly set up & described by Bashir.
    Furthermore, Bashir is taking Palin’s basic ‘slavery’ statement (which I took the time to watch) out of context to fit into his shock narrative.
    I’m sure Bashir is a capable media person but really not seeing journalism in this one at all.

  18. Let’s see, Sarah Palin has advocated faith, family, right to life for the innocent unborn, freedom, self reliance, smaller government, liberty, and she rarely even defends herself, much less speaks ill will of others. Now, libtard Lindy, how has Palin been so damaging to America?
    It’s libtards like yourself and disgusting pundits like Bashir that are the real danger to our American way of life. Great and honorable Americans like Palin are representative of the God fearing, freedom loving men and women who started this great Country.

  19. Well said! I really wanted to comment on this, but it got out of control so quickly, that I won’t bother.

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