Talk Show Tiff: Ed Schultz Apologizes For Calling Laura Ingraham "Right-Wing Slut"

Yesterday, MSNBC host Ed Schultz issued a public apology to talk-show host Laura Ingraham after he called her a "right-wing slut" and "talk slut" on his syndicated radio program earlier this week. "I used vile and inappropriate language...It was wrong, uncalled for, and I recognize the severity of what I said,” he said at the start of “The Ed Show" on MSNBC last night. Schultz has been suspended without pay for at least a week for the incident. Watch his apology below:

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On Tuesday, Schultz responded to Ingraham's criticisms of President Obama's trip to Ireland, which she made on the Fox News program "Fox and Friends." Schultz said: “President Obama is going to be visiting Joplin, Mo., on Sunday, but you know what [Republicans are] talking about, like this right-wing slut, what’s her name? Laura Ingraham? Yeah, she’s a talk slut. You see, she was, back in the day, praising President Reagan when he was drinking a beer overseas. But now that Obama’s doing it, they’re working him over.”

MSNBC released a statement afterwards regarding the remarks: “Remarks of this nature are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.” While apologizing for the comments, Schultz said he had tried to contact Ingraham personally to apologize, and promised never to use the word "slut" again: “I have embarrassed my family. I have embarrassed this company. The only way I can prove my sincerity in all of this is if I never use those words again. You have my word I won’t.”

Ingraham tweeted that she accepted the apology, and linked to this audio clip from her radio program, in which she said she "thought so little about it, I didn't even mention it [on her show]." Having said that, she did have eight tweets about it in the last 24 hours, including this zinger: "MSNBC suspends Schultz. Oh great, now his ratings will go up."

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By Ben Yakas in News on May 26, 2011 3:57 PM

Comments [rss]

Don Patrick

While i see you as too left biased & Hannity too right biased, I watched both to form my opinion. You're apology was sincere, & I repect you for that. You're wife, children & grandchildren, should be proud of you. I wish MSNBC hosts (you, Oberman, Maddow, etc.) would learn that showing spite for other people will never gett the best out of others and yourselves. MSNBC constantly attacks Fox while they smugly (and wisely) ignore you, that's why you guys get buried in the ratings. The amature thinks about his story Ed, the pro thinks about his audience. You're a good man, come back soon.

robingee

Fox doesn't ignore. Billo talked about Olbermann ALL the time.

publikhan

awesome post. Thats called maturity people

MermaidFornicator

that's called bad grammar & spelling people.

whitecastlerock

His show bored me to tears anyway...

Guest

So much for elevating the discourse, huh? Left wing hate speech like this got that poor Congresswoman shot.

robingee

Oh! Oh! Someone on the left said something bad! Quick! Blame! ummm... Congresswoman shot! Yes! Bad thing!

Mordicai

I heard Marilyn Manson hates Laura Ingraham!

robingee

I knew it! Judas Priest too. grrrr.

Guest

I have to think this is pretty accurate given Rob Halford's proclivities and Ingraham's thoughts on those.

unretrofiedforu

'Getting shot' is different than 'being promiscuous sexually'. O but subtlety and logic is not the right-wing's strong points, I understand.

Guest

Ad hominem attacks are logical fallicies. If you had a point, you would have made it.

After that left-wing gunman opened fire on that crowd in AZ, we were all told it was political hate speech that caused it. Political hate speech much like this hate-monger Schulz spewed. We we really need to rein these people in and restrict what they can say on public airwaves.

robingee

"we were all told" - but what was the real reason? For the record I don't think the Sarah Palin "targets" had one damn thing to do with it either.

Mordicai

Using sexist pejoratives isn't okay. He should have gone with "Right-Wing Nitwit" or something.

unretrofiedforu

Laura and her ilk use far more pervasive and sickening metaphors - I think all's fair in cable news.

Len_Drexler

all's fair in cable news

Weren't MSNBC's anchors whining after Jon Stewart suggested they were part of the problem at the Rally to Restore Sanity? And everyone rushed to defend them? If you condone this sort of nonsense by MSNBC then you lose any right to criticize Fox. You're getting the media you deserve, America.

publikhan

Thank you. U guys are so partisan its truly sad.

robingee

Blah blah blah... left-wing says one bad thing. Right-wing LIVES bad things.

Mordicai

True enough, but you've got to keep self-policing. I agree that the "partisan dichotomy" is false-- if only because progressives actually label editorial content-- but we need to make sure that continues to be true.