White House: Analyst comment 'inappropriate'

[July 01, 2011]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House says an off-color remark about President Barack Obama by MSNBC analyst Mark Halperin was inappropriate.

Halperin said during an appearance Thursday on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that he thought Obama "was a dick yesterday." The Time magazine editor at large was talking about Obama's performance at a White House news conference on Wednesday.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the comment was an inappropriate thing to say about any president. Carney also said he had expressed that sentiment to network executives.

Halperin quickly apologized on the air Thursday. MSNBC suspended him indefinitely hours later.

MSNBC also said Halperin's comment was completely inappropriate and unacceptable. The network apologized to Obama.

[Associated Press]

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