MSNBC Anchor Suspended Over Clinton Comments

SEATTLE – MSNBC says it has temporarily suspended anchor David Shuster from all NBC news broadcasts — except to offer his on-air apology for what he said about Chelsea Clinton.

Shuster outraged the Clinton campaign by saying on the air that the campaign had “pimped out” the Clintons’ daughter, when they had her place phone calls to party superdelegates on her mother’s behalf.

A Clinton campaign official calls the comment “beneath contempt” and disgusting. And he says it could threaten Clinton’s participation in a debate later this month on MSNBC, and in future debates on the network. Shuster apologized on the air for the comment.

And an MSNBC spokesman says the network offers its “sincere regrets to the Clintons.” He says the network is hoping the February 26th Clinton-Obama debate will take place as planned. Shuster tells The Associated Press that he has tried to reach Clinton to apologize.