Mark Halperin's Four Letter Word

Andy Borowitz is a comedian and satirist who created the satirical website the Borowitz Report. Recently on Twitter he wrote:

"In America, you can get fired for calling someone a dick; however, actually being a dick usually gets you promoted."

There is always a bit of truth in humor.

MSNBC senior political analyst Mark Halperin was suspended on Thursday by the cable network after he called President Obama “a dick” on a popular morning show and then quickly apologized.

“I thought he was a kind of a dick yesterday,” Halperin, who also is an editor at large for Time, said on “Morning Joe,” referring to the president’s conduct during his press conference.

Jon Stewart, comedian and satirist extraordinaire, expounded on Mark Halperin's behavior and then what happened after a commercial break. WATCH:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Mark Halperin Calls Obama a Dick
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

MSNBC issued a statement and suspended Halperin indefinitely.

A couple of hours later, MSNBC issued a statement, saying, “Mark Halperin’s comments this morning were completely inappropriate and unacceptable. We apologize to the president, the White House and all of our viewers. We strive for a high level of discourse, and comments like these have no place on our air. Therefore, Mark will be suspended indefinitely from his role as an analyst.”

The cable outlet also put out a statement from Halperin at the same time, saying, “I completely agree with everything in MSNBC’s statement about my remark. I believe that the step they are taking in response is totally appropriate. Again, I want to offer a heartfelt and profound apology to the president, to my MSNBC colleagues and to the viewers. My remark was unacceptable, and I deeply regret it.”

Time also issued a statement but did not suspend Halperin.

Time issued a statement later Thursday, calling Halperin’s comments “inappropriate and in no way reflective of Time’s views.”

The magazine did not suspend Halperin but said, “We have issued a warning to him that such behavior is unacceptable” and noted that he had “appropriately” apologized.

Mark Halperin, in his role as the senior political analyst for Time magazine, Time.com, and MSNBC, should be aware that by his unsavory comment he not only crossed the line between opinion and journalism but that the image of the journalist as a professional has truly been breached.

The White House response was appropriate. WATCH: