Ed Schultz's mouth has earned him a week-long vacation — albeit without pay.
The MSNBC personality was handed a week-long suspension on Wednesday, after calling conservative pundit Laura Ingraham a "right-wing slut" on his radio program on Tuesday.
"MSNBC management met with Ed Schultz this afternoon and accepted his offer to take one week of unpaid leave for the remarks he made yesterday on his radio program," a statement provided to TheWrap by MSNBC reads. "Ed will address these remarks on his show tonight, and immediately following begin his leave. Remarks of this nature are unacceptable and will not be tolerated."
Schultz made the comment while responding to the right's criticism of President Barack Obama's visit to Ireland, in the wake of the devastating tornado disaster in Joplin, Mo..
“And what were the Republicans thinking about?” Schultz said. “They’re not thinking about their next-door neighbor. They’re just thinking about how much this is going to cost. President Obama is going to be visiting Joplin, Mo., on Sunday but you know what they’re 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.”
Listen to Schultz's remarks below:
Schultz's comments created an unusual alliance between Ingraham and the feminist movement, with feminist watchdog group Women's Media Center, among other groups, calling for Schultz's suspension.
"While conservative bloggers and watchdog organizations are highlighting Schultz's remark, the Women's Media Center also calls on MSNBC to suspend Schultz for his comments, since they not only attack Ingraham, but all women," the WMC wrote. "Ms. Ingraham is no friend to the Women's Media Center, but a sexist and misogynist attack based on her gender and not her political views or comments is harmful to women in media, politics, and beyond."
Meanwhile, Ingraham herself seems to have taken the entire incident in stride. On her Facbook page, Ingraham got in a dig at Schultz's media reach, while getting in a plug for her own book.
Ingraham wrote: "Re. the crude comments made about me by Ed Schultz on his radio program: First, I was surprised to learn that Ed Schultz actually hosted a radio show. Is it only available online? Second, I have to get back to recording the audio edition of my new book 'Of Thee I Zing.' Now I'm tempted to insert one additional zing — about men who preach civility but practice misogyny."
