LOS ANGELES – US country music singer Hank Williams jnr said on Tuesday he was “very sorry” for any offence caused by his remarks on Fox News Channel this week comparing President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler.
His apology was posted on his website a day after the Disney-owned cable sports channel ESPN pulled Williams's theme song from its popular Monday Night Footballbroadcast in a rebuke for his Hitler remark.
Appearing on Fox News Channel’s morning programme Fox Friends on Monday, Williams said he thought that a June 18th golf summit pairing Mr Obama with Republican House of Representatives speaker John Boehner in the midst of the congressional budget standoff had “turned a lot of people off”. Asked what he didn’t like about the friendly bipartisan golf match, Williams replied, “Come on! It’d be like Hitler playing golf with Netanyahu.”
He went on to refer to Mr Obama and vice-president Joe Biden as "the enemy". After his All My Rowdy Friendssong was yanked from the Monday Night Footballopening by ESPN later that day, Williams issued a statement acknowledging that his "analogy was extreme" but insisting it was intended to illustrate how ludicrous he thought it was for Mr Obama and Mr Boehner to team up at golf.
Williams (62) was scheduled to return to the Fox News Channel with an interview on Tuesday on the Hannityshow, but the network said the singer decided to cancel.
Hours later, Williams posted another statement: “I have always been very passionate about politics and sports, and this time it got the best or worst of me. The thought of the leaders of both parties jukin’ and high-fivin’ on a golf course, while so many families are struggling to get by simply made me boil over and make a dumb statement, and I am very sorry if it offended anyone.”
He concluded, “I would like to thank all my supporters. This was not written by some publicist.”
The statement was posted just below a link to a video clip from the ABC daytime TV talk show The View,in which host Whoopi Goldberg suggested Williams was judged too harshly. "Hank is a musician, and he's always been provocative," Goldberg said. "He could have chosen his words more wisely, but as someone who steps in it quite often, we all do it. Those among us who are without sin, cast the first stone."
On its own website, ESPN said it had no comment on whether Williams’s song would be used on future telecasts. – (Reuters)