Ex-CNN host Rick Sanchez said: 'I screwed up and take full responsibility'

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Ex-CNN host Sanchez: 'I screwed up and take full responsibility'

By Andrew Golis
Fri Oct 8, 1:03 pm ET

In his first interview since being fired by CNN for accusing "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart of being a "bigot" and suggesting that Jews run television, including CNN, Rick Sanchez was contrite.

"I screwed up and take full responsibility," he told ABC's George Stephanopoulos.

He repeated that throughout the interview, even referring to himself in the third person: "Rick Sanchez screwed up." Sanchez went further in the interview than he had in a statement released Wednesday in which he apologized and described the comments as "inartful." "Not only were they wrong, they were offensive."

But Sanchez didn't back down from his broader claim that bias exists in television news. He said that if you focus just on prime-time cable news hosts, "there's not a single Hispanic.

There's not a single Asian-American or a single African-American."
[Read more: Jon Stewart strikes back at Sanchez]
The interview had its awkward moments, including Sanchez forgetting how many feet were in 10 meters while telling a story about Jon Stewart making fun of him for not knowing how many feet were in 10 meters.

"What is it, 330 feet?" Stephanopoulos guessed.

"No, it's like 11 or something," Sanchez responded.

(They were both wrong; according to our calculations, it's 32.8.)
He also didn't completely back off his claim that Stewart unfairly targets him. Sanchez argued that Stewart's mockery of him is an effort by "The Daily Show" to balance its parody.

"If he does a piece on Glenn Beck calling the president a communist, then he has to do a piece on someone at CNN, and I'm the one he chooses."
[Photos: Jon Stewart shows off awards and more]
Sanchez did praise Stewart, though, calling him "the classiest guy in the world" for accepting his apology.

The Dark Knight, October 9 2010, 6:28 AM

Topic: CNN host Rick Sanchez fired after Jon Stewart rant

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