Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin said her role is to accept the apology of MSNBC commentator Martin Bashir, and move on after his crude verbal on-air attack.
"My role is to accept his apology, and be humble enough to accept it, and move on," Palin told "Fox & Friends" Thursday, in her first public response after MSNBC announced Bashir's resignation Wednesday.
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The network originally suspended Bashir after comments he made Nov. 15 calling Palin a "world class idiot." He also made a reference to disgusting punishment given slaves, suggesting Palin should receive the same treatment. Bashir issued an apology a few days after making the remarks.
Palin, who was also the Republican 2008 vice presidential candidate, said she hopes attacks such as Bashir's don't "make people hesitate" from taking a chance and getting involved.
"I just hope that unprovoked attacks like that don't result in people being hesitant to jump in the arena, anyway — to get out there and serve the public or start a business or really commit themselves to changing within their family, their community, their world, doing whatever that they can," Palin said.
The positive side of the issue was the media response calling for an emphasis on higher standards, Palin said.
"It was refreshing to see, though, that many in the media did come out and say, 'Look, our standards have got to be higher than this. Those with that platform, with a microphone, a camera in their face, they have to have some more responsibility taken,'" she said.
From years in the public spotlight, Palin said she was "used to it," but that verbal attacks represented "a sad state of affairs."
"Now, I look at it as kind of par for the course," she said.
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