David Gregory apologizes for making KKK reference about GOP

NBC's David Gregory has apologized for a comment he made on Wednesday's "Today" show about the Republican party leadership's response to the sexual harassment scandal surrounding Herman Cain.

When asked by Ann Curry if he thought the Republican party would want Cain to "just go away," Gregory said: "There is no, you know, grand wizard in the party right now who can really force the issue."

The reference to a "grand wizard"--a term formerly used for the leader of the Klu Klux Klan--drew the ire of conservative critics, including Hot Air's Ed Morrissey, who called the comment "jaw-dropping."

The "Meet The Press" host later apologized via Twitter.

"[The] 'Wizard' remark this morning was a very poor choice of words," Gregory wrote. "Did not mean to make that connection at all. Was not thinking. I apologize."

Watch the exchange with Curry below:

Other popular Yahoo! News stories:

Paper calls for departures of Penn State president and Joe Paterno
Will Time magazine choose a dead guy as its 'Person of the Year'?
Media outlets mostly ignored Cain accuser, until she spoke