During CNBC’s coverage of the October jobs report Tuesday, economics reporter Steve Liesman lay the blame for the delayed report on Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. “We’re going to call this the ‘Senator Ted Cruz Jobs Report’,” Liesman said on “Squawk Box.”
“Can we get some music to go along with that, some Mexican music or something?”
Cruz may like Mexican music, but he’s of Cuban descent. He was also born in Canada, so perhaps Liesman should have requested some Bryan Adams, Alanis Morrisette or Justin Bieber, or said nothing at all.
> Update: Liesman has apologized:
Regarding my recent remark on Squawk Box regarding Senator Ted Cruz, I first want to deeply and sincerely apologize if my remarks were insensitive.
Second, I want to explain that it was not intended to be offensive in any way.
I thought of him only as an American senator from Texas, and in an attempt, on the fly, to choose music representing that state, I chose Mexican music.
As a musician for many decades, I’ve played and listened to tons of Texas songs infused with Mexican themes. A better choice would have been Country/Western or Texas Roadhouse Blues – it was a bad reach all the way around.