good Christ.  What the hell is the matter with this dolt?

[img]http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2002/SHOWBIZ/11/20/jackson.baby/story.jackson.ap.jpg[/img]

[url]http://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/11/20/jackson.baby/index.html[/url]

BERLIN, Germany -- Michael Jackson has admitted he made a mistake by dangling his youngest child over a fourth-floor balcony of a Berlin hotel in front of dozens of fans waiting below.

The boy, his legs kicking, had what seemed to be a white cloth over his head as the superstar, holding the child with one arm around his waist, held him out over the iron rail of the balcony of the luxurious Adlon Hotel on Tuesday.

The child, wearing a baby blue jumper, is the reclusive singer's third and youngest, Prince Michael II, Antje Sigesmund, a spokeswoman for the Bambi entertainment award ceremony, told The Associated Press.

The act shocked some who saw it transmitted on TV, and on Tuesday night Jackson admitted he got carried away when fans below the window asked to see the baby.

"I made a terrible mistake," he said in a written statement. "I got caught up in the excitement of the moment. I would never intentionally endanger the lives of my children."

Several scenes of Jackson's visit to the German capital, where he is attending an awards ceremony on Thursday -- including the display of his son -- were featured on primetime German news.

The Chicago-based advocacy group Prevent Child Abuse America criticised Jackson's behaviour, but said the boy did not seem to be harmed.

$21m lawsuit
"It is a painful reminder that even the most well-intentioned among us sometimes act in ways that put children in danger of being abused or neglected," A. Sidney Johnson, president and CEO of the group, told AP.

AP said security had to remove some who had got inside the hotel, just opposite Berlin's landmark Brandenburg Gate. Reuters reported that the star had earlier arrived wearing a white surgical mask over his mouth and nose, but later removed it.

Several fans carried banners, including one that said "Save the Kids," with drawings of children's faces, a reference to Jackson's philanthropy. Another said "Really good to see you."

Jackson, wearing a bright red shirt, smiled and waved to the fans, then threw a small towel to crowds. He then went inside and retrieved the toddler, using one arm to hold the boy out over the balcony rail, AP said.

Fans cheered as the pop star appeared with the child, but Jackson quickly retreated into his hotel room without making any statement.

Little is known about Prince Michael II. People Magazine reported in August that he was six months old. The magazine, citing an anonymous friend, said the boy was not adopted and did not identify the mother.

The singer also has two children with ex-wife Debbie Rowe: a five-year-old boy -- also named Prince Michael -- and a four-year-old girl, Paris. The couple divorced in 1999.

In Berlin, Jackson was taking a break from a California courtroom where he testified last week in a $21 million lawsuit claiming he backed out of concerts.

He is a moron.

Even IF he was joking, why would a reasonable parent even think of puting his child in a potentually harmfull situation.  All it would have taken was a cramp and there goes the kid.