MSNBC host Chris Matthews apologized on the air for saying after President Obama's re-election that he was "so glad" for Hurricane Sandy because it helped Obama win. He said his comments were "not just stupid but wrong."

Matthews made the initial comments at the end of ten hours on the air, and quickly clarified that he was only "glad" from a political standpoint.

Also read: Chris Matthews: 'I'm So Glad We Had That Storm Last Week' (Video) [5]

"I'm so glad we had that storm last week because I think the storm was one of those things... No, politically I should say. Not in terms of hurting people. The storm brought in possibilities for good politics," he said.

Matthews explained on "Hardball" Wednesday that he could blame exhaustion for the statement, but in fact "wasn't thinking."

"It was a terrible thing to say, period," Matthews said, adding that he "wasn't thinking of the horrible mess this storm has made of people's real lives."

"I was too deeply enmeshed in political thinking," he continued. "I left out the number one of anyone on air... to think about the real lives of people. ... I said something not just stupid but wrong."

He added: “Please believe me, I am determined to do what I can to try to help the people who have already been hurt enough, who are suffering and have suffered enough hardship without hearing stupid stuff from me.”

Watch the apology:

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