Obama unscripted: mocks Special Olympics
Barack Obama made history as the 1st president to appear on Jay Leno last night. Wanting to prove he is capable of speaking without a teleprompter, Obama proceeded to prove he is not. Joe Biden’s foot-in-mouth disease must be contagious.
As the mom of a child who actually bowled in a special recreation program, I was offended. And Obama actually doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Those kids could bowl him under the alley.
Even Keith Olbermann winced, wondering, “What do we do – what does he do – about that?”…
By contrast – again – there is Sarah Palin, who not only didn’t kill the same child Obama would have let die because he had Down syndrome, she only last week released a video for organizers of the Special Olympics…
[HT: Palin video, SuzyB.org blog]

Arrogance personified.
What a friggin’ jerk for a prez.
how much more different can two people be! one that loves their child unconditionally and the other that could care less if a child lives or dies! why couldn’t america see this during the election!
Loved that video of Sarah and fam – will post it on my blog too …
I loved seeing little Trig and Piper – they’re doing well.
I volunteer with Special Olympics and my favorite is the bowling tournament. The huge crowds, the dedicated athletes and families, and my feeling like I’m conducting a symphony as I and several volunteers supervise the teams.
Its fun and fantastic and these athletes are top notch bowlers! Far better than me. I also do track and field and its always the coldest day in spring. While I freeze and stand wrapped in a jacket, these athletes give it their all.
My question is what is the president of the United States doing on a late nite talk show? Apparently this is a first. Shouldn’t he be in Washington doing his job? What did this late nite jaunt cost the taxpayers in jets, security, etc?
Actually, the Gov’s video address was for the Special Olympics opening ceremonies in Idaho in January – not last week.
The video didn’t surface on the ‘net though until a couple of weeks ago … And believe me, many of us were looking for it back in January.
hrh40:
Perhaps Palin was waiting for bailout money from Arrogance Man?
Seriously, your comment needs embellishment.
Are you blaming the video’s delay on Palin and are you a Liberal?
Becky 2:06PM
The difference between these two is called “class”. One has it or not, and Obama definitely does not.
He apologized before the show was broadcast so his apology was not made because of pressure from the press. In some way these mistakes are a good thing because they raise awareness of just how hurtful and misguided such statements are. So the one upside here is that people are talking about and showing their support for the Special Olympics program. Here are a few clips of media criticisms of the Obama late night interview: http://www.newsy.com/
*wince* Yeah, ok, that was not so good. It WAS Leno though, so the atmosphere probably was influencing how he spoke, and he was trying to be entertaining. I mean…I crack a Pollock joke every once in a while and I don’t hate Pollocks. He said something politically incorrect, and he apologized for it. That settles it fine for me.
Rosa,
Sorry I must disagree. Obama realized his slipup, as did Leno, and he went into damage control mode before the media got hold of it. Can you imagine if George Bush had said this? The Democrats would be howling like banshees, mainly Pelosi, Reid, and the Kennedys.
I can’t agree these “mistakes” are good. Is a racial slur good because it makes us more aware of racial problems? It is degrading and hateful, period.
It didn’t take an arrogant comment like that to inspire the special olympics volunteers I work with or our community’s support of this program and its athletes.
“What is the president of the United States doing on a late nite talk show?”
==================================
Apparently, he thinks he’s doing his job…
As Larry, the cable guy said “He was sworn in 3 months ago…and people are still swearing right now.”
I’ve never actually read anything about him being condescending about disabilities before. And the videos don’t load on school computers. What do they say exactly? I can’t watch them. Somehow, though I generally have some slight political disagreements with Sarah Palin, like her as a person. If she, however, had been on the show, there would be constant news coverage of “what a celebrity she is.” I haven’t seen the show (we don’t have television). Was the rest funny and (hopefully) more sensitive?
Vannah, Obama makes fun of his own bowling ability, noting that he just bowled a 129 (apparently that’s bad? I’m so bad I don’t even know!). Then he says, “it’s like the Special Olympics!”
It’s not an appropriate thing to say, certainly not in a public forum.
If only he’d made a white trash joke instead.
Condescending about those with disabilities? His policies certainly show that he would rather have them killed in the womb.
Can you imagine if George Bush had said this? The Democrats would be howling like banshees, mainly Pelosi, Reid, and the Kennedys.
absolutely!
Here’s the point.
Obama reveals who he really is when he says things off the cuff and not from a teleprompter reading something someone else wrote. In fact, the Bible says that out of the mouth the heart speaks.
He thinks and says that babies targeted for abortion but born alive can be terminated.
He thinks and says babies are a punishment from God.
He thinks and says that it cannot not be determined with any specifity when life begins.
And now these comments about those of us who are gifted in different ways.
Obama has a distorted and twisted view of life and I can see where the lack of a father has totally screwed him up. There is a raging lunatic maniac lurking beneath it all and this too will be revealed to the world especially when things really heat up, when he no longer enjoys the favor of a liberal media and when all hell is breaking out all around him.
All I can say is GO PALIN!
You’ll wanna be sure and SAVE THAT VIDEO OF OBAMA before YouTube/Google takes it down in an attempt to erase it from history.
Sarah Palin signed a law increasing special education funding in Alaska. She proposed cutting the Special Olympics funding in half, though the actual budget passed slightly increased Special Olympics funding though by only half of what the organization had requested.
I’m curious, was Special Olympics forced to close down in Alaska? Are there no private donations? Do all charitable or social service organizations always get everything they request?
Well, that’s a far cry from the support she gave the Special Olympics at the beginnning of last year!
True Mary, the amount she approved was a slight increase over the previous year’s funding, but it’s curious that her Republican-controlled government had approved the full amount prior to her vetoe?
I’m surprised Alaska funds it at all.
I’ve just checked our state special olympics and can find nothing about state funding. Its instead funded by private donations, corporate sponsors,fundraisers, organizations, and foundations.
Erin… unless you’re making fun of the painter Jackson Pollock, you might want to learn how to spell “Polack”… which is the appropriate derogatory name for half of my racial heritage.
Here’s a hint… the only classy way to tell an ethnic joke is to tell one about your OWN ethnicity. Making fun of other people’s ethnicities just makes you as big of an arse as our current POTUS apparently is finally revealing himself to be.
I love how people claim that not giving a special interest group as large of an increase in funding as they request is somehow cutting their funds. Need everyone be reminded that Alaska is the only state in the union that not only balances their budget but sends the surplus BACK to the people each year? If she approved every request from every special interest group in full regardless of budgetary constraints she would be acting like… oh, yeah, the U.S. Congress.
asitis and Elizabeth,
Its also possible she took private donations, etc. into consideration.
“Vannah, Obama makes fun of his own bowling ability, noting that he just bowled a 129 (apparently that’s bad? I’m so bad I don’t even know!). Then he says, “it’s like the Special Olympics!”
It’s not an appropriate thing to say, certainly not in a public forum.
If only he’d made a white trash joke instead.”
What do you mean?
Its also possible she took private donations, etc. into consideration.
Posted by: Mary at March 20, 2009 4:35 PM
Possibly…. it’s just curious that her government approved it first. Don’t you think?
just heard Notre Dame University to give Obama honorary degree on May 17!
this is such a shame.
Jasper,
Do you remember when, in reference to Paula Jones, James Carville made the comment about dragging $5 through a trailer court and who knows what you’ll get?
A rather elitist bigoted comment about which there was little protest. You would think feminists would be outraged at the suggestion that women who live in trailer courts, which Jones didn’t, were somewhat less worthy of belief than those who live in Beverly Hills.
Didn’t our enlightened leader also say something bitter clingers who cling to religion, guns, and bigotry? I suspect this was in reference to rural whites.
asitis,
Its hard to say. You may also have legislators who are putting in funding, pork, with no regard for fiscal responsiblity(kind of like our congress and senate), that a responsible governor may very well have to slash or eliminate, something our presidents, present and past, would well have learned to do.
Given the budget and requests she may have had to cut corners. Maybe increasing for special ed. meant decreasing for special olympics. Or she may have determined that private donations, etc., were adequate to make up for the state cutback.
Like I said, I can’t find that our special olympics gets any kind of state funding, yet it is large and thriving and events are held throughout the year.
My most unsettling moment as a volunteer was when two athletes were in disagreement over a bowling ball. A tad unnerving but the dispute was quickly settled.
Apparently the current Special Olympics bowling champ is challenging Obama to a match… but says that since he has three times bowled a perfect 300 and his average is 266, Obama’s going to have to try pretty hard to beat him….
As a person with a disability, I am personally, and look at how he treated Gianna Jessen, Obama is a son of the devel… He is not my president, and he deffently is not the Masiah!
I actually didn’t know that, Elisabeth! Thanks for the correction- ya learn something everyday!
I still believe there is nothing inherently WRONG with insensitive or crude jokes, as long as they are made in jest. Which Obama’s was. In poor taste and not appropriate for the most powerful man on earth to say, but he’s human. Like I said, he apologized, and that settles it for me.
Elizabeth 5:22PM
I believe it. The SO bowlers are top notch. Considering some are blind and physically challenged, its amazing, and humbling.
I wouldn’t even challenge some of the SO bowlers I’ve seen.
By contrast, there is Sarah Palin, who cut funding for the AK Special Olympics by half last year and just yesterday refused 76 million in federal stimulus funds targeted at special needs children.(as well as 170 million for education).
It is one thing to make a dumb joke, for which you immediately apologize, and quite another to cut funds for the very children and programs you claim to “support”.
Chalk it up to the unlimited hypocricy and selective outrage of the far right. I am sure you were equally outraged when your hero Rush ridiculed a victim of Parkinson’s disease.
Of course not Bystander, Rush and the pundits can say almost anything they want as long as they call it “a joke.”
I have Wii Sports Bowling and I do pretty good (I should really turn it on and see how well I do after not doing it for a few months).
Why did he have to say “Special olympics”? I’m surprised he didn’t say “like my predecessor” or “like ‘insert some pro life leader here’ ”
It was in VERY POOR taste.
jasper, a few weeks ago a commenter (not me, at least not initially) objected to Jill describing Nadya Suleman’s house as “white trashy.” In that situation it was laughed aside as bravely fighting political correctness. That’s all I was referring to, albeit snarkily. I would LOVE to see the reaction of commenters here, if Obama had called someone white trash.
Of course, one could argue that someone like Obama should be held to higher standards of behavior than someone like Jill. But I’ve never found the “You need to behave better than I do!” argument to be very persuasive, personally.
“Mary at March 20, 2009 4:54 PM”
Ok, I see Mary….
” I am sure you were equally outraged when your hero Rush ridiculed a victim of Parkinson’s disease. ”
Bystander, he didn’t do that, you don’t know what your talking about, stop watching Keith Olberdork.
Bystander and PIP,
Rush didn’t ridicule a victim of Parkinson’s Disease. He was on radio where most people would not even see him. He was using his hands and body to describe the movements as he was speaking. Much like we may use our hands and body movements as we speak to get a point across. The media outlet that broadcast this admitted they sped up the footage to make it seem Rush was ridiculing the man when he wasn’t.
Rush never called it a “joke”. He explained time and again that this was no effort to ridicule Michael J. Fox.
Bystander,
Concerning Sarah Palin and special ed. and olympics please refer to my posts of 4:17PM and 4:30PM.
She refused stimulus money? Good for her!!
Maybe she refused the stimulus money because there is already adequate funding and she is doing a good job managing without “stimulus” money. I hear a few other governors did as well.
Rush is not the President. He’s a private citizen.
And you Libs were disgracefully disprespectful of Bush all the time to the point of treason.
And Bystander, most charitable organizations are simply fronts for executives to make high salaries.
The government should get out of supporting 501c3 organizations totally. I would then institute dollar for dollar tax credits to those who wanted to support their charitable organization. That way, my church would get all of my money and not a dime of my money would go to Planned Parenthood.
Further, Planned pParenthood would be muzzled the same way churches are muzzled.
How much did you pay in Federal and State tax last year Bystander?
HisMan,
Wasn’t there talk of Obama wanting to cut the tax write off for charitable donations?
That would probably do more to hurt Special Olympics than Sarah Palin ever could, especially in our state where Special Olympics depends solely on donations.
Commenting as the ‘poster boy’ for insensitivity, I give PBHO a 5 for technical merit and a 3 for artistic ability. PBHO be awarded some sort of fudge factor for degree of difficulty as he attempted the stunt without the benefit of a teleprompter.
I would recomend letting these verbal gaffes slide and saving your energy for criticism’s of PBHO’s policies. That is a target rich environment.
yor bro ken
Erin, you can say ANYTHING… as long as it is in jest? You don’t honestly believe that? There are no bounds?
Are you aware that many people who abuse others use that as a cop-out? “Don’t be so sensitive, I was just joking” as they continue to abuse their victims non-stop…
As much as people would like to say that words don’t matter… they do. As the sister-in-law of a Special Olympian, this was offensive.
HisMan… that idea ROCKS. And it would be interesting to see where the money flowed when people were free to “vote with their dollars” so to speak.
“just heard Notre Dame University to give Obama honorary degree on May 17!
this is such a shame.”
Angel, I read that too. Disgusting.
Erin, you can say ANYTHING… as long as it is in jest? You don’t honestly believe that? There are no bounds?….
As much as people would like to say that words don’t matter… they do.
Posted by: Elisabeth at March 20, 2009 8:00 PM
Like “terrorist fist jab”? Wasn’t that you defending that Elisabeth?
Elisabeth, I mean that words are inherently powerless. It is people who give words their meaning- and they’re still meaningless if actions don’t back them up. If someone tells you they love you, but never return your phone calls and always forget that you like daisies instead of roses, it obviously isn’t true. If Obama said that ‘oh those special olympic kids suck’ and then went and clubbed one with a bat, then yeah, it would mean something. Words without actions are just words- and are inherently innocent.
O.K. Mabee I went a little far when I called Obama a son of the Devil, but as a person with a disability, I am personally offend by his disgraceful comments, and the bad news is, that NBC, ABC, or CBS, won’t report this story. RJ Sandefur
I hate to say that I think the president showed us what was in his heart by his disparaging remark. Anyone who is involved with Special Olympics or has a loved one or friend with intellectual disabilities, it would never even enter their mind to make a joke like that.
The thing that is different about making a disparaging remark about people with disabilities from making a remark about an ethnic group is that those with disabilities are somewhat or completely dependent on the empathy and sensitivity of their fellow human beings.
What also makes this remark worse is the allegiance Obama pays to the abortion industry which aborts 90% of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome in utero.
As a mother of a child with Down syndrome, I was horrified by this remark. I know gaffes happen, but I think this one showed us what was in his heart.
I think the only thing he could do that would show us he is really a friend to people with disabilities is to abandon his commitment to the abortion industry and replace all his cabinte member with people who recognize the inherent right to life that babies with Down sydndrome and other prenatally diagnosed conditions, and all other preborn babies, have.
Then I would think he was sincere.
Erin,
Would it be OK if I tell some misogynist jokes?
Would it be OK if I tell some anti-semitic jokes?
How about some ethnic jokes about the Irish, the Polish, the Italian, the Japanese, the Mexicans?
How about a little ‘gay’ [good as you] bashing humor?
How about some jokes about fat people, or skinny people, or crippled people?
Sticks and stones may break your bones
[and those physical injuries may heal.]
but ‘words’ inflict injurys that leave no
visible cuts or bruises, but often wound your
soul so deeply that it cannot heal itself.
“There is one who speaks like the piercings or thrusting of a sword, but the words of the wise promotes health to body, mind and spirit.”
yor bro ken
Posted by: RJ Sandefur at March 20, 2009 8:38 PM
O.K. Mabee I went a little far when I called Obama a son of the Devil, but as a person with a disability, I am personally offend by his disgraceful comments, and the bad news is, that NBC, ABC, or CBS, won’t report this story. RJ Sandefur
————————————————–
RJ,
You may owe satan an aplogy.
You lumped him in with some pretty seedy characters.
yor bro ken
I wonder how long it would take for an impeachment hearing to be initiated if Bush would have stated he likes swimming in the family pool, but unfortunately can’t swim very well and sinks like a stone like you know “black people”
What about the sports commenter that stated blacks are better athletes because they have a more muscular structure?
What about IMUS an the comments he made regarding black college basketball players?
These two individuals apologized but it wasn’t enough. They got fired.
Nobama has no business being president. He was elected on MSM hype and false advertising.
How insane that our country is in crisis and he is worried about the NCAA brackets and his bowling score.
How many families could have been fed on the money it cost him to make is grand appearance on Leno.
I don’t think that any disparaging remark is fine. I read that the A.C.L.U. slapped a kid with a lawsuit for his drawing of a disabled child that made fun of him, but they seem somehow rather silent on this particular matter.
I don’t care if it is Obama or Limbaugh or anyone, I personally feel that no one ought to be given a free pass to say that sort of thing about anyone else, especially when he wasn’t joking in a polite manner- he was honestly using them as an insult. That’s, to me, as annoying when people say, “Oh, that’s retarded,” without even realizing that retardation is not stupidity, just slow learning.
I hope, really I do, that he thinks twice next time and that he doesn’t try to use his appology as an “I’m human; love me for that” political angle.
Sandy 9:30PM
Exactly. I understand Obama is the first president to appear on a late nite talk show like this.
I think he has far more pressing concerns than conducting townhall meetings and appearing on a late nite gabfest.
Good point about the cost to the taxpayer. All these trips don’t come cheap. Not only the cost of jets, I understand 2 jets fly with each presidential trip, but the cost of security, etc. He’s “aghast” at CEOs flying their private jets on the taxpayer dime and AIG giving bonuses, which was permitted in the bill he signed and never read. Perhaps the president should be setting a better example where spending taxpayer money is concerned.
ken- joke away. I’ve probably made every single type of those jokes, and it ain’t hurt anybody yet. I’m a woman and I’m Irish, and I don’t mind at all when people crack mysogynistic or Irish jokes. It’s all in good fun.
Regarding President Obama’s joke, all together now, kids: YAWWWWWWWWN!
On another subject, when Governor Elliot Spitzer was caught employing whores, he resigned. But David Vitter is still Senator from Louisiana. At least the Governor didn’t make ’em play diaper games.
Stormy Daniels for US Senate (from Louisiana) in 2010!
It wasn’t even a joke about the Special Olympics. It was a joke about his poor bowling.
RJ
Acts 13:10-11 Then he [Paul] said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord?
I guess if a first century apostle used such direct language, then it’s OK for you in the situation warrants.
Jesus spoke very directly to the ‘leaders’.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.”
“You snakes! You brood of vipers ! How will you escape being condemned to hell? ”
When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.
So he made a whip out of cords,
[‘made a whip out of cords, does not adequately communicate what transpired. Jesus, after observing the money changers setting up shop in the only part of the temple that the gentile believers could ‘lawfully’ enter, took some time to weave individual cords together into a ‘scourge’. The displeasure must have been visible in His countenance. The venders had to have wondered what Jesus was up to. They were about to find out. Pilgrims, I would not harm thee for the world, but where thou now sitteth I AM about to strike.]
and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!”
From the narratives that appear in gospels it seems Jesus did this more than one time.
The Jesus I never I knew.
RJ
Even the infinite God has a limit to His patience. Just do not let the sun set on your anger.
yor bro ken
I’m a woman and I’m Irish, and I don’t mind at all when people crack mysogynistic or Irish jokes. It’s all in good fun.
Posted by: Erin at March 20, 2009 9:50 PM
I laugh at blonde jokes.
Posted by: Erin at March 20, 2009 9:50 PM
“ken- joke away. I’ve probably made every single type of those jokes, and it ain’t hurt anybody yet. I’m a woman and I’m Irish, and I don’t mind at all when people crack mysogynistic or Irish jokes. It’s all in good fun.”
—————————————————–
OK, all you people out there who have been the butt of joke, particularly a joke about something you had no control over, that wounded you, even though you might not have realized it at the time, post a little text frown face with Erins name in close proximity.
yor bro ken
—————————————————
Erin
:(
Erin,
You’re a private citizen, not the president. What we say to each other at parties or in private is one thing, what the president says on national TV is quite another.
Its always good to err on the side of caution. One of the most embarassing situations I’ve been in was when a co-worker “joked” about n—— not realizing another white co-worker present had an adopted black child, and was enraged.
SZ, 9:55PM
Did you have any problem with Clinton being serviced by an intern in the Oval Office? I hear he liked cigar games.
I have no control over my blondeness, my being female nor my big-feet. But if a joke is made without malice, I don’t have a problem with it. And this was without malice.
So Erin, :)
SZ,
At least the governor didn’t make them play diaper games?
How do you know what the governor did with the prositutes?
Mary, I hear ya @10:06. But kudos to Obama for getting out there, unscripted and personable.
“and the bad news is, that NBC, ABC, or CBS, won’t report this story.”
No they won’t, they practically work for Obama. They are journalistic whores.
A concept which has not yet entered the contemplations of PBHO:
‘nobles oblige’
PBHO has less respect for the office he holds than Bill Clinton or Richard Nixon.
He has no sense of decorum. He dishonors himself the presidency and embarasses the country.
“There are three things that make the earth tremble—
no, four it cannot endure:
1)a slave who becomes a king,
2)an overbearing fool who prospers,
3)a bitter woman who finally gets a husband,
4)a servant girl who supplants her mistress.”
yor bro ken
asitis,
I’m afraid that what I’ve seen so far of an “unscripted” Obama hasn’t been very impressive.
correction,
pardon my french
‘noblesse oblige’
the obligation of honorable, generous, and responsible behavior associated with high rank or birth.
yor bro ken
PBHO does not have a clue and it seems none of his handlers do either.
Stand up heads of state and stiff our allies, insult people with disabilities, marginalize people of faith,
but appease our enemies, demoralize our troops, destablize our markets, and reward poor performance.
Never mind that PBHO will not keep his promises, (We are accustomed to that from politicians and pimps) but PBHO will not keep his promises to his own daughters.
Wheres the dog, bro?
Maybe Leno will have shamed him into to fulfilling that pledge.
yor bro ken
Well Mary, I have to disagree with you on that. But I still think you’re swell! :)
Good night!
And just think: We have over 3 more years of forthcoming comments from this lunatic. Evidently, using a teleprompter is in his best interests after this one…
Be afraid, be very afraid.
Really, Asitis, you can’t tell the difference between a political commentator using rhetoric as a hook to get people back after a commercial break who (1) asked it as a question and included the option that it was a perfectly innocent gesture and (2) was remarking about a public candidate for office and his actions, certainly something open for observation…
… and the POTUS using his position to (wrongly) demean people with special needs? (Who, btw, can bowl circles around him…)
Let’s see:
Republicans:
-Starting a War over nothing and knowing about, lying about it(WMD’s) – over 4000 dead and counting.
-Praising soldiers/sailors when in the military but basically saying “@#$% u”, when you are finished – VA funding
-Torturing people
-Having over a trillion dollar deficits over the last 3 years but hiding it when they don’t include the wars and other stuff – no one says anything
-Basically saying “F U”, to the Bill of Rights, “Patriot Act” anyone.
-Hey, “Child Left Behind”, but fund it – not
-Hey, VP Cheney having millions of dollars in Halliburton stock frozen while VP, some how Halliburton get billions of dollars of no bid contracts from the Pentegon on Iraq, but no one crying – interesting.
-Destroy the economy – started during the Bush Administration
-Deregulate everything – sure helping us out isn’t it.
-Smaller government – government keeps increasing 10 fold while republicans are in power – Department of Home Security
-Republicans crying about fiscal responsibility, but national debt increased during republican control. Reagan/first Bush increased national debt from 1 to 4.3 trillon. Second Bush from 4.5 tillion to 10 trillion, but hey fiscal responsibility.
-etc. etc.
-Let’s bascially not fund “special olympics”
But the president calls his bowling like special olympics burn him to the stakes – priceless
Marco Polo, might I suggest you look at sources other than the MSM? You might be able to issue more than stock tag lines that aren’t even true…
I mean, your miscount of the deficit alone is staggeringly off base. The Prez who moved it from 4 trillion to 10 trillion… is Obama. And in 60 days, no less.
And just think: We have over 3 more years of forthcoming comments from this lunatic. Evidently, using a teleprompter is in his best interests after this one…
Be afraid, be very afraid.
Posted by: Mike at March 20, 2009 11:05 PM
Over 7 years!!!! Yeh!
… and the POTUS using his position to (wrongly) demean people with special needs? (Who, btw, can bowl circles around him…)
Posted by: Elisabeth at March 21, 2009 1:34 AM
You actually think Obama ntended to demean people with special needs and then try to pass it off as a joke? C’mon!
Now as for the other case, I think the station owners must have recognized something they really didn’t like.
I mean, your miscount of the deficit alone is staggeringly off base. The Prez who moved it from 4 trillion to 10 trillion… is Obama. And in 60 days, no less.
Posted by: Elisabeth at March 21, 2009 6:11 AM
I think you mean debt Elisabeth, not deficit.
Yes 60 days into office and what a mess he was handed! Can you imagine?!
I’m sorry but I don’t understand what all the fuss is about. I agree with GoodHumourMan: Mr. Obama was disparaging himself, not the Special Olympics. (I once went to the Special Olympics with a mentally retarded lady from my church; everyone there had a lot of fun. The Special Olympics is indeed a very worthwhile venture.) So I think we pro-lifers do ourselves no favour by highlighting a (perhaps) slightly inappropriate reference to the Special Olympics. There are so many obviously horrible statements and decisions that President Obama has already made about the value of human life. With so many elephants in the room, why would we strain out the gnat? Then we might justifiably be accused of Obama Derangement Syndrome.
Jon, I agree that he was teasing himself, not the Special Olympics. The problem is that he used the Special Olympics as the “bar” for low standards, against which he jokingly measured himself.
It’s like if someone said, “Wow, I’m so extremely stupid. It’s like I’m Alexandra or something!” Yes, he’d be calling himself stupid, but he’d be relying on the assumption of the audience that I’m stupid to do so.
In some ways, it’s the prevalence of the assumption — to make it reliable enough for a joke — that is most offensive. Something needs to be widely culturally accepted to be part of a joke like that. And the wide acceptance (not by everyone, but by enough) of the Special Olympics as fodder for jokes, is something we as a culture should work to change. The President should be a vehicle for making those changes, not for holding them back. People will always laugh at risque or dark jokes in private, and we can’t control that — but we can control the tone of public discourse.
I did appreciate that he apologized before it even aired. I have had some real foot-in-mouth comments before and it’s just the worst feeling. You feel it right when you say it, in the pit of your stomach. I’m glad he had the sense to apologize.
Alexandra, thank you for putting it so succinctly.
Asitis, quit attacking my cousin. At this point I am telling you that this has become a personal attack that has no bearing on the conversation (the pointlessness of your comparing a political commentary to a tastless joke) and I will take it to the moderators if you continue in your rudeness.
Erin, you can say ANYTHING… as long as it is in jest? You don’t honestly believe that? There are no bounds?….
As much as people would like to say that words don’t matter… they do.
Posted by: Elisabeth at March 20, 2009 8:00 PM
Might I remind you that this is what it has to do with the conversation. If you call what I am saying a personal attack on the newsperson, then what do you call what is being said about Obama? Both are (or were) public figures.
I’m sorry, Alexandra, but I still don’t understand. The Special Olympics are for people with Down’s Syndrome. Some, like the lady I know, are only mildly retarded. Others are severely retarded. Regardless, the standards are so low as not to exist. I seem to remember that in the session I attended, participation meant everything. And rightly so! The games are all about having fun: the instructors, coaches, referees, etc. enjoy the participants (in some ways similar to our enjoyment of children), and the participants enjoy the attention and meaningful competition (with people at their same skill level).
Bethany posts videos of cute little children, and we say how adorable and funny they are. Should they be up-in-arms about our condescending language? What’s wrong with the same enjoyment of people with Down’s syndrome?–not to ridicule them but to constructively appreciate them.
When C.S. Lewis’s Aslan created Narnia, the newly made jackdaw (or some such bird) said something typically funny and silly. Every other animal laughed in enjoyment, and the jackdaw said, “Did I make the first joke? Did I make the first joke?” Aslan gently and kindly replied, “You are the first joke!” And everyone laughed again–including the jackdaw, I’m quite sure.
People with Down’s syndrome would not be offended by President Obama’s remark except that other people, whom they trust, first take exception to it. And I think that people on this website are offended by the remark because they know what little regard the president has for human life. He humbly claims that knowledge of the beginning of human life is above his paygrade but does not hesitate to destroy what according to him might very well be a human life. Now that’s arrogance to the nth degree!
Marco Polo
By torture do you mean our enemies who slice off people’s heads with dull knives while they scream in pain and terror?
Or are you referring to those who splash acid in the faces of Afghan schoolgirls?
Our AG Eric Holder has advised us that some of the Guantanamo inmates may be released in a neighborhood near you. Maybe you can meet one of the above mentioned face to face and personally aplogize for the “torture” they endured.
Mary, I hear ya @10:06. But kudos to Obama for getting out there, unscripted and personable.
Posted by: asitis at March 20, 2009 10:15 PM
yes, finally we are starting to see the “real” Obama
the Obama that
1. believes babies who survive abortions should be killed in any manner just as long as they don’t survive. Period.
2. believes babies to be a burden
3. believes in forcing health professionals to commit abortions against their conscience
4. believes millions of taxpayer $$ should fund PP and other organizations that are committed to the destruction of virtue and society
5. believes that millions of unborn children should be experimented on in the (vague) hopes of finding some obscure cure using a completely unproven research method
6. apparently doesn’t think too highly of people with disabilities either.
7. believes it’s okay to place persons demonstrating poor character and with strong ties to abortion industry in positions of government power.
Will the real Obama please step up!!
Got it!!
Jon, do you honestly believe that the only people who participate in Special Olympics are people with Down’s Syndrome? And, do you honestly believe that people with Down’s Syndrome are incapable of understanding what Obama said? I can guarantee you, there are all levels of understanding within Down’s Syndrome and there are many, my SIL included, who are quite capable of understanding the subtle prejudices that his statement displayed.
Special Olympics Chairman Timothy Shriver said it best:
“I think its important to see that words hurt and words do matter, and these words that in some respect can be seen as humiliating or a put-down to people with special needs do cause pain and they do result in stereotypes and result in behavior that is neglectful and almost oppressive of people with special needs,” said Shriver on the ABC-TV “Good Morning America” program on 20 March. “This kind of language needs to be a teachable moment I think for our country. That would help every parent who is at home this morning watching this show turn to their children and say that this is a chance for us to recognize that when we talk about Special Olympics, when we talk about people with special needs, lets make sure we talk about it in an affirming way.”
No, Asitis, my cousin neither knows you exist nor cares one whit what you think of her.
The attack is on me by linking two completely disparate subjects in order to attempt to goad me.
It is yet another display of how you lack any true desire to understand or cogently discuss any topic on this board but instead are here merely to enjoy being rude in a public forum.
The fact that you see the serious issue of abortion, regardless of your viewpoint, as your personal playground for enjoying the reactions of those intent upon serious discussion when you pull your rude stunts shows just how callous and hard-hearted you truly are.
Elisabeth,
I see people with all kinds of mental and physical challenges in SO. Many of the participants are people with normal or high intelligence but severe physical disability.
Some are only blind.
I would agree most would know and understand they have been ridiculed.
I’ll say again this is an incredible organization. I’m an at the bottom of the food chain volunteer but see the dedication of volunteers who dedicate so much of their lives and time organizing, coaching, etc. The athletes and their families are incredible.
no elisabeth, you were saying words matter… In this case, but apparently not always. It wasn’t meant to “goad” nor “attack” you
Elisabeth,
Have you ever heard of Miracle League, baseball teams for physically and mentally challenged children and teens?
Our city started one about 3 years ago. I believe it is national though.
Mary I think it’s great what you are doing for SO.
I have a question for you: what was their reaction to that movie a few years back. I think it was called Ringers? There was good-hearted humor there and it gave good exposure to SO and I think they actually used actors with special needs. Was this good? Or did they cross the line?
Everything Angel (who is probably not much of an angel) quotes about Obama is absolutely FALSE. These are all lies spread by his many detractors.
He does NOT advocate infanticide or any of the ridiculous things mentioned. He is merely opposed to laws which would lead to making abortion illegal again in America, and would be catastrophic not only for individual women and their families, but society as a whole.
In fact, if Obama’s policies go through, the abortion rate could DROP significantly and those poor children who were actually born might be better taken care of, which is more than you can say for the self-righteous and hypocritical Bush administration, which did an enormous amount of harm to American and world society with its wrong-headed policies.
And look at the hypocrisy of governor Palin, who has just vetoed an enormopus amount of money which could have improved education in her state, Alaska. But that’s conservative republican politicos for you.
The democrats, for all their faults, are still the lesser of two evils.
asitis,
Thank you. I enjoy it very much, the enthusiasm is very contagious! I’m sorry I can’t answer your question since I never heard of or saw the movie. I could speak to one of the higher level volunteers, see if they know anything and then get back to you.
He is merely opposed to laws which would lead to making abortion illegal again in America, and would be catastrophic not only for individual women and their families, but society as a whole.
Yes, I’m QUITE sure abortion is “catastrophic” for babies!
I’m also QUITE sure abortion is “catastrophic” for many women who become sterile and suffer the trauma of having killed their babies!
He does NOT advocate infanticide or any of the ridiculous things mentioned.
Really? What “reality” do you live in Robert? FOCA is not a lie. His voting record is not a lie.
Stop blowing smoke in people’s faces with your unsubstantiated claims.
“and the bad news is, that NBC, ABC, or CBS, won’t report this story.”
No they won’t, they practically work for Obama. They are journalistic whores.
Posted by: Jasper at March 20, 2009 10:19 PM
Ahhh, so you think that people who work as journalists to espouse an ideology rather than being objective in reporting the news are “whores.” Let’s say we may agree, here.
What street corner is it Ms Stanek “covers” for WND?
Elisabeth said, [T]here are many, my SIL included, who are quite capable of understanding the subtle prejudices that his statement displayed.
Mary said, I see people with all kinds of mental and physical challenges in SO. Many of the participants are people with normal or high intelligence but severe physical disability.
I was mistaken about the disabilities that the participants have. Mary makes clear that many participants have no mental retardation. I went to only one session and that was in Ontario in Canada. I remember enjoying the day and the self-sacrificing spirit of the organizers (in their many preparations, etc., though clearly they enjoyed the day too). I suppose that I do not accurately remember the disabilities of the participants involved.
thanks Mary, that would be nice. I’m honestly curious.
Angel, sounds like Robert is rehearsing a script for the Pledge Project Canvass today. The web site for Obama informers–I mean canvassers–doesn’t have a script for abortion (imagine that!) so maybe he needs a test audience here to get his talking points fine tuned.
Fed Up: interesting!!
I simply loved the word he used, “catastrophic” -it was so appropriate in the same sentence with abortion! I think the significance went right over his head though. ;-)
Maybe Robert can have a look-see at Baby David’s arm on the video 3 posts down from this thread. Or is that fake too?
mods; Please, the spam. Delete!!!
Mr. Berger,
For your thoughtful consideration:
Under oath in July 1997, abortionist Leroy Carhart comments on how he performs abortions.
Here he is questioned by ‘his’ attorney:
Question: At what point is the [human] fetus…does the [human] fetus die during that process? the time because I can see [human] fetal heartbeat on the ultrasound.
The Court[the presiding judge]: Counsel, for what it’s worth, it still is unclear to me with regard to the intact D&E when [human] fetal demise occurs.
Question: Okay, I will try to clarify that. In the procedure of an intact D&E where you would start foot first, with the situation where the [human] fetus is presented feet first, tell me how you are able to get the feet out first.
Carhart: Under ultrasound, you can see the extremities. You know what is what. You know what the foot is, you know, what the arm is, you know, what the skull is. By grabbing the feet and pulling down on it or by grabbing a knee and pulling down on it, usually you can get one leg out, get the other leg out and bring the [human] fetus out. I don’t know where this…all the controversy about rotating the [human] fetus comes from. I don’t attempt to do that. I just attempt to bring out whatever is the proximal portion of the [human] fetus.
Question: At the time that you bring out the feet in this example, is the [human] fetus still alive?
Carhart: Yes.
Question: At what point in that process does
[human] fetal demise occur between initial remove…removal of the feet or legs and the crushing of the skull, or I’m sorry, the decompressing of the skull?
Carhart: Well, you know, again, this is where I’m not sure what [human] fetal demise is. I mean, I honestly have to share your concern, your Honor. You can remove the cranial contents and the [human] fetus will still have a heartbeat for several seconds or several minutes, so is the [human] fetus alive? I would have to say probably, although I don’t think it has any brain function, so it’s brain dead at that point.
Question: So the brain death might occur when you begin suctioning out of the cranium?
Carhart: I think brain death would occur because the suctioning to remove contents is only two or three seconds, so somewhere in that period of time, obviously not when you penetrate the skull, because people get shot in the head and the don’t die immediately from that, if they are going to die at all, so that probably is not sufficient to kill the [human] fetus, but I think removing the brain contents eventually will.
Later under cross examination [while still under oath] from the AG’S counsel, Carhart stated:
“My intent in every abortion I have ever done is to kill the [human] fetus and terminate the pregnancy.”
—————————————————-
Mr. Berger,
Who could listen to that testimony and not want to slap the dude upside the head and ask, ‘Man, what is wrong with you?’
What have you done to YOURSELF?
Is there anything left of YOUR humanity?
How did you become so stump stupid?
Did it come natural or did you work at it?
Did you take a small flaw and pick at it (like a child picking at a scab), until you reached this level of psychotic proficiency?
If we give you a shovel is there any hope that you will finally figure out how to use it and dig a hole so deep you cannot climb out of it, hopefully before you download your genetic information into some unsuspecting female.
yor bro ken
Keith Blowharderman: “What do we [lap dog sycophant media] do? What does he [PBHO] do about that?”
Craig Ferguson [responding to Blowharderman] on PBHO’s gaffe on Tonight with Jay Leno;
“Oh……oh….(Suggests immediate damage control)
“That wouldn’t have happened if he [PBHO] had done Letterman.”
It would have been much worse for PBHO. Jay Leno is a good natured comediene. Letterman is a sharp witted commediene who captilizes on his unwitting victims duplicity and hypocisy. Just because Letterman had a low opinion of George Bush does not mean he likes PBHO enough to spare him his well earned jabs.
Do you think David Letterman will include PBHO’s verbal gaffe in ‘Great Moments In Presidential Speeches’?
yor bro ken
Obama White House bars press from press award ceremony
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/03/obama-newspaper.html
This achievement and the overall promise of his historic administration caused the National Newspaper Publishers Assn. to name him “Newsmaker of the Year.”
The president is to receive the award from the federation of black community newspapers in a White House ceremony this afternoon.
The Obama White House has closed the press award ceremony to the press.
From the president’s official schedule:
“Later in the afternoon, the President and the First Lady will attend a reception with the National Newspaper Publisher Association in the State Dining Room, where they will be presented the Newsmaker of the Year award. This event is closed press.”
—————————————————-
Hope, change and transparency we can believe in!?!
yor bro ken
ken @ 10:47 AM —
How long before all those people who voted for change want change again? They didn’t bother to inform themselves or look carefully at all of those red flags that popped up during his campaign. This is what we get for voting for the economy and not for LIFE.
@10:06 — May God have mercy on us all.
Wow, this discussion disolved into a war between the ills of the Republican Party and the ills of the Democtratic Party. Let it suffice to say that neither part is perfect, both use questionable tactics to get into office- they’re political parties. That’s what they do.
Democrats: Republicans are not wealthy, Anglo plantation owners bent on “being sneaky rats” and aggrandizing themselves so that the Democrats, the poor, poor Democrats will become slaves. Republicans represent the blue-collar area of America, the kind that does the dirty jobs that no one else wants to do, and the same party that is concerned with working together as a society. Democratic politicians are just as wealthy as Republican politicians.
Republicans: Democrats are not evil. It is not natural for their party to adore abortion. As Martin Luther King, Jr. pointed out, just because Anglos had a general sort of racism pre-civil rights era doesn’t mean that it is natural for them, so much as a few racists raised them to be that way. Democrats want to improve the situations of the impoverished, and that’s the side of Democrats that the anti-freedom movement of abortion supporters is trying to supress. All good things which come from them are, in a sense, to spite the abortion supporting inside of them. I know Democrats who knew nothing about their party’s stance on this and, without the pressure, immediately chose to be pro-life. It is natural to be pro-life and respect each other, just as it is natural to be anti-racism. It’s pressure and nurture that keeps the Democratic Party- which is quite wonderful outside of this sphere- “in line.”
I’m afraid that I just can’t agree with you there, Vannah. Democrats were pretty despicable back during Lincoln’s presidency and during the Civil Rights Movement. Now their primary issue is abortion. They want to keep people impoverished — especially minorities. It is the only way that they can keep control over American citizens and continue to gain votes. I am not saying that all Republicans are perfect but there are enough with morals and principles who are truly interested in the welfare of our nation than not. I just wish that they would stand up to the Democrats and stop being such wimps!
Sarah Palin did NOT cut funding for the Special Olympics. She, in fact, INCREASED said funding:
http://wthrockmorton.com/2008/09/16/thinkprogress-is-wrong-palin-did-not-reduce-funding-to-special-olympics/
Rush Limbaugh did NOT ridicule Michael J. Fox. He was describing his surprise in the severity of Fox’s symptoms and suggested that Fox was not on his medication when filming his ads (as Fox himself said he would sometimes do before addressing Congress, so that people would get the full effect of his disease).
bmmg39, she cut what her government had approved. But you are correct in saying it was still a slight increase over previous year.
Vannah, I suggest you wander over to http://www.black-and-right.com/ or to Heritage New Media at http://www.nmatv.com/ and see the truth about just who was interested in equality for all and who was (and still is) interested in keeping some segments of society oppressed and in servitude.
I have to say that these kinds of jokes are personally fine with a group of friends who know each well enough. In other words, Erin can be the butt of different jokes because she can handle it and her friends know this. However, Obama is the PRESIDENT. He was also on NATIONAL TV.
What he said, even if made only in jest, was probably insulting to those with disablities who look up to him. It may have only been a joke, but it shows what Obama thinks on a natural level about the Special Olympics. It was rude and insulting and there is no defense for it. This is why he so quickly apologized after his team recognize the damage to the Obama “brand” that this would cause. This is also why he carries his teleprompter everywhere he goes.
Asitis: Well, that’s a far cry from the support she gave the Special Olympics at the beginnning of last year!”
So if congress approved 400 zillion dollars for the Special Olympics and Obama reduced it to only 100 million, would you consider this a lack of support? Of course not.
Your complaint is the same as saying “well the US doesnt support the poor because it doesnt give every poor person 400,000 dollars a year. What a shame!”
There are limitations on what government can do, and all she did was to keep the balance in check, while still increasing the alloted funds. How hard is it to understand that really?
Oliver, you’ve managed to crystallize the major issue between the left and the right…. the left thinks there is (or should be) no limit to what government can do.
Elisabeth — excellent!
It was an ill-advised comment, to be sure, but he apologized for it and moved on as most people should. As for comparing Bush and Obama, at least he didnt kill thousands of Americans and Iraqis looking for that white powder wmd mess. Obama nor any president does not have the power to stop abortion. If you want to put a halt to abortions you should do it the right way, get your act together and start a movement to put in a constitutional amendment. Until you do that you are simply wasting time. If you beleive as you do so deeply WHY ARE YOU WASTING TIME? Or is it just something you like to protest and use to spread hate against those who disagree with you?
“The fundamental right of freedom of speech in this country applies to presidents as much as anyone. Obama is allowed as to say impolitic things as long as they don’t hurt the country. It also lent humanity to Mr. Obama, something rarely displayed by presidents in public and that certainly would not have been on display had he stuck with the canned responses he surely discussed with his White House handlers in advance. Most importantly, the President has real problems to address beside hurt feelings. The PC police need to relax and learn to take a joke,” – The Washington Times.
As opposed to the NY Post who had to apologize for a political cartoon that wasn’t even ABOUT Obama (the dead chimp one) because he wasn’t the person who wrote the bill they referenced? That didn’t stop the Obama campaign from being oversensitive and DEMANDING an apology from the Post…
Obama is so incredibly sensitive to any perceived slight that I find it ridiculous that he gets to use the “people need to be less oversensitive” idea to get out of this mess… even if it is put forth by that bastion of journalistic integrity (yes, that’s sarcasm) The Washington Times
Special Olympics champ challenges Obama to bowling duel
This one’s personal. I had a child in special rec bowling, and my 2 others were allowed to bowl in this special league – every Monday afternoon when they were growing up, followed by kiddie cocktails with their Dad, who…