As I predicted (it wasn’t that hard to predict), President Obama has apologized for his joke about the Special Olympics on Leno last night.
Obama’s comments to Jay Leno about his low bowling score – in particular, an off-the-cuff remark that it was “like Special Olympics or something” – had the chief executive calling Special Olympics chairman Tim Shriver from Air Force One on Thursday before the program even aired.
“He expressed his disappointment and apologized,” Shriver told Friday’s edition of ABC’s Good Morning America. “He was very sincere.”
In a statement issued Friday, White House spokesman Bill Burton said, “The President made an offhand remark making fun of his own bowling that was in no way intended to disparage the Special Olympics. He thinks that the Special Olympics are a wonderful program that gives an opportunity to shine to people with disabilities from around the world.”
Shriver also noted that “words hurt and words do matter, and these words that in some respect can be seen as humiliating … do cause pain.” He further said that he hopes the president’s slip of the tongue “a teachable moment for our country.”
Wow, he called the dude before the program even aired. And called it a “teachable moment.” Very impressive, Mr. President.
YES. nice job, mr. president. this man is seriously on top of things, and i still love him and am not about to apologize for THAT.
p.s. beet i love you and i’m glad to see you back!
Oh, and in case anyone’s interested here is the link to the story about the racial attack in Newark at the Britney Spear’s concert I mentioned earlier. http://wcbstv.com/seenon/bias.crime.britney.2.961512.html
I’d bank on them being beat because they were gay more than because of their race.
Why? Newark has had a serious problem with hate crimes against whites for some time now. The media simply isn’t reporting it because of political correctness.
Jennifer, I hesitate to call you retarded in fear of having to apologize to Tim Shriver, so I will take the high road and ask you simply to provide your evidence that the media is not reporting crimes out of PC.
Why aren’t you mentioning the fact that the attack was because they were white AND gay?
“As they walked up Broad Street back to their car they say a group of young women directed gay slurs at them – and then attacked.”
“The men believe they were targeted because they’re white and gay.”
This comment just shows that Obama does not really care about people – or can actually speak w/o a teleprompter – he just cares about keeping people “thinking” he actually cares. Obama = Douche In Chief
I agree. Why else would he spend all of those years as a community organizer? What a douche.
b/c he was too much of a douche to join the military like a real man so he attempted to serve the public in another way, thus enabling him to dupe the American public into believing that he really does “care” because he had done some type of public service. Sorry, I believe Obama is a total fuck-tard :)
C’line.. Definition of douche: those who use the word “fuck-tard”. Bet you think you could do a better job, too, huh?
Actually, yes, I know I could do a better job :)
*Rolls eyes*. Alright, I’ll look for you in 2012.
C’line, please do tell us what a “real man” is? Are only “real women” the only ones that should stay behind and tend to the community?
By the way, the 1950’s called… They want their bigotry and homophobia back!
yeah alex!!!!!
I don’t get how my comment makes me a bigot or a homophobe…just because I think Obama is a TERRIBLE President do not make me either
Haha, no kidding! I had no idea men absolutely had to serve in the army to be considered “real”, ESPECIALLY if they were serving the community instead.
And all this time I thought playing football was sufficient. :)
C’line you are not a bigot, people just call you one because they don’t have the intellect to present their own point of view in a respectable way so they just resort to name calling to intimidate you. Everyone has a right to speak their mind, to hell with political correctness.
I just dont even care about this.
FIX. THE. COUNTRY.
then drink a nice big steaming cup of STFU!
Your avatar makes my mind run wild.
“he called the dude before the program even aired. And called it a “teachable moment.” Very impressive, Mr. President.”
No, no, Tim Shriver, chairman of the special olympics called it a “Teachable moment.” It says so right in the article you pasted. What’s all this “Very impressive?” There’s nothing impressive about it.
“he called the dude before the program even aired. And called it a “teachable moment.” Very impressive, Mr. President.”
No, no, Tim Shriver, chairman of the special olympics called it a “teachable moment.” It says so in the article you pasted.
What’s all this “Very impressive” stuff. There’s nothing impressive about it.
I think it is great that he apologized. But, the press still found reasons to criticize the Leno interview this video has a few clips of it: http://www.newsy.com/
I think all this talk about him “not focusing on the economy” is silly. If the show had been on a news network he wouldn’t be accused of this but because it was an entertainment site he is getting flack. So silly.
Love him. At least he is not using propaganda to get an anti- special olympics amendment the way our last president tried to use gay marriage as a wedge issue.
He apologized, as he should have. Now all the Rushies and Bushies can get back to work on their solutions for all the country’s problems. Oh wait… they don’t have any…
“He thinks that the Special Olympics are a wonderful program that gives an opportunity to shine to people with disabilities from around the world.”
Ugh this sentence is a grammar/structure nightmare. Where did this come from beet? I don’t think you linked it at all.
I totally agree with the president. We should use the “special”, since they have nothing to contribute, as well as the weak and the old to generate biofuels. Moving this country forword, one retard at a time.
i love that “slips” made by obama are “impressive” while a slip by any conservative immediately puts them in line for impeachment/hell.
Truth. John McCain and Sarah Palin are held to a higher standard. I still cannot get over the fact that people just accepted that Reverand Wright stuff. How did my country become such a bastion of Hypocrisy?
lololololololol
Expecting Sarah Palin to have a more informed foreign policy than a 5th grader was holding her to a higher standard?? She can see Russia from her porch?? Obama distanced himself from Wright, and rightfully so. McCain should have taken a page from that book and distanced himself from Palin. He might have had a chance…
Jennifer really?
Reverend Wright stuff you need to go learn the history of America Your country so you will see what the man was talking about is what he and many other blacks experienced and still experience.
But maybe sweeping everything under the rug is more comfortable for you
I am sorry but Jennifer is correct! My husband, who is black, is appalled by Rev. Wright and feels that individuals who speak and act like he does hurt rather than help the black community.
First off not all black people think the same
And we didn’t hear the whole sermon as been repeatedly stated the media took the parts they wanted to broadcast and forgot the rest. We can not begin (including your husband) to know how it felt to not be able to pee in the same bathroom or drink from the same fountains.
I always wonder– white people say blacks should forget about slavery when are we going to forget about 9/11?
If we are really honest with ourselves we will see that this country is far from perfect racism, torture etc… we need to keep it real with ourselves
I wish White people were able to be black for one day A guy on Oprah did this he took pills to darken his skin and He said he didn’t realize how horrible it was
During the campaign for the White House in 2008, the media criticized Palin for being ‘common,’ and ‘not presidential.’ However, compare Sarah Palins attitude in this video created three weeks ago for the Special Olympics in Boise, Idaho.
You decide the more ‘presidential’ among them:
http://tinyurl.com/ccz6nj
During the campaign for the White House in 2008, the media criticized Palin for being ‘common,’ and ‘not presidential.’ However, compare Sarah Palins attitude in this video created three weeks ago for the Special Olympics in Boise, Idaho.
You decide the more ‘presidential’ among them:
http://tinyurl.com/ccz6nj
There is nothing impressive about this President!!!
he is a dumb man. How dare he make fun of retarded kidz. i have one.
I assumre Chris is the the new Donkey Punch? Nothing to add but insults.
Canaduck, they were yelling racial slurs at the men which I thought was more relevant since most people around here seem to think white people aren’t victims of hate crimes. Either way they were attacked by bigots. I’m still shocked there is no media coverage. Do racial crimes/gay attacks not count when the victim is white? A victim is a victim so why are they treated differently?
You assumre wrong.
I’m not fit to hold Donkey Punch’s jock strap.
C’line, Jennifer, why argue? Just publish your accomplishments, including military and public service and anything that would indicate your ownership of the kind of intellect we apparently lack, and we’ll be begin our apologetic grovel.
But not until.
DNA
All this press regarding that statement but none about the Mrs. saying that she was teased because she talked like a white girl????
So what exactly did Obama say in his apology to people with special needs and their families? Does anyone have a link or has he only apologized to Shriver and not the people he actually offended?