Blogs and Stories
Palin Fires Back at Obama for Special Olympics Joke
Alex Wong / Getty Images
The Alaska governor tells The Daily Beast that she was none too pleased with the president’s gag line on The Tonight Show.
You knew this was coming.
In the wake of President Obama's gaffe on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno yesterday about Special Olympics athletes, Gov. Sarah Palin, whose son has Down syndrome, is blasting him for disparaging the special-needs community.
“I was shocked to learn of the comment made by President Obama about Special Olympics,” Palin said in a statement. “This was a degrading remark about our world’s most precious and unique people, coming from the most powerful position in the world."
She added:
“These athletes overcome more challenges, discrimination and adversity than most of us ever will. By the way, these athletes can outperform many of us and we should be proud of them. I hope President Obama’s comments do not reflect how he truly feels about the special-needs community.”
Obama's office has tried to clarify his remark since the initial blunder and the president apologized to Special Olympics Chairman Timothy Shriver. Meanwhile, Palin has come under fire this week for refusing stimulus money slated to help special-needs education programs. Her stance on funding for such programs as governor led to attacks during the campaign as well.
Benjamin Sarlin is a reporter for The Daily Beast. He previously covered New York City politics for the New York Sun and has worked for talkingpointsmemo.com.
The Right Dumps Carrie
Jacob Bernstein is a senior reporter at The Daily Beast. Previously, he was a features writer at WWD and W Magazine. He has also written for New York magazine, Paper, and The Huffington Post.
What's Joe's Problem?
Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
Geithner's Stock Plummeting
Jeff Madrick is a contributor to the New York Review of Books and a former economics columnist for the New York Times. He is editor of Challenge Magazine, visiting professor of humanities at Cooper Union, and senior fellow at the New School's Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis. He is the author of Taking America, The End of Affluence (Random House) and The Case for Big Government.
Sarah Palin, Creationist?
Benjamin Sarlin is a reporter for The Daily Beast. He previously covered New York City politics for The New York Sun and has worked for talkingpointsmemo.com.
10 Palin Hits the Leakers Missed
Benjamin Sarlin is a reporter for The Daily Beast. He previously covered New York City politics for The New York Sun and has worked for talkingpointsmemo.com.
Samuel P. Jacobs is a staff reporter at The Daily Beast. He has also written for The Boston Globe, The New York Observer, and The New Republic Online.
The Man Who Beat Glenn Beck
Benjamin Sarlin is a reporter for The Daily Beast. He previously covered New York City politics for The New York Sun and has worked for talkingpointsmemo.com.
Sarah Palin is making a mockery out of conservatism in this country. Every time she opens her mouth we lose votes.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
Like she's an expert on special needs kids now. It was galling to listen to her on the campaign trail, with her 4 month old being an excuse for her to assume the 'pro-special needs kids' label. Much like living in Alaska made her an expert on energy. Oh, whatever...
Check out the video of Palin's Special Olympic address at HotAir.com under the banner...AOL Hot Seat Poll: The Special Olympics joke. Even those of you who hate Palin might have your cold hearts warmed a bit.
I am a devoted supporter of the President and no fan of Sarah Palin's, but on this issue she is right. I was really unamused by Obama's "joke" - what next, will he starting calling stuff "gay?"
He's a smart man, but he tries too hard to be hip sometimes and it's embarrassing. I also have to say that if Bush had said something that unpleasant and frankly, cruel, that the press would have been all over him.
To whom much is given, much is expected. The President has been given much and should be humble enough about that not to disparage those who weren't as lucky in the gene pool lottery.
That said, I visited the Special Olympics and had the best time. Great people who really do compete for the love of it and who are beyond proud when they succeed. If you want a fantastic day out, go!
Obama should never have said what he said. That's a given. It was dumb. But Palin pounces on these things like a psychotic den mother trying to rule the world from her high horse (did I mix enough metaphors?). She is tedious. I am SO glad she isn't running the country. I'd be packing to leave.
I think we're a little bit hyper-sensitive in this country these days. If anything the president's remarks were self-disparaging rather than a knock against the Special Olympics. Relax nation. Where's the thick skin we used to have?
Wait a minute... How can she blast him for his comment (which was pretty stupid) & then not fund those programs in her own state? IF she is so concerned for the needs of these precious & incredible people then she should make damn sure that all their programs are WELL funded! Talk about hypocritical!
Wasn't that part of what she was running on during the campaign? You would think it would be her TOP priority. Not something that would be left out while she funds construction projects in her state!
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
MajorDude, The President should lead the nation, not appeal to it's lowest common denominator. What is this? The Third Reich? Adolf Hitler is the kind of leader who would have made jokes about the Special Olympics, and whilst we're on the subject, Hitler was pretty disparaging about Jesse Owens because he was black, attending the Berlin Olympics.
To compare his lack of ability at bowling with the ability of a disabled American is neither funny, nor self-deprecating. I wonder how many disabled America Veterans were laughing last night?
This has nothing to do with being thin-skinned. This is about wanting our President to set the highest possible standards for public discourse. Making arrogant jokes about the Special Olympics is hardly the way to do that.
Again, President Bush would have been pilloried for having made such a statement. It will be interesting to see if any of the late night comedians go for Obama over this. If there is any justice they will and Obama will be justifiably chastened.
I support Obama, but not blindly. His conduct was embarrassing, plain and simple.
I would really like to know how much time Palin spends with her special-needs child. How much mothering does this woman actually do?
The most powerful person in the world said something that unintentionally offended a whole class of people. And he apologized for it. I think that sends a powerful message.
Stupid thing to joke about. Palin's right - Obama was wrong to say it. However, making political hay with it is a sort of exploitation, no?
This user is no longer registered.
Gov. Palin is not "pleased" with Pres. Obama's comment last night? I'm torn on the issue because it was an obvious snafu...but why should Palin be upset when she took money away from the Alaskan Special Olympics?
And don't show her playing Mom with Trig.
While president Obama's comment was stupid, it is still even more stupid of Palin to blast him for those remarks just after refusing federal stimulus money to help special education programs. No, Sarastro3, I do not know how well special education programs are funded in Alaska but more funding NEVER HURTS. This was just Palin's excuse to remain in the spotlight until 2012 rolls around.
That's funny. Why do we care about a Governor who cut funding to children with special needs.
This user is no longer registered.
if Palin cares so much about special needs people, then why is she refusing stimulus monies that are earmarked for special needs programs & services in Alaska?
As an Alaska who actually works with special needs populations, I would suggest that the governor concentrate on the problems in Ak that she was elected to address & stop trying to keep her name in the national limelight every chance she gets.
I can see her point, really its the only one Ive seen that was valid.
Coming from a woman who made fun of fruit fly research, "In Paris, France, I kid you not" I am completely unimpressed with her fake outrage.
The entire basis for genetics is fruit flies. She is a ditz but an opportunistic one.
She cries about a mistake Obama made on Leno about the special Olympics yet she rejects half the stimulus money her state is recieving. She just keeps on digging.
Give me a break! Sarah Palin is a hypocrit who will do anything - and that includes parading her family and newborn son on tv - in pursuit of her 15 minutes of fame
Give it a rest. I am a disabled Viet Nam Vet, had an uncle who had Downs Syndrome, I've worked with the Special Olympics. I do understand that the remark was not intentional and I'm sure that President Obama would have taken it back if he could. He said it, he apologized immediately and it's time to get over it.
Rather hypocritical considering her attempt to cut the Alaskan special olympics budget in half.
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/15/palin-cut-funding-for-alaska-specia l-olympics/
Are you kidding me? Does President Obama ever do any wrong to the legions of worshippers that put him in this position anyway! I don't want this man to fail but come on, can anyone ever see the profound ineptness of this man and come to terms that the honeymoon is over. He is now showing himself to be exacly what all those on the right new all along.
Thank you.
As a first time user, your comment has been submitted for review. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two for your comment to be reviewed, depending on the time of week and the volume of comments we receive.
Please log in to leave comments.