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TwitterPresident Barack Obama is sorry for Special Olympics joke
Trying to describe his very inexperienced bowling skills to Jay Leno on Thursday, President Barack Obama joked, "It was like the Special Olympics or something."
Everyone laughed at the self-disparaging remark.
Except the POTUS' staff.
According to "Access Hollywood", on his way back to Washington on Air Force One, Obama called the chairman of the Special Olympics, Tim Shriver, to apologize before the program aired Thursday night.
"He expressed his disappointment and he apologized in a way that was very moving. He expressed that he did not intend to humiliate this population," Shriver said Friday morning on ABC's "Good Morning America." He added that Obama wants to invite Special Olympic athletes over to the White House to bowl or play basketball.
But, Shriver noted, "I think it's important to see that words hurt and words do matter. And these words that in some respect can be seem as humiliating or a put-down to people with special needs do cause pain and they do result in stereotypes."
Shriver is the nephew of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, whose endorsement in the Democratic primary was helpful to Obama's nomination.
Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton told reporters covering Obama's Los Angeles visit, that the remark was not meant to disparage the Special Olympics, only to poke some fun at the president's bowling skills.
But given his very impressive beginner's score of 129, shouldn't the Special Olympics should be pretty proud of the comparison?
What do you think of this brouhaha? Is it too touchy or necessary?
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Photo credit: NBC
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I am extremely physically handicapped and what really gets me angry is this falls self-righteousness that people have when some one like Obama says something funny. I get slammed for making fun of the handicapped and I am in a wheelchair.
I don't know what all the so-called normal people feel so guilty about. Get over it!!!! Only when I am allowed to laugh at my self and others like me will I have real equality. Get over your guilt and laugh a little.
"How do you get a one armed man out of a tree? Waive"
Bush said and did worse; I taught spec ed for 24 yrs and the teachers jokes about special ed were worse too.
"He added that Obama wants to invite Special Olympic athletes over to the White House to bowl"
Because he just wants to be able to beat someone at bowling.
The Special Olympics people had one of their own in the White House for the past 8 years, isn't that enough?
They should include people over 50 in the Special Olympics.
They could call it the Oldlimpdicks.
We all know that if Jay [Leno] had cracked that joke, we would have all laughed or maybe crinched but that would have been the end of it.
My son has physical disabilities and it is extremely hurtful that our President (for whom I voted for) feels it is appropriate to laugh at people with special needs. How would he feel if the Tonight Show hosted racist comedians?
I think he could have had more decorum. But if the public picks at everything the President says or does we will be left with scripted speaches that are run through focus groups. I vote for minor gaffes now and again and a non-empty suit.
Everyone has those moments when they inadvertantly stick their foot in their mouth. Obama is no different.
I think it was a tacky remark and most unfortunately it reveals that he's just as subject to thinking in stereotypes as the rest of us.
But hey...we all put our foot in our mouth sometimes. He said in many speeches during his campaign that he wasn't perfect and that he'd make mistakes and this was one of them. All of us are human and if the rest of us were judged on some of the stupid, offhand things we've all said in our lives, we'd probably cringe too. He apologized right away and made amends, and that's a good thing. We have more important things to worry so I hope people don't waste time dwelling on this and that we just accept his apology and move on.
I was more impressed with him message this morning to the Islamic Republic of Iran. He's my president and I'm still very supportive of what he's trying to do.
Wow, we have a president that is human and says things that are not "politically correct"! Big deal. People are too touchy! I am part of about 4 different "groups" of people who have been the brunt of jokes, some hurtful, but it's hardly something to get all worked up over. He apologized so people need to get over it.