This may already be posted but: Palin Fires Back at Obama for Special Olympics Joke

[wndycty]

Palin Fires Back at Obama for Special Olympics Joke
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.”
-snip-

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-03-20/palin-fires-back-at-obama-for-special-olympics-joke

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. Palin the animal killer

[wndycty]

2. Isn't her record as Governor kind of weak on the issue of special needs children?

:kick:

[Hissyspit]

6. Yes:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/04/politics/animal/main4414049.shtml

Factchecking Palin
By Hilzoy
Sep 4, 2008

(Political Animal) Factchecking Palin

I thought Palin's speech was quite good: well-written, well delivered. And, as I said earlier, I think she's a genuinely engaging person, and comes across very well. There were just a couple of problems. One, which I have seen people notice, but which I suspect won't be a big deal for a lot of voters, is that it had very little substance. The other, which the commenters I saw on TV for some reason neglected to mention, was that she told a lot of lies. A few that stood out for me, or that I spotted in my quick run-through of some blogs:

Palin: "To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters. I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House."

Sarah Palin might have changed her mind on this one recently. However, a comment here notes that Palin actually slashed funding for schools for special needs kids by 62%. Budgets: FY 2007 (pre-Palin), 2008, 2009/b] (all pdfs).

[Rosa Luxemburg]

23. true

[AlCzervik]

3. Palin "Pay attention to me!!!!!" and that's all that is.

[ErinBerin84]

4. yeah

It was posted here earlier. I don't even think the media will care, since they covered the gaffe today. Collective yawn.

[FLyellowdog]

5. But what does Joe the Dumber have to say? n/t

[Occam Bandage]

7. I'm going to be un-PC here.

Why are developmentally disabled people "our world’s most precious and unique people?" I think that's patronizing; it's clearly untrue. I certainly believe that on a moral/ethical level, the disabled (whether physically or mentally) are equally as valuable as any other person on Earth. But what would make a child with Down syndrome more precious or more unique than a child who is developing normally?

"These athletes overcome more challenges, discrimination and adversity than most of us ever will" is true. "These people are just as valuable, unique, precious, and thoroughly, entirely, completely human as any of us" would be true. "These people are the world's most precious and unique," in my eyes, is nonsense.

[loyalsister]

27. ick!!

"our world’s most precious and unique people?"

I found that bit degrading, as well.
The only conflict. There are parents with money or who need a little help who think private organizations can do the job better than gov't. Palin appeals to them, and some service providers I have met.
They honestly believed that having a child with Down Syndrome gives her a shared perspective. As much as it it bugs me, I can't argue against it, because I am not in their position.
Not only that one of my reasons for supporting Obama from the start was that I thought he might share some of my perspective.

[Fridays Child]

8. How does someone who said "thanks but no thanks" to stimulus money for special education...

...truly feel about the special needs community? :eyes:

[backscatter712]

9. Sarah Palin, who keeps her Downs baby in the middle of screaming crowds and uses him as a prop...

Not to mention cutting funding for Alaska's Special Olympics and special education in general...

Of course, once Obama sticks his foot in his mouth, noooow she becomes an advocate for the developmentally disabled...

[Frank Booth]

10. Yeah, I assume she trotted out Trot, or whatever his name his,

to make this statement.

Probably passed him around the family a few times too.

[backscatter712]

12. Trig, IIRC.

A few people here on DU observed that she was doing exactly the wrong thing for raising a kid with Downs Syndrome - keeping him in rooms full of screaming fans, when he should be in quiet places, for example.

[Drunken Irishman]

15. Tramp. Oh wait, I thought we were using names to describe Palin.

[Optical.Catalyst]

28. Republican values on display.

Sarah Palin doesn't miss an opportunity to use special needs people to hurt President Obama politically. There was absolutely no benefit provided to people with special needs, her only objective was to score points against our President.

Fine Republican values there. Republicans are only interested in hurting people for political gain, not helping anyone.

[Clio the Leo]

11. And then proceeded to turn DOWN money that would help special education....

..... for shame for shame! For SHAME on that Palin woman!!!

http://www.examiner.com/x-243-Progressive-Politics-Examiner~y2009m3d20-Sarah-Palin-to-refuse-stimulus-funds-for-education

[Hansel]

14. Yes, she literally drips with sincerity...

:eyes:

Hypocrite. Someone really needs to tell her to stop using her baby as prop for her political ambitions. And that taking Federal money to provide support to other special needs children in her state is much more effective if you want people to vote for you. And besides, it's really very distasteful and transparent.

I have an adult nephew who is at the learning level of a 6 year old and I didn't find the comment offensive at all. It was just fine. Sounds to me like Palin is feigning outrage to score political points. Shocker.

[Arctic Dave]

13. When I heard Palin comment I thought I was going to

blow my irony meter.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

16. and then Miss Manners went back to calling the majority of U.S. citizens unamerican

Funny how considerate the GOP has become in the past 24 hours, isn't it?
Weren't these the same clowns who put out talk hosts made fun of people with disabilities, then hid behind the flag of political incorrectness?

[Orsino]

17. You know you've said something really stupid...

...when Sarah Palin gets to take you to task over it. And she's right.

[Danger Mouse]

30. Hypocrites like her don't get a moral high ground. She can shove it.

[Kdillard]

18. Gearing up for that 2012 run I see. I hope someone asks her about turning down stimulus money

for Special needs kids and her atrocious record in general on that matter.

[wndycty]

19. That would be an appropriate question, wouldn't it

:kick:

[AllentownJake]

22. One that won't be asked by the media

[WinkyDink]

20. Republicans are SO well-known for their funding of programs to help those in need, are they not?

[AllentownJake]

21. and something I've been saying since the comment was made

Obama made a stupid comment and funds programs for the disabled. Palin says the right things and cuts the programs.

I'll take the friend who says something stupid and tries to help me over the friend who says the right things and does things to hurt me.

Keep the outrage up. It only helps the opposition and in the long run actually hurts the disabled.

[tanyev]

24. Fuck her and the guns-a'blazing helicopter she rode in on.

[KingFlorez]

25. Will this diseased facist ever shut up?

Most people don't care about what she has to say, she might as well keep it to herself.

[LynnTheDem]

26. AFTER Palin' cut funding for special olympics by FIFTY PERCENT (50%)

Gawd, dontcha love them hypocrites!

[Danger Mouse]

29. She's such a loathsome hypocrite. She's pretty much the bottom of the repuke barrel.