AP - Washington:
Appearing on "The Tonight Show," the president told host Jay Leno he'd been practicing at the White House's bowling alley but wasn't happy with his score of 129. [The] he [AP typo] rolled a gutter ball by quipping: "It was like the Special Olympics or something."
The audience laughed, but the White House quickly recognized the blunder.
On his way back to Washington on Air Force One, Obama called the chairman of the Special Olympics, Tim Shriver, to say he was sorry — even before the taped program aired late Thursday night.
"He expressed his disappointed and he apologized in a way that was very moving. He expressed that he did not intend to humiliate this population," Shriver said Friday on ABC's "Good Morning America." Obama, Shriver said, wants to have some Special Olympic athletes visit the White House to bowl or play basketball.
[No Obie ... you humiliated yourself. And rightly so.]
Still, Shriver said, "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."
Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton told reporters traveling with Obama that the president's offhand remark was not meant to disparage the Special Olympics, only to poke some fun at the commander-in-chief's bowling skills.
[Step and fetch it, Bill! lol Same thing. You're not such a good spinner, Bill. How'd you get that job? The idea, Bill, was that Barack wasn't disparaging the Special Olympics. He was disparaging the people who make up the population of the Special Olympics; thereby attempting to excuse his pitiful performance, and trying to make himself feel better. [duh and double-duh.]
What Tim Shriver stated is the heart of the matter. When those words rolled so easily off Barack Obama's [forked] tongue, it showed what many of us also do so easily.
Heck, I've got a house full of "special" needs kids and I've done it. Self-deprecation at the expense of others. "I'm such a spaz" "I'm such an idiot" "I feel retarded for doing that" "What a moron" From now on, I'm going to say "I'm such a Barack!" or "That's SO Barack" ... whenever I do something in an un-thoughtful way. Now, we'll laugh and move on because my Ben went bowling *just last week* ! He bowled a 63 without bumper guards. Got a strike in the second game.
Ben is only 10 and because of autism, his muscles and nerves often refuse to work together to do something as simple as lifting a spoon to his mouth to eat. So, bowling is a good way to help exercise those nerve/muscle connections. What it could never do is strengthen the spiritual bond with the Universe and God. Those things were built in when Ben was born. It's the wisdom of heaven that resides fully in Ben. That's something that, I have a feeling, Barack Obama is going to learn about. I hope so. Something will have to save his sorry hide.
I, hereby, sentence you Barack Obama to living my family's life for one week. You might find a greater sense of love for humanity, compassion for those around you, you might even find the truth of God. And you might realize it's just not worth trying to one-up Jay Leno on national T.V. You may also discover that your "punishment" actually rewards you with the humility you so lack.
You, Barack Obama, are hereby awarded the coveted "Foot In Mouth" plaque for 2009.
12 comments:
Yeah...I heard about that on the news yesteday. I honestly don't have too big a problem with what he said as much as I have a problem with what he is doing as President. Why is he even on the Tonite Show? How does he have so much time to have such vast knowledge of the round of 64 teams in the NCAA tournament? Why is he trying to crack childish jokes with "Chin Boy" when the country is in total meltdown? He'll have plenty of time for that in a little under 4 years when he is jobless.
I'm more annoyed by the fact he's such a popstar president; as far as the gaffe itself.... err.... I didn't view it as that big a deal.
I think he has another book out too?
Sheesh. He's ridin' for a fall.
I was more disturbed by his *popular* and obsequious video to Iran.
He's naive.
P.S.
LOVE the gargoyle!!!
That's a keeper!
I watched last night, out of curiousity, more than anything else. I found it ridiculous, Leno interviewing our President? that was bizarre in the first place. And Obama was off his game. It was drone, blah, blah, and that comment - whaaat? It was like, now how did you become president, it goes back to that Tonya Harding joke during the campaign, that was cheesy.
I support my country, I won't go back on that, but Obama, you are losing ground fast!
yeah, the gargoyle - good one Tink!
oh yeah, I like your idea, oh geez I pulled a barack!! kinda like in the movie Kingpin, have you seen it? hope so, otherwise this means nothing, anyway....bill murray is in it with Woody Harrelson(munsen is his name) anyway the joke was when someone bowled bad, they would joke oh I pulled a Munsen!)
doughnuts all around for the Wonder Bowlers!
ray
Wow. I feel as if I may have overreacted a bit! I get that way when we've worked so hard for decades to quash the whole shtick of "compared to a retard" thinking. As has been shown in the media, many "Special Olympic" bowlers could outscore many professional bowlers. Certainly, the president was outscored (in more than one way. haha!) It was just that stupid, thoughtless gaffe, but it really shows what a lot of people really think but don't say. God, in that sense, I hope his is not truly representative of the typical American thought process
Not judging a book by its cover ... it's one of the first lessons we learn in kindergarten. In simpering comment, Barack Obama managed to provoke the ire of many involved in caring for, loving, and hoping for those with differences. In that regard, maybe we should award him for opening the worm can. Because now he has shown the true colors of his more primitive brain, and we could all use a reminder that we all operate from the primitive depths at times. So, Oobie-Doobie, while you still get the foot-in-mouth gargoyle, I'll forgive your gaffe and expect that you'll do better.
Do not invite some Special Olympics kids over to the White House in an attempt to make amends. That is an empty placation. You should hire an autistic person as the Spiritual Advisor to the Nation.
Personal aside to the Prez: [Go the distance. If you do that, Oobie-Doobie, maybe "He will come" ...] [But then you'd have to dump the goddesses and gold bricks.][Your choice, Mr. President.][Maybe a little more help from your "friends" will be forthcoming.]
Back to regularly scheduled soapboxing:
In attempts at extemporaneous speaking and quick wit, he just comes across as less than bright. And yes Rob .. he is adolescent! So, he's a closet smoker, a drinker, and a gambler. Sounds like a regular kind of American. lol Lucy, I haven't seen the video yet. I'll probably need extra heart medication when I do. lol Grace, I saw part of that movie and got interrupted and never got back to it, but I do know what you're talking about! lol Ray, I'll gladly pilfer your crullers! The Wonder Bowl was an amazing experience. We'll have to write about that some time. :o)
It doesn't really bother me that he went on the Jay Leno Show. Maybe he's trying to show some kind of kindred spirit with the population at large; but, it's sort of like whistling in the graveyard.
I know! Let's fiddle while Rome burns! lol
Thanks for the thoughtful and though-provoking commentary, everyone.
xo
Hey Tink,
Yeah it was a thoughtless comment by Barack. Perhaps I was thoughtless in viewing it as not that big a deal. I guess in my mind it's not that big a deal BECAUSE I know that people with special needs are often far above the rest of us. Make sense? Maybe it's presumptuous of me to think they don't need protection. (as an aside, I have a *severely, severley* handicapped nephew (CP) and am no stranger to living with special needs. I guess we've learned to live lightly sometimes about the situation, otherwise we'd cry. I also had a severely autistic cousin, as you know.... and I KNOW he was far beyond me, in his own special way.
Yes -- this has been thought-provoking. I like that! It sort of wakes me up and makes me go, "OH. I should stop and think more. Instead of just running on the treadmill of life day after day, thinking the same old knee-jerk way I always think."
Thanks Tink. Hope Obama's doing some deep thinking this weekend too. (no wait, he's too busy living it up)
Thanks Lucy ... I know you have a high level of sensitivity, but it was helpful for me to examine the reactions all around. I agree .. sometimes it's just less painful to *not* think about issues. But that's not healthy either. I hope he's doing some deep thinking, too, but I kinda doubt it. lol He needs to get those manicured nails into the soil they're digging up on the South Lawn and help plant some veggies.
..sometimes it's just less painful to *not* think about issues. But that's not healthy either.
True. I must confess I often have a tendency to avoid things that are too difficult to face. (always been a bit ostrich-in-the-sand)
Every day's a new day to learn and grow though!
Hi Tink, I'm loving your blog but on this article I think too that you "overreated"?
Tom
Hi Tom! Thanks for stopping by. What's new in Oprahland, er - Santa Barbara. :o)
Sorry to say I am completely *not* caught up with the Autism List. I have about 136 posts that are sitting in a folder waiting to be read. Actually, I did respond to a couple, but the replies never showed up. So, figure mine are going into the spam folder or the great Yahoo Lost Bin Of Eternity. lol
Yeah, partly overreaction to "business as usual" in America. It was a snarky, smartassed comment by the President, but it made for some good publicity for Special Olympics, I guess. :o) What can ya do? Forgive it and move on. It would be good to keep an eye (or two) on the movement of "stem cell" research and genetic markering (markering out.) Hope all is well. I'll get caught up with the list when the kids are on break.
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