OlderFri, 20 March 2009 at 8:14 pm
Barack Obama Apologizes For Special Olympic Joke
President Barack Obama appears on The Tonight Show and is interviewed by Jay Leno on Thursday (March 19) in Burback, Calif.
During the interview Leno tried to compliment the president’s bowling score but Obama said, “It was like the Special Olympics or something.” The White House quickly issued a statement and said Obama’s remarks were, “in no way intended to disparage the Special Olympics.”
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, I think in a way that was very moving,” Shriver told Good Morning America today.
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I saw it and we need some humor in our lives right now. Nothing wrong. Anyway Pls vote for Drew Barrymore to direct Eclipse.
This guy is an embarrassment. I was listening to a middle east expert earlier today and he said that the Iranians consider the video message Barack sent to Iran today to be a form of “surrender.” They now see the US and our new president as weak. So, he disses the countries that have been our friends, and tries to kiss up to countries that want to destroy us. People thought our reputation in the world would improve because of Obama. Instead, because of the way he’s spending like there’s no tomorrow, and his foolish foreign policy, we’re the laughing stocks of the world.
he is the best.. stop trying to find something bad about him
jjared suck!
Where’s the teleprompter when you need it?????? Obama without a speech to read is dangerous and obviously someone that has no problem making fun of special needs children. How pathetic and sad. Our first Mixed President is really mixed up.
americans,it is said, are the dumbest people in the world,so they went to the polls and voted , removing all doubt!!
You could tell he was only joking about his own lack of bowling skills and didn’t mean to offend anyone.
People need to lighten up and develop a sense of humour.
Obama is a breath of fresh air after that idiot Bush who could barely string a sentence together and who destroyed the US economy.
Americans should be proud that they now have such an intelligent, charismatic and inspiring President compared to the incompetent Bush!
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with what he said.
oh come on, everyone jokes about the special olympics.
:p
Remember that Johnny Knoxville movie?? hah It did great. People need to start pulling some serious sticks out of their asses and just have a laugh or two.
I love my president!
COME ON, people! Get a LIFE & a sense of HUMOR. Obama was NOT insulting the disabled. A few years ago, NOBODY would have thought TWICE about such a remark. (WHO hasn’t said something SIMILAR themselves?) It is NOT a pejorative — merely a means of stating OBAMA IS NOT A GOOD BOWLER. Frankly, JAY LENO CAUSED THIS by acting FOOLISHLY (Clucking & patting his mouth like an old woman)!
HERE’S TO SARAH PALIN’S slime: SHE actually had the balls *(chutzpah) to berate Barak for the remark — MEANWHILE SHE JUST TURNED AWAY $500-MILLION (stimulus) THAT would have helped CHILDREN w./Special NEEDS in AK. WHO IS THE HYPOCRITE?
Every right-WINGER, that’s who! Instead of letting the MAN try to fix whats WRONG w/this country (LARGELY CAUSED BY 8-YRS of a bumbling/INSINCERE Wall St-LOVING BUSH).
LET THE GUY ALONE=! He is ten times SMARTER than ANY BUSH or any GOPer could EVER BE.
I don’t see the big deal. Who is even offended by this, besides “special” people? And do they even understand what he said?
Just a joke, but a bit insensitive IMO. It’s good that he apologised, since it did offend some people, even if most of us aren’t offended. he is the president after all.
I see only retards are offended.
I don’t think they should make those poor kids compete…
does every iota of america have to infused with dog eat dog
competition and rat race mentality??? even for the
congenitally challenged?
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006718/
CK @ 03/20/2009 at 9:22 pm I don’t see the big deal. Who is even offended by this, besides “special” people? And do they even understand what he said?
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Maybe not but their parents and loved one did .
This is why our President, the person that hold the highest office in the land should stick to written speeches.
I like Obmama.Voted forhim. I donot sgree witheverything abouthim. Icall theshots as Isee them.
BAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDD choice of words here. Just bad.
Presidents, rule 1, need tostop trying tobe a celb. Obama down to Carter. The Cater Playboy interview…remember. I mean Obama-Bush-Clinton-Bush-Regan-Carter. Thisnew thing is wrong. Obama was wrong and he should nothave been onthe tonight show anyway.
No President belongs on pop tv shows,etc.
vanessa @ 03/20/2009 at 9:12 pm oh come on, everyone jokes about the special olympics.
:p
Remember that Johnny Knoxville movie?? hah It did great.
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Johnny Knoxville is a comedian who staples his ba!!s to his thigh. Are you not intelligent enough to understand that the behavior of the leader of the most powerful nation on earth should rise slightly above that of someone who calls himself a jackass?
Traveling across country to shoot the breeze with Leno (and insult and entire group of disabled Americans in the process), spending time preening on ESPN as he handicaps basketball games, bowling, appointing a tax cheat to run our Treasury Department, naming a slew of other appointees so ethically and legally flawed that they had to relinquish their posts…. Gee, our Commander has been a very busy fellow. When on earth does he find time to effectively govern? Judging by the state of our economy (and the latest AIG fiasco), I’d say — never.
he’s making fun of himself more than the special olympics.
he’s making fun of himself more than the special olympics.
I bet all you hypocrites would be singing a whole new tune if it were McCain or Bush who said something like this.
Yet ANOTHER embarrassing moment from the Obamistake! We’re p***ing off allies to please the Russians. We’ve all but apologized to the Iranians. Hillary’s all but thrown Israel under the bus. We insulted the British PM by giving him some store-bought trinkets when he made his first official visit. Now,..THIS! He’s an elitist snob. We knew it during the election and the press chose to ignore it. Well,…America - you voted for him, you’re stuck with him for 4 years. Plenty of time to wake up before 2012.
# 22
you are so full of it! overdoing it for sure.
probably closed minded as well.
go wake up yourself
Get over yourselves!!!!!
Barack Obama had zero malice in mind here.
So obvious.
How exhausting it must be to have to watch every syllable that comes out of your mouth.
Love that he went on Leno.
He IS the “PEOPLE’S PRESIDENT” not another elitist freak from the establishment.
LOVE HIM.
the pundit @ 03/20/2009 at 9:58 pm
Johnny Knoxville is a comedian who staples his ba!!s to his thigh. Are you not intelligent enough to understand that the behavior of the leader of the most powerful nation on earth should rise slightly above that of someone who calls himself a jackass?
Traveling across country to shoot the breeze with Leno (and insult and entire group of disabled Americans in the process), spending time preening on ESPN as he handicaps basketball games, bowling, appointing a tax cheat to run our Treasury Department, naming a slew of other appointees so ethically and legally flawed that they had to relinquish their posts…. Gee, our Commander has been a very busy fellow. When on earth does he find time to effectively govern? Judging by the state of our economy (and the latest AIG fiasco), I’d say — never.
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I didn’t read your whole comment because you just sound like you need a drink. So I’ll just, ever so politly ,repeat please pull the large stick out of your ass and have a little laugh. Trust me it won’t kill you.
Oh and that was Steve-o who stappled his nuts to his thigh, not Knoxville.
:p
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