I salute Obama and Leno.

[Elwood P Dowd]

Fuck all you people creating division over this. Oh, and thanks to Kevin Eubanks for wearing an expensive suit to celebrate the occasion. That must be a first for Kevin.

[EmilyAnne]

1. Not cool. It was a stupid thing to say and it is going to legitimately upset some people.

Good people say stupid things sometimes and they take flack for it. It will be OK.
Obama has class and no doubt is kicking himself for saying it. Furthermore, I would bet that he gets why some people are offended. He will apologize and even go out of his way to reassure people that the comment was regretful and stupid BUT that it doesn't imply disrespect for people who compete in the Special Olympics or disabled people and their families.
Lets not trash these people, OK?

[ShortnFiery]

4. That's because you're perfect? It was NOT mean-spirited. We've all done this. Move on. n/t

[EmilyAnne]

5. What does being perfect have to do with anything? No one is perfect. Obama is not

perfect. He doesn't think he is and he doesn't want us to think he is.
He made a mistake. He said something stupid. It doesn't mean that HE is stupid. It doesn't mean that he is a bad guy. It doesn't mean that he isn't an amazing person and president.
It just means that he made a mistake.
I never said it was mean-spirited.

If any of us actually thought that Obama said something about disabled people in a MEAN-SPIRITED way, it would be a whole different story. Obviously it wasn't mean-spirited. Obviously the intent was not to hurt anyone's feelings. Still, when a compassionate adult such as Obama says something that offends someone else, they own it and apologize. Obama has class. He will apologize. Let's not defend him by dissing people who may be legitimately hurt by this comment.

[ShortnFiery]

6. Again, your "concern" is well noted over and over again.

It must FEEL extra special good to judge others ... to be purist when it is teamwork that is needed? How does that self-righteousness feel?

[EmilyAnne]

10. What the fuck? This is such mind boggling stupidity. Teamwork is needed on defending something

that Barack Obama himself will not even defend?

Its a damned mistake.
Its OK that he made a mistake.
People who deny that it was a mistake or accuse offended people of being phony are just being nuts.
This is the thing that is pissing me off and is pretty shocking to me to see on this board.
No comment at all would be better. Actually starting threads defending the comment, saying it was great, a refreshing moment of honesty, that there is no way that any one could legitimately be offended...that is just beyond ridiculous.

[FrenchieCat]

11. It's not the talk, but about the walk...after all is said and done!

Obama: All right. All right, the gentleman right here. The gentleman right here with the beard.

Question: I'm unable to stand up. I believe that I'm entitled to an exception of that rule under the ADA.

Obama: Go ahead.

Question: I forgive you.

Obama: Go ahead.

Question: Okay.

Obama: Introduce yourself.

Q: I'm Gary Carr, and Mr. President, thank God for you. (Applause.) Sir, my question regards the true renaissance that's happening with people with disabilities. They are an emerging population -- millions of people with more potential in capacity, more mobile, more educated, more healthy, more empowered technology, but still trapped in very, very old social models that see them in terms of tragedy and charity and need and care. And the modern population of people with disabilities simply does not fit that model.

And as your plan succeeds and you generate these jobs, and as baby boomers retire, we're going to need every single person of capacity to work that we can. And that must include many, many, many thousands, if not millions, of people with disabilities. (Applause.)

So -- I see you nodding your head, so my first question is, do you subscribe to what I'm saying, and next of all, can you talk about how your disability agenda will release this emerging potential that's currently wasted and untapped?

Obama: Well, you are exactly right, that we need everybody. And every program that we have has to be thinking on the front end, how do we make sure that it is inclusive, and building into it our ability to draw on the capacities of persons with disabilities.

That's true on the education front, where our recovery package increases funding for children with disabilities. It is true in terms of how Hilda Solis, our Secretary of Labor, will be thinking about our training programs, to make sure that we are not excluding from training for high-tech jobs, the new jobs of the future, persons with disability.

It means enforcing the ADA and fighting back on some court opinions that have tried to narrow in ways that I think are inappropriate the original intent of that legislation.

So one of the things that I think is important is to make sure, as you pointed out, that we don't see this as an afterthought, a segregated program, but we are infusing every department, every agency, every act that we take with a mindfulness about the importance of persons with disabilities, their skills, their talents, their capacity.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/03/obama-text-la.html

[Seen the light]

13. I don't think there's a person on this site that thinks that Obama hates the disabled

By reversing Bush's policy on stem cell research, he's already done more for them than in the eight years under Bush.

That being said, his idiotic joke DID make fun of Special Olympians, even if he was referring to Leno's fake applause like some people have said here tonight. Why? Because by comparing Leno to a parent of a Special Olympian congratulating their daughter on running a mile in under 30 minutes or whatever, he's indirectly comparing HIMSELF to that Special Olympian that ran that mile time that would be unimpressive for most people.

We know you love Obama with an unquenchable passion, but I don't see a reason why you need to defend him on this. Nothing will come of it in the long run and it's not going to hamper his ability to push anything through Congress or his re-election, so defending him when he legitimately screwed up is pretty silly.

[FrenchieCat]

15. My step-daugther is physically disabled.

My Stepdaughter is physically handicapped. She was hit by a car when she was 4 years old and nearly died. She did recover, but to this day, one of her leg is noticeably shorter than the other, and she has to wear special shoes and the whole bit. She runs the nursery school where I work part time. Was the President's comment supposed to have "hurt" her?

[Seen the light]

17. Um...no?

Where did I say that in my post? The only thing Obama did tonight that was objectionable was that he fueled the notion that it's somehow acceptable to crack jokes about the Special Olympics when they get enough grief as it is.

And please don't take offense at this, but my youngest brother is a quadriplegic that participates in Power Soccer, so you're speaking to a fellow member of the family with disabilities club. :)

[FrenchieCat]

18. I could top you on family members living with disabilities,

and I will just say that it is the substance that counts.

Palin used her special Needs child.....
Barack Obama is doing something for people with disabilities.

But please, call me an apologist....
I'll take it as a badge of honor.

I'm sure that for those truly offended,
Obama will make amends. He usually does.

[EmilyAnne]

19. Frenchie Cat, I have so much respect for you. You are one of my favorite posters and I created an

account on DU after years of lurking just to respond to one of your posts that I loved.

I also LOVE Barack Obama. I mean that in the truest sense of the word.
During the primaries, I was neighborhood captain and spent, literally, at least 8 hours a day, every day knocking on doors (sometimes hostile) and making phone calls (some of which were very hostile). I was an apologizer and proud of it. Through the Reverend Wright tapes the MSM had on 24 hour replay to the "bitter gun owners clinging to religion" thing that was a big deal here in Pennsylvania, I defended him. I always did so by explaining his intent as I saw it. That if he or his relationship with Wright offended, it was never his intention. Furthermore, the very people who were offended were among those that he wanted to help so badly.
That's the thing. I truly believe that Obama is a good person with good intentions in all matters. I truly believe that he always has the absolute best interests of America and her people in his heart and mind. I don't believe there is an ounce of cruelty, pettiness, or blatant self service in him. I pretty much think he is as close to perfect as any president has been or will ever be. So, whatever. I drank the Kool Aid at the feet of the Messiah while tattooing Obamaniac on my forehead.

When I watched the Leno comment, I actually had to fight back tears because I HATE seeing someone I love screw up.
Its like the time I saw my little brother's face crumple as he misspelled "entomb" in a spelling bee final.
Or the one Christmas that my dad gave a gift to my brother's new fiance with the name of the old girlfriend on the gift tag. My dad was CRUSHED to have made such a stupid mistake. My brother's fiance, initially believed that he was giving her a message that she wasn't welcome in our family and that we wanted the old girlfriend to take her place. She didn't think this because she was petty or looking for any old reason to get upset. It touched a sensitive spot, an insecurity, and it took some time for her to accept that my dad is just a pretty clueless man prone to name confusion and forgetfulness. Even worse, in his attempt to be very warm and welcoming, he had a mental blip and ended up REALLY hurting her feelings. THAT ordeal made me cry, knowing how much my father hated himself at that moment and how much he didn't mean to cause even the smallest bit of unease.

My point is that I felt that way about this Leno comment. I feel bad for him because, if Obama is anything like the man that you and I believe him to be, I KNOW that he regrets the comment and is agonizing over any pain that it may have caused. Some people who love and care for the disabled will be susceptible to offense based on different levels of insecurity or sensitivity about the issue. They may even go so far as to think that maybe, jut maybe, this man doesn't care about the disabled. These people aren't jerks. They aren't just looking to be offended for no reason at all.
If Obama is anything like the man that you and I believe him to be, he will not only regret offending them but will "GET" why they are offended. As I keep saying, I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that Obama will be his classy self and apologize, taking full responsibility for it and acknowledging the pain or offense it may have caused.

The only reason I have made comments on this topic is that people have been starting threads to simply defend the comment, saying that it is funny, refreshing, that there is no way that anyone could be truly offended by it. I think that is bullshit. I will defend Obama on his intentions. I trust him on the intentions behind his policies.
I am not bashing him in the least by saying that the statement was a mistake.
He is allowed to say something stupid and it won't be the last time.
Brilliant, amazing, good people say stupid things that hurt someone's feelings sometimes. Its OK.

Its not OK to bash people who may be legitimately offended or decide that the mistake of someone you love is suddenly so not a mistake but actually a great thing.

[FrenchieCat]

21. Of course you are correct, that those who take offense "legitimately"

should not be bashed.....

and so, as I stated, if Barack Obama gets wind that anyone was truly offended,
he will make amends.

I know that a statement was already put out about it,
so obviously the WH is sensitive to making sure that
no one's feeling are hurt, and that this was never the intent.

After all, he has made helping those living with disabilities
part of his first 60 days in office.

[Seen the light]

12. I agree

But this is how it is every time Obama royally screws up. Many people here take criticism of Obama like criticism of a child or something. It's quite hilarious.

[ShortnFiery]

14. Yes, because many people "lie in wait" for the least little thing to show their self-righteousness.

You are purists. Lord help us if we had to DEPEND on you to PULL TOGETHER with us in our fight against the fascist right wing. Oh wait! :silly:

Just CONSIDER getting out of the way if you are unwilling to be part of the solution? :thumbsdown:

[EmilyAnne]

20. Yes, the entire Obama administration is derailed if some of his supporters acknowledge that he said

something stupid that may have legitimately hurt some peoples' feelings.

Either you are really not seeing clearly here or suddenly I have completely lost my mind and living in my own personal bizarro world.

[brettdale]

2. Dont forget to thank the Great One

Garth Brooks!!!!!

[Lex]

3. YES, it was a great, relaxed appearance.

I was glad to see the 'controversial' remark in context. It was a blip.

[firedupdem]

7. You said it. Ridiculous poutrage over nothing! n/t

[donheld]

8. Much ado about nothing

[omega minimo]

9. Leno is a fucking idiot

[question everything]

16. Just came in. Was not aware of any criticism

I think that this was a great show. Both felt at ease and communicated to the world what they wanted to do. About Kevin - he took a few days off to attend the Inauguration, so this really must have been a special moment for him and it was nice of the President to acknowledge him as he entered the stage.