White House distances itself from Wanda Sykes joke

[jefferson_dem]

Smart move.

Plausible deniability firewall established...while we guffaw like hell on the inside.

White House distances itself from Wanda Sykes joke

From CNN Political Producer Peter Hamby

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The Obama administration is putting some distance between itself and comedienne Wanda Sykes, who accused Rush Limbaugh of treason at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday and joked that Limbaugh was "the 20th hijacker."

Asked what the president thought of Sykes' remark, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said, "I don't know how guests get booked. That's a White House Correspondents' Association thing."

"I haven't talked specifically with him," Gibbs said of the president. "But my guess is that I think there are a lot of topics that are better left for serious reflection rather than comedy. I think there is no doubt that 9/11 is part of that."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/11/white-house-distances-itself-from-wanda-sykes-joke/

[Cha]

1. That's the only way

to do it. It's still out there and this is the end of the discussion. I like the way he handled it.

[Turbineguy]

2. That's smart.

"We don't make jokes about that motherfucker."


OK, it's unlikely I'll be taking Gibb's place anytime soon.

[Pirate Smile]

3. Although we do make jokes about Rahm saying "motherfucker"

a lot.

[The Hope Mobile]

8. LOL!

[Autumn]

4. I embrace Wanda Sykes and I am damn proud of

what she said and it's a damn shame if our Democratic leaders don't.

[IDFbunny]

5. Wishing death on Limbaugh was over the top and undignified

We have to be better than them, not get in the gutter with them.

[truebrit71]

6. Wrong. You don't bring a knife to a gun-fight...The ONLY way to bring these thugs down..

...is to beat on them TEN TIMES HARDER than they beat on us..

[The Hope Mobile]

9. Very true!! Bullying only makes more bullying acceptable.

Taking the high road is what got Obama in office. We can't sink to their level. That doesn't raise the level of discourse. I'll be the first to admit that they make me so angry I could spit blood from my eyeballs but acting like that reflects as badly on us as it does on them.

[stillcool]

18. Who is 'we'?

Does a comedian speak for you? Does a comedian represent a political party? Oops, forgot Rush for a second..I guess so. I didn't think the American people could get any more dumbed down, but I guess I was wrong.

[The Hope Mobile]

19. No she doesn't speak for me individually but when I endorse it, or

we as a party endorse it, then we own it. I think she went too far. I don't condone bullying from either party. Do you? Thinking that it doesn't represent our party to some degree, at least in the eyes of the Limbaugh lovers, is pretty dumbed down. Life is a little more complex than that and that is exactly why we can't let them just get away with their soundbyte propaganda.

[stillcool]

20. I don't see 'we' as a party needing..

to endorse anything. She's a comedian, performing at a comedic event. You don't like her humor? Too bad. Move on. I don't give a damn what Rush Limbaugh says..whether he wants this country to fail, whatever names he calls the President of the United States, whatever angst he ignites..not a damn thing. He may be the Republican Party's icon, but that's their problem, and yours.

[The Hope Mobile]

22. You've made your opinion clear. So have I. I don't have to agree with what she did

and you can keep telling me that you do and it won't change anything. I think everybody's clear on this and although I liked the majority of it . . . some went too far because it was similar to GOP tactics. You wanna reiterate your point again - go ahead. I still don't agree and I won't.

[Autumn]

10. I disagree with you on that,

we have been better than them and where has it gotten us ? Wishing death on limpballs was funnier than heck.It must be a matter of perception.:evilfrown:

[stillcool]

17. She was joking..

about kidney failure...Rush was not joking about our country failing. I think that is hysterical.

[struggle4progress]

7. WH Dings Comedian for Joke at WH Correspondents' Dinner

May 11, 2009 2:02 PM

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs .... had been asked by a New York Times reporter if the president had any reaction to Sykes' jokes about Limbaugh at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Gibbs said he didn't know how the talent is booked at the dinner, and suggested the reporter speak to the immediate past president of the WHCA, Jennifer Loven, sitting in the front row.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/05/wh-dings-comedi.html

[Enrique]

11. ha, points out that the press picked Sykes

not Obama.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

14. oh! thank you for pointing that out...

I didn't catch that....good to know in case I overhear any snarky remarks.

[high density]

12. The WH is already distant

They didn't book Sykes, and they didn't write the joke.

[liberalmuse]

13. Well, the WH has to, but as Wanda said, 'You're laughing on the inside.'

And I'm laughing like hell on the outside. I don't think that joke was even close to going over the top, but hell, I have much worse thoughts about Limbaugh than that. That being said, you can't really blame the WH from having to distance themselves from this particular joke, since President Obama has to represent all Americans, even dittoheads.

[BklynChick]

15. bingo.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

16. look at it this way - they could have had Russel Brand!

[Patsy Stone]

23. Or Lisa Lampanelli.

:rofl:

[jeanpalmer]

21. Who cares

Who is Wanda Sykes, I don't know and don't care. She's irrelevant. All I know is the war in Afghanistan is still going on, innocent people are being bombed in their mud homes, and we're bogged down in another Vietnam.