"The people who willingly believe the Fire Dog Lake spin about Rahm Emanuel"
Rahm Emanuel "Retarded" Comment Puts Offensiveness in Spotlight
Advocates for Disabled Equate 'Retarded' With Hate Speech
White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's verbal indiscretion -- referring to some liberal activists as "f**king retarded" -- has shined a spotlight on just how pervasive the R-word is in American conversation, and how offensive it can be for millions of Americans.
Emanuel apologized to members of the disabilities rights community this afternoon at the White House for comments he made during a closed-door meeting last August but not reported until last week by The Wall Street Journal.
The incident reignited a nationwide debate and even spurred a call for his resignation by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, whose son has Down's syndrome.
Advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities -- the preferred terms to describe individuals with these impairments -- said they aren't surprised by Emanuel's use of the epithet since the word is regularly used in a negative way to refer to things that are "different" or "not the norm."
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/rahm-emanuel-retarded-comment-puts-offensiveness-spotlight/story?id=9738134Obama chief of staff’s 'retarded' insult brings fallout, Palin criticism
Tue Feb 2, 6:29 pm ET
Dating back to the time he worked in the Clinton administration, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has developed an almost notorious reputation in Washington for being a brash personality with a penchant for profanity-laced diatribes. Conversely, his intense nature, in addition to his sharp mind, are what many attribute to his success and effectiveness as a Washington power player. But a recently revealed remark he made in a closed-door meeting attended by White House aides and leaders of liberal special-interest groups has irked many, prompting him to issue an apology.
Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Emanuel, exasperated upon learning that liberal special-interest groups were planning to run ads against conservative Democrats not supportive of health care reform, blasted the plan as "f------ retarded" over the summer. Naturally, some outrage ensued after Emanuel's words came to light, with former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin taking to her Facebook page to call on President Obama to fire him for what she saw as the equivalent of a racial slur.
Palin, whose son Trig is afflicted with Down syndrome, said she was informed of Emanuel's comment by a fellow parent of a special-needs child and pleaded with the president to "show decency" to the political process by "eliminating" the Chicago native from his inner circle.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_pl1101Rahm Emanuel Calls Liberals
"F---ing Retarded"
He should have said they were "f---ing intellectually disabled."
By Adrian ChenPosted Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010, at 1:24 PM ET
White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel called the CEO of the Special Olympics last week and apologized for having used the phrase "f---ing retarded" in a 2009 strategy meeting with liberal groups. In an "Explainer" column first published last summer and reprinted below, Adrian Chen looked at whether it's still OK to use the word retarded.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics, died Tuesday morning at the age of 88. A number of articles made note of her work on behalf of the "mentally retarded" or in preventing "mental retardation." Is it still OK to use the word retarded?
http://www.slate.com/id/2243438/Rahm Emanuel on defensive over "retarded" comment; met with Timothy Shriver, Special Olympics Chairman
By
Lynn Sweet
on February 3, 2010 6:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel met with a delegation from the Special Olympics on Wednesday--including chair Timothy Shriver after he used the term "retarded" in a comment, a word the disability movement is trying to get people not to use.
The meeting with Shriver and four other disability activists was set up last week, Emanuel's spokesman said, after Emanuel's remark surfaced in a Wall Street Journal report. Though Emanuel apologized to Shriver--son of the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder of the Special Olympics--I was told they both decided to do a follow up meeting this week.
Shriver's letter to Emanuel--known for his salty language--was dated Jan. 26.
I read with dismay today, the Wall Street Journal's article describing the tension with policy-making circles that is hardly uncommon in Washington. What troubled me was not the diversity of the opinions surrounding your role - I can only imagine how difficult it must be to serve the country in this time. But what did trouble me was the quote attributed to you describing a plan to air certain ads as "f-----g retarded."
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2010/02/rahm_emanuel_on_defensive_over.htmlChief of Staff Draws Fire From Left as Obama Falters
• POLITICS
• JANUARY 26, 2010
“…The friction was laid bare in August when Mr. Emanuel showed up at a weekly strategy session featuring liberal groups and White House aides. Some attendees said they were planning to air ads attacking conservative Democrats who were balking at Mr. Obama's health-care overhaul.
"F—ing retarded," Mr. Emanuel scolded the group, according to several participants. He warned them not to alienate lawmakers whose votes would be needed on health care and other top legislative items.
The antipathy reflects deep dissatisfaction on the Democratic left with Mr. Obama's first year in office, and represents a fracturing of the relationship between the president and the political base that mobilized to elect him. A little more than one year ago, Mr. Obama's victory led some to predict an era of Democratic dominance.
The anger on the left shows that Mr. Obama is caught in an internal battle over both the course of his administration and the Democratic Party.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703808904575025030384695158.htmlSeems as though it wasn't spin and it wasn't just FDL, eh?
So, why lie?
Just my dos centavos
robdogbucky