All day Friday the newspapers, TV stations, radio, and the Internet were abuzz with Barack Obama’s failed joke about the Special Olympics Thursday night on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. In shades of John Kerry’s failed joke about the unschooled being “stuck in Iraq,” the president’s apologists said he was merely joking and didn’t mean to say anything disparaging about people with developmental challenges. Still, the incident stirred passionate discussion all day Friday. At least it did for everyone but The New York Times’s Helene Cooper. Cooper seemed not to even realize it happened if her review of the show is any indication.
One has to wonder, with the entire country talking about Obama’s Special Olympics quip, how did Cooper miss that part of the story? Why would she not even make a passing notation of the controversy the joke caused?
Was it impolitic? Yes. Impolite? Certainly. Just plain stupid? You betcha. But what ever it was and whatever my own opinion of it, it was news and for Cooper in The New York Times not to mention it even in passing, well, that is just a dereliction of duty.
So, why did Cooper not even mention this incident? She talked about every other aspect of Obama’s appearance. Why leave out just that one little thing, the one thing that caused Obama to look bad to millions of Americans?
Since Cooper didn’t seem to catch the segment, here is what happened. ABC reported that Obama brought up the Special Olympics when discussing his bowling score.
Towards the end of his approximately 40-minute appearance, the president talked about how he’s gotten better at bowling and has been practicing in the White House bowling alley.
He bowled a 129, the president said.
“That’s very good, Mr. President,” Leno said sarcastically.
It’s “like the Special Olympics or something,” the president said.
As most of you reading this now know, Obama’s office quickly tried to put out the fire by releasing an apology immediately on Friday.
“The president made an off-hand remark making fun of his own bowling that was in no way intended to disparage the Special Olympics,” White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton said. “He thinks the Special Olympics is a wonderful program that gives an opportunity for people with disabilities from around the world.”
With all this stirring the pot on Friday, it is just awfully strange that the Times piece didn’t mention the whole swirling controversy. Not a word. Nothing.
Awfully strange, indeed.
Orrrrr, just more boring evidence of The New York Times doing their level best to cover for their chosen one, Obama!
You make the call.
Moe Lane
Neil Stevens
Steve Maley
Daniel Horowitz
Jake Walker
It's getting more and more difficult
zeebeach Sunday, March 22nd at 7:53AM EST (link)for the MSM to keep covering for Their Leader. The sheer volume of gaffes, screw-ups, lies and misstatements is keeping the blogosphere very, very busy. MSM is slowly starting to report some of these things. It will be interesting to watch this play out. At least it would be if our country wasn’t being destroyed.
The NYT staff is cut from the same elite snob
Old_Crow (Diary) Sunday, March 22nd at 8:11AM EST (link)cloth as Obama. They don’t associate with or know anyone with special needs (after all isn’t that what abortion is for).
Obama is just another out-of-touch liberal elitist who would get pwned if he ever played hoops (or bowled) with some of the Special Olympics competitors.
“Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm.” — James Madison
Just curious Old Crow
robmikpet (Diary) Sunday, March 22nd at 12:22PM EST (link)is your name from being an electronic warfare specialist?
Yes, for a good portion of my military career.
Old_Crow (Diary) Sunday, March 22nd at 1:21PM EST (link)Retired in ’03 and on to sales, marketing, and a bit of military consulting work now.
“Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm.” — James Madison
Thank you for your service!
robmikpet (Diary) Sunday, March 22nd at 1:27PM EST (link)Electronic warfare is so crutial to so many missions. A lot of lives are saved when your enemy is electronically blind, deaf and dumb.
Thank you for your service,
redneck_hippie (Diary) Sunday, March 22nd at 1:32PM EST (link)and for telling us your background. I always thought it referred to a brand of whiskey. Boy was I off!
Sunday Morning Show threadjack: Will Chris Wallace ask Rangal about his personal tax problem? - nt
Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Sunday, March 22nd at 8:16AM EST (link)Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson
One could publish a full news site with all the fit news not printed by the NYT. Oh yeah, its called
Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Sunday, March 22nd at 8:17AM EST (link)Redstate.com
Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson
MSM's Permanent Irrelevancy Looms Larger by the Day-
reaganiterepublicanresistance Sunday, March 22nd at 8:53AM EST (link)Time for another story on his puppy-vetting process (inexplicably far more thorough than for his cabinet) and how Barack likes to play basketball.
After the comprehensive implosion of Obamamania, the press will never, ever be taken seriously again- and that includes when they join the Team Obama attack machine on Palin, Jindal, and Romney in 2011. The Courics and Matthews of the world will be ruined, after placing all their chips on blue.
Who will fill this information gap? You’re looking at it… RedState will be at the forefront, amongst others…
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/
The Reaganite Republican
There's no guesswork whatsoever...
rbdwiggins (Diary) Sunday, March 22nd at 9:35AM EST (link)The nytimes simply refused to cover the story.
It’s not the first time this has happened, and it certainly won’t be the last.
I would posit that the foundation of our Republic has suffered at least as much damage from the omission of fact as it has from misinformation and propaganda.
“Well, the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they are ignorant, but that they know so much that isn’t so.” – Ronald Reagan
The Problem is the following
robmikpet (Diary) Sunday, March 22nd at 10:22AM EST (link)Let’s imagine the electorate is 40% Rep, 40% Dem and 20% Ind. Indepedents who I also call the ignorant, shallow, wait til 10 days before elctions to pay attention voter.
You only have to get 10.1% of these fools to “pull the lever” for you on election day.
So in reality the MSM can even start to mention things like this – sparingly and with no “real” outrage – call themselves balanced AND IT WILL HAVE NO IMPACT ON THE NEXT ELECTION because 30 or so days before that the lovefest in full will have begun and statements made by the Messiah will have been long forgotten.
My solution is for conservatives and Republicans to actually go on MSM shows and confront the MSM. Everyone should watch Ari Fleisher on Hardball this is what I mean.
Not a surprise
franklinslocke Sunday, March 22nd at 10:34AM EST (link)The NY Times has lost its credibility with so many I surprised anyone still mentions them. This case just shows how far they will go to cover up for this inapt President, even when everyone else was talking about it.
http://franklinslocke.blogspot.com/
Please declare bankruptcy, Pinch
WarEagle01 (Diary) Sunday, March 22nd at 7:24PM EST (link)You’re embarrassing yourself now. No one takes your rag seriously anymore, and there is no way you are going to be able to pay back Mr. Slim. Give it up.
“A wise, doughy leg with rich tingly experiences will always reach better conclusions than will a more tanned, muscular leg that hasn’t felt those thrills.” –Chris Matthews’ Leg
“The alternative to the awful extremity of abortion is the indispensable joy of introducing this flawed world to someone who might make it better.”–John Hayward (AKA Dr. Zero)