It was mentioned on the local news show I watched this morning, and I read somewhere online (politico.com?) that Obama called the chairman of the Special Olympics and apologized before the program aired.
Edit: here's the link, though I think this webpage is dynamic, so the story may not be up permanently:
http://www.politico.com/politico44/
"hey, shriver, tell them retards i'm sorry. it was the damn teleprompter."
The major news websites (CNN, MSNBC, FOX, ABC) all refer to the gaffe on their main webpages. HuffPo alludes to it in the body of their article.
oh, mb. i have to get you savvy to permalinks.
shriver, apology.
Maybe they aren't as worried about something the President mumbled during his interview.
I don't think a singleperson in the studio audience heard what he said. I could barely make out what he said.
Chillax.
Besides, if George95 can call them 'retarded', Obama wasn't offensive at all.
Stupid thing to say. Apologize and move on.
All politicians are a**holes.
This one just comes in a prettier package.
How sad in 2008 that this moron was the best presidential candidate the Democrats could come up with.
Of course he is better than McCain but only by default.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
"Moron" is something of a leap, f, but it takes one to know one, I guess.
All politicians are a**holes.
This one just comes in a prettier package.
I've been saying that since he got elected. I voted for him because the alternative wasn't an option. I'm sure he's going to apologize for it, it was a really dumb thing to say. We've all done it, even those of us with important jobs. If someone taped all the stupid comments I said in pursuit of being funny, I don't think there's group that wouldn't protest me. I think that comment goes for the majority of the people in this thread.
After comparing his bowling to the Special Olympics on "The Tonight Show" Thursday, President Obama called Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver to apologize before the program even aired.
“He expressed his disappointment and he apologized, in a way that was very moving,” Shriver said on ABC's “Good Morning America.” “It’s important to see that words hurt, and words do matter. And these words that in some respect can be seen as humiliating or a put-down of people with special needs do cause pain, and they do result in stereotypes."
Obama told Shriver he wants to have some Special Olympics competitors over to the White House for basketball or bowling.
Obama apologizes for remark
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
I'm so not used to the phrase "I'm sorry" coming from Washington.
Out of curiousity (I admit I haven't clicked on any links) - was there a reason the comment couldn't or wasn't edited out before it aired. Leno isn't live...?
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
That'd be like watchyamacallit. You know, that thing with the Russian dude who made people disappear from pictures.
I'm especially not used to seeing "I'm sorry" when it's not followed by "...if anyone was offended by my comments."
you mean like this:
"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."
How many times did Bush apologize while he was president?
How many times OUGHT he have done so?
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
You only apologize when you know you've done something wrong.
Bush doesn't see that he's done anything wrong. Neither does Cheney, or Rumsfeld, or Powell, or Rice.
pj, your contention that dubya should have begun and ended each press conference with the words "i apologize for the fact that i am still here," what specific faux pas are you referencing?
Wait a minute. Lemme check.
Nope. Still don't care.
"Specific faux pas"? Where would one begin?
"Iraq had WMD"
Blaming 9/11 on Iraq instead of Saudi Arabian Wahhabism
The days leading up to and the response to Hurricane Katrina
Abandoning Afghanistan
Consistently mishandling Iran and North Korea
Outing a covert CIA agent specializing in the Iranian atomic program
8 years of irresponsible fiscal management
Putting big bonuses into TARP before Obama took office
And I personally would like a "Me sawwwwwry" for 20 years or so of Karl Rove demonizing gays to curry favor with portions of the population easily swayable with bigotry
you'll get that when i get a "sorry for forcing in that exemption for the aig bonuses" or "oops, my bad, handing out taxpayer money to my supporters really doesn't stimulate the economy" or "yeah, geither's pretty much a clusterf***" or "by golly taking away the right to a secret ballot really isn't very doggone democratic" or "basically spitting in the face of one of our oldest allies because my people are too stupid to do any research was doggone dumb."
this was not an apology for a policy, which is what you want, this is an "apology" for slurring an entire group of americans on national television. different things, pj.
"oops, my bad, handing out taxpayer money to my supporters really doesn't stimulate the economy"
You really expect to hear that from George Bush?
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