NYTimes Somehow Misses Obama 'Special Olympics' Jab

Publius' Forum ^ | 3/22/09 | Warner Todd Huston

[Mobile Vulgus]

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?

Now, I have made myself a bit of a target elsewhere by saying that I don't think the remark was an indication that President Obama routinely makes fun of the mentally challenged or in any way hates, disdains, or discounts folks involved with the Special Olympics. I think he was making a joke about himself not them. To me, it's an incident to make note of and then move on from not one to hang opposition upon.

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...

Read the rest at Publiusforum.com...

[Mobile Vulgus]

We aren't shocked that the New York Times is covering for Obama. But it certainly is tiresome.

[central_va]

Funny, but if a prisoner in Gitmo stubs his toe, it's front page news in NYT.

Bush's fault.

[Constitutional Patriot]

When I saw the title to this one I had a visual of three monkeys sitting together, one w/ the hands over the ears, one w/ hands over the eyes, and the last w/ hands over the mouth....I think that there is a stock photo of Bill Clinton, Maddy Albright and the guy who likes to steal confidential government documents by stuffing them in his undies...

[humblegunner]

[norwaypinesavage]

The NYT publishes “All the news that’s fit to print”. That, obviously, wasn’t “fit to print”.

[Puppage]

and the guy who likes to steal confidential government documents by stuffing them in his undies...

Sandy Berger

[Red in Blue PA]

The New York Times: “All the Pro-Obama news that’s fit to print”.

[Bon mots]

Go over to Digg and “Digg” it.

http://digg.com/politics/NY_Times_Somehow_Misses_Obama_s_Gaffe_re_Special_Olympics

[Fresh Wind]

I think he was making a joke about himself not them.

Maybe he was hinting that he was one of them. Since Obama doesn't have any obvious physical disabilities, that means his disabilities must all be mental.

[bray]

You would think the Bankrupt Times would be starting to run out of Bash Bush stories??

Pray for America

[WesternCulture]

Below, a retarded attempt at making fun of lazy, intellectually sloppy, PI Liberals who don’t know how to behave even while on prime-time talk shows.

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(The original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcvjXAtzaMU)

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(Spoken:) “Obama, dig that lazy kid..

Who rides short buses
We ride short buses
They’re such short buses
We like short buses
Who rides short buses
We ride short buses

Well, the original was good anyhow:D