President Obama went on Jay Leno’s nighttime show last night and made a major gaffe.
Referring to his improved bowling score (129) after performing miserably in a bowling alley during the campaign, Obama compared his effort to the Special Olympics athletes. He realized immediately after the appearance that he had blundered, and from Air Force One, called Timothy Shriver, the head of the Special Olympics and profusely apologized, and his press secretary also issued an apology for Obama’s poor choice of words and his using the comment as a joke.
This was obviously an insensitive action and use of words by the President, but out of it may come a realization that special needs people need more recognition and understanding, and it seems likely that the President will take action to promote a commitment to doing more and showing more sensitivity to this very important part of our population. He can set an example for the nation by learning from this gaffe and applying the lesson in public policy.
Meanwhile, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska, who had a special needs child last year, just months before her entrance into the Presidential campaign, denounced the President for his insensitivity and poor choice of words. One could actually agree with Palin on this, but then she joined a few other GOP governors in rejecting some of the federal stimulus aid offered to her state. That in itself may seem irrelevant, but get this: The aid rejected was for education, including for special needs children. Now if that is not hypocrisy on her part, then what is it? She had a good point in her favor, and then went ahead and lost the credibility she had momentarily earned.Â
Somehow, I would rather trust that Obama will deal with this issue of special needs better than Sarah Palin, based on her rejection of aid to help these people, most of whom do not have the fortune of being related to the governor of the state, who has her own assets to help bring up her own special needs son. Obama may have blundered, but Sarah Palin symbolically shot herself in the foot. A moment of moral superiority was quickly lost by her extremely narrow minded, insensitive and totally political action shortly after issuing her criticism of the President.
Surely, Palin sticking to her values does not make her a hypocrite. She has principles just like most Americans. If you disagree with her economic policies, then by all means explain why. But if not, let’s not beat her up for standing up for what she believes.