That Went Well

The Bidenesque Barack Obama appears on Jay Leno and derides the handicapped:

President Obama, in his taping with Jay Leno Thursday afternoon, attempted to yuk it up with the funnyman, and ended up insulting the disabled.

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.

When asked about the remark, the White House had no comment.

Who knew that self-deprecating humor was so difficult?  I'm sure the teleprompter was mortified.

Oh, well - I'm just glad that moron Bush has left the building.

MORE:  The Anchoress wraps it up.  And can we get some coverage from the "All The News That Fits The Narrative" people?  Almost!

The president joked that it was mere coincidence that his Final Four picks were all from swing states, and revealed he has been working on his bowling in the White House, recently rolling a 129. But most of the discussion was devoted – perhaps for the first time in the show’s history – to in-depth discussions of tax policy, as well as macroeconomics and finance.

That's the A-Team in action, showing their nose for news!.  They do provide a transcript.

Jiminy - maybe they should just tear off the duct tape and send Biden out for this live stuff. 

Comments

[TigerHawk]

Being insensitive and all, I have no problem with the president's quip. May the Republican that has not at least chuckled at "special olympics" humor throw the first stone. However, I am told that his constituency normally is concerned about the feelings of others. I wonder how they will react?

[BR]

ROFWL!!!

[BR]

At Barack's teleprompter link, I mean!

[BR]

I read here at JOM that the MSM are having to cut costs, even down to crossword puzzles and cartoons.

Well, now the front pages are the cartoons!

[Rick Ballard]

Are we positive that he's not referring to his conduct as President? I've been thinking that he's actually 'special' since the first time I heard him without Telecrutch.

Perhaps "he's just bowling again" should become a standard reference.

[Barry Dauphin]

He could have said it was like Nancy Reagan. Oh, he already did that one. Nevermind.

Let's see how the press secretary handles this one. Obama gives 50 Billion to the Special Olympics as a mea culpa.

[bad]

Tigerhawk, go read the comments at Tapper and you'll see how they have no problem with a little slip, and btw, he was really making fun of himself...HONEST.

[bad]

Telecrutch, LOL

[Barry Dauphin]

Bowling a loan.

[bad]

Obama gives 50 Billion to the Special Olympics as a mea culpa.

Mr. bad and I were just wondering how much that special moment would cost us all.

[clarice]

I think this teleprompter blog is a work of genius..Fantastic..Whoever is the author, hats off to you!!

[kim]

Well, bgates has been busy here, and Burge is still working off his splurge.
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[Pofarmer]

Whoever said that I was looking at economic armegedon, or whatever, I ain't even CLOSE to this guy.

LUN.

Pray he ain't right, but he's been pretty good so far.

[PeterUK]

This is a disgraceful display of rampant disabilia by Obama.Nothing less than institutional prejudice.Would he have used the same analogy if it had been a racial issue?

If you live by political correctness,you die by political correctness.Obama must make amends,nothing less than washing the feet of the sick will do,or a bare foot pilgrimage to Lourdes.

[Jim Ryan]

Crimony, Po, I think I may have soiled myself.

[clarice]

Tie him up, feed him only french fries, cokes and whoppers, don't let him exercise, make him listen to Oprah and The View 24/7. Puk's right. Punishment is due.

[kim]

What isn't being pointed out very well, now that Geithner has admitted that the Treasury wanted the bonuses in the bill, is that all of Obama's pretend outrage on Sunday and subsequently was also a huge lie. I mean we all know what a big liar he is, but this is a simple and stark example, that ought to be trumpeted.
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[Rick Ballard]

"a bare foot pilgrimage to Lourdes"

He'd throw his back out hauling the teleprompter.

President bicycling

Some dork on a bike

I'm looking forward to the opening pitch. Sixty feet is a long underhand toss.

[Captain Hate]

Puk's right. Punishment is due.

Make him quit smoking for good.

[DebinNC]

Lordy, PO. Please keep us updated. I can't imagine our current leadership "contracting spending" anywhere near what's required.

[PeterUK]

"He'd throw his back out hauling the teleprompter."

There might be a miracle,Obama may suddenly be able to speak without the teleprompter.

"Cast aside they teleprompter and talk"

Then again he might just mumble.

[Pofarmer]

Crimony, Po, I think I may have soiled myself.

Read through the March Archives on AIG. Wish I could word it as good as he does.

[David Walser]

OT: Every once in a while, someone on this blog uses the acronym "LUN". I'm having a brain cramp. What does it mean?

[clarice]

Link Under Name. It means if you click on the poster's name it will take you to the site referred to, David.

[David Walser]

Thank you, Clarice. I knew I'd seen it before, but I just couldn't recall the meaning.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

What did they know and when did they know it?

[Charlie (Colorado)]

"Link Under Name" David. If you don't want to hand code an HTML link yourself, you can put it into the third field on a comment, and it'll become a LUN. Mine is set to my blog.

[Pofarmer]

Link Under Name

For those of us too lazy to learn hyperlink.

[PD]

Leno asked Obama about the tax-90-percent thing that Congress is doing. Obama didn't answer the question at all, but I noticed in his response that he said the bonuses had already been paid and that Congress was trying to find a way to "get back at them."

"Get back at them."

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Pray he ain't right, but he's been pretty good so far.

Whoopee. Just looked at his score card. He predicted a downturn in 2008 and several standard things that go with it; he scores those as wins. Not that there was much of anyone who didn't think there was gonna be a downturn in 2008 -- remember the first stimulus bill, in February?

He predicted two big surprises. Nada.

He does, however, claim that everyone who doesn't agree with him is doing so because they're part of a vast inner circle hiding the facts.

Feh.

[bad]

I noticed that too, PD. (((shudder)))

[DebinNC]

The White House provided the NYT a transcript of Obama with Leno. They'd be crazy to doctor it since it was taped, but then I wouldn't have believed they could get away with hiding the video of Obama's St. Patty's day TOTUS gaffe.

[bad]

From Chaco's link:

In comments yesterday, President Obama appeared to take responsibility for allowing the bonuses to go through.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha

[PeterUK]

Obama is making and impression accross the board,not a good one.

[Fresh Air]

A guy who bowls a 129, well...what can one say?

But I do think a little self-deprecating humor in a president is a good thing. Who knew Zero the Pathological Narcissist had it in him? Still, he must make amends, as Peter suggests, by promising some retarded children that he will give them lots of taxpayer money and DVDs of American movie classics.

Assuming this to be a workable solution, on behalf of Special Olympians everywhere, I hereby accept his apology in advance on the condition that he keep making fun of himself on a daily basis. God knows the rest of us are.

[bad]

From PD's link:

And what happened here was the money has already gone out and people are scrambling to try to find ways to get back at them.

This was chilling to hear because if fit right in with the demonization of Rush, Santelli, Cramer, etc...

O does have moments of honesty when telecrutch is taking a nap.

[bad]

oops, that's from Deb's link.

[MayBee]

It's instructive to see how quickly this Congress can get it together to write a law punishing an unpopular minority group.

Keep it in mind, people.

[Fresh Air]

Good grief. PoFarmer's link is pretty damn apocalyptic. But I'm not sure why people would madly rush to sell stuff, leading to Armageddon. It all looks like a set of dominoes when you first read the piece. Then it kind of looks more like Rube Goldberg machine with a couple of the linkages broken off. Sorry, Karl. I'm not buying bottled water just yet.

[bgates]

Who knew that self-deprecating humor was so difficult?

It's tougher for a guy whose sycophants never suggest he has a flaw.

What I wonder about is the way the Hollywood is still leaving this guy alone. I wouldn't think they'd be consciously ideological enough to give him a break to help keep his numbers up. Do you think they're just so in love with the guy that they can't see it? Or is it more of a Kissinger-style "he's a giant douchebag, but he's our giant douchebag"?

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Just call me TOTUS

[daddy]

Yea!

Today Governor Sarah Palin announced she will refuse to accept more than 31% of the Stimulus package for Alaska.

“We are not requesting funds intended to just grow government. We are not requesting more money for normal day-to-day operations of government as part of this economic stimulus package. In essence we say no to operating funds for more positions in government,” Palin said.

This good start is already drawing big criticism tonight from the Teacher's Union and State Democratic Leadership.

In other good news, The">http://www.adn.com/palin/story/729504.html">The Anchorage Daily News announced they are laying off 45 ADN employees.

[Kirk Lazarus]

Can I tell you that I'm sorry for any offense I might've caused, man? I just got caught up in...
Alpa Chino: In being a dumbass?
I guess so.

[daddy]

Will be interesting if any reporter sticks a microphone in her face and asks Sarah Palin, in light of baby Trig, does she have a comment on President Obama's insensitive remark. My guess is that not a single reporter across America brings it up, and that she won't bring it up herself because she is too decent. If the situation was reversed however...

[BumperStickerist]

I'd like to know if Obama had the bumpers up or down for his 129.

NLUN

-

[BumperStickerist]

"No Link Under Name"

-

[kim]

I'm glad he brought it up. It's time we had a national conversation about this Special Presidency.
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[sylvia]

I learned in my first job interviews never try to be funny. It wasn't worth it. The more serious I was, the more people liked it. And often the jokes weren't the best anyway because you were nervous and they fell flat. I guess Obama never had to go on many interviews because Ayers got him all his jobs, so he's learning this now.

[verner]

Sarah Palin--gives birth to a Downs Syndrome child and calls him a blessing.

Barak Obama--makes fun of Special Olympics kids.

I hope a Downs kid who is an Ace at bowling that challenges TOTUS to a match.

[narciso]

That's true Flynn, but here's the point since Patterico has been on about the reader's (and listener's perception) rather
than the speaker's intent, he's become an English professor rather than a prosecutor she has a special needs child, she did a commercial for the Special Olympics, he did the 'lipstick' joke and the subtle middle finger gesture, One could say, he's been giving us the middle finger for the better part of four months if not longer, most recently to pilots, and to war veterans. Meanwhile the crew up there want a pay raise, a special session to decide things
that 'are above their paygrade'. Like I've said all along, one shining exception among the dross in elected leadership

[DebinNC]

Speaking of Congress acting quickly, Hugh Hewitt is a voice crying in the wilderness begging Congress to take a couple of days and fix this terrible law they passed last year, blissfully ignorant of its devastating consequences.

[Jane]

Being insensitive and all, I have no problem with the president's quip.

That was my thought too. Hell I'm not even sure why it was wrong. Isn't it kinda a fact that people in the special Olympics don't have the same set of skills as the people in the regular Olympics - which is precisely why they have to have different Olympics for them?

I take great pleasure however in the backlash to the usual gestapo of the politcally incorrect.

They need to learn to STFU.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

L.A.Times

Later in the afternoon, the President and the First Lady will attend a reception with the National Newspaper Publisher Association in the State Dining Room, where they will be presented the Newsmaker of the Year award. This event is closed press.

What's wrong with this picture?

[Pofarmer]

He does, however, claim that everyone who doesn't agree with him is doing so because they're part of a vast inner circle hiding the facts.

Hmmmm, I missed that part.

Good grief. PoFarmer's link is pretty damn apocalyptic. But I'm not sure why people would madly rush to sell stuff, leading to Armageddon. It all looks like a set of dominoes when you first read the piece. Then it kind of looks more like Rube Goldberg machine with a couple of the linkages broken off. Sorry, Karl. I'm not buying bottled water just yet.

I don't agree with the guy 100%, that's for sure, but he makes some good points, and he's sure not afraid to say what he thinks. Somewhere in the middle is probably where things lie, but, I think there's still a lot of downside risk here, and I still think that the Fed and Treas is calling bottoms, and enacting bailouts, too early, and in the process, spending WAAAYYYYYY more money than they would have needed to. The logical thing to do would have been to shore up any credit problems in the private sector as they occured, not shoveled Trillions of dollars at the problem Just in Case. Yes, I think we were gamed on the bailouts, and still are being gamed. He's got some pretty good suggestions on what to do about CDS in the March Archives, if you ask me, and Obama could do it, or Bush could have done it, by executive order, but, I don't think anybody understands just what the hell has been going on.

I'd like to know if Obama had the bumpers up or down for his 129.

LOL. That's funny right there.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

More from LA Times Blog:

Barack Obama was elected commander-in-chief promising to run the most transparent presidential administration in American history.

This achievement and the overall promise of his historic administration caused the National Newspaper Publishers Assn. to name him "Newsmaker of the Year."

The president is to receive the award from the federation of black community newspapers in a White House ceremony this afternoon.

The Obama White House has closed the press award ceremony to the press.

Maybe they'll let the newspaper people pass the award through the fence.

[kim]

It seems the 'vast inner circle hiding the facts' is the Fed and some of their private data. That's a foul, Charlie.
============================================

[kim]

The Fed buying long term treasuries to try to keep the price up is an uuuuggglllyyy signal.
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[Viewer]

Conservatives in this country have made it a point of pride to coddle the corporate elite and other residents of the upper tax brackets, and now they reap what they sow. They've created Wall Street Frankensteins who reward each other's frauds and failures with obscene bonuses. Meanwhile, useless idiot 'Joe the Plumber' types stage protests, feigning born-again 'populist' outrage at the bail-outs and stimulus plans, threatening to "Go Galt!" because some gutless blogger--herself the Queen of Kabuki if there ever was one--dictates it.
If you don't like Obama and the mess he inherited, I'll borrow a response from The Kabuki Queen: "bwaaa!"

[Rick Ballard]

"It seems the 'vast inner circle hiding the facts' is the Fed and some of their private data."

TIC data is hardly private. In fact, overall, I'd rank the TIC system as one of the more lucid government reporting sites.

The "if this continues" type of tin foil hatted reporting is amusing but its not necessarily particularly informative.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

What's wrong with this picture?

Using black boldface to blog about it is racist?

[RichatUF]

Pofarmer-

A few comments on the link. I don't see where he would get the speed of the collapse. He seems to be describing a liquidity trap and Japan was stuck in one for about 15 years or so. In re: AIG, I'll look over what he said in re: the Bank of England, but I'm not sure the ERM and AIG FP would be analogs.

A CDS is a contract I don't know any theory of law in which Bush or Obama by fiat could vacate them. The jurisdiction would be for the most part London or Paris (for the regulatory arbitrage betweeen Basal I and Basal II).

In many ways AIG did game the system, but when they are running an insurance company like a bank and hedge fund and selling a product that the seller sees as an option and the buyer sees as an insurance policy (and both can be argued is correct), and doing it under the watchful eye of a parliament of 400 regulators.

This story reminds me in many ways of the tangled mess of the oil-for-food program and the sort of breakdown of authority between the nation state and a corporation when an international body inserts inself as the judge.

More later....

[Charlie (Colorado)]

It seems the 'vast inner circle hiding the facts' is the Fed and some of their private data. That's a foul, Charlie.

I was actually thinking more of the parts where he suggests that banks are playing tricks with their balance sheets to hide being (even more) insolvent, and no one, press, accountants, auditors, and Fed, is catching them at it. Except him. Sorry you missed it, but I didn't feel like doing a detailed fisking.

The Fed buying long term treasuries to try to keep the price up is an uuuuggglllyyy signal.

Um, you want to explain why it's particularly "uuuuggglllyyy"? It's a signal that the Fed is pumping in a lot of money, the famous "quantitative easing". Not a Good Thing, but then neither is deflation.

Look, this is still just arithmetic. We've had several months, almost a year, of pretty radical real deflation. That means money has been destroyed. Not wealth, value, stuff, just money. Delation has bad effects, the biggest being that if prices are falling, leaving your money in a sack is a good investment. But money in Scrooge McDuck's vault doesn't make new stuff, pay wages, create jobs.

The "stimulus bill", as a stimulus, is a sham over a really big pillow of expenditures years into the future. But the Fed has been pumping out money, to the point where deflation has apparently almost stopped. This is a Good Thing: now it's not a rational decision to keep money in McDuck's vault.

Now, IF the Fed kept issuing new dollars a trillion at a time for a long time, that too would be a Bad Thing. It's like doing amphetamines: a little, at the right time, is good; lots, continued for a long time, is bad.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Hmmmm, I missed that part.

Look at the arguments for why the banks aren't reporting their real balance sheet issues etc.

[cathyf]

a product that the seller sees as an option and the buyer sees as an insurance policy (and both can be argued is correct)

Or, alternatively, that an option and an insurance policy are the same thing -- which is why the price of both is called "the premium".

[Pofarmer]

Delation has bad effects, the biggest being that if prices are falling, leaving your money in a sack is a good investment. But money in Scrooge McDuck's vault doesn't make new stuff, pay wages, create jobs.

Stagflation, which IMHO is what we're going to see, ain't so rosy either. For wages to increase you need to have unemployment under control and increases in productivity to justify them. What we're gonna get is a round of inflation with no corresponding increase in wages, well, except for the Wall Street types paying themselves huge bonuses.

Look at the arguments for why the banks aren't reporting their real balance sheet issues etc.

I am assuming that what he is talking about is all the tangle of CDS obligations that nobody really seems to have a handle on.

now it's not a rational decision to keep money in McDuck's vault.

Unless the movement turns out to be a bear trap. Personally, the deflation we've had has been pretty good for me, and I bet for a lot of other people as well. They are called MARKET CYCLES, they happen, apparently the Fed now thinks they can abolish them.

[clarice]

"with no corresponding increase in wages, well, except for the Wall Street types paying themselves huge bonuses. "

I doubt there will be huge Wall St bonuses this year for many, BUT the stimulus package will fatten the paychecks of govt workers and those getting Davis- Bacon salaries for public works projects. Think how that will disrupt the economies of countless depressed communities--and what a bonus that is for the pols doling out the $$$$$.

[Rick Ballard]

"to the point where deflation has apparently almost stopped"

Yes, it has. In the crappiest of markets with terrible unemployment and no relief on the jumbo financing availability. Housing actually floored a while ago. You can see it rather clearly in this Radar Logic report. The free report is published with a six week delay so you're looking at the state of play on 1/16/09. It's a daily report based upon actual transactions expressed in price per square foot.

It ties in nicely with Ig's comment regarding lumber futures.

[hit and run]

Sorry, one last Obama bowling gaffe point. A just filed http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090320/ap_on_en_tv/obama_special_olympics>AP report ends with this:

Despite making fun of his score, the president appears to be getting better the more he visits the White House lanes, which President Truman installed in 1947. During a campaign photo op a year ago at a bowling alley in Altoona, Pa., he rolled only a 37 in seven frames. The clip of the disastrous game was replayed on late night television shows such as Leno's — one of Obama's few campaign gaffes.

Right, like Obama let just a few earmarks in the omnibus. Or like Obama says "uh" just a few times when he speaks.

Just a few like that.

[bad]

Tapper reports there is a Special Olympian who has bowled three perfect games.

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

But I do think a little self-deprecating humor in a president is a good thing. Who knew Zero the Pathological Narcissist had it in him?

Actually narcissists are supremely skilled at insulting others while ostensibly making fun of themselves, just as the big creep did in this case.

I'm not sure how jokes about the mentally or physically handicapped ever got lumped in with political correctness. It neither is nor isn't PC, it's just bad manners.
I guess jokes about the evolutionary status of black people are back on the table?

[bad]

Tim Shriver -- chairman of the Special Olympics talking about Obama:

"He expressed his disappointment and he apologized," Shriver said. "He expressed that he did not intend to humiliate this population, certainly didn't want to embarrass or give anybody any more reason for pain or just suffering I would say. He was very sincere, expressed an interest and an openness in being more engaged in the movement, and said he was a fan of the movement and I think importantly he said he was ready to have some of our athletes over to the White House to bowl or play basketball or help him improve his score."

Shriver called it "important to see that words hurt, and words do matter and these words can in some way be seen as humiliating or put down to people with special needs do cause pain and they do result in stereotypes, and they do result in behavior that's neglectful and almost oppressive moment of people with special needs."

The son of Sargent Shriver and Eunice Kennedy pointed out that in Detroit there's a Special Olympian who has bowled three perfect games.

"This kind of language needs to be a teachable moment for our country, I think," Shriver said. I would help every parent that's at home this morning watching this show could turn to their children and say, 'this is a chance for us to recognize that when we talk about Special Olympics, when we talk about people with special needs, let's make sure we talk about it in an affirming way."
============================================
This is affirming scolding done in a way that doesn't hurt a ten-year olds self esteem.

Appropriate...

[DebinNC]

The real gaffe, the unreported one at BO's PA bowling photo op, was his being so out of touch that he didn't even loosen his tie.

[Porchlight]

Just a few like that.

Hit, I think what they really meant was "one of Obama's few reported campaign gaffes."

[Charlie (Colorado)]

They are called MARKET CYCLES,...

No, actually deflationary spirals aren't called market cycles. But thanks for playing.

[kim]

OK, maybe not a foul, Charlie, but it it uuuuuggggllllyyyy pushing a string.
====================================

[kim]

OK, market epicycles.
=====================

[matt]

The Telegraph has posted the Top 10 Obama/Biden gaffes to date...some real hoots there.....

[matt]

as our autistic son says, "He's an idiot"

[clarice]

Next up on CNN: An exclusive with Michelle as she explains why she's invited the Special Olympians to tend the WH organic arugula garden .

[RichatUF]

Ig-

I guess jokes about the evolutionary status of black people are back on the table?

Only when you get Rev. Wright uncorked.

[Pofarmer]

No, actually deflationary spirals aren't called market cycles. But thanks for playing.

Sure they are. If you have a huge inflationary spiral, it's pretty wise to expect a corresponding deflationary one. It's just the way things tend to work.

[DebinNC]

matt's Telegraph link

matt, if you want help linking, let us know. I don't want anything good to be missed.

[Pofarmer]

Rick

Is there somewhere in their they talk about number of units?

[DebinNC]

Who's hiding Obama's "Thank you, President Obama" video gaffe and why aren't reporters clamoring for it?

[Porchlight]

Gross...two of my friends emailed today about planting their new "victory gardens" just like Michelle.

I guarantee you neither of these two women have ever used the word "victory" in a military sense.

[bad]

Porch, they better get moving on those gardens if they're in the Austin area.

It's a bit late in the season.

[Porchlight]

bad, no kidding. One's here in Austin and one's in Nashville.

The Austin friend has planted too late before, but never seems to learn. Probably also why she votes Democrat. Ha ha, I have way more sun in my yard for tomatoes and herbs than she does. Then again I'd rather have the shade.

[DebinNC]

Vanity Fair (yes, that VF):

The man can't talk worth a damn.

[Caro]

Deb, amazing from VF. And the comments agree.

[clarice]

it's Vanity Fair BLOG--but still..

Sinking like a rock, isn't he?

[kim]

I'm waiting for Mount Michelle to erupt once the adulation isn't all of the ways, all of the time.
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