This is crap

You can really measure a person by who they criticize. It's terribly easy to be self-righteous and offended by those with whom you disagree on a regular basis. It's a lot more difficult to tell those whom you admire, respect, and like that they've pissed you off. Well, that time has come again.

Last night President Obama was on Leno. He made a crack, an offhand remark an aide said, about how his bowling skills were like that of the Special Olympics. What the FUCK? How is that helpful Obama?

Obama deserves everything he is going to get on this, and a whole lot more. The president, the position, is a bully pulpit all the time. There is never a moment when the mic is off. And it's a position that influences everyone whether they believe it or not.

This president has legitimized every moron out there to make Special Olympics jokes. He's legitimized every moron out there to use the word "retard" as a pejorative.

I fight almost daily against these incredibly stupid statements by friend and foe alike. People with disabilities deserve the same respect that would be given to any other person. And making stupid jokes about them is the height of disrespect. And to then clarify it as an "offhand" remark makes the matter worse. It indicates that Obama applied no thought to what he was saying. That that kind of statement is so common and easy to make that he didn't even notice he did it.

President Obama, you're going to take a buttload of criticism over this especially from the right who've been waiting for the chance to criticize you mercilessly. All that is to be expected. But it's the criticism from the political middle and left that will determine their level of commitment to the disabled community.