Responding to Palin-Emanuel controversy, Limbaugh says liberals who complained about health care reform "are retards"
February 03, 2010 2:40 pm ET
From the February 3 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:
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Lynne Cheney, you'll recall, went ballistic on John Kerry back in 2004 when he made some comments about her lesbian daughter ("This is not a good man," she said [of Kerry]. "Of course, I am speaking as a mom, and a pretty indignant mom. This is not a good man. What a cheap and tawdry political trick."). Kerry went out of his way to show respect for Mary Cheney (I think that is her name), but mama flipped out. Of course, during the same year Alan Keyes called Mary a "hedonist," and the Cheney family simply called the remarks "inappropriate."
/I know you were being facetious :-)
Putting aside Palin's Down's syndrome child, this is just one of those words that is no longer appropriate in public discourse, or even in polite company.
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My son says some inappropriate things from time to time. But he's eight years old and Autistic. What's Limbaugh excuse?
Like folks here so often point out, posters engaging in namecalling isn't the same as when government officials, elected or not, or someone in the media does it.
So no indignation is necessary from Palin or anyone else.
Emanuel was wrong. Limbaugh is just being a jerk.
Now as to whether or not you Libs are retards/libtards? Heck I don't think so. You guys are just moonbats mostly ;-)
And I disagree that from Sarah Palin's perspective there should be a different standard applied to her supporters...who are not elected officials. If the insult "retard" is offensive to her then she should be offended by anyone who uses it...particularly her right wing internet followers who use the term "libtard".
Maybe Palin should scold folks at wingnut websites...but she can't demand the site "fire" a bunch of anonymous posters, can she? Anymore than Republicans can "fire" anyone here. They can fuss about what Dems write about them here, but it ain't gonna mean much or change a thing.
And no matter how you look at it...government officials, elected representatives & the media should be held to a different standard than to folks posting on a political forum.
Or so I've read here on a regular basis.
Palin shouldn't even be sticking her nose into this controversy. But I do think Emanuel, should be expected to be treated differently than just some forum poster.
Ahaaa...bingo!
Palin isn't sticking her nose into a controversy...she's creating a controversy.
Actually after some thought, I'm thinking Palin had as much right as any pundit [and that's what she is at this time] to speak up. Even to the point of suggesting he be ousted.
It was Emanuel that caused this controversy the moment his insensitive choice of the word "retards" was reported.
I have used this term in the past quite recklessly until I inadvertantly said it in front of a friend who has a mentally handicapped sibling. I felt really bad when my wife told me about the situation and I do not use the term any more. I don't think anyone should be making excuses for Rahm. Rahm is smart enough to realize he made a mistake here. There is no hope for Rush. He is just an idiot, but I think everybody knows that by now.
I think most of us have used the term "retard" at sometime in our lives, but have dropped it because it is insensitive. I try not to even say that something is retarded...which I was guilty of uttering quite often in the past.
While I think Palin can certainly call for Emanuel's removal, I also don't think it's necessary in this case. But of course that never stops the angry far right mob from jumping on stuff like this..
Then again I don't think Rush should be fired either, as many left-wing pundits etc have suggested or called for. Though it would be nice if he'd apologize now & then. Ok, not likely, eh? ;-)
I second this.
It also seems that "retarded" was used as a verb. Lets consult the Dictionary:
retard
verb
delay or hold back in terms of progress, development, or accomplishment : his progress was retarded by his limp.
noun:
offensive
a mentally handicapped person (often used as a general term of abuse).
Not condoning this behavior...but lets call it like it is.
Maybe you would. But others here would be up in arms. And that's a fact.
; )
Hell you & I have been around here long enough to be able to call things pretty accurately.
I used a standard way of defining and looking at the context of Mr. Emanuel's "Fuc*ing Retarded" comment
Palin blasted Emanuel for calling an idea from some of President Obama's supporters "f---ing retarded" during an August meeting with liberal groups and White House aides. (source emphasis mine)
To which also can be applied to Mr. Limbaugh, who misuded the term without the regards for those that have and know someone with a developmental disability (and even those that just do not like the slang.
You can tell me how I live my life all you want. It doesn't change the fact that there are differences between the context and the way the words were used.
The "irony" is many on this Board have called me 'retardedinsf'. You people are so hypocritical.
I can only imagine what Rush will say if someone famous blurts out the "N" word. He'll probably use that word 40 or 50 times an hour to describe President Obama......
Sarah Palin
- quit midway through her ONLY executive office experience
- didn't say SQUAT when people shouted "kill him!" in reference to Obama at her political rallies
- yet apparently has thin enough skin that she demanded a public apology from David Letterman and is now calling for the WHCOS's resignation
. . . and people SERIOUSLY want this woman to be president??!!
Ah Lardbum, did you and Becky finally get invited over for cocktails?
As to Simple Sarah's demand that Rahm be fired...okay, I can stop laughing now. She uses that poor kid more than a teenage boy uses his hand, she has no right to complain or demand anything. I do hope that Trigg never understands how he was exploited as a babe in arms. It is shameful.
Hahaha, I can't stop laughing. Good one! :-)
epk, I don't what's funnier: an unemployed hockey mom who got STOMPED in her last political race demanding that a WH staffer be fired -- or people actually taking her seriously . . .
http://www.dailykos.com/statepoll/2010/1/31/US/437
There can't be very many of those left . . .
"You're retarded."
"You're so retarded."
or even,
"You retarded."
I had to reprimand a Resident Assistant who would often blurt it out loud to her friends and the residents of her wing. It took her quite a while to teach herself NOT to use such language. She finally thanked me once she 'got' it saying this, "As an African-American woman, I should have understood just how offensive of a term it is."
Accused of being a sexist, announce that he enjoys watching members of the womens movements butts. Someone gets taken to task for using "retards" as a slur, come right out and use "retards" as a slur. Tough guy. Untouchable. Say what I want, when I want, and you can't do a damn thing about it.
Keep pushing it. Please take the Imus route, pretty please.
Like for instance when Tropic Thunder used retard, it was about how Hollywood portrays and subsequently rewards itself for using mentally retarded people.
Getting offended by the word, is idiotic, it's the use that matters. Calling something retarded in the context of describing something someone hates, is the offensive use. It has the double implication that when someone hates a person, thing or idea, that it's okay to lump them into a group that has mental retardation. In turn, making the group of mentally retarded people equally despised. That's why using it in everyday discourse turns it into something offensive.
This certainly is the reason why when Rush uses it, that it's offensive.
As far as Rush saying the words "retard summit" He was still referring to Emanuel's views. The whole thing was quoting Emanuel but not verbatim. I think the world needs to get a lot less sensitive though.