PIERS MORGAN,HOST: You said on immigration, "Elect Sarah Palin as President of the US in 2012 and we'll all leave voluntarily."
GEORGE LOPEZ: I agree. If Sarah Palin becomes president at any point, I will say allegedly, I will move to Canada.
MORGAN: Really?
LOPEZ: I will go further north. I've been south. I'll go further north.
MORGAN: You would literally leave the country?
LOPEZ: I would leave the United States of America.
MORGAN: Why would you be so drastic?
LOPEZ: I like my politicians to actually have a political background, to be politically -- to know politics, to actually have inherited something from working in the political world.
MORGAN: Why is someone like Sarah Palin so popular with so many people, do you think? How does she resonate with people?
LOPEZ: Well, she's --
MORGAN: What is she giving them they're not getting from conventional politicians?
LOPEZ: I -- is it that maverickness? Is it that homespun kind of Andy Griffith wink your eye, shift your imaginary gun thing? Maybe. Is it just that we've become a culture of personality? Of do we elect somebody by their smile instead of by their content? It's a little bit of all of that.
Morgan is a terrible interviewer.
Sarah Palin does have a political background.
Lopez is clueless.
When Lopez refers to a "culture of personality" and electing "somebody by their smile instead of by their content," it sounds like he's referring to Obama and his election.
As NewsBusters points out, Morgan promoted the show last night via Twitter using the Lopez statement about moving to Canada.
CNN and Morgan attract viewers with the idiotic bashing of Sarah Palin?
Lopez, Morgan, and CNN all look simply awful here.
Amy Winehouse, the beehived soul-jazz diva whose self-destructive habits overshadowed a distinctive musical talent, was found dead Saturday in her London home, police said. She was 27.
Winehouse shot to fame with the album "Back to Black," whose blend of jazz, soul, rock and classic pop was a global hit. It won five Grammys and made Winehouse—with her black beehive hairdo and old-fashioned sailor tattoos—one of music's most recognizable stars.
Police confirmed that a 27-year-old female was pronounced dead at the home in Camden Square northern London; the cause of death was not immediately known. London Ambulance Services said Winehouse had died before the two ambulance crews it sent arrived at the scene.
An ambulance could be seen parked beneath the trees outside her London home, and the whole street was cordoned off by police tape. Officers kept onlookers away from the scene.
Last month, Winehouse canceled her European comeback tour after she swayed and slurred her way through barely recognizable songs in her first show in the Serbian capital of Belgrade. Booed and jeered off stage, she flew home and her management said she would take time off to recover.
"I didn't go out looking to be famous," Winehouse told the Associated Press when "Back to Black" was released. "I'm just a musician."
But in the end, the music was overshadowed by fame, and by Winehouse's demons. Tabloids lapped up the erratic stage appearances, drunken fights, stints in hospital and rehab clinics. Performances became shambling, stumbling train wrecks, watched around the world on the Internet.
The thing about self-destructive behavior is that it often causes one to self-destruct.
On Monday, Bachmann officially announced her candidacy for U.S. president. She left the stage as Petty's "American Girl" blared over the loudspeaker. Uh-oh.
Petty's camp is unhappy with Bachmann's choice of exit music and will ask the campaign not to use the song, according to an NBC News report. (Petty's manager was not immediately available for comment, an employee said.)
Petty previously sent George W. Bush a cease-and-desist letter over his presidential campaign's use of the song, "I Won't Back Down." Bush backed down, of course. But the former president is not alone.
In the past couple of years, musicians have enjoyed great success in getting politicians to see the error of their ways.
After the 2008 campaign, John McCain was forced to make an apology to Jackson Browne to settle a lawsuit over the use of his song, "Running on Empty." A few months after that, California senatorial candidate Chuck DeVore went on bended knee to settle claims made by Don Henley over use of the songs "Boys of Summer" and "All She Wants to Do is Dance."
...A dispute over music played at a campaign event, like the developing Petty vs. Bachmann sued, is an entirely new legal debate. Arguably, so long as a campaign purchases a license from the performance rights organization ASCAP, it should stand on solid ground. On the other hand, Petty could still claim that such music constituted an implied endorsement of the Republican candidate.
The Traveling Wilbury and Grammy winner isn't 100% stingy with permission. Petty gave Hillary Rodham Clinton the thumbs up to use "American Girl" throughout her campaign in 2008.
Petty doesn't want Bachmann using his song, cease and desist.
It's his song. That's his right.
However, assuming Bachmann's campaign purchased a license for performance rights from ASCAP, Bachmann didn't do anything wrong.
It's easier for Bachmann to drop the song than to fight it.
Another performer is complaining about a Republican using his or her music. So what else is new?
Tom Petty wants Michele Bachmann to stop using "American Girl" for her campaign music. What song should Bachmann use instead? http://wapo.st/jeZB0q
What an irresponsible and petty thing to do!
This was a direct invitation by the Post to its Facebook followers to mock Bachmann and her supporters.
Naturally, the Leftists eagerly obliged.
Some examples:
Dan Kriwitsky - "Fly Me To The Moon" OK geeks, you can quote Kahn from Star Trek now.
Suzanne Wolf - Buecker Nah, Jacovich. Bad selection. I don't see that at all. You seem to be confused or misled...not unlike Bachmann herself.
Barbara Arendt - The lady's a tramp
Natasha Jordan - Whaaaa whaaa whaaa @Rosemary.... if she does not like this post or newspaper, why comment on it? DE FRIEND and move on to whatever it is that you do. Just don't come crying back here when the truth gets out about the crazy loon job she real...See More
Yerffej Nala Muioh - Just some spooky halloween music, ghosts, howling wind, ominous music, creaking door.
Jonay Bell - The three stooges?
Dave Logan - If she wants a Petty song, how about "Breakdown" or "Don't Come Around Here No More" as options?
Andy Heaton - The closest thing to "American Girl" is "American Boy." I'm sure her Tea Party supporters will like it.
Rush Storz - Crazy Bitch.
Gerry Cooney - I wouldn't want my name associated with a jackass like her either :)
Doug Traer - "Crazy" (CeeLo and Patsy Kline) "American Idiot" "Fool on the Hill" "If I only Had a Brain" "Stupid Girl" "Creep" "Bitch" "Bitch is Back"
Jane Clavin - american psycho..........lol; someone write it!
Thomas L DeGroat - The opening looney tunes theme comes to mind
Jaynie Britton Richardson - "If I Only Had A Brain".
Ellen Shapiro - I fought the law and the law won?
Denis Kaufman - I'm with Ann Lyons, "Don't Know Much About History."
Dameun Strange - How about 'Bat Outta Hell'
Karen Dowler-Ponciano - "Stupid Girls" by Pink
Very nice.
The Washington Post harnesses its Internet community to belittle and smear a political opponent, encouraging Facebook users to demean Bachmann.
Some people at Morgan's show enjoyed his "comedic take." A few people walked out. It wasn't until word of Morgan's performance spread via the Internet that his comments became a major problem for him.
Yesterday, Morgan returned to Nashville to apologize. He met with members of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and Kevin Rogers, the man who shared Morgan's offensive remarks via a Facebook post.
It is with overwhelming sadness that we inform our friends and fans that at 7:00 tonight, Saturday, June 18, our beloved friend and bandmate, Clarence Clemons passed away. The cause was complications from his stroke of last Sunday, June 12th.
Bruce Springsteen said of Clarence: Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage. His loss is immeasurable and we are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly forty years. He was my great friend, my partner, and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music. His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band.
Clarence Clemons, the larger-than-life saxophone player for the E Street Band who was one of the key influences in Bruce Springsteen's life and music through four decades, has died. He was 69.
Clemons was hospitalized about a week ago after suffering a stroke at his home in Singer Island, Fla. He died of complications from the stroke, spokeswoman Marilyn Laverty said Saturday.
Known as the Big Man for his imposing 6-foot-5-inch, 270-plus pound frame, Clemons and his ever-present saxophone spent much of his life with The Boss, and his booming saxophone solos became a signature sound for the E Street Band on many key songs, including "Jungleland," a triumphant solo he spent 16 hours perfecting, and "Born To Run."
In recent years, Clemons had been slowed by health woes. He endured major spinal surgery in January 2010 and, at the 2009 Super Bowl, Clemons rose from a wheelchair to perform with Springsteen after double knee replacement surgery.
But his health seemed to be improving. In May, he performed with Lady Gaga on the season finale of "American Idol," and performed on two songs on her "Born This Way" album.
Clemons said in a 2010 interview with The Associated Press then that he was winning his battles—including severe, chronic pain and post-surgical depression. His sense of humor helped.
"Of all the surgeries I've had, there's not much left to operate on. I am totally bionic," he said.
"God will give you no more than you can handle," he said in the interview. "This is all a test to see if you are really ready for the good things that are going to come in your life. All this pain is going to come back and make me stronger."
An original member—and the oldest member—of the E Street Band, Clemons also performed with the Grateful Dead, the Jerry Garcia Band, and Ringo Starr's All Star Band. He recorded with a wide range of artists including Aretha Franklin, Roy Orbison and Jackson Browne. He also had his own band called the Temple of Soul.
The stage "always feels like home. It's where I belong," Clemons, a former youth counselor, said after performing at a Hard Rock Cafe benefit for Home Safe, a children's charity, in 2010.
It's impossible to imagine the E Street Band without Clarence Clemons. I have so many happy memories of Clarence, so many good times.
It is with overwhelming sadness that we inform our friends and fans that at 7:00 tonight, Saturday, June 18, our beloved friend and bandmate, Clarence Clemons passed away. The cause was complications from his stroke of last Sunday, June 12th.
Bruce Springsteen said of Clarence: Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage. His loss is immeasurable and we are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly forty years. He was my great friend, my partner, and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music. His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band.
Bruce Springsteen says band mate Clarence Clemons' stroke was serious and he's going to need a lot of help to get back to his former self.
The Boss commented Tuesday on his longtime friend and E Street Band member on his website, Twitter and Facebook. It's the first time he's spoken since it was revealed Sunday that the 69-year-old Clemons had suffered a stroke.
Springsteen calls the saxophonist a "beloved comrade" and described the stroke as "serious."
He says: "Clarence will need much care and support to achieve his potential once again."
Springsteen says Clemons is surrounded by wife Victoria, other family and friends, and thanked fans for their prayers and good thoughts.
Clemons' family also thanked fans on Springsteen's site and urged fans to email their well wishes to notestoclarence(at)clarenceclemons.com.
By now, many of you have heard that our beloved comrade and sax player Clarence Clemons has suffered a serious stroke. While all initial signs are encouraging, Clarence will need much care and support to achieve his potential once again. He has his wonderfully supportive wife, Victoria, excellent doctors and health care professionals, and is surrounded by friends and family.
I thank you all for your prayers and positive energy and concern. This is a time for us all to share in a hopeful spirit that can ultimately inspire Clarence to greater heights.
-- Bruce Springsteen
Apparently, the stroke's severity and its consequences have left Clarence with a challenging recovery.
I'm joining people around the world praying for him.
God be with Clarence and his family. __________________
Saxophonist Clarence Clemons of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band has suffered a stroke.
A person who has worked with Clemons in the past confirmed Sunday night that Clemons had the stroke. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the matter. The person had no additional information on Clemons' condition.
Clemons is known as the Big Man in the E Street Band and his sax has been one of the most defining elements of the band's sound. He has suffered from numerous ailments over the last few years. He had double knee surgery and even had to perform from a wheelchair at one point.
But his health seemed to be improving. Just last month, he performed with Lady Gaga on the season finale of "American Idol."
During an appearance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Morgan said some shocking things.
Kevin Rogers was at Morgan's performance on June 3rd and provides the following account:
WARNING * OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE AND CONTENT * WARNING
So tonight was the night, Tracy Morgan in the hallowed halls of the Ryman Auditorium.
... I have very thick skin when it comes to humor; I can dish and I can take. What I can't take is when Mr. Morgan took it upon himself to mention about how he feels all this gay s--t was crazy and that women are a gift from God and that "Born this Way" is bulls--t, gay is a choice, and the reason he knows this is exactly because "God don't make no mistakes" (referring to God not making someone gay cause that would be a mistake). He said that there is no way a woman could love and have sexual desire for another woman, that's just a woman pretending because she hates a f---ing man. He took time to visit the bulls--t of this bullying stuff and informed us that the gays needed to quit being pussies and not be whining about something as insignificant as bullying. He mentioned that gay was something kids learn from the media and programming, and that bullied kids should just bust some ass and beat those other little f---ers that bully them, not whine about it. He said if his son that was gay he better come home and talk to him like a man and not [he mimicked a gay, high pitched voice] or he would pull out a knife and stab that little N (one word I refuse to use) to death. He mentioned that Barack Obama needed to man up and quit being all down with this just because he has a wife and two daughters. All of this being followed by thunderous cheer and "You go Tracys". Tracy then said he didn't f---ng care if he pissed off some gays, because if they can take a f---ing d--k up their ass... they can take a f--ing joke.
The sad thing is that none of this rant was a joke. His entire demeanor changed during that portion of the night. He was truly filled with some hate towards us. As far as I could see 10 to 15 people walked out. I had to fight myself to stay seated, but I knew if I got up... he won. He wanted to piss people off and get a rise. I didn't let him win by chasing me off, he surely didn't get any applause or laughter from me after that point - mainly because he was no longer funny to me. I wasn't holding back, it just wasn't funny. I won't even get started on his rant about how women should be home cooking him a f---ing meal and not becoming CEOs or him talking about f---ing the moms of retards.
So, did Morgan deliver an evening of humor or hate speech?
Is it funny to say that he would stab his son to death if he were gay?
I don't think so.
Apparently, some people found Morgan's comments so offensive that they walked out. This reaction was by far the exception.
I wonder what Morgan was trying to accomplish. What was the point?
Not having personally witnessed his performance, it's hard to judge. I don't want to be unfair.
However, if Rogers' account is remotely accurate, I'm surprised people didn't boo and/or walk out en masse, rather than allegedly responding with "thunderous cheers."
Tracy Morgan isn’t the first comedian to play The Ryman — Jon Stewart, Jim Gaffigan and Brian Regan have all performed in the Mother Church in recent years — but by a wide margin he’s the filthiest. Morgan has cultivated a reputation for being explicitly vulgar on stage, to the point that walkouts have been reported in multiple cities. Late last year, a comedy club in Denver issued a warning to ticketholders in advance of Morgan’s show, saying that it’s “very, very dirty” and is “the most extreme in nature that we can possibly express.” In short, don’t expect Astronaut Jones or Brian Fellow’s Safari Planet — or even Tracy Jordan, Morgan’s not-so-veiled stand-in on 30 Rock. This is Tracy Morgan, unrestrained and earning that ever-so-rare Ryman “mature audience only” title.
Shortly after his on-stage rant went viral, Morgan issued a mea culpa for his actions.
"I want to apologize to my fans and the gay & lesbian community for my choice of words at my recent stand-up act in Nashville," the "30 Rock" star said in a statement to Gossip Cop. "I'm not a hateful person and don't condone any kind of violence against others."
"While I am an equal opportunity jokester, and my friends know what is in my heart, even in a comedy club this clearly went too far and was not funny in any context," he added.
...But Morgan's apology wasn't enough for GLAAD, whose president said Morgan needs to "assure us that this won't happen again and send a clear message to Americans that anti-gay violence is no joke."
Jarrett Barrios said his organization invited Morgan to meet with families who have lost children to anti-gay violence.
"If Tracy Morgan is sincere, he should take us up on meeting these families who have lost loved ones to the type of violence that he is mocking," Barrios said. "Perhaps by hearing their stories, he will learn that while we all love humor, this is no laughing matter."
Rea Carey, the executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said that "hateful, homophobic language is not only hurtful and unfunny, it is also dangerous and inexcusable."
"It should not and will not be tolerated," she added.
Musician Gil Scott-Heron, who helped lay the groundwork for rap by fusing minimalistic percussion, political expression and spoken-word poetry on songs such as "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," died Friday at age 62.
A friend, Doris C. Nolan, who answered the telephone listed for his Manhattan recording company, said he died in the afternoon at St. Luke's Hospital after becoming sick upon returning from a European trip.
"We're all sort of shattered," she said.
Scott-Heron's influence on rap was such that he sometimes was referred to as the Godfather of Rap, a title he rejected.
"If there was any individual initiative that I was responsible for it might have been that there was music in certain poems of mine, with complete progression and repeating `hooks,' which made them more like songs than just recitations with percussion," he wrote in the introduction to his 1990 collection of poems, "Now and Then."
He referred to his signature mix of percussion, politics and performed poetry as bluesology or Third World music. But then he said it was simply "black music or black American music."
Jeff Conaway, who starred in "Taxi" and "Grease," has died after 2 weeks in a coma.
The 60-year-old actor was taken off life support Friday morning at Encino Hospital.
Conaway was found unconscious on May 11 and was rushed to Encino Hospital Medical Center.
He had apparently been unconscious for nearly 9 hours before anyone found him, manager Phil Brock said.
Conaway had reportedly suffered from pneumonia and sepsis.
Celebrity addiction expert Dr. Drew Pinsky tweeted Friday that Conway was being kept in a Propofol-induced coma.
After learning of his death, Pinsky posted again.
"I'm saddened to report he has succumbed to his addiction, thus far we have no evidence of an intentional overdose, rather this is the natural history of prescription drug addiction, pneumonia, septic shock, etc," he tweeted.
Oprah Winfrey's final new episode of her show will air on May 25.
Last week, before the reign of Mayor Rahm Emanuel began, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley rewarded Oprah with a special gift in recognition of the years she spent doing her show in Chicago.
Daley, who will leave office next week after more than 22 years, honored Winfrey by naming a block in front of Harpo Studios "Oprah Winfrey Way."Winfrey is ending her own two-decade-plus run as host of her Chicago-based television show.
"Your presence in Chicago has been a gift …" Daley said, moments before the cover was pulled off the sign that stands in front of the studio's main entrance, calling Winfrey "a great ambassador for our city."
Winfrey was equally effusive about Daley and her adopted hometown.
"I just want to say thank you to the mayor and also to the city of Chicago for embracing me and allowing me to take a stand and make a stand here in this city," said Winfrey.
Winfrey is the latest of well over 1,200 celebrities, religious leaders, activists and others who have been honored with street signs in Chicago. The list includes Michael Jordan, Siskel and Ebert, Frank Sinatra— who has two — and the geniuses behind Chicago-style hot dogs and pizza.
Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, separated after she learned he had fathered a child more than a decade ago — before his first run for office — with a longtime member of their household staff.
Shriver moved out of the family's Brentwood mansion earlier this year, after Schwarzenegger acknowledged the paternity. The staff member worked for the family for 20 years, retiring in January.
"After leaving the governor's office I told my wife about this event, which occurred over a decade ago," Schwarzenegger said Monday night in a statement issued to The Times in response to questions. "I understand and deserve the feelings of anger and disappointment among my friends and family. There are no excuses and I take full responsibility for the hurt I have caused. I have apologized to Maria, my children and my family. I am truly sorry.
"I ask that the media respect my wife and children through this extremely difficult time," the statement concluded. "While I deserve your attention and criticism, my family does not."
What a horrible betrayal!
It has to be so difficult for the victims of these domestic nightmares to have their pain play out in public.
Schwarzenegger lived a lie for over a decade. I don't know how someone can do that. How did he live with this? How did the staff member interact with Maria and the children knowing she had a baby with Schwarzenegger?
It's sick. And sad.
Schwarzenegger had it all and blew it.
With great fame and power comes great humiliation -- when you're a jerk. _________________
Arnold Schwarzenegger has admitted to fathering a child with a woman other than his now estranged wife, Maria Shriver. The story is in the Los Angeles Times today. They’ve been working on it for years, too. The terrible part of it is that the child is now 10 years old, and that Arnold kept the lie this whole time.
But not completely: in 2003, the Times, Matt Drudge, and the National Enquirer were all reporting this story. A woman named Tammy Baker Tousignant is named all over the internet as a former flight attendant who had Arnold’s baby. She was not his only extranarital affair. In the late 90s, Premiere magazine named two other women– actress Rachel Ticotin and a long time affair with a woman named Gigi Goyette.
In 2005, the LA Times and the Washington Post reported that the Enquirer’s owner, David Pecker, a friend of Schwarzeneggger, had paid Goyette to keep her mouth shut about their 20 year fling so he could run for governor. Stories about Schwarzenegger’s affairs, the illegitimate child, and groping of women have been in the press for years.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, already facing plummeting approval ratings and questions about his business dealings, took another hit Friday with a report that a tabloid publisher with close ties to the former movie star paid an alleged paramour of his $20,000 not to discuss their relationship.
The August 2003 confidentiality agreement between American Media Inc. -- publisher of the National Enquirer, Globe and Star -- and bit-part actress Gigi Goyette was reached two days after Schwarzenegger announced his candidacy for governor, and seven months before he signed on as an editor for two bodybuilding magazines owned by the company.
Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, have separated, with Shriver moving out of their Brentwood mansion while the two determine the next step in their 25-year marriage.
Shriver has been residing apart from the actor-turned-politician for the last few weeks. The former first couple confirmed the separation in a joint statement released Monday after questions from The Times.
"This has been a time of great personal and professional transition for each of us," the statement read. "After a great deal of thought, reflection, discussion and prayer, we came to this decision together. At this time, we are living apart while we work on the future of our relationship.
"We are continuing to parent our four children together. They are the light and the center of both of our lives. We consider this a private matter and neither we nor any of our friends or family will have further comment. We ask for compassion and respect from the media and the public."
After so many years together, it's sad that they've reached a point where they're deciding to walk away.
MSNBC is pushing the angle that their split has to do with political differences, "divided political families."
That's a leap.
I don't think it would take 25 years to realize you can't tolerate your spouse's political views and want to dissolve your relationship because of those differences.
If a marriage is based mainly on shared politics, that would be a very empty union.
Chelsea Handler was a guest Monday on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
They talked about a previous appearance Handler made on the show, over a year ago, when Handler and Fallon had a "Martini race."
The two raced, running up and down the stairs of the aisles of the studio audience, carrying martini glasses. When Fallon made it back to the stage, he slipped, his feet going out from under him, landing flat on his back. He cut his hand on the broken martini glasses.
I remember that show. It was a really bad fall.
Here's a little bit of video:
So, Handler and Fallon were discussing this incident from March 2010, a memorable moment in the show's history. They watched a clip of the fall.
The problem: Handler made an unfortunate comment when describing Fallon's performance in the race.
Transcript
JIMMY FALLON: Last time you were here, I almost died.
CHELSEA HANDLER: You did! You had an injury. You sustained a big injury.
FALLON: Here's what we did. It's the dumbest thing ever. I don't even know the game we were playing.
HANDLER: Well, you wanted to race me making vodka drinks, which is not that original of an idea if you know me, but whatever, and I was sensible enough to put on a pair of nursing shoes. You...
FALLON: Nursing shoes?
HANDLER: Yes, because I had heels on, so I know how to run.
FALLON: What are nursing shoes?
HANDLER: They're...don't worry about it. They're private. But anyway, we ran and we raced. We had to race and make drinks, like martinis.
FALLON: Yeah, and I was just trying to do something fun and something different.
HANDLER: Right. And then you fell on your ass.
FALLON: It was horrible.
HANDLER: Yeah. You looked like you were in the Special Olympics, to be quite honest. Not the fun kind.
FALLON: I don't know what that means, but all I know is that I was bleeding. It was the last time we've ever used glass on the show.
Chelsea Handler is a comedian, and sometimes comedians say things that are offensive. It comes with the job. Making people laugh is likely to tick someone off.
However, the Special Olympics thing was really not cool.
Is it that hard to keep from mocking the mentally challenged, particularly referring to such a great program as the Special Olympics by name?
When Obama was Jay Leno's guest just about two months after his inauguration, Obama made a terrible remark about his bowling skills and the Special Olympics. More on that here.
When Leno was joking about Obama not being a very good bowler, Obama said, "It's like -- it was like Special Olympics, or something."
After comparing his bowling to the Special Olympics on "The Tonight Show" Thursday, President Obama called Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver to apologize before the program even aired.
“He expressed his disappointment and he apologized, in a way that was very moving,” Shriver said on ABC's “Good Morning America.” “It’s important to see that words hurt, and words do matter. And these words that in some respect can be seen as humiliating or a put-down of people with special needs do cause pain, and they do result in stereotypes."
Obama told Shriver he wants to have some Special Olympics competitors over to the White House for basketball or bowling.
I don't know if Obama ever made good on his promise to Shriver.
I do know that four months after Obama's cruel remark he hadn't found time to host Special Olympics athletes at the White House.
Previously an academic specialising in the social and emotional factors of learning, Shriver probably knows better than most that it can be counterproductive to preach — particularly when addressing your country's new commander-in-chief: "It was a tough experience for all of us in the field of intellectual disability, and Special Olympics in particular, because nobody wants to be in a situation where we're scolding, or perceived to be scolding, the president of the United States or a major political figure."
Obama offered to have some Special Olympic athletes to visit the White House to play his favourite sport, basketball, or bowling, one the president has perhaps had enough of — but to date nothing has happened: "We have not had a specific event yet where the president can interact with Special Olympics athletes yet, but we're hopeful. He has been busy."
Obama hadn't been too busy to find time for his excessively publicized "date nights" and to host several events highlighting celebrities performing at the White House, but he was too busy to host Special Olympics athletes.
That was really a terrible misstep by Obama.
Now, comments disparaging Special Olympics participants made by Chelsea Handler certainly don't carry the same weight that such comments made by the president of the United States do.
Still, I am troubled by the ease with which some people use the Special Olympics to ridicule others.
It's wrong. It's cruel. It's not funny. _______________
Wanda Sykes was Jay Leno's guest on Thursday's Tonight Show.
When discussing the controversy over Obama's birth certificate, Sykes attacked Donald Trump, accusing him of being racist. She also mocked Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul.
Video.
Transcript
JAY LENO: You mentioned Trump. What do you make of all this nonsense over the birth certificate? It's hilarious.
WANDA SYKES: It's hilarious, and it's ridiculous. Like, what? Really? I'm sorry, I think the whole... I'm really disappointed in him because you would think that he would know better but it's, it all just drips with racism. You know? Because how many presidents or any politician has had their nationality questioned like this?
It's like, 'How did we get this black president? He must be from somewhere else. Where's he from?'
You know? And it's like, well, if you say it's racist, they go, 'No, no, no. It's not racist. His father's Kenyan.'
Yeah, but he was born here. He was born here. Hawaii is a state, you know.
...And then you have, you know, then they say, 'Well, he has a funny name.' You know? Barack Obama. There's been white guys with funny names. Newt Gingrich. What the hell is a Newt Gingrich? Oh, no, that's acceptable. Where was Newt Gingrich born? Atlantis? What the hell?
Ron Paul. Ron Paul what? You got two first names. Ron Paul what? What are you hiding, Ron Paul? What are you - Ron Paul Hitler? What's your name? What's your name? Really?
LENO: Have you watched Celebrity Apprentice? Do you watch any of those shows?
SYKES: And that's another thing, because this was the first season of Celebrity Apprentice that I was watching and enjoying, and then Trump just went all stupid. So I can't look at his dumb face. I can't watch. So I stopped watching the show. He ruins everything.
Alabama emergency officials say the number of people killed in the state in the worst tornado outbreak in four decades has climbed to 210. It is now considered the deadliest weather event in the state in more than 70 years.
At least 36 were killed Wednesday in Tuscaloosa, home of the University of Alabama.
The Alabama Emergency Management Agency early Friday said in a news release that nearby DeKalb County had 32 fatalities.
...Fatalities were also reported in Bibb, Calhoun, Cullman, Dekalb, Elmore, Fayette, Franklin, Hale, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, St. Clair, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa and Walker counties.
The new Alabama total brings the death toll in six states to at least 297.
Here are the most recent death tolls in the states hit hardest by Wednesday's storms.
Alabama: 210 dead Mississippi: 33 dead Tennessee: 33 dead Georgia: 15 dead Virginia: 5 dead Kentucky: 1 dead
Dozens of tornadoes ripped through the South, flattening homes and businesses and killing at least 248 people in six states in the deadliest outbreak in nearly 40 years.
As day broke Thursday, people in hard-hit Alabama surveyed flattened, debris-strewn neighborhoods and told of pulling bodies from rubble after the storms passed Wednesday afternoon and evening.
Deadly Tornadoes Sweep Through the South
Raw Video: Utter Devastation in Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa Mayor Walter Maddox Focused on Finding Survivors
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The death and destruction left by the storms and tornadoes that slammed the South should provide some perspective on how stupid media obsessions like Donald Trump, Obama's birth certificate, and the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton really are.
Fierce storms obliterated large swaths of land from Mississippi to Georgia, wiping out homes and businesses, causing a nuclear power plant to use backup generators and even forcing the evacuation of a National Weather Service office.
The death toll was staggering — 83 people killed in five states, including 61 in Alabama alone, a number that was likely to increase.
One of the hardest-hit areas was Tuscaloosa, a city of more than 83,000 and home to the University of Alabama. The city's police and other emergency services were devastated, the mayor said, and at least 15 people were killed and about 100 were in a single hospital.
A massive tornado, caught on video by a news camera on a tower, barreled through the city late Wednesday afternoon, leveling it.
By nightfall, the city was dark. Roads were impassable. Signs were blown down in front of restaurants, businesses were unrecognizable and sirens wailed off and on. Debris littered the streets and sidewalks.
...Elsewhere, 11 people were killed in Mississippi, nine people were reported dead in Georgia and one person died each in Tennessee and Virginia.
The storm system spread destruction from Texas to New York, where dozens of roads were flooded or washed out.
President Barack Obama said he had spoken with Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and approved his request for emergency federal assistance, including search and rescue assets. About 1,400 National Guard soldiers were being deployed around the state.
"Our hearts go out to all those who have been affected by this devastation, and we commend the heroic efforts of those who have been working tirelessly to respond to this disaster," Obama said in a statement.
"While we may not know the extent of the damage for days, we will continue to monitor these severe storms across the country and stand ready to continue to help the people of Alabama and all citizens affected by these storms," Obama said in a statement.
"Michelle and I extend our deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives because of the tornadoes that have swept through Alabama and the southeastern United States."
The devastation didn't keep Obama from attending three fundraisers in New York City on Wednesday night, where he was expected to rake in millions of dollars for his 2012 campaign.
Obama was hanging out with Democrat big donors and celebrities and joking about his birth certificate. Earlier in the day, Obama and Michelle flew to Chicago to tape an interview with Oprah Winfrey. He was flashing his birth certificate, using it as a prop.
What was that Obama said about not having time for "silliness"? Didn't he say we can't solve our problems if we're distracted by sideshows?
I guess Oprah isn't a sideshow in Obama's world.
While people were struggling in the aftermath of the storms, having lost their homes and businesses, suffering injuries, and grieving the loss of loved ones, Obama was yucking it up and raising money.
