Rahm Emanuel has now apologized about 40 times for saying, in a private meeting with Democrats over the summer, than an idea was “fucking retarded.” After the quote was reported in the press recently, Sarah Palin, the mother of a child with Down syndrome, lashed out at Emanuel for his insensitivity and heartlessness. But then Rush Limbaugh, of all people, seemed to take Emanuel’s side or actually, since Emanuel has admitted he was wrong, the side of … calling people retards. “Our politically correct society is acting like some giant insult has taken place by calling a bunch of people who are retards, retards,” he said, adding, “There’s going to be a retard summit at the White House.” It’s pretty clear to us, at least, that Limbaugh has committed the greater offense: Not only did he make his “retard” remark on his hugely popular radio show, but he did it as part of a spirited, almost gloating defense of using the word. In a world where justice was doled out in direct proportion to the crime committed, one would expect Palin to respond to Limbaugh even more harshly than she had to Emanuel. That world, clearly, does not exist. Let’s break it down!
Did Palin Deliver a Personal Rebuke?:
Rahm: Yes. Palin devoted over 300 words to the task on her Facebook page. At a minimum, it’s supposed to be her, though we do suspect from the syntax (“Rahm is known for his caustic, crude references about those with whom he disagrees”) that the author was indeed Palin herself.
Rush: No. The only response to Rush’s comments to date from Palin were provided via a spokeswoman to the Plum Line’s Greg Sargent.
Did Palin Call Out the Offender by Name?:
Rahm: Yes. The title of her Facebook note was “Are You Capable of Decency, Rahm Emanuel?” She then referred to him by name seven times.
Rush: No. Though Sargent asked Palin’s spokeswoman specifically about Limbaugh’s comments, the response contained no mention of the talk-radio host, and seemed intentionally generic. It merely reads, in its entirety, “Governor Palin believes crude and demeaning name calling at the expense of others is disrespectful.”
Did Palin Call for the Offender to Be Fired?
Rahm: Yes. “I would ask the president to show decency in this process by eliminating one member of that inner circle, Mr. Rahm Emanuel, and not allow Rahm’s continued indecent tactics to cloud efforts.”
Rush: No.
This morning, the Palin camp tried to tone down their response to Rush even further, as relatively unscathing as it already was. According to Fox News, Team Palin claims they merely provided the Plum Line with “the same comment they have given reporters for a host of other instances where someone had used the ‘r’ word and they are not singling out Limbaugh.” Got that, Rush? Go ahead and “slur on all God’s children” as much as you want to your millions of loyal listeners. The country’s No. 1 “R”-word watchdog won’t single you out.
Palin Camp Rips Limbaugh, Hits His “Retard” Comment As “Crude And Demeaning” [Plum Line/Who Runs Gov]
Palin Camp Fires Back at Washington Post [Liveshots/Fox]
