Maria Shriver says Obama joke wasn't funny to millions

Maria Shriver, California’s first lady and a Democrat who endorsed Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton last year, gave the president a wrist-slap this morning after he made fun of the Special Olympics, the nonprofit group for mentally disabled athletes founded by her mother.

Obama, who appeared on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno," said he’d improved at bowling lately, scoring 129. “It was like Special Olympics or something,” the president said, with a huge grin.

In a statement this morning, Shriver said, “While I am confident that President Obama never intended to offend anyone, the response that his comments have caused, coupled with the reaction of a primetime audience, demonstrate the need to continue to educate the non-disabled community on the issues that confront those with a developmental disability."

Shriver added: “Oftentimes we don’t realize that when we laugh at comments like this it hurts millions of people throughout the world.”

Obama called her brother, Tim Shriver, the chairman of Special Olympics, to apologize. Their mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, was a founder of the organization.

Before the brouhaha, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican who met with Obama on Thursday, gushed about the president, calling his intellect and approach “beautiful.”

Maria Shriver made a big splash last year with her surprise appearance at a rally at UCLA to endorse the former Illinois senator, saying, “If Barack Obama was a state, he'd be California.”

-- Michael Rothfeld

 Photo: Maria Shriver. Credit: Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Brittany St J]

Oh COME ON! Like she hasn't laughed at a joke at the expense of second class citizens before!

Seriously, lighten up. So much for sticks and stones huh?

I personally found the joke VERY funny. But then again I find all jokes about the special olympics funny.

[Cathy]

Too bad you can't ask that disabled man with an amputated leg who was killed in a crosswalk by a hit and run driver whether he would rather hear no more remarks like that from the prez or whether he would like crosswalks made safe for the disabled (and the rest of us). Of course, that would be a lot more work than just saying tsk tsk at the prez' remarks. Maybe Maria should be criticizing her husband and the Mayor for their lack of action on public transportion and safety issues

[Stephen]

Although I didn't vote for Mr. Obama, I was not offended by his comment even though I suffer from multiple sclerosis. I needed a laugh, and it was quite clear he was making fun of himself, not the Special Olympics as this article states.

In any event, I'm quite sure that the Special Olympics will now have a bigger voice than it ever had under President Bush.

[ashamed]

It's such a shame he lowered standards of a president by going on a late night talk show in the first place. He wants everyone to like him but he's making this country look ridiculous. He's an embarrassment.

[Kevin]

Wow, a Democrat criticizing Obama. I think Obama is clueless and is not acting presidential.

God Bless America

[BOB PARDEN]

The President tends to be a little glib. He will learn to talk less with so many people listening.

[Miss Picky]

So much for this being a low-risk appearance! Seems the President could have been more productive--and less embarassed--by staying in Washington (or at least staying off the Tonight Show)!

[Ruth Karas]

Bottom line: He wasn't making light of the Special Olympics, nor it's participants. He was making fun of himself.

[Fernando]

Oh course the media let him get away with it easy. If it were Sarah Palin who had said that, there would be calls for her head.

[Amy]

Did she do a poll on how many people thought it wasn't funny? Didn't think so. I thought it was hilarious. People these days need to learn how to laugh at themselves once a while.

[bill]

Talk to jimmy the greek and see what he would say

[Get Over It]

Okay it may have been in bad taste to make a crack at himself and align it with the Special Olympics...a slip of the tongue! And yet his predecessor had 8 years of STUPID THINGS COMING OUT OF HIS MOUTH everytime it opened. He would have never survived Leno or any other late night talk show.

He is in no way an embarrassment compared to Bush!

[Chris]

of course, he was making fun of himself... if you are offended on behalf of the special olympics athletes, you need to loosen up and live a little

[Eewon Kwuan]

Obamas actions are exactly what the US needs. He acts like a normal person and not some stuck up snob with power. He understands how to be human, how to be like you and me.

He made a joke. Big deal. If you can't take a joke lightly then you have bigger issues to worry about. What Obama says should be the last thing on your mind. Yeah, making jokes about handicaps can be sensitive but again, you can either be offended by it and make it a big deal, or you can laugh along with others and move on. Why let his remarks bring you down. Like I said, if you do, then you have bigger issues to worry about.

Get with the ages and realize that the world has changed and will continue to change.

[Ann]

My god, everyone needs to lighten up. Seriously, we have a lot more to worry about in this country than an offhand joke. Let's get real, folks.

[B]

This could be argued about all day, but you know what they say about arguing on the internet: Even if you win, you still look like a retard!

[Mark]

I think all this fuss over a quip is just a distraction. We wouldn't want to take all the important information he was talking about (like say the bailout or failed regulation and oversight) and digest that. No, it is far too easy to focus on a small quip and blow that out of proportion instead. Shallow minded media for a shallow minded audience. The perfect match.

[A Mom]

I think the only reason this is still alive is because the media keeps bringing it up. He was poking fun at himself...and while it would have been more thoughtful to say instead that he wasn't quite ready for the pro-bowler's tour, he CERTAINLY wasn't gunning for disabled americans.

It was refreshing to see our President in an informal, unscripted environment. I watched with my son because I think it's important to see our leader in a "real" environment, having a "real" conversation. I appreciated Leno's questions, particularly about taxes, and felt that far from embarassing the country, our President did much to start tearing down the walls of secrecy that surrounded DC during the Bush administration.

Thank you, President Obama, for being a man of the people, and showing that just because you are the President, you are still a dad, and a man, and a normal human being. Thank you for being willing to step up and take responsibility for the mess you inherited, and thank you for apologizing (before the broadcast even) for your off the cuff remark.

Put down those stones folks, until each and everyone of you can say you've never, ever, made an insensitive remark in a lighthearted moment, without intending to hurt anyone.

[Jar Jar]

First, let me say that in order to even comment here, I have to be careful, lest I offend "millions" with my words. Thus, more space than necessary will be taken up with words to clarify the comment, and not send someone off the deep end about how insensitive this comment is.

I have thought about Obama's comment, and have come to the conclusion that although raised awareness of Special Olympics and other issues, comments, feelings, etc. may be a good thing overall, I do not believe that Obama's comments in their context could in any way be insulting to the Special Olympics.

Overcoming any disability to compete is a grand accomplishment, and although not being able to bowl may not be considered a mainstream "disability," I believe that the point was that it is a grander struggle for Obama to bowl as it goes against his natural abilities, similar to those who are competing in the Spec. Olympics. (And not for any other reason than, Obama as an individual, has not displayed a aptitude for bowling, for those of you who may think I'm masking some sort of racial limitation regarding bowling... see how over sensitive we've become?)

I didn't take away, nor do I believe, that Obama was, or would, portray his attempts to bowl as appearing in a stereotypical dysfunctional manner, which perhaps some felt was the offense of the comment. But, one only brings to the comment your own preconceptions of the Special Olympics if this is in fact what one takes away from it.

Bottom line, he was making fun at himself, and at the struggle it is for him to improve bowling. BIG DEAL. I hope he never loses the freedom to take the risk to talk relatively unfiltered. As he said of criticism in the campaign, he can take it.

I thought he was great, well balanced between addressing the issues at hand, this non-issue hopefully won't get blown up so much that it outshines the message.

One other thing. If he hadn't said this, it would have been another minor gaffe (that comes in second now) that would be the focus, the sign of his decline, and yet another distraction from either the issues, or feeling good about this nation's leader.

[Joe]

Should we expect any public figure to engage in perfect politically correct speech 100% of the time day in, day out, with no verbal flubs no matter how innocent or unintended? We're human after all. Even the Pope made offensive verbal blunders of no small consequence -- and these were prepared remarks.

[Alkracker]

Obamanation!

[Candice]

I didn't vote for Obama. However, after seeing how hilarious he is, how genuinely human he is, and how open he is to connecting with people on their level through mainstream television, he's got my vote next election!