There is a huge difference between the word "retard" and the word "retarded
I'm not making any excuses for Rahm Emmanuel. To use his phrasing, he's an f'ing idiot. When he described people he disagreed with as "f'ing retarded", he showed a real insensitivity to the circumstances of the less fortunate. The term "retarded" has lost favor as a word to describe the mentally challenged. It's not funny or cute to demean some people at the expense of other people. Shame on Rahm!
Rush Limbaugh's use of the word "retard" is another matter altogether. This word has always been a slur. It suggests that the afflicted person is subhuman.
The only subhuman here is Rush Limbaugh.
Why hasn't Sarah Palin or any other media person picked up on this distinction?