It was just a few days ago that Sarah Palin was so offended at White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's use of the word "retarded," that she devoted a Facebook entry decrying his lack of "decency" and calling for his dismissal:
Just as we’d be appalled if any public figure of Rahm’s stature ever used the “N-word” or other such inappropriate language, Rahm’s slur on all God’s children with cognitive and developmental disabilities – and the people who love them – is unacceptable, and it’s heartbreaking. [...]
As my friend in North Andover says, “This isn’t about politics; it’s about decency. I am not speaking as a political figure but as a parent and as an everyday American wanting my child to grow up in a country free from mindless prejudice and discrimination, free from gratuitous insults of people who are ostensibly smart enough to know better... Have you no sense of decency, sir?”
Mr. President, you can do better, and our country deserves better.
But in the wake of Rush Limbaugh's rant:
Our political correct society is acting like some giant insult’s taken place by calling a bunch of people who are retards, retards.
... it seems that Palin is back to speaking as a political figure -- a.k.a. Queen of the teabaggers:
I asked Palin spokesperson Meghan Stapleton for comment on Rush’s rant, and she emailed me this:
“Governor Palin believes crude and demeaning name calling at the expense of others is disrespectful.”
Disrespectful? Wow, way to tear Rush a new one in the name of "all God’s children with cognitive and developmental disabilities – and the people who love them" -- through a spokesperson without ever mentioning Limbaugh by name. That would be as opposed to the ten times she used "Rahm" in her Facebook entry. But when Palin gets around to calling for Limbaugh's job, I'm sure she will be just as tough.
It's either that or our country doesn't deserve better when it's Palin's pal using the slur.