'Retarded'

Sarah Palin gave a great speech Saturday night in Nashville at the Tea Party convention. She is preparing to engage on a national level in a significant way, on Fox News, campaigning in primaries and possibly general-election campaigns this fall and staying on the speaking tour. According to Sunday's New York Times, Palin has created a circle of advisers who probably wrote that speech and keep her informed on the issues of the day. She is admittedly prepping herself for a new role: someone prepared to talk about policy, not just about herself.

Does that mean she is running for president in 2012, 2016 or 2020? Who knows. But in order to stay in the spotlight, she will act interested; it keeps her supporters excited, keeps her in the news and keeps her invitations coming.

Why then, if Palin wants to be in the mix — as one of several Tea Party leaders, as a campaigner for some GOP candidates like Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), as someone who could possibly seek the GOP nomination — would she brazenly defend Rush Limbaugh for throwing the word "retard" around and invite the charge of hypocrisy?

Let's admit it — it is truly embarrassing that both President Barack Obama and his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, had to apologize to the Shriver family, who founded the Special Olympics, in the span of one year. Obama made a Special Olympics joke; Emanuel called some idea some fellow Democrats had "f--king retarded." Bad all around. Who is going to defend either of them?

But let's also admit this — Limbaugh was calling liberals retards and Emanuel was quoted in The Wall Street Journal calling liberals in his party retarded. On this they were in agreement. Palin was asked by Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday” what the difference was, and Palin said Limbaugh was being "satirical." Limbaugh had said "our politically correct society is acting like some giant insult's taken place by calling a bunch of people who are retards, retards." Palin said she teaches her children that name-calling is a waste of time and is unnecessary, but when pressed by Wallace she said, "I didn't hear Rush Limbaugh calling a bunch of people whom he did not agree with ‘F-ing retards.’ And we did know that Rahm Emanuel, it's been reported, did say that. That's a big difference there."

OK, so does Palin not realize she is only objecting to the curse word Emanuel used, which is all that distinguishes two insulting, hurtful comments about liberal Democrats being retards or retarded? Or does she realize that in order to protect Rush she has to embrace a double standard?


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