Palin calls for Rahm Emanuel to be fired

Update at bottom: Rahm issued apology to Special Olympics for 'f**king retarded' comment

The former Alaska governor who served as Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) vice presidential running mate now thinks she knows better than the commander-in-chief how to hire his own staff.

In a Facebook post Monday, Sarah Palin called for White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to be fired.

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. Yes, Rahm is known for his caustic, crude references about those with whom he disagrees, but his recent tirade against participants in a strategy session was such a strong slap in many American faces that our president is doing himself a disservice by seeming to condone Rahm’s recent sick and offensive tactic.

The Obama Administration’s Chief of Staff scolded participants, calling them, “F---ing retarded,” according to several participants, as reported in the Wall Street Journal.

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.

A patriot in North Andover, Massachusetts, notified me of Rahm’s “retarded” slam. I join this gentleman, who is the father of a beautiful child born with Down Syndrome, in asking why the Special Olympics, National Down Syndrome Society and other groups condemning Rahm’s degrading scolding have been completely ignored by the White House. No comment from his boss, the president?

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.

According to a report last week in the Wall Street Journal, Emanuel told a liberal strategy group in August that a plan to run advertisements against conservative Democrats who were "balking at Mr. Obama's health-care overhaul" was grossly unwise.

"F—ing retarded," Mr. Emanuel scolded the group, according to participants cited by the paper.

"He warned them not to alienate lawmakers whose votes would be needed on health care and other top legislative items," the reporter said.

Ire at Emanuel comes from the Democratic side of the aisle as well. A liberal blogger has teamed up with tax-hater and conservative darling Grover Norquist to call for a federal probe into his activities while at Freddie Mac.

"We write to demand an immediate investigation into the activities of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel," Firedoglake blogger Jane Hamsher and Norquist wrote. "We believe there is an abundant public record which establishes that the actions of the White House have blocked any investigation into his activities while on the board of Freddie Mac from 2000-2001, and facilitated the cover up of potential malfeasance until the 10-year statute of limitations has run out.

UPDATE: RAHM ISSUED APOLOGY -- BUT NOT TO DEMOCRATS

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel called the head of the Special Olympics last week to apologize for using the expression "fucking retarded," Politico's Ben Smith reports.

"Rahm called Tim Shriver Wednesday to apologize and the apology was accepted," an unnamed White House official said.

But while Emanuel's apology may satisfy those who see his comments as an insult to the developmentally challenged, Smith notes that Emanuel hasn't apologized to the progressive Democrats he was referring to when he used the euphemism.

As head of the Special Olympics, Shriver is spearheading an effort urging people to stop using the word "retard."

PALIN ALSO ACCUSED OF USING 'R WORD'

Sarah Palin, who called for Emanuel to apologize for using the word "retarded," was herself accused of using the word last year. Levi Johnston, the father of Bristol Palin's daughter, told the media last fall that Palin described Trig, her son with Down Syndrome, as her "retarded baby." Palin strongly denied ever using the expression.