Sarah Palin takes aim at 'foul-mouthed' Rahm Emanuel

No word is inherently 'evil', but any label can certainly harm depending on the context, the mode of delivery, who is speaking, and who is the intended recipient. We should hold public officials accountable for real harm done by their words. But once public officials begin to nitpick each others' choice of words and take the focus off of the real harm done, we the public will suffer from an endless cycle of pettiness instead of the public service we expect. Sarah Palin is hardly a victim of Rham Emanuel's word choice, but is making an issue of this to give her base more fuel to attack his base. It may backfire.

She somehow is more popular than either Rham or Obama... Says a lot about them and US.

the term "self-hating" jew is a silencer, for a jew who is critical of israel or/and zionism. so because i am critical of the dutch government, am i a "self-hating" dutchman? and are there also "self-hating" americans etc.? everybody has the right of his or her own opinion.

Get over it and roll with the punches....

Ah! gosh, darn.........

Nik,perhaps you have something there. But,I don't think he can refuse to admit(no matter what)that after all,and no matter what, he is a Jew. That he a danger to Israel--weeell... perhaps.But would he really throw Israel under a bus? Hope you are wrong.

And I'll bet if she dares herself she'd do it too.Not when addressing an audience though. But under her breath she most probably does it without a doubt. Emauel is an exception.A well known curser/with his explitives. Wonder why he resorts to this form of expressing himself.Or perhaps the more he does the more attention he gets.I just wonder...

The mouth of the just brings forth wisdom; but the perverse tongue shall be cut out. (Proverbs 10.31) There are those who speak like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise heals. (12.18) The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours out foolishness. (15.2) A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but crookedness in it is a break in the spirit. (15.4) He who has a perverse heart finds no good, and he who has a crooked tongue falls into mischief. (17.20) Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles. (21.23)

Ah, sorry, you're talking about the lady who looks just like Tina Fey.

Emmanuel is desperately trying to save Israel from burying itself in self-delusion and paranoia. I'm not surprised some far-right wing people here hate him for that. He has the honesty to tell the truth to the current, extremist Israeli governement. Too basd they won't listen, because most American Jews respect Emmanuel much, much more than Bibi and his settlers friends who prevent peace.True friends tell you the truth.

He swore, that's wrong. But about what? Wanting to promote a National Health service for the poor Americans? Is that really that bad?

You can always rely on her for a good laugh, I can't wait until the next presidential campaign.

This man can do more damage to Israel than Iran, that is the biggest problem. He is our enemy, please make no mistake about that.

Sarah Palin is also one of God's children with learning and cognitive disabilities. BUT she is very good looking and has incredible teeth. On the other side of the spectrum Rahm Emanuel has abnormally high intelligence, is very ethical and diligent, but is still coping with some residual AD(H)D issues and has a naughty mouth. Both are God's children. Both are loved for their special attributes and human vulnerabilities. God bless them both.

She criticizes him for her own political gain. She couldn't care less about Rahm Emanuel - he'll never be in her way for national office. But Obama will, and he's the one she's gunning for with this attack on his Chief of Staff. Palin uses the phrase "all God's children," yet wants to deny basic civil rights to homosexual children of God? She wants him fired for poor word choice when SHE'S the one who told an interviewer that she knew foreign policy because Russia was next door? Give me a break.

Like father like son. remember his father remarks about arabs when Rahm was first appointed....so why are you surprised America? And this is the number 2 guy in the US....what a mockery to high moral standards of the US.. And his strong points that he is tough and he served in the IDF. What a mockery of a chief of staff. keep it up America and thinking that Obama will restore America's image will end up in making it even worse.

civilly, she can stop using phrases like "real Americans" to refer to people who agree with her.

Soundbite Sarah does it again, thankfully she wasn't part of the winning ticket. So what If Rahm Emmanuel has a foul mouth, remember some of LBJ's comments? And he was the president.

Who gave Sarah Palin the microphone? Seriously, move on.

This disgraceful, mediocre, parody of a leader would be hilarious if not for the unimaginable prospect of her actually being elected. God help us.

It would be nice if Sarah Palin would simply disappear into oblivion. She is a dimwit, who has minimal abilities and intelligence, who couldn't complete her term in office as Governor of Alaska, and now is the talking "air-head" of Fox News. For an individual whose only understanding of foreign affairs was an occasional Russian Bear Bomber buzzing around US waters, this woman has learned nothing, but like an Everready battery, keeps on blabbing, and blabbing and blubbering .....

Sarah Palin should look at herself. A J for J pastor came to her Wassilla Alaska church and made the blatantly offensive statement that Jews are the victims of Arab Terrorism in Jerusalem because they did not accept Jesus as Lord. Palin's response to this blatantly anti Semitic barrage: NONE. Shtika ke-hoda-a.

People earn respect they just don't get it because they are in league with the worst president the U.S. has had since Carter. Emanuel,Axelrod,Obama and the rest are just bums...and to think they run this great country...the U.S.A.

Sarah needs to find some real work. She reminds me the step mother in Cinderella.

Tex, have you considered that Palin is an embarrasment to Christians? I would be ashamed of her. Yes, Rahm is a jerk and some other non-printable things but a shanda, not really. Honestly, I wish you the best in seceding from the union, without Texas America would be a more normal country.

I agree with your comment. Who is Sarah Palin to request that Rahm Emanuel be fired. He is a hard working man despite his foul mouth. What is this world coming too. This is just a figure of speech... I don't believe it was aim directly at anyone. Beside he already apoliged for his choice of word. I believe that the word retard in this context did not aim at any particular group or person. It was behind closed door. What next! There are more important issues for the White House to deal and discuss about. Now we understand where her mind is at. Enough of the tic for tac talk. Let us deal with real political issues. Big deal!

Everybody seems to want to expunge certain words from people's vocabulary. Just recently Senator Harry Reid referred to President Obama as a 'negro'. Reid apologized. Rahm was inappropriate. He needed to apologize. Those that excuse Rahm's words encourages others to use thoer words that everyone would find offensive. Sarah Palin and other parents quickly responded to Emanuel's uncontrollable mouth. President Obama also apologized for saying his bowling skills qualified him for the Special Olympics. Either we ignore the words or we 'call someone out' when inappropriate words are used. Can't have it both ways.

in Sweden. Should Israel be different ?

While I readily share Emmanuel's disgust with liberals, I would have chosen a more appropriate term. I'm just as disgusted with conservatives, by the way, so Palin earns no points on my score sheet.

Good stuff Matt!

Emanuel was injured as a child and now has a speech impediment. He lost part of a finger, a definite impediment when talking about or to airheads like Palin.

Gee, Rahm said a cuss word in the middle of a meeting, now he should resign? And you wanted to be Vice President? Get a spine! Was it intended towards Palin's child? Of course not! Come on Sarah, don't you have anything else to do?

Emanuel used the term to describe a select group of liberal Democrats which leads me to believe that Sarah needed a quick sound bite prior to her speech at the Tea Party festivities in Nashville (sell those books). Her attempt to equate the word retarded with the N-word is IMO an insult to African Americans. Finally, upon careful consideration of both the target audience and the course of action proposed by that target audience...Emanuel's use of the word was accurate.

Palin is grasping at anything she can to keep in the public eye and seem relevant. The word retarded doesn't have the same connotations it carried decades ago. I didn't realize Conservative Christians were so sensitive. Usually they're making fun of Liberals for that.

Rahn was appointed, not elected He's just another Chicago gangster, part of the Obama gang If Obamacare finally gets approved, we'll see how much you'll appreciate your diminished medical service and cost increase for the lousy care you're going to get, Emanuel is pulling the strings and Obama is dancing to his tune

It is embarrassing that such a foolhardy woman was even considered for the power position of VP - not to mention the risks involved with the age of her running mate. Rahm showed that he is still a bit Israeli in slipping out of stupid american political correctness. Not even people with cognitive and developmental disabilities (regardless of whose children they are) would really take offense to what he says. Its a damn figure of speech and that idiot woman should get over it.

This article is not about why Israelis "don't like" Rahm Emanuel, but about why some Americans don't like him. To us Israelis it's just some distracting gossip about a US goverment official with Israeli roots who seems to have a Napoleon complex and a bad temper and who can't control himself as expected from someone in his position.

Emanuel keeps on shooting himself in the foot. He has a bad reputation and wants to become the first Jewish President of the US. I doubt he would win an election.

Sarah Palin may have a developmentally disabled son,but that hardly stiffens up her resume. As for moralizing about the utter lacking of Rahm Emmanuael, he betrayed Israel,but Palin betrayed Alaska over and again. Uphere,she is roundly noted for her pettiness. As for her intelligence..well..let's just say if you bump up against her the hollow sound of a whirling pea echoes across the tundra for miles. Emmanuel may have a surly mouthand I can live with that. I cannot live with his positions on Israel. But atleast the man has a brain. Plain couldnevermake that claim. This is a person who had the entire earth waiting for her book,and instead of composing an academic set of essays explaining her philosophy on political topics and demonstrating her intelligence, she wrote a petty snipping tell all revenge fluff piece attacking people who pissed her off. Palin doesn't even show her face in Alska anymore. She know that we know the real Sarah.

Rahm "the ballerina" Emanuel is an embarrassment to Jews. Other than having a foul mouth and sending an opponent a dead fish, which is the Chicago way; his and his brother's socialist beliefs are opposite of true American values.

..for that fact alone, he should have respect in your country, Israel.

The woman who quits her job, leaving her constituents high and dry so she could make millions pushing her uninteresting book and reading cue cards on Fox News, is hardly in a position to condemn a hardworking, serious person like Emanuel. Granted his word choice was inelegant, but hardly reason for dismissal.

Sarah Palin is ridiculous. First, she's reprimanding a guy for telling his party not to trash-talk her party. Then she refers to those same democrats as "God's children with cognitive and developmental disabilities". I think it's uncalled for. Thankfully, she is no longer in a position in where her actions have any consequence. She's now a pundit, a heckler on the sidelines. Wow, since Democrats were heckling Republicans, and Rahm was heckling the Democrats, and Palin was heckling Rahm, I guess it makes me a heckler heckler heckler heckler. Oh so productive. Quick someone heckle me for heckling the heckler who heckled the heckler who heckled the hecklers who heckled the Republicans for heckling the President. Where's my check? This is all retarded, and I don't mean the National Down Syndrome Society...they are fully excluded from the statement, and I wouldn't imagine for an instant that they would participate in this sort of ridiculous behavior.

..he voluteer to help Israel in the '91 Gulf War..don't you appreciate any thing good for Israe?

... maybe the Pres would compose a rhetorical apology on Rahm's behalf...

I think it's offensive because Rahm used profanity. He wasn't thinking of people with down syndrome. It's a way to someone is stupid. People say that all the time. And say, "Dude, that's retarded". Still, I don't agree with addressing others that way, it's a personal attack, but it has nothing really to do with retarded people. We have way too much PC in American culture.

..First Pallin's kid is a boy. A political aide swearing at a meeting?...that's not news. This happened in August...let me count the months...4, 5 6 months ago....how has the world survived during this period. I'm a 60 yo christian..someone explain to me why Prime Minister Natenyahu called Emanuel and Axelrod "self-hating Jews." What does that mean? Also the P.M. did this the same week Congress approved $ 2.7 billion in military aid for Israel. Someone explain to me how Israel is so ungratful to American taxpayers.

for once pallin is right. mr emanual has got to curb his offensive language. it is a horrible thing for the US president's number one spokesman to make any reference to the mentally retarded or to level criticism at a lawmaker in the Congress that he or she is acting mentally retareded . imagine the families coping with the struggle and stigma of mental retardation. shame on him. mr emanual at least deserves a rubuke from his boss.

A tottal disgrace for the jews worldwide and for Zionism.