Page Six reports:
SEN. John Edwards lost some votes in the disabled community the other night when he failed to provide a sign language interpreter during a speech in Rochester, and then patted a wheelchair-bound woman on the head. "It seems that Sen. Edwards lacks disability etiquette," Debbie Bonomo, who has cerebral palsy, said in a news release from the Center for Disability Rights. "Just because I am a woman who uses a wheelchair does not mean anyone should be patting me on the head. That is so 1950s." Edwards spokesman Colin Van Ostern told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: "I'm sure his interaction with them was intended to be respectful."
Big deal. Politicos never know how to interact with the disabled. They treat us all as photo ops. Bill Clinton famously dropped to one knee in front of me and said "bless you, bless you" as if I'd sneezed. Michigan gubernatorial candidate once Howard Wolpe asked me if I played basketball. Tom Harkin did an awkward kneel/stand next to me. Newt Gingrich looked as though he was gonna pee himself when I refused to shake his hand.
The only politician who seems comfortable around the disabled? Former Georgia Senator Max Cleland. I wonder why...
Posted by mikewolf at February 25, 2004 12:03 PMHey, Mike -
Remember the Vietnam vet in front of Murphy's?
Posted by: Joel S. on February 25, 2004 12:50 PMHa!!! I totally forgot that story.
Joel and I were in middle school and walking downtown, probably to play video games and buy "pop." Some sketchy lookin' dude in front of the dime store stopped us and said he "just" got back from Vietnam. Now, this in itself is a bit weird. It was clearly in the early 1980's. However, he then proceeded to talk to me about being in a wheelchair gave me a silver dollar. I just remember it being very David Lynch-like.
There's also the "boy in a wheelchair" story when I got Jim Abbott's autograph and numberous scary carnie dudes giving me random prizes at the county fair. Yep. Crippin' it pays.
Posted by: mrw on February 25, 2004 12:57 PMDid someone get a picture of you and Clinton? That would be such a great shot to see! If so, please post it. Even if it was during the unflattering time you were trying to grow your scraggly neck-beard... ;-)
Posted by: deano on February 25, 2004 01:54 PMI knew you'd hear of this. I actually gasped out loud when I read it.
Posted by: LadyCrumpet on February 25, 2004 04:12 PMYou can't leave out Evelyn! She wasn't a politician, but it's still a great story. Evelyn was a drunk ancient African-American woman who cleaned our office. Every time she saw Mike, she tried to "hug" him. Her version of hugging a guy in a chair was to throw her arms around him and reach down into the back of his pants. Mike made a big deal of going the other way when he saw her coming, but I think he really liked it...
Posted by: Meredith on February 27, 2004 06:59 PM