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Our burden has been lightened

We’re probably going to witness a very slow-motion, very deliberate vindication of the POTUS for his gaffe on last night’s appearance on Tonight.

The defense will take two or three forms and will seek to get him off the hook for attempting to wring laughs out of those who are mentally disabled.

This is good news for comedians.

If the president’s supporters succeed in exonerating him, then comics will have a Get Out of Jail Free card should they get into similar high-profile jams in the future. In much the same way that America’s Youth were off the hook in the oral sex department after President Clinton so eloquently argued that “blow jobs aren’t sex.” (We paraphrase). After Clinton made it clear (with the help of the MSM) that the occasional hummer could not be classified as, you know, sex, a wave of hummers commenced on the playgrounds and in the stairwells of our nation’s grade schools and junior highs. The defense of the youngsters caught red-genitalia-ed (and red-faced)? The President said it’s okay. (And the adults shrugged their shoulders and concurred.)

Jake Tapper, in his Political Punch column, was the first (to our knowledge) to write about the gaffe. And, we suspect, the first to elicit a response from the White House (mind you, not from the POTUS himself, but from the WH):

When asked about the remark, the White House said the president did not intend to offend.

“The president made an off-hand remark making fun of his own bowling that was in no way intended to disparage the Special Olympics,” White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton said. “He thinks the Special Olympics is a wonderful program that gives an opportunity for people with disabilities from around the world.”

So. That’s settled. The president “did not intend to offend.” The remark was “off-hand.” The pres thinks the Special Olympics is a “wonderful program.” Nothing to see here. Move along.

And there really is nothing, on the face of it, to see.

So now, when a comedian is harangued by some enraged special interest group and an apology is demanded, he or she will be able to say quite calmly that the intent was not to offend. And that should be the end of it.

And this should apply to all, from Sarah Silverman to Larry The Cable Guy to Lisa Lampanelli to Chuck Knipp.

The era of Political Correctness is officially over. We can all breathe a sigh of relief.

Change has arrived. We hope.