Specter Polish Jokes At Luncheon Deemed "Tasteless"

At a Pennsylvania Society luncheon Friday, Republican Sen. Arlen Specter told some jokes about Polish tickets deemed "tasteless" by a local paper. He asked first if there were any Polish people in the audience. When about ten people raised their hands, he went on:

Specter deemed the number insignificant and forged ahead with some supposedly funny Polish jokes, including the old one about the man who interrupted him once, saying, "Hey, careful. I'm Polish!" Specter said he responded, "That's OK - I'll tell it more slowly." Specter also told two other tasteless jokes in the same Polish vein. "No one walked out, but it was offensive," said our source. "I was offended, and I'm not Polish."

Via Think Progress.

Comments

[GeorgeP922]

05:18 PM on 12/15/2008

Hooray!

Token American Racism, once thought appropriate has now bitten somoone in the ..........

Well it didn't really bite anyone, as noone walked out and Specter did not resign.

Sad day my Polish Brothers and Sisters (especailly all the hotties, Specter obviously think Poland stops on the docks of Baltimore and Delaware, if he knew Polish women he wouldnt be running his mouth)

[RightWingMarine]

04:26 PM on 12/15/2008

why do so many people believe they have an inalienable right to not be offended?

[JimboSlice]

04:37 PM on 12/15/2008

You don't have that right, you do have the right to voice that you are pissed off and offended. Why do you only believe in free speech for bigots?

[mh01]

04:57 PM on 12/15/2008

I don't only be believe in free speech for bigots, but I believe in free speech for bigots.

I dislike the person who uses their speech to silence the bigots speech more than I dislike the bigot's speech.

[RightWingMarine]

05:12 PM on 12/15/2008

I believe that all speech is protected. What I'm referring to are comments such as "I was offended and I'm not Polish." Or to people who complain that a religous symbol or lack thereof is offensive or to people who believe that some speech or symbols should be labled hate speech and therefore limited because it can be offensive.

[tedmore123]

04:20 PM on 12/15/2008

Of course you heard the one about when Arlin caught his wife in bed with another man; ran out of the room and returned with a gun; which he pointed at his head. His wife, astonished said ' what are you doing?' Arlin said ' shut up, you're next!'


haw haw haw

[JimboSlice]

03:59 PM on 12/15/2008

Nice to see that the Senator from Comcast is getting his constituents p-off.

Hey Arlen ever wonder why they do perogie races at Pirates games? Its b/c Western PA has a huge polish population.

I guess his staff forget to tell the Senator from Comcast that although Comcast pays the bills and he works for them, the people of PA still get to decide if he has a job at all!

[inluvwkeitholbermann]

03:57 PM on 12/15/2008

so when is his term up anyway?

[jqcitizen]

02:45 PM on 12/15/2008

Ethnic jokes are intended to be fun.

In Minnesota and Wisconsin, Swede-Norwegian jokes are comical if told by a Swede to a Norwegian or Norwegian to a Swede.

When career politicians try to be cute with jokes it does not always go over that well. -To say the least.

Especially, when career politicians are a joke themselves.

[mh01]

04:04 PM on 12/15/2008

You are right about the ethnic jokes.

They are not offensive, but not because they aren't a little crass

They are not offensive because people don't take EVERYTHING so seriously, and because they have a sense of humor, and don't think that the whole world is going to end because someone told a joke calling someone stupid, even when they are the butt of the joke.

Its not that (most) ethic jokes are offensive, its that some thin skinned little cry baby can't laugh at himself/herself.

Yes, some are truly offensive, but what is most yo me offensive is this...."I was offended, and I'm not Polish."

Seriously?

There is no way to go through your life without being offended by something someone says, (unless you think that speech control is a good idea), so lighten up.

Someone, somewhere, right now is telling a white, christian, male joke, and you know what? I don't care! (actually, if its a funny white christian joke, i'd love to hear it, even if it is a bit offensive)

[SWPAnnA]

02:16 PM on 12/17/2008

Well said. Those who live on Polish Hill in Pittsburgh probably have more issues with the political king-maker wanna-be types trying to spin a little banquet levity into a major faux pas. Pennsylvania political tradition is rich in the exchange of ethnic "observations" as easily told about Italians as they are about Germans, Slovaks,...whatever. The steel mills employed them all. The coal mines as well. And their common experience with their employers brought them together in the unions to build the world. Along with acceptance of that ethnic humor, they give willing respect to their brothers and sisters whose steel won wars, built the world economy, a world class health care system and purposefully choose to be neighbors and fellow citizens rather than identify with their nationality conflicts. I guess it's "sophisticated" to go about all offended and pretentious; thus concealing a general contempt for those of us who choose family, religion and guns rather than slavishly react to this sort of fish bait. Specter gets re-elected by those very ethnics.

[Shashi0224]

02:17 PM on 12/15/2008

I live in PA and believe it's time for Specter to retire.

[Eyewideopen]

01:10 PM on 12/15/2008

Perhaps the next time he attends an event, someone on the dais should tell cancer jokes. I'm sure he'll be amused.

[sixx]

11:04 AM on 12/15/2008

I don't remember when Specter was not tasteless.

[solarian]

10:00 AM on 12/15/2008

he is such a scum bag go away

[NoahVail]

09:59 AM on 12/15/2008

If these had been funny, I would have been willing to give him a pass. Any joke, tasteless or not, should be funny above all.

[bluemike]

09:02 AM on 12/15/2008

Did you hear about the Specter who drove around the block 75 times? The turn signal on his car was stuck.

Hear about the Specter who read in the paper that 90% of accidents happen within 25 miles of home? He moved.

[deckard]

08:28 AM on 12/15/2008

Why are Arlen's drinks never cold? He lost the family recipe for ice.

[JenniferEccles]

07:08 AM on 12/15/2008

I've been offended by Arlen Specter since he came up with the single bullet theory.

[filo]

07:06 AM on 12/15/2008

How many Arlen Specters does it take to screw in a light bulb ?