Ward’s offensive fat jokes fall flat

This story appeared in today’s Daily Press & Argus, and it speaks volumes about Mr. Ward’s character.

While I have to agree with him to a point that politicians are often the butt of unflattering jokes, including former Governor John Engler, but it doesn’t make Mr. Ward’s performance any less offensive to overweight people and women.

But it really illustrates Mr. Ward’s obsessive and destructive partisanship. If you need a few examples of how he has so soured the relationship between the two parties in Lansing you can find them on this blog, including refusing the years old common courtesy of simply giving out the days agenda and throwing a priest out of a committee hearing and threatening him with arrest because he wanted to speak after being promised that right.

There’s nothing wrong with partnership because I personally am partisan. But I know when to put it away, but I’m not an elected official. Mr. Ward represents the entire 66th District not just those of his own party. The structural problems facing our great state are so serious that finding a solution is going to take having everyone at the table, and it’s going to take someone who can work with a diverse group of people. That’s clearly not Mr. Ward, but that’s something Mike has been doing for almost 30 years.

Back to Mr. Ward’s performance. It seems to me a simple apology will be enough to put it behind him and move on.

By Dan Meisler
DAILY PRESS & ARGUS
Jokes made by local Republican lawmakers at a recent dinner about Democratic U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow's weight have raised the ire of some local political observers.
At last week's annual Ronald Reagan Dinner held by the Livingston County Republican Party, state Reps. Joe Hune and Chris Ward did a comedy routine needling several politicians, both present and absent.
One of their targets was Stabenow, and the jokes — which went over like a lead zeppelin with the audience of approximately 400 — poked fun at her weight.
Hune and Ward joked that critics were incorrect when they criticize Stabenow for lacking substance, saying "there's nothing there." Actually, the comedy duo said, there's a lot there.
Retired Judge Daniel A. Burress didn't find that funny, saying he's received four calls, only one from a Democrat, from people who were upset about the jokes.
"It's just inappropriate," he said. "She is a United States senator, and it's a lack of respect for the office and for her ... it's just plain wrong."
Ward said he and Hune were just attempting to keep things lighthearted at the dinner, which took place Oct. 24.
"I poke fun at my own weight all the time," Ward said. "If the Democrats are concerned about that, they have a whole lot of John Engler jokes they should be taking back."
Ward was referring to the portly former Republican governor.
"I'm feeling like this is the silly season when people are complaining about jokes," Ward said.
He added that it's not unusual for Democrats, of which Burress is one, to attack Republicans in the week before an election.
Hune, no lightweight himself, said: "I'm a fat guy, so I can make fun of someone else with a weight problem. We ripped on Republicans probably more than we did Democrats. It was all in jest."
But Burress said the people who contacted him were embarrassed by the performance.
"They thought it was demeaning and embarrassing," he said.
The dominant thought at the dinner appeared to be that it just wasn't funny. Hune and Ward — who performed as the Blues Brothers at a fundraiser a few weeks ago — were cut off before they could finish their shtick.
And the keynote speaker, GOP gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos, gave Hune and Ward a mock rebuke before starting his speech.
Contact Dan Meisler at (517) 552-2857 or at dmeisler@gannett.com.