Comedian Tells 'Special Needs' Joke at Palin Event

TRENDING: Comedian tells 'special needs' joke at Palin event

By: CNN's Dan Merica

Washington (CNN) - In comedy, timing is everything.

And minutes before Sarah Palin, former Alaska governor and parent of a child with Down syndrome, made her much-anticipated speech in Iowa, Los Angeles-based comedian Eric Golub told a joke that compared liberal political ideology to “special needs children.”

After commending Palin on raising her son Trig while balancing other responsibilities, Golub made the analogy.

“For that reason alone, the left should worship Sarah Palin and adopt her as one of their own,” Golub said. “Because the leftist haters are an entire political ideology of special needs children.”

Golub continued by saying that liberals are needy and feel entitled.

“And unlike Trig, they aren't very lovable,” Golub said. “All you hear from them is give me, give me, I need, I need, I want, I deserve, I’m entitled – no you don’t.”

Since announcing she had a child with Down syndrome in 2008, Palin has defended the special needs community in a number of instances.

In February 2010, Palin called for Rahm Emanuel, then-White House chief of staff, to be fired after he called liberal groups thinking of running ads against Democratic lawmakers “retarded.”

When an episode of Fox’s “Family Guy” mocked Trig that same month, Palin wrote in a post to her Facebook followers that it felt like “a kick in the gut.”

She also included a response to the "Family Guy" episode from her daughter, Bristol Palin.

“As a culture, shouldn’t we be more compassionate to innocent people – especially those who are less fortunate,” Bristol wrote. “Shouldn’t we be willing to say that some things just are not funny?”

Palin never mentioned the remark while speaking at the tea party-affiliated “Restoring America” rally in Indianola, Iowa.

Charlie Gruschow, co-founder of Tea Party of America, said he never heard the comment or met the comedian before the event.

"Some of the people on staff had heard him speak before and thought he would be a good person to break up and entertain the crowd," Gruschow said.

This isn't the first time Golub made the comment. He also used it while speaking at a 2010 convention for the conservative organization Young America's Foundation.

Palin's team could not be reached for comment.

CNN's Ashley Killough contributed to this report.