Althouse: Obama talks to us about talking to Sgt. Crowley.

July 24, 2009

Obama talks to us about talking to Sgt. Crowley.

Says there was some discussion of having a beer at the White House with him and Prof. Gates and how he wants this to be "a teachable moment" (apparently limited to instruction on racial problems in policing and not extending to Presidents opining on incidents they don't know the facts about or the way people with powerful friends want/get special treatment).

177 comments:

I'm Full of Soup said...: The kind of teachable moment where the Obamas and the Gates of the world realize there are a lot of smart mother-fuckers out there in the real world.; 7/24/09, 3:00 PM
Bissage said...: If he keeps on this way he's going to earn himself the nickname "President Weasel."; 7/24/09, 3:02 PM
The Drill SGT said...: Yeah, my thought ws that the episode already taught O a lot. Cost him focus on his health care deadline and therefore was good for the country.

He likely will think a bit more before pontificating on topics that he knows little about, are a distraction, and are minefields.; 7/24/09, 3:07 PM
The Dude said...: Race baiting and race hustling are the only subjects Obama knows anything about.; 7/24/09, 3:08 PM
jag said...: Obama looked so small during this silly incident. What's his next move, breaking up fights at little league games?; 7/24/09, 3:08 PM
The Drill SGT said...: said differently,

Did the O win any votes?

Change any minds on Gates brouhaha?

Move health care forward?

Win back Police and FF union voyes?

basicly a disasterous 2 days of bad press bleeding over his agenda; 7/24/09, 3:10 PM
lucid said...: It is just remarkable how Gates, Obama, and the NY Times all tried to force the event into a racial stereotype. I do think this is one of the outcomes of affirmative action over all these years. The rationale for continuing to treat people differently in a preferential way requires that you insist that they are being treated differently in a damaging way. And so events must be forced to fit that stereotype.; 7/24/09, 3:10 PM
Automatic_Wing said...: Mr. Obama said he disagreed that he should not have stepped into the issue, saying it is the job of the president “black or white” to contribute to improving relations.

I find it fascinating that after all this, Obama still still seems to believe his efforts have been helpful. Has he become delusional so soon after taking office?; 7/24/09, 3:13 PM
John Stodder said...: Who is defending Obama on this matter, and why?

I remember the howls of outrage when Richard Nixon, during a press conference, essentially declared Charles Manson to be guilty. Charles Manson! A president is supposed to wait out the verdict on Charles Manson, but he can weigh in on this case without even knowing the facts?

In my youth, I was dumb enough to have a couple of police encounters where I was within seconds of getting shot. The lesson I learned was: When the police tell you to do something, do it. Gates is, I assume, smarter than me, so he should have been able to figure that out.

I'm not sure this is really a "teachable moment" so much as it is a "cringeworthy moment."; 7/24/09, 3:13 PM
The Drill SGT said...: On another note, the Boston paper has an interview with the big black cop in the Gates arrest picture. The money quotes:

Asked if Gates should have been arrested, Lashley said supported Crowley "100 percent."; 7/24/09, 3:15 PM
MadisonMan said...: I appreciate that the President recognized his error and is trying to correct it.; 7/24/09, 3:16 PM
Alex said...: Ah President Zero wants to "teach me" that I'm a racist no doubt. Screw him.; 7/24/09, 3:16 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: If I was the sergeant I hold out for an IPod ..; 7/24/09, 3:17 PM
The Dude said...: @jag - all Obama has to do to break up a fight at a little league game is throw a ball - everyone would fall over laughing at his inability to throw like a man.; 7/24/09, 3:17 PM
avwh said...: No apology; just "could have calibrated my response differently". RIIIGHT.

Shows the dangers once again of letting him off the teleprompter.

Can we just vote for TOTUS next time?; 7/24/09, 3:19 PM
Michael said...: I should think that the President would have shaken this bucket from his foot. Instead he continues to stomp it in deeper.

I commend to you this article by Heather MacDonald who writes for City Journal and is very knowledgeable about racial profiling statistics. http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YTU4MGE4MDkwYzhiYjY4OTk2OWRlZjcyMWY0MjFkNmE=&w=Mg==; 7/24/09, 3:21 PM
Jim said...: I strongly suspect that Axelrod and Emmanuel were practically curled up into a fetal position for the better part of the evening after Obama gave his answer. They're both extremely astute politically and had to know what kind of firestorm this was going to bring down.

After huddling for 2 days, this is what they came up with? It's not going to satisfy anybody. It's not going to make the people who felt Crowley was wronged feel any better. And it's not going to make the people who feel Gates was wronged feel any better either.

On balance, I think it will probably actually play worse with the "Gates was racially-profiled" crowd because the "Crowley was right" crowd was never going to be satisfied with an apology any way: Obama obviously isn't sorry for anything other than saying out loud what he really feels.

On the other hand, it takes the wind out of the self-righteous indignation that Gates' defenders who claimed that Crowley was some kind of out-of-control, rogue, racist, thug cop. I mean, the President doesn't make a phone call to mend fences with that kind of guy, does he?

So he has left everyone who expended their own credibility defending Gates and Obama twisting in the wind. And what does Obama get out of it? Nothing.

The people who will give him credit for the phone call were already on his side anyway. The people who see it for the transparent political ploy that it obviously is aren't going to give him any credit for playing politics with the issue.

He may think this puts the issue to bed, but:

a) I don't think it's going to close out the news cycle on this story because I don't think Gates is going to let go of his 15 minutes that easily;
b) The only other real storyline of the week is how badly in disarray the Democrats are over healthcare, and that lacks the distinct news "sexiness" of a potential race issue;
c) Obama's approval ratings are now net negative, arguably at least in some part based on the Gates incident, so it is newsworthy if for no other reason than it's ongoing impact on Obama's ability to twist arms on Capitol Hill.; 7/24/09, 3:22 PM
Roger J. said...: I don't suppose "I am sorry" would have worked--calibrate his remarks? Weasled mouth MF for sure.; 7/24/09, 3:24 PM
Meade said...: The teachable moment has passed.

Question is, have the 3 students learned their lesson.

The 3 students: The Harvard Professor, The New York Times, The President of the United States.; 7/24/09, 3:24 PM
Unknown said...: The ONLY reason why Obama backpedaled was because the Cambridge PD threatened to release the audio tapes of the incident. Obama was backed against the wall and had no other choice.; 7/24/09, 3:26 PM
traditionalguy said...: Amazing series of events exposing what Obama's Gift to us is that he offers in exchange for all our money and all our freedoms. He is a professional race controversy mediator. He is unneeded without an accompanying low level racial threat being drummed into us all the time. That question and answer was planted by the Gifted One. But eureka, we can at last see clearly that there was no controversy except for one manufactured by the 10% black millionaire race hustler's false charges. We shall overcome this hustle after all.; 7/24/09, 3:27 PM
LouisAntoine said...: So Obama, when asked a direct question from a reporter about this incident, should have just said "no comment"? And you wouldn't have found something about that to criticize?

You have consistently implied that Obama called a press conference to talk about this.; 7/24/09, 3:31 PM
exhelodrvr1 said...: Drill_sgt,
"He likely will think a bit more before pontificating on topics that he knows little about, are a distraction, and are minefields."

You mean like health care and the economy?; 7/24/09, 3:32 PM
Jim said...: Roger -

"I don't suppose "I am sorry" would have worked--calibrate his remarks?"

To admit error would be to destroy the myth of infallibility. Better to "recalibrate."

I don't think it's in Obama's character to admit that he has ever been wrong about anything. Did he ever say he shouldn't have belonged to Rev. Wright's church? That he should have thought twice about associating himself with Ayers?

No. He just "recalibrated."

Same S**t. Different Day.; 7/24/09, 3:33 PM
John said...: To me this is inexplicable. I don't understand why he wanted to comment on it. There was no way he could win. Had he come out in favor of the cop his base would have called him a sellout. But, coming out for Gates was even worse. Cops are expert a ginning up public outrage.; 7/24/09, 3:33 PM
Jim said...: Montagne -

"So Obama, when asked a direct question from a reporter about this incident, should have just said "no comment"? "

Here's something a smarter man would have said:

"I'm not familiar with all the facts. Skip Gates is a friend of mine, and I support him. But that's a matter for local authorities to straighten out, and I have confidence that it will be handled in an appropriate manner."

Obama handling the question the way he did was stupid.; 7/24/09, 3:36 PM
Roger J. said...: For a good example of a real apology, see Jeff Bezo's apology about pulling the orwell books out of kindle. Thats an apology.

All the president has done with this (what appears to me to be a) non-apology is to extend the kerfluffle.; 7/24/09, 3:38 PM
kjbe said...: Meade, from what I'm reading they all seem to be working together on this. Obama pretty promptly admitted his wrongs and made his amends. It can be a good teaching moment for us, too.; 7/24/09, 3:41 PM
LouisAntoine said...: "What I'd like to do then I make sure that everybody steps back for a moment, recognizes that these are two decent people, not extrapolate too much from the facts -- but as I said at the press conference, be mindful of the fact that because of our history, because of the difficulties of the past, you know, African Americans are sensitive to these issues. And even when you've got a police officer who has a fine track record on racial sensitivity, interactions between police officers and the African American community can sometimes be fraught with misunderstanding.

My hope is, is that as a consequence of this event this ends up being what's called a "teachable moment," where all of us instead of pumping up the volume spend a little more time listening to each other and try to focus on how we can generally improve relations between police officers and minority communities, and that instead of flinging accusations we can all be a little more reflective in terms of what we can do to contribute to more unity. Lord knows we need it right now." --Obama, who never called Crowley a racist despite what the white grievance mongers on Althouse have been saying for two days.; 7/24/09, 3:41 PM
Anonymous said...: The President said he regretted his comment. I'll take him at his word.; 7/24/09, 3:41 PM
Unknown said...: No, he did not call a press conference to talk about the arrest, and no, no one in this discussion has implied he did - until you entered the fray.
A Wise Latina might have said "I don't know all the facts, and Professor Gates is a friend, so I can't comment on the specific incident. However, moments like these give us a chance as a people to discuss what we could do better, and do differently, in our relations with each other".
Pretty simple, eh?

The bigger problem for this administration is Obama's continuing penchant for turning the conversation away from his message and onto minutia every time he goes off-script. See his late night "special olympics" joke for the March installment.
So far, the opportunity cost has been small, but with public opinion on health care reform turning strongly negative, the Gates throwaway line might have killed his best chance for changing the momentum.; 7/24/09, 3:47 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: You twelve hillbillies are unteachable anyway.

Thank-you hostess for not including an Obama video, always so available on an hourly basis.

Oh, almost forgot, "Duh!"; 7/24/09, 3:50 PM
Sprezzatura said...: Even if someone completely agrees w/ Althouse's unshakable fixation w/ interpreting this situation, doesn't the repetition eventually seem tired or played out?

It's boring when someone's imagination and speculation becomes tired fixation and empty repetition. It seems that there's a lot of snoozing on the bridge of the M/V Althouse Obsession once she's steaming at full speed.

Autopilot is the definition of dull.; 7/24/09, 3:51 PM
Anonymous said...: Obama, who never called Crowley a racist despite what the white grievance mongers on Althouse have been saying for two days.

Point to one example of this on Althouse's site. You have two days worth of comments to choose from.

Yeah. Didn't think so.; 7/24/09, 3:53 PM
LouisAntoine said...: Althouse implies in this very post that Obama brought this all up. Like he started randomly "opining" about this. As if he didn't reply to a question, with an extensive caveat preceding.

And she says it's about how "people with powerful friends want/get special treatment)." I sincerely hope Professor Althouse never has to receive the special treatment of getting arrested on her own damn porch.; 7/24/09, 3:53 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Randy:

Obama made more than a "comment". He gave a long long answer in response to an incident about which he had few facts.; 7/24/09, 3:53 PM
Kirby Olson said...: According to the president, what does the officer have to learn? I wish that the president would have specifically stated what he thought the officer should have done differently, and what he would have done had he been the officer.; 7/24/09, 3:54 PM
Anonymous said...: I'm well aware of what Obama did, AJ.; 7/24/09, 3:55 PM
Kirby Olson said...: If the president has a new directive for police officers across the country, and what he wants all of them to learn, and what he wants them to do differently, why doesn't he just say it?; 7/24/09, 3:56 PM
LouisAntoine said...: Kirby, you could try listening/reading to what Obama said.

"I continue to believe, based on what I have heard, that there was an overreaction in pulling Professor Gates out of his home to the station. I also continue to believe, based on what I heard, that Professor Gates probably overreacted as well. My sense is you've got two good people in a circumstance in which neither of them were able to resolve the incident in the way that it should have been resolved and the way they would have liked it to be resolved."; 7/24/09, 3:57 PM
g2loq said...: The ONE should stick to insulting Medical Doctors ...

The words roll out, fast and slick
They mean not a whit to this feckless twit.

Good News: the Twit will be gone someday

Bad news: those who voted for him will remain among us and, we'll wonder what they'll do next.; 7/24/09, 3:58 PM
Automatic_Wing said...: I blame the teleprompter. Where was that damn thing when Obama needed it?; 7/24/09, 3:58 PM
Jim said...: Montagne -

"And she says it's about how "people with powerful friends want/get special treatment)." I sincerely hope Professor Althouse never has to receive the special treatment of getting arrested on her own damn porch."

I'd say the odds of Althouse screaming "This is how the black man is treated" at the top of her lungs in front of a bunch of neighbors concerned about her house being broken into is pretty small.

But I'm sure she appreciates your concern.; 7/24/09, 3:59 PM
Jim said...: Montagne -

"I continue to believe, based on what I have heard, that there was an overreaction in pulling Professor Gates out of his home to the station"

Except that even that statement is a lie, and Obama knows it. He knows full well that Gates wasn't "pulled out of his home." By Gates own admission, he went charging outside after the officer when he was trying to leave so that he could hurl more accusations of racism at him.; 7/24/09, 4:00 PM
lucid said...: My wife teaches high school in a suburb of New York City. Her school has black and white kids. She tells me that for a long time it has been a standard joke at her school for the black kids, when they are caught out on something like not having homework done or when they are are getting detention for something, to jokingly say, "It's only because I'm black that you're doing this." Gates, Obama, and the NY Times don't realize that young teenagers use explanations like theirs as a joke these days.; 7/24/09, 4:02 PM
Kirby Olson said...: Ok, MM, two overreactions, but is the president saying that the police should no longer regard domestic disturbances as worthy of their attention? He has discussed a singular incident, but what is the larger principle he wants everyone to learn? The laws regarding domestic disturbance are to be held in abeyance henceforth, or at least they should be skipped over when it's his friend Skip, or what? It sends a very vague message to law enforcement who are looking to the president for a clear principle to apply.

I think he should have the whole Cambridge police force down for a kegger. Because he said that they had ALL acted stupidly.

After the kegger, then perhaps they could hug a bit, after acting REALLY stupidly on the White House lawn for most of the night.

On the other hand, he could serve tea or coffee. I would guess that at least some of the officers are teetotalers.

I know that I am.

I can't believe he offered to give out beer.; 7/24/09, 4:04 PM
dbp said...: "I also continue to believe, based on what I heard, that Professor Gates probably overreacted as well".

What's with the "probably" ? Wouldn't "absolutely" be more accurate?; 7/24/09, 4:05 PM
avwh said...: Althouse implies in this very post that Obama brought this all up. Like he started randomly "opining" about this. As if he didn't reply to a question, with an extensive caveat preceding.

That's an interesting thesis, MM - if this was truly a "press conference" where questions were asked at random. The truth is, the reporters' Qs were pre-screened,and they knew in advance if they were being called upon - so the Gates Q was PLANNED by the White House. IOW, it wasn't even a "spur of the moment", unexpected Q out of left field.

Why is he opining AT ALL, if he "didn't have all the facts"?; 7/24/09, 4:06 PM
UWS guy said...: I would like all you libertarian conservative types listen to yourselves talk about how awesome it is for police to arrest you in your own home for being rude. Can't wait until some other poor redneck gets shot at night in a no knock police raid at the wrong home and hear you all opine about our wonderful use of police powers.

I kind of like hearing POTUS speak out against police overstepping the line. Who among you wouldn't have liked to hear similar words for Randy Weaver, or Waco?

Also, the word "race huckster/hustler" is another word for nigger.

peace.; 7/24/09, 4:06 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Ok Randy:

Did Obama apologize for his long long answer or just the "stupidly" comment?; 7/24/09, 4:08 PM
tim maguire said...: If people don't stop feeding the troll, we're gonna get another lecture from the good professor.; 7/24/09, 4:13 PM
Anonymous said...: avwh -

Great point. It is irrelevant that Obama was "questioned" about this incident. If, as he stated himself, he did not have all the facts of the incident and "was not there," he should not be opining at all and, more importantly, should not impugn the officers' credibility or malign their integrity. Obama effectively took a municipal issue and turned into a national one in the most irresponsible and reckless manner possible. But as I stated in the previous NYT post on this issue, Obama's relationship with Gates and Gates' attorney (Ogletree) is long-standing, as is Obama's contempt of the Cambridge PD.; 7/24/09, 4:16 PM
LouisAntoine said...: Kirby, I believe Obama thinks it's stupid to keep talking about this incident, but that since we are, it would be an opportunity to try to understand why minorities are sensitive about their treatment by police. Do you have any idea why black people might be sensitive about the police?

Maybe this (@ 1:23)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERsF0beRO5Q&feature=fvw; 7/24/09, 4:17 PM
The Dude said...: There goes UWS, race hustling us again. Pray tell, master of all you survey, what other code words do you know that we, in our innocense, and desire to call a spade a spade, should avoid?

Is renege off the list? Niggardly? Reneger? Can we no longer sing "Dark Town Strutters Ball"? Please tell us, oh enlightened one.; 7/24/09, 4:18 PM
UWS guy said...: Obama will make it up to you guys by busting up some militia wingnuts in Colorado for you. I'm sure you'll all appreciate his support of law enforcement then.; 7/24/09, 4:18 PM
UWS guy said...: Oddly, the word "race hustler" is only thrown at black men...what other word is reserved for them pray tell?; 7/24/09, 4:19 PM
Chennaul said...: Well....

Althouse:You're only doing this to me because of my socks!

I know it's just because of my ankle socks, damn it....and Mao Tse Tung like Mary Janes

And the billowy skirt, and maybe my pork pie hat, okay it could be my penchant for stripes....

Cop: Oh you're gonna get stripes alright....

Althouse:Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrghhhh!!!!!!!!

I'll show you a growler...

[Fashion Policeroll tape 407]; 7/24/09, 4:20 PM
Automatic_Wing said...: Can't wait until some other poor redneck gets shot at night in a no knock police raid at the wrong home and hear you all opine about our wonderful use of police powers.

So...a cop in uniform investigating a 911 call of a burglary = no knock police raid where someone gets shot?

There is actually a difference between these two situations. One is a reasonable exercise of police powers and the other is not.

Do we really want the cops to be so deferential that they're not even allowed to ask whether someone else is in the house?

I'd really like to hear the tape of Crowley's radio traffic...sure to be most enlightening. Will probably be buried now that Obama's kind of made nice.; 7/24/09, 4:22 PM
Jim said...: UWS -

If they're breaking the law, then I fully support the DOJ "busting them up."

Unlike you, I don't care what the color of the skin or the political agenda of those run afoul of the law is.

If you do something illegal, you go to jail.

You make a public nuisance out of yourself, and you get arrested for disorderly conduct.

See how this works?; 7/24/09, 4:22 PM
UWS guy said...: Officer Crowly was leaving. Investigation over. the.investigation.was.over.; 7/24/09, 4:23 PM
Roger J. said...: UWS: foolish me, I thought n****r
was the word for n****r. For the record I always considered people like huey long, strom thurmond and Robert Byrd (along with Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson) as race baiters--where in the hell do you get your dictionary?; 7/24/09, 4:23 PM
Jim said...: UWS -

"Oddly, the word "race hustler" is only thrown at black men"

Not true...I use the word "race hustlers" to describe groups like La Raza too...Also, terms like "racist" apply too.

Any other questions?; 7/24/09, 4:24 PM
UWS guy said...: haha. Not just blacks then. Mexicans as well. Gotcha.; 7/24/09, 4:25 PM
Jim said...: UWS -

"Officer Crowly was leaving. Investigation over. the.investigation.was.over."

Then you need to ask Gates why he pursued the officer outside so he could continue hurling accusations of racism and insulting Crowley's mother.; 7/24/09, 4:26 PM
UWS guy said...: "thank you for complying with my request, you're now under arrest."; 7/24/09, 4:27 PM
Jim said...: UWS -

"haha. Not just blacks then. Mexicans as well. Gotcha."

I'm sure there are other groups too. If you want to use your ethnicity as a blunt weapon to claim special privilege, then you're a race hustler. I don't care what your ethniticy is.

Obviously you do though. Which groups would you exempt? Do tell.; 7/24/09, 4:27 PM
Jim said...: UWS -

""thank you for complying with my request, you're now under arrest."

If only it had gone down that way, then Obama wouldn't have had to call Crowley to issue his non-apology apology now would he?

Presidents don't make phone calls like that to officers who abuse their authority. Only the ones they wrongfully accuse of being stupid when the facts prove otherwise.

Your problem is evidently with Obama. Take it up with him.; 7/24/09, 4:29 PM
LouisAntoine said...: Again, the special privilege and special treatment of not getting arrested on your front porch.; 7/24/09, 4:30 PM
Jim said...: Maguro -

"I'd really like to hear the tape of Crowley's radio traffic...sure to be most enlightening. Will probably be buried now that Obama's kind of made nice."

Which was probably the impetus for Obama's call in the first place. If there had been so much of a hint of racism involved, Obama could have stood his ground. But the Cambridge PD threatened to release those tapes, and there's little doubt what was on them.

Obama would never have made that phone call in a million years without knowing what was on those tapes. Bet on it.; 7/24/09, 4:31 PM
Chennaul said...: Well speaking of rolling tapes....

Cambridge police publicly "mull releasing the tapes".

Obama "re-calibrates" and essentially says let's all have a beer.

Again, I'm pretty sure we might have been in for an earful based on the timing.; 7/24/09, 4:33 PM
Jim said...: Montagne --

"Again, the special privilege and special treatment of not getting arrested on your front porch."

Here's an experiment. Why don't you go outside on your front porch and start screaming at the top of your lungs about whatever you want. The weather. Who cares?

When the neighbors inevitably call the police. Get belligerent with them and call them racists. Find out if you get arrested or not.

Don't bother calling me for bail money.; 7/24/09, 4:33 PM
knox said...: President Obama said Friday that he “could have calibrated” his words more carefully

"calibrated"

LOL

Until the big healthcare pressie on Wednesday, I had successfully avoided Obama's regular speeking engagements on the tellie.

After hearing the nonsensical droning on and on, I realized he's really not the communicator he's been trumped up to be.; 7/24/09, 4:36 PM
Chennaul said...: I will say this-

Gates had just flown many hours from China, the day before -in China-he was given medicine for bronchitis, he gets home and can't even unlock the door to his house, and then Crowley shows up trying to do his job.

I think Gates loses it.

It's sad that he thinks it is all based on being Black in America, but maybe he was watching CNN.; 7/24/09, 4:38 PM
LouisAntoine said...: Yes Jim. That is exactly what happened. Prof. Gates was screaming on his front porch, and the neighbors called the police. When they showed up, he called them racists, and then they arrested him for disorderly conduct. I wonder why the police report doesn't reflect that at all? It would be a more sympathetic story, I wonder why they lied?

You are of bad faith my friend. I do now hope that you get arrested in your home.; 7/24/09, 4:38 PM
veni vidi vici said...: So, where's the "Lameness" tag?; 7/24/09, 4:39 PM
Chennaul said...: knox-

Oh ya it was truly abysmal and in a funny way they might or should be grateful for the distraction.

Although Pelosi called it a-

"Tour de Force"....; 7/24/09, 4:40 PM
Chennaul said...: And-

I think some of you are lawyers so I calibrate a pre-cursory apology sorta-

Obama was Lawyer in Chief at that presser-

He went after both doctors and cops.

Bonus!; 7/24/09, 4:42 PM
Jim said...: Montagne -

"You are of bad faith my friend."

Oh...that's rich! You completely distort the truth and twist the story all backwards and claim that *I* am the one acting in bad faith?

You manage to leave off the part where officers show up to protect his property, he promptly calls him a racist upon being asked for his ID, and then chases the officer outside so he can insult his mother and call him a racist even more loudly. And then he starts screaming at the top of his lungs at the neighbors.

Oh yeah...and let's not forget that the neighbors, the Hispanic officer, and even your own story back up the officer's version of events and show what a racist jackass you are. Oh yeah, and there's the pesky matter of the whole thing being recorded that you seem to have missed.

You forgot all of that. If you can't discuss the issue honestly, then you're not discussing it at all.

You've got a narrative in your head that bears no relationship to reality. Go take your meds and lie down because you've become completely delusional.; 7/24/09, 4:43 PM
rhhardin said...: Ahtouse earns several dozen mentions in the first hour of Rush, real audio, 9 minutes.

Underlying file, for saving, 581kb.

I haven't heard the entire program to see if there are more mentions.; 7/24/09, 4:44 PM
Unknown said...: When the reporter asked the question, Obama should have said: "You're only asking for my comments because I don't look like the other presidents on the US currency."

It's lucky for Crowley that he is who he is: a 42-year-old cultural sensitivity instructor who's most famous previous interracial encounter was his giving mouth-to-mouth to a dying black athlete.

One lesson from this is that if people are inclined to accuse you of bad intentions (including racism), there is nothing you can do to prevent it. A lot of time whites who are not (or at least don't think of themselves as) racist look at these incidents and congratulate themselves that their own histories of multicultural and racial sensitivity will protect them from false accusations. It's not true. If you're lucky, your good character and conduct will help prevent the incident from ruining your life, but it won't prevent the accusation.

There is nothing you can do to earn the benefit of the doubt with strangers. So leave no doubt.; 7/24/09, 4:45 PM
dbp said...: UWS guy said...
"Also, the word "race huckster/hustler" is another word for nigger".

So, if I understand you correctly, you want us to start calling Al Sharpton a nigger?

Maybe where you're from, but we don't use that kind of language here.; 7/24/09, 4:45 PM
MadisonMan said...: As far as races to 200 are concerned, Gates is the new Palin.; 7/24/09, 4:47 PM
LouisAntoine said...: Jim-- though I think you are wrong and of bad faith, granted, how does that make me a "racist jackass"? What is racist about thinking that cops are authoritarian dicks in many, many cases? And that there is something rather inviolable about a person's home, here in America? Are cops a race?; 7/24/09, 4:47 PM
Anonymous said...: Gates (and Obama) have set back race relations and made black professors look like a bunch waiting to "cry wolf" at the drop of a hat.

That's what's really sad. Gates and Obama, and to a lessor extent Deval Patrick, make all blacks look like they're just sitting back waiting for a chance to play their race card, file a lawsuit, destroy a career.

They're fomenting racism.

They're giving people who doubt their sincerity the proof they need to continue to see a reason to set black folk aside as people not to be trusted.

They shame their communities.; 7/24/09, 4:52 PM
Unknown said...: Monty said:

Yes Jim. That is exactly what happened. Prof. Gates was screaming on his front porch, and the neighbors called the police. When they showed up, he called them racists, and then they arrested him for disorderly conduct. I wonder why the police report doesn't reflect that at all?

Well, that is exactly what the report of Officer Carlos Figueroa says:

gentleman (was) now on the porch and again he was shouting "this is what happens to black men in America". The gentleman refused to listen as to why the Cambridge police were there. While on the porch, the gentleman refused to be cooperative and continued to shout the Sgt. is a racist police officer".; 7/24/09, 4:53 PM
Jim said...: Montagne -

I didn't say you were a "racist jackass"...Re-read what I wrote. I said Gates was being a "racist jackass."

And, for the thousandth time, Gates wasn't in his home when he was arrested. He wasn't arrested for anything he did in his home. He was arrested for screaming at the top of his lungs on his front porch in full view of the neighborhood while trying to incite the onlookers against the police officer.

I, for one, am glad that Crowley treated Gates like they would any other jackass who acted like he did.

Like I suggested, try the experiment of going out on your porch and start screaming at the top of your lungs. It doesn't have to be about racism. Just scream whatever you want. When the neighbors call the cops to complain, refuse to stop shouting and find out how quickly you wind up in the back of a patrol car.

Your rights to do what you want on your own property the moment that adversely affect someone else. You can't beat your wife or commit other crimes on your own property either. Part of pretty much every cop's oath is to "preserve the peace." Screaming on your front porch is definitely disturbing your neighbor's peace, and subjects you to be cuffed and hauled away.

What I find funniest is that if this was a white guy who had done this, we wouldn't be having this argument at all. No one would be talking about it at all. Only the fact that this guy tried to use his race as an excuse for his jackassery makes this an issue at all.; 7/24/09, 4:59 PM
LouisAntoine said...: Hey Jim-- He didn't want to go outside. YOU read the report. Cop ordered him to go outside. And if this was a legitimate disturbance of the peace arrest, why did they drop the charges? If they are so sure what they did was right, why isn't this going to court?; 7/24/09, 5:02 PM
Jim said...: Montagne -

"And if this was a legitimate disturbance of the peace arrest, why did they drop the charges? If they are so sure what they did was right, why isn't this going to court?"

We've already covered this ground multiple times before in a thread that you commented on. You know what the answer is: you're not arguing in good faith. I'm not going to repeat everything 50 times because you want to play the ignoramus.

If you have something new to say, then say it. But going over the same ground over and over just makes you look the fool.; 7/24/09, 5:04 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Ugh. "Having a beer" at the White House?

Even if that perfectly describes one's plans, let's not speak of the White House as though it's some rec room down the street.; 7/24/09, 5:12 PM
Jim said...: montagne -

Read this column. I think it sums up the situation perfectly.

key grafs:

Imagine all the facts and all the circumstances identical, but a black police officer instead of a white one. What would have been different?

Everything.

The tired professor would have found the strength to hand over his ID without significant objection. The officer would have gone on his way. No angry shouts, no (alleged) “yo mama” comments, no screams so loud they attracted the neighbors, or embarrassing photos of a raging Skip Gates on the front of the Herald.

All changed, not because of a different cop, but a different Professor Gates.; 7/24/09, 5:12 PM
Invisible Man said...: I, for one, am glad that Crowley treated Gates like they would any other jackass who acted like he did.

And I'm glad Obama spanked Crowley across the rear end on national teevees, and then called him, told him it would be alright and gave him a verbal hug so his feelings wouldn't remain hurt. Damn that Obama is classy!; 7/24/09, 5:15 PM
Jim said...: Invisible -

"And I'm glad Obama spanked Crowley across the rear end on national teevees, and then called him, told him it would be alright and gave him a verbal hug so his feelings wouldn't remain hurt."

If you think that's the way it went down, then you are sadly deceiving yourself. But hey, that's your right.

But Obama's latest approval numbers say differently....; 7/24/09, 5:16 PM
Roger J. said...: Come ON UWS--every cracker here (and I am proud florida cracker) knows you refer to mexicans as beaners--catch up with times. And please--do share your dictionary of codewords with us. You do have all the indications of being a genuine idiot.; 7/24/09, 5:18 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Oh wait, let me guess, UWS, "rec room" is racist because it begins with 'r'... just like RACISM!; 7/24/09, 5:18 PM
chickelit said...: Ugh. "Having a beer" at the White House?

Even if he plans to do it in the WH bowling alley?; 7/24/09, 5:20 PM
Chennaul said...: freeman-

Well to be succinct the press questioned Obama or Gibbs on the-"let's have a beer idea" and they blamed that on Crowley saying they think he mentioned it.

So.....ya.

But the invite is probably sorta gonna happen/offical.....; 7/24/09, 5:21 PM
Roger J. said...: And IM: the only person in this whole sordid affair that appears to be a fool is our President. He dug a big hole with his mouth and is now trying to fill it--not to mention walking all over his health care thing--the man is truly in over his head and has done the impossible: He is making George W Bush look good.; 7/24/09, 5:22 PM
Chennaul said...: Oh btw-

notice how the story of Democrats peddling kidneys from Jersey to Brooklyn is on the back burner.......; 7/24/09, 5:22 PM
Roger J. said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/24/09, 5:26 PM
Roger J. said...: When I was a young soldier I had the privilege of serving under
GEN Creighton Abrams--his advice to officers was "never miss an opportunity to keep your mouth shut." Too bad Obama didnt serve under General Abe.; 7/24/09, 5:29 PM
rhhardin said...: My theory is that Gates wanted the confrontation.

So that's why he was uncooperative at every turn. He wants the biggest reaction from the smallest possible provocation to better prove his future points, and is feeling out how much provocation he needs to add at each moment.; 7/24/09, 5:31 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: ... I think, gave an impression that I was maligning the Cambridge Police Department or Sergeant Crowley specifically...

But I like totally wasn't because I meant 'stupidly' like 'bad', you know, like you say 'stupidly' but you mean 'really smartlike.' Or I was talking about some other police in another town. Boy, now THEY were REALLY stupid. Have you read about that? I can't remember all the details. Major stupid happening in that story though. ... Really, honestly, you guys can just report whatever cover you think is best. I got nothin'.; 7/24/09, 5:31 PM
Chennaul said...: Roger-
I mighta shoulda done that 'cause now I think Obama said that Gates mentioned the beer.

I give up.; 7/24/09, 5:32 PM
Roger J. said...: Mad--I am guessing the the good professor, I suspect sitting in business or first class on the way back home, had too many beers.; 7/24/09, 5:36 PM
Chennaul said...: Roger-

Oh ya could be. Mix that with what ver Chinese herb they gave him for the bronchitis...

Not. a . pretty. picture....; 7/24/09, 5:42 PM
Maxine Weiss said...: " This Gates story seems like a massive distraction from what's REALLY going on & we shd REALLY be paying attn to."----Amba

____________

Yeah, like the New Jersey Rabbis....oh, wait a minute....media can't focus on that because it's anti-semitic to call attention to Jews who commit crimes.

http://twitter.com/maxinesplace; 7/24/09, 5:43 PM
LouisAntoine said...: rhhardin: Yes! The thing about these high-yeller blacks is how wily they are. I mean, Obama was able to plant his birth notice in the Honolulu Advertiser decades before he would run for president as a citizen of Kenya-- that is some amazing foresight. Gates is also incredibly crafty-- staging a break-in to his own house to draw the police into his racial-profiling frame up trap! And they walked right into it!; 7/24/09, 5:45 PM
LouisAntoine said...: Obama was clearly trying to gin up a race war, by psychically influencing a reporter to ask him a question about something that would totally stomp on the message of the previous 50 minutes. He is just that powerful. And dangerous. I know I carry my pistol into every state park and elementary school I go to now.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/07/the_story_behind_my_obama_pres.html; 7/24/09, 5:53 PM
chickelit said...: This Gates story seems like a massive distraction from what's REALLY going on & we shd REALLY be paying attn to.

That's exactly right Amba.; 7/24/09, 5:53 PM
William said...: Maybe he's doing it by standing on his tiptoes, but Obama here tries to act like a grown up. None of the people involved in this contretemps are bad people. If the President cannot resolve this dispute amicably it speaks poorly of his powers of conciliation. And if we try to sabotage his efforts at conciliation, it speaks poorly of us as a nation. It was a stupid incident, and the President's first reaction was also stupid. In the absence of high moral ground, let us find common ground and get on with life.; 7/24/09, 5:54 PM
rhhardin said...: rhhardin: Yes! The thing about these high-yeller blacks is how wily they are.

Not many blacks are race hustlers, but those that are, need the action.; 7/24/09, 5:56 PM
Jim said...: William -

" And if we try to sabotage his efforts at conciliation, it speaks poorly of us as a nation."

If he were actually attempting conciliation, that would be one thing; but he's just covering his ass politically because the polling on the issue is running better than 2 to 1 against him.

He owed Crowley a real apology, not that mealy-mouthed Lettermanesque non-apology. Obama regrets the media obsession with his remarks? He would have calibrated his remarks differently?

What sort of gibberishy nonsense is that?; 7/24/09, 5:59 PM
chickelit said...: When I hear "race hustler," I immediatly think of Paul Newman because of his 1961 movie The Hustler and because of his racing enthusiasm.; 7/24/09, 6:00 PM
Unknown said...: Really, Chickenlittle? I think of Race Bannon, but that's because I'm old. He was quite a hustler, just like Johnny Q.; 7/24/09, 6:07 PM
Commodious Dump said...: Crowley played Skip like a fiddle. He knew that if he could get the cantankerous old man out on the porch, he could nail him with the disorderly conduct charge. Gates fell right in the trap.; 7/24/09, 6:13 PM
Jim said...: Gibbs dismissed a suggestion that the backlash from police groups could be distressing to the White House..."I think the Fraternal Order of Police endorsed McCain," Gibbs fired back at reporters, referring to Obama's Republican opponent in the 2008 election. "If I'm not mistaken."

It's like these guys are trying to double down on stupid here. They're trying to deflect FOP criticism by saying it was politically motivated? Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it Obama who went after the Cambridge PD, and not the other way around?

Pretty much takes whatever sucks the air out of whatever Obama was trying to accomplish with his phone calls in front of the press today.; 7/24/09, 6:17 PM
Chase said...: "Sgt. Crowley, so glad you could make it! Welcome to the White House! Can I take your coat? James - may I call you James? - I believe you know Professor Gates. You can call him Skip, all of his friends do. You can call me Mr President.

Now, what's your pleasure? I take you for a Corona man. Lime? Please, have a seat. Put your feet up on the table there if you like. Skip does all the time; see, he's already got his shoes off. My motto is, the Oval Office is for relaxing.

Cigar? Yes, they're Cuban. But don't ask how - we could get shot! Ha ha ha!

So, I was looking over your record with the police department. Very impressive, Jim - can I call you Jim? Skip and I were just talking about how we could use a great guy like you around here. Nothing definite, mind you, just kickin stuff around you know. Kind of cogitating. That's a fun word isn't it Skip. What? It means thinking about something over and - oh that's funny! You had me there, Jimmy! So now I guess I feel a little like Skip did that day last week. Don't you think that was funny Skip?; 7/24/09, 6:22 PM
Deb said...: Freeman: LOL. Snort.; 7/24/09, 6:23 PM
Chase said...: 3 hours into the conversation . . .

President Obama: Ha ha ha ha! That was some real funny, Jimmy! Okay, okay, a Black US Senator, a Black Ivy League Professor and an up and coming Massachusetts city Policeman walk into a bar . . .; 7/24/09, 6:25 PM
chickelit said...: Really, Chickenlittle? I think of Race Bannon, but that's because I'm old. He was quite a hustler, just like Johnny Q.

FYI-Jonny didn't have an "h" in his name. You're making something up.; 7/24/09, 6:29 PM
Laura(southernxyl) said...: Montagne Mointaigne said...

Hey Jim-- He didn't want to go outside. YOU read the report. Cop ordered him to go outside.

Gates's account

It escalated as follows: I kept saying to him, ‘What is your name, and what is your badge number?’ and he refused to respond. I asked him three times, and he refused to respond. And then I said, ‘You’re not responding because I’m a black man, and you’re a white officer.’ That’s what I said. He didn’t say anything. He turned his back to me and turned back to the porch. And I followed him. I kept saying, “I want your name, and I want your badge number.”

It looked like an ocean of police had gathered on my front porch. There were probably half a dozen police officers at this point. The mistake I made was I stepped onto the front porch and asked one of his colleagues for his name and badge number.

Now, why didn't Gates report that the officer invited him outside to continue the conversation? Possibly because, as the cop said, Gates was hollering so loud he couldn't hear a word the cop said.

But it's not true that he didn't want to go outside.; 7/24/09, 6:37 PM
Meade said...: Crowley played Skip like a fiddle. He knew that if he could get the cantankerous old man out on the porch, he could nail him with the disorderly conduct charge. Gates fell right in the trap.

Exactly wrong, Mr. Dump.

It was Gates who tried playing Crowley. Crowley didn't want to arrest the Old Man Who Cried Race. But when Gates insulted Crowley's mother, he took public disturbance one step too far. Crowley took action that was more than reasonable. Insulting another man's mother constitutes "fighting words."

Gates was lucky. A normal ordinary man would've punched Gates in the nose.; 7/24/09, 6:38 PM
Meade said...: Gates was trying to get Crowley to hit him. Crowley used good judgement by not taking Gates's race/mama bait.; 7/24/09, 6:47 PM
avwh said...: Here's an interesting perspective from a black woman:

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-303137?iref=topnews

Her take: this could well have been a PR self-promotion stunt by Gates - especially if he does follow through and do the provocative documentary she mentions in the clip (and calls it "racial pimping").; 7/24/09, 7:00 PM
UWS guy said...: via Gawker.

"cambridge cop's private car has vanity plate that says, "WHY-TEE"

http://m.gawker.com/site?t=hLWvwHuGamHnAiLT2oIeng&sid=gawker

Nope, no racists around here.; 7/24/09, 7:05 PM
exhelodrvr1 said...: rhhardin,
"My theory is that Gates wanted the confrontation."

I agree 100%.; 7/24/09, 7:05 PM
UWS guy said...: via gawker; 7/24/09, 7:08 PM
Automatic_Wing said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/24/09, 7:15 PM
Automatic_Wing said...: Ah, it begins...this cop has made Obama look stupid and he must pay for it. Better go look through his garbage, UWS Guy, there might be a Ron Paul newsletter or something in there.; 7/24/09, 7:17 PM
Unknown said...: "Maybe he's doing it by standing on his tiptoes, but Obama here tries to act like a grown up. None of the people involved in this contretemps are bad people. If the President cannot resolve this dispute amicably it speaks poorly of his powers of conciliation. And if we try to sabotage his efforts at conciliation, it speaks poorly of us as a nation. It was a stupid incident, and the President's first reaction was also stupid. In the absence of high moral ground, let us find common ground and get on with life."

I didn't know the President's job description included using his powers of conciliation to bring reconciliation whenever two good people find themselves at odds with each other. No wonder he's so tired.

My brother and one of his neighbors aren't seeing eye-to-eye about paying for a fence. It's good to know Obama is there to help.

Maybe we, as a nation, can finally send Dr. Phil out to pasture.

Still, it concerns me that Dr. Obama felt the need to bring his powers of conciliation to bear in this situation, given that when Obama first gave his less-than-fully-informed opinions, Gates and the Cambridge police had already reached an agreement.; 7/24/09, 7:26 PM
Jim said...: UWS -

"Nope, no racists around here."

That wasn't Crowley's car, so what are you trying to say? That Crowley is responsible for what some other cop says or does? Does that mean I get to lock up Gates because OJ killed his ex-wife and Ron Goldman?

Fair is fair after all....; 7/24/09, 7:31 PM
Unknown said...: "Ah, it begins...this cop has made Obama look stupid and he must pay for it. Better go look through his garbage, UWS Guy, there might be a Ron Paul newsletter or something in there."

UWS Guy's post was ambiguous, so before anyone else gets the wrong idea:

There is nothing in the Gawker post to suggest this was Crowley's car. Seems it was some other Cambridge cop.

People it's not a matter of digging up dirt on Crowley. It's digging up dirt on other Cambridge cops to smear Crowley by association.

Don't you feel better now?; 7/24/09, 7:34 PM
Unknown said...: "People it's not a matter of digging up dirt on Crowley."

That was supposed to be: "It's not a matter of people digging ..."

That was some horrible cutting and pasting I did.; 7/24/09, 7:35 PM
Jim said...: Marcia -

"My brother and one of his neighbors aren't seeing eye-to-eye about paying for a fence. It's good to know Obama is there to help."

Only if your brother's neighbor is black.

And then Obama would have to intervene by going on national TV to explain to the nation that your brother was acting stupidly.

It would quickly be followed by Axelrod performing a full-body cavity search of your brother looking for any dirt in his past so that he could be shamed into paying for the whole fence himself.

If that didn't work, then Obama would be forced to create a Fence Czar, abrogate all property rights, declare eminent domain, and hand over your brother's land to his neighbor.

Immediately thereafter, Obama would use TARP money to build the biggest, bestest most wonderful fence ever...with union labor, of course.

Unicorns would be set free to roam your brothers' former property as a magical rainbow formed in the aftermath of a shower of Skittles and M&Ms.

...and then the waters would begin to recede...hmm..OK, maybe not the waters receding...but the rest of it? Definitely.; 7/24/09, 7:40 PM
Unknown said...: Jim -- You seem to be assuming my brother is not black.; 7/24/09, 7:41 PM
Jim said...: Marcia -

Hmm...good point...I must admit I jumped to a conclusion that I shouldn't have. Is his neighbor black? It's important to know the race of the persons involved to find out if Obama would need to get involved personally or if he could simply hand off the situation to one of his czars.; 7/24/09, 7:44 PM
RLB_IV said...: I'm very pleased to know that we are post-racial.; 7/24/09, 7:50 PM
Unknown said...: Jim -- As it happens, my brother is white. But I failed to inquire after the race of the neighbor.; 7/24/09, 7:50 PM
Invisible Man said...: Isn't it going to be fun to watch Crowley kiss Obama's ass when he's summoned to the White House?; 7/24/09, 7:55 PM
Jim said...: Marcia -

Well if they're both white then they're on their own...It's only a matter of national importance if a black man is involved.

I know, but them's the rules...; 7/24/09, 8:03 PM
Jim said...: Invisible -

"Isn't it going to be fun to watch Crowley kiss Obama's ass when he's summoned to the White House?"

1) Obama doesn't have the power to "summon" anyone to the White House. He's president. Not king.

2) If I were Crowley, there's no way in hell I would go. Obama's already shown he's prejudiced. So why would I subject myself to some dog and pony show to get a pair of racists of the hook for their attempt to slander me?; 7/24/09, 8:04 PM
Jim said...: rlb -

"I'm very pleased to know that we are post-racial."

Now if only we had a president who was...; 7/24/09, 8:06 PM
Chennaul said...: UWS Guy-

Dude, he could just be into divots....; 7/24/09, 8:15 PM
Jim said...: madawaskan -

Or a fan of Irish crime families....This is Massachussetts we're talking about here.; 7/24/09, 8:16 PM
Matt said...: I think it's time to have constructive discussions about this. Anybody up for that?; 7/24/09, 8:20 PM
LouisAntoine said...: Hey Jim, where does that chip on your shoulder come from? Did a black guy shtup your wife? Still bitter they took over basketball? Or are you just another white victim of the system?

Holy crap, are you Frank Ricci?; 7/24/09, 8:22 PM
Penny said...: "Teaching moments" and "national conversations" are entirely too similar.

The only ones having fun are the border collies.; 7/24/09, 8:24 PM
Meade said...: 2) If I were Crowley, there's no way in hell I would go. Obama's already shown he's prejudiced. So why would I subject myself to some dog and pony show to get a pair of racists of the hook for their attempt to slander me?

Crowley should accept the invitation to meet with the President and his friend, the professor... on the condition he's accompanied by Professor Gates's neighbor, Lucinda Whalen and Crowley's... mother.; 7/24/09, 8:47 PM
DADvocate said...: How about a learning moment for Obama? I bet it's been a long time since one of those happened.

We've heard the history, bad experiences crap so often for so long it rings empty compared to our own observations and experiences. I could bore anyone to tears with anecdotes of myself, siblings, friends, other whites and other non-blacks being treated similarly to Gates by police and of blacks acting like Gates and screaming racism or rationalizing it due to "history" like Obama.

If you don't have enough sense to be polite to a cop or can't accept personal responsibility for your actions, screw you.; 7/24/09, 8:58 PM
Matt said...: >The Cambridge police officer who came under attack for his arrest of a noted Harvard scholar said tonight he’s "profoundly grateful" for President Obama’s words of regret today.

>Unions backing Sgt. James Crowley just released a statement saying:
"It is clear to us from this conversation, that the president respects police officers and the often difficult and dangerous situations we face on a daily basis. We appreciate his sincere interest and willingness to reconsider his remarks about the Cambridge Police Department."

WE can go all day and all weekend and all the rest of the month taking sides on this. But since the actual parties involved in this are willing to talk and defuse the situation then how about all the blogs and blog commentators out there do the same? I think there are some interesting issues here that we can discuss in a civil matter.; 7/24/09, 9:02 PM
Synova said...: "cambridge cop's private car has vanity plate that says, "WHY-TEE"

OMG... a cop plays golf.; 7/24/09, 9:04 PM
Chennaul said...: Jim-
Hey that was an interesting link.

At least it ain't Jersey....

Speaking of which somebody was telling me that during the Revolutionary War Jersey wanted to charge George Washington a toll for passing through....; 7/24/09, 9:13 PM
Cedarford said...: When I hear "teaching moment" my PC radar goes up. It is structured along the whole Jewish Bolshevik "re-education and self-criticism" moment. Where Bolshies summoned people to stand trial for their words, criticize themselves, and submit themselves to judgment and forgiveness only Bolsheviks had the moral authority to render...or not..

As it is currently constructed, the Left uses it to "teach" the correct race/class/gender views. To try and force foes to admit they were in the wrong...then..hope that the "offended and oppressed" will see fit to extend mercy. But may be so offended and traumatized that they cannot forgive the race, class, gender guilt of the oppressors and their (usually) pasty, evil, Christian white male oppressor history...

Withing hours of the incident, you had Distinguished Full Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates offering to "instruct" SGT Crowley in race, history, and police oppression...provided SGT Crowley begged Gate's forgiveness.

I agree with some other posters that Obama's call to the "stupid, racist cop" was precipitated by his Handlers who rushed to Cambridge finding out that perhaps Obama went off TelePrompter and the cops were following procedure. And that audio tapes existed of Gates screaming and slurring the officers.
Apparantly the Black Mayor of Cambridge apologized to Gates, the Black Governor apologized to Gates, and Obama talked to Gates before that call to Crowley...no doubt all commiserating about how whites have all the power and status....

=============
Another thing that pops up the PC radar antenna is that the "teachable moment" was what 108 Duke professors used to define what their letter mau-mauing the Duke Lacrosse Team was.

1. It was all about white male privilege and their raping innocent black females with impunity, right and left.
2. It was about the sick pathology of "violent helmeted sports" leading to violent crimes and sick secret bonds that blocked the guilty whites from pointing out which in their group actually raped the poor woman.
3. It was all about those of the wrong race/class/gender oppressing blacks, latinos, gays, the poor, women.
4. And the arrogance of athletes having noisy parties where alcohol is consumed.

And the Duke faculty offered to "use this critical moment, this crisis" to "teach" correct behavior after offenders were expelled and the Lacrosse coach was fired.

------------
Left unsaid by Duke faculty and a motley hoard of politicians and media prejudging it into innocent black victim-obviously guilty white perps to fit the existing Leftist template ---- was most rape of white and black females, most violent crime in Durham - was black on black or black on white.; 7/24/09, 9:21 PM
JAL said...: Well, look at this way.

At least the President didn't say he could see Gates' porch from the Potomac. Right?

I do not want to see anyone dissing Governor Palin on stupid stuff after this totally avoidable, and totally stupid, arrogant and immature mouth off by the President of The United States of America.

Made for great media coverage around the world with all our "friends."; 7/24/09, 9:24 PM
Penny said...: New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and California are bookends for this country.

I am hoping that states in between are avid readers.; 7/24/09, 9:28 PM
LouisAntoine said...: Thanks Cedarford! I KNEW that jewish bolsheviks were somehow behind this. They're the ones pulling the strings of the Obama puppet, after all, right? Joooooooooooooos!!!!!!

Just to repeat again, Obama never called the cop racist, no matter how many times that's repeated around here.

You, however, are a racist and a liar. Not that there's anything wrong with that.; 7/24/09, 9:43 PM
Cedarford said...: I said this on another post, but it applies to the "teachable moment" that Obama and earlier on, Gates, wished to have. With the wise black man, with perhaps a wise Latina or so thrown in for balance would be the "Professors" on racial understanding...and the cops and the uneducated whites, Aisans, unwise male Latinos - the Learners.

That is that Gates is supposedly a "world-noted expert on black-white race relations". The stupid cop, an instructor himself taught by black cops and lawyers in "profiling avoidance"..

And despite the years and decades of PC "learning" - I noticed that several pals and some of my wife's coworkers said whites and blacks are splitting on fault lines like over OJ.

I note that the black culture and value system appears so different from the way whites, asians and most hispanics expect one another to interrelate - that a Famous Harvard Professor on Race Relations and a cop who trained others in how to avoid profiling cannot bridge the gap.
All that focus on "understanding race" and they still see things through entirely different, apparantly unfathomable prisms. Like OJ.

If that is the case, and no amout of education can make whites and asians and most hispanics understand blacks and they can't understand the other groups - then all the "race education and sensitivity training" is worthless.

If that is so, the rational thing to do is avoid blacks, avoid wasting time trying to understand them..

And for me as a white, focus more on better integrating with, and knowing what about hispanics, asians I currently lack knowledge of - as a better use of my time than figuring out what makes blacks tick and what it would take to life peacably, lower astronomical black crime levels, raise black achievement. As well as key groups within the Caucasian race I lack good understanding of, like Indians, Arabs, Turkic people, and Iranians. Spend years to figure out what scholars for 60 years in America have failed to - what will satisfy blacks and allow them to live and work in harmony with others?

I mean, with study and work, American whites and Japanese people or Filipinos or Chinese HAVE learned to understand one another enough to know similarities and what is just unique and strange to the other side..and work and live alongside one another in tranquility. We can have dialog and know the exact norms and limits and quirks the other Party has.
Isn't it a wiser path to leave 30 million blacks to sort out matters...and just avoid them, as long as they or others are not encroaching on others or physically attacking or demanding preferences at the expense of others???
If you have so much time, isn't it more important to understand 600 million Latins, 1.1 billion Muslims, Asia is the Century of China and the Other Asian Powers? Learn about India and how to work with that rising civilization & the Desi Diaspora?

We spent 60 years trying to solve what it would take for black and white to live in harmony with very mixed results..more blacks have good jobs, but black crime quadrupled in that period and black illegitimacy went from 22% to 83%. At the expense of ignoring our understanding and relations with far more important races and cultures than the 30 million US blacks.
Just as for 60 years we have focused too much on fruitless ME foreign policy, at the expense of more vital global interests.

I know Asians don't understand blacks and distrust them. And focus elsewhere because they have bigger fish to fry..like gutting the USA of revenue-producing jobs and technologies.
I know that most immigrant Hispanics generally do not understand American blacks, don't think they work hard, and generally don't want to live in neighborhoods and schools mixed with blacks.

Sort of a dark vision...but I see little changed since OJ.; 7/24/09, 9:51 PM
LouisAntoine said...: What the freakazoids like Cedarford don't get is that it's all fun and games and bloviating about what every asian person in the world thinks about black people to a guy like Cedarford. Meanwhile, in my neighborhood, a middle aged army vet is shot dead by a cop for asking him to get off his property.

http://fort-greene.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/19/prayers-for-shem-walker/

So, ya know, it would be nice to be civil, but STFU you white supremacist scumhole.; 7/24/09, 9:59 PM
Anonymous said...: I know I'm late, but..."a teachable moment"? What a jerk he is! He just can't stop when he's ahead, can he?; 7/24/09, 10:31 PM
Mark said...: Stopping when he was ahead would be an improvement.; 7/24/09, 10:34 PM
Ralph L said...: 88 Duke Professors.

What scares me is the racial division in prisons. Most of them get out eventually, at least temporarily.

It is telling that he said "teaching" instead of "learning." I hope the cops don't back down anymore than they have, unless O and Gates actually apologize.; 7/24/09, 10:34 PM
Penny said...: http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/Henry_Louis_Gates_Jr/

This link was left earlier by commenter sierra. Aside from an interesting read about Skip Gates, there was a one liner that caught my eye. I hope you will forgive me for paraphrasing.

Gates noted that the college curricula for black studies was born out of student campus unrest in the late sixties. Universities were clueless what to do, other than to set up black studies programs to show that the universities had listened.

To my mind, his great insight was that the schools of architecture or literature or history had no such beginnings from "current events" on our nation's campuses.

There is no course of study that grew out of the hippie movement or the anti Vietnam war movement, which were coincidental. Just the beginning of Black Studies in the finest schools in our land.

Mr.Gates leaves no doubt that this program was started out of fear, but you really need to see the direction he chose to take over his lifetime.

Leave your partisan hats at the door. And don't be afraid to pick up a pair of glasses that don't belong to you. Not your exact prescription, but there is something to be learned.; 7/24/09, 10:37 PM
Jim said...: Montagne -

"Hey Jim, where does that chip on your shoulder come from? Did a black guy shtup your wife? Still bitter they took over basketball? Or are you just another white victim of the system? "

LOL Montagne, Montagne, Montagne...There's no chip on my shoulder. It's seems you're the one who is having difficulty dealing with the entirety of the incident. You pick and choose which facts you want to use and disregard anything that doesn't fit with your predetermined narrative.

If you want to have an honest discussion, then let's have an honest discussion. But before that you can happen, you have to be able to recognize reality and deal with it the way it is, not the way you'd like it to be.

When you're ready to do that, I'll be here. Until then, you keep imagining that I have a chip on my shoulder if that helps you get to sleep at night.; 7/24/09, 10:37 PM
Penny said...: Geez, Jim. I like you. I hope it isn't that elephant's chip on your shoulder?

You've heard there is an elephant in the room. Right?; 7/24/09, 11:09 PM
john marzan said...: re Obama inviting the white police officer for beer w/ Gates

isn't this what PR firms tell their clients when they attack other people and it backfires?

Isn't that the same thing David Letterman did too. He invited Sarah Palin to his show after viciously making fun of her daughter. i recall palin's response at that time was "go eff yourself letterman"; 7/24/09, 11:30 PM
Anonymous said...: The president is still misinformed. He still thinks Gates was arrested in his house because Sgt. Crowley didn't believe he was the legal resident.

Gates, despite his denials, is any angry black man with a chip on his shoulder as big as the Washington Monument. Even if he thought Crowley was biased, why didn't he stick to that issue, instead of going off on Crowley's mother? I think we will never hear the audiotapes of the incident because they will show Gates screaming like a homeless man with mental health issues. I'm sure the deal was, the president will praise Crowley to the high heavens but don't you dare release those tapes.

As far as who is telling the truth, Gates or Crowley, Gates has produced no one to corroborate his story. A black police officer, on the other hand, says he support's Crowley's decision to arrest Gates "100 percent." Gates's position in the Harvard community has gone to his head. He thinks he shouldn't have to identify himself to police officers from a lower social class.; 7/25/09, 12:40 AM
LouisAntoine said...: Geez Penny, it turns out the parts of the country you don't like (the "bookends") are the parts that generate the lion's share of economic productivity. I guess the progressive states sort of subsidize the rest. I wonder if there's a connection between progressive ideals, entrepreneurship, and innovation. And similarly if there's a relationship between conservative ideals, stagnation, and white grievance.; 7/25/09, 3:06 AM
Anonymous said...: Well, the progressive states are also going bankrupt, which is, truly, enjoyable to sit back and watch happen, Montagne.; 7/25/09, 5:51 AM
LoafingOaf said...: scinfinity: Well, the progressive states are also going bankrupt, which is, truly, enjoyable to sit back and watch happen

You want entire states to go bankrupt, scinfinity? Rather unpatriotic.; 7/25/09, 6:24 AM
Anonymous said...: UWS Guy: Oddly, the word "race hustler" is only thrown at black men...what other word is reserved for them pray tell?

Logic fail: "All race hustlers are black men" does not imply "All black men are race hustlers." For an example of the former, please see Al Sharpton re: Tawana Brawley. For an example of the latter, please see Bill Cosby.; 7/25/09, 7:45 AM
Der Hahn said...: I've noticed that a number of people keep treating Obama's answer as if a question on this topic might have been a surprise to Obama.

An astute commenter at Powerline noticed a situation that gives an indication of how contrived and scripted these events are.

Obama called for a question from Steve Kroft of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. Upon earing the name 'Steve', another report, Steven Thomasson, jumped up and asked a question. Obama didn't noticed the error and recited a scripted answer to a question from Steve *Kroft* which included references to The Cleveland Clinic and a planned visit to Cleveland ('your hometown') by Obama. The next reporter to be called on pointed out the error, and Obama then called on Kroft who had to scramble to formulate a question since Obama had already answered the one that both men knew would be asked.

The commenter also noted that Obama's answer preceding the question on Gates arrest was unusually brief, raising the possibility that he wanted to make sure he had time get the Gates question into the news conference.

It appears that Obama not only had a prepared answer for a question about the Gates arrest (and likely every other question at the press conference) but also a good idea of what question each reporter was going to ask.

And he still keeps whiffing the softballs.; 7/25/09, 8:25 AM
Issob Morocco said...: I wonder if The One can calibrate a 1970 Chevy Nova carburetor?

Odd choice of word to use in an apology (not).; 7/25/09, 8:36 AM
Der Hahn said...: I got the names a little confused. The reporter from the Cleveland Plain-Dealer was Steve Koff (not Kroft). The other reporter named Steve was Steve Thomma (not Thomasson) from McClatchy.; 7/25/09, 8:38 AM
Anonymous said...: der Hahn, that's a good analysis. I couldn't figure out what was going on at the time.; 7/25/09, 10:14 AM
Kirby Olson said...: Meade's comment the best on the thread: Have a televised meeting between Gates and Crowley's mom. That would be priceless.; 7/25/09, 12:50 PM
kentuckyliz said...: In Irish American subculture, sometimes your nickname is a variation on your name. Sullivan becomes Sully, (like how we refer to Andrew Sullivan!), White becomes Whitey.

Even the commenter at Gawker said, there's nothing to see here folks, that's the guy's name.

So consider this a teachable moment about Irish American subculture, brought to you by the Diversity Police TM.; 7/25/09, 3:34 PM
Anonymous said...: You want entire states to go bankrupt, scinfinity? Rather unpatriotic.

You mean the arrogant states tripping over their own feet? Yeah, I find it hilarious.

It wasn't the South that unleashed the Wall Street problems on the country, after all.; 7/25/09, 7:26 PM