Obama calls white policeman who arrested scholar
Jul 24 03:16 PM US/Eastern
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D99L0H700&show_article=1

WASHINGTON (AP) - Trying to tamp down an uproar over race, President Barack Obama said Friday he used an unfortunate choice of words in commenting on the arrest of black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. and could have "calibrated those words differently."

The president said he had telephoned the white policeman who arrested Gates, and he said the conversation confirmed his belief that the officer was a good man and an outstanding officer.

The president caused a stir when he said at a prime-time news conference earlier this week that Cambridge, Mass., police had "acted stupidly" by arresting Gates, a friend of the president's, for disorderly conduct.

On Friday, Obama made an impromptu appearance at the daily White House briefing in an effort to contain the controversy. He said he continued to believe that the both the officer, Sgt. James Crowley, and Gates had overreacted during the incident, but the president also faulted his own comments.

"This has been ratcheting up, and I obviously helped to contribute ratcheting it up," he said. "I want to make clear that in my choice of words, I think I unfortunately gave an impression that I was maligning the Cambridge police department and Sgt. Crowley specifically. And I could've calibrated those words differently."

The incident began when police went to Gates' home last week after a passer-by reported a potential break-in. It turned out that Gates had tried to jimmy open his own door, which was stuck, and there was no intruder. Gates protested the police actions and was arrested, although the charges have since been dropped.

Well you can bet his little foot in mouth has cost him a bunch of votes...Not very professional for a Pres. to spout off like he did....the rookie is showing..He is so adamant on doing away with racial divide, well he blew it this time.

I love his apology so human/an on the other end also
we a ll mess up don't we

Umm spout offs,does not cost anything ,but mistakes do, should we go there?

as u said "the rookie is showing" but he knows it and hope he learned a valuable lesson, and its on fox show now, as i type, lol,, obama took the bait on the question during a health care thing, as they are saying on tv, i dont know what gates said but he should appreciate the cops came thinking they were protecting his house, even when i get a ticket, i thank them when its over, as they are only trying to save lives, they see ppl killed in wrecks daily,,i need to read what gates said. i dont think gates used the best language, and someone called the house was being broke into. even before i read i get the impression gates said the wrong things, and would not let it drop but i will find out,

Obama made a mistake, but acknowledge it,I like his ability to admit a mistake,..I love his transparency/honesty

gypsy wrote:Obama made a mistake, but acknowledge it,I like his ability to admit a mistake,..I love his transparency/honesty

he had no other choice as his statement has made it more a national racial event.but he will learn when not to talk, but to me its not about obama but gates, i have not read enough on what happened but i will ,

sorry! yes he had a choice. he chose to admit his mistake//he did! love it~

yes its called ,engaging in some damage control.

good,,whatever,he admitted it,end of subject,..find another outlet?/blame

no its not ended it may have a law suit involved, im not talking about obama, but he took the bait, and made it front page, with his first mistake as he talked about it when said he was wrong, he is no Eisenhower in handling the press , he should have said he need to learn more about the event and back out of it, rather than run his mouth, and make a boo , boo,

so silly.. I am sure so minute. compared to last era~~ carry on~

#1 Gates is a friend of Obama's , he let personal feelings without knowing the whole story cloud good judgement...poor showing, then the media ran with it..at first he was standing by his statement , but as today progressed you can bet his advisers let him know he screwed up. The police interview was enlightening they were furious.. Do you think Obama gives a shit about a black man being arrested by a white cop in any other instance ?? Happens every day in New Orleans, don't see him on those bandwagons..
This was just poor judgement on his part, hope this isn't a glimpse of his behaviour on crucial issues. This was definitely transparent , it was splashed around the world via media, the whole world got to see our President with his foot in his mouth. Great showing...

gypsy wrote:so silly.. I am sure so minute. compared to last era~~ carry on~

Oh my goodness ...LAST ERA ???? You don't mean that dreaded Bush..well now how in the world did you manage to get poor ole Bush in Obama shooting off his mouth ??? Can you clarify the connection here ? Or could is just have been another cheap shot on your part...

its over the mistake,only the re pubs. will continue to slur.

I am sure Obama will ignore this like all the rest..

he has a full plate,better hope he succeeds right? dms/repubs?? if not then what?

do you think anyone could do better.answer with honesty

SSC wrote:#1 Gates is a friend of Obama's , he let personal feelings without knowing the whole story cloud good judgement...poor showing, then the media ran with it..at first he was standing by his statement , but as today progressed you can bet his advisers let him know he screwed up. The police interview was enlightening they were furious.. Do you think Obama gives a shit about a black man being arrested by a white cop in any other instance ?? Happens every day in New Orleans, don't see him on those bandwagons..
This was just poor judgement on his part, hope this isn't a glimpse of his behaviour on crucial issues. This was definitely transparent , it was splashed around the world via media, the whole world got to see our President with his foot in his mouth. Great showing...

AMEN

For one thing this whole mess was escaulated by Obama sticking his nose in it, then the racial issues came out black man / white cop...oh and now he is white washing it inviting both to the White House for a beer...a BEER ??? Well that ought to piss of MADD and a few other people who don't believe in drinking. He needs to stop acting so getto and shut his mouth. You are saying Republicans are sluring...guess every news media doesn't count.. Obama screwed up, the less he says the better and let it fade away. As far as a better choice..helllllllllllll yes there are better ones than him for the position......

well from your post an your thoughts,you hope Obama fails? who would succeed then
who do you think would solve tihs problem?

what we did was elect a smooth talking rookie , but he will rise or fall, and it will be interesting to watch however it goes, i mean it has to go one way or the other, the republicans have already said this medical insurance bill if he looses will be his Waterloo.
he even said as much,,

gypsy wrote:well from your post an your thoughts,you hope Obama fails? who would succeed then

that would be answered in the next election, we elect ppl in america

rosco 357 wrote:what we did was elect a smooth talking rookie , but he will rise or fall, and it will be interesting to watch however it goes, i mean it has to go one way or the other, the republicans have already said this medical insurance bill if he looses will be his Waterloo.
he even said as much,,

KI m sure the re pubs like the waterloo

ok it ur bedtime now, lol. as i read ur message,

rosco 357 wrote:

gypsy wrote:well from your post an your thoughts,you hope Obama fails? who would succeed then

that would be answered in the next election, we elect ppl in america

so you Think Mcain would have been better?

911, police tapes key in Gates case
Officials mull release of recorded evidence
By Richard Weir, Laurel J. Sweet and Benjamin Bell | Friday, July 24, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1186764&format=text

Mounting pressure to get to the bottom of the controversial arrest of black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. is centering on recorded police tapes that may offer a dose of reality amid all the media and political noise.

Cambridge police brass and lawyers are weighing making the tapes public, which could include the 911 call reporting a break-in at Gates’ home and radio transmissions by the cop who busted him July 16 for disorderly conduct.

“It’s powerful evidence because the (people involved) have not had a chance to reflect and you are getting their state of mind captured on tape,” said former prosecutor and New York City police officer Eugene O’Donnell, who is now a lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan.

Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert Haas said last night he has asked City Solicitor Donald Drisdell to review the 911 tape, which has the potential to either bolster or impugn Gates’ stance that he is a blameless victim of racial profiling at his own home.

Further, Sgt. James Crowley noted in his report that he radioed police headquarters to let them know he was with the person who appeared to be the home’s lawful resident, but who was “very uncooperative.”

Upon receiving Gates’ Harvard ID, Crowley wrote he radioed in to request “the presence of the Harvard University Police.”

In a radio interview yesterday morning with WEEI’s John Dennis and Gerry Callahan, Crowley, a 42-year-old father of three, said he hasn’t heard the tapes.

“One of my first transmissions was to slow the units down and I’m in the residence with somebody I believe resides here, but he’s being very uncooperative. So, that’s in real time,” Crowley told the sports-talk hosts.

“I’m not really sure how much you could hear from Professor Gates, you know, in the background. I, I don’t know. I haven’t heard the tapes.”

Haas did not share with reporters what can be heard on the tapes, but commented, “I don’t believe Sgt. Crowley acted with any racial motivation at all.”

Gates, 58, a world-renowned scholar and documentary filmmaker on black history, allegedly ranted to police at his Ware Street home, “This is what happens to black men in America!” and “You don’t know who you’re messing with!” in addition to verbally dragging Crowley’s mother into the fray.

“More often than not,” O’Donnell said, “as the facts come out, they are more favorable to the cop. It’s crucial in the sense that it provides independent evidence. There is no question it provides corroboration. He called the tapes potentially “crucial” to Crowley’s ability to defend himself against charges of racism.

Attorney Stuart London, who has defended countless cops in high-profile cases, including one of the NYPD officers charged in the 1998 beating and plunger torture of Abner Louima in 1998, said, “If (the officer is dealing) with someone who is not being cooperative and is unruly, (the tape) gives you more insight into the state of mind of the officer. That’s the most important part.”

“I don’t believe this officer did anything wrong, and given what we know, I don’t think he would be afraid to share the tapes at all, either,” said Thomas Nee, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association. “It’s public record. From dispatch to conclusion, it’s all on tape.”

Gypsy don't read something that isn't there, and try to put words in my mouth, not one place did I say I hoped he failed . We can't afford for him to fail, he has got us to deep , there has to be a way to pull out this country, but snap decisions and spending trillions doesn't seem to be working or the answer. The stimulas isn't getting anywhere, unemployment is still raising at a stagering amount, businesses shutting down daily.
As far as McCain maybe he would have been better, maybe worse, for the next 4 years we are stuck with what we have.