GOP Rep. Will Offer Resolution Demanding Obama Apology To Cambridge Police

At a time of economic distress, two wars, and a health care reform effort stalled by political friction, Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, (R-Mich.) is set to introduce a bill calling on Barack Obama to formally apologize to the Cambridge Police.

The Michigan Republican announced on Friday that he would introduce the resolution unless Obama apologized to Cambridge Police Sgt. James Crowley for criticizing Crowley's handling of Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s arrest last week.

The resolution is, as McCotter's Democratic critics note, a political ploy and a waste of congressional time. The congressman undoubtedly has a full plate of issues with which he could concern himself, including his home state's porous job market.

"Times are tough, people need jobs here at home, but instead of offering solutions, obstructionist Republicans like Congressman McCotter continue to put politics first," said Ryan Rudominer, press secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

McCotter isn't the only Republican official eagerly working to keep the Gates controversy alive. The National Republican Senatorial Committee on Thursday started distributing an online petition asking supporters to answer the question: "Do you think it's appropriate for our nation's Commander in Chief to stand before a national audience and criticize the men and women in law enforcement who put their lives on the line every day, when by his own admission, he doesn't even know all the facts?"

Though falling short of a formal apology, Obama's comments on Friday were widely seen as conciliatory. "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 or Sergeant Crowley specifically," Obama said, "and I could have calibrated those words differently."

But McCotter appears undeterred. "He has said he will introduce the legislation if the President does not retract and apologize for his comments," said Jameson Cunningham, press secretary for McCotter, when asked if Obama had already addressed his concerns. "As of now, no apology has been issued."

Here is the full text of his resolution:

Whereas on July 16, 2009, Cambridge, Massachusetts Police Sergeant James M. Crowley responded to a 911 call from a neighbor of Harvard University Professor Henry Louis ("Skip") Gates, Jr. about a suspected break-in in progress at his residence, which had been broken into on a prior occasion;

Whereas on July 22, 2009, in responding to a question during a White House press conference President Barack Obama stated: "Skip Gates is a friend, so I may be a little biased here. I don't know all of the facts involved in this local police response incident";

Story continues below

advertisement

Whereas President Obama proceeded to state Sergeant Crowley "acted stupidly" for arresting Professor Gates on charges of disorderly conduct;

Whereas, as a former Constitutional Law Professor, President Obama well understands that all Americans are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and their actions should not be prejudged prior to being fully and fairly judged by an appropriate and objective authority after due process;

Whereas, President Obama's nationally televised remarks may likely detrimentally influence the full and fair judgment by an appropriate and objective authority after due process regarding this local police response incident and, thereby, impair Sergeant Crowley's legal and professional standing in relation to said incident; and

Whereas, President Obama appeared at a daily White House Press briefing on July 24, 2009 to address his denouncement of Sergeant Crowley and stated: "I could have calibrated those words differently" but "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."

Whereas, President Obama's refusal to retract his initial public remarks and apologize to Sergeant Crowley and, instead, reiterate his accusation impugning Sergeant Crowley's professional conduct in the performance of his duties;

Now therefore be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

Calls upon President Obama to retract his initial public remarks and apologize to Cambridge, Massachusetts Police Sergeant James M. Crowley for having unfairly impugned and prejudged his professional conduct in this local police response incident.

Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter!

Comments

[TommyHollis]

The President acted stupidly when he overreacted by condemning the officer and then later criticizing the professor. Maybe by the third beer and fourth cigarette, he will realize that and prevent, in the future, spontaneous questions at his press conferences and spontaneous answers.

[billyboy949]

On Hardball yesterday, the Congressman cited Obama's "Bias", "Lack of facts" and "Prejudging" as reasons for demanding an apology. I hope that Mccotter stays the course and introduces a bill to put Bush on trial for Crimes Against Humanity, citing "Bias", "Lack of facts" and "Prejudging". Something tells me that Mccotter will have a very difficult time understanding how 500,000 innocent Iraqi lives taken could compare to the indignation suffered by a poor, white cops hurt feelings. How do we thank Michigan for this winner???

[BLUEBIRD1234]

The Republican senator is a supporter of the so called America's best friend. He should refrain from such audacious act as to force the President to apologies from the police force, as police is a disciplined force. Inciting the police force is a criminal offense. The President has the power to admonish not only the police individual but the entire police force but the police force does not have the option to protest or retaliate. After thorough inquiry proper disciplinary action be taken on the findings of the inquiry report.

The senator is clearly an supporter of America's best friendly country in the world, who wants AMERICA TO DO EVERYTHING THEY WANTS Obama to do. The president has the power to order investigation into the intent of pushing such a horrendous bill in the congress and who all are involved AND BEHIND IT. And must not apologies to maintain discipline of the force..

The general public would like to see how these REPUBLICAN WHEN THE ex president and done treachery with the nation, now tries to force the country’s President to apologies to a disciplined force and calls him racist. That senator along with all those behind him must be DEALT WITH. The Republican's started do all these after the Leader of the majority party voiced and criticized the President openly on health care to divide the Democrats?
The speaker should take steps to this effect she has the power to redeem all wrong done by the senators.

[LiberalInTexas]

This dude is such a tool.
- Police arresting someone acting as a private citizen
- POTUS expressing an opinion abuse of power

[LiberalInTexas]

HuffPo took out NOT EQUAL signs.

- Police arresting someone IS NOT EQUAL TO acting as a private citizen
- POTUS expressing an opinion IS NOT EQUAL TO abuse of power

[pdooley]

Message sent to McCotter:

While I agree that the President's statement was ill-considered, I totally disagree with your contention that he was maligning a private citizen. A law enforcement officer performing an arrest is most definitely not a private citizen. He is a public official acting as an agent of the State. On the other hand, Prof. Gates, in this context, emphatically was a proivate citizen, and futhermore, one who apparently felt that he was faced with an unwarranted intrusion of State power into his private residence! No freedom loving American should countenance such behavior on the part of his public employees.

[MSMSucksCom]

Of course what really happened will come out and this officer won't survive.

For example, all those police kept saying hot the 911 tapes would show Gates as guilty. Well... how about that, the 911 tapes don't show a thing.

And how about the 911 caller saying "I don't know if they live there or not, they have suitcases." That should have told a responding policeman that it was most like likely NOT a burglar since criminals don't break into houses at 11:00 am, while toting luggage.

What happened here is that the office entrapped Gates. It was his mistreatment of Gates that upset Gates. In other words, the officer created the situation for Gates to act disorderly. If you slug someone they are right to slug you back.

Anyone would take offense to an officer treating him or her like a criminal AFTER the officer has determined you lawfully on the premises and not a threat to anyone.

If anyone the officer should be disciplined for not handling the situation properly. He did not take care to avoid upsetting Gates and did not attempt to diffuse the situation.

And answer this, on determining that Gates was NOT a suspect did the officer say "Sorry to have inconvenienced you" or "Oh I'm sorry sir, but you know how it goes, we had to check things out."

I bet the office continued to talk down to him, acting like "I don't have to apologize to blacks."

[MSMSucksCom]

Pardon the errors in my post, not sure why the word came out "office" instead of "officer."

[MSMSucksCom]

They should do a background check on these congress members to see if they have any conduct that they should have apologized for, but didn't.

Then let's have them spend all their time drafting resolutions apologizing for their behavior.

That should keep them busy and out of our hair for a year or two.

[stevi]

President Obama has nothing to apologize for. BTW I was unaware that it was illegal to yell at a cop inside your own house, after producing identification. When did that law pass? The media, and those who dislike our President, have nothing better to do, in this time of Americas many problems, than spend precious time on this drivel. These politicians could be helping American's with health care, jobs, education and sustainable ecology. If the citizens of our country were of any importance, we would be the focus of these nervous politicians, doing whatever they can to win the next election, but alas, we are not. It really is all about the political agenda of the opposition.

[tantrictim]

its called the southern strategy for the new millenium, use crowley as the straw man for disenfranchised white working class males and paint anybody who objects to state power as an angry black man, you have learned well young jedi thaddeus

[sepiasiren]

I-I think I love you! LOL--seriously though--you summer it all up nicely in a few sentences! Bless you!

[biglith]

Obama should say he's sorry for not calling Crowley a lying sack.

[vsign]

I think Officer Crowley should give papers to both Professor Gates and the President inviting them to a defammation suit hearing - at the beer fest.

[sepiasiren]

Yeah because this isn't about healing wounds--it is about folks like you stoking fires and keeping the hate and political division going.

And since it has been proven that Crowley lied on his police report, I think he should be the one slapped with suit if anyone should be...

[vsign]

What is your objection to having empathy for a young working class man with a family no less? Why think about race? I have the most in common with persons similar in class. They are the ones that understand my problems more and who I can do things with.

[MSMSucksCom]

You can think? Could have fooled me with your misspellings.

[dragonlady620]

EVERYONE should contact their congressional representatives and voice their objections to this nonsense. The GOP is clearly trying to keep this comparatively minor incident alive to distract from the real issues-and it's outrageous that they are willing to waste time and taxpayers' money this way. We need to remind them that they are public servants first and that they work for US-and they will find themselves out of a job if they don't start ACTING like public servants.
We voted them IN, we can vote them OUT. Don't hesitate to remind them of that fact. It's the only real power We the People have.

[solarian]

need resolution that would punish those that obstruct getting the peoples business done

[TellitLikeItIs]

solarian: That would be a much more productive resolution!!

[yemaya]

They are using their bread and circus strategy. Distract and redirect the public's attention away from the real issues, HEALTH CARE REFORM. They do this all the time but this time the American people are fighting for their right to have decent health care reform and nothing these bloated blowhards do can stop the will of the people.

[sepiasiren]

But they are trying--however, if this is the best they can come up with--y'know...it's kinda sad....

[yemaya]

What a waste of tax payer money. You see, this is the difference between the republicans and everyone else. Instead of actually implementing policy (you know, actual work) that could help Americans, they are busy playing in the sandbox. No wonder it'll take years to repair the damage these poor aging dinosaurs have done. Lord help us all.

[HLL]

Well said!

President Obama has nothing to apologize for. He behaved like a statesman and is having a beer with the policeman and Professor Gates.

I demand the GOP apologize for the Iraq war, de-regulating Wall St. and the banks and bankrupting this country, Patriot Acts I & II that stripped American citizens of their Constitutional rights. Instigating torture - the GOP need to seriously apologize for that.

[raviandsonia]

AMEN