Obama Backtracks Calling Police Action Stupid: Was It Moderation or Is Obama Becoming the First Wimp?

While watching the president's rambling press conference Wednesday, I was jolted out of a near snooze when he made a sharp comment, saying the Cambridge, Massachusetts police had behaved stupidly. I was excited, because Barack Obama usually plays to the middle ground. Not because he's a political centrist -- he's not -- but because it often appears he believes the best chance for achieving success is to offend the least many people possible.

That's why he wasn't my first choice last year in the primaries -- he was actually my fourth. I viewed him as the sort of guy who becomes frat president -- not so much to get the girls, but to be everyone's pal. A glad hander with an even temperament, a winning smile, soft-spoken, articulate and smart. A great trait to become president of the Harvard Law Review, but not the leader of the free world.

And so, because Obama measures his words about almost everything, I was intrigued when he finally said something direct and from his heart after someone asked him at the end of the press conference what he thought about the case of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, who'd been arrested in his home.

I liked the way Obama laid it out carefully, saying the initial stages seemed fine to him, when someone saw Gates in the dark from a distance trying to jimmy open the door of his Cambridge home. He said he didn't mind at all that the police were called to investigate and found Gates, who was already inside his home.

But at that point he said it should have ended, as the professor showed the officer his ID, indicating he actually lived there, and Obama earned a big hurray from me when he said that the police department acted "stupidly" when they arrested Gates.

He was right. The policeman, Sgt. James Crowley, was wrong. Yet, though Gates was released without being charged after four hours of what must have been a humiliating experience for a distinguished professor -- or any decent American -- mug shots, fingerprinting and the like -- Sgt. Crowley said he had done nothing for which to apologize, though the mayor of Cambridge did just that.

When the case became controversial -- lead stories by Brian Williams on NBC, Katie Couric on CBS, Charlie Gibson on ABC and reports on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC -- not to mention the inevitable replays on YouTube -- Obama suddenly softened his tone. It was as if he said, "Oh, my God, it doesn't matter that I was right, but this will take media space away from my health care issue, and I don't want to make people think I was playing favorites with people tied to my race."

Then, when the tweets on Twitter became deafening he almost completely backtracked during a surprise appearance before the White House Press Corps. He said he was wrong for what he'd said about the Cambridge Police department and Sgt. Crowley, insisted that Crowley was an "outstanding police officer" and blamed himself for ratcheting up the incident by his comment. He further told the press he'd called Gates and Crowley and invited them both to the White House to have a beer for a kumbaya moment. Instead of this mealy-mouthed reversal, why couldn't the president man up and say, "You know, I don't have to explain myself. I said what I meant and I stand by what I said."

Even though the facts of this case are still as mysterious as the Michael Jackson toxicological reports, it's clear that had Professor Gates done anything truly illegal the police would have been champing at the bit to get the info to us. If Professor Gates had pulled out a gun or brandished a cane or slugged Sgt. Crowley in the mouth it would have been assault and grounds for arrest. No such charge has been made.

So since it is just conjecture as to what happened, I'll explore the most vile possibility. Perhaps Professor Gates is a hothead and quick tempered. Perhaps he was so repulsed by the thought that he was being questioned in an accusatory manner -- after having given the officer proof that he lived in the house -- that he -- hold onto your hats -- said something nasty. Maybe it was more than nasty -- a vulgar epithet -- maybe even used the "F" word or combined it with the word honkie.

When I was a kid I was taught, "Sticks and stones can break your bones, but names can never harm you." Was Sgt. Crowley never taught that? Not even in training for the Cambridge police force? How gutless of our president in his zeal to be neutral and not make waves to say that both Sgt. Crowley and Professor Gates overreacted. It doesn't matter whether Professor Gates overreacted. Such an overreaction is within his legal rights. It is not within Sgt. Crowley's legal rights to take advantage of the situation.

There was no reason for Professor Gates to be led off in handcuffs, whatever unpleasant thing he might have said to irritate Sgt. Crowley. The officer should have taken a deep breath and walked away. His powers as a policeman, which include being armed with a gun and a stick to beat someone back, do not entitle him to use the threat of physical force under color of authority when someone is exercising freedom of speech in his own home.

Even Sgt. Leon Lashley, an African American Cambridge police department colleague of Sgt. Crowley's, admitted that, while he supported Crowley's action (big surprise), it probably would have played out differently had he been the officer to arrive on the scene. When CNN's Anderson Cooper pressed Lashley as to why Gates was taken in -- whatever he'd said, it was in his house -- Lashley lamely responded that they were able to do so because Gates had walked outside the house. Cooper pressed further, saying Gates was on his porch and it was still his property. Lashley insisted that once out of the house, a hot exchange of words could then be viewed as disturbing the peace. That's a big stretch.

There is nothing about this case that doesn't smell phony, and the fact that our president won't stand behind his words when they become controversial makes me quite concerned about his future. It's still too early in his administration to point the finger of failure as partisan Republicans have done. But whether it's the timetable on our involvement in Iraq on which he's waffled, his health care deadline, on which he caved in to congressional forces wanting a delay or his still unfulfilled promise to gay Americans that he will eliminate the preposterous "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy -- that even many distinguished members of our military have lobbied against -- Obama just doesn't have the cojones to follow through unless he has a clear consensus. He is so afraid to offend and risk losing support that he refuses in fact to lead by setting the proper example.

The president says he has to be careful about what he says, because when he says something it gets a sizable reaction, and that's true. But in this case it deserved the media attention and exposed an outrageous happenstance that shouldn't be pooh-poohed and dispensed with over a couple of Miller Lites. The president shouldn't be so concerned about offending conservative elements of our society that he somehow compared Gates and Crowley's behavior as a simple case of two men overreacting. Even CNN's David Gergen said he was distressed about Obama's conclusion giving equal status to the men's wrongdoing.

I'll say it again. Gates has a right to scream at a policeman and tell him to get out of his house. You might not like it if he called Crowley a pig (and I'm not saying he did), but even if he had it's covered under the First Amendment. Crowley's "overreaction" went a lot farther than harmless name calling, forcibly taking Gates from his house like a common criminal. His deed was a helluva lot more consequential and an overreaching of the public trust invested in him as a police officer.

So, if this is another sizable sign of how our president is more concerned about his television "Q" rating than making meaningful change for the American people, Obama may well be a one-term president. My only hope is that if Obama can't get his act together by next year there will be a strong Democrat standing in the wings to go head to head with him in the 2012 primaries rather than the party giving him token support and in the process handing the country back to the Republicans.

In case you can't tell, I'm thoroughly disgusted with his actions today.

Michael Russnow's website is www.ramproductionsinternational.com

Comments

[adoantarel]

I remember when I first heard about this arrest on the news. Virtually every story I heard had a slant to it, about how unjust this was. A distinguished black man being unfairly arrested just for being home by an obviously racist cop. Even then I had a feeling there was more to the story and was bugged at how partial the reporters seemed. How did they already know so quickly who the villain was?

Once people dug deeper, we heard how Gates may have only shown a Harvard ID, not a state ID (we still don't know.) How the officer reported over radio that Gates was "uncooperative", most likely meaning refusing to show ID. How no mention of black was made in the 911 call and how the woman wasn't a neighbor. How Crowley was selected/v­olunteered to TEACH racial sensativity to other cops. How there had been other robberies on the neighborhood. How Gates had said to Crowley, "I'll see your mother outside." How there are no reports of Crowley saying anything racist, unless you count asking for ID.

I think the media and many in this country owe Crowley an apology for calling him a bigot, starting with Professor Gates. And btw, I am a gay white liberal democrat. But that doesn't mean I always side with the minority against the cops. Sometimes, the "little guy" is in the wrong.

[RedSunn]

well, adoantarel, i am a black, female, liberal, democrat and crowley had NO business arresting this man in his house especially after gates provided him with the proper id which indicated that he was in his own residence. obama was right the first time bere he "recalibrated" his words. the police acted stupidly. and the Mass DA agreed with obama because they dropped all th bogus charges, duhhhh. you act the police are brilliant people. in the US, all you need to be a cop is a high school diploma. that is the problem. if you were on the other end of this type of injustice on a constant basis, you would not be so willing to offer crowley an apology. it is white people like you who just make me sick.

[vigilocanis]

Top Ten Things Not To Scream at a Cambridge Policeman After He Arrives At Your Home To Investigate a Breaking and Entering Dispatch!

Don’t Try Any of These Responses at Home. They could be injurious to your freedom.

By vigilocanis

1. “No, I will not come outside with you!”



2. “Why, because I am a black man in America?”



3. ‘You have no idea who you are messing with!”



4. “You have not heard the last of this!”



5. “Officer, what is your name?”



6. “You are a racist cop!”



7. “Ya, I’ll speak to your mother outside!”



8. ‘You are guilty of racial bias!”



9. “I am disabled and will fall without my cane!”



10. “My front door is un-securable due to a previous break in!”



(Responses taken almost verbatim from Gates police report-edited for speaking tense)

[adoantarel]

I'd recommend not yelling anything at a cop who came to protect your property. You show him your ID, explain the misunderstanding, and say thanks for coming out to try to protect my stuff.

[lordjin]

You make a strong point in this piece, Mr. Russnow.

On the one side of this, there is the risk of losing support from certain areas when speaking from the heart, as Obama did when he said the 'stupidly' thing. (it came out, it didn't take any pauses or deliberation, it just came out because that's how he really feels about it.)

This latest retraction and apology is yet another example of the recurring Obama theme: "fewer ripples in the water means easier navigation." Being as diplomatic as possible in every situation in the hope that support will increase and resistance will decrease is not a bad philosophy, but such a thing poses a danger, too.

He's developing the reputation of a jellyfish. A wishy-wasy middle of the road guy who is slave to media reaction, and for that reason can never truly speak his mind. Instead of garnering further support and advancing his agenda, this view of him will always lead his opponents to 'try something' with him, to use this uncompromising detication to compromise against him.

an unending quest for popularity could make a person very, very unpopular.

[PJay1]

Nicely said.

[noudidnt]

Exactly. thank you for chrystallizing what I've been thinking about this Great Compromiser.

[GrifRoss]

Instead of being a jellyfish or a wimp, perhaps he's just the first president we've had in a long time that''s able to realize he's made a mistake and openly admit it.

To call out a cop, who does not have the same capacity to answer such charges with the same volume as the President of the United States does in making them, is pretty bad. It's bullying and ill-considered. Obama was not there on the ground, nor was any of us. For all we know the cop could well have made a correct call, only to have his superiors decide that such a minor charge was not worth the political fall out, which, as usual, left the street cop holding the bag.

When Obama corrected his earlier statement my admiration for him went up a notch.

[wanttruth]

President Obama seems to be a very loyal, hardworking, reasonable, man! I really respect him.

[Silent Edge]

I definitely agree with your reasoning there; time and time again during the campaign, he even said it himself that he wouldn't be the perfect president, and he would be honest in his convictions and words, telling people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear--but it's sad with how the media picks up on the smallest of arguments against him to turn it into a bigger issue that causes him to lose favor, when he was being downright honest with his opinions. I'm just sick and tired of the different kind of coverage that this president is getting compared to the treatment of our other presidents--and clearly, race still is an issue that seems to make everyone biased with their own reactions to what he says.

[HSmith]

1. We Didn"t Just Fail To Support President Obama And Professor Gates; We Failed To Support The Common Sense Values We All Share As Americans.

The president of the United States made a straight forward common sense comment about the Gates" arrest at a national press conference. I"m sure he assumed that there would be universal common sense understanding throughout the media and our society about the injustice of arresting a middle-aged man within his own home for being rude to a police officer. Sadly the media, law enforcement, political institutions and race baiting public in this society allowed this common sense evaluation to spiral out of control. The minority population in this country has always and will always need a coalition of proactive citizens with a similar sense of values in this society so injustices can be expressed without chaos, political unrest or violence. That has been the basis of every minority civil rights movement of our country. The president acknowledged an obvious injustice at a national press conference and expected common sense police officers, nurses , doctors , teachers, the media, politicians and everyday citizens to understand and support his outrage at the injustice and humiliation Professor Gates endured in his own home.

[HSmith]

2. Common sense values dictate that no one would want their dad or grandfather to be arrested in their own home for being rude to the police. But instead, this society debated and continues to debate whether Professor Gates should have been humiliated in such a manner by a professional police officer. President Obama is president of the United States, but he is also a member of a minority group of citizens in this country, and he has to navigate in ways someone who is not a member of a minority will never have to. As a member of a minority group, just as in the civil rights movement, President Obama's voice on injustice in this country, is and will only be as strong and as loud as the courage, strength and volume of the coalition of common folks who elected this president to office. Without common sense folks repeatedly speaking out loudly and confronting an obvious injustice, the president"s voice will be drowned out by the race baiting fringe groups, media and other institutions that know his voice is only as strong as yours.

[HSmith]

3. The radical fringe wants everything about President Obama, from birth certificates to pre-school, from friends to religious associations, marriage, political appointments and opinions to revolve around race, so that the voices of common sense folks with common sense values and issues can be drowned out by fake controversies, chaos and political unrest. If we empower the president's voice on common sense issues within this country, we will mute the divide and conquer tactics of these racists fringe elements in our society that surely benefit from political unrest and racial strife in the United States. The president spoke out about an obvious injustice to one of the most respected scholars in the country. It is our responsibility as citizens to back the common sense approach and determination that the president came to, repeatedly and loudly. In this democracy our president is a reflection of who we are and what we represent as a society. If we fail to speak up and support this president"s common sense approach on issues of injustice and policy in this country, the president we elected will have no voice, and neither will we.

H. Smith

[lordjin]

fanned.

[lilbro]

He is the POTUS and who are you?.

[americanboi]

Obama..the conciliato­r...apolog­izing?

How disappointing. Hillary, McCain, Bush and no other president would have called the lug. No one but Obama. Let clergyman perform house calls..not the POTUS.

This sucks major a_ss

[noudidnt]

true

[buzzygirl]

First whimp? The president acted like the grown up here in a fight that was getting way out of hand, thanks to the media. For those of us who want to set good examples for our children, it is refreshing to see a president take the stand that president Obama did.

What do we tell our children? Stick your foot in the mud, refuse to budge, even when you know you've made a mistake?

What the president did, was the responsible thing. Imagine the silliness we would have had going into this next week? From the Republicans trying to make hay or the media looking for something to fill up their news holes.

I commend this president for what he did. Far from being a whimp, he set a good example for my 12-year-old son, who told me, "Mom, I think the president did the right thing, but do you think the media will let it go?"

That's the question for people who want to keep this mess going.

[wanttruth]

Excellent post. I feel the same way!

[Areyoume2]

I think it was Obama's realizing that he used a bad choice of words; that happens at times, especially after an hour long news conference and question/answer period. As it was, he couldn't stick the words back into his mouth. The writer of this article, on the other hand, had time to reflect and STILL chose to call the President of the United States: the First Wimp. I'm glad that the President was thoughtful in his retraction of his poorly chosen word.

I also think the Cambridge police union is falling all over itself to use a series of wrong words as it continues to justify. The fact that there are very brave men and women in law ennforcement , putting their lives in danger everyday, has NOTHING to do with cops who abuse authority PERIOD. The situation was obvious. Gates didn't raise his hands - but did raise his voice. Is that NOT allowed in America? When did cops become hallowed territory? Obama took just the right tone to open this dialog.

[ElsaIndy]

Having jumped into something he never should have jumped into involving a friend and without the facts, and having taken a knee jerk anti cop PC stand, when after the facts came out and we could all read the police report , is that Obama is in deep trouble politically. It turns out his friend, Gates,, acted like a bully, screaming and verbally abusing the officer who responded to a call to his home in order to protect him. There is a concept of disorderly conduct and Gates met that definition and was arrested. The officer handled himself well throughout the ordeal. Gates, a Harvard professor, should have been able to handle the situation but did not. This is not a race issue. Obama and Gates should apologize to Crowley.

[JimR]

And now the woman who made the 911 call says she never said it was "2 black men" breaking in. She wasn't close enough to make out their faces. She just said "2 men" were breaking in.

[wanttruth]

President Obama NEVER made anything about race. The reporter asking the question mentioned racial profiling.

[wanttruth]

Professor Gates' civil rights were violated. President Obama was responding to a direct question. Freedom of Speech lives. There was nothing wrong with President Obama's candor.

[StillAmused]

You must've been turning handsprings when Junior chirped, "Bring it on."

[greymom]

Obama behaved like a responsible adult. Sometimes the adult thing to do is difuse a situation for the greater good and the greatest good right now is to get a health care reform bill passed. Principle will only get you so far in politics.

I personally loved the way Obama handled the situation. When he kind of shook his wrist and said "race will always be an issue" and he looked like he felt the discussion was distasteful, it seemed that he was flicking off those pesky republicans who are so conserned about reverse discrimination but never really cared about real discrimination. I know I am not expressing this very well but his whole demeanor seemed that he was a black man, he has transcended race in politics, and wished the rest of the country would just grow up.

I am proud of the way he handled himself. He is one class act.

[wanttruth]

Well said.

[zionistoilmafia]

Hercabinboy says:

photo

"I have plenty of my own disdain for the police and I share your feelings about law enforcement, but
your ignorance does not change the fact that while Crowley's arrest of Gates was unwarranted and wrong"

If you want to be taken seriously in posting here, then be consistent. You say you have disdain for LE and that the arrest was unwarranted and wrong. FULL stop. Period mate. That's it, that's all.

Thanks for sharing, anyhting beyond that is some apologist c rap that's frankly just rac*al profiling.

[HerCabinBoy]

Where do you people come from? Oh dear. I...I...Oh No! I can't help MYSELF!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!

Tiruchirapalli was originally a Chola citadel and later, during 1st millennium AD, it was occupied by other south Indian dynasties such as the Pallavas and Pandyas. The Chola's regained control over Tiruchirapalli during the 10th century. Nearby Urayur was the capital of the Early Cholas. Later, after the fall of the Chola empire, it came under the direct conrol of dies natalis (literally birth day) has become a common term, adopted in many languages, especially in intellectual and institutional circles exclaimed one of our company, and, spurring our jaded horses, we soon gathered around this wonderful phenomenon. It was indeed a perfect geyser. The aperture through which the jet was projected was an irregular oval, three feet by seven in diameter. The margin of sinter was curiously piled up, and the exterior crust was filled with little hollows full of water, in which were small globules of sediment, some having gathered around bits of wood and other nuclei. This geyser is elevated thirty feet above the level of the surrounding plain, and the crater rises five or six feet above the mound. It spouted at regular intervals nine times during our stay, the

[army193]

It's funny that some act like they were at in space from 2000-Present..