The police union is now advising the President to STFU if he doesn't know all the facts.

http://thehill.com/leading-...

Good advice indeed....

The President duly notes their advice and quotes two letters of it back to them.

I agree with you, Ron. And I think I can honestly say (and this is just my opinion) that Obama wouldn't have even commented if the professor would have been any other race but African American...I guess the cycle continues....

He was barely a U. S. Senator.  He had no experience in business or as an executive.  His only record was only voting 'yes' or 'no' as a state legislator and U. S. Senator.  Yet, he gave a good trump speech.  The media fell prostrate before him.  He was 'The One'.  He promised 'hope and change'.  And then he won.  And now . . .

He inserts the Presidency into a local, not yet investigated police issue and then called the police 'stupid'.  He insists all measures must be passed in breakneck speed, unread and with the costs not even realized.  He has appointed 38 'czars', many of whom are far-left radicals who should never be allowed to influence policy.

Hillary, Biden, McCain and Richardson all warned that the Presidency was no place for "on-the-job" training.  They were right.  We didn't listen and now it's too late.

"I can honestly say (and this is just my opinion) that Obama wouldn't have even commented if the professor would have been any other race but African American   If he hadn't been asked about it.

There, fixed that for ya.

savydude, I think you mean "stump speech."  Honestly, I'm a little surprised you didn't insert any "birther" talking points.

Such big bait, such a little pond.

He was barely a U. S. Senator.  He had no experience in business or as an executive.  

And yet he's already doing better than his predecessor.   Imagine how well he'll perform in his second term.

I'm sure GW sat down and went through everything he signed line by line too eh?  Or any of the past 20 presidents.  I don't see why this comes as a shock to anyone. 

savvy - I'll wager any amount of money you couldn't run the country if you tried.

You guys just can't admit that obama ever does anything wrong can you?  I found plenty to criticize with Bush and said so..especially on the illgal issue.  But you guys still think the big o walks on water.

Funny, last night I was on an online text-based game and told a friend 'I suspect Reps will jump on him for calling the Cambridge police actions the other day "stupid"'. Glad to see my prediction came true. Because why debate the points on health care when you can go on about minor quotes like this one.
 

"You guys just can't admit that obama ever does anything wrong can you?"

Is that really what you're looking for Nancy? Does it really upset you that we like the President? In this case, he could have chosen better words, but I actually agree with what he said. Once the officers found out the Professor lived there, they should have said sorry and left. Instead they decided to arrest the angry Professor. It was stupid.

Nancy - I agree with Obama on this - the cop was out of line in making an arrest. 

The cops "acted stupidly," in other words.

Where did I hear that opinion expressed recently?

Nancy, Nancy, Nancy...of course President Obama has done some things wrong. Continuing to trying to work with the Republicans, for example.

Not pushing harder for a single payer health care system, for another.

Not pushing for a bigger, faster stimulus package, for  a third.

Not overturning DADT...

Not releasing the records of the Cheney "Energy Task Force" meetings.

Sins of omission.

I'll chime in on issues I'm not happy with Obama on..

One thing I'm a bit irked about is that "transparency" isn't what I thought it would be.  I do believe that passing legislation without thoroughly understanding it is bad.  I also believe that he should have proposed a speeding up of the GSA bid process to ensure that the stimulus money would actually be spent sooner than later.

I read about the incident and it seems to me the proper response to the cops should have been "Thank you sirs for doing your job."  Sometimes innocent people get hassled when they are trying to stop a crime.  If it had been a real bad guy breaking into his house.  He sure would have been happy to see the police then. 

I suspect if it had been two black cops doing the investigation, the good professor would have responded with a "Thank you sirs for doing your job.".  But as Mr. Obama noted, we still live in a racist world.  Thanks for proving that, Professor...

 And it gets more interesting.

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090723/ap_on_re_us/us_harva rd_scholar_disorderly

Obama just lost the police unions. I wonder if it was a teacher that called the cops? Obama should call her stupid, too. According to the police report, Professor Jerk got what he deserved.

The Professor did thank the neighbor and the police about this,after his release and they dropped the charges complete with apologies all the way around~~ but I agree with Shwaine.

This makes a great shell game piece~ my eye is on  bigger issues.

Would that be the police union which endorsed McCain last time out?

I don'y know. Note the plural form I used.

For a prez in name only who has acted pretty stupidly himself (see: http://www.wnd.com/index.ph... he has the gall to rip someone who teaches police trainees to beware of racial profiling. Instead, he should have been praising him as he did the astronauts for his "heroism, calm under pressure" and "grace." And to think this comes on the heels of the furor over the New Haven, Conn., firefighters case. Oscama to Sotomayor: "Sonia, we have a problem."

OMG ...You can't have an opinion these days or you are a racist.

How in the hell could he be a racist Ron and his mom is as white as your legs. This man is half white. He was raised by whites. A white woman gave birth to him. He is not racist.

For a prez in name only

Uh, pax, he *WAS* elected by a majority.  He *IS* the President.  And he's right--the police officer in this case, who may be a pretty sharp cookie, "acted stupidly."

.

"Sonia, we have a problem."

That's "Associate Justice Sotomayor" to you.  70 confirmation votes is my guess.

"According to the police report, Professor Jerk got what he deserved"

They were standing in Jerk's living room and they refused to give names and badge numbers as requested by the Jerk.

By the way,  being a Jerk is not against the law. Why was an arrest made,  again ?

--virgil

being a Jerk is not against the law.

Apparently "being a Jerk while Black" *IS* illegal in Cambridge.

"OMG ...You can't have an opinion these days or you are a racist."

That's what most of us have been saying all along.

That's what most of us have been saying all along.

Thus excusing *REAL* racism.

I doubt a white professor would've been handcuffed and led off. 

And I hope that Prof. Gates donates the money he gets from any lawsuit to the United Negro College Fund.

 Nancy

What are you talking about....saying a cop acted stupidly and saying a black girl holding a baby deserved to be knocked to the ground and have her baby fall to the damn floor are to separate issues.

You must admit some of the comments on this blog are just flat out racist.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I should say at the outset that "Skip" Gates is a friend, so I may be a little biased here. I don't know all the facts. What's been reported, though, is that the guy forgot his keys, jimmied his way to get into the house, there was a report called into the police station that there might be a burglary taking place -- so far, so good, right? I mean, if I was trying to jigger into -- well, I guess this is my house now so -- (laughter) -- it probably wouldn't happen. But let's say my old house in Chicago -- (laughter) -- here I'd get shot. (Laughter.)

But so far, so good. They're reporting -- the police are doing what they should. There's a call, they go investigate what happens. My understanding is at that point Professor Gates is already in his house. The police officer comes in, I'm sure there's some exchange of words, but my understanding is, is that Professor Gates then shows his ID to show that this is his house. And at that point, he gets arrested for disorderly conduct -- charges which are later dropped.

Now, I don't know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role race played in that, but I think it's fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry; number two, that the Cambridge Police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home; and number three, what I think we know separate and apart from this incident is that there is a long history in this country of African Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately. That's just a fact.

As you know, Lynn, when I was in the state legislature in Illinois, we worked on a racial profiling bill because there was indisputable evidence that blacks and Hispanics were being stopped disproportionately. And that is a sign, an example of how, you know, race remains a factor in this society. That doesn't lessen the incredible progress that has been made. I am standing here as testimony to the progress that's been made.

And yet the fact of the matter is, is that this still haunts us. And even when there are honest misunderstandings, the fact that blacks and Hispanics are picked up more frequently and oftentime for no cause casts suspicion even when there is good cause. And that's why I think the more that we're working with local law enforcement to improve policing techniques so that we're eliminating potential bias, the safer everybody is going to be.  

Is it not also stupid to quote mine and take the statements out of context? Read the full speech.  What Obama said was that it was stupid to arrest a man standing in his own home, on charges of breaking and entering or disorderly conduct, when he's provided information proving his residency and cooperated with the investigation.  

Nancy, I disagree with Obama on some issues and will happily admit it.  This is not one of them.  Having only the information I have, which is limited, I can say that I feel the same way: the cops acted "stupid" as soon as they arrested (not questioned,...not investigated...but arrested) someone for entering their own home.  After proving Gates was who he claimed and establishing that this was his home, the police had no business or cause to further question or harrass this man.

Which is why I posted the whole thing.

Picture two scenarios:

1.  Cop gets feelings hurt, bitches to buddies later about "jerk professor" he encountered.

2.  Cop gets feelings hurt, arrests "jerk professor," who's later let go with no charges creating nationwide incident.

Which cop acted "stupidly"?

"You guys just can't admit that obama ever does anything wrong can you?  I found plenty to criticize with Bush and said so..especially on the illgal issue." -NancyII-

I'm not sure what Obama did wrong in explaining his health care plan and responding to the question posed to him regarding the issue of the black Harvard professor being hauled off from his own home after presenting police with identification to let them know he was in fact in his own home. Having a post subject here suggesting that President Obama is a racist for stating the the police officers acted stupidly in this matter is just stating a fact. So what did the President do wrong last night?

He will not lose the police union support over this because if the police officers actions in this case was merited the charges against the professor would not have been dropped. This is a clear case of racial profiling and treating people of color far more harshly than a white man in the same circumstance would be treated. 

This case will result in a major lawsuit in all probability, and sadly the lawsuit is justified.

Apparently "being a Jerk while Black" *IS* illegal in Cambridge.

No, "exhibiting loud and tumultous behavior, in a public place, directed at a uniformed police officer who is present investigating a report of a crime in progress", is illegal....  Gates was trying to get arrested...

The police officer who arrested a Harvard professor for disorderly conduct said Thursday he wants President Obama, who is the educator's friend, to butt out of the incident.

HEE HEE HEE HEE!!!!

Obama's comments last night were exactly what you would expect from someone who sat in Reverend Wright's pews for 20 years.

The arresting officer, I think it was, said today that he owes no one an apology and isn't giving any.  Is the good professor going to man up or just become another race baiting attention whore like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.

"public place"

His (Gates) home is not a public place.

As Rodney King would say, "Can't we all get along?"

Ronmexico needs to amend his header to include that Gates also is a racist, so sez one blogger who points out that the Boston Globe "has scrubbed its posting of the police report because it is simply too embarrassing to Gates and to Obama": http://fumare.blogspot.com/...

Pax,

Don't be idiot .

The police officers were standing in the guy's living room and they were confrontational with him, after the positive identification.

--virgil

Virg, I didn't get that drift after just reading the officer's report. It clearly was the professor who was being nutty and out of line. How could anyone "question him" when he was going ballistic? The arrest was justified. Court dismissed.

Pax, that arrest report is hilarious!  "Ya, I'll speak with your mama outside!"  That must be Ivy League speak for "Yes officer.  I'll respect your request and discuss this outside."  LOL!

"It clearly was the professor who was being nutty and out of line. "

From the officer's report.

You think he ( gates ) was nutty enough to be arrested in his front yard ?

It sounds like he was making people look.

--virgil

Mexico,

He was in his house. Not a public place.  He had actually gotten into his own house before the cops arrived. The officer took the word of a white women over the word of a black man with a positive ID. Standing inside his own house.

It should be known to all LE officers that they will get the same from anyone of all colors when they are infringing on the privacy of someone in their own home.

You may not be aware of another possibility that officers must investigate before making an arrest. People have the right to retrieve their property. If you allow someone into your home. And that person leaves some property of theirs in your house. And you refuse to return that property. They have the right to retrieve that property in what ever way they can.

So be wary of Salesmen leaving their broken laptops in your house.

Gates didn't want to give his information to a "rogue" cop.  Apparently, Gates made that assessment when he so the color of the officer responding to the burglery call...Racial profiling at its best...

ron, I know full well that my comments won't be taken well by the majority here, but I guess that's never stopped me before.  Here''s what I think:

I think that in the event there is a case brought against this police officer, the president's comments will prejudice the case.  And by that I mean that the president has inserted himself in a local police matter.  And if he has already more or less been the judge and jury in this case, there won't be a soul alive who can look at the case without remembering what he said about it or about the police officer(s) involved. 

I believe that the president has a right to his opinion, just like the rest of us, but I also believe he should have kept that opinion under his hat until any lawsuit of any kind has been adjudicated.  Which brings up another question, too:  where are they going to find an untainted jury pool -- one that has not been swayed by outside influences?

I also think that if the president wants to be a police officer, he should resign from his present job and go apply for an officer's position.  But I don't believe that's what he wants to do.  He's the president of the United States, for crying out loud, and he ought to stay on his own turf. 

There.  Now everybody start piling.  It won't change my opinion one iota.