Obama was 100% correct regarding his Gate's comments except...

[WI_DEM]

he shouldn't have gone into it because it stepped on his own story. Now on ABC the top story is not health care it's stupid Diane Sawyer talking about the "duel" between the president and the officer who made the arrest. The other stations are doing the same thing.

In retrospect instead of another prime time press conference maybe Obama should have had an oval office speech (has he had one yet?) on health care and controlled the content--because the press is in cahoots with there corporate masters to do whatever they can to derail health care reform and, unfortantely, the president stepped into it.

[bliss_eternal]

1. self delete.

.

[stray cat]

2. He and Gates are friends - I suspect thats why he didn't wait to hear what the details were

although I usually think you should make sure you have all the information before you speak nationally.

[paulsby]

3. that makes it even worse

i respect informed opinions. obama ADMITTED his opinion was uniformed, then he made the "stupid" comment anyway. and the fact that he is friends with gates, means he's biased. so, he made a decision where there is AT LEAST an appearance (if not the reality of) bias AND that was admittedly uninformed. it was a gaffe. not a big deal. this isn't a huge story. but it's still a gaffe

[Statistical]

4. What is worse is it wasn't a gaffe when nothing was going on.

The media seems incapable of following more than 2 stories at the same time.

So it has sucked all the oxygen out of the room for talk on healthcare which means healthcare reform won't even get much airtime until Congress returns from its break.

[a kennedy]

9. and the same media thinks the President IS TAKING ON TO MUCH...

How I long for the old days with only 3 networks and not the 24/7 news/gossip cycle. :cry:

[EFerrari]

5. He knew the details. Did you watch his remarks?

[Statistical]

12. He said he shouldn't have been arrested for burglary which wasn't even the correct charge.

[EFerrari]

14. No, he didn't He said disorderly conduct.

"and at that point, he gets arrested for disorderly conduct" -- I think the clip is on line.

[Statistical]

17. I stand corrected however the Pres admits to not knowing all the facts.

If you don't know all the facts you don't shoot from the hip IMHO.

[AuntPatsy]

21. The few facts known were enough, he was on his own property

there was absolutely no threat to the officer....case closed...a case of bad cop period and president obama knows this.....it goes on to often and it is about time this will get some attention.

[Obamanaut]

11. I agree with you that waiting to speak would have been better. All

of this furor re Pres BO would not be an issue.

edited to add that snips are from the transcript

<snip> “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…”

.<snip>“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…”

<more at link>http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/2009/07/transcript-of-obamas-press-conference-july-22-2009.php

I think the ideal time to end the answer would have been immediately following “…and not seeing all the facts…”, with something to the effect that having said that it would not be appropriate to comment further.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. I think it caught him unawares

but if he had refused to answer the question, that would have been news as well. It was a lose-lose situation.

[TomClash]

7. The "Stupid" comment was gratuitous

You have two different versions of the incident and the President should wait until an investigation has been conducted.

[EFerrari]

10. There is no version of the story in which the cops didn't arrest Gates

in his own home after he had identified himself. Calling that stupid is an understatement.

[Statistical]

13. Technically he was arrested outside his home. n/t

[EFerrari]

15. Right. On his porch. nt

[TomClash]

19. Here was the President's comment

"Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof he was in own home."

What proof was there? People don't usually break into their own home.

I would still prefer to wait for an investigation before condemning Crowley.

[EFerrari]

20. He identified himself to the Cambridge police. No one is disputing that.

[TomClash]

22. But you can call yourself by any name

That doesn't mean he is who he says he is, particularly in that context. As I understand it he did not provide identification, but maybe he did. The Globe has also said Crowley has not yet provided a his version of how events transpired. The President jumped the gun.

[Statistical]

23. He did provide ID.

He wasn't arrested for trespassing or burglary but disorderly conduct.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/17512830/Gates-Police-Report

Gates likely was loud and irate, and maybe had a bad attitude.

The cop should have taken the highroad, left his card, and drove away.
The cop IMHO took it personally and got gates to leave the residence so he could arrest him for disorderly conduct.

[TomClash]

24. The ID didn't show he lived at the address

If the police report is accurate, and that's certainly not guaranteed, Crowley walked away and Gates followed him and continued to berate him in the Street. You prove my larger point - let's conduct an investigation - I'd like to see what Rodriguez and Whalen and the other witnesses have to say.

Maybe you're right and maybe the police report is bull.

Maybe Gates had spent 22 hours on a plane from China, was tired, couldn't wait to get home, and comes home to find he couldn't get into his own home because the door was jammed. And maybe Crowley didn't care for the fact that some "distinguished Harvard Professor" was calling the Chief of Police to pull rank on a beat cop, who makes a small percentage of what Gates makes but spends his whole life serving the community. And maybe I'm way off base. That's why there are investigations.

[EFerrari]

26. His ID did show he lived at that address per his attorney's statement.

[TomClash]

27. Doesn't the incident report says it was a Harvard Photo ID?

Employer photo IDs don't tend to have addresses.

Then again, police reports aren't always accurate. That's why you have investigations.

[EFerrari]

28. He presented a driver's license and his Harvard ID. nt

[quiller4]

30. He showed his MA DL and Harvard ID. That factoid was released in

the first article in the local press about the arrest and had no been challenged by law enforcement.

[TomClash]

31. The Police Report does not mention his driver's license nt

[EFerrari]

25. Two pieces of ID. And Obama did not jump the gun.

By the time he made his remarks, the charges were already dropped and the mayor had apologized.

[TomClash]

29. But you're looking at it now

Not at the time of the arrest.

Of course the Mayor apologized. It's the politically smart thing to do.

Of course the charges were dropped. It's the politically smart thing to do.

That doesn't mean the President should call the arrest stupid.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. I am glad he talked about it

This is a national discussion we need to have. I think he was smart to say what he said.

[Fading Captain]

18. So have that talk

On his own dime.
Two nights ago, his press conference was being billed has a chance to galvanize Democrats and the country on the most important legislation America has considered in years.
And he gave it away.

[Fading Captain]

16. LOL -- Said this yesterday, got called a troll

Although, I am undecided as to whether his comment was accurate.