President Obama addresses the media in the briefing room at the White House in Washington on Friday.
(Alex Brandon/AP)Photos (1 of 1)
To move nation past ’stupidly’ comment, Obama speaks again
The president stepped in, saying he should have chosen different words in discussing the arrest of Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr., in an attempt to defuse the rapidly escalating situation.
By Linda Feldmann | Staff writer/ July 24, 2009 edition
Washington
President Obama did not apologize outright Friday for saying that the police had “acted stupidly” in arresting black Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. last week, but he came awfully close.
In a surprise appearance at the regular White House briefing Friday, the president said he “could have calibrated those words differently.”
Mr. Obama initially commented on Mr. Gates’s arrest at a press conference Wednesday and then returned to the issue in an interview with ABC-TV on Thursday. Before the Friday’s briefing, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs had signaled that he believed the president was likely finished speaking about the incident.
With this latest round of comments, Obama showed that he recognized that the controversy was not subsiding and that he could play a role in soothing tensions.
“In my choice of words, I unfortunately gave the impression that I was maligning the Cambridge Police Department or Sergeant Crowley specifically,” Obama said Friday. He continued to say that he believes Crowley to be “an outstanding police officer.”
He was referring to the policeman who had arrested Gates last week for disorderly conduct after Gates was seen forcing open the door to his own Cambridge, Mass., home.
Police organizations, some of whom supported his election, had been vocally critical of his original statement.
While Obama sought to explain his earlier comments, he did not fully excuse either Crowley or Gates for their behavior.
“I continue to believe, based on what I have heard, that there was an overreaction in pulling Prof. Gates out of his home and to the station,” Obama said. “I also continue to believe, based on what I heard, that Prof. Gates probably overreacted as well.”
Friday’s development cast more light on Obama’s role as America’s first black president and the fine line he has walked in dealing with race issues. In his remarks, Obama said he disagreed with criticism that he should have steered clear of a local issue.
“The fact that this had become such a big issue I think is indicative of the fact that race is still a troubling aspect of our society,” he said. “Whether I were black or white, I think that me commenting on this … is part of my portfolio.”
Obama also expressed hope that the controversy could be a “teachable moment,” where people could “spend a little more time listening to each other and try to focus on how we can generally improve relations between police officers and minority communities.”
Ending his remarks on a light note, Obama said he and Crowley talked about having the three of them – Obama, Crowley, and Gates – get together at the White House for a beer. Crowley, he added, said he’d like to get the press off his lawn.
“I informed him that I can’t get the press off my lawn,” Obama said. According to the president, Crowley then “pointed out that my lawn is bigger than his lawn.”
Later in the day, the White House confirmed that Obama had continued his mission of reconciliation by speaking with Gates, too. A White House statement read: “They had a positive discussion during which the President told Gates about his call with Sgt. Crowley and statement to the media. The President also invited Gates to join him with Sgt. Crowley at the White House in the near future.”
Comments
2. Conservativethinker | 07.24.09
Should a president be commenting on such events? Next time,it might be prudent to save the muck and mire for the media. Obviously, if I go to Cambridge, I’ll
be sure to let the police have their way; however, don’t ask Obama to comment if they lock me up. Then again, I’m not black and connected. If Obama is going to be the personal lawyer for each civil rights violation that affects his social circle, he’s probably in for a short term as President.
3. Michael A. Petretta | 07.25.09
To the Editors:
i believe the Cambridge arrest happened at the end of the discussion re Health Care. The President fielded those questions with expertise of fact and delivery. I believe it was a planned question especially at the end. The President probably was frustrated how the police handled the arrest of his friend Professor Gates and used words that were not politically correct.
Alright: The President has stated he used a poor choice of words. No one is perfect. He should be applauded for this act of contrition. Has Cheny or Bush done the same? No. Never.
Enough is enough.
Michael A. Petretta
Goleta, California USA
4. Seqen Nukmose Ma’at | 07.25.09
‘Wordplay’: that’s what this is.
Its like terror and terra=the war on earth NOT terror. ‘War’ uses terror as a weapon. Wars need weapons or else there’s no war, right?
‘Race’ should catagorically mean genetics: Nothing else.
However, since the word had been put thru stigmatocracy, the result is that peoples using these words dont speak the same language, and stigmatocracy, gives rise , to ‘Fear of Wanting to Protect Your Geneologie’s interests’.
5. Chris Temple | 07.25.09
What we saw was the “Community Organizer” Barack Obama. After all, isn’t this a community organizer’s signature issue, the cops abusing a black man.
He was animated. He let his emotions get the best of him. President Obama put this Gates issue in front of health care (or health insurance) reform, which as I’ve been hearing, is his signature presidential issue.
When will this country (or at least this country’s media) begin to really look at who we elected as president?
Now, to mitigate damage, Obama lifts the police officer up with some off-the-cuff praise, makes him an intellectual equal with Mr. Gates. This can’t be sitting well with some people, especially Mr. Gates, whose original position was that the officer is a racist.
6. C Heber | 07.25.09
I continue to be impressed with our President- he was right - he shouldn’t have used such a aggressive word such as stupid when he himself said he did not have the facts. As the President, in a national press conference, he should not have let his personal feelings cause him to remark on an issue not in his duties. But he has taken action to correct this.
I don’t agree with him that he should have commented at all even if he knew the facts which he could not have known at the time of his remarks. It has just given rise to a flurry of remarks that show just how little most people, black and white, based their opinions on what happened. They say what they want to say- no matter how mean spirited and distructive. How can anyone be so loud in their judgement based on so little knowledge?
7. David Jeffires | 07.27.09
Thankyou. This was a balanced report quite different to those already floating around here in New Zealand. Your President shows superb aplomb.
8. AMA | 07.28.09
Obama is proving time and again he is an amateur politician. He has been in politics only for four years. It is really sad that the President would talk first and then think. I would like to see him act like a President and restrain himself from making such irresponsible statements in the press conference.
While North Korea was wrongly accusing Secretary Clinton, Obama is occupied with a common petty issue? If Sgt Crowley has erred, Prof. Gates has recourse. There is Justice Dept to settle the dispute. Does President Obama not believe in his own Law Enforcement and Justice Departments anymore?
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1. Andrew | 07.24.09
Doesn’t Obama have better things to do than comment on things like this? You know, like the economy, war, healthcare etc.