GOP Now Officially Defending Cambridge Cops?
Really. The National Republican Congressional Committee is now officially making an issue of President Obama’s claim yesterday that Cambridge cops acted “stupidly” in arresting Henry Louis Gates.
An NRCC release just blasted to the press challenges individual House Dems across the country to say whether they agree with the President. It says this:
“President Obama laid a bold accusation at Massachusetts law enforcement officers from the bully pulpit yesterday, saying they “acted stupidly” while admitting that he didn’t “know all the facts.”…
“The president was slow to point out any wrongdoing in the wake of the Iranian election and his administration was quick to force through a failed stimulus plan even though they ‘misread’ the economy. This is certainly a questionable rush to judgment coming from a president who hasn’t exactly been quick to call out unconscionable behavior by a merciless foreign dictator or gotten his facts straight before advocating a trillion-dollar mistake to address our ailing economy. Is it really presidential for him to cast harsh judgment of a law enforcement official without all the facts?
Intriguing move for a party that’s purportedly looking to broaden its appeal. One wonders if Michael Steele, who’s talked up the GOP’s African American outreach, will echo this criticism…
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If I were the DNC (and if the had the balls) I would issue a one word answer….YES
Its really that simple.
Greg, not only will Steele echo this – he probably wrote the memo himself. Wait until his *** is thrown on the hood of a police cruiser or hell, goes home. (Seriously, was this a case of “Going Home While Black”?)
It’s obvious the admin thinks they are vulnerable here as Gibbs has already tried to rewrite history:
“The press secretary parsed/spun Obama’s words carefully, insisting the president did not call the police stupid and saying the situation in Cambridge got “out of hand” due to bad behavior on “both sides” of the incident . . . “Let me be clear. He was not calling the officer stupid, okay?”
http://www.politico.com/politico44/
This also sucks the momentum right out of the goals of the press conference. You don’t win over support for healthcare reform by calling police stupid.
Ok, I’ve been ghosting this prose everywhere, so I’ll just flow it here too:
I was criminal defense lawyer – for almost 20 years I did criminal appeals and represented people accused of everything from misdemeanors to big time felonies. ANYONE WHO DOES NOT GET THAT 3/4S OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE US IS BASED ON RACIAL PROFILING IS EITHER DELUDED OR HAS NO EXPERIENCE OUT THERE AT ALL.
Bill Kristol has no clue – he’s an over-privileged white man. None of them have clue 1 what it means to be a black man in America. None of this disappeared when Obama was elected – are you kidding? It’s still illegal to drive while black in affluent white neighborhoods all over the goddamn country.
Here’s more about that adonis Robert Gibbs walking back Obama’s denunciation of Officer Crowley.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D99K9Q001&show_article=1
sbj and Hugo-
There is a big difference between calling someone stupid and calling their actions stupid. A very big difference.That is the point Gibbs is making there.
Like I said, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep saying President Obama was wrong to say the cop acted stupidly when he arrested a man standing in his own home. And sbj own up to it and let everybody know you vote Republican. We don’t want any confusion about who it is who thinks this cop acted appropriately. LOL
@holy: Your comment is stupid
Not you, just your comment.
@sg: Did I write that I think the cop acted appropriately?
Yo, Tena, in all your years as a practicing attorney did you ever have a client charged with what is called “obstruction” in a lot of states. It is basically a charge for not following an officer’s instructions or interfering in his/her attempt to perform duties. Often and perhaps most of the time the charge will be dropped or dismissed after review or in court if no real criminal activity occurred.
sbj – no you wrote that the president acted inappropriately.
So what’s new about that? That’s all you ever say.
The president was honest. Gee, how refreshing.
You, on the other hand, are stale.
Trouble in union goon paradise?
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/police-union-condemns-obamas-stupidly-comments-2009-07-23.html
“Yo, Tena, in all your years as a practicing attorney did you ever have a client charged with what is called “obstruction” in a lot of states.”
They just called that “resisting arrest” in Texas and still do. It does get dropped, often. And then again, it often gets added on top of an existing charge and becomes an aggravating factor.
@tena: Just admit it – he shouldn’t have said it. He didn’t know all of the facts and he shouldn’t have passed judgment. He shouldn’t have said it because it is now detracting from the goal of the press conference.
OTOH, the Repubs could easily overplay this and create Joe the plumber part II.
The way I see this matter is:
1) a black man is trying to force open a door to a residence therefore he is probably a thief.
2) a black man provides evidence of ownership of the residence but because it is a residence of a black man, there will likely be drugs on the premises
I can’t imagine what the police may have done wrong here.
@ sbj, still trying to get people to admit to stuff when you are nutoriously famous for admitting to nothing. You won’t even truthfully admit you’re Republican, much less the last 8 years of Republican rule in this country was a total failure. Instead you want admissions to come from other people; it’s a Fantasy World. It truly is.
Besides police are stupid. My wife’s a state cop and so is my dad. I’ll say it all day long.
sbj
Sorry but you have two options here. Either you agree with the President that the cops acted stupidly in which case he has every right to say they acted stupidly, or you think the cops’s actions were appropriate and therefore you think the President was wrong to say they acted stupidly. Don’t try to run from it, say what you really feel. Its kinda hard to take you seriously at all if you are claiming you agree with the President but you dont’ think he should have said it.
If a policeman pulls me over & I refuse to provide ID when asked – what happens?
sbj
No, it wasn’t. Smart people make stupid decisions and do stupid things all the time. It happens. What separates them from the ‘others’ is that they recognize the meaning of the criticism. The cop made a boneheaded move, despite otherwise, I assume, being an excellent police officer. Gibbs is clarifying the rhetorical hole in what the President said last night, because, as we have seen from certain conservative media outlets numerous times in the past months, such holes are frequently pounced upon with a vengeance (and yes, the left does this all the time too).
@sg: You are presenting me with a false choice. I do not know all of the facts and therefore I will not pass judgement. I don’t agree or disagree with Obama’s call on this – my point is that he should not have made a call. He seems to agree by now assigning blame to both parties.
Yeah, we rightwingers control the media. Do you realize how stupid you sound? And again, Obama and the Democrats in the form of Pelosi, Rangel, Dodd, Reid, etc. now control the government, but it is these GOP dirty tricks that are causing you problems and keeping you from communizing the US healthcare system?
They are so desperate!
I hope the Republicans DO make a big deal out of this. Having their narrow minded constituents distracted with this means a lot less calls to Congressmen whining about “socialist healthcare!” and other ridiculous hobgoblins.
“but it is these GOP dirty tricks that are causing you problems and keeping you from communizing the US healthcare system?”
It’s actually the Democrats own restraint that’s stopping them from “communizing” healthcare.
As for REFORMING it, the thing actually going on, very little is stopping it- it’s passed 3 of the 5 needed committees, Pelosi has the votes for it on the floor, the AMA and AARP are on board, a media savvy POTUS is giving it full throated support, it enjoys broad public support, and, of course, there’s always reconciliation as a last resort. No one’s making excuses about health care- so far, none need to be made.
“He seems to agree by now assigning blame to both parties.”
That logically follows about as well as “I like ice cream, therefore I must be a viking!”
Can smart people don stupid things? Absoultely. So please, freeper trolls, just stop
Can smart people spell? No.
You know Republicans always stick up for law enforcement; like Trooper Wooten in Alaska. Oh wait, I meant to write they usually stick up for those who abuse their power.
Please get back to your copyediting and secretarial (sorry, executive assistant) jobs and stop attacking people for punctuation. Let the taxpayers discuss these issues.
Normally I would be all up in this conversation, because I think what the cops did was stupid and that this would have never happened to a white man in that neighborhood in Cambridge. But here is the thing with Greg’s post…all of us debating this issue back and forth is different than the GOP taking a position on it, on the very same day may I remind you, that some neuro-surgeon in Florida that is a Conservative activist (on taxes and healthcare – figure that) sent out an email with the President’s head photoshopped onto an African tribal witch doctor – declaring that being what Obamacare would look like. So really the point of this post is that the GOP is STUPID to even get into the fray on this, especially one week after essentially calling the first Latino female to the SCOTUS a racist, and one week after electing as the leader to its Young Republican group some chick who responded LOL to a facebook friend that called the President a “coon”, and the California GOP Counselman that just apologized for sending out “racists Obama joke” emails (yes plural) to his staff and database….do I need to keep going, because I am sure I could continue to name more…these only happened in the last week – good luck with that big tent thing, GOP!
sbj
Have you attempted to look for ANY facts. President Obama isn’t blaming both of them. Thats some bullsh*t Gibbs is trying to pull off but Pres Obama was clear last night. Arresting Professor Gates was stupid and that is the truth no matter how you want to frame it. He arrested the man after seeing his ID,realizing it was Gates’ house and after asking him to step outside just so he could arrest him. Thats STUPID.
@sg: Are you just yanking sbj’s chain to get a rise out of him? Politicians put their feet in their mouths all the time when they speak off the cuff without adequate information. Nothing new here.
Cops are trained to take control. If the report I read that the homeowner failed to follow an instruction to step outside is correct, then they may have had cause to arrest in order to establish control. Consider that there was another person present who could have been a home invader and the homeowner was under duress. That doesn’t make the cops stupid, or indicate they behaved stupidly. They must make a determination of the circumstances when called to a potential crime scene.
Ah. That must be it. His house was speeding.
Actually, from what I understand, once you are in your own house, and it’s been estblished that it’s your house, the police need a Warrant to come in an arrest…right?
That is why after getting Gates ID, the officer asked Mr Gates to step outside. If Gates had not stepped outside, then the officer would have had to get a judge to sign a warrant to arrest Gates for “disorderly conuct” IN HIS OWN HOUSE.
Now are we truly to believe that a reputable judge would have done that?
I tell you as an African American, the racial-bias in this country just makes me sad.
Shocker, Greg and the the far left trying to exploit race against the GOP. Uhhhh, Obama had no clue what happened and shouldn’t have commented. It was below his office to get involved. And now all the left is talking about a non-racial issue trying to exploit race. Your one-song racial exploitation cd is on repeat and it’s really getting old and lame. Argue on merits, not race.
This will be another Republican reverse Sister Soulja Moment.
As an African American myself, I think this story is not about republicans & democrats. I think there are times when we are too quick to draw the race card. There are times, that is it justified – this may be one. But a lot of judgement was passed before the facts became known.
I was pulled over in a white upper-middle class neighborhood, adjacent to my own, because the cop said my license plate was a bit dirty & hard to read..
If I had gotten loud & indignant with the officer, I suppose I could have been arrested.
Perhaps that cop was racist too, but he was African American as well – so perhaps he was just doing his job.
I wasn’t cited btw – I had a bad tailpipe and the plate was fairly dark at the time.
I ran across a post at TPM earlier today that brought up an aspect of this case that I don’t think is getting anywhere near the attention it deserves.
We’ve seen a great deal of discussion of the possibility of racism in this incident. But little mention in most places of, as mentioned above, the prevalence of charges of obstruction or resistance that are often later dropped.
What of the militarization of police practices, and the insistence that the will of a police officer must be obeyed in any and all circumstances?
Seems to me that is diametrically opposed to this idea of “freedom” that so many participants in the discourse insist is so important.
While black men and other minorities are arrested disproportionately often, I think we all know that many white folks are also subject to this kind of police hegemony. Granted, the vast majority of those whites are not what one could call “rich” …
I think this is the elephant in the room.
actuator
Thats bullsh*t. He wasn’t arrested for failure to follow the direction of an officer. He was arrested for disorderly conduct. Conduct that only happened because of a visit from the police. Look this isn’t rocket science. I defy any of you to say the police officer was appropriate in arresting a man in his own home. If thats what you believe please express it. Don’t hide behind maybes. Because I have NO problem saying it was STUPID
He was arrested for disorderly conduct.
According to this Massachusetts practicing attorney, in Massachusetts “disorderly conduct” is a charge that can only be applied when a public space is involved. If the attorney’s correct (I’m not an attorney and I do not know for certain, but the provided explanation makes it appear quite unlikely the attorney’s wrong) there’s no possible justification for arresting anyone in their home on a disorderly conduct charge:
If the attorney is correct I can only conclude the police officer was acting quite stupidly.
(That is, unless they’ve changed the laws recently and made breathing while black a crime.)
I thought cops were trained to take control by defusing situations, not escalating them.It was a stupid arrest.The Mayor of Cambridge has apologized to Gates, both the Mayor and the Cambridge Police Department called it an “unfortunate and regrettable incident.” Why would the GOP choose to take a stand on this incident that will further minimize their appeal to those outside of their base?
I’m with you Jenn, I can’t understand it.
@oddjob
Which is why the officer asked Gates to step out of his house.
OT, but Damn right, Obama’s not backing down.
Obama: “I Am Surprised By The Controversy” Over My Comments On Gates Arresthttp://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/07/obama-i-am-surprise-by-the-controversy-over-my-comments-on-gates-arrest.php
Glad Obama is taking a stand on this.
The Republicans are going to step into another race-baiting pool before too long.
They should just let it go, becasue like Joe the Plumber, how soon before this Crowley guy (if he is truly a racist, which I don’t think he is, I just think as Obama said he acted stupidly) or some of his hero worshippers like “Whites under siege” Limbaugh says something more stupid
I’m with you Jenn, I can’t understand it.
I haven’t understood that behavior since the Terri Schiavo fiasco, but the GOP obviously learned nothing from that.
@sg, I didn’t say they were justified, I just don’t know all the details. Do you?
How many times will liberals cry RACISM in a crowded movie theatre before they learn their lesson? Has anyone posting on this message board been stupid enough or full of himself enough to tell a cop something along the lines of “you don’t know who you’re messing with”? You would think a civilized learned professor from haaaaaavard would be able to control himself and diffuse the situation. The interviews today of the cop and Prof Gates are so telling. One is still riled up and throwing out his race king and queen cards while the other one is trying to act mature and let the case play out.
@aaron, since we’re talking about throwing down the race cards and all sorts of other cards, can I make up a “white resentment” card and say that you’re throwing that down? Because I think you are.
And all of you commentators and pundits…You don’t understand what it’s like to be a white police officer in America. People say mean things to you. People look at you dirty. And don’t play the race card on me…I KNOW. I’ve driven through black neighborhoods, and people avoid me like the plague. When I’m walking down the street, mothers and their children move to the other sidewalk…I KNOW.
Aaron – First off, I am not a liberal, I am an independent who voted for Obama. Secondly, last time I checked it is not against the law to tell a police officer “you do not know who you are messing with.” And thirdly, it is a trained professional police officers job to defuse a situation, not the job of a citizen and legal resident who has shown their ID, proven their right to be where they are, and continues to be harassed.
And Lit3Bolt, yeah, I hate it when that happens too.
Did Obama call any cop a racist? Or even stupid?
No, he called an action stupid. The fact that right-wing voices are shouting “race card” or “police-baiting” is proof that political correctness and artificial outrage aimed to awaken the specter of identity politics are definitely not exclusive to the left.
They want to portray this as police-bashing and insertion of a racial dynamic by Obama in order to scare the usual followers. But all he did was call an action stupid. Perhaps it was an assertion that was unbefitting the context of the press conference, but the more fear-mongering critics are definitely overplaying their hand and going for the usual tropes.
COULD GREG SARGENT BE ANY BIGGER OF A HACK FOR THE DNC? SERIOUSLY.
If the verbatim reading of the officer’s report of the arrest of Professor Gates I just heard on the radio is accurate, it would appear that the professor did not respond to the officer in the erudite thoughtful manner that he displays when appearing on PBS or History Channel shows I’ve watched. If the officer reported accurately there is every appearance that Professor Gates reacted with racial bias towards the white officer rather than listening and having a dialogue. I’m not sure of the legal issues, but it would appear that the professor belied his erudition and academic standing with questionable behavior.
“I’m not sure of the legal issues,…”
Well, in the context of Gates being arrested, “the legal issues” are the only things that matter. It doesn’t matter if Gates behaved poorly as long as he didn’t act illegally.
By the way, how long was Gates outside in broad daylight trying to pry a door open? I ask because it is curious that he was doing this two days, or whatever, before the premier of CNN’s Black in America 2 (”this time it’s personal”). I wonder if maybe he has a big book coming out or something? Does anyone know?
Right, Gates trying to get into his own home was was possibly due to an upcoming CNN special and/or a (possible) Gates-authorized book. It couldn’t be that Gates was trying to get into his own home simply because he was, well, trying to get into his own home.
Look, what matters is that a cop was feeling grumpy and wasn’t ready to take any disrespectful talk from a mere citizen, who had the audacity to be upset over not being left alone after providing proof that nothing illegal was taking place.
“Not having the cut of your jib approved by a police officer” is a stupid reason to get arrested. Obama’s call was correct here, and the whining from the “Anti-PC” conservatives is a lot of knee-jerking.
Nice work Barack… with one comment you managed to alienate 75% of America.
And anyone who has spent any amount of time in the “higher” education system knows the Professor Gates type: bitter, spiteful, bigoted racist with a position of power who felt emboldened to make a political statement.
This is the type of Professor who would change the subject on you when you attempt to engage in a debate- or would give you a poor grade because you actually have an opinion, and done research outside of marxist texts and such. You are fooling no one, Mr Gates.
And Mr President, is this “nuance” you’ve spoke of? “the police acted stupidly”? -please
Obama is out to rip this country to shreds in EVERY way- who can question that such ill-advised statements are divisive… and NOT helpful? He has no idea what happened, he admitted it- and apparently doesn’t care, either… he’s picked his side.
But back in reality, the childish and paranoid Gates completely baited the cop, who acted with admirable restraint, IMO… all he had to do is show his ID and shut up, he was treated with respect. This guy was clearly looking for a fight… and he ought to thank God he didn’t find one.
Obama is going to destroy race relations in this country with his vengeful “get even” mentality… some messiah- Americans should have chosen a fair and sensible human being instead of this embittered nut.
hi ,This is the type of Professor who would change the subject on you when you attempt to engage in a debate- or would give you a poor grade because you actually have an opinion, and done research outside of marxist texts and such. You are fooling no one, Mr Gates.
Nice work Barack… with one comment you managed to alienate 75% of America.
Ummm, it’s much more likely you’re talking about the %25 of the country that voted for McCain.
the president brought light to racism at a time when there are many more very very important issuses that are tearing this great nation apart. he owes sgt. crowley and the citizens of this country a sincere apology. (as we didnt already know racism is an issue; come on obama get with it!)
MA requires police to hand over an id card on request. This is what Gates was asking for.