The Sunshine Empire

The news out of President Obama’s prime time presser on the health care reform debate was not what constituted 95 percent of the discussion, but the last off topic question about the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates after breaking into his own home. The President, who apparently is friends with professor Gates, was asked about what he thought of the controversy surrounding his arrest. Now I have no problem with a friend reacting that way, but it was not the best idea for Obama to even answer that question regardless of his feelings. Now the way I see it after seeing both Gates and the arresting officer speak, is they both were at fault. I don’t think the cop was racist in arresting professor Gates but he does seem like a macho self important dick. Gates also should understand that despite it being his home the cop does not know what to expect and is just responding to a call. I certainly understand Gates getting upset but there’s no reason he had to pitch a fit about it and claim it was all about his color. Sgt. James Crowley though should have understood Gates regardless of his over reacting and arresting him was not appropriate. As the President said today cooler heads should have prevailed but all the President did was fan the flames of this situation even further by answering the question at the news conference too honestly.

But of course leave it to the cooler heads on the other side of the political spectrum to hear something out of the President that he actually never said. Some conservatives have twittered that the President thinks all cops are stupid and that is not what he said at all and not even close. If you heard the President answer the question and instead of “Cambridge Police” you heard “all police” then you need to understand that the voices in your head are not real. It’s like all the girlfriends I’ve ever had are reacting to the President with the retort, “well I know you didn’t say it but I’m sure you thought it.” Let’s judge Obama by what he actually says. That being said he should have said “I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to comment.”