UPDATED X 2: Obama Addresses Ferguson: 'Police Should Not Be Arresting Journalists'

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM

By CAITLIN MACNEAL Published AUGUST 14, 2014, 1:21 PM EDT

President Obama on Thursday expressed concern over the "violent turn" in Ferguson, Mo. as protesters clash with police following the shooting of Michael Brown and criticized police who arrested two reporters covering the protests on Wednesday night.

Obama said people need to "come together" in Ferguson, and said that he will be working with the Department of Justice and local authorities to make sure that "justice is done." The president said that police need to be "open and transparent" about their investigation into Brown's death.

He said that there's "never an excuse for violence against police," but also that there's no excuse for authorities to use "excessive force" against protesters. He added that "police should not be arresting journalists who are just trying to do their job."

Obama expressed confidence in Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon's (D) ability to help deescalate the situation, calling him a "good man and fine governor."

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Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/obama-violence-ferguson-statement

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UPDATE 1:

Obama says there is "no excuse for police to use excessive force" in Ferguson, Mo.

President Obama said Thursday that he has asked the Department of Justice and FBI to independently investigate the shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.

He said there is "no excuse for police to use excessive force," and that the city should be "open and transparent" about its investigation and its plan for protecting the community.

Read more at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/obama-no-excuse-for-excessive-force-by-police-in-aftermath-of-missouri-shooting/2014/08/14/245f1c22-23d5-11e4-8b10-7db129976abb_story.html

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UPDATE 2:

Expressing concern over the “violent turn” of events in this St. Louis suburb, President Obama said on Thursday that he wanted an open and transparent investigation into the shooting death on Saturday of an unarmed 18-year-old black man by the police.

Speaking on Martha’s Vineyard, where he is on vacation, Mr. Obama said there was no excuse for the use of excessive force by the police that has persisted in the five days of protests since the shooting of the teenager, Michael Brown.

“Now’s the time for healing,” Mr. Obama said. “Now’s the time for peace and calm on the streets of Ferguson.”

Minutes earlier, Gov. Jay Nixon promised that residents of Ferguson were going to see a different tone in the response by the police after five nights of unrest in which the authorities have used tear gas and rubber bullets to control the crowds.

Officials said that Mr. Nixon would soon remove the St. Louis County police from handling the unrest in Ferguson.

READ MORE
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/15/us/ferguson-missouri-police-shooting.html?emc=edit_na_20140814

[longship]

1. "Good man and fine gov." No doubt said after reading him the riot act (so to speak).

PBO said what had to be said.

R&K

[dbackjon]

2. Sad that a US President has to make a statement like that

[alp227]

3. Then how does Obama explain...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Department_of_Justice_investigations_of_reporters

[George II]

8. What's the connection????

[alp227]

10. how can he say that police shouldn't arrest journalists

when the DoJ was threatening journalists with arrest last year?

[blm]

12. You don't see the difference in COLLABORATING with a foreign country and this?

Perhaps you can explain why they are exactly the same?

How does deliberately constructing a narrative with representatives of a foreign country in order to further a foreign policy goal match up with a reporter being arrested by police for REPORTING an actual story?

[George II]

13. Unfortunately the wikipedia article you linked to doesn't support your argument that....

...the DoJ threatened journalists with arrest.

[JDPriestly]

4. Great. Police and NSA should not be tracking journalists' communications either.

And more than anything else, police and NSA should not be listening in on journalists' communications without a warrant.

Good that Obama has spoken on this.

[Dems to Win]

5. 'Come together' with cops in body armor, riding tanks? How's that supposed to work?

Not a mention of people being shot in the head with rubber bullets....

Not a mention of the war zone we see on our TVs in an American city...

Should police be arresting local elected officials? No mention of that by Obama....

I thought it was a weak statement by the president.

[6000eliot]

6. So you want him to say something inflammatory and escalate the situation?

Last night the "Blame Obama" people were complaining on here because he said nothing. When he says something, of course it isn't sufficient.

[George II]

9. Yes, it's so "republican"....don't do/say anything he's at fault, do/say something he's at fault...

....but NO ONE says what he really SHOULD do or say.

[tblue37]

11. Remember how the idiots reacted when he said that it was stupid when a cop arrested prominent

black Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates for daring to be black in his own home?

Obama was attacked for having the nerve to express the obvious. He knows that if he says what he really thinks, he will become the story and that will undermine attempts to get justice for Ferguson.

[JoePhilly]

14. The perpetually disgruntled are perpetually disgruntled.

Doesn't matter what actually happens.

[Tarheel_Dem]

15. +1

[Tarheel_Dem]

16. So the statement wasn't far reaching enough for you? How about sending investigators? 'Nuff?

Obama's not some ranting radio shock jock. We didn't elect him to hear your words coming out of his mouth. He's the POTUS. He has an Atty General that's on the case. That's all that needs saying or doing by this President.

[JEB]

7. Oops, he let a bit of sanctimony show.