MSNBC's hardball"Obama backs away, a little, from "stupidly" remark"

[cleveramerican]

You all knew it was coming

[SemiCharmedQuark]

1. He didn't back away from it at all.

Someone posted a thread to what he said. It's in this forum.

"'President Obama stood by his criticism of the Cambridge police department's arrest of Harvard University Prof. Henry Louis Gates Jr., telling ABC News's Terry Moran he was "surprised" by the controversy sparked by his comment during a prime-time news conference Wednesday that the department had behaved "stupidly."

"I have to say I am surprised by the controversy surrounding my statement because I think it was a pretty straightforward commentary that you probably don't need to handcuff a guy, a middle-aged man who uses a cane, who's in his own home," Obama told Moran in an interview set to air Thursday evening on "Nightline," excerpts from which were made available online.

The president called arresting officer Sgt. James Crowley an "outstanding police officer" but emphasized that "it doesn't make sense to arrest a guy in his own home if he's not causing a serious disturbance."

He also sought to be more even-handed in apportioning blame, suggesting that Gates, too, ought to have behaved differently. "I have extraordinary respect for the difficulties of the job that police officers do," the president added. "And my suspicion is that words were exchanged between the police officer and Mr. Gates and that everybody should have just settled down and cooler heads should have prevailed. That's my suspicion.""

[cleveramerican]

9. aboard air force1 this afternoon

he did,and it was wise of him to do so

[SemiCharmedQuark]

11. No, he didn't. He didn't say he was sorry ,or that he mispoke.

He even reiterated what he said. he expanded his words, but did not take any back.

[Thrill]

15. No he didn't. Go read the Nightline interview

[DrDan]

17. yep - I agree - wise move on his part

[ErinBerin84]

2. is this about his nightline interview ?

He really doesn't walk it back all that much, if you read the transcript. But if the media wants to pretend this was a concession, so be it. Whatever makes them feel powerful.

[fascisthunter]

3. he didn't back away from anything

I saw the whole thing... and I am a critic of Obama and his admin.

[FrenchieCat]

4. And what if he would have, then what?

In otherwords, what's your fucking point?

[The Source]

47. BAM

Well said.

[DrDan]

5. appropriate for him to do so

[uponit7771]

7. Bullshit, and he didn't back away from a damn thang...

[DrDan]

8. sounds like it to me . . .

"He also sought to be more even-handed in apportioning blame, suggesting that Gates, too, ought to have behaved differently. "I have extraordinary respect for the difficulties of the job that police officers do," the president added. "And my suspicion is that words were exchanged between the police officer and Mr. Gates and that everybody should have just settled down and cooler heads should have prevailed. That's my suspicion.""

[ErinBerin84]

10. if you read the rest of the transcript, he really isn't backing down

providing more context, maybe, but not contradicting anything he had said previously. It's not like he called the cop a racist.

[DrDan]

12. no - but now it seems as though he is willing to admit that perhaps blame could be shared

he did not suggest that last night

[HopeOverFear]

13. He still didn't take back what he said.

Like you want him to.

[DrDan]

16. no - but he now he seems to be seeing two sides

something I guess you do not want to do

[HopeOverFear]

19. He always saw two sides, doesn't make what he said any less true

He didn't take back what he said, in fact he said it again. Sorry if that bothers you, Freeper.

[DrDan]

26. what is your problem - "Freeper"?????

What did I say to deserve that???????

[cleveramerican]

25. I want him to get it right

unlike you I take him at his word.
he didn't have all the facts, and was biased in favor of his friend.

its good to see him correcting the wrong impression he left last night.

[HopeOverFear]

30. Translation: I want him to remember his place

it just BOTHERS you that Obama doesn't know his place.

[DrDan]

34. it really troubles you that he added clarification to last night's comments

why does that trouble you?

I would think you would appreciate his clarification. Or is your goal just to flame the converstation?

[HopeOverFear]

40. the so-called "clarification" did NOT take away from his original point at all

and that bothers YOU.

"I have to say I am surprised by the controversy surrounding my statement because I think it was a pretty straightforward commentary that you probably don't need to handcuff a guy, a middle-aged man who uses a cane, who's in his own home," Obama told Moran in an interview set to air Thursday evening on "Nightline," excerpts from which were made available online.

Just because he went on to say Crowley was an "outstanding" officer means NOTHING.

"Outstanding" police officers can still act STUPID.

[DrDan]

42. who made the "outstanding officer" claim? Not me.

""And my suspicion is that words were exchanged between the police officer and Mr. Gates and that everybody should have just settled down and cooler heads should have prevailed. That's my suspicion.""

That is different from his comments last night where the blame was placed squarely on the police. He sure seems to me to be backing down from the claim of the police "acting stupidly".

Feel free to rewrite the facts of anything that upsets you.

[HopeOverFear]

46. Wow. Just wow. I'm amazed at the disconnect

I really am.

Must be nice to be blind about race relations in this country.

[DrDan]

31. absolutely - he has thought through this a bit more

and realizes his words were probably lacking

[HopeOverFear]

33. HAHAHAHA @ his words lacking

yeah right

[DrDan]

35. yeah - right

exactly what I meant. And apparently what he thought also.

[cleveramerican]

18. that's why I added ...

"a little" to the op

he didn't disavow anything ,he could never do that.

He at least admitted that there's two sides to the story.
and thats a bit of a correction from last night.

[HopeOverFear]

20. He didn't "admit" anything.

[DrDan]

24. yes - and your "a little" was apropos

[uponit7771]

21. How is that "backing away"?!?!?!? He didn't take back a damn thang

[DrDan]

23. last night he was squarely placing the blame on the police

Now he is willing to say blame can be shared

You can call it what you like - I think it is backing off his initial comments

[HopeOverFear]

27. It lets them feel better about themselves so just let them believe it

[The Source]

49. That's not walking it back

That's adding on to the original statement with additional relevant thoughts. And I am sure that had Prof. Gates done everything right when he was harassed from inside his own home by an uninvited police officer, Prof Gates would not have ended up arrested. So the staement Obama made is true.

However, the burden to behave properly here is not on Prof. Gates. It's on the police officer who had the power to pull a gun and handcuff and arrest him. Otherwise, blaming Gates for this is no different than blaming a woman who's been raped for dressing sexy. I do not think Obama is blaming Gates at all. I think he was responding that "Sure, Gates could have behaved differently... but so what. The cop is still stupid"

Am I being too kind to Obama?

[uponit7771]

6. NO HE DIDN'T!

Mathews pisses me off sometimes, he OBVIOUSLY knows racist people but doesn't want to admit the REST of the country as a whole isn't as racist as he or the rest of his friends thinks it is!!

I dind

[Thrill]

14. No he didn't. There is no Journalism anymore. NONE

[redqueen]

36. +1

[HopeOverFear]

22. Yeah, you know what? Whatever makes you feel better.

If you WANT TO BELIEVE that he "took it back" when he really DIDN'T...then fine. Go ahead. If your fucking white privilege is that damned sensitive that you need him to STROKE YOUR EGO, then fine. Go ahead and believe that he "he took it back"


Those of us (of all colors) with common sense on this board know the TRUTH. So the rest of ya'll can go to hell.

:eyes:

[cleveramerican]

28. he got closer to the truth

and that makes you uneasy...why?

[HopeOverFear]

29. You're right. He remembered his place. President or no President

he's still a nigger...right?

[CakeGrrl]

32. Nope, he didn't. He didn't single out that word with any intention of

revising it.

Why are people so obsessed with the impact of what he said?

Are you scared of reaction to him calling it like he saw it?

Or do you not like anyone impugning the integrity of the police?

[HopeOverFear]

They're just grabbing for any sign of remorse they can find, that's all

there are none there, but they're making it up.

[JTFrog]

37. Yes, we knew you would be comming back with more inaccurate shit.

:thumbsup:

[ProSense]

38. Obama stands by his assessment of Gates incident

Obama stands by his assessment of Gates incident

[ErinBerin84]

39. lol

Charles Gibson just said "Tonight....CONTROVERSY! President Obama STANDS BY his comments and ignites blahblahblah" and said "What started as an ordinary dispute (! An arrest is an ordinary dispute!) turns into a national debate!" And now they say "Obama promised to bridge the racial divide, but now he has widened the chasm!" (or something like that. They really are a laughable bunch. OBAMA'S the one widening the chasm?

edit: ABC just informed me that the police officer was picked by a "BLACK POLICE OFFICER" to teach a class on diversity. The "I have a black friend" defense?! BTW, I don't know what role race played in this, but the press is really going all out in their defense of him and it's making me wonder.

[HopeOverFear]

41. Imagine if THIS driver were black...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHZMoPV1rog

'Nuff said.

[DrDan]

44. you are right - "nuff said"

[Name removed]

48. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[vaberella]

43. What are you talking about? He didn't back away from his comment at all.

That title is misleading.

[firedupdem]

45. No he didn't. He stands by his comments as he should. n/t

[HopeOverFear]

50. Question: How in the fuck is THIS "back"ing away???

The president said he understands the sergeant who arrested Gates is an "outstanding police officer." But he added that with all that's going on in the country with health care and the economy and the wars abroad, "it doesn't make sense to arrest a guy in his own home if he's not causing a serious disturbance."

Yeah, you can shut the fuck up now.

[DrDan]

51. you are SOOOOOOO over the top with this

[HopeOverFear]

52. I notice you didn't answer the question.

That's because you can't. You can shut up now.

[DrDan]

54. you are completely missing the point

why don't you read the already posted posts

[jenmito]

53. That's false. He put out a statement fully reinforcing what he said last night. n/t