Posted on 07/23/2009 12:22:12 PM PDT by OldCorps
President Obama's Wednesday night criticism of Cambridge, Mass., police has drawn a rebuke from the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP).
The criticism comes after Obama said Cambridge police officers acted "stupidly" when they arrested Henry Louis Gates, a friend of the president's, after he broke into his own home. Gates was arrested on disorderly conduct charges, which were then dropped. The president said it highlights ongoing problems with race relations in the U.S.
Jim Pascoe, executive director of the FOP's legislative office, noted that before Obama made the remarks, the president acknowledged that he was only vaguely familiar with what happened.
"That being the case, it's unfortunate that he chose to say anything," Pascoe said. "He wasn't there, and he doesn't know what happened."
Pascoe said it appears that Gates was the "provocateur" because he called Officer James Crowley a racist instead of producing identification as requested.
On Thursday, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs sought to walk back the president's comments.
"Let me be clear. He was not calling the officer stupid, OK?" Gibbs told reporters on Air Force One. "He was denoting that ... at a certain point the situation got far out of hand, and I think all sides understand that."
wow. a great, big, nationwide hissy fit. I hope it gets so big the UN has to send peacekeepers.
Hussein w/o a teleprompter is a disaster.
Great for the FOP
O’s comments were the community organizer and ACORN president talking. Could you imagine if Bush said something like that?
This one could have legs both in the alternative and even mainstream media.
The “blue collar” vote...the “doctor” vote...the “pediatrician” vote...it goes on and on....if.....any of those people still have brains!
Hey Professor Gates- use your brains next time. Simply say- “good evening officers and I’m glad you are out doing your job tonight. I feel so much safer now. Oh, I’m the owner of this home and here is my ID to prove it.”
It’s not like the officer asked Gates to produce a birth certificate....
Remember when he was elected and inagurated, all these people were gushing how racism was over in America? Obama is doing more to perpetuate racism than Sharpton, Jackson, and all the other race baiters. Somebody needs to clue Obama in he is not to say anything unless it’s on the teleprompter.
can someone post the “that’s racist” blurb of the punk kid (obama when he was young).
I guess the Union Bosses will fix this for Zero.
I forget, but didn’t some police unions endorse him in ‘08?? Like they didn’t expect this sort of thing would happen.
Yes and it's getting worse by the day. I think everyone will eventually regret the day they put this ignorant SOB in the oval office.
The Police Unions are unions first, police second.
He’s purposely increasing racial tensions in this country.
You can conjecture why.
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