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Gates Closed (why Obama backtracked)
American Spectator ^ | July 27, 2009 | The Prowler

Posted on 07/27/2009 6:37:21 AM PDT by reaganaut1

It wasn't out of a need for racial healing that President Barack Obama reached out to his old friend, Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and Cambridge Police Sgt. James Crowley.

"We were looking at House hearings on the matter moving fairly quickly, and that wasn't going to be good for us or for Gates," says a White House source. "We needed this thing to go away and go away fast."

Early Friday, the White House got wind of Rep. Edolphus Towns' interest in holding hearings into the matter of Gates' arrest, and more broadly looking into the issue of racial profiling by law enforcement. Towns is chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, as well as the senior House Democratic Member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Adding to the desire to get the story buried was the media's seeming refusal to let the story drop. By noon Friday, House press secretary Robert Gibbs, along with other senior White House officials, recommended that Obama either walk back his statement further than he did on Thursday, or take proactive action.

"The President chose action, in part because we saw this story eclipsing other issues and narratives that we needed front and center for August," says the White House source. "We didn't need House hearings keeping the story alive into August and then into the fall, when the hearings most likely would have been held. We have more important issues to deal with than this."

(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bho44; bhohealthcare; crowley; democrats; gates; henrygates; mrskippy; obama; stupidgate; stupidly
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I don't think House Republicans should push for an apology, as McCotter (R,MI) has proposed. When your enemy is shooting himself in the foot and the media notices (for once), lie low. The damage has been done to Obama's reputation as "racial healer" (Freepers knew better).
1 posted on 07/27/2009 6:37:21 AM PDT by reaganaut1
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To: reaganaut1

Washington DC morals— based on political expediency.


2 posted on 07/27/2009 6:39:00 AM PDT by Clara Lou (Spread my work ethic, not my wealth.)
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To: Clara Lou

“Washington DC morals...”

Oxymoron alert, oxymoron alert.


3 posted on 07/27/2009 6:41:03 AM PDT by Da Coyote
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To: reaganaut1
Adding to the desire to get the story buried was the media's seeming refusal to let the story drop.

It wasn't the media. If there hadn't been so much public outrage over it, the media would never have mentioned it because it made their boy look bad.

4 posted on 07/27/2009 6:42:05 AM PDT by livius
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To: reaganaut1

The won feared the truth being revealed.


5 posted on 07/27/2009 6:42:37 AM PDT by Carley (OBAMA IS A MALEVOLENT FORCE IN THE WORLD)
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To: reaganaut1

“We needed this thing to go away and go away fast.”

Too bad. The zero opened his trap and stuck his foot in it for the whole nation to see. And what they are seeing is a man who is nothing less than a racist.


6 posted on 07/27/2009 6:43:38 AM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Obamacare: all the efficiency of the DMV and all the compassion of the IRS.)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

We should keep talking about it.


7 posted on 07/27/2009 6:44:33 AM PDT by BunnySlippers (I LOVE BULL MARKETS . . .)
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To: reaganaut1
I don't think House Republicans should push for an apology

I think they should, but not for any reason to do with this case. Obama has gone around the world apologizing for every sin ever committed, either real or imagined. Use this as a way to beat him over the head with his embarrassing performance. He apologized for everything else, why not for this? Sure we loose the vote on the house floor, but we get some great sound bites, and put the Dems on the record as being in support of playing the race card.

Besides every minute the House spend debating something as useless as this is one minute they don't spend passing more socialist regulations or tax increases. I want government paralysis.
8 posted on 07/27/2009 6:44:48 AM PDT by GonzoGOP (There are millions of paranoid people in the world, and they are all out to get me.)
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To: reaganaut1

My initial reaction was, no way should Crowley show up for a beer at the White House with Obama and Gates. But I’m warming up to the idea, since I fully expect Obama and Gates to make a complete spectacle of themselves.


9 posted on 07/27/2009 6:46:35 AM PDT by Genoa
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To: Da Coyote

Yeah— I don’t even know why I posted the comment. It’s always been true. But this article slapped me in the face with it.


10 posted on 07/27/2009 6:46:51 AM PDT by Clara Lou (Spread my work ethic, not my wealth.)
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To: reaganaut1

Wow racism exists in America- we are shocked.
It seems to me this bozo that got elected President is not only the most inexperienced and thus unqualified to be in postion, but he’s a flaming moron! That of course is my humble opinion...


11 posted on 07/27/2009 6:47:11 AM PDT by lexington minuteman 1775
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To: livius
I'm calling Edolphus' office this morning to demand a full House of Representatives hearing on this reprehensible crime.
His number is 202-275-5936. He represents Brooklyn, NY.
Go Edolphus !
12 posted on 07/27/2009 6:47:53 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: BunnySlippers
We should keep talking about it.

Amen, bunnyslippers.

13 posted on 07/27/2009 6:49:22 AM PDT by Dinah Lord
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To: Blood of Tyrants

Yep, he certainly revealed his deep seated

anti-white bigotry.


14 posted on 07/27/2009 6:50:29 AM PDT by MrB (Go Galt now, save Bowman for later)
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To: reaganaut1

The story at the link about Michelle Obama is very interesting; involved in patient dumping? I thought that was illegal?


15 posted on 07/27/2009 6:50:46 AM PDT by Born Conservative (Working hard so those on public assistance don't have to.)
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To: reaganaut1
We have more important issues to deal with than this.

Oh really?

Wonder how this remark will play out in Gates's world?

16 posted on 07/27/2009 6:52:19 AM PDT by HIDEK6
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To: reaganaut1

President Barack Obama told the nation during a Wednesday night press conference that a Harvard professor at the center of a police racial profiling controversy is a longtime friend.

In fact, Henry Louis Gates Jr. is more, a Center for Responsive Politics analysis indicates: The professor was a notable donor to Obama’s 2008 White House bid.

Gates, director of a black studies institute at Harvard University, contributed $4,600 — the maximum amount of money allowed under Federal Election Commission rules — to Obama.
Gates only focused his 2008 contributions on the presidential race. He did not donate to any other candidate — Republican or Democrat — running for office that cycle.


17 posted on 07/27/2009 6:53:52 AM PDT by MestaMachine (OREO, Milk's favorite cookie. At least that's what my TV said.)
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To: reaganaut1
This needs to run its course. Racial tensions have been stirred and many are certain that all the old beliefs and hatred have now been justified.

A poor, old black man, who happens to be a distinguished professor, was a victim of white police brutality. Not as bad as Rodney King, but the feelings Gates has aroused are similar. But is this reality or fantasy?

The only thing that will satisfy the need for justice is to have the truth contained in any and all 911 recordings and witness reports released.

18 posted on 07/27/2009 6:54:05 AM PDT by GBA
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To: reaganaut1
Early Friday, the White House got wind of Rep. Edolphus Towns' interest in holding hearings into the matter of Gates' arrest, and more broadly looking into the issue of racial profiling by law enforcement.

This is moving the the discussion to a venue where the Democrats can make an "issue" out of an incident provoked by one of their own. In the House they can make of it what they will. It becomes a "Home Game" for them with all the advantages that flow from that. They will set the witness list & the agenda. They will squeeze the minority to as little clock-time as possible, and try to provoke 1 of ours into losing his cool. Gates will come off scholarly; Crowley will be hassled, battered & shaken.

Excuse me, but I've seen this script before.

19 posted on 07/27/2009 6:57:19 AM PDT by Tallguy ("The sh- t's chess, it ain't checkers!" -- Alonzo (Denzel Washington) in "Training Day")
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To: reaganaut1; All
Have you noticed even in Obama’s backtracking that the Police Officers (there were more than one present) are still considered to have been wrong in their actions.

The truth is, the officers did exactly the right thing. Gates refused to show identification and immediately verbally attacked the officer. The arrest was made and should have been made!

Lets take a good look at the police report, and an interview with the lead officer. We have not yet seen the reports given by the other officers present. Nor have we seen/heard the tape of the incident recorded by the officers. The last link below gives you a good idea of the kind of person Professor Gates is which is just like his friend Obama, racist to the bone!

POLICE REPORT:

http://www.amnation.com/vfr/Police%20report%20on%20Gates%20arrest.PDF

INTERVIEW WITH OFFICER:

http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/henry_louis_gates/2009/07/23/239550.html?s=al&promo_code=8406-1

LEARN SOME MORE ABOUT THE RACIST PROFESSOR GATES:

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=pRlIdFcWd5k

20 posted on 07/27/2009 7:01:12 AM PDT by seekthetruth ("See You In DC From 9/11 - 9/13 At Our National Freeper Tea Party Convention!")
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