'Sorry' Seems To Be The Hardest Word

Having trouble saying the magic words, "I'm sorry"?  Put the Sorry Times to work for you!

President Acting Stupidly can't quite bring himself to apologize to Sgt. Crowley and the Cambridge Police for saying they "acted stupidly", but fortunately he has the NY Times on his side to pretend he did.

Here is the Times story, which specifically notes the non-apology:

He did not apologize but softened his language. “I continue to believe, based on what I have heard, that there was an overreaction in pulling Professor Gates out of his home to the station,” he said. “I also continue to believe, based on what I heard, that Professor Gates probably overreacted as well.”

And here is the enhanced Sorry Times coverage by Jeff Zeleny at the Times Caucus blog:

Obama Expresses His Regrets on Gates Incident

...Mr. Obama did not use the word “apology,” but aides said that was the sentiment conveyed during his phone call with Sergeant Crowley.

I sense a budding revenue opportunity for the Times!  Beleaguered husbands everywhere could deliver the standard "I'm disappointed that you are upset and misunderstood my subtle and nuanced view".  Then, the Sorry Times takes over!  A quick story explaining that the dear man had said he was sorry will be more magical than roses. 

OK, it may need work...

Meanwhile, we are delighted to see that Obama has returned to his comfortable and conventional pose as the straddler of two extremes.  Just as did with the Reverend Wright and his deplorable racist grandmother or unrepentant domestic terrorist Bill Ayers and Senator Tom Coburn, Obama is now posing as the voice of reason caught between a screaming Henry Louis Gates and an enraged Sgt. Crowley, although Gates stayed out from under the bus longer than Granny.  We'll see how long that holds - don't we all agree that this teachable moment would be even more instructive if we heard the dispatcher tapes?

MORE: Patterico is excellent with "The Officer Didn’t Stereotype Henry Louis Gates — Henry Louis Gates Stereotyped the Officer", emphasizing the same point made earlier by Mickey Kaus.  A snippet:

And in apologizing for Gates, black firebrands and white liberals patronizingly excuse techniques of stereotyping that they would condemn in a racist.

Form an image of a racist in your mind: someone who watches a TV report about a crime committed by a black person, and says: “I’m not surprised. That’s how black people are: they’re all criminals.” Is this racist attitude justified if the racist says:

I’m sorry I have this bad attitude about black people, but I have seen and heard bad things about black people all my life. I know they commit a lot of crimes, and in fact, I have been robbed by three separate black people in my life.

Now, form an image in your mind of a black person who watches a TV report about police brutality, and says: “I’m not surprised. That’s how those white cops are: they’re all racists.” Is this attitude justified if the black person says:

I’m sorry I have this bad attitude about white cops, but I have seen and heard bad things about white cops all my life. I know they hassle black people, and in fact, I have been mistreated by three separate white cops in my life.

For some reason, people who would never accept the racist’s justification of his racist attitudes, will nod their heads in approval as black people expound on why they believe all white cops are racists based upon their own personal experiences.

Interesting.  Yet that line of argumentation is so common, and so commonly accepted, that I feel obliged to take a stab at defending it.  One tack - people don't choose their race but they do choose their vocation - a person who chooses to become a police officer probably does have a set of attitudes that differ from the general population in various ways (More authoritarian? More controlling?).

And why would that justify having an attitude only about white cops?  I don't know.  Gates seems to believe that cops hassle blacks men that mouth off; I think cops hassle everyone who mouths off, but where is my street cred?  The Times front-paged a story on this.

ONE MORE TIME:  Gates claims he produced a driver's license with the address of the house in question, thereby establishing his right to be there.  Should that have been the end of the story?  Husbands and wives sometimes have nasty separations in which the husband gets kicked out the wife changes the locks; sometimes that can even escalate to the point where the wife takes out a Temporary Restraining Order.  I have no idea what sort of probable cause threshold would be appropriate, but shouldn't the police make a modest effort to take the emotional temperature of the household before leaving?  Gates was seemingly angry and uncooperative from the outset; per Crowley's version, Gates would not even respond when asked if anyone was in the house with him (In the Gates version, he does not describe the question but does refuse to answer).

So - do feminists and domestic violence experts agree that if the man of the house shouts at the cops that everything is cool so get out, the cops should simply leave?

Comments

[BB Key]

Advice to Sgt.Crowley do not go to the WH.
If you are being pressured to go take a witness.

[Jane]

It's public record, so they aren't going to be able to suppress those tapes forever. I predict we will hear them a month after we see the NY flyover pix.

I'm convinced at this point that Gates was pulling rank (do you know who I am?) and when that didn't work, played the race card. (Yo mama!) He gets arrested and knows immediately his ship has come in.

Enter Ogletree with the get-rich scheme ("before I'm done Henry you will be able to buy this house and every other one in the neighborhood). Ogletree knew just the thing to force a quick settlement with some subtle jury pool tampering in oh so liberal elite Middlesex County. Decision #1: let his old mentee return a favor, subtly, "post- racially" if you will.

(Actually at the time, I thought the weirdest thing about the incident was the fact that Obama was aware of it at all and quickly commented - unlike say, the elections in Iran. At that point we all should have known it was a set up.)

At any rate, Ogletree or Axelrod or someone suggested to Lynn Sweet that it would be a fab question at the presser and we were off and running. Just a little nudge from the post racial president (ala al Sharpton) would bring those suckers to the table - and before you could say "I won" the cash would be flowing.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[Original MikeS]

I would like to hear the tapes. It certainly sounds like Gates was a rude obnoxious jerk to the police who came to his home.
I suppose there could be a circumstance where bad behavior in the form of verbal abuse, even inside your own home, would become criminal behavior, but I'm having a tough time picturing that. Maybe the tapes will clear that up for me.

[clarice]

Jane, that's what my very sharp friend has suggested.

Ann Althouse thinks Gates was hiding something in his house (or someone) . Dan Riehl (Riehl world) shows that Gates is probably running a phony charity out of his house..

I think Inkwell, the charity, is a honeypot Gates uses to pay off his friends, associates and to fund his summer trips like the one to China.

How great will it be to learn that O has another close personal friend with tax issues.

[MeTooThen]

TM,

True story.

As a lad and young man living in the "City of Big Shoulders" I learned at any early age that in order to avoid the "long arm of the law" or it's strong arm or fist, "DO NOT BE A GOOF."

Goof = One who does not politely, immediately, and completely submit, comply, and do all that is asked of him by Chicago's finest.

I am not a "person of color" nor were my friends as a youth. At no time did this fact preclude any one of us from being subject to harsh words or worse if we acted "the goof."

While a resident, a childhood friend and co-resident of mine, white, blonde, blue-eyed, thin, 5' 8", found himself on the wrong side of the Badge. A broken wrist, multiple contusions, and a black eye were the consequences of his reportedly "mouthing off" to a police officer. IIRC, his only offense was he was a "goof" and did not submit or comply when being harassed (these things happened, you know, back in the day, 20 years ago.)

On the flip side, I worked along side Chicago's finest in the Mt. Sinai hospital emergency department. This is the Harrison District and again, IIRC, the most violent in the city. Two or three side-arms, brass knuckles, clubs, adorned these urban warriors.

It's tough being a cop. Don't yell at one, call them names, or antagonize.

Sir or Ma'am is a good place to start.

Just sayin'.

[Jane]

Inkwell

The plot thickens.

You know Clarice all of the presidebt's lip-smacking supporters tout his "Constitutional Law" cred (which any lawyer knows is a joke given his actual experience) but hey let's give it to him. Our presidebt is a "Constitutional scholar".

As a Constitutional scholar he knows more than most that our judicial system is based on the ability to get a fair trial with an impartial jury. Assuming that he is actually a supporter of same Constitution, as a Constitutional scholar, he certainly knew his remarks would tamper with any potential jury pool. What could be more facile, more hopey change, more effective in
forcing the city of Cambridge to cough up the duly deserved reparations to professor Gates. (Limited to $100k I believe.)

(I don't think for one second that the presidebt knows squat about the constitution and cares less what it says - but hey let's give him the benefit of the doubt.)

[clarice]

Guess at the time he was pimping for Gates and Ogletree he didn't realize there's a tape of the incident...and no matter how much Cambridge sits on it now, it would be most relevant and admissible at trial.

[verner]

Ras at -9. So so sorry your presidency is imploding--you pompous jerk.

[tjproudamerican]

"(I don't think for one second that the presidebt knows squat about the constitution and cares less what it says - but hey let's give him the benefit of the doubt.)"

Let's not.

[windansea]

Statement from Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

"It was very kind of the President to phone me today. Vernon Jordan is absolutely correct: my unfortunate experience will only have a larger meaning if we can all use this to diminish racial profiling and to enhance fairness and equity in the criminal justice system for poor people and for people of color.

And to that end, I look forward to studying the history of racial profiling in a new documentary for PBS. I told the President that my principal regret was that all of the attention paid to his deeply supportive remarks during his press conference had distracted attention from his health care initiative. I am pleased that he, too, is eager to use my experience as a teaching moment, and if meeting Sgt. [James] Crowley for a beer with the President will further that end, then I would be happy to oblige.

After all, I first proposed that Sgt. Crowley and I meet as early as last Monday. If my experience leads to the lessening of the occurrence of racial profiling, then I would find that enormously gratifying. Because, in the end, this is not about me at all; it is about the creation of a society in which 'equal justice before law' is a lived reality."

what a slimeball!

[Jimmy D]

I think Gates is on the down low and was trying to hide that.

[Jane]

Well if anyone was racial profiling it was Gates - but we all know that.

[hrtshpdbox]

Somehow I caught myself watching Chrissie Matthews last night, and was reassured that the dimwit left stands where it did (to paraphrase Shakespeare, something which Gates - according to Mark Steyn's excellent column today - apparently once claimed to do while actually quoting Robert Burns). Matthews says the photo of Gates in handcuffs would be so very potent if Gates launches a lawsuit; I suppose that unruly people who've been arrested should just be gently instructed to please behave, and those medieval cuffs left out of it. Matthews had two guests, one who asserted that Officer Crowley was clearly wrong but who allowed that now's the time to heal the wounds (y'know, that "teaching moment" baloney, as if Obama could recognize something he might try "learning" himself if it hit him over the head), the other guest essentially believed Crowley should be drawn and quartered - maybe because he's white, maybe because he's a cop, I couldn't quite follow. I got a tingle right up my leg when I read the comment above about Gates perhaps having a reason that he didn't want to invite people in, forgetting, of course, how it would be unadulterated racism to look into anything that might reflect poorly on the Prof.

[Rick Ballard]

"It's tough being a cop."

Yep. You never know what kind of trash you're going to have to deal with when that door opens? Will it be a doped up Marion Barry? Or will it be just run of the mill common felons like William Jefferson, Monica Conyers, Kwame Kilpatrick, Elliot Spitzer or Tony Rezko, dangerous only in terms of the power of their corrupt connections?

In this instance, Sgt. Crowley only had to deal with a foul mouthed racist (watch a Jeremiah Wright tape if you're unclear as to what that entails). Sgt. Crowley's tenure among the greatest accumulation of credentialed morons ever assembled makes his decision to keep his mike open during a very routine B&E investigation wholly understandable. I would imagine that it's SOP in such a locale.

Presidebt Stupidly's remarks are a typical response from a NPD perpetrator (vide Jefferson, BJ, 1993-2000). It might be entertaining to have a dead pool on which of his inner circle of jerks first gets the ax. That's what comes next.

[Phillep]

Crowley better lawyer up and meeting with Gates is a real bad idea.

I think he'd better carry a wire and try to have someone with a camera with him as much as possible. This is only going to get worse.

[John lynch]

The domestic violence analogy isn't correct. In that case there's a crime beyond yelling at the police. In the Gates case there was no crime except yelling at the police.

The police were right to investigate, Gates clearly lost his temper, and this is only an issue because of a media narrative about race.

I'm still tired of people being arrested for a crime that wouldn't have happened without the actions of law enforcement. This happens over and over again.

It sounds to me that Gates had a bad day and lost his cool. That's not something to be proud of, but it's also not something criminal.

This is supposed to be a free country. The police should have a minimal presence in our lives. They work for us. I have no doubt Gates brought his baggage into the dispute, but he is a private citizen. We're supposed to be able to speak our minds. He was on his own property. Aren't us conservatives and libertarians supposed to be on the side of individual rights?

[Barry Dauphin]

this is not about me at all

It used to be "when they say 'it's not about money,' you know it's about money."

21st century version, "whey they say 'it's not about me,' you know it's about me."

Q: Who pays the expenses of flying people to Washington and making accommodations for their stay?
A: Taxpayers

So granny gets the pain pill, while the privileged get beer at the WH. Instead of giving granny the pain pill, I suggest we at least give her a beer.

[Original MikeS]

In only a few days, Gates has proven that he is a disgusting character. I'm still having a little trouble understanding how that could be an arrestable offense.

[Captain Hate]

Gates is being set up and should refuse to attend. I don't believe anything from The Vomit's mouth; he's not nearly as accomplished a liar as Slick, who was also infinitely untrustworthy. But at least he was just a predator and didn't actively hate the country.

[Captain Hate]

I meant CROWLEY is being set up.

[hrtshpdbox]

Gates is being set up and should refuse to attend.
Ya think Obama will use Gates for his Sister Souljah moment? Ha ha, just kidding, I know you meant Crowley, not Gates.

[Captain Hate]

Aren't us conservatives and libertarians supposed to be on the side of individual rights?

Nice try, troll; back to the glory hole for you, Junior.

[patch]

Barry's sudden walkback is due to the tapes already having been reviewed by his people. Gates comes across as an idiot, but Crowley can be viewed as good or bad.

[Captain Hate]

Ya think Obama will use Gates for his Sister Souljah moment?

That's an interesting question but there's no evidence that he thinks quickly or strategically enough about to accomplish anything like what Slick did.

[verner]

I agree, they are setting up Crowley. It's the Chicago way. If I were him, I wouldn't say another word, and I would politely decline to be a photo=op to save the Racist-in-Chief's behind.

Obama let the mask slip, and the American public has seen his true face. The only way out is to destroy Crowley, no matter what he's saying now.

We can't see Obama's birth certificate, but if Crowley's grandfather had a jaywalking conviction in 1956, expect to read about it soon.

[Captain Hate]

That "about" shouldn't be there.

[Paul]

Well Obama showed his stripes. He's not only a racist but truly knows how to act stupidly.

You're done Obama. I will rally ever power I can against.... forever.

[tjproudamerican]

" but he is a private citizen. We're supposed to be able to speak our minds. He was on his own property. Aren't us conservatives and libertarians supposed to be on the side of individual rights?"

Including the right of a man not to be pilloried by the president simply for the conduct of his duty.

Next time you get a parking ticket which you regard as unjust,resulting in an altercation with the police,ring the presidebt.Let's see how for it will get you.

[clarice]

Well, I suspect if there's going to be a smear of Crowley it won't come directly from the WH--A lap dog like Sweet will report it. (Keep an eye on her!)

[Captain Hate]

I wouldn't worry too much about Sweet since she's been effectively smoked out. Unfortunately there are many others just like her.

[verner]

I agree Clarice. It will be from one of the bots in the press, with the info conveniently leaked on journolist. Obama must stay above it all.

Sidney BLumenthal could learn tricks from the current crop of knee cap breakers.

[DebinNC]

Obama said in his non-apology: there was an overreaction in pulling Professor Gates out of his home to the station

Was Gates "pulled out of his home"?

Did Crowley leave, only to be followed outside by a tumultuous Gates who extended his tirade to include the gathering crowd? Would such behavior be ignored if it occurred in an inner city housing project?

Gates was probably threatening to have Crowley's job and talking about suing the police. Without an arrest would there be an official record of what happened? Would the police tape be preserved as evidence?

[megapotamus]

Yes, Gates had best tread cautiously lest he find himself in company with Rev Wright checking the frame lube on the O campaign bus. If it benefits him, Barack will suddenly see the light... "Now. Let me be, uh clear. As I said, I did not..... at that time.... at the time of the "stupidly" incident that has been so controvertial, have all the facts. I have now heard the tapes and have concluded that this is not the Skip I know, that I have known for years throughout my career. The naked racebaiting and hostility on display is not what I knew or saw in Dr Gates personally over the last few decades and, as you all know by now, the chance that I actually read any of his scholarship, is, ah, nil. So I, uh, would like to, uh, take, uh, this great opportunity to give Dr Gates an opportunity to explore new opportunities that do not include an opportunity to speak to me, appear with me or in any way possibly be photographed with me. I hope this will lead to opportunity for him, say, in Jamaica or Pagu Pagu or any other locality without much mass media."

[PeterUK]

There will be duplicates of the tape circulating in the Cambridge police force now.
Some time they are going to hit Youtube.

[Amused Bystander]

Of course he cannot apologize: He is a clinical narcissist!

He can go out on his "apology tours" because he does not consider himself to be an American! Period. He is not apologizing for his country. America for him is some post modernist abstraction used to bolster his narcissistic delusions of grandeur. My goodness, did you not hear what he said about "victory" and the Japanese surrender? Beyond belief! He is so off in his narcissistic fantasy world that he thinks that this is a reasonable response from the POTUS.

In his mind, the rest of us do not exist as individual human beings. We are merely actors In some bizarre internal "Psychodrama" . If not that, then we are an audience for this acting out of his psychosis. We are not citizens with our own value, lives and will that he has a duty to serve. To him is no real history of the USA that exists apart from his emotional projections. If the history of the USA--particularly its successes in a noble cause--makes him feel humiliated then that history must be evil. It must be apologized for. It must be belittled. To raise it up is to lower him. There is nothing mysterious about this. Ask any prison psychologist.

For him to admit to the slightest wrongdoing on his part, for him to allow himself the slightest admission that he could possibly be ever in error would cause the whole internal edifice to start crumbling apart. Remember, narcissism is the obsession with a false self, not the true self.

The man is not sane. This level of narcissism can destroy families, it can destroy the children of these families. And there is no cure for it! It is foolish to imagine that somehow he can be brought round by polls or the political process. His puppet masters know this.

What is the blue blazes do you expect,for crying out loud? We might has well have elected Lenin.

The fact he is not sane, however, does not absolve either Obama, his handlers or his supporters from moral culpability.

This is the mystery of our times: The Democrats manage at once to be both insane and immoral.

[Nick Reynolds]

Maybe Gates and President Stupidly should've just watched Chris Rocks video. Very educational. Be POLITE to the polic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj0mtxXEGE8

[clarice]

AB, that is a damned good analysis of his malignant narcissism.
My question is whether our institutions and traditions are strong enough to survive this crazy man.

[PeterUK]

"Remember, narcissism is the obsession with a false self, not the true self."

Insert Barrack Hussein Obama and Barry Dunham.

[Porchlight]

OT,

Rasmussen's Strongly Disapprove is at 39%, a new high. It's up 10 points in two months. Wonder where it will be in another two months.

[Captain Hate]

Yeah AB nails all my apprehensions really well; as probably did the link that Ignatz provided that I was too lazy to read (wtf; I *do* have a life, really).

[Jaybird]

What with Obama in the White House, 60 Democrats in the Senate, and majority Democratic House rule, I'm glad we're establishing "what the authorities think" as reasons to arrest people rather than rule of law.

I'm sure the re-education you're going to be getting will have you reach the same conclusions.

[Pofarmer]

Without an arrest would there be an official record of what happened? Would the police tape be preserved as evidence?

That's what I'm thinkin. Although, I think Gates may have wanted the arrest for "street cred" or something. I think at some point Crowley realized that he was going to need as long a paper trail as possible or he was going to get torched. Gates was going to make this an issue one way or the other, so, at least now he knows what the inside of a police cruiser looks like.

[ARC: Brian]

Advice to Sgt.Crowley do not go to the WH.
If you are being pressured to go take a witness.

If he doesn't go the meme will be that he isn't comfortable having a beer with 2(!) black men.

And Gates and Obama will be having their beer you can bet on it, with camera's everywhere.

It's a damned if he does damned if he doesn't situation for Crowley.

Crowley should say sure I'll have a beer, I'm bringing someone from the police Union with me.

[Pofarmer]

My question is whether our institutions and traditions are strong enough to survive this crazy man.

Problem is, a lot of folks agree with what the guy is doing.

[Pofarmer]

I'm glad we're establishing "what the authorities think" as reasons to arrest people rather than rule of law.

So, yelling obscenities at cops has never resulted in arrest before?

Cmon.

[clarice]

I love Ogletree's class-y remark that he's not sure Skip Gates drinks beer.

Flipping jackasses.

Crowley is more adept at handling loonies than Gates and O are adept at dealing face to face with real, sane, men--he'll be fine.

And if Gates sues, I hope the case is moved to South Boston because of the pretrial poisoning of the jury pool by Deval and the Pres and the mayor.

[Captain Hate]

I'm glad we're establishing "what the authorities think" as reasons to arrest people rather than rule of law.

I'm sure there was a statute on the books that was violated. Try harder next time.

As for your last sentence, Professor 12-gauge told me I don't need no steenking re-education.

[RichatUF]

JL-

The police should have a minimal presence in our lives. They work for us.

So the Cambridge Police shouldn't have responded to a possible b&e in progress in a neighborhood that has had a number of break ins over the last few weeks? The Cambridge Police shouldn't have bothered the dear Professor even though his house had been broken into before?

CH-

I think you're right that Sgt. Crowley is being set up with the White House and beer talk. Maybe he can go on vacation with his family for a weeek or so and let the whole thing blow over. If Gates and his lawyer listen to the tapes and see the dash cam videos they might reconsider being in the public eye.

But Obama wanted a national conversation on race and what better way to have that conversation and shape the narrative than to have a convenient "teachable moment". Willi Munzenberg would weep at his success. Obama didn't even need to burndown the Capitol.

[Pofarmer]

I don't remember where I read or heard it. But the comment was made yesterday, that Obama was complaining about the taint of racism in America today. Gates is a black Harvard Professor. Cambridge, MA has a black mayor. Massachusetts has a black Governor. The United States has a black President. I mean, it's practically like the Klan is running things.

[bad]

jimmyk, your "downlow" theory is one that ocurred to me very early on.

[Gmax]

I dont see how Obama comes out of this with anything positive. He is now trying to put ointment on the lashmarks, and has to tiptoe ever so carefully to not enrage a very liberal black population who has been allowed to marinate for years under careful seasoning and pot stirring by the Democrat Party, into believing that the Man is out to get them.

But the tiptoeing does not cut it with wide swath of the muddle. And worse for him this reminds some of them that this kind of rhetoric seems vaguely familiar. Where have they heard this before?

Oh yeah, that condescending speech to rich white liberals in San Fran where he went on and on about clinging to guns and religion. Its two birds of the same feather.

When will the muddle get sick enough of this playbook to throw the bums out? Maybe sooner than you think. The strategists are already in a panic, Corzine is going down in Blue State NJ, and its starting to look like Purple state VA is going R too. That will set the meme that will be tough to break leading into the off year congressional elections.

Pass the popcorn, I love the smell of roasting liberals in the morning!

[bad]

How does a college professor living in a very expensive area, get the dough to hire a limo for airport transportation. Surely the stupid books he writes don't bring in that much extra money.

[bad]

Did the neighbor who reported the crime see the limo driver drive away? I would be glued to the window if a crime I reported was happening in my neighborhood. And I'd have the camcorder going...

[Porchlight]

He probably has a sweet travel/transportation deal worked out with Harvard, bad.

[verner]

Great Pofamer. The only racists I see in this sordid mess are Gates and Obama. Obviously lots of people see it in the same way because that spike in the disapproval number looks very promising.

Obama sold himself as the great racial healer, one of the reasons so many in the muddle overlooked Wright.

But now Obama has outed himself. He sounded like Al Sharpton. And there are just some impressions that can't be erased--especially when there is history to back it up. Thanks to his stupid comment, people are beginning to re-evaluate the fact that he sat in Wright's pew for 20 years.

[Captain Hate]

bad, I'm sure Gates has his hand in a lot of different pockets including Uncle Sam's, courtesy of PBS & NPR. He's practically a brand-name and I'm sure his books are regularly assigned in the race-hustling classes that stain academia. The China trip was obviously a money making venture. Plus he lives in housing provided by Harvard.

[Porchlight]

One small joy is that a barely-watched presser has now had negative impact far beyond what it would have had if Obama had kept his mouth shut.

[verner]

Bad, Gates is very famous in academic circles. I would guess he gets megabucks from Harvard, speaking deals, books boards etc.

I would be surprised if he didn't earn at least in the high 6 figures, and would speculate much more.

[sylvia]

I can see both sides of the story as usual. It all depends on what Crowley was worried about when he arrested Gates. Was he truly worried about some domestic violence situation or such, or did he really arrest Gates because he was mouthing off. In the first case, I support Crowley, in the second, I support Gates.

I think the problem is Crowly arrested Gates for a disorderly conduct type charge. That right there tells us Crowley's thinking. I think he should have arrested Gates for suspicion of trespassing, and I think if he had reason to think that, he would have. It is not a crime to be rude to cops. So therefore, I am leaning towards Gates side until I learn more about it.

However, I suppose it's possible that if Gates were so unruly and agitated he could be on drugs or be in the midst of a medical or mental condition and a danger to himself or others, so maybe prudent to haul him in. But I don't think Gates was THAT unruly. It could be a close call and perhaps the tapes would help.

[clarice]

Capt, the arrest report tracks to a T the Cambridge law on disorderly conduct.

[DebinNC]

Gates is going to publicly recite his version of this tale for the rest of his life. It's vital that the tape be released so his version can be compared to knowable facts.

[kcom]

Yeah, there is absolutely no reason for Crowley to attend. He was doing his job and that's the end of the story. Going for a beer sends the signal that he has something to apologize or make up for. He should tell Obama he has a job to do protecting the lives and property of the people of Cambridge, including Mr. Gates, and that's what he'll focus on.

As to the long Gates statement quoted above, all I can say is that it was laughable. The man is living on another planet.

To pick just one example: "my unfortunate experience will only have a larger meaning if ..."

The very definition of narcissism. He never even considers the possibility that it shouldn't and doesn't have a larger meaning. But in his mind, since it involves him, it has to represent some grand "larger meaning". The only larger meaning it has is you shouldn't act like a jerk to a police officer investigating a report of a break-in at your house. That's it. Nothing more.

To his question of "Do you know who I am?", my answer would be "Who do you think you are?"

[Joe]

I do wonder why people are so unhinged by this story. Yes, Obama overstepped himself by saying the police acted 'stupidly' and he should have, according to Krauthammer, merely said he's a friend of Gates and cannot really answer that question.

However, to say that Gates should have been arrested for being discourteous to a police officer is absurd. I'm frankly quite surprised by fellow libertarians and conservatives who take the side of the cop. Gates was on his property, he had properly identified himself so there was no crime being committed. He has a right to be a pompous windbag if he so chooses but to hear people like Mike Gallagher and others state that was must "respect the badge and gun" is just shocking. These same people will warn others (quite rightly) that there is too much government intrusion into our lives and we need more personal freedoms.

No, we don't have to respect those who carry guns and badges. We should respect the laws and adhere to them but there can be really horrible cops who are enveloped in the fog of their own self importance and power. Should we all bend down and kiss their rears? After all, they carry badges! We must do exactly as they say like a dancing monkey. Gates was well within his rights to be a jerk, as I have said, Crowley should have just left the scene like a professional and this would be a non-story. People would have laughed at Gates' attitude, as people do when they watch a cop show and some irate driver makes a fool of himself. Instead, Crowley chose to show Gates who was really in control and arrested him on a phony charge. Sorry, if I am not one to cheer on police power at all costs. You may throw stones now but one day you too may be on the receiving end of a cop's poor handling of a situation. Of course, you may be one of the sheep more than willing to bend down and take any all affronts to your personal liberty.

[Porchlight]

It all depends on what Crowley was worried about when he arrested Gates.

No it doesn't.

[bad]

Tapper reports that presidebt now finds healthcare reform to be a "moral imperative."

What happened to fierce moral urgency...

[clarice]

bad, I bet the entire trip was underwritten by his suspicious charitable operation Inkwell.
One thing about those of Obama's friends who feel superior to everyone else is that they feel entitled to every perk at the same time ignoring their tax obligations.

[Gmax]

Sylvia

Whenever you post I invariably think of white on white shirts of days gone by. Only for your posts I substitute "stupid on stupid", as that seems the most descriptive analogy I can provide.

[Keating Willcox]

I would like clarification that speaking in a bad tempered criticism of an officer, while in my own home, may not be the best in manners, but is not a crime. I have been a police auxiliary, long ago, and my memory is that cops believe part of their job is to punish disrespect, in any form. I believe this is poisonous, and reflects the ongoing hostility between Cops and most poor folks.

Good cops are civil to everyone, friendly to no one, and arrest only after someone has committed a crime, not just to enforce a respectful tone.

Our local town police are superb and realize that a weak arrest like this Gates matter would put a hold on their career.

The military has it right. If you, an officer, get into a racial or sexual discrimination problem, your career is on hold. This way, everyone bends over backwards to achieve civility and fairness. As a result, there are few complaints and overall good morale.

[clarice]

Joe troll, just because one is a Harvard Professor not of pallor, you have no right to engage in abusive and disorderly conduct.

[DebinNC]

These new Gates defenders here all seem to assume facts not in evidence. And it's like they're all singing from the same hymn book.

[Ron Gurta]

The only appologies that Obama will ever make is to appologize for America and its "arrogant" ways.

[clarice]

And now we have Keating Willcox who fiddles with the facts and pretends to know something about law enforcement--though not about the most ommon misdemeanor--disorderly conduct. HEH

[Jane]

Crowley better lawyer up and meeting with Gates is a real bad idea.

So far he's got the union lawyer who has done a good job so far. But I think it is over. I doubt there is a reason to "lawyer up" beyond that at this point. If nothing else the presidebt should be begging Gates to back off.

This is supposed to be a free country. The police should have a minimal presence in our lives. They work for us. I have no doubt Gates brought his baggage into the dispute, but he is a private citizen. We're supposed to be able to speak our minds. He was on his own property. Aren't us conservatives and libertarians supposed to be on the side of individual rights?

I think you are right and I can see myself arguing against the arrest under different circumstances. The part that gauls me is Gates demanding he be treated differently when I think Crowley was probably treating him exactly the same as he would any guy who mouthed off at him. Should Crowley have let it go - probably. Should Gates have been able to speak his mind, absolutely - altho in this case he was bringing a knife to a gun fight and he's an idiot for not realizing that - unless he did it on purpose to sell books.

My big issue is the interference by the presidebt - after Gates had announced he was filing a lawsuit. That's just wrong.

[bad]

Wow!! Another brainless idiot making a fortune off demented blathering. I shoulda known...

[clarice]

Isn't that so, Deb--Well, this fandango muct be costing MoveOn and Axelrod a fortune--how much is the daily diet of a troll?

[Captain Hate]

I'm frankly quite surprised by fellow libertarians and conservatives who take the side of the cop.

Go fuck yourself Joe; you're not "by" fellow conservative. What's Axelrod paying for weekend work?

[Michael Chaney]

In concentrating on Gates' behavior, everybody is missing the main point here. That is, what was the offense which made the arrest legal? Crowley has yet to come up with one. "He hurt my feelings" seems to be the best he can conjure up, and, while I feel sorry for Crowley, that doesn't make the arrest *legal*.

When Crowley discovered that Gates was a legal resident of the house, his *only* legal option was to turn around and leave. If he had as much IQ as testosterone, he would have done that, and Gates would be left looking like an ass (Gates would have still been milking this for all it's worth, even without the arrest). Instead, Crowley illegally arrested him, giving Gates the moral high ground if even for a moment.

Because there was no report of domestic violence, Crowley had no probable cause to investigate further, so that's yet another red herring.

[PeterUK]

Joe and Keating Wilcox.
Nice try,but this isn't about Gates and Crowley,this is about the abuse of power by the president.Also the stupidity of Obama leaving himself open to the charge of nepotism for intervening on behalf of a friend.

The sensible route would have been for Obame to excuse himself,but for some inexplicable reason, he chose not to take it.

[Joe]

Wow. Okay, so please, Capt Hate and Clarice, please explain to me why arresting Gates fits into the libertarian world view? Just curious, as I'd like your interpretation. If you go to Reason's site, the comments are much more in line with my POV. Unless of course you believe Reason is comprised of a bunch of libs. No where did I say Gates didn't act like a fool, but acting like a fool isn't a crime nor should it be. If I wanted to call a cop every name in the book that is my freedom of speech and yours as well. I would assume you'd cherish that.

[clarice]

Michael--like Joe and Willcox you are full of it.

It is standard practice when there is a reported breakin (as TM has noted) to check the premises to make certain all is well.

As soon as Crowley asked Gates if anyone else was in the house (the report had been TWO men breaking in, remember?) Gates went batshit.

Professor Ann Althouse has this in greater detail.

Gates was asked three times to cool it and simply escalated his behavior, even carrying it outside where it drew a crowd.

(Axelrod--hire smarter trolls or go to dumber blogs)

[DebinNC]

Free the tape!

[PeterUK]

I see the meme du jour is to focus on Gates and Crowley and not the disgraceful intervention by Obama. So I will say again,it looks like nepotism.

[PeterUK]

"Wow. Okay, so please, Capt Hate and Clarice, please explain to me why arresting Gates fits into the libertarian world view?"

Because the president intervened in a matter outside his remit.

[clarice]

Dear Joe, I follow my own lead not Reason's and there's no doubt in my mind that place is under an Axelrod infestation, too.

By next month they'll have to pay you even more as the favorables sink to the mid-thirties and people start figuring out when Biden can take over.

[kentuckyliz]

Obama lied again.

Crowley "pulled" Gates out of his house?

Nope. He was leaving and Gates pursued him.

Fracking liar.

We are not stupid.

The disorderly conduct was a reasonable fear of starting a riot due to shouting inflammatory racist comments at the police officers including a black one!!! in front of a growing crowd of bystanders. It's clear to me.

Gates is an idiot and I think he's on the downlow too. Internalized homophobia. He should just come out of the closet already.

[Rick Ballard]

"you may be one of the sheep more than willing to bend down and take any all affronts to your personal liberty"

Or you might be intelligent enough to understand that making yourself part of witless street theater can have unforeseen consequences. That probably doesn't occur to witless hog pen libertarians wholly wrapped up in defining liberty as libertine excess without examination of duties of common decency. They spend so much time in straw man construction that they never read the obverse of the liberty medal.

[Ranger]

All those who say this was 'just about Gates mouthing off to a cop' should consider the situation from the police officer's perspective.

You get a report of two men forcing their way through the front door of a house in a neighborhood where then have been numerous breakins already this year.

You get to the house and find that the front door has been forced open. You also find one man fitting the description of the individuals forcing entry into the house.

You do not know who lives at the house.

The man claims to be the homeowner, but when you ask him for ID he get beligerent. When you ask him if there is anyone else in the house, he refuses to co-operate.

Who is the man in front of you?

is he:

a) one of two men robbing the house

b) a cranky guy who doesn't like police

Where is the second individual?

a) Is he inside holding the actual resident/residents captive?

b) Is he making an escape with already gathered property?

c) There is no second person.

Given that the initial report of forced entery to the house is confirmed by the damaged door when you arrive, what is that safest and most reasonable conclusion to come to from the actions of the man in the house?

[Amused Bystander]

Clarice: they could have up to 30 or so years ago. The Left's "march through the institutions" and the dislodging of real culture by "popular culture" has harmed us greatly. So to has the traitorous behavior of the MSM and the educational establishment. A rather signal point to the nature of our institutions was that we should never get to this point in the first place.

But that highlights the deeper truth. The Left utilizes Obama for its insidious and hideous ends. Should Obama vanish tomorrow we would still have the same problem. We have an elite that is out to destroy us--destroy what we have been, what we are and what we should be. They are out to destroy all that has been accomplished by this nation. They are both perverted and perverse. Has histroy ever seen the like of this before? I struggle to find a precedent. One thing is for certain, our history has not one. So it is not just s question of whether our institutions can survive Obama, but whether thay can survive the political and social ascendancy of the 1960's radicals and all that they represent.

At best we can hope that somehow we survive this and have the fortitude to examine ourselves and reform.

I doubt that if we do come out on the other side that we will ever be the America we once were. I doubt that we will remain a world leader or power. I do hope, however, that i am wrong.

The state of education and the Media are driving factors here, but most crucial is that our commercial life has been brought so low by the rentier seekers of the state. It will take a affirmation of capitalism and the individual and his liberty to turn this around, It will also require a sober analysis of so-called "globalization".

As I have said many time here, it comes down to the character of the American people. Are we what we once were?

Soon we shall see.

My feeling is that there has to be broad public outrage soon if we are to turn this around politically in 2010 and 2012. Broad enough to repudiate the Left, and literally undo all that Obama has wrought (and more than that really for the whole New Deal mindset must be rejected). Broad enough to send the democrats and their GOP enablers out off office at all levels and to finally reject and repudiate them

It is not over for us yet, but we have little time and not much room to maneuver. We can only hope that other nations will have it worse so that we have some time.

On this note, I was talking to a UK citizen this AM that is in the USA working to clear up one of the main players in the whole TARP mess. His feeling is that this whole mess will allow the BRIC nations, particularly China to catch up and supass us. This gentleman is not liberal but a hard nosed, older banker.

It was a sobering conversation. I have to wonder if we have not been literally betrayed by our political classes.

[Joe]

Clarice,

Really? So, if my neighbor calls the police that they believe that someone is attempting to break into my home and when the police arrive there is no burglary and it was just me attempting to get into my house because the door is jammed, I'm supposed to give them free reign to pillage through my house? Um no. The crime the officer was sent to investigate did not exist. Once Gates identified himself as the homeowner there ceased to be a crime. Anything after that was a situation Crowley created and he would have no reason to search the house outside of his desire to exert authority.

[Les Nessman]

We are all Georgians,er Joe the Plumber, er Sgt. Crowley now.

[Captain Hate]

Joe, I never claimed to be a libertarian, so we can destroy that straw-man immediately.

I was interested in finding out whether you douches stuck around to see if you're fooling anybody, so thanks for that feedback. Otherwise go away; you're boring me.

[PeterUK]

"If I wanted to call a cop every name in the book that is my freedom of speech and yours as well. I would assume you'd cherish that."

Yes,it is also an inalienable right to poke a bull in the balls with a stick.Ga ahead feel free.

You are right about this being about liberty.
The liberty not to have your name dragged out in public by the president. America isn't a banana state yet.There are penalties for upsetting the president's friend,are there?

[Gmax]

Is it just me or do the trolls seem, well just a bit disspirited? Its must suck to have to trot out, again, on a Saturday morning to try to throw some misdirection and generally just kick up some dust to hide the action, to cover for another in a long line of stupid on stupid comments coming out of this administration. Why someone might start to get the impression that the administration is in WAY over their head, and flailing around hoping someone or something floats by to save their sorry asses.

[bad]

Ranger, your logic and common sense is too logical and commonsensical to penetrate lefty hysteria. Will not compute...

[L. Young]

I think we should all expect more of this reverse racism. "O" has made it clear that he is going to turn the tables rather than bring the country together. The message is out...you can't touch us or we'll scream racism.

[Porchlight]

They do seem a bit weary, Gmax. Also windy. Did Axelrod up the maximum word count for a billable comment?

[Rick Ballard]

Can anyone come up with another instance of the President of the United States of America lowering himself (and his office) to the point of interjecting himself into the criminal justice system wrt a misdemeanor criminal act on behalf of a perpetrator/supporter? Presidebt Stupidly appears to have a rather singular approach to his job.

[DaveinPhoenix]

In my 52 years, I've not once heard the word "sorry" from any minority anywhere. Yet, I hear the word almost daily from the majority. So why IS "sorry" such a hard word to say for minorities ? Because it's all about them and their self-pity. Their rights come before anyone elses no matter what the circumstance or outcome. It's a self-absorbed scream for attention and we see it every day around us. It's me, me, me, me me. This country once had some spirituality or religion in our lives, and we understood that we are not the center of the universe. But I guess this country is so much better off having turned our backs on God. (Gasp !!! He said that word !!)

[Ranger]

Now, to build on my previous points upthread. it's clear the police had a reason to treat Gates with suspicion. Gates' response was not to co-operaate, but to become even more beligerent.

Police are trianed to maintain control of the situation. They couldn't leave the scene while Gates was standing in front of his house screaming. He refused to calm down and kept screaming not just at them, but the other citizens who had gathered around to see what was going on.

I guess the police could have waited until Gates exhausted himself and went back inside, but they had no idea how long that was going to take.

Since Gates refused to defuse the situation himself by simply going inside the police defused the situation by arresting him and removing him from the scene.

All standard police work from top to bottom.

[bad]

Powerline has the perspective from a couple of cops regarding officers responding to a burglary in progress. Very interesting read.

LUN