Obama Calls Choice of Words on Gates "Unfortunate"

(AP)

Updated 4:10 p.m. ET

Hours after Cambridge police officers called on President Obama to apologize for comments suggesting that the department had acted "stupidly" in its handling of the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Mr. Obama acknowledged that he "could have calibrated [his] words differently."

"To the extent that my choice of words didn't illuminate but rather contributed to more media frenzy, I think that was unfortunate," Mr. Obama said in a surprise appearance at the White House press briefing Friday afternoon. The president stopped short of an explicit apology.

The comments marked an attempt by the president to quell the growing controversy over his criticism of the police department's handling of the situation, which has dominated headlines for the past two days despite White House efforts to keep the spotlight on its health care reform efforts.

The president told reporters he had just spoken to Sgt. James M. Crowley, the arresting officer in the case. He said his words "unfortunately, I think, gave an impression that I was maligning the Cambridge police department or Sgt. Crowley specifically."

"I have to tell you that, as I said yesterday, my impression of [Crowley] was that he was a outstanding police officer and a good man, and that was confirmed in the phone conversation," he said. "And I told him that."

The president cast the controversy as a potential "teachable moment." He said the fact that the incident has garnered so much attention is "a testament to the fact that these are issues that are still very sensitive in America."

(CBS)

"Because of our history, because of the difficulties of the past, African-Americans are sensitive to these issues," he said. "Even when you've got a police officer who has a fine track record on racial sensitivity, interactions between police officers and the African-American community can sometimes be fraught with misunderstanding."

"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," the president said. "I also continue to believe, based on what I heard, that Professor Gates probably overreacted as well."

"My sense is you've got two good people in a circumstance in which neither of them were able to resolve the incident in the way that it should have been resolved and the way they would have liked it to be resolved," he said.

(AP)

The president said people should "step back for a moment" and recognize both Gates and Crowley are "decent people."

"Instead of pumping up the volume," Mr. Obama said, Americans should "spend a little more time listening to each other and try to focus on how we can generally improve relations between police officers and minority communities."

He said he spoke to Crowley about potentially having him come to the White House to have a beer, along with Professor Gates. "We may put that together," the president said.

He also said Crowley asked him "if there was a way of getting the press off his lawn."

The president said he disagreed with those who said he should not have weighed in on what was a local issue.

"Whether I were black or white, I think that me commenting on this and hopefully contributing to constructive, as opposed to negative, understandings about the issue is part of my portfolio," he said.

Mr. Obama also signaled that he was ready to move on from the controversy.

"Because over the last two days, as we've discussed this issue," he said, "I don't know if you've noticed, but nobody's been paying much attention to health care."

After the president spoke, Mr. Obama called Gates and invited him to the White House as well, according to a White House statement. The statement said the two men had a "positive discussion."

Related Coverage:

Cambridge Cops Want Obama Apology

White House: No More To Say On Gates

He said, He said Saga in Cambridge

Gates' Daughter Calls Crowley Uncooperative

Cambridge Cops Back Crowley

White House: Obama Didn't Call Officer Stupid

Prof. Gates, Cambridge and Racial Politics

Cop Who Cuffed Gates Tried to Save NBA Pro

Cambridge Cop: Gates' Arrest by the Book

Gates Devastated by Arrest, Says Daughter

Obama: Cops Acted "Stupidly" in Professor's Arrest

Black Professor Wants Apology over Arrest

Was Professor's Arrest 'Racial Profiling'?

Gates Speaks out about His Arrest

Charges Against Harvard Scholar Dropped

Profiling Charge In Black Scholar's Arrest

[endurorob]

Just can't bring himself to apologize for his moronic insulting comment.

[tautomer]

The words are indeed "unfortunate". That doesn't in anyway alter the fact that he uttered them. Our teleprompter president gives us few opportunities to read his TRUE sentiments. It is in just such "unfortunate" word choices that Obama reveals his real feelings.

[rocketjl]

Good grief, now we have some more words that will go down in history. I'm sorry Mr. President, but regardless of the Gates thing, it is very clear to the American people who acted stupidly. "Acted stupidly" is a phrase you have coined Mr. President and it will follow you throughout history. Regardless of what you want Mr. President, you were very wrong and the nation is very disappointed you refused to correct your error.

[the_majesty]

Axelrod will now tighten the reins on Obama.
Obama meant what he said and he can't take it back.

[the_majesty]

Obama's approval rating is below 50% and falling to earth.

[the74blaster]

The question I would like to ask is do the GOP supporters really think that we are going to believe anything they tell us?

Consider the following......

Former president Bush is the author of the 2009 federal budget, you know the spending that the GOP supporters are currently blaming on Obama.

Based on the information I have seen, President Obama called the actions of the police offer "stupid". Yes it was a poor choice of words. However, anything is going to be used by the current GOP conservatives in their witch hunt. All you need to do is read some of these postings and you have your evidence.

Then you have the chicken little "sky is falling" comments about Obama's national health insurance plan. The current GOP supporters have been using the fear tactics of labeling it socialism. However, Obama has been talking about making the healthcare system more efficeint. You certainly never hear these conservatives talk about offering an alternative to address these problems and cut costs to the customer.

The truth is the current GOP is a party not deserving of any support. The majority of the logical GOP members who I respect are now independents. It will continue to be that way until the right wing extreamists who hijacked political party with a decent set of ideas, are weeded out.

In short, the way you hippocrites are attacking Obama is a disgrace and I would be ashamed to call you republicans.

In reality, I would consider you right wing extreamists.

Get over Obama's poor choice of words and start working with the rest of us to end this recession and improve our healthcase system.

[swin5]

Obama has the gift of words and you have to really read and listen closely to understand the BS that he is giving you. As an example, look at how he deliberately mis-uses words to draw you into making the conclusion he wants you to make.....

The word 'unfortunate' is used for something that happens that you have no control over - example, I had an unfortunate accident. Unfortunate comes from the word 'fortune' so you can see it's real meaning.

Obama saying his use of words was 'unfortunate' has the subtle connotation of meaning that it was something he had no control over. It was just 'bad fortune' that he used those words.

[swin5]

During the election, a guy I know made the comment that if Obama gets elected then a significant number of black Americans will begin to behave in an uncivil manner and maybe even break the law, figuring there won't be any consequences. I laughed off his comment. Now it's got me thinking. If this is how an educated black professor acts and how a black governor, mayor, and president rushes to his defense, then what about the much larger group of ordinary or less educated or ghetto-dwelling blacks - how will they respond?

Obama's actions in this matter plus his nomination of a racist to the Supreme Court, plus other issues such as favoritism, affirmative action, disrespect for the law, and inappropriate behavior in public help to make racists out of people who don't want to be. A similar scenario in history would be living in a border state during the civil war - maybe you didn't want to fight, maybe you didn't want a war, but you were forced to take a side anyway. This is perhaps ultimately the greatest wrong that Obama committed. He should not have taken sides. He should have told everybody to wait until all the facts were in. He should have been the moral leader in showing people how to handle a situation such as this. Instead, he did just the opposite - he took sides himself, and you can see from these comment boards that now everybody is doing the same thing. Mr. President, you call this a 'teachable moment'. Well it WAS a teachable moment until you blundered with your comments. Now it's just another ugly mark on our society, and you are partly to blame for that.

[milkbottle1]

I believe Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s mindset was already triggered for confrontation about discrimination and racism because of an article he wrote that had just been published a few days before in the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/10/AR2008071002265.html

washingtonpost.com > Columns

Is He a Racist?
James Watson's Errant, Perilous Theories
By Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Friday, July 11, 2008; Page A17


At the bottom of the article, he states:

Soon, some scientist somewhere will claim to have proved this, and that claim could be deeply problematic
for the future of black people in this society, even if my rights to equal treatment under the law
are not predicated upon the hypothesis that all human groups have the same genetic endowments.

Also, at the bottom of the article:

The writer, a professor at Harvard University, is editor in chief of TheRoot.com, where a longer version
of this article appears.

[rocketjl]

The situation had nothing to do with race until Gates and the President made it a racial situation. Sorry, Mr prez, too little, too late and I don't think squat your racist buddy Gates. I am a US-American whose parents were Irish and Chinese. If your buddy Gates pull that crap on me,you can bet your bottom dollar I would not 'racial profile' him, I'd just give him a fat lip for being a racist in America. How about you Mr. President??????