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Gibbs: Obama Regrets Distraction Caused By Gates Comments

Versha Sharma | July 24, 2009, 11:50AM

Barack Obama, Health care

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President Obama regrets the comments he made Wednesday night about the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. - but only in the sense that it's become such a distraction from the health care debate, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Friday morning.

In response to reporters' questions at the White House, Gibbs said if the President knew "just how much of an overall distraction and obsession it would be, I think he would regret distracting [the media] with obsessions."

Gibbs did not say that Obama was apologizing for his comments, which included saying the Cambridge police "acted stupidly" in arresting Gates outside of his own home last Thursday.

The Hill reports that "Gibbs said the president was probably 'not altogether surprised that somebody' asked him about the incident." While unsurprised at being asked about it, Obama has said he's "surprised by the controversy" over what he saw as "pretty straight forward 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."

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HopeDemandsSacrifice

July 24, 2009 12:55 PM

I have been reading and thinking about this quite a bit. Does anyone else but me wonder if Professor Gates was suffering from jet lag (He was coming back from a flight from China). This is not to excuse the police officer. Still, irritability and foggy thinking are common side effects of jet lag. Could this have contributed to
escalating the incident into a confrontation.

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onceler

July 24, 2009 1:04 PM

Hmm, this write-up is oddly slanted against Gates. The man was lured outside his home by the officer in question, and then arrested on bogus charges which were dropped, with an apology, within hours!

Don't you think it's important to mention all the relevant details here if you're going to bother to write about it?

Can someone, somewhere, provide any evidence that the officer in question did not "act stupidly"? Anyone? Because it seems very cut & dried to me. He got insulted, lost his cool, and went a little vigilante. He was supposed to be the professional law enforcement officer here, not Gates, who was well within his rights to be as angry or animated as he wanted to be.

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BonnyBrown

July 24, 2009 1:35 PM in reply to onceler

Baits was the one who left his house, following the officer to continue his tirade. Quite ridiculous that you would blame the officer for the actions of Baits. Next thing you know it's the officers fault that Baits had to break into his own home, right? I guess the officer tricked him into it. What a joke.

You didn't seem to mind not mentioning all the details when you spouted your nonsense, in fact you deliberately decided to fudge them to suit your bias. Take your own advice.

The officer did not act stupidly at any point. Baits was belligerent, prejudice, and uncooperative during a valid investigation. Furthermore, Baits decided to follow the officer outside after the officer was attempting to leave, ignoring various warnings that an arrest was imminent. You are sorely mistaken to believe that Baits was within his right to act in the way he did, there this thing called disorderly conduct, which is why Baits was arrested. He's just lucky that he's an black elite with friends in high places willing to play the race card to pressure prosecutors into dropping the charges.

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AJM

July 24, 2009 1:40 PM in reply to BonnyBrown

Check the police report. As I recall the police officer demanded that Gates -- not Baits -- step outside. So check your facts before you assume that it is all prejudice.

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HopeDemandsSacrifice

July 24, 2009 1:18 PM

Actually, I think the onus if on the policeman. Professor Gates was in his own home. The police officer is trained to deal with all situations.
I was just wondering if jet lag could have been a factor. That's all. It was idle curiosity on my part.

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BonnyBrown

July 24, 2009 1:30 PM

Obama should be ashamed of his comments. He claims the police acted stupidly, but totally ignores all the despicable behavior of Baits. Why is it that some people feel they do not have to take responsibility for their own actions? Baits sat there screaming at the officer, refused to cooperate, prejudged the officer because he was white, and even followed the officer outside to continue his tirade after being warned of a potential arrest. Apparently someone acting this way wasn't acting stupidly in Obama's view and that is sick. I hope one day uncivilized scum that thinks acting this way is alright will come join civil society.

Obama also sets a dangerous precedent by making such prejudice remarks without all the fact. Maybe next time I find myself being judgmental of a minority I'll feel free to judge away without any facts or care about being prejudice. Hell, if it's good enough for the president of the united states it's good enough for me.

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fbacon2

July 24, 2009 2:14 PM in reply to BonnyBrown

As AJM says above, it's Gates--not Baits. Good luck, BTW, on your new adventure of making prejudiced remarks about minorities. Hope it works out for you.

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nanorich

July 24, 2009 2:42 PM in reply to BonnyBrown

Bonny,

Do you find race baiting posts such as you are making on TPM help you make friends on Free Republic?

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TrentinaNE

July 24, 2009 1:53 PM

Pres. Obama would have been wise to leave his remarks at "I don't know enough of the details about what happened to make a judgment." Once he said that, it was kind of pointless to go on.

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