Breaking: Obama Phones Officer Crowley; Calls Him Good Police Officer and Good Man; Allows He "G[ave] Impression" That He Was Maligning Cambridge Cops

Update: FoxNews print article with accurate quotes (I presume). They note it's not really an apology, too.

...

Note: Extended quotes are approximate only; I was typing as he spoke; I can't quite keep up with the pace of spoken speech.

CORRECTION/UPDATE: This was all typed extemporaneously. My word choice -- "apologizes" -- was inaccurate. He did not apologize per se. He did not say "I apologize" or even "I'm sorry."

He did allow that he chose his words in such a way as to give an "impression" he now says he didn't intend. He says that if given the chance, he would "re-calibrate" his original remarks.

Not really an apology. Just a statement that he did not mean to say what he said.

In fact, pressed on whether it was an "apology," Gibbsy says he declines to get out ahead of the president, which seems to confirm an apology would be "further" than what Obama offered.

As I said, the key thing here is that Obama is just saying "Stop covering this." He's not admitting fault. He just doesn't want it to be an issue.

I thought I'd resolve this as it's generating argument in the comments.

Juan Williams, by the way, calls it only a "walk-back" and says it's "at the edge of an apology" but not actually an apology.

...

But: Continues to dig in on "overreaction" regarding arrest.

Also: Gates himself overreacted.

"Sense is that you got two good people in a circumstance in which neither of them was able to resolve the incident in a way it should have been resolved or how they would like it to be resolved." (Approximate quote.)

Underscores continuing tensions, or something.

Basically tells media to stop covering story.

Yammers about mistrust of African Americans regarding police and "misunderstandings" that occur.

Goes with liberal nonsense, stating it can serve as a "teachable moment."

Defends intervention in case, stating that "race is still a troubling issue," claims that commenting on this case is "part of his portfolio." (Odd -- he hasn't commented on the dismissal of charges against the Black Panther thugs. In that case, presumably, it's not part of his portfolio and he can duck the issue as he likes.)

Not an apology, though he did allow his words were not as they ought to have been.

Reporter's Question: Will Obama sit down and have a "discussion on race" as Clinton did?

Gibbsy says we're already having that conversation. (Translation: Not on your life.)

Photoshop: By Treacher.

Gibbs: We Only Regret the "Distraction" Caused by Media's "Obsessions" with Issue: Four hours ago Gibbs stiffed the cops on an apology, only regretting the media's "obsessions" with this "distraction."

“I think he would regret if he realized how much of a overall distraction and obsession it would be, I think he probably would regret distracting you guys with obsessions,” Gibbs said.

He also said at that time Obama wouldn't call Officer Crowely, and that there would be no apology.

Asked if he would apologize to the officer involved, Gibbs was non committal, but did not indicate that such an apology was forthcoming.

“I think the president believes and understands just how hard job law enforcement is. He has great respect for the men and women that keep us safe. I think he’s said most of what he’s going to say on it.”

So the question of whether this was an apology or not seems resolved by Gibbs -- he refused to characterize it as an apology both before and after Obama's statement. Ergo, not an apology.

Thanks to AHFF Geoff.

posted by Ace at 02:36 PM

| Access Comments