Professor Gates: Obama Calls Police Stupid Then Defends It Later on ABC

President Obama stood by his criticism of the Cambridge police department's arrest of Harvard University Prof. Henry Louis Gates Jr., telling ABC News's Terry Moran he was "surprised" by the controversy sparked by his comment during a prime-time news conference Wednesday that the department had behaved "stupidly."

"I have to say I am surprised by the controversy surrounding my statement because I think it was a pretty straightforward 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," Obama told Moran in an interview set to air Thursday evening on "Nightline," excerpts from which were made available online.

The president called arresting officer Sgt. James Crowley an "outstanding police officer" but emphasized that "it doesn't make sense to arrest a guy in his own home if he's not causing a serious disturbance."

He also sought to be more even-handed in apportioning blame, suggesting that Gates, too, ought to have behaved differently. "I have extraordinary respect for the difficulties of the job that police officers do," the president added. "And my suspicion is that words were exchanged between the police officer and Mr. Gates and that everybody should have just settled down and cooler heads should have prevailed. That's my suspicion."

Earlier, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters traveling to Cleveland with the president on Air Force One that Gates's arrest was the result of behavior on "both sides" that got "out of hand."

"Let me be clear," Gibbs said. "He was not calling the officer stupid, okay? He was denoting that ... at a certain point the situation got far out of hand, and I think all sides understand that."

Obama has not spoken with Gates about his arrest, Gibbs said. At the news conference Wednesday, Obama called Gates a friend, saying "I may be a little biased here."

Obama's blunt assessment of the Cambridge police has sparked a wave of online and television chatter. "Now, I don't know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role race played in that," Obama said Wednesday night. "But I think it's fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry; number two, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home."

Gibbs also clarified that when Obama spoke of potentially being shot for trying to jimmy a door, he was speaking of the White House, which is heavily protected by the Secret Service, and not of his private home in Chicago or the Chicago police.

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[Chipwhitley274]

@durhamdf

"... penumbra of the constitution fucktard ..."

It is hard to take you seriously with such constant immaturity, and that concept does not give you free reign to make stuff up as you go along.

"I am not the retard trying to claim that there is no such thing as civil rights."

Again, I have to refer you back to a quote already posted

"... and now you fabricate a mythical argument I made to fit your ignorance."

[Chipwhitley274]

@durhamdf

And because I always maintained profiling was for individual cases, I did not "... PICK ON INDIVIDUALS BECAUSE THEY BELONG TO A CERTAIN GROUP."

You fabricate proof, and now you fabricate a mythical argument I made to fit your ignorance.

"... help yourself to a fucking google search little girl"

Your childishness speaks volumes.

Provide a credible source, you have yet to do so. I provided my source and you have yet to refute it.

[KageTrauma]

and we're supposed to believe the military would do better? we've been prepped for this Change (through the militarization of the police) & we're about ready

[Nodagsman]

@pabankhead1  Yeah, Michael Jackson would probably agree.

[SKEEZIN08]

lmao well i obviously wouldnt do that here id get shot lol

[signetroup]

إنني حول الجزء الغريب من يوتيوب مرة أخرى.

[pabankhead1]

@theodsmyr

Stuff Atheist,Catholics and Satanists are known for doing.

1. Pick their nose in public and rub it together and eat it. 2. Kiss their pets in the mouth. 3. Drink cheap beer on the couch on their 4. Cook bland and tasteless food. 5. Have family orgies on Sundays. 6. Teach their children racism at an early age. 7. Get doped up on meth 8. Blame all their problems on minorities. 9. Run naked through sprinklers. 10. Call the cops on blacks for the hell of it.

[pabankhead1]

@GrizzlyBoy2k10

Stuff Atheist,Catholics and Satanists are known for doing.

1. Pick their nose in public and rub it together and eat it. 2. Kiss their pets in the mouth. 3. Drink cheap beer on the couch on their 4. Cook bland and tasteless food. 5. Have family orgies on Sundays. 6. Teach their children racism at an early age. 7. Get doped up on meth 8. Blame all their problems on minorities. 9. Run naked through sprinklers. 10. Call the cops on blacks for the hell of it.

[theodsmyr]

This would only happen in America cause their ignorant and stupid

[GrizzlyBoy2k10]

wow did obama really play the racist card? gg