President Obama's remarks yesterday in the White House briefing room about the arrest of Henry Louis Gates have received nearly universal applause, with one notable exception: Republicans, who are still up their same old tricks.
Let's take a look at where things now stand.
First, Professor Gates and Officer Crowley have accepted President Obama's invitation to meet together at the White House:
"My entire academic career had been based on improving race relations, not exacerbating them. I am hopeful that my experience will lead to greater sensitivity to issues of racial profiling in the criminal justice system. If so, then this will be a blessing for our society. It is time for all of us to move on, and to assess what we can learn from this experience," he [Gates] said.
A fellow officer said Crowley had told Obama he would attend the meeting. "Jimmy said, 'I'd be happy to come to the White House and sit down with you and Gates and have a beer,' " the veteran Cambridge officer said, who asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to speak publicly about the issue.
Second, Cambridge police have applauded President Obama's comments, saying Officer Crowley was "profoundly grateful" for them:
Hours after demanding an apology from President Obama, several unions representing Cambridge police officers responded to the president’s latest remarks regarding the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates.
Cambridge and area police unions released a statement on his behalf saying that Crowley and the president had a "friendly and meaningful conversation" and that Crowley was "profoundly grateful that the President took time out of his busy schedule to attempt to resolve this situation."
And third, Congressman Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) decided to make political hay out of the controversy and waste the time of Congress by appealing to racial disharmony:
Congress would demand that President Obama apologize to the officer the president said had "acted stupidly" in the arrest of a prominent Harvard professor under a resolution set to be introduced by one Michigan lawmaker.
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) will introduce a House resolution on Monday demanding Obama retract and apologize for remarks he has made about Cambridge Police Sergeant James Crowley this past week.
To recap:
- In a show of reconciliation and unity, both Prof. Gates and Officer Crowley will meet with President Obama at the White House.
- The Cambridge police union is happy.
- A Republican representative wants Congress to debate a political resolution slamming President Obama and reigniting the controversy.
Obviously, the only reason McCotter is pushing this attack is to try to score political points, but it's such a transparent ploy, it's almost guaranteed to blow up in his face. Does he really think that nobody will notice that while everybody else is working to come together and reduce the heat, he is stepping forward to try to crank up the flame?
Talk about stupid...Thaddeus McCotter has got it.