Why does he have to be sorry for saying exactly what he meant.More humiliation for the black man.Too many white people think that racism don't exist

As a biracial American who's father is black, and mother is white.  I still can't figure-out why the media is still referring to President Obama as the first African American President.  He's mixed, not black.  Doesn't his white mother who raised him count for anything?  This following editorial I think says it well.

And another thing: why do they keep calling Obama ‘black’?
by alda on September 4, 2008

While I’m on the subject of the US presidential elections, here’s another thing that has me confounded: why do people keep going on about Barack Obama being ‘black’? Doesn’t he have a white mother? Doesn’t that make him ‘mixed race’? Why is he African-American, and not Caucasian-American?? I mean, he didn’t even grow up with his [black] father, but rather his [white] mother. So the whole hallelujah chorus about him being the first black man to potentially enter office as the Prez of the US kinda has me scratching my head.

I know the whole racial thing is huge in the US. The tension between blacks and whites is nowhere near as explosive anywhere else, except possibly in South Africa and Zimbabwe [correct me if I'm wrong]. In the UK, for example, you don’t experience that kind of tension. I suspect it’s because blacks in the UK were not brought over as slaves as they were in the US, but came of their own free will. Amazing what a powerful charge that history carries.

Anyway, I guess the whole thing is pretty hard to comprehend for us who have not had first-hand experience with it. Except that, well, I kind of HAVE had first-hand experience with it. And I know that if people kept going on about AAH being ‘black’ or ‘African-American’, as if that completely defined who she was, I’d be pissed.
http://icelandweatherreport.com/2008/09/and-another-thing-why-do-they-keep-calling-obama-black.html

Yes. Amy is back anchoring Nightly News again. Its been a while.

It is ironic and significant that on the day Walter Cronkite was buried that the news media put the final nail in the coffin of setting the correct priority in reporting the news.  Instead of focusing on a health plan that will affect millions of americans, NBC and the national media is choosing to focus on yet another "lipstick on a pig" comment in this case Obama's "stupid" comment while completing missing the BIG story and the real significant issue of the day.  Goodbye Walter - we will miss the professionalism and ability to decipher what is the real story and what is fluff - which obviously the media no longer knows how to do.

Good Evening Amy, Nice to see you this evening filling in for Mr.Williams. I always enjoy seeing you on Weekend Today! You do a great job!! Another fine broadcast this evening. First of all the report by Mr.Todd about President Obama speaking in the Press Briefing Room concerning his remarks at the news conference about the arrest of Professor Gates. It was important he came out to speak and attemt to put out the firestorm of media coverage surrounding this incident. President Obama speaking both with Officer Crowley and Professor Gates was good and he has much respect for both men. Hopefully, as he stated it is a teachable moment and perhaps all three men will meet together.
Hearing from Mr.Gregory this issue did overshadow healthcare and the August deadline may have a setback. Time will tell.
It will be a very good "Meet the Press" on Sunday with the whole hour being an exclusive interview with Secretary of State Clinton. Many big issues in foreign relations to be discussed.

The report about the swine flu outbreak indicates there is better preparedness and if the tests are successful many, many people will be protected from the virus.

The "Making A Difference" segment by Mr.Cowan was really wonderful and shows that no obstacle is too steep. Seeing all the people who are legally blind climbing Mount Kilamanjaro was amazing and making it to the summit absolutely incredible. They all did so well in being led up the mountain by the terrific guide. It is truly a wonderful feat! Nice piece!

Thank You for the broadcast Amy! See you on Weekend Today on Saturday! Peace to You and to All!

Lots of Love to Laurel,Jackie,Stephanie,Claudia,Celine,Anna,Lori,Cary and Matt!
Be Well Always!
Stay Extra,Safe and Well Richard!
XOXO

Hi Amy,

It's good to see you filling in for Brian, but I don't know how you and Lester do it. I hope you don't have to go in on the Today Show in the morning. I haven't been able to watch Lester and you lately. But I did see you with your "summer job" and the car hopping with the roller skates. That was basically the way I went through a roller rink back in the day, holding on to someone or something. Not dissing you but sympathizing.


As for Prof. Gates and the police officer: My initial reaction, the moment the question was asked by Lynn Sweet at the news conference was, why did she bring that up when all questions should have been focused on healthcare? It was almost like a tabloid reporter getting a fast one in. I had always respected her until then. As for the President's response, as he said, he didn't know all the details. I usually agree with everything he says and does. But that's not the case this time. He should have said that considering he doesn't have all the datails, that he really couldn't comment. I'm sure he gets in a lot of situations as to where he's damned of he does and damned if he doesn't. But I do agree with him that on maybe both sides things didn't have to get so heated. I wasn't there so I don't know. At this point both the professor and the police officer should sit down and talk about it. I understand that it has so many angles to it though. Anyway... that's just my opinion.

Amy, when I do watch you and Lester, I'm also watching to see what you're wearing. You have great taste and what do you do to get such great calves? Whatever it is, I'd be willing to do it all day. Just doing some girl talk here.

Have a great evening and hope to be able to watch you on the weekends.

Vicki

Frozen Health Care Reform Tart



Ingredients:

Large tub of Health Care Reform

1 black Harvard University professor, with attitude

1 police officer, from Cambridge, MA

Pair of handcuffs

1 taxi driver, also black

A nice Cambridge neighborhood

Jammed door

1 concerned neighbor

1 curious neighbor, with a camera and ulterior motives

A handful of gullible friends

Bag of extra-dark chocolate-covered race nuggets

1 controversial remark from the current President

Media attention

Congressional Black Caucus

Comedian Bill Cosby

Defiant Cambridge Police Union

Cop-supporting Public

Method:

Freeze Health Care Reform debate overnight. Set aside Black Caucus, Cosby and Police Union. Let black cabbie drive professor to Cambridge neighborhood. Slowly stir in jammed door. Add neighbors, police officer, and handcuffs. (Take photo of mixture to post online –optional.) Freeze for a week. Remove mixture from freezer and set oven to broil. Mix in professor’s gullible friends, race nuggets, and media. Throw in presidential remark. Add more media. Stir. Very carefully mix in Congressional Black Caucus, police union and public. Bake until edges are slightly charred.

Garnish with Cosby comment. Serve piping hot atop a very thin slice of frozen Health Care Reform. Nibble while reading my blog: conlibe.wordpress.com/

Servings: About 300 million. Calories per serving: 0

Quick Defrost
1 contrite remark from the current president. Microwave on high for 5-minutes. Pour over frozen pie

Amy,
You're a breath of fresh air, and it was good
to see you fill in for Brian Williams this
evening.

My take on the situation is the same as
President Obama's.  "You have two good
people in a circumstance that neither was
able to resolve in a way that should have
been resolved."

The police moved to drop the disorderly
conduct charge--without apology-- but
called the case regrettable; however,
hours earlier, a multiracial group of police
officers had stood with Crowely in Mass.
and said the president should apologize.
There's a double standard here about an
apology.  The president regretted his choice
of words to clear the air which should put
the matter to rest, in my opinion.

President also said, "the fact that this has
garner so much attention, I think, is
testimony to the fact that these are issues
that are still very sensitive here in America."
I agree with him, and hopefully, with it
out in the open we can work on better racial
relations.

The Health Care Plan was overshadowed by
this event but I would like to weight in on
this issue as well.  Harry Reid wants to
wait until September, but that is only 1 month
later and I do not understand why it cannot
be done in August as the president would like.
Why the delay?  If we were talking the end
of October, sure that would be clear to me then.
Well, maybe, I will get it when I read this
week-end's Louisville Courier-Journal.

Sincerely
Phyllis Kunz

President Obama did not "play a big role in escalating" or "spark a firestorm" or "put himself in the center" of the racial backlash against him over his comments on the arrest of his friend, Dr. Gates. The uproar started on the web. Obama only became involved when he was asked a question about it at a news conference. NBC should not blame Obama for NBC taking part once again in a right wing uproar.

Obama should have used a better word than "stupidly", but his conclusion about the incident is sound. The officer knew he was brought there by a misunderstanding.  All the officer needed to do was give his name and badge number to Dr. Gates and then leave.  There was no longer any danger for the officer to concern himself with. There was nothing preventing the officer from leaving. Your broadcast totally ignored this issue, which was the basis for the president's comments. You could have, like the responsible journalists at NPR did, called in a few experts to examine they way the officer handled the situation. Those experts, like Obama, concluded that there was no reason an arrest was needed. Instead, your network went out of its way to make it look like Gates provoked the whole thing.

Dr. Gates's version of events has been on the web for three days. Why didn't you cover his side of this?

http://www.theroot.com/views/skip-gates-speaks?page=0,0

Maybe it's  because the facts don't lend themselves to the angle that makes Obama look like an overly sensitive black male reflexively taking the black side of another unfair attack on white people.

David Gregory promised all this will go on. Why? Is it because NBC wants to milk another right wing uproar like they did with Reverend Wright? You barely nicked important news about health care tonight.  Is that Obama's fault too?

I think that the question aboat Gates was aimed to create yet another distraction from the healthcare reform.
As somebody who lived abroad and expirienced various healthcare systems, I am in disbelief over what is all said aboat quality and problems that exist in countries that have either single payer or goverment run healthcare. On the same note how little is said aboat the fact that this is only developt country that has for profit insurance providers.
Perhaps it would be a good idea for the Nbc and others to conduct intervievs in many European countrys with ordinary people to show American audience what people think of their system.
ask them if anybody goes bankrupt over medical bills, ask them if they loose coverage between jobs, if they pay any deductibles, enz.

To the people who climbed Kilimanjaro = Congratulations On Your Success!

You are Making A Difference by teaching :: People with disablities are just like everybody else --- They can scale mountains --- And follow their dreams to the top!

May you all continue to achieve goals you've set for yourselves.

The July 13 broadcast of Nightly News was brought to us with "limited commercial interruption" courtesy of the University of Phoenix, the broadcast's sole sponsor.  Four days later, during a July 17 Nightly News story about Western Governors University (an on-line non-profit university), Tom Costello made a point of telling us that, "The biggest for-profit (on-line) schools include the University of Phoenix..." while the screen displayed a clear picture of the school's logo.  Come on, now.  Are we supposed to believe that this is some sort of a coincidence?  The University of Phoenix sponsors an entire Nightly News broadcast and four days later they just happen to get a prominent on-air plug during another Nightly News broadcast?  It's obvious what's going on here.  The money spent by the University of Phoenix on the sponsorship also entitles them to plugs on future Nightly News broadcasts.  The University of Phoenix is now part of an exclusive club of NBC advertisers.  NBC News does this for all their high-spending "partners"--McDonald's, Coke, Nike, General Mills, Pfizer, Glaxo, United Airlines--the list goes on.  But in the future, NBC might want to be a little less obvious about it.  They might want to wait more than four days before offering a free plug to one of their new full-show sponsors.

Most of the footage from tonight's Sarah Palin story--including a few seconds of teaser footage shown at the top of the broadcast--was from a July 7 interview that Andrea Mitchell conducted with Palin.  All the shots of Palin on a boat or standing on shore in waders came from that interview.  A clip of Palin from July 3 was labeled as such, but the producers made no attempt to label the July 7 footage as file footage.  Why?  This was not just an omission on the part of NBC.  From the way the July 7 footage was integrated into the story, it's clear that the producers were attempting to fool the viewers into thinking that the footage was new.  The Nightly News producers owe the viewers an apology for this intentional deception.

I think Presidents Obama comment was Ok.  He said what he felt, and what he said has nothing to do with racism.  Every body knows that police around the country has an impecable record of overreactions and abuse with all citizens in general, and more notable among latinos and color people. All this controversy arise beacuse President Obama is African American.  I'm pretty sure that if this comment comes by somebody without that stigma, it is was OK.  The press have to be very careful in not create a controversy where there is no one.

Opening the friday edition of The Nightly News with the overblown coverage of the Gates/Crowley "controversy", on the heels of the absurd reporting of Michael Jackson's death,once again demonstrates your inability to distinguish between important news and media created sensationalism.

As a regular viewer I'm increasingly dissapointed and often disgusted at the choice, spin, and emphasis of the events reported on, and wonder if what I see is truly an accurate and responsible report of significant events.  

Amy,
According to The Louisville Courier-Journal
Pres. Obama had caled for Congress to vote on health
legislation by the August recess,but when it
became clear last week lawmakers would miss
that deadline, he hsaid he expects a bill by
year's end."

However, it remains to be seen what happens
this week.  A key Democratic senator says his
party doesn't have enough votes to pass an overhaul of the nation's health care system without
Republican backing, but House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi says she has the votes in her chamber.

Further, Rahm negotiates wwith Blue Dogs
says Bill could come next week. And that is a
prediction only Rahm could make with credibility.

Who knows?  Nancy Pelosi may make it hot for
those casting votes. Democrats:  We Will Move
Forward on Health Overhaul, an article reported
Sunday morning OnLine.

Phyllis Kunz

   I think BOTH parties "Acted Stupidly"! I think I can sum it up like this...You have TWO inflated egos, butting heads!
   One is a Cop and the other, is a Harvard Professor! The Cop SHOULD have just asked, "Do you live here Sir" and Gates should have said, "Yes I do. Here's my Driver's License, with my address on it".
   The Cop should have then explained that they got a call about a break-in. The Professor should have explained that there was no break-in and that should have been the end of it. They should have left.
    Instead, you get two egoes, butting heads and we all saw the end result!

Funny to me , you never hear the liberal media talk about blacks discriminating against whites, It's always white against black or mexican. Obama got everything he has from Americans, get off this white racist bit. Trust in God and your whole life will change, otherwise you will continue to be miserable.

Regarding the Gates/Crowley incident...I think I heard
the President say to the effect that the police acted
stupidly AFTER Pro. Gates showed his ID. The police should have accepted the ID and left. Somehow the media ONLY reported "acted stupidly" and not the entire statement. I assume Sgt. Crowley is not accustomed to being challenged by a man in HIS own home. The teacher did not follow his teaching in defusing a possible inflamatory situation. On the other hand, Pro. Gates should have known not to
stand up for his perceived rights against the police.
He is a historian.

Sgt. Crowley got a "possible burglary in progress" call (a very dangerous call) and responded. When he arrived at the house Professor Gates was inside after having forced the door. When Sgt. Crowley intially asked Gates for his ID, GATES REFUSED and became very beligerant and defensive. After Sgt. Crowley was provided with the ID, Gates was very confrontational and demanding of Sgt. Crowley's name and badge number. When Sgt. Crowley asked Gates to step outside to try to defuse the situation and finish up the preliminary investigation, Gates REFUSED, and was then taken into custody. As General Colin Powell said in the Larry King interview, if Gates had not had the big chip on his shoulder, and responded in a reasonable fashion, this whole incident never would have made headlines. Obama's "acted stupidly" comment certainly didn't help the public uproar. Sometime take a look at the "Officer Down" wall in Washington, and you will see why Sgt. Crowley had to remain in complete control of the situation. He did follow police procedure exactly to the extent that Gates allowed him to. I worked my way through college as a police officer, and had similar situations arise while on duty. Gates is very lucky that he wasn't forcibly taken down and handcuffed while shooting off his mouth. Was he searched for a weapon? He should have been. Did he complain about that? We need a lot more police officers like Sgt. Crowley. Don't make their job any more difficult than it already is. Gates is very lucky that Sgt. Crowley was there and was in charge of this call. It could have been a lot worse!

How many officers have been killed in domestic violence calls, in the person's own home, when the officer knows it is their home? How many officers have been called to seemingly routine calls and have ended up lying in a casket while someone hands a folded flag to his or her children? This is one of the hardest jobs anyone can hold. I, like Mr. Long, spent my years in the field, driving a patrol car, entering dark buildings where you have no idea what you will find. In private homes I have seen children with weapons, women dumped into garbage cans by their upstanding, beyond-public-reproach spouses, children left in filth and squalor while their parents are on drugs. The job is hard, necessary and honorable. Why do you immediately jump to the conclusion that the officer is always in the wrong? Yes there are bad cops just as there are bad teachers, bad engineers, bad professors. They make the news because they are rare not because they are commonplace. Based upon this situation, having lived the life, walked the walked and carried the gun I assure you Officer Crowley does NOT qualify for the "bad cop" label. He was doing a tough job, responding to a routine call that has, in the past, cost officers their lives. How about a little of that respect everyone reserves for the Harvard professor being given to the man who risks his life to keep that community safe every day? How about we expect our President not to follow a statement like "I don't know what happened" with an assumption of police stupidity. For all those of you who malign and abuse your law enforcement officers: next time you are robbed or attacked, next time your car is stolen, next time a gunman holds your loved one hostage... please call a fireman. You consider them heroes.... I hope they can help you.  

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