Prof. Henry Gates received death threats: "You should die, you're a racist."

By GottaLaff

Yes, RNC Co-Chair Jan Larimer, it's all about beer. How can anyone, especially in a leadership position, be that stupid naive?

Gates said he received numerous threats after the incident, including an e-mail that read, "You should die, you're a racist."

Gates has changed his e-mail address and cell phone number, and Harvard officials even suggested that he consider moving, he said.

Allow me to quote myself:

Yes, that's what this meeting was about: Beer. How did we all miss that? This had nothing whatsoever to do with cuffing a black man in his own house, profiling, mutual (dis)respect, inequality, our country's history, perpetual disparity, simmering hostilities, racial divides, reconciliation, or mending fences.

And now, death threats. Seems they're prevalent these days.

Be proud of Jan Larimer, Rushpublics. She speaks for you.

Obama: Beer necessities v. GOP leader: Foament discord

By GottaLaff

Because racial tensions in this country are just not that important:

Republican National Committee Co-Chairman Jan Larimer criticized President Obama Friday for his White House meeting with a professor and a police officer, saying the president needs to focus on more important issues.

Then again, when he does focus on all those important issues, he's criticized for focusing on all those important issues: Taking on too much, taking on too little, taking on the wrong issue, not taking on the right issue... What a terrible leader he is! Boy Georgie was so much better.

"We are at war and Barack Obama is talking about beer in the White House," Larimer said at the RNC's Summer Meeting. "And it is wrong. It is not what our country is about."

Yes, that's what this meeting was about: Beer. How did we all miss that? This had nothing whatsoever to do with cuffing a black man in his own house, profiling, mutual (dis)respect, inequality, our country's history, perpetual disparity, simmering hostilities, racial divides, reconciliation, or mending fences.

Of course, Larimer would have been thrilled had President Obama had "stupidly" ignored the corporate media's 24/7 coverage of The S Word and allowed the vitriol to continue. Making an effort to bring folks together just isn't her style.

I need a beer.

Liveblog: Cambridge Sgt. Crowley speaks, + VIDEO of "beer summit"

By GottaLaff

UPDATE: Video has been added, and blog title changed to reflect that.



Liveblogging:

Look forward rather than backward. ... Gates and I have different perspectives, but most must be addressed for a constructive outcome. This was done to move the whole country beyond this, use this as basis of meaningful discussions in the future...

We've planned a meeting. Prof. and I will have a phone call to lay groundwork.

Meeting at a bar for a beer would send the wrong message.

I'd like to listen to Prof. Gates' perspective... he has a willingness to listen to mine as a police officer... the difficult jobs we do every day. He was very receptive to that.

We agreed to move forward. We had two gentlemen agree to disagree on this issue. We didn't dwell on the past, concentrated on the future.

We had encountered each other on individual tours of the WH, we introduced our families, moved along as a group. It was very cordial.

It was a private, frank discussion. No specifics.

Pres. contributed in small part, but he wanted to bring us together, it's become a national issue.

Teachable moment? I've learned that media can find you no matter where you live. That's the responsibility of Prof. Gates and I in the future meeting.

The VP is a great man, nice... nice to the children as well.

I'm not really sure this is really happening. I need time to reflect in the coming weeks.

There was no tension. It was business, but we discussed as two gentlemen instead of fighting it out, very productive.

UPDATE: Chris Matthews take? "A star is born." "Is he suave or what?" And then he compared him to Susan Boyle.

Cartoon of the Day

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