WASHINGTON (CNN) – White House spokesman Robert Gibbs is trying to downplay expectations for Thursday night's "Beer Summit", saying President Obama "is not going to announce anything" in terms of new initiatives to address racial profiling and will not address reporters when they are briefly let in to take pictures of the confab.
"You won't hear from the president," Gibbs told reporters. "You won't hear from the glass of beer."
Gibbs said Obama simply hopes "this will help foster a dialogue" by bringing together the president's friend, Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and the man who arrested him, Sgt. Jim Crowley of the Cambridge, Massachusetts police department, over a few beers.
Gibbs added that the president will not engage Gates and Crowley in questions about what happened on the night of the incident. "This is not an after-action report," he said.
Instead, the summit is planned to be held in a more casual setting, with White House aides revealing that Crowley and Gates will be bringing their family members for the meeting at the picnic table on the South Lawn of the White House.
From CNN Politics
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When will somebody pick up on my idea for the name of this summit?
"Glass"nost
This beer fest is just like the stimulus – FLAT. Going no where. We are in a mess and the stimulus did NOTHING but get us deeper in DEBT. Trying to charm the bad taste of gates remarks regarding the Officer's correct action is also going FLAT. obama should stick to the business of Government. That's what he was hired by the TAX PAYERS to do.
Get on with the job you were hired to do prez.
I am a concerned American citizen and I wish to ask a question of utmost importance in these trying times. Will they serve beer nuts or little pretzels with the beer? Have a nice day!
OK, who is calling this simple meeting of three guys over a beer a SUMMIT? Summits are for world leaders and since there will be only one world leader there, it isn't a summit. It is a let's sit down/have a beer/talk over the issue/go home/continue life kind of thing.
They might team up on Crowley and rough him up a little bit. If I was him I would have some sort of weapon on me, whatever I could get past the Secret Service and defend myself with.
May God have mercy on each one of us ! !
He's so right. Sam Adams it should be!
It is admirable for these men meeting together to address an issue in a constructive manner.
"If life throws you a lemon, make lemonade" to rise above a challenge.
If he didn't run his mouth without facts then this would not be needed.
Our President has shown a few times already when he is off script and not reading what people give him to say... he is not very nice.
This whole "Beer Summit" is ridiculous. I find it disgusting that Obama invite the cop to the White House for a beer. I know he's just trying to act normal, but give me a freakin' break. All he's doing is patronizing the cop and stereotyping all law enforcement, firefighters, etc. You can't tell me that the attendance of the Harvard professor sparked the idea that Obama settle this over a couple of beers. Obama should be ashamed.
"this will help foster a dialogue" but president "will not engage Gates and Crowley in questions about what happened on the night of the incident."
Isn't this the typical Umbama approach? I am very interested in an issue but don't want to know any details or give any opinion.
Wasn't he supposed to be some kind of leader?
I think it will be a productive dialougue among all three men. The family members coming along is a good idea as well. Besides for the beer, what's on the menu?
Can we have as part of the dialogue, clarification as to why the charges were DROPPED?
Both men overreacted. It's just that one of them had a gun, and could place the other under arrest.
Why is the media making such a big deal out of this?
The fact of the matter is RACE will always play a part in this country because some Americans think they are an entitled RACE. So until some aliens come and put us all in check by letting us know that we are not alone, we need to learn to deal with each other!!!
Oh yes, Gibbs, Obama will give himself credit for world peace, including that inside the white house beer garden.
The President will be in an awkward situation after this is over in my opinion. He has the responsibility to be about the business of the people, all the people. I do not see how having a cold beer in the White House with two individuals will cure the nations racial issues. This is getting too much attention at a time when the focus should be on unemployment, health care, and acrryring forward the initiatives of the American people. You want to end racial issues, start with the children and teach them about diversity in the schools. I do not believe that the President has the luxury to try and change social situations.
This guy is really starting to get under my skin..He lectures us, and treats us like idiots. Everything will be OK if we just have a beer summit. What a jerk-
Sounds pretty class of Obama, I hope the 3 men involved have fun.
The fact that electing a black president could not convince a white neighbour and a white policeman that a black person could be a Harvard professor with 50 honorary degrees, goes on to prove that beer will not cool down racial tensions in this country.
If it's anything short of an apology to Crowley by Obama and Gates, it's a shame...
Now that all evidence is out, we can see that there was absolutely no evidence of racial profiling. Gates has shamed himself and his career by showing himself as the racists. Obama embarrased himself by judging Crowley's action with absolutely no evidence and turned it into a national story that has only helped stir up racial tension.
But it got the media to ease up on the Obamacare tragedy....
Its a good start.Custer should have tried it before the little bighorn,he and his men might have lived to see old age.
"You won't hear from the president," Gibbs told reporters. I wish that could happen everyday.
The republican party will do everything in their power to damage any act that this president does. They will condemn anything he does. They will spew their angry, racist rhetoric at every chance they get. They will continue to drive a wedge to divide the country at every chance they get. They will continue to instigate the hate groups of this country. They will continue to try to force religion down everyones throats. They will continue to vote "NO" on every issue that this president brings up. They will continue to be the party of losers due to all the previous mentions.
The reflection of an operation, through a Looking-Glass..
Since the President was asked that stupid question which had nothing to do with Health Care and everything to do with race baiting, and since he answered off the cuff, he has a responsibility to try to bridge the two sides. My question was, would he do it or would he go by the wayside as Presidents in the past. He chose to try to bridge the sides.
Good for you, Mr. President! I know there are those who want you to fail but I for one don't and as much as I didn't like the former President Bush, I didn't want him to fail either since, when they fail so do we as a country.