Rick I like Barack Obama being my president this isnt a racial issue this is a constitutional issue of the rights to be president of the United States you showed us his Birth certificate but this is not an original copy there are no signatures no baby foot prints no mothers left thumb print the document you showed is not an original or a copy of the original the copy you showed is prefabricated.

I cannot believe that the democratic led congress hasn't mentioned that when a person finds another job he doesn't lose health care coverage. Why is that so well there is a governmental program called COBRA. You also need to do some research on this instead of accepting point blank what the president expounds. Can't you see that this president is slowly moving this nation to socialism. You have to be imparcial in your assesments. Ask what happened to the Soviet Union? I thought that the so called "czars" were only in the Soviet Union. Well they are alive in the USA and properly well-paid. What about transperency in this administration by inviting the director of CBO to the White House. He is supposed to be imparcial. By the end of the year we will have to pay one trillion dollars in just INTEREST to pay on our deficit. Look what happened to Government Motors Company. It was payback to the union workers for the contribution of 70 million dollars to the president's presidential campaign. All of the close 800billion dollars in stimulus money is payback for the organizations that provided support to his successful campaign. We want universal health care and a Boston hospital is suing the state because they are going bankrupt and this is what we want for all the states. There are countries that want a new monetary international currency because of the distrust for the dollar. Why do the democrats want a single payor system for health insurance and I can tell you is for the government to buy our bonds when other countries don't want to finance this incoming fiasco of our economy. I liked the piece you did about your Mom. It is similar to mind but different in the sense that my parents saved to send me to the state to study in high school and university. Hasta pronto!

P.S. Rick could you just imagion what it would be like having loose lips Joe Biden for president O! MY! GOD ! please mr. president ask him to step down as vice president and nominate Hilary Clinton to replace him .

I am so tired of hearing that "if you like your current health insurance plan, you won't have to change it." If a publc option becomes available for employers to provide to their employees, it will almost certainly be cheaper for the employer to switch from a private plan to the public plan. Then the employees WILL lose their current plan.

This healthcare plan that the President is trying to force on us, i'm sure if its so good he'll put his family on it

Reinaldo, you have any idea how much COBRA is per month? It simply is not in most American's budget, especially if that American is unemployed.

Rick the college profesor was being uncoropertive and loud he didnt show his I.D. when asked to but instead started insiting the officer was being racist this is what I heard from Fox News.

I am white. I would have acted just like the professor. It was proven it was his house. The policeman needs anger management and control. Why was he asking the professor to step outside? He wanted to handcuff him. He needs to apologize to the the professor.

You are on the ball. You need another hour on CNN. You don't get enough time most days and should. Keep it up, you are the MAN!

There is nothing wrong with what President Obama said about Gates. He is right on. The police did act stupidly. If it were a white man, there would have been no problem. Racism does still exist in this country. And, the health program needs to be passed. I am 62 and have no health insurance and am unemployed. Some of these doctors do go into medicine for the money. Look at how few want to be Primary Care Providers. It is sad and the truth.

I'm glad that President Obama, in spite of the privileges he has had as a senator and the more he has now as a president, knows and is able to see the financial interests that drives doctor's decisions. If some got mad is either because the helmet fits or because they are unable to see that in their metier too, there are lots of unethical professionals.

Why is everyone worried about the cost of health care reform? Congress did not worry when they approved the Iraq war or bailed out wall street, Isn't it time we spent our tax dollars doing something for the American people and taxpayers instead of spending it overseas to people who don't want it and to companies who were irresponsible? The money from those two things alone would more than pay for the reform.

President Obama is correct, Doctors do make decisions regarding care based on on how they are paid! I see it all the time. Now mind you it is not all Doctors. His plan of sharing tests, labs ect... is smart beyond words. Like the Homehealth provider said , Spend a day with us and maybe you would understand!
Laurie R.N.

Rick,

I work in the healthcare industry and I assure you that Dr's do make economical decisions especially if they are in private practice. They are aware of the differences in reimbursement for different procedures and they practice accordingly. There is a HUGE percentage of practicing physicians that will opt to perform a procedure because that reimbursement is higher than conservative care. They are not necessarily bad people. They are "struggling" to make a living. At least a living that is commensurate with their peers and their predecessors.

You got it right when you said bold and courageous. Lincoln was called Honest Abe. If he had to operate in this environment, I'm sure he would have been boiled, grilled, and fried by the press.

We all know that some medical decisions are made because of financial considerations. His words may have been inelegant, but he spoke Truth from power. How come nobody in the press is talking about how refreshing that it.

Do you guys always go after divisiveness because that's where the money is?

Rick,
Why are you always interviewing John Barrasso? Being from Wyoming, I can tell you that most people here in Wyoming think he is a priviledged self-serving pompass. He is detached from the middle-class hard working person in Wyoming, and I think it's fair to say, in the United States.

The US has the best health care in the world. The idea to Overhaul something that is not broke is appealing only to the ignorant. The 49 Million that need health care is false. Only about 10 Million are in need of help and that would only cost about $28 Billion. This president is uninformed again, and is driving the economy into the dirt.

Rick I love you program,and how you work it and you personality,Obama is doing all around what should be done long time ago,do not get only Republicans that they opse every thing that Obama stand for,one favor dough,please do not start acting like Lou Dobbs and Wolf Blitzer,do not do it direct or subliminal,be you self honest and unbias,por el amor de Dios amigo ya hay bastante controversias...gracias.
Carlos...Ambler Pa 19002

Hi Rick, You don't have to be black to be racially profiled in this country.
I am a citizen of Asian decent (and retired military) who experienced being racially profiled on numerous occasions. To avoid being stopped by the cops, I have had to instituted to put on a veteran licence plate on my cars so when they pull up behind me, they just drive by or turn around from embarrassment. Also, experienced being racially profiled at the Airport on numerous occasions when I show my military ID, I would be asked for another ID. The policy is to show at least one govt ID. I guess, the individuals, have a difficult time dealing with the fact that other races can also join the military. Isn't this sad? Profiling is real! I can go on but will leave it for a documentary or an interview that can explain the many times I've been profiled. I can even demonstrate and predict profiling. What a shame!!

How is it we found all those billions to bail out Wall Street and the banks and we cannot find the money for health care? How are we paying for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? The American people can use some of that money for health care, right? Wall Street has not changed its ways and it doesn't look as if they are going to – neither are a majority of the banks.

Hi Rick Sanchez, I would like to tell you that I am a Latina from Houston that is supporting 300% the proposal of heatlh care from President Obama, many latinos in this country can not afford to pay for health insurance and if we have one, just like myself, whom is a teacher, I am not able to afford the high premiums or highly cost of doctors visits.

In regards to the arrest of the Harvard Professor , I also think that the deputy should appologyzed to him in front of the camaras because trully the police acted very stupid therefore those police men need to be retrainned on how to handled situations with the public. The professsor was in his house, private property and deserves respect.

I think that the Presidents comment were right on target, I am a caucasion American who has an Active Duty Military husband and I worry about my own health care when he retires in two years, I will no longer have coverage all of a sudden in my 40's.

Also I do believe that he is trying harder then any of the last 4 Presidents have, he is a real person and I think the public appriceates his down to earth way and his true uncensored answers.
Reguarding the arrest of the man who was able to prove that he was infact in his own home, President Obama is right, the police acted Stupidly.

I like this President, hopefully he wont become the puppet that former President Bush Jr was.

Limo puls up to a house. Burgler and limo driver get out and proceed to enter house. Since when does your average burgler have a limo driver? Cop over acted and so did professor. Why the arrest?

All cops like Cambridge cops have a God complex, Metopro and NLVPD hassle African Americans 10 to 1 here. Just ask yourself what would I do if my Distinguised Dad or Uncle or Grandfather was treated like this...... Kevin lv,nv

I really do not see the reason why the GOP are complaining, My Husband is Canadian and he could walk into any hospital and receive care in canada, but we cannot do that here because it cost too much to even see/talk to a doctor, even before care is given. i believe we need Canadian Style Health Care, where everyone can see a doctor. all those GOP members already have great Health care coverage, so what about us who can't afford it.

Rick, Why is the filed police report contradicting what was aired on CNN HLN? Please refer to the report and his comments.

Hi Rick, I am agree with president Obama that the police acted stupidly in the case of the Harvard Professor.

A Latina very proud of her President!!!!!

The President was asked a question. He is an honest man. He gave an honest answer.

I has been proven that the policeman "acted stupidly" because the charges were dropped and the Mayor apologized to Dr. Gates.

The President was not irresponsible in his comments. He said repeatedly it was based on his understanding. For those of us that have been black all of our lives, this type of treatmeat, by the police is not uncommom, unfortunately it does not get to the media and does not get reported nor corrected.

Rick, reference the Professor incident.

I was a 32 year old black male without an arrest to my name. I was stopped and accosted by Berkeley P.D., California. The officer asked me what my PFN number was. I told him I did not know what that was and after he explained it was a record of computerized arrests, I told him I did not have one. He then told me well your under arrest because all black men should have a PFN number. He arrested me for resisting arrest.

Cops hate to be disrespected and will use the law inappropriately to inconvenience you. The cop decided to make a point by using the law in an inappropriate way and as we all know there is a law against everything and all the police have to do is choose one that is generally in the ball park.

bruce sweeney

I saw the first clips on the Gates affair. I am a whilte male, 76 years old. I was appalled at the behavior of the police and thought that there was no question that the police officer acted stupidly and and I could not imagine that a white man would ever have been treated that way. However, regardless of race, police should never act so belligerently and impetuously in situations such as those. Police in many metro areas are desperately in need in training on better ways to approach and handle such situations.
An elderly man with no weapon, there abolultely no credible rationalization for that policeman's behavior.

I have personally worked with Dr's (including an orthopaedic surgeon)who chose surgeries and procedures based on the amount of insurance reimbursement, not what was in the best interests of the patient. The president was spot on with his assessment of what is wrong with our current system.

Fact 1, Prez Obama would like full govt control over our lives
Fact 2, He is not doing anything to fix the economy, thus more are unemployed
Fact 3, When less work, less have health insurance.
Fact 4, When the masses demand govt support while unenployed, the congress pushes for more legislation that controls our lives.
Fact 5, This is the road to socialism, and recession

The Cops did act stupidly after the professor had proven it was his house, why go any further in arresting him in his house. Obama just told the truth, when no one else would come out and say it.

Rick why do you not pin down these politicians on their views. Sen Coburn and Brasso as republicans really do not want a change in health care for Americans.
I hope to hell that the repulicans have nothing to do with this great thing that is about to happen.
I want history to show who the real caring party of the peolple is.

Rollands right after the fact if he was pooven to be the ownwe they should have said im sorry but please dont be so avacive next time.

I have to wonder, what percentage of the people complaining about national healthcare don't have healthcare right now or are paying out of pocket for their coverage. I would guess not many. Again, its the argument between the "haves" and the have nots." I say, if the well-covered politicians don't bother to put together a healthcare program for all the people, we start kicking them off their healthcare system at the rate typical americans are losing their healthcare coverage.

Rick Sanchez's comment addressing "greed" as a term Obama used in one of his responses to health care was mis-leading. Obama didn't use the word "greed," that was Sanchez's term. Get it right, Rick!

Rick Sanchez on the Healthcare Issue:
How can we expect politicians who already have healthcare to be able to vote in an unbiased way on behalf of citizens who have no healthcare? I say take it away from them, I guarantee that they will have a solution by August!

Rick and CNN: Way to go! Great coverage of the health care issues and debate. I work with the healthcare industry and have seen so many health care decisions made by health care professionals that (1) are heavily influenced by what particular insurance plan the patient has, and (2) what procedures/services/tests the healthcare provider will be reimbursed well for – regardless if it is in the best interest of the patient's health.

I was skeptical about your coverage when you invited two Republican politicians (also physicians), but was so pleasantly surprised to hear what they said – they confirmed what I have been witnessing for years.

Full Steam Ahead for President Obama!

We, you and all keep talking about a 'beauracracy'. The insurance companies have theirs, the gov't has theirs. Can we say that one has it and the other does not? Let's see if we can 'drill down' on this. I think one is to prevent false claims and the other is to keep profits high. Beauracracy is not the problem – it is profits as opposed to elligible claims.

I believe the President was correct in what he said. I personally have been harassed at my work place when a person with a badge goes beyond their authority. I live in a small town and its the 'good ole boys' mentality.

Whether doctors perform unnecessary procedures is a matter of opinion.
Why so many hysterectomies in the U.S.? for an example.

Also, you cannot trust the medical insurance companies, because they deny certain medical procedures due to their expense. Have you read John Grisham's book "The Rainmaker?"

Jack Linder
New York City

Just wondering, JaimeO, where did you get your information from? Im not trying to deny what you said, as long as you have evidence backing up your arguement. So far I have a positive feeling in the way President Obama has spoken to the public. He's honest, saying, he doesn't know the entire story, or was there, refering to Professor Gates' issue, but let us put ourselves in Professor Gates shoes, or any one without health care or a senior citizen, such as a grandparent. The health care reform proposed is something that is needed for all people. We have to understand that our government was "set up" to better every one, eventhough in the many many years following it hasn't worked like that. Lets give it a shot.

The people are the LAST ones who are involved in this debate and we all know it. This battle is about Big insurance, big pharmacuticals, and big hospitals and other care providers. We, the people, only participate in all this in that we will have to live with the outcome.

Please look at professor Gate's apprehension photo. He seems to be apprehended at his door. Not as he was following the officer on his lawn.

Look at the picture. It looks like he is on his front porch in hand cuffs and not in his yard, so is what the police officer said true.

Ursula Henderson

Any Congressmen saying "slow down" re: healthcare need only research Harry Truman's Speech (for starters).

President was right about Cambridge police. It happens all the time.

Also about some doctors. I went to one who i am sure took money from drug suppliers, I could not get a generic from him for anything. He insisted on all Brand names.

I am a white 74 yr old female.

I don't know what the big deal is with our President referring to the policeman's act as stupidly. I looked up the definition and his behavior was "stupidly." You can't excuse that racial profiling does happen and it happens more frequently with black males. Statistics have proven that fact. The officer should have been a bit more rational as he handled this situation.

Rick:
Please cover the news and aspects of health care reform instead of attacking the President on his right to free speech.

I am so glad to see Mr. Roland on your show because since he substituted Campbell Brown my husband and I have missed him. We really liked the way he carried Campbell's program. Again, glad your back!

one more comment...the officer is trained to teach in racial profiling, correct? Who better to get away with a bogus arrest than someone who can manipulate the situation in his/her favor.

Why didn't Professor Gates thank the officer for responding to the call to protect his personal property?

if I was the profesor, was on his house anyway , you came to my home and i identify myself as the owner , you are at the wrong house and still , no apology, you better run because i will shoot his butt off my property.
Mostly of the cops that i have bee encountering with are racist , i have couple that even ask me for my status(immigration ) and i said to them
show me your federal badge and i gladly will .

What's with Roland? Why is he sticking up for Gates who wouldn't conform and produce his ID when asked. Then Gates dissed the officer on the front lawn? If he was white he would have been treated the same way. The Professor sounds like he is very arrogant and has an enormous ego. Roland seems to be as angry as Gates!

As for Obama? He shouldn't be commenting especially when he didn't have the facts. Hopefully there will be an apology sent out to the Police. The officer was doing his job.

I personally am tired of the run around that the health care reform is getting . I think that any person in congress who is against health reform needs to have their taxpayer supported health insurance taken away from them for about a year and let them see what it is like to have to use the money you have to buy food for a doctors appointment or be sick and not be able to go to the doctor.then maybe they would understand what its like
plus if we don't get something done soon and election time comes myself along with alot of others will do everything we can do to see that they are not re-elected. they don't deserve to be in congress anymore cause they are only thinking about theirselves

Please............Stop!!!! The president said the police acted "stupidly". They did by arresting him for disorderly conduct. They did not have to do that! Please leave the president alone...You guys keep attacking him over everything he says...This is RIDICULOUS.

rick does not listen for the answer of any of his guest; he continuously interrupts and has an answer that he desires and will conclude the conversation with his own opinion consistently. This occurred even before he had a program of his own.
In his latest conversation, he again considers that one person, the policeman, was "godlike" in his statement and the other side did not count.

Off subject, Mr. Sanchez should refer to "doctors" as physicians. There are many types of doctors. In order to distinguish exactly what he is talking about, using the word physician is more appropriate if that is what he is referring to.

Rick, the pictures show handcuff on the porch in the doorway of Prof Gates home, not on a lawn. Notice there is a policeman at the bottom of the steps on the lawn. At no time before the handcuffs did prog Gates get to the lawn. Also, the police officer seems to have entered the home without a warrant or invitation. The homeowner was present and did not ask for this invasion. Regardless anything else, he has the right to be whatever he wants inside his home as long as he does not break any laws.

Dear Rick,

Look at the photo you used on the show it shows the professor in hand cuffs coming off his porch not on the street or side walk or yard.

J. Ron Dillmon

USA police departments are filled with hidden racism. Some police officers are racist, offensive, robbing, and Harasing Blacks daily. Those who can't see this need to pull the curtain from their eyes, and see the hidden racism within the police department & employment. President Obama is a honest president he is right on target about the hidden racism in America. Blacks have done so much good for USA. We need to stop decriminate, stop being selfish , and stop playing politics. America can be a great place if we just help each other. 1 LOVE

Hello rick .
our presedent ,was right ,to say ,the police was stupid .
Finally a ppresedent for the people.
He has the guts to speak up ,and does not care having less aprooval rating.

thank you

thea schlosser
author -speaker .

OS ,TO ARREST SAME ONE ,IN THERE OWN HOME IS stupid.more then stupid .

I don't care if Tom Coburn is a doctor. I have had several serious surgeries and have been turned away by doctors bc of my insurence and have had doctors accept me bc of insurence bc of the amount the dr. would recieve. I'm now on medicaid and I find it to be a great insurence. They tried to make me go on an HMO thinking I would get better treatment instead it was horrible and I switched back to Medicaid bc they allow me to see more doctors, covers my medication, and allows me more choices of treatments I'm allowed. I'm disabled and on SSI so insurence is the most important thing in my life right now. So in my expert opinion Tom coburn is completely wrong about his fellow doctors and medicaid.

Hey Rick,

let me ask you a question...after 5 hours of investigation,do you believe the Cambridge police acted stupidely ?

If yes, then you should support Obama, if not then close your door and never talk to a policeman again...on the street, in your home or anywhere fot that matter.

If you cannot be safe at home than America is not a free country.

Shame on you Rick to use this story to build ratings!

I agree with the comments made by President Obama. I read so many racist comments on different web sites, and we should not be afraid to call it as it is. Black kids were prevented from using a pool in a swimming club, some americans continue to claim that President Obama was not born in the USA. The policeman should have left and not add insult to injury in arresting someone in his own private property, because he may have been belittled by a Havard professor to prove who the boss is.

After hearing your discussion on the Gates I gotta say-Rick Sanchez, you have lots to learn about the African American experience. I'm a Euro-American/Anglo male and even I know that Af Ams have been subjected to police officers lying or scewing their reports so that you can understand why they are no more reliable than the report of an eyewitness or the other people involved in the incident. To give them more weigh or to assume they are 100% correct because they are part of "the record" shows a great deal of insensitivity to the Af Am experience of relations with the police.

The facts of Professor Gates arrest are in the photo taken of him in handcuffs right at his door on his porch. The police report cannot go against this telling photo!!

So let me get this straight, it's okay for a Harvard professor to be humiliated in his own home by a police officer, but it's NOT okay for the officer to be humiliated and questioned?

If he is an expert in Racial Profiling, then he should have some understanding of the history behind the invention of Racial Profiling and should understand that just because I fit the profile, does not mean that I am the criminal. There is not a Black American alive, who cannot sympathize with the professor.

But let's grow up. Just because you have the right to do something, does not mean it is the right thing to do. I can see this issue from both sides. I would have responded in the same fashion as the professor. For him, this is an emotional issue. Somebody so well adept at Racial Profiling would understand that. From a historical perspective, the officer was out of line. There would have been no need to arrest the professor, if the officer would have simply walked away, after he established the identity of the professor.

Rick:
Racial Profiling? It sounds like it. The man was in his home. He told the policeman that it was his house. The policeman asked him to step outside. Why did the policeman ask him to step outside? So that he could arrest him, on his own premises? If the man was angry he had every right to be. Put yourself in the man's shoes and what would your reaction be. This situation makes the blood of some people boil; gets the angry. The President was asked and he gave a truthful answer. The police did act stupidly. Period! The white policeman is too proud to apologize to a black man? Frankly, I would sue the policeman for some good money for this humiliation and arrest. The policeman needs to take a course on "racial profiling." There are pros and cons of this story as every story. As the saying goes: "As many heads there are, as many opinions there will be." This does not erase what a man of his stature went through.

Rick,

The professor was arrested in his house as the professor mentioed in his CNN interview with Soledad. You can clearly see on the photo posted on CNN the officer holding the door open as the professor is exiting his home while handcuffed. Why all the emphasis on the arrest having taken place in the yard?

I support President Obama's comment that he made about Officer Crowley. Officer Crowley did in fact act in a stupor way and he should admit it and apologize to Mr. Gates.

Mr. Gates showed his ID, at that point, the Police should have left his property.

It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure that out. Oh and by the way, just becuase Officer Crowley taught on racial profiling in the Academy doesn't mean that he is not racist....it dooesn't make him an expert either. He is arrogant and should apologize to Mr. Gates.

OK Rick, quit acting lile you know everything on every topic. You break in on your guest and don't let them finished what they are saying. Eg. the piece on Prof Gates

I'm retired law enforcement, and I'm white. The sergeant may be an "expert" in racial profiling, but he has work to do in good old-fashioned people skills. President Obama was right.

Yes, the President acted irresponsibily by making the "acted stupidly" comment before knowing all the facts.

Way to go Reinaldo.........You people need to watch"the obama deceptionHQ full length version" on youtube...It will scare the crap out of you, but it is time you were let in on what is really behind all this. I dare you to watch it. You may not be able to sleep for the next couple of nights.

What do you all think about the health care proposal? I'll be graduating soon from college, and if I don't continue my education or get a job right away, I won't have insurance...I plan on going farther, but there is a possiblity of me not getting in or not being hired for any job, especially with the way the economy is going. So, hopefully, if this health care package gets voted a go, then I wont have to struggle as badly as I once have thought, nor does any other college student just graduating, or high school student.

And President was very correct in his statement. The act by the police officer was stupid.

Our President is right on target with the state of our Health Care in this country. We NEED Reform, ASAP! The Insurance companies are making record profits at the expense of the sick. I'm so sick of the Republican Party only siding with big business and not middle class Americans. How many more times are we going to be scared by ad's stating "socialism" and "Govt run health plans". Please, spare us!

Regarding the Professor, the President had every right to give his opinion regarding his friend. It was his opinion. And from what I can see, it was "stupid" for a policeman to arrest someone for breaking into their own home. Unless the professor attacked the officer, what justification did the officer have to arrest him? Anyone who doesn't think racism plays a role in justice in America has their head in the sand.

Rick,
I cannot believe how one sided your last segment was. You said you spent the last 5 hours researching this case and didn't come up with anything from Professor Gates? I saw his interview last night where he explained what happened on your network and the soundbite you pulled wasn't his explanation at all. Makes you look one sided and not fair at all. You owe the Professor an apology as does the police officer. No one has the right to come on our property and treat us that way and if they did why not say " Oh Professor Gates I am sooo sorry there must have been a mistake". Ya right! I am a white woman and wouldn't take that from anyone.

Rick, reference Presidential comments:

President Obama was correct to answer the question put to him. He should not have used the characterization of "acting stupidly" as that has yet to be determined.

However, it is safe to say that after a multiple hour flight in cramped conditions, the Professor was probably not in the mood to placate a police officers desire to be treated with the respect for authority he was used to. Nor was the professor used to being treated like a regular person. If the professor had complied with the police officers instructions he would not have been arrested, probably.

Conversely, if the police officer was satisfied that the original reason for his presence was not applicable and there was no other outstanding reason for action, he should have let it go, probably.

Black, white yellow or green, everyone knows you do not piss off cops primarily because they carry guns and secondarily they have the authority to arrest you for whatever reason they deem fit.

Please note that black men are more sensitive as group to police actions and when a black man who has grown used to being treated with the respect they have earned and then is thrown back (real or imagined) to a time that the rest of us continue to grapple with, it is almost guaranteed that his response will be outside the box.

bruce sweeney

Rick, If you believe that ecery thing in a police report is true, you have never had contact with the police and I have a bridge in NJ I would like to sell you.
I had an accident with a pokice car some years ago and of cousre his buddies investigated. Their report was pure fiction 60 ft of skid marks made bt the police car did not exist according to the report.

I was stopped on the beach in FL some years later by an officer that kept his hand on his revolver while he kept calling me a lier even after I showed him the path I had taken. Thank God another officer came to back him up and let me go. POLICE REPORTS ARE FICTION.

No, I do not think President Obama said anything wrong, he is entitled to his opinion, if anything it got people to direct their attention to the Gates/Crowley situation. But, after listening to the officer, Mr. Gates and the eye witness, I have determined that Mr. Gates did infact act inappropriately and the officer was right arresting him. Additionally, just because their is alot of racial profiling, and I have been there, this was not the case in this situation. Just because some officers do racial profile doesn't mean you have to label this one as such, just like having an educated man cannot be labeled as always knowing what is right!

guess what!!!!! the most amazing part of this story is, it is absolutely amazing that the neighbors (who called the police on him)don't know who this prominent person(who lives in the same neighbors) is or that the cambridge police officer (department) does not know who this prominent person is!!! it is so sad that the neighbors and police don't know that dr.gates is a prominent HARVARD prof. and very accomplished educator,historian and speaker....I could go on and on and on!!! if such a person lived in my neighborhood you can bet believe I would know who he was!!!!!give me a break!!!!!!! and since one of his neighbors interviewed by media made comment that dr.gates acted belligerent, people need to get real!!!!! If he was in his house ,established he was the homeowner and still get arrested he would be belligerent too!!!!

p.s. the fact that this officer is an EXPERT in racial profiling is very telling on racial issue in this country!!!! he REALLY needs more training,especially since he is considered an EXPERT!!!!!

woodo
woodo1@msn.com

Why did the cop say he put Mr. Gates in handcuffs outside in the front yard? In the picture shown on all news outlets, you can clearly see Mr. Gates standing in the doorway of his house in handcuffs.

This nation does not deserve Barack Obama as President. It is so self-absorbed and consumed by a need for greed, individually and collectively that it's demise is eminent.

Unfortunately clinics for sick nations do not exist and self-healing
doesn't appear to be a likely outcome. The masses would have to
learn to quit playing the very immature and all consuming game of tit for tat and I don't see that happening without some type of extraterrestrial intervention.

I'm sad to see that now ethnic minorities too have contracted the pervasive societal disease we whites have been unable to rid ourselves of for millennia.

Albert Einstein:
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe.

Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence.

Where have all the good minds gone long time passing???

Rick:

Here is my comment on the Dr. Gates arrest for "Disordely Conduct";

Since you did "5 hours of research" on this incident as you just stated on your show, why did you not include the fact that the original report to the police by Dr. Gates "neighbor" was that "two BLACK MEN were breaking..." into the home.

Obviously, the offifcer responded to the call looking for "two BLACK MEN" not two men as CNN continues to falsely report. The "neighbor's" description alone of the two men created an attitude for racial profiling by the responding officer.

Also, just because the officer provided the statements from his police report and he is a "racial profiler trainer" for the police academy does not mean that he did in racially profiled Dr. Gates and violated his Civil Rights.

Please do some more research and do some real journalism. This afternoon's report was insulting and you appeared extremely self-righteous. I am sure if Dr.Gates was Latino you might have mustered up enough courage to report the situation with all the facts.

I will not be watching your show again or CNN, you guys are irresponsible and insulting.

Rick,

I was just watching you debate about Prof Gates with Roland and another fellow and was absolutely amazed. The guy was in his house and proved it was his house, so get the beep out. Case closed!!! Why were the charges dropped if he was so belligerent and verbally abusive. You are taking the cops word as gold as if there has never been a cop that lied in a report. Roland is absolutely right in saying you have to quote the entire sentence when quoting President Obama, not half the sentence. They arrested the guy after they found out it was his house!!! That's nuts!!! Then I hear that men come back to their own houses to harm their wives after they have been ordered out and a whole bunch of other crap that has absolutely no relevance to the case. That's not what was reported to the cops, a suspected break-in was reported. I agree with Obama, and those cops did act "STUPIDLY". If they didn't the charges would not have been dropped. I've never seen a journalist on CNN take one side of the story like I saw you take today. I expect that kind of thing from FOX News, not CNN...

Roland, you are the best man...

Kevin

What is with Roland? I think he has let his true bias show thru. He is 100% convinced that the police were wrong because Gates is black and the officer is white. I will have serious reservations on any of Rolands comments in the future. He showed his true bias colors today. It makes me sick

I really don't understand from where rick sanchez come from and say that the president should not have said what he said if some one ask the presindent a question he has the right to answer any way he choose where is the president FREE SPECH RIGHT. and when REPORTERS quote the president of THE UNITED STATES they need to know all the facts because other wise you are not just showing your are ignorant but you are contributing to the confusion in the universe. quote the whole centence not just part of the centence. about the officer report we are tired about the policce distoring the truth. if you know you are going to be sued you will put the facts in the report to counter the lawsuit. READ THE WHOLE SENTENCE. THE PRESINDET IS RIGHT. if you are at your home and you show proof of residence that is more than enough. the police need to vacate your property without a search warrant. IS THE LAW. if he suspects the owner of the property is in danger he needs EXPLAIN THE OWNER that has been a report of breaking and entering. the police job is to prtect and to SERVE.

Greetings Rick:
I agree with President Obama, the Cambridge police acted stupidly. It seems unnecessary to say, in so far as breaking and entering is concerned, that if a person shows proof that they are in their own residence, there is no need for an arrest. The inept scenario, proposed by the guest commentator, relating this case to a women's safety issue is a stretch. For me the beginning and end of this case occurred when identification was provided.

We know that race underlies every thought, deed and action in America. The very fabric of this country and many of its organizing principles are grounded on issues of race; so much so that anyone who attempts to discuss problems surrounding racial issues are accused of 'playing the race card' or fueling hate. What that means is that the real history, answers and possible solutions will remain snuggly wrapped in the country's fabric, undermining the possibility for actual positive change and evolution. Furthermore, America's jails and prisons are full of Black men who were profiled based on race and who receive stiffer sentences than their non-Black counterparts for the same or similar infracitons.

Lastly, you, in the name of getting the facts, chose the police report as factual information. Ha! ! !

Rick you are so wrong on this one. I wonder how you would have felt being arrested on your own porch! Once the ID was provided the police officer should have just left, I don't care what was said! You should not get arrested on your own property because of talking! I don't know if the cop was racist or just an a–, but he was wrong and should apologize. Everyone with common sense knows that if this had been a white man, the cop would have apologized profusely after the ID was presented and would have been on his way!

Rick, regarding your smirk or sacarstic attitude on TV and your one sided argument, citing only the paper, "the police officers' comment," I think is appalling for a supposedly unbiased newsman.

Now to be a Professor in a top college in the US, Professor Gates, must have been found worthy in CHARACTER and in learning.

The picture you showed of the Professors arrest, shows the cop, just INSIDE the Professors home and the Professor in CUFFS, just out side the front door.

Did you say the cop said that he arrested the Professor outside his home on the front lawn?

Explain the picture.... Like they say, pictures dont lie.

LOOK ! RICK FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATE HE CAN SPAKE N WHAT EVERY SUBJECT HE WANTS.
AND PROFESSOR GATES WAS ON HIS PROPERTY AND HE HAS THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH , YES HE WAS ARRESTED BECAUSE HE WAS A OLDER BLACK MAN KNOW THE WELL TO DO BLACK FORK ARE GOING TO HAVE TO COME ON IN.

I am 81 years old, and I wish people in Congress would act like adults and pull together and support the President.
Stop the childish comments already.
About the incident with thee Professor, if he wouldn't have taken on the old chip on the shoulder attitude, about picking on the black people, the officer, most likely, would not have arrested him. One gets tired hearing that worn out comment about the unfairness to the black people. If the white people treat them bad it's because of their attitude, NOT the color of their skin. To prove a point, The President, he has a lovely attitude and people love him for it-and a smile to die for.
D. Bunn

It has been my experience that most doctors are honest and truly want to treat people. On the other hand they hire office managers and depend on them to maximize income. They know their office staff is lying, falsifying submissions to Ins Companies and Medicare, but the don't interfere because they want the money. I had one doctor tell me when I complained about an error on my bill that he couldn't help me because he didn't understand their invpices.

I recently changed specialists ; I liked the doctor, but I had to get away from the lack of ethics in his office operation.

Rick you dont know to much. you think you do but you dont. i am 63yrs. old and i have seen all my life that black people get a shity deal. that cop act like he is a know it all, he should lose his job. you know as do blacks get kicked in the teeth all the time. you wont admit. and that doctor you had on said the doctors always do the right thing. he lied. doctors want money and they dont care how they get it. he dont want gov. to make them give us good care. i know how doctor treat you. so that doctor just lied to god.

Police Officers have the law and police discretion. Mr Gates probably was upset just by the mere unjustified prescence of the officer. Take into consideration the time period in which Mr Gates came up in America and having his on biasis. Mr Gates probably did not help out the situation and seeing the other side. The officer was responding to a call in the performance of his duties. Two black males entering a home by way of a window. Sgt Crowley had a discretion to arrest Mr. Gates for disorderly conduct or to just finish his call and leave understanding as a veteran officer how one could be upset. My point is that Mr. Gates and Sgt Crowley both handled the situation poorly.

Hello Mr. Sanchez\\

Hello R.Sanchez

I wan to say I really like you show, but today, you was the devil advoteca, because you never live the live of normal like us. You pass like white man The rest us with need to deal with the injustice, in 2005 I was stop my the police, with not reason, I was drive home from shopping in Saks Avenue In the police saw my car Mercedes Benz I am educate man I have degree in Sociology, the Officer way for me in the one mile and ask to give the id, in the meet time wrote me I ticker for $700.00 dollar, also the talk me I was falling to him to close, Him was waiting, for me start reduce and stopping in from my car I was confusing because I don’t know why was happened.. That is was came to my mind this is about race, When I ask to give he name and batch and Id . He refuse and later the police show my home at 3:00 am with 7 police and gum pointing to me and nieces (7 girls) ages 5 to 18 yearl olds, when with was sleeping . My I call the officer Superior of the office I was acusse of many thing he also say I going to take you driver priveliger and going to destroy you record. , they said I was responsible for everything, the also give another ticking for $900.00 dollar for call 911, I never call 911. I call the police manager for helps he and the officer start create fall report. My lawyer found out for the radio the conversion the have give to the court , was about because I was Latino, black drive at Mercedes ,He is doing drugs””” I was sop rise here that tape, I work all my life, when to school to get better job and better live, but the police in Oregon, and my counting is always looking my race , the district Attorney ask the police to fallow me and take my car and putting my car in another place , the car was lost for 2 day the police said the don’t, know where was, My boss came from Germany to help me, he paid all the legal fee. But my lawyer we was no to help he said I was the race because I said the white man; He charming with a lot money to preset me in court, I was to pay the Tickets because the said I was responsible. When you live a life like I alive you can talk. Now shout up.

Miguel Gonzalez Moseler
20609 nw Sauvie Island Rd
Portland, OR 97231
503 -621-9241

Rick, Get a real job, ya bumm!! At 1st me & my HS girls thought you were humma-humma until you opened yer mouth. Fugly & Stupid!! Is your job requirement to play devil's advocate on every issue? Or is this the way you really think? Eres o tu hases? Prez. Obama's doing a fine job on every issue. He's fair & he's not afraid to pull the covers in dealing with the greedy good ol' boy system. Of course they don't want him to bust up their sweet deals!! Are you done dissecting Obama's comment on the Cambridge cops? When me & my hillbilly biker b/friend went to Cambridge via Harvard we were stopped by a sgt. cop who rode with a m/c club, The Dirty Pigs (rightly titled). He proudly bragged how he bashes Harvard male students cuz of his nagging concept that they were young, spoiled & rich. Dirty Pigs!!! Hey, when idiot Bush stole the vote, did you rag on & on every time prune face opened his pie hole??? Bet you hate Anderson Cooper, a real journalist who puts you to shame!!! Dare U 2 post this in entirity.

PLEASE USE THIS TOMORROW

UPDATED

in regards to Henry Gates

both citizen and police officer are accountable to each other
and as such the dissemination of important information at the moment of confrontation between both parties is essential

all citizens should be aware that the police enter a situation without any understanding of the issue at hand and must be accorded as much declaration from the citizen as possible

the police must explain, moreso, their orders to the citizen as to what the order means ... for example ... in ordering Citizen Gates out of his house, did the officer add the comment, “ ... because I need to, out of procedure, make sure the house is empty of any other persons for safety reasons.”

this comes down to the issue of effective communication skills on the part of both citizen and police

Henry Gates should have know better on how to diffuse the situation with his understanding of race relations … and the police officer , moreso should have better conducted himself so as to explain himself and thereby making his procedure understood

no one in this situation is completely void of mea culpa

both parties in this case are reasonably sensitive to their own situations and reactions ... Henry Gates reasonably because of his understanding of racism and the police officer because of his understanding that danger could come from any where during any police situation

the police officer should know better to not take a legitimate citizens frustration and comments personally

I have personally been stop by the police, profiled by meeting the description of an APB (all points bulletin) , and had no problem diffusing the situation by using well spoken and informative language

rg

Rick, Try to keep an open mind when on your program. You jump to conclutions and display your own bias.
I think the Professor should bring charges against the neighbor who made a call to the police. I once had to break a window to get in my house, but my neighbors weren't watching and they knew me. And of course, I am a white male. No one would suspect me of being a thief.

I find that the president to be something that the american peple have not had in a very long time....REFRESHING! He is honest in voicing his opioion to auestion that was asked of him. Too many times politicians dance around a question he chose to confront it head on.

Rick as a hispanic male you certainly cant be serious when yyou refer to the arresting officers opioion or side of the story as "the record"? Come on, how many hispanics are racially profiled or unjustly arrested or even hurt! Mabey beecause it hasn't quite happened to you yet. Mabey if YOU were confronted on YOUR property, after producing YOUR identification you'd feel differently. Mabey you're just out of touch. It took courage for the president to confront the ugly truth and that is if you are a person of color hispanic, black, asian etc. you will @ some time in yyour life experience racial occurrances in one way or another.

The man was in HIS CASTLE his HOME. If you cant relax and feel safe, where can you? I saw you just a little irritated when you did a segment talking about judge Sotomoyor and the " Wise Latina" crack. Why not question her and her "Temperment" Because Sotomoyor and Gates represent color in this country, and there are those who do not like to see peeople of color in positions of high authority. How many stories have you done on police brutality or terrible behavior? I'm sure THEY had reports and were still found guilty. Think about it.

Your presentation today of Gates vs the cop was so bent towards the cop that it became disgusting! You give the cop's detailed statement of what occurred but showed an edited clip of Gate's detailed statement leaving out his detailed account of what had occurred. Anyone with common sense knows a police report is just the police version of what occurred and truth is left out of the report when a cop is trying to cover his ass from his own injust behavior.

You are so ignorent,
It is unbelivable that you think police reports are true. I was stoped by police 2 times over 25 years. First time the officer denied me a breath test and put ont the report I refused. I lost my drivers license. 2nd time I had a medical emergency and was taken to the hospital. The officer didn't document it on the report. I lost my drivers license. Police lie on the reports or don't add necessary information. I want them to start carying voice recorders and using that as the record. THEY LIE!! If you think otherwise then you are dumb.
Steve

On the issue of Professor GATES. It is obvious by the pictures that Professor gates is in handcuffs on the porch of his house, and not in the front yard as the SGT. says. Secondly, the Sgt is an officer of the law and an authority on racial profiling- by the looks of it he really don't know what he's doing (teaching how not to racially profile that is), and Professor Gates, chop liver? Any Black person and any officer knows that Black people are their easiest targets, it's just that simple. Gates just went through something common Black men go through everyday of their lives in America. If the President cannot speak the truth then who will; Obama knows his friend, and knows, maybe first hand the inequalities of the justice system. Can't think (President Obama) being a Black man in America he was never ever victim to their (police) prejudice (racial profiling).

Rich I listen to you with a open mind my conclusion is, I think that you are bias against Blacks and Latinos even though you are Latino the way you ask questions you need to come and live in the visit the Black community and your style of asking question and over zealous opinions may change or have you forgotten where your came from and how the reality is for Africa American Blacks in America we all know that the Police Department through out the country need cultural diversity training on a regular basis taught by the different cultural this would be good if you interviewed me and the Police Commissioner as in dept as you did Roland Martin and your one side views. More objective journalism is need. May we could make a change with better objectivity and using your power of the media usefully

Rick, will you please allow your guests to finish their comments? It's obvious you are in favor of the arresting officer, but at least allow people you've invited to your show to speak!

Also, I agree with Roland Martin. If your going to provide a quote, give the full quote!

Since President Obama does not know what really happened, he should comment with impartiality. Citing the word "stupidity" to the officer implies that he was one-sided. It is true that Mr. Gates is a resident of that house by showing his proper identification but the reason he was arrested is that he was being provocative.

Regarding the Professor and the police, politics aside I think they were BOTH at fault. In other words, a p***ing contest/ego. The professor should have simply showed his DL, let the police go peacefully on his way and then called to complain about the incident if he felt the officer handled it improperly. On the other hand, I have seen clips where a white man has CUSSED the police officer out, given horrible hand gestures in his face, tore up the ticket and sped off again, and he was not in any way challenged by the police office, only a shake of the head. There is definitely a double standard.

This is not a black and white issue, this is just STUPIDITY on each side.

Rick,
Love the way you handle issues! It seems that Prof. Gates was tired from his trip, the jammed door at his house added insult to injury, & the police showing up just triggered his blood pressure. This is a White vs Black, he said, he said issue. Perhaps they should let an Asian (yellow race), a non-biased, non-black or white person decide this issue. If Prof Gates is the person he professes to be, he should own up to the incident and let those w/integrity investigate the incident. The neighbor interviewed said that he saw the prof angered. I knew that if Obama were to be president, there would be many such incedences like this one. Being Hispanic, I've felt & know discrimination, but that does not give me license to accuse anyone falsely. Trust me, there will be more.
Ms. Sotomayor was raked through the coals & you don't see her crying and threatening to make it a case. Prof. Gates should now prove his professionalism and dignity and above all his character and so called respectability. The officer was just doing his job. Obama should have first acknowledged his lack of information before making the stupid comment. Now we know where he stands, Roland should also seek the facts.

I hope the neighbors can prove what really happened.

Norma

I want to commend you on your interview this date in regard to Cambridge incident. You did a fair interview and brought out the facts. God bless you and yours. Retired cop.

It is probably time to tell our congressional leaders that they will not be sent back to Washington if they don't get health care reform passed. Frankly, a two million person march on the White House lawn might get the job done, anybody want to join me?

Hey, why did you interview 2 republicans for input? Why not one republican and one democrat? Both republicans will express the same convoluted opinion on health care...duh. They're happy as clams to keep things the way they've been for the past 50 years, which is where the GOP lives. I want things to change for the better. America's health care system smells bad, and is a big part of what's wrong with our economy. LOOK WHO'S TELLING AMERICANS THEY'RE AFRAID OF THE COST. WHERE WERE THESE SAME PEOPLE FOR THE PAST 8 YEARS???? Limburger cheese gives the directive to "kill" any change Obama wants to make and the republicans march in lock-step, as they did with Bush. Swiftboating is disgusting, and I hope Americans unite and fight for quality, affordable public health care reform NOW. We've waited 61 years. IT'S TIME TO DO IT NOW. Republicans will stall for another 60 years if we let them. Let's fight to right the wrongs!!

Mr. Gates should thank the policemen who rushed to his house on his behalf and not to reciprocate them with abusive words.

Rick Sanchez you are getting ridiculous you are becoming rush or the like,making up things,not telling the complete story,quoting from interviews that you only play half of the interview and picking what you want to create a controversy.are you trying to become orielly or the like?
are to trying for your own show and going for the raise?? what happen to the Sanchez that told the truth,the that I would never miss,go back to the Rick Sanchez I use to watch don't become one of them,right now you stink

JR

I feel the president spoke on how the situation was handled once the professor had identified himself. I also feel it should have been handled without an arrest. I'm a witness to how police officers write up their report, they report lies to show how it was a cause for their actions. They have to develope cause once they have engaged in an act of stupidity or violated ones civil rights. They always treat a black male different from a white male and most black female. I feel they are very judgmental when confronting a black male. I've witness police officers demeanor when they question female's, they use a respectful tone but as soon as a black male appears they instantly speak with a harsh tone using very harsh words. I can't understand why this act is being discussed this is our society. Please tell the ones that seem so surprised by this action welcome them to the real world it is real throughout this country.....mn

The US cant keep stalling on health care reform. You cant afford to drag out the debate, and you cant afford the perpetual social problems that your system creates.

And Americans should be a little more aware of criticisms taken out of context. The problems in our system are things that most Canadians and Cdn political parties want to reduce or solve outright, even if we disagree about how to go about doing that. Even our conservative PM, Stephen Harper, has bragged about Canada's healthcare system and how it's part of Canada's social infrastructure that will ensure Canada's quick economic rebound when global economies turn around.

These are facts that can be verified from many official sources: compared to your current system our system (the Canadian system) is cheaper overall, cheaper for individuals and groups involved, and is better in almost every way you can measure a system. And, if the Canadian example is any measure, employers wont wholesale switch insurers and plans because the better insurers/plans will adapt to the changing regulatory regime. In the '60s & 70's, the Canadian health insurers that adapted to the times built a lot of loyalty from clients and medical groups, and have made a lot of $$ over the years.

Hi Rick!

First, for the record I am an African American woman. I am a huge supporter of President Obama, however, I do believe that if he did not know all the facts that he should not have made a comment. When I heard his remark, I knew that his statement would overshadow his message about healthcare reform.
I believe that this country is moving forward in a positive way when it comes to racial discrimination, but sometimes it seems as if leaders in the African American community, such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson try to insight anger in the black community, when a situation occurs between a white person and a black person. I am tired of them "crying wolf" all the time. I think that this situation can be a lesson learned and teach us to wait for a thorough investigation, before marching on the streets crying about racial inequalities.
I believe that the police officer should not apologize. He is supported by white and black police officers who knows his character. We, as African Americans should stop catagorizing white people who are not prejudice as racist. I believe that according to the witnesses and the police report, the professor was out-of-line and should apologize for stirring up this unnecessary controversy.

Relating to the Professor Gates incident, Rick you said that you researched this issue for 5 hours. Then, why did you not know that Mr. Gates was arrested on his porch as soon as he stepped out of his front door. Since when is it a crime to express your disapproval or ask a question if you not doing anything in a threatening manner. The whole incident should have been over once he showed proof of identification to the officer. The charges were dropped that says a lot.

Don't need a government run health insurance program???
Do you really think Private Insurance Co. Cares for you???
Come on ...they are there to make money with you!!
And if ever you cost to much!!!!
Don`t understand that you are willing to give 700.00$ or 800;00$ per month to be more or less covered!!!
You could have a fairly good family state run program for 1.5% of your income ( 750.00$ per year for a 50,000.00$ income)
And have a deductable supplementary Private insurance if you want for addictional coverage such as eye glasses, dental works, chyropractik, prescription drugs even accupunture if you want? For less than 500.00$ a year!
Afraid private insurance co. will loose money...Sure they will!! But they will turn around an offer you addtional coverage that you will not resits!!

Rick, to start with you need to apologize to the POTUS for starting your comment with; is the POTUS irresponsible to have called the act the white police officer stupid? That is rude and unacceptable. You know better than that. Shame on you!

Secondly, you showed so much bias by accepting the police officer’s account as gospel truth and showing the wrong tape of Prof Gates’ interview and not willing to give him the benefit of the doubt or even hear his account. That is shameful. What are you guys in the MSM up to and what is your real agenda? Where is your objectivity?

Rick, I always thought you were different and had some integrity but today you showed your skin color bias and stupidity.

The question is; if Prof Gates was Prof Larry Summers in the same situation would the white police officer have arrested him in his own house after showing proof it is his house and would he lead him out to the pouch and arrest him? Of course not.

That the officer taught racial profiling does not mean he cannot be a racist. Again, I am sure you know that. Saying you have been a victim of racial profiling does not support your blind support for the police officer.

As an Irish male I have seen my own fare share of discrimination and I hate it when I see it in any shape or form. And what amuses me is that Hispanic have a racial bias towards blacks. It is ironic and shameful.

Rick, learn to be objective and do not be rude to the POTUS because he is black. Mind your language.

The president was right to call the act by the white police officer stupid. Period!

Jaime O, You're truly brainwashed! Do your homework! The U.S. economy wouldn't be in this depression, hanging the deficit on future generations if Bush & Cheney weren't so greedy stuffing bottomless pockets by raping U.S. taxpayers. Cheney roped us into a war to unload his "war inventory"and Bush hiked gas prices up, both lacking tact and diplomacy aiming for any peace. Read the Vanity Fair's article about what Bush's former administration had to say about the dysfunction with Bush, Cheney and Dumsfeld. Thank God the young people saw that the U.S. gov't. definitely needs a change and the "ostriches" pulled their heads out of the sand. Our country is truly blessed to have President Obama! What did you want, another round of John McBush to stuff our childrens grand-children further down the toilet?? It's not other countries that did us in. OPEN YOUR EYES!!!! And, the health industry hasn't worked for years, getting worse rapidly. We needed a change long ago!! The only one's that want things to remain the same are the ones that have a sweet deal going on–the greedy, stealing rich!!!

Rick, If your buddy the cop from Cambridge Mass. is an instructor on
racial profiled, then we are in a deeper mess then anybody can think of . If the Cambridge police can win this case why drop the charge.
Shame on you for only quoting half of Obama,s comment.
let the truth come out get the DoJ investigate.

Dear Rick,
My step-daughter has been a professor in the US under several different university health care insurance coverage plans. Four years ago she moved to London, is teaching at UCL and is now under the British health care system. She highly compliments their system and says it's as good as or better than anything she's had in the past. I don't want socialized medicine, but I DO NOT want choices about my life and my quality of life being tied to profit motive. GAWD! I watched Obama last night and listened to him today and think he's moving us to a better place. It's a start that is long overdue. I was impressed with your interview with WY and OK Senators – as R physicians I thought they approached the topics with intellecual rigor and insight and less politics. It was nice to listen to Republicans make a little sense for once. It's been a long dry spell. I DO think it's time to move on this. NOW. P.S. I give BHO an A+ for addressing the Gates debacle straight on.

The answer to the Health Care Problem is very simple; and it's found in the pages of a new and very small book titled: THE GREAT WHITE HOAX. Probably the best Health Care book ever written.

Rick, Some people don't seem to realize that if the Insurance Carrier providing their health insurance today raises the premium to their employer, the employer may have to change to another carrier. It would be the same as with any other private option. What I don't know is what would be in the public plan. Would it cover only the basics or do you have choices within the public plan. There was a great show on PBS that actually spoke to patients and doctors in London about their plan, the good and the bad. It was stated that 94% of Britins are happy with their healthcare and would vote anyone out who would change it. They have taken profit motive out of healthcare. Their doctors get paid $200,000 a year and additional incentive getting their patients to get and stay well. Sounds like a good idea to me.

Imagine if there had been a perp trying to b&e Prof. Gates house?

Imagine if there had been a perp trying to b&e Prof. Gates house? I can only imagine that the Prof would have been eternally grateful for the prompt response.

What did the officer try to gain by arreseting professor? Teach him a lesson? Isn't this waste of tax payer's money? The key words are effeciency and effectiveness of actions or process!!!

I agree with President Obama. The actions of the officer were simply STUPID, childish, and vindictive.

When it is convinient, they use the excuse that they were following orders or protocol/procedures.

Did they allow the professor to write his account?

Rick,
Here is the way to get Universal Healthcare bills out of Congress:

Everyone should write their Represenatative and Senators and insist they show their commitment to the American people by agreeing to voluntarily give up their own Government Healthcare plan until we have a law.

Let them experience first hand the anxiety millions of people have every day.

Bet they wouldn't recess!

rexfordkeith

Ricardo, do you really beleave the Universal Health Care Reform will work? I know you are a Democrat but I also know that as a well educated Cuban-American you will not cheat your self and I hope you will not sell your pride to a wrong ideology. So, going back where I started: Can such plan work? Will Obama and family embrace that so called coverage? Will the House & Congress do the same?
Would YOU? Of course not. However I would like for the government to force Health Insurance Companies to cover previous sickness like
Dialysis, Heart issues etc, etc.
Why do you think Cuban people(me included) got out of Cuba? We will answer: CUBA TURNED COMMUNIST. Fidel just murdered the happiest country in the world.

I believe in what President Obama is saying about Healthcare of this country. We have to do something to improve it. He laid down his own proposals, why not improve that proposals instead of discouraging it.? Or politically spinning it to the oblivion? Is there no middle ground in this country? Everything that Obama says or does is BAD in the eyes of Republicans. Why not give him a chance to reign, he won, the Democrats won the election! Give them the free reign on what they want to happen in this country during their term. When election comes, thats the time to be a dissenter, an obstructionist and bring the case to the electorate. In governing the country, we should be one people, Americans.

Mr. Sanchez,

Yesterday, when you took the position that the Mass. police officer's report was fact, Mr. Martin pointed out that there are two stories at hand, that of the officer and that of Mr. Gates. You indicated that the important point was whether or not the President should have made the comment he made. What you missed, intended or not, was a very important issue that needs to be addressed to help determine whether the officer was right or wrong. WHY did the police department drop charges on Mr. Gates? If the officer was absolutely right, why drop the charges?

T. Richards

when you see men coming back from war in iraq they say we are doing remarkable work for the iraqi people. why, have we not seen any of the good things we are paying for in iraq

I have to say, it is so incredibly refreshing to have a President who tells it like it is, who will come out immediately and say he should have used different words. This is the model we need for working together and resolving differences! It is a model for the parents we admire and the model we desperately need in our leadership. It is such a relief to have a President who will immediately address a racial issue in the right ways. Our country needs this; it leads us gently toward greater understanding, relieving invisible pressures, and toward a society that is more unified in all that we share, not divided on the few differences we have. We need to have regular input on these issues, not beat them to death, but they should be on the table when discussion is needed. Cheers to the President! I sincerely hope they do share a beer at the White House! That is such a great representation of healing!

Enough Sanchez. Stop riding this horse, it's dead, we've heard it all day for the past day or so. Does this 24/ news stop you for reporting the real news.You're just making it worse. You've misquoted the Presidents views, etc., etc., Just stop it and get on with the news. Give us something worth listening to like Health Care, or Afghanistan.

thats the problem mr sanchez no one wants to engage in the dialog so lets pretend that no of this happen ... i say no lets talk about

Enough already with the Gates ordeal! The media is like a runaway train with this. Would Prof Gates have felt better is the officer had left and there turned out to be criminals in his home? Get on to more important news – this has received more attention than it deserves.

You took a very principled position on the birther issue and the looneys that keep asking for President Obama's birth certificate but what about taking on your colleague on CNN, Lou Dobbs, for his racist insertion on the birther issue? I say this because you are being quite sharp wih your CNN colleague Mr Martin on the Obama statement on the Gates incident. Please follow up in the same forthright way with Mr Lou Dobbs.

RIck, last night on Andersen Cooper Professor Boyce Watkins, a black professor at Syracuse U tried to point out that the majority of domestic assaults occur in the victims home and by people they know. Just because Professor Gates owns the home does not mean that he had a legal right to be in it. Officer Crowley was following procedure. He may have thought that Professor Crowley was being a victim of a break in and that the criminals could have been still in the house when he asked the professor to step aside. I feel that Professor Gates showed he does reverse profiling with his words, automatically assuming that the white police officer is a bigot. To be honest, as I have watched various news people report on this, I have seen and heard "reverse profiling". Many of the reporters have a tone in their voice indicating there is no way that Professor Gates over reacted. I think he owes Officer Crowley an apology and he needs to attempt tp put himelf in the officers shoes.

RE: Gates v. Crowley: What's good for the "goose" is good for the "gander." If we question our Supreme Court Justice nominee about her comment concerning "female Latinas," perhaps we should have questioned our Presidential nominees if they had any racial/ethnic biases.

The Governor of Massachusetts, also a friend of Gates, made similar comments as the president, about the unfortunate incident. America, white, but especially prominent American black men, need to take some responsibility for turning up the temperature on this particular issue.

Hi Rachcel,

Love you and your show,,,watch it "every" night,,,,

Did the police dispatcher inform officer Crowley that the home owner is professor Gates while the officer was en route to Mr. Gates home? Also, did the police dispatcher send an image of professor Gates to officer Crowley's on board computer? (assuming officer Crowley had an on board computer) most police vehicles have either an on board computer equipped with a screen for viewing or a laptop computer.

I'd like to hear a discussion about the police protocol that is "suppose" to be followed when a dispatcher receives a 911 call,,,,and what information the dispatcher is required to give the ensuing officer who is traveling to the scene of the incident.

I suspect there are some "procedural" issues,,,and the police simply rushed to judgement without following procedures.

Thank you!

Leamon

It is time to talk about the response to a police officer in an arrest situatio.
They learn about our rights lets learn about them.

As the ex-wife of a black man, I was overwhelmed to see Obama become president in my lifetime. I was not allowed to travel the South back in the 70's with my husband. I have a bi-racial child and know the profiling and hatred that still exists in this country. I think one thing to point out here is that the President didn't bring this subject up – especially to get off the subject of health care – he was asked this question in his press conference. I believe we should all be thrilled that we have a President that is making great strides in this country. Let the conservatives go down in their own mire – at least we finally have a President that can read, doesn't make up words like "foodlootin" and is brilliant. Let him do his job.

Would a white president have been asked to comment on this issue? It just seems that presenting the question in itself was racist.

From what I have heard, Prof. Gates was the one to inject race into this situation. Now which one was doing the racial profiling?

Prof Gates incident: Put aside race for a minute. Imagine an older gentleman returns to his home after a long international flight, initially can't get into his home. After walking around the house and pushing on the door he is finally in his home. Next thing he knows a policeman is asking him to come out because he might be breaking in? How would anybody feel? Well not defential to the policeman...afraid maybe, irritated at the very least!!!

Professor Gates is a JERK. I am a white guy and I have a healthy fear (respect) OF ALL POLICE OFFICERS. I wouldn't dare confront a police officer like Mr. Gates did. This is the kind of crap we must stop and get off this racial mess...... no doubt, the officer was baited by Gates.

I suspect that this have not relation to race, is about the police stepping bounds with law abiding citizens because the frustrations of the authorities in limitations impose on then with the criminal crowd.

Face it, the cop was acting like a cowboy. Once Gates presented his identification how difficult would it have been to have walked away even if Professor Gates was shouting at him? Cambridge and Harvard have some serious issues with their attitudes towards Blacks.

Spare me cops circling the wagons. It is not uncommon for the police to recognize an arrest "gone bad" and charge the defendant just to cover their behinds. I agree with Pres Obama tha t once the Prof was inside his own home and they knew it – they should have either attempted to have him understand that they were trying to protest his home – or said nothing and left ... but they lured him outside and arrest him. There's your truth.

In our city the police have recorders on the belt for these resones. Were is the recording of what hapen on the porch?

Rick, there's too much energy and time being put into this issue about Dr. Gates; I'm an African American male and have been through much more worse incidents with racial profiling and no one has come to my defense!!!! Lay this issue to rest; enough is enough!!!!! Race relations in this country will improve once the baby-boomers have passed-on.... There is still too much bad blood from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s that continue too stirrup racial tensions in this country......

the Pres. did not apologize, to the contrary he simply added information. He does not have to apologize for his opinion. He is a Black Man , living in a mostly racist society. Rick I am surprized that you seem to be biased on the side of the officer.

Rick,
The media is helping to blow this out of proportion. I am a behavioral health nurse who has done crisis work with the police. It is procedure when you go to a residence to ask the person to step away from the door, to come outside. It is unfortunate that in this day and age that there might have been any number of things going on in that house and by asking Professor Gates to step outside.Officer Crowley might just have saved his life. Officer Crowley is not a mind reader and there is NO reason he should have not followed procedure just because Professor Crowley is an esteemed professor. Professor Gates showed that he automatically thinks every white officer is a bigot and owes Officer Crowley an apology.

PS:
As I understand, the report of a breakin came in as possibly two men breaking in to the house. The officer wanted to remove the professor for safety reasons.

IT IS NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE A RACE ISSUE. Why do black Americans seem to always play the race card in thes situations. Would I, as a white American, play the race card if the arresting officer was black. No, I was brought up to respect authority. I think of myself as color blind.

Ask yourself this question. If the police came to your house 1st you would identify yourself and 2nd if the police told you that there may be others breaking in the back. Would you act as Gates did or would you let the police go about there business in effect protecting you.

Everyone, and anyone, is capable of being a jerk at least once in their life. Is is possible that this was Professor Gate's opportunity, and that is all that this story is about.

When calling in to 911 to report a possible crime is taking place, wouldn't you want the neighbor to identify whether those trying to break in is white, black, tall, short, what they where wearing...to help police to in locating the individuals? Also, don't you think Gates blood pressure was already up when having trouble getting into his house? And if the policeman said, there had been a report of 2 black men trying to break into a house, that was not a racial remark, being a homeowner I would want to know if there were 2 men, black or white, and anyother details that I could be on the lookout. I would also want the policeman to look through the whole house to be sure there was no intruder I wasn't aware of. The policeman would be putting his life on the line for my safety......I believe Gates overreacted, and Obama should wait to hear the full details before making any comments!!!! And I voted for Obama, but in this case he definitely stepped over the line without knowing the whole story. He spoke as a black man (which he is half black and half white), he is supposed to be a president of no color at all.

This has all the hallmarks of typical Police arrogance. Not only were these police officers likely to have presented themselves in a surly and aggressive way at the scene, they continue to show the same level of arrogance even today on the TV clips of them hugging and patting each other on the back.

I'm a white guy originally from Europe, now an American Citizen and ALL my interactions with the police result in me feeling the police are nothing but arrogant, aggressive and belligerent, so I dread to think how an African American must feel. Police officers in other countries around the world are approachable and specifically make themselves approachable (even in countries that have guns), yet here they give off a demeanor that is quite obnoxious and often commented on by my friends and family that visit.

It's about time the police woke up and realized that the attitude they portray every day is what is haunting them now.

Hi Rick,
About dumb cop, he supposed to leave the house as soon he
found out that prof is the OWNER. End of the story, he's lucky
it wasn't my house!!

If what the Mr. Gates did was so wrong, they why were the charges dropped?. I have yet to see a guilty mans charges dropped if he was indeed guilty

Maybe I am confused, but isn't it against the law for a police officer to proceed into your home uninvited without a warrant or proper cause. It is obvious here that regardless of attitude from Gates, given if this were to happen in anyone's home attitude would persist, so doesn't the police have to take responsibility. As a black man in America with a white wife, I have and my wife can attest for differences in a police officer between her and I. For example she has blatantly been rude and they were nicer to her than, I who conformed to all rules, answered all questions and only spoke when spoken to. Nevertheless, this police officer was wrong.

Hello Rick

I dont think it was the police or Professor Gates who over-reacted, it was really the neighbor, who over-reacted when she call 911 without giving accurate info about the description of the person,who she believed was breaking inside of Professor Gates. I feel the 911call was a fause report call.

At least you are off the Micheal Jackson story. Lets see how long u can beat this Gates thing to death. The cop was doing his job. If there were somebody in the house and the cop did nothing and Gates was killed, the cop would be going to jail.

Hi Rick, just know that 31 years ago I was going to work in L.A. and a police officer called me the *N* – word and put a gun to my head because he was looking for a black man who just rob a white lady at 5:00am. I was going to work and minding my own business. He stated he would have shot me in cold blood if I had not stop walking. I was not doing anything wrong. This is racial profiling.

Rick, I wanted to comment on the Cambridge professor case.
I really believe that this is not a case of racial profiling. If the professor had simply and calmly told the officer that this was his home and presented some identification, none of this would have happened. Not every situation involving a black person and a white person is racial in nature. What exactly was the officer supposed to do, when presented with a call that someone was breaking into a home?I think that there are plenty of situations where race is a factor, but, this wasn't one of them.

Rick: A supreme court case several years ago setteled that: You can call a cop anything you want....sob, ah, etc. and this is NOT DISORDERLY CONDUCT! Yet, if you use your constitutinally setteled rights in this area, people are still arrested for this trumped-up bogus charge......check it out..........................................................Dr.Gant.........

there is another william here that is not me. i do not defend racist police officers.

an old white man opines

probably some racism here ...but it's as much about arrogant police attitudes that do more to exacerbate vice calming situations...

i had enormous respect for the police...its all lost as a result of a recent experience with LAPD...they must have a course at the academy to train common sense out of officers and instill CYA crap.

stanley seigler

about mr gates, if it was a poor black man,is the outcome will be the same?

Rick,
You and the rest of the media really miss the point, its only about being black if you make it about being black, that is often the first thing people do, wheather its a kid in the street or a professor, if this was a white person it would not be a story, this cop was and is colorblind!!!

We have been bombarded with race related comments on the Gates issue. Let's not be confused, this is a situation where a Black Man was arrested by a White Police Officer for entering his own home. Once the Black Man indicated to the Officer that everything was OK, the Officer, upon verifying the ID, should have simply left the scene. He did not do this however, and subsequently both sides got emotional. It was the Officer who was out of line. He pushed the envelope, and with the wrong person. The Officer was viewing this man through racially colored lenses. It is that programming of White Officers that is fueling division in America. President Obama is correct to consider this an issue worthy of his attention. Please Rick, do not usurp him as he attempts to bring peace to America.

and Roland, you have my utmost respect, and I would rather sit and listen you talk truth instead of listening to only "politically correct" conversations that exposes nothing. Hence nothing get's fixed because nothing is wrong. BIG UP ROLAND-A+++++++++++ in my book.

On your debate on racial profiling. I was stopped by a patrolman on Grand Island, NY at night. He pulled me over and asked for my License and Registration. He asked me where I was coming from and if I had anything to drink. I informed him where I was coming from and I was not a drinker. He asked me did I want to know why he stopped me. I said yes. He told me when I passed him at 1:00 AM on a dark RT 190 that he could not see how many people were in my car (Range Rover SUV). I did not know that was a criteria for a traffic stop. He told me I could then leave. I think he could see I was Black when I passed him and at that time of night I realized just how vulnerable I was traveling alone. And this is not the only incident. And I am not a kid, I'm over 50 yrs. old.

I don't know how President Obama can say that his comments on the incident in Cambridge POSITIVELY contributed to race relations in the U.S. He put the full weight of the white house behind his personal opinion regarding an incident with a friend of his without knowing all the facts. How does this positively impact race relations? It feeds into every negative sterotype out there both in the Black community on cops, and in the white law enforcement community.

Come on, this is ridiculously childish.
I deal with this kind of stuff all the time- from a ten year old and a seven year old. This really has nothing to do with racism at all, only two people who both believe that the other should apologize, and refuse to take the first step. If being the bigger person and apologizing first is out of the question, I think that the president and the police chief are BOTHbeing 'stupid' and they should BOTH apologize.
And if I'm twelve and I can see that, then I think that two grown men should be able to see it as well.

Rick you are missing the point my friend. The President did not say that the police officer did not do anything wrong. He said that they have tried to paint him as the bad guy which they have. He said that what the officer did was wrong. Think for a second about this 42 year old white policeman feeling demean and he decided to handcuff this intelligent man who's IQ is far above his. Look at the reason people become cops anyway. This policeman reminds me of Bo In the Heat of The Night. He has had dreams of being someone well like. He just made the wrong call this time. There was no need to handcuff this man.
Sharon
Woodland, Nc

Gates neighbor should be apologizing! What a big mistake! shame on this neighbor! Shame on the police officers! Shame on the drama that the media blows up! This is all because the color of the skin! Too many people assume rather than getting the facts! I believe the police officers jump too fast with assumtion rather using facts of whose home that was. Why didn't the officers check with other neighbors nearby.
Another thing that I may add, did anyone check your birth certificate if you are a U.S. citizen? Did anyone check Arnold S. (Governor of California) birth certificate? Huh!
That is just what I mean, skin color, last name and looks!
Shame, shame, shame!!!!!!!!

Have there been cases in Cambridge where a white man was arrested for disorderly conduct in his own home following a call regarding a suspected break-in?

If the neighbor's call indicated 2 blackmen seen trying to break into a hse, I would want the policeman to tell me that (so I could be on the lookout), 2nd, he should have stepped out of the home as asked (the same as any white person or any race should cooperate) for their safety. Had he been cooperative, indicated he was the owner, his ID was on a table and where the officer could find it. It would confirm his ownership. 3rd, if Gates had then explained, he had asked another person to help him gain entrance into his house, the whole issue could have ended there. Gates bloodpressure was likely already up being frustrated about trying to get the door unlocked, and probably overreacted. Obama should have said, Gates is an acquaintance of mine, but I do not have all the details of the story.....then ended it there. By making the statement he did without all the facts, he became a black president, rather than a president representing the whole USA. He cannot be black, white, hispanic, asian, but a president of all people.

I think people need to give the president a break he is a man a blackman in a country where people want to question is he a legal citizen ,that's racial profiling!

Rick,
Re: Prof. Gates story.
First of all, the neighbor's comment about "2 black guys", in my opinion, should be looked at as being informational, not racist. In other words, when the police show up to investigate the break-in being reported they have a better idea of who to look for.
Second, it's also being reported that Prof. Gates feels the officer could have done more to difuse the situation. I believe that had he followed the officer's instructions and not gotten mad, argumentative, and vocal, that would have diffused the situation as well. I'm not naive enough to think for a minute that racism doesn't exist in many areas of our country. However, as I told my 3 kids when they got their driver's licenses........if you ever get pulled over by the police or have any other situation with a police officer, be polite and do what they tell you and don't argue. Because, whether you feel you're right or not, guess who's going to win the arguement?
Sgt. James Crowley was responding to a residential break-in in progress, and has to be ready for any possibilites upon his arrival. It's easy for the public, after the fact, to second-guess what this officer thought, did, etc. How many of his critics would step in his shoes and do his job?

Hi Rick,
Concerning the Professor Gates incident, has anyone addressed what kind of neighbor the Professor has and what static must already exist between him and his neighbor for him to call the police, exaggerate that there were two black me and *not* bother mentioning that the person he does see is well dressed and “oh by the way* kind of looks like my neighbor!
About the arrest, I have been arrested because I was mouthy with the cop and he just smirked and decided to show me what kind of power he possessed and throw cuffs on me, Can we please get this cop to just admit that's what he did!?!?

All the best,
Roy Watson
(Struggling White guy)

Can we please cut through all the bull on this Professor Gates matter? It is NOT racial profiling. It is reverse racism: an argry black man with a chip on his shoulder (a professor of African American history no less) taking advantage of an opportunity to live what he preaches and rag on a white cop. End of story! Minimizes REAL racial profiling and REAL racism when it happens, and it stil does. Gates should be called out on this - end of story!

I am surprised that after checking and investigating the whole story of Prof. Gates and the police officer’s conduct, Rick Sanchez is trying to make us believe that the issue is only of race. The fact remains that anyone, regardless of whether he/she is black, white or any other color should have an alienable right and respect in their own home. The stupidity of the action is a sure fact of the essence that someone has to be hand-cuffed and driven out of their own house after proving that they live in the house just because a police officer can. In the old wild west, these raucous cops who show up at one's dwelling could be wiped out with a shot gun and such action could be supported by the law without any reservation. By the way, this same law still works in the majority of the States of the Union. Sanchez, please report facts instead innuendoes. Thank you!

Sorry, I involved the wrong people. Way to go President for acknowledging that he misspoke!
If being the bigger person and apologizing first is out of the question, I think that the PROFESSOR and the police chief are BOTH being ’stupid’ and they should BOTH apologize.
And if I’m twelve and I can see that, then I think that two grown men should be able to see it as well.

By the way, if Professor Gates was that BAD and OUT OF CONTROL to the point where he needed to be arrested then what changed why they dropped the charges. Why drop the charges if you are correct in your judgement to arrest him in the first place? He should be facing prosecution for the charges right now. So what's really going on SGT. Crowly? Did he just start acting up or did you provoke him and tried to put him in his place, even after you found out he was indeed the home owner. Crowly arrested Gates because Crowly, like most White racist people, believe that Blacks/Minorities are easy targets. Crowly tried to humiliate this Black man-thought he would humble Gates, show Gates who's really in charge.

Rick,...you need three sources to fire a combustion engine (Cambridge issue)... air, fuel & a media spark! The media has sparked yet again!

Professor Gates' conduct is not exemplary of a Harvard professor...pulling the race card is very common in govt jobs where supervisors are sometimes apprehensive of disciplining african americans but at this level? President Obama should not have gotten involved in this matter...by doing so, he has lowered the prestige of his presidential status....

What seems wrong with this situation to me is why did an individual get arrested in HIS OWN home when he could just asked police to look around at items in house such as pictures ANYwhere. Oh how do police NOT pay attention to their surroundings and take precations on possible mistakes/misunderstandings? If the people in that area are NOT aware of what people's cars look like in their own area that they live, then that shows how Americans do not pay enough attention. I really do not want to lock myself out(of ANYthing such as cars, houses businesses) however I have. Does this mean I will get arrested for being Guilty until proven innocent. I mean what cops show up at a house address and NOT have a computer in their cars that show face of whom lives at the address listed by the time they get there? I went to police station to report(with proof) that my debit card was stolen and police officer threatened to arrest me for making a false report, I WILL NOT stand back and allow police to do wrong when they are suppose to stand for what is RIGHT.

OK

They both may have overreacted, but Still the man is in his OWN HOME, HIS OWN HOME, after showing ID, the officer should have left. Now the officer said he was concern that someone else was in the house. What I want to know is WAS THE HOUSE SEARCHED AFTER GATES WAS ARRESTED, like the Sgt Crowley said he was worried about that was still in the house. Has anyone answered the question.

Maybe the President did not use the right choice of words, but think about all the race things he is being face with. Children not permitted in swimming pool, his birth, is he black or white. Everyone gets full some time. But he step forward and admitted his wrong. I respect him a great deal for that not only as a President but as a man.

Bottom line...a citizen refused to provide I.D. to police. Any one of us would have been arrested for not complying. Why has this been overlooked?

The incident demonstartes that idoits can be found in our higher ranking learning insitutions... To hide behind his race for his poor behavior is extrmely sad.

Rick, as a 40 year veteran of a multi racial family. I'm White, my wife is a Latina, and I have 4 Black grandchildren. Why does everyone kepp ignoring the HUGE Elephant in the room. There are millions of Black and Puerto Ricans who are racist and predjudice against whites. NO ONE Mentions that!

the police officer go's to the house on a break in call. He gets there and see the person inside and he says " I am sorry sir ,we got a call about a break in.thank you for your time" and he gets back into his car and leaves.This would have been the officer's reaction if he had found a white man in the house..Imagine if this were to happen to you.The prof.may have over reacted,but the officer should have been more understanding.After all,this man is in his home and he is called up on by the police to prove that it is his home.I think the police over reacted also ,because he arrested the man .If it had been a legal arrest,why were the charges dismissed. Racism of the past makes minorities at;east concerned about the actions of the police and the their reasons for doing what they do.Larry Fielders ,once say to Lou Dobbs " racism is all but gone in America". The look on Lou Dobb's face seem to be saying,"what world is this black man living in"? Lou seemed to be almost speechless., this is why district attorney doesn't want blacks on the jury,We know that the cops will lie,(clarence Bradley spent years on death row in texas) because of misconduct from the top down..The case was so messed up that they will never find Miss Fergerson's murder.This educated black man was upset about what was happening to him in his own home.How would you feel ? The police should have left the min.they found out that this man was in his own home.

Mr. Sanchez, I enjoy your program and would like to make the following comment regarding your coverage of Prof. Gates' arrest. Simply put both parties acted stupidly; however, if Prof. Gates actions warranted his arrest, then he should not have received a get out of jail free pass. The Police Dept should not have dropped the charges. As the President has stated, "cooler heads" should have prevailed, on the scene. I do recall, a few days ago, when your Mom had been insulted, by some comment regarding the fact that she had been speaking Spanish, you made the correct response, by informing the Nation how she and your father had made it possible for you to succeed. I have worked in a Police Dept, I have served in the Military, I am Black in America.

As a former Police officer of 14 years I cannot help but to stand back in amazement. Usually when people scream its not about race..it usually is. We have a President that continues to bring up race on a daily basis and your network helps to expound this issue. I see Black in America 2...Black women with cancer ect ect. I never see a white in America 1 or white race based programs except negative ones. Can yall not see that you are creating news and maybe even a race war that stems directly from the White House.Please stop this issue and lets move on. The President apologizes to foriegn countries but wont say sorry for a comment calling a law agency stupid. He would not even comment on a dictator (North Korean) but call his own country men names. The only reason he commented is more people are talking bout gates and the P.D. than health care reform. Shame on you Obama. I cant wait 3 1/2 years til you ride off in the sunset.

As all Law officers know when you resond to a scene you first priority is to secure and protect. As this Officer was on a fact finding Inv. He was stopped by the owner of the house(which was latered revealed) I have been in this situation many times and it is a "damned if you do and dmaned if you dont situation". His job was to stop a crime in progress as it was called into the dept. If the owner or a by stander stands in the way and becomes a distraction to your investigation you have no choice but to stop the actions until....until I say the specifics are revealed. I was not there and I would proabley say that ego's got in the way on both sides.But it is the duty of the officer to protect and defend the rights and property of every citizen.The neighbors called the PD and didnt know it was the owner how was the PD going to know until their investigation was done. Race is not and was never a factor in any arrest I made or I saw made. Guys there is to much paperwork involved in an arrest to just target innoccent indiviuals. I hope thsi RACE war stops before it takes root and gets out of hand.

I experienced a very similar situation a couple of years ago. The officers, of course were white, gave orders to me and to my wife. Their voices were somewhat curt and hurried. Initially, I felt anger at the supposed insult and disrespect, but I had to realize that, for the officers, the situation could have been charged with real danger. So, I understood, and responded accordingly, that I needed to calm myself down and concentrate on doing what they were instructing me to do. The officer, I think, acted as any officer would. Mr. Gates overly reactedd to the situation. There is a sense of judgement that the finest educational institutions can not teach you. Mr. Obama, I hope you have learned a lesson from this: Keep to yourself your feelings until you get the facts.

You were correct when you complimented your guest reporter TJ. You stated you learned more about the Cambridge Caper (my words) in the 10 minutes you spoke with him than the previous days of information overload. TJ is correct. Back away slowly from the race emphasis and focus on the actual incident issue. If a break in /suspicous activity was called in my hometown of Brockton- 22 miles south of Cambridge, MA and a melting pot of 75% various minorities versus 25% caucasian- and the police, upon arrival at our home found my husband, a white male, refusing to cooperate for police questioning, he would have been placed under arrest. There would not be any cameras, any need for apologies, any phone calls from President Obama. End of Story. If you are confronted by a police officer, the color or your skin and his skin is not a consideration. Err on the side that a police officer that is a Sargent has attained that title with the training and knowledge to handle any potential explosive situations with professionalism and without personal bias. In this neck of the woods, if you are approached by a police officer ( it needs to be pointed out there were officers to bear witness to the exchange between Professor Gates and Sargent Crowley) you say, Yes, Sir! and deal with any concerns in a less volatie environment. This is just one woman's opinion.

GATES SHOULD NOT APOLOGISE FOR CROWLY STEPPING ON GATES' TOES, PERIOD. CROWLY SHOULD APOLOGISE, AND ATTEND A CLASS ON HOW NOT TO RACIALLY PROFILE BLACK FOLKS. AMERICA MUST FACE THE FACT THAT PEOPLE LIKE CROWLY ABUSE THEIR POWER AND MOST OFTEN ON BLACK FOLKS. PRESIDENT OBAMA, THE EVER LOVING PEACEMAKER, DID THE RIGHT THING BY TRYING TO SQUASH THE ISSUE BUT TO TOTALLY THROW IT UNDER THE RUG AND BLAME IT ON A "POMPOUS OLD BLACK INTELLECTUAL" IS CERTAINLY NOT THE WAY TO GO IF YOU ARE GENUINELY TRYING TO STEM THIS PROBLEM WITHIN THE LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY OR THE JUSTICE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE. WE MUST ADMIT THAT THERE IS NO REASON WHY GATES SHOULD HAVE BEEN HARRASSED AND ARRESTED IN THIS SITUATION.

BY THE WAY, DON'T THE NEIGHBORS KNOW GATES? BAD NEIGHBORS. NOT ONE DAY DID ANYONE OF THEM BRING COOKIES OR SOMETHING TO WELCOME GATES ON THE BLOCK? WHAT KIND OF AN AREA IS THIS? IS GATES THE ONLY BLACK MAN LIVING ON THAT BLOCK CAUSE IF SO THEN HERE WE GO AGAIN-MORE PROOF OF DISPARITY.

Rick, your program was the only one on CNN I watch, But unfortunately, you have offended me to the point where I will no longer watch CNN period. That is because you usually get both sides of the story. But yesterday and today, you continue to push for Officer Crowley side. Two days in a row you did not play Mr Gates clip of his interview with Ms Obrien (you know the clip you played yesterday- well start at the beginning ), but you continue to show the officer view points. You cut Roland Martin off yesterday and then twist the President words around. It is okay if you want do the same thing you accuse President Obama of doing "taking sides", but you failed to be honest, accurate, and fair and for that I will never watch your show again. Msnbc will have a lot of new customers. And you think why everyone is tuning out CNN and going over to MSNBC.

Rick
Great Show! Great Topic! And I really like the debate and as usual you and your colleagues are really doing a good job.
I can appreciate both side of the issue. The police officer believes and it seems in fact that he acted appropriately to police standards.
However, I can also understand the professor’s reaction. Perhaps a feeling of helplessness… knowing that one has done nothing wrong but perhaps due to past experience a person panic/ and resolves to irrational behavior because of the lack of… a lawyers ability, one does not know how to resolve the issue at hand.
The police want him out but I have done nothing wrong. Why should comply? Somehow I am a victim in my own home with the police who are supposed to protect me!!! (Not that the police intention was not to protect him)
I can relate to this as I was a long term volunteer in China and was subjected to some police/police security/security/ custom police/and other police whom have gone beyond or abused their power
I (of American Indian blood – Cherokee) was in China for many years and experienced some bad experiences with Chinese authority. Not that all or even half were bad but done the less enough bad experiences that eventually gave me the feeling of hopelessness/fear/ no just retribution that one may resort to… irrational behavior.
Why does one resolve to irrational behavior? Perhaps because we are in a situation where we have no life experience or skills to resolve the issue. Sound crazy? Well, if you haven’t been there…

Hi Rick How are you. Just recently Married. Found the Woman of my Dreams. I worked for her. Neat huh. Hey where were these idiots who question Obamas Birth. When they wanted to Run Arnold For President.
Laugh Laugh ha ha. My daughter was born in West Germany, Federal Republic of Germany May 1974. In an Army Hospital. She is a United States Citizen. Who cares where an effective leader is born. None of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence were American Citizens or Native Born. None of the American Indians were asked to help or write anything. Hey were all just Visitors here anyway. Doesn't it seem strange that whenever real work starts to get done, some plays Politics. I wish Congress would just go on recess. Nothing gets screwed up when they are Gone. Pelosi GO HOME AND STAY THERE. WE Want Newt We want Newt. Better Yet Michael Steele and Colin Powell.

Is this about Professor Gates & Officer Crowley, or about the President & or the Governor & Officer Crowley? I think not. This is generating all kinds of talk, because it is not about them. It is about the situation of race in America.

Look at the case for just a second. A black man breaks into his own home because he lost his key or something. He has been trained for years, decades & centuries to believe that white cop means trouble.

A very good white cop gets a call about a break in in an aristocratic neighborhood. It could be a simple break in or it could be a domestic case. He does ot know. He is trained, as a police friend told me, to be an ass in these situations.

The guilty party is not Professor Gates & it is not Officer Crowley. It is the white elephant in the room. That is the state of race relations in this country. We can see this in the OJ Simpson case where 80% of blacks thought he was innocent & 80% of whites found him guilty. I could care less about an over age, over the hill, has been athlete. The story is not the athlete, it is the different perceptions about the same case. We saw the same thing in the Rodney King case. We saw the same thing in the past election when 60% of whites voted republican and 80% of minorities of all economic strata voted democrat.

This case has nothing to do with race & it has everything to do with race. I do not believe Officer Crowley would have treated a white home owner any different. To that degree the story has nothing to do with race.

On the other hand, there is a strong perception, with good reason, in the minority community that the white community views them as a means of production & nothing more. In the black community the above incidents, Rodney King, OJ, the past elections over the past 28 years, etc, etc etc, are proof that this is true. To that degree this story is all about race.

I read an comment by a 12 year old that pointed out that both men need to apologize. This is true. On the other hand, if this is about a university professor & a local cop, this story is not newsworthy. This story is only newsworthy if it again points out the dismal state of race relations in this nation. This story is only newsworthy if it points out that establishment whites view themselves one way, and other communities view them completely differently. If so, if we do not face this issue, this nation can & will have major problems later.

The only winner in this show is not the president, nor the governor, nor Professor Gates, nor Officer Crowley, nor his union. They all lose in this case. In the big picture, there views are only the manifistations of a far larger problem.

If we do not address the underlying issue presented here, the conservatives will win in the short term. In the long term, the nation will lose, and lose big.

If the charges were not bogus ,why were they dismissed ?

Rick, please explain to us what law did Professor Gates violate by speaking his mind in his own home.
While I give Officer Crowley the benefit of any doubt as does our President, regards his integrity as a professional policeman, I, as an Irishman, have to wonder what was the reason for the arrest?
Officer Crowley seemed to imply that Professor Gates pushed the situation to the point where he had to be restrained and taken into custody.
This is the part of the discussion that I see is lacking clarity. Did the Prof put his hands on the officer? or was he simply speaking in a tone that made the officer feel threatened? Was this simply a clash of egos?
I think both men let the situation get out of control, but I have to side with the Professor since he was in his own home.
I also wonder why this presumably well intentioned neighbor did not recognize that one of the two men who were forcing the door open, was in fact her neighbor and lawful resident of the home.

never michael steele

GATES IS THE ONE WHO NEEDS THE PAMPERING FROM THE PRESIDENT-HE'S THE REAL VICTIM HERE. CROWLY NEEDS TO GO SIT IN THE CORNER WITH A DUNCE CAP AND THINK ABOUT HOW WRONG IT IS TO ABUSE POWER AND TRY TO LEARN SOME EMPATHY FOR HIS VICTIMS (BLACK FOLKS).

Gandhi said that it is the role of an activist to “provoke response.” That is what Prof. Gates did–he pushed until he “provoked response.” As a public school teacher in an inner city school, all of us white teachers have been accused of “racism” by our students at one time or another. Even as women need to be careful in crying “rape,” blacks need to take more care in “playing the race card.” It is losing its effect, which is too bad, because I believe there is profiling and racism, but less than there used to be. Blacks need to watch that they not keep “crying wolf” where there is no wolf.

Rick, Show the law of Mass on your screen. Wolf had it on earlier. It was very clear. You can't arrest a person for being loud, etc. What happened does fit the law. The Supreme Court of Mass has ruled on a similar matter.

My observation is Barack Obama spoke with knowing the facts. The question to him should be what is his response to the evidence given tin from Police Report, Neighbor who called police, Witnesses,
Mr. Gates, and the Sargent.

The biggest mistake was that Barack Obama misspoke (because he did not have the facts) and apparently did not see that he did mispeak. That error in judment is his flaw and he should apologize for saying what he said. He should not play games with words and say he didn't mean it. He is an intelligent president. But lacks in experience.

July 24th, 2009 8:38 pm ET
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
My observation is Barack Obama spoke without knowing all the facts. The question to him should be what is his response to the evidence given tin from Police Report, Neighbor who called police, Witnesses,
Mr. Gates, and the Sargent.

The biggest mistake was that Barack Obama misspoke (because he did not have all the facts) and apparently did not see that he did mispeak. That error in judment is his flaw and he should apologize for saying what he said. He should not play games with words and say he didn’t mean it. He is an intelligent president. But lacks in experience.

July 24th, 2009 8:38 pm ET
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
My observation is Barack Obama spoke without knowing all the facts. The question to him should be what is his response to the evidence given in the Police Reports, Neighbor who called police, Witnesses,
Mr. Gates, and the Sargent.

The biggest mistake was that Barack Obama misspoke (because he did not have all the facts) and apparently did not see that he did misspeak. That error in judment is his flaw and he should apologize for saying what he said. He should not play games with words and say he didn’t mean it. He is an intelligent president. But lacks in experience.

Rick, The charge against Gates does not fit the law of Mass. Put the law on the screen as Wolf did eariler. The Mass Supreme Court has previously ruled on this matter. Let be fair in how you present this.

Rick: Think about how you would feel about being taken from your own home in hand cuffs for nothing. What if It was your wife? We have all lost or misplaced our house keys or at least 95% of us have and have to jury rig to get in. I would like to know who the person was who made the phone call reporting Mr. Gates breaking in to his own house? In some ways this smacks "repbulican set up" – how do we know any different? We never will. I would be alarmed to be questioned about my own residence and would also try to make sure that it was indeed a legitimate police officer asking the question. This strikes me as very out of the norm as an incidence. I mean how hard is to prove that you're a resident? Should be very easy indeed. What about verifying with other neighbors first. And any officer should go out of his way to make sure and diffuse an upset home owner prior to using handcuffs. Again how happy would you be to have bail your own wife or parents ( who have been handcuffed) out of jail for losing their house keys? Just asking? Probably not very happy. To me this is at the core of the problem, not race. The police procedures did not work. It is very clear. I don't agree with your take on this or your reporting. In general I find that your style and take on things would better be suited to FOX news. I am sure this makes many Republicans very happy and that is the main news point, unfortunately.

You ought to ask members of Congress whom are against Healthcare reform why they think the public ought to finance their healthcare. They ought to put their money where their mouths are and pay for their own healthcare. They don't live in the "real" world of their constituency. I just find it disingenuous. It is easy to criticize and do nothing especially when you have "no skin in the game." I have noticed in groups that people that complain the most are the ones that do the least work of all. The public wants to see costs stabilize or get better through positive reform. Who wouldn't want affordable healthcare? We ought to throw you out if you aren't contributing to the process.

Why aren't our leaders reading the proposals for the health care program? This is a program that will affect everyone in the US.

They have a provision in the bill that will REQUIRE everyone over 65 to have an interview with a govt. offical regarding hospice, and an interview every 5 years thereafter. Is this going to be like that old movie Solvent Green where everyone at their 45th birthday must die.

I am afraid the health care program will not be helping the senior citizens.

Senator Tom Coburn may be a physician, but when he implies that all medical innovation comes from the private sector, he is dead wrong. The majority of the biggest innovations in basic research that lead to clinical advances are made by NIH-supported research. That $30 Billion the American taxpayer is smart enough to provide is the foremost reason that, despite all of our problems, American medicine is still the most advanced in the world. Coburn ought to get his facts straight before making totally erroneous statements in support of his obstructionist agenda. We need healthcare or insurance reform now, and a public option is tantamount. If folks are afraid to try this nationally, then try it regionally. In fact, a number of different ideas could be tried in regional groups of states over a 5 year period, and what works best could then be used in more regions. Some experimentation may be needed to get this whole thing right, so let's do it.

Say your soledad reporter kept saying how outraged the professer was finding a white cop in his house? officer responds to break in,opon finding out it was a home owned by blacks,calls elite black cops to take over, black officers find the family tied up and robbed. how about latinos or Japanese or other races of color? should we have special cops to deal with them just because the hate authority or obaying the law? could not everyone even northern europeans scream racial profiling? okiewan

Rick, MR. GATE was in the right, it was his home showed the COP that. i am a white 63 yrs. old women and i seen and heard HOW they talk to a black person and it is not good. i would say 99.9% of the time a cop treat black people wrong. The Presdident was asked about it and told it just like is was. You can tell if, you listen to the cop, he hate's black. I would hate be black, not because the but I would be fearful of what a bad cop would. For the black's, it's like us American going to a country that you may not come back. If a police officer would have went there, this would not have happen. My uncle was a sheriff one term ane then a police officer, the rest of his life. All of the young kid's was not going to so they could go say good bye. That there is a police officer. The people that are standing up for this cop is they the one's who hate black's or they have to. If you recall with King some of the police officer didn't beat on him. Yes we have a black President, we have came a very very small way for the black's, but the black's stood up for him and some us good white people. cop stick like bee's stick to honey. T he President talked nice, i know there is TO much hate for the black and I have seen it for 63yrs. and i don't like.to hear some oeople just say Obama they call MR.President. Anyone that don't should be fineof 500.00. We the people that have VOTED FOR HIM AND DON'T HAVE THE HATE STAND UP FOR HIM AND don't BE LIKE THE DIRTY COP'S. Stand you for the black' for all the MR.Gates.

Come on Rick – I expect your tenacious journalism style to get the facts out to your fellow American citizens .. When are you coming to Canada to get them .. Why don't you get this Shona Holmes who was out for her 15 minutes of fame and Mitch McConnel to debate some Canadain experts on our health care system ? All of our U.S. friends are missing out on the best health care system in the world .. It's a real shame that American journalists refuse to give them the real facts .... I strongly believe that you are the one that can do that .. See some real facts about Shona Holmes from internet extract below ..

Have you seen the ads on CNN and FOX news? Canadian Healthcare it's teh Evil and the US will be falling prey to the socialists if they adopt anything like our system here in Canada.
They have been using the case of one Shona Holmes to make their point.

She was DENIED! care in Canada. For a scary tumour, and she was forced to mortgage her home to go to Arizona to get surgery. A tumour! How dramatic. Her case has been taken up by Senator McConnel, which is no massive surprise. He seems to specialize in trumped up anecdotes and false information. From the Huffington post:

On the Mayo Clinic's website, Shona Holmes is a success story. But it's somewhat different story than all the headlines might have implied. Holmes' "brain tumour" was actually a Rathke's Cleft Cyst on her pituitary gland. To quote an American source, the John Wayne Cancer Center, "Rathke's Cleft Cysts are not true tumors or neoplasms; instead they are benign cysts."
There's no doubt Holmes had a problem that needed treatment, and she was given appointments with the appropriate specialists in Ontario. She chose not to wait the few months to see them. But it's a far cry from the life-or-death picture portrayed by Holmes on the TV ads or by McConnell in his attacks.

Hi Rick,
Didn't see my post on your blog. Guess you reviewed it and didn't like that I referred to Rush as Limberger Cheese.
Oh well, still think you should have had 1 Democrat and 1 Republican instead of 2 republicans who have the same agenda as the rest of the GOP to twist everything our President does and says and manipulate and confuse the American people with falsehoods. May the best one win, and I believe it will be our president...for the good of our country and ALL it's people. Thank you.

Rick.
I would like to make a comment on the health care situation. I understand that people do not want the government to run their health care choice or at least this seems to be what we are being led to believe by the Republicans. However this argument is irrelevant for the millions of people who do not have coverage because they have no choice. I would think something would be better then nothing,

The last comment I would like to make is the Republicans say they don't want the government running health care but I guess the question we need to ask ourselves is do we want the rich fat cats running health care so they have another way to control the American people.

Between gas crisis, mortgage and banking crisis, wall street crisis, health care crisis, and all the other crises we have. I think the writing is on the wall free market with no control really isn't all it is cut out to be.

Rick the Presiden was asked to speak on this matter and just told the thruth White's don't like this but it is very true. our worold is just like the country we are trying to help.There is one thing, we don't let it get that far or it is covered up.Iam 63yrs. old and have seen and heard, if you are black, bad cop are going to get black.'s we are a litter better today THEY ARE NOT SLAVE'S. ABOUT 99.9% HATE BLACKS and cop see kill when they see black's. If a police officer went there,to MR.Gates this would not have happen. The officer would spoke to him as a man, that it. You listen to the cop he has a bad thing for black's. Yes he has some that stick by him because they are what we white's call bad cop's. We saw most COP'S BEATING MR. King, but the police officer didn't. they are good police officer's. It is not going to change just because we have a black President. you see on thet on hill some don't call him MR. President, all of those should get BIG FINE. I would be gald to count. I watch t.v 24/7. SORRY BLACK's but maybe some day it will get better, the old will be gone and our young people get along fairly good. I am sorry i am white. I pray for peace for the old U.S.A. WE WHITE'S AND BLACK'S that voted for should stand up for him, He was just telling like it. God bless all our good people out there white or black i hope time goes fast. Hope this get's out there this is the 4th. time, I have tried.

gates followed the policeman out to the porch,with non stop verbal baggering. made remark about policemans mother and would not stop talking. black and latino policemen verified the police report. Mr. gates though he was above beening arrested. A professional person should know better than that, he is the one who acted stupid. On the other hand he may have seen this as a chance to stur up racial profiling. I think african americans have realized how easy it has become to obtain a law suit settlement over racial profiling. blacks need to let go and move on and not be sensitive, there will always be racism until jesus comes for his.

Medicaid falls short just as some need it most – The Elkhart Project- msnbc.com ((edited)) Tell me, Which would you prefer: An extra $100 for dietic food, or $180,000 a month for Hospital costs if or when my husband has a Diabetic blackout or slips into a Coma? You already pay for his SSI and VA, so you decide. If Obama wants to prevent complications associated with diabeties, obesity, heart disease and other ailments, wouldn't it make sense to issue specified food vouchers/ Dietic foods/Care boxes to VA clinics,Food pantries and other institutions that address the needs of Low income Americans? And why is it that Government Commodities ( often delivered to Non Profit Organizations) are extremely high in Sodium and Carbs? I thought the goal is to decrease the cost of healthcare and keep people healthy?

Rick,
I love your show as it is so down to earth. I have a solution for the health money problems and all the other money problems. Why don't all the politicians in this country pay for their own health insurance and sign up for Social Security like the rest of us common workers and retirees?
They tell us all the time what a great program it is. And get rid of all the astronomical pensions they receive for the rest of their lives after they retire.

The case of Mr. Gates was dropped because he is the lapdog of President Obama. This is a lesson for President Obama: He should not trust some of his lapdogs because these might destroy his reputation as president.

There is an ad campaign by Conservatives for Patients Rights. I did some checking and you might report on who is actually backing this campaign. The man was ousted from a medical group that was charged with medicare fraud. He also makes his living keeping medical costs high. The PR firm running this campaign is the same PR firm that created the Swift Boat Ads. I'd like to see some reporting on the actual supporters of the negative ads as well as the positive ones. I look things up, but most people don't. They rely on CNN to tell them the truth.

"A man cannot serve two masters".

Yet we expect to get "health" care from a for "profit" (not "for health") system? Fee-based health "care" is really bottom-line care, serving profit first, health of the patient second.

How? Well, it takes care of the doctors, hospitals and HMO's bottom line through unnecessary tests, denied coverage for pre-existing conditions and undue influence over government by well-funded lobbyists protecting the corporate bottom line. After that, it will sell you some for-profit pills and run some more tests, some of then unnecessary most likely. The uninsured get stick. Stay sick. Either they die, or they go to the emergency room for incredibly expensive treatment after suffering much pain. Who pays? Taxpayers, and the ill who have suffered. Corporate health care pays not a cent for them. You and I do. Health care cannot serve two masters, the bottom line and patient. Nor does it. It serves profit.

This is why health care in places like Sweden and Canada are better for the citizens. They don't serve corporate profits first. They serve the welfare of human beings who are ill first.

If you think the welfare of the finances of a doctor or HMO is more important than providing health care to uninsured men, women and children, perhaps you need to be reminded that you need your health for any true attempt for "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". You're not much of a fellow-citizen, nor patriot, if you think health care should serve the bottom line of corporations, over the health of your uninsured fellow-citizens.

besides you think obama and rest of congress will give up their HEALTH CARE??? BUHAHHAA yea right.. try again... they wanna tell us what we get and say its for the good and have them keep their great health care and them be first in line all the time. why? they havent done anything like I have for this country and he should be in front of me? I put my life on the LINE for this country. what have they done?

As a Canadian in our health care system, I have a few words that will step on a lot of toes. First, I hardly use any part of it if I can help it. I am a senior and have used alternatives my whole life and am very healthy, in spite of the medical folks trying hard to suggest it is just 'genetics.'

We seem to think that a measure of how good our system is, depends on how much it costs us personally. We need to look at the medical system itself. When I see my doctor, the response to any of my health issues is always drugs or surgery (pick one).
Since we are addicted to quick answers, it is easy to pick, since the costs are reasonable.

Until we remove the shackles that Big Pharma and the surgical doctors have on our health.....(the doctor is NOT always right, and wrong a very large part of the time since he is tightly controlled by the physicians Colleges who are controlled by the drug industry).

As an example, I have a friend with a health problem that could benefit from an alternative procedure....requiring a surgeon. I was told that there isn't a surgeon in North America who would perform the procedure, even if he thought it would be beneficial, due to 'professional controls' on his actions.

We're getting closer to a trillion dollars having been spent on cancer research and all we got is slash or burn as cures. Of course, now the medical establishment is promoting as the solution...early testing, in order to slash and burn earlier. For failures, the answer now is 'Didn't start treatment early enough.'

Obit pages are filled with 'fought a courageous battle with cancer.' My family members who have succumbed to cancer were given the only treatments the North American medical establishment was allowed to give them. They died of a lack of proper treatment, plain and simple.

The next phase of our total submission to the medical brainwashing....we will now be swamped with 'test and biopsy' and there will conveniently be a need for more oncologists (Google 'biopsy and seeding' to see why) and more money will be poured into research, with more of those 'we hope to have results in about 10 years, since we have discovered a new genetic marker'. Good grief!
Meanwhile, folks like the oncologist Dr. Simoncini and his successes get ignored in favor of slash and burn because the average citizen does not have the education to argue in favor of the good Dr.'s findings.
Can I afford Canadian health costs today? Yes. Tomorrow? I doubt it, but I am avoiding them and taking care of myself.

BROWN IN AMERICA. Do the story Rick.

BTW RICK you wouldnt stand a chance vs rush or hannity. They would make you look like a joke. FOX NEWS is BETTER!

Regarding Dr. Gates and Officer Crowley–When Dr. Gates showed Officer Crowley his ID, why didn't Officer Crowley leave? Seeing the ID proved that Dr.Gates was who he clamed to be, as well as living at
the addressin question. Why did the officer call for backup, saying he (Dr. Gates) claimed to live here. Doesn't a person's ID prove anything? Officer Crowley acted stupid, inappropriate and out of line. I said the officer, not the "Boston Police Department" acted stupid. So why is CNN draging this incident on constantly. It appears that they are trying to put a smear on Dr. Gates and President Obama. When will it end?

About health care...Isn't it just like the Republicans to come up with all the answers and solutions to health care after all the years they were in control. I just find them to be so untruthful about all their ideas and solutions now that we have a president who truly cares about the little people. We are paying $693.00 per month for our insurance and only make about $50,000 per year. Its hard but because we are older, we know it must be done. Tell them to stop whining and move over for the Dems.

If I was a team owner, I would sign Michael Vick. Does not the bible suggest "forgiveness." Afterall, he did not break an NFL rule and this is his livelihood, not a privilege. Americans have become so judgemental and opinionated. I think Vick's charitable work in the community throughout his playing career and fulfillment of his sentence outweigh all of the "judgemental sofa critics." And yes, I have a dog that I love. But as a Christian, I am obligated to forgive. We all make mistakes! The good thing about being a human is that our behavior and attitudes can change. Grow up America!

About the President's inital comment on the Gates-Crowley issue...President Obama spoke from the heart and out of cultural context. When I first heard the news, I characterized it as "stupid" and sort of like a Barney Phife moment. Arrest for breaking into his own house? If you don't want to know how Obama feels about an issue, don't asks. Some of the conservative TV hosts would have had problems regardless of his response. Yes, he is Preident, but he is also a man with two daughters who will one day experience "the reality of being black in America.

Many of us distrust police because of personal experiences. As the mother of two black teens, I have seen how policemen treat our youth. History has many examples. It is a reality that we black people live with every day. I am nervous every night when my teens walk out the door. My daughter and her boyfriend were out walking his puppy one Halloween evening. Someone called the police from the neighborhood about some illegal activity going on by some boys dressed in black T-shirts. Two police officers see the couple walking. They stopped them right in front of the boy's house. The boy ask if he could call his parents on his cell phone. One cop says no. The young man is arrested because "he was belligerent" for asking what had he done. When the parents came out of the house, the police was nasty to the mom who wanted to know what crime had been committed. The police report also indicated that the pitbull was threatening. This pit bull was a puppy. The family got a lawyer. The case was dropped. History makes some of us distrustful of police.

please unsubscribe the amount of email is ridiculous I do not want to receive this anymore.

I think overall President Obama is doing a outstanding job. In the first 200 days he accomplished more then George Bush did in his entire life. However I really don't think he should be making initial comments about things like Gates-Crowley issue until he has all the facts. i understand emotions run high in these situations and that is even more reason to check on the situation before blurting out comments of stupidity and mishandling, The President needs to put this behind him and move on to his agenda of straightening out the mess we are in.

If there is White Power in New Jersey, there are Black Power in White House, CNN and Gate's community. Which one is powerful, now?

It's truly sad, but the GOP is like a body without a head. There doesn't seem to be anyone intelligent enough to elevate the debate to solutions to the current crisis for which they are responsible. Instead, we have the sub-culture radio pundits, Gov Pawlenty and others like Sen. Coburn continuing to delve into negativity and opposing everything that's proposed by the Democratic Leadership in Congress. Unfortunately for them, they are keeping themselves out. I'm getting leadership from the Democrats and I'll take it!!!

Mark W, I agree with you on the Crawley-Gates fiasco and the President's handling of it. However, if that is the worst thing he does, he has my vote again in 2012. I believe as you do that: President Obama is doing a great job. This isn't instant coffee. It took the Republicans and Bush years to take us to the brink. This isn't a horse that your riding on, whose reins you can pull and turn around to go in the opposite direction in a few seconds. This is the entire country's economy. However, despite that, in a relatively brief period of time, the President has assembled a team, set-up an action plan, had legislation approved and has his Administration implementing the plan in a quick, yet resonsible manner with accountability while addressing other World issues. Are you kidding me? There isn't a world leader today anywhere who can match this President's, fortitude, stamina, drive and intellect. Even the biggest skeptics are in awe, sitting on the sidelines, reading and hearing the daily news of recovery. Go Mr. President !!

kw. sir you hate black's, it's to bad. i would bet on my life YOU sir HATE BLACK;S

Thanks Tony in Key Largo, I was watching Senator McCain's comments on Obama's bipartisanship which I could not help to think that wow I am glad he did not win, because it would have been a no win situation for progress under McCain / Palin. I am not sure but the older and more worldly I get I find it more difficult to accept comments made without thought. I guess the idea of speaking before thinking for the shock technique has become the standard in this country. Nothing is more obvious then this was the comments Glen Beck made about Obama being racist, Lou Dobbs comments on Obama's birthing place, or Rush Limbaughs "I hope he fails" comment. It seems these people have to make shock comments to

sorry got cut off. I was saying it seems these people have to make ridiculous accusations in order to keep their viewers riveted to their shows. However there used to be a place for this type of acting it was called soap operas now it seems to be everyday news. What happened to paying for the consequences of your actions. Maybe we need to think about the consequences before making a comment.

being that baraks a president and we have the best security in the world i think we woul,d know if he was illegal

President Obama should know the police routine before he makes any comment against Officer Crowley.

Mr. Gates should cooperate with Officer Crowley because his life and properties is at stake.

If there was no robbery, the caller of 911 should be investigated and find out what triggered her to call 911 and what was her basis that a robbery was going on inside the house of Mr. Gates.

Senator Coburn, I don't know how you got to where you are, but if you keep it up, you'll probably wind up in the same file as Sarah Palin.

Cash for Clunkers is good for the economy, but Dealership practices of "Spot Delivery" can hurt consumers. Please do a segment on this practice to educate and protect consumers.

Rick please, please say something about the little girl, the only survivor pn the plane crash. Has the world forgotten. I know you will respond.

Congress voted NOT to participate in the Healthcare plan. Will someone please ask Pelosi and Frank why it is good enough for us but NOT for them? If they had to participate, maybe they would write a better bill!

[...] Shouldn't Sanchez know Coburn is a strong proponent of healthcare reform?  After all, he interviewed Coburn on July 23 and that was one of the things Coburn talked about.  So, did Sanchez lie?  I don't know.  [...]