White House Beer Analysis

The beer orders are in for the Should Have Not Blown My Top summit tomorrow at the White House. Can their beer tell us something about the mindset of the attendees? Let’s take a look.

Sgt. James Crowley – Blue Moon: A most sensible choice. Blue Moon is a white beer that’s perfect on a summer day with a little lemon squeezed in. He’s obviously not trying to score any points with the GOP by projecting a Joe-The-Plumber image. I’m sure Rep. McCotter would prefer he ordered Miller Lite delivered by their populist mascot. But while Blue Moon is an American brew, it’s one that tries to pass itself off as a Belgian witbier. Crowley doesn’t care. He just goes for what tastes good to him.

Henry Louis Gates – Red Stripe: A little bolder. Picking the most recognizable Jamaican brew is obviously going to bring up Bob Marley and Rastafarian comments. But Gates is saying bring ‘em on. Go on. Tell him he’s un-American because he doesn’t drink beer brewed in this country! My only complaint is that it’s a little too obvious. Gates could have thrown everyone a curve ball by drinking a Lambic or a Trapist Ale. Better yet, in the spirit of reconciliation he could have ordered a real Belgian White and given a taste to Sgt. Crowley.

President Obama – Bud: I have the feeling Rahm is to blame for this. I mean Bud? It’s the beer for people who don’t like beer and have no idea what it’s supposed to taste like. It’s what you order right after you reach legal age. It’s really just Zima with two hops and Yellow Dye No. 7 added. It’s the beer that started all the jokes about American Beer (My favorite; a man sent a sample of Bud to a lab. The results came back “Your horse has diabetes.”) It’s a choice that says “No controversy please!” written all over it. Oh what a wasted opportunity. He could have made such a statement by choosing a great American micro-brew like an Anchor Steam or a Craftsman. It could have been about the small guy over the corporate juggernaut, green shoots, or local sourcing. Instead we got Bud, safe, dull, tailor made not to offend anyone, the choice of American business as usual. Maybe the president’s beer choice will serve as a reminder. Budweiser is now owned by a foreign company as a result of “business as usual.”

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Maybe They Should Have Checked With Crowley First

One of the dangers of trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill is that the mole hill can actually get smaller.

I imagine that's how Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) must be feeling as he introduced a resolution demanding that President Obama formally apologize to the Cambridge police force for remarks he made about arrest of his friend Professor Louis Gates, Jr.

The only problem is the President has already made a conciliatory speech in which he expressed regret over the words he used.

Not enough for Rep. McCotter? Okay, how about inviting Gates and the officer involved Sgt. James Crowley to the White House for a beer? Sure it sounded like a joke, but turns out it was a serious offer and Crowley has accepted. He's even placed his drink order, a Blue Moon. (If it were me, I would have ordered the real fancy stuff. The one that's aged in Kentucky Bourbon casks and costs $72 a bottle.)

So McCotter can go ahead and introduce his measure on the floor (see below foe full text)meanwhile the man he's supposedly defending will be at the White House sharing a brew with the President who supposedly did him such grievous harm. Obama, Crowley and Gates will, later this week will do what they all should have done in the first place and what the GOP ought to do now about this whole situation, namely chill out.

Whereas on July 16, 2009, Cambridge, Massachusetts Police Sergeant James M. Crowley responded to a 911 call from a neighbor of Harvard University Professor Henry Louis ("Skip") Gates, Jr. about a suspected break-in in progress at his residence, which had been broken into on a prior occasion;

Whereas on July 22, 2009, in responding to a question during a White House press conference President Barack Obama stated: "Skip Gates is a friend, so I may be a little biased here. I don't know all of the facts involved in this local police response incident";
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Whereas President Obama proceeded to state Sergeant Crowley "acted stupidly" for arresting Professor Gates on charges of disorderly conduct;

Whereas, as a former Constitutional Law Professor, President Obama well understands that all Americans are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and their actions should not be prejudged prior to being fully and fairly judged by an appropriate and objective authority after due process;

Whereas, President Obama's nationally televised remarks may likely detrimentally influence the full and fair judgment by an appropriate and objective authority after due process regarding this local police response incident and, thereby, impair Sergeant Crowley's legal and professional standing in relation to said incident; and

Whereas, President Obama appeared at a daily White House Press briefing on July 24, 2009 to address his denouncement of Sergeant Crowley and stated: "I could have calibrated those words differently" but "I continue to believe, based on what I have heard, that there was an overreaction in pulling Professor Gates out of his home to the station."

Whereas, President Obama's refusal to retract his initial public remarks and apologize to Sergeant Crowley and, instead, reiterate his accusation impugning Sergeant Crowley's professional conduct in the performance of his duties;

Now therefore be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

Calls upon President Obama to retract his initial public remarks and apologize to Cambridge, Massachusetts Police Sergeant James M. Crowley for having unfairly impugned and prejudged his professional conduct in this local police response incident