Crowley pleased by presidents phone call
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Comments (0) July 24, 2009 03:52 PM
By Brian MacQuarrie and Jonathan Saltzman, Globe Staff
Shortly after the surprise phone call, Sergeant James M. Crowley told a fellow officer that President Obama expressed regret for jumping to conclusions and commenting that Cambridge police had "acted stupidly."
The call pleased Crowley, according to the colleague, a veteran officer who asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to speak publicly about the issue. Crowley told his fellow officer that he joked with the president.
"Jimmy said, 'I'd be happy to come to the White House and sit down with you and Gates and have a beer,' " the veteran Cambridge officer said. "The president said he was acceptable to that."
Crowley also asked President Obama if he could use his influence to oust the news media from his front lawn in Natick. "The president said, 'I can't get them off my front lawn,' and Jimmy said, 'Well, your lawn is a lot bigger than my lawn,' " the officer's colleague said.
Steve Killion, president of the Cambridge patrol officers association, praised the president for calling Crowley only a couple of hours after the news conference where union leaders demanded an apology from Obama.
"I'm sure, knowing Sergeant Crowley, it's mended the fence with him,'' said Killion, who had not spoken with Crowley but heard a transcript of the president's remarks. "It's gone some way toward mending the fence with the patrol officers, even though I haven't spoken with any of them yet.''
Killion said the president has admitted he erred by discussing a case without knowing the details.
"He acknowledges he made a mistake,'' Killion said. "He wasn't there. None of us have the facts. He didn't have the facts. We don't have the facts. We don't know what professor Gates said, what Sergeant Crowley said. I'm absolutely pleased with [Obama's call]. I think it was a good thing for the president to do. He's the commander in chief, he's in charge. Whether or not he should be involved in local politics, he runs the country. We all want to see this behind us.''
Killion said the Cambridge police is a "great police department'' and never engages in racial profiling. He also picked up on Obama's talk of Crowley, Gates and the president sharing a few beers.
"If Sergeant Crowley and President Obama and Mr. Gates sit out on the White House lawn and have a beer, I'd certainly like a picture of it -- and be jealous that it wasn't me,'' Killion said.
President calls and apologizes to Officer Cowley
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Originally Posted by jankren
ed up for us to trully be screwed... which we seem to have done... and we can't un-
