White House pool reporters have accompanied President Obama on his two and a half week Hawaiian vacation. Naturally, they were curious about his reaction to the murder of two New York police officers–a murder for which quite a few people, rightly or wrongly, hold him partly responsible because of his endorsement of the anti-police movement. Reporters’ questions were not immediately answered, however. Andrew Kaczynski has this report:
I guess it’s good to know that at least he’s been briefed. Truthfully, though, it is something of a relief that our president is golfing. No one expects him to say anything intelligent about the murders, or to take the smallest iota of responsibility for helping to stir up racial discord and anti-police hysteria. So really, our president is at his best on the putting green.
Sort of like President Eisenhower. Except, of course, for organizing D-Day…and victory in Europe over the Nazis. Admittedly, Obama hasn’t done anything quite like that, although his days as a “community organizer” must count for something. Right?
Sorry, that was a digression. I am sure that Obama will have something appropriate to say about the murders, in the morning. Hawaii time.
UPDATE: After finishing his round of golf, Obama released a midnight statement on the killings. They haven’t posted it on the White House web site, and the full text is oddly hard to find. This is the best I can do, for the moment:
President Obama called for “patient dialogue” in a statement Saturday night “unconditionally” condemning the shooting deaths of two New York City police officers.
“Two brave men won’t be going home to their loved ones tonight, and for that, there is no justification,” the president, vacationing in Hawaii, said in a statement. “The officers who serve and protect our communities risk their own safety for ours every single day – and they deserve our respect and gratitude every single day.”
Obama went on to ask for a rejection of “violence and words that harm,” and said people should instead “turn to words that heal – prayer, patient dialogue, and sympathy for the friends and family of the fallen.”
There was no indication that Eric Holder will be relieved as Attorney General or that Al Sharpton will cease to be the administration’s go-to guy on racial issues. More to come.
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