President Obama, Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates and police Sgt. Jim Crowley will down a few brewskies at a picnic bench within lens-shot of press photographers. Of course this is Obama’s attempt at damage control after accusing Cambridge Police of racism after arresting his friend professor Gates for disorderly conduct. Interestingly, officer Crowley will attend the White House “beer summit” with his attorney in attendance – just in case The Rev. Jessie Jackson heralded the event as “…a teachable moment. Racial profiling is deadly; it's costly, expensive and really bad for your health.”
While Obama is hoisting a few beers in the name of racial harmony, down the street, Associate Attorney General Thomas J. Perrelli, third man at Justice, quietly approved dropping legal action against three New Black Panther Party members accused of intimidating voters outside a Philadelphia polling station. The Justice Department’s inaction raised a few eyebrows at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. In a letter sent by the commission to Justice, they said the “defendants were caught on video blocking access to polls, and physically threatening and verbally harassing voters during the November 4, 2008 general election.”
Even sleepy members of congress were aroused momentarily. In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) said he was dismayed by, “The dismissal of the Department’s case against the New Black Panther Party and two individuals affiliated with it," and added, "Significantly, one of those individuals carried credentials indicating he was a member of the local Democratic Committee.”
Maybe Obama can stage another White House beer summit between Black Panther head-bangers and some of Philadelphia’s knee-shaking voters. Maybe not.
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