There is something to be said for silence. Wisdom, grace, intellect and an air of leadership can all be projected by those things you do not say.
In the case of the Harvard Professor versus the Cambridge Police Sergeant, silence would have been golden. This is a case that should be decided in a court of law and not in the court of public opinion.
Obama needs to learn that there are times a man, duly elected to the office of President of the United States, needs to step back and shut his freakin’ mouth. All he has done is add fuel to the fire. I thought the job of a President was to calm the waters, bring sanity to a potentially volatile situation and remind people that our Justice system is designed to deal with matters such as this in a fair and unbiased way.
Now, Obama is surprised that his comments have taken attention away from the important matter of Health Care Reform. SURPRISED?!?! REALLY?!?! Barack, you are a master of diversion, King of the opaque and Emperor of media manipulation. Surprised? I think not. Pleased? Most likely.
Sstorm0730's Blog 
As he was struggling towards the end of his ‘news conference’ , he seeemed to come to life when presented with the question of ‘racism’. Of course considering Gates is his friend and black (I know of no white ‘friends’ Obama has) and how much he enjoys hearing himself talk, the timing of the question is suspect. Also considering he admitted that he knew little of the matter concerning Gates and the white officer, brings to my mind a quote “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him”. He wasn’t very familiar about the incident but had to make a lame comment…simply because Gates is black and his ‘friend’.
I agree that there is some ‘dog-wagging’ going on here and Obama will embrace anything to keep the light from shining on his agenda.
He just can’t resist a good diversionary tactic.
If Hussein Obama did not know his remarks would make national news and be a detraction, focus national media attention on his personal racial views he’s to uninformed to be president of the United States!