Officers Verison of The Louis Gates Arrest!

The Washington Post reports of Officer James Crowley's version of the arrest last week of Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates:

Sgt. James Crowley said Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. was combative from the moment the officer arrived at his house last week to respond to a call about a possible burglary. As the confrontation escalated, Crowley said he warned Gates that he risked arrest.

"The second warning was with me holding a set of handcuffs in my hands -- something I really didn't want to do," Crowley said in a radio interview. "The professor at any time could have resolved the issue by quieting down and/or going back inside his house."

This story has taken the nation by storm concerning the issue of racial profiling. Obviously Dr. Gates was agitated about being at his home and approached by a police officer. By contrast, the officer could have been following proper protocol. Unfortunately for both, "cooler heads didn't prevail."

Vick To Be Suspended 4 Games!

If media reports are accurate, former Atlanta Falcons quarterback will receive a conditional reinstatement from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, with a 4 game suspension at the beginning of the season if Vick is able to sign with a team. With the suspension, however, Vick will be allowed to attend training camp and play in pre-season games.

Most media reports are also stating that no team in the league has indicated a desire to sign Vick, so if this doesn't change, Vick's return to the league will not happen this year.

Who Really Has Obama's Ear!

I found this great article from the New York Times that profiles the fact that Valerie Jarrett and Michelle Obama are the two major influences for our President. Below is a snippet:

Rick Wade, a senior adviser, Stacey Brayboy, the state campaign manager, and Anton Gunn, the state political director, took turns beseeching their boss. The gala, they told Obama, would be attended by more than 2,000 college-educated African-American women, a constituent group that was originally skeptical of the candidate’s “blackness” and that the campaign worked tirelessly to wrest from Hillary Clinton. State luminaries like Representative James Clyburn — himself an undeclared black voter — would be expecting him. They would be in and out in five minutes.

Obama’s irritation grew. “Man, it’s late, I’m tired,” he snapped. “I’m not going to any sorority event.”

The three staff members knew what their only option was at this point. “If you want him to do something,” Gunn would later tell me, “there are two people he’s not going to say no to: Valerie Jarrett and Michelle Obama.”

At the day’s penultimate event, a rally in Columbia, Gunn, Brayboy and Wade pleaded their case to Jarrett, the Obamas’ longtime friend and consigliere. When they were finished, Jarrett told them, “We can make that happen,” as Gunn would recall it. Jarrett informed Michelle of the situation, and when the candidate stepped offstage from the rally, Obama’s wife told him he had one last stop to make before they called it a night.

“I told Anton I’m not going to any Pink Ice Ball!” Obama barked.

Then Jarrett glided over to the fuming candidate. Her voice was very quiet and very direct.
“Barack,” she said, “you want to win, don’t you?”

Scowling, Obama affirmed that he did.

“Well, then. You need to go to Pink Ice.”

“And he shuts up,” Gunn recalls, “and gets on the bus.”

It looks like we know who steadies President Obama. He didn't get to become President of the United States by not being confident. I'm glad he has at least two people that can keep him focused.

Roethlisberger Attorney Denies Rape Allegation!

The New York Post reports on the still developing Ben Roethlisberger rape allegation by Nevada hotel worker Andrea McNulty, which allegedly occurred in a Lake Tahoe penthouse suite last year. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback's attorney David Cornwell vehemently denies the accusation on behalf of his client. McNulty has filed a civil suit against Roethlisbereger, but didn't report the incident to police. She did report the incident to to her employers who she says encouraged her to be quiet. She describes what happened below:

McNulty said the incident occurred when she had been working as a concierge during a celebrity golf tournament Roethlisberger attended with other athletes, including Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, last July.

At around 10 p.m. on July 11, 2008, Roethlisberger returned to his room with a woman who left about 20 minutes later, the suit said.

He then came to the concierge desk and asked for help with his television. McNulty agreed to go herself. After finding that the television seemed to be working fine, she tried to leave, but Roethlisberger blocked her way and started kissing her, the suit said.

"Ms. McNulty feared that since he was a football player, he could or would physically harm her if she attempted to fight him," the suit said.

After telling Roethlisberger to stop, she claims, he pushed her onto the bed and pulled her underwear off.

"Please don't," she said she told him. "I'm not on any type of birth control."
"Don't worry. I will pull out," she said he replied.

When he finished, she went into the bathroom to compose herself, but as she left, she claimed Roethlisberger began acting nervously.

"There are cameras in this room, aren't there?" the suit quotes him as saying.
"Yes, there are cameras everywhere," she replied.

"If anyone asks you, you fixed my television," Roethlisberger is quoted as saying. "You fixed my television! Now go!"

On the surface this is a he said/she said situation. However when Kobe Bryant went through a similar allegation years ago, it was national news.

Charlie Murphy Writing His Autobiography!

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that comedian Charlie Murphy will be penning his autobiography titled "The Making of a Stand-up Guy" from Simon & Schuster this fall. Good to see how Charlie has risen out of the shadows of his famous brother Eddie, and established a very viable career.

Black Philly Officers Want Ban of Domelights.com

Black Philadelphia Police Officers are calling for an immediate ban of the website Domelights.com because of the racial rants being displayed allegedly by white police officers while at work according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Guardian Civic league has sued the Police Department, the site, and it's founder in federal court charging that the site contains racist material. The site was started by "McQ" who is active duty sergeant Sgt. Fred McQuiggan. Looking at the site I found the following post:

Do you know why most fallen officers are white? They are the first to show.. there not the lazy ones ...God bless the fallen

All I can say about this site is that it will surely bring solidarity to a police force trying to fight crime in one of the toughest city's in the country. I would think that anyone making posts on city computers should face disciplinary action. Interesting that the mayor and police chief in Philly are both black.

The Real Reason Diana Ross Didn't Attend Michael's Memorial Service!

The New York Daily News reports the real reason that Diana Ross didn't attend Michael Jackson's Memorial Service:

Diana Ross said she stayed away from Michael Jackson memorial service because she was "trying to find closure." But one insider claims it was also because she and Michael's mother, Katherine, don't get along. "Katherine resents that Diana became a kind of surrogate mother to Michael," claims a source. "And she's not thrilled that Michael named Diana as the backup guardian of his children." A Jackson rep declined to comment, but Ross' spokesman called the theory "ridiculous. Ms. Ross has deep love for the Jackson family.

Even in death, Michael can't rest peacefully.

Some Dems Jittery About Obama!

The lack of a definite impact on the economy after 6 months is causing some concern amongst Democrats regarding President Barack Obama's performance according to the New York Daily News. While our president has had some slippage in the polls, he still has resounding support overall. Obama has tied himself to health care reform, and is determined to get reform passed by any means possible. If and when health care reform is passed, here's hoping that it benefits everyone, and that we can easily fund it as a country.