memeorandum: Why Obama Decided To Speak Out On Race And The Zimmerman Verdict (Talking Points Memo)

9:05 PM ET, July 19, 2013

Top Items:

Mark Landler / New York Times:

In Wake of Zimmerman Verdict, Obama Makes Extensive Statement on Race in America — WASHINGTON — President Obama, making a surprise appearance on Friday in the White House briefing room to address the verdict in the Trayvon Martin killing, spoke in personal terms about the experience …

Discussion: American Power, The Democratic Daily, Connecting.the.Dots, The Hugh Hewitt Show, Taylor Marsh, The Lede, Althouse and The Mahablog

The White House:

Remarks by the President on Trayvon Martin — THE PRESIDENT: I wanted to come out here, first of all, to tell you that Jay is prepared for all your questions and is very much looking forward to the session. The second thing is I want to let you know that over the next couple of weeks …

Discussion: Politico, CNN, The Lead with Jake Tapper, No More Mister Nice Blog, White House.gov Blog, News Desk, PostPartisan, Hit & Run, Post Politics, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Daily Caller, Colorlines, The Last Refuge, Informed Comment and The Gateway Pundit

Ta-Nehisi Coates / New York Times:

Raising the Wrong Profile — In 2003, State Senator Barack Obama spearheaded a bill through the Illinois legislature that sought to put the clamps on racial profiling. Obama called racial profiling “morally objectionable,” “bad police practice” and a method that mainly served to …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, New Republic, No More Mister Nice Blog, Yahoo! News, The Reaction and Hullabaloo

David Jackson / USA Today:

Obama: Trayvon ‘could have been me’ — President Obama said Friday that all Americans should respect the George Zimmerman verdict, but white Americans should also understand that African Americans continue to face racial discrimination. — “Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Moderate Voice, Business Insider, National Review and Jammie Wearing Fools

Sheldon Alberts / The Hill:

Zimmerman brother: Obama ‘very sincere’ in comments on racial fallout of Trayvon case — George Zimmerman's brother on Friday said President Obama sounded “very sincere” in remarks about the racial implications of the Trayvon Martin case. — Speaking on Fox News, Zimmerman …

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette and Politico

The Atlantic Online:

Considering the President's Comments on Racial Profiling — The impact of the highest official in the country directly feeling your pain, because it is his pain, is real. And it is happening now. And it is significant. — My earlier criticisms notwithstanding, I think these comments …

Discussion: ComPost

Ben Shapiro / BREITBART.COM:

OBAMA: ‘TRAYVON COULD HAVE BEEN ME’ — Speaking at the White House on Friday, President Obama addressed the verdict in the George Zimmerman trial for the killing of Trayvon Martin for the first time since 2012, when he declared that if he had a son, he'd look like Martin.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller and Little Green Footballs

Washington Post:

President Obama's remarks on Trayvon Martin (full transcript) — By Washington Post Staff, — President Obama spoke about the killing of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin and ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws on Friday at the White House. — REPORTERS: Whoa! — Q: Hello.

Discussion: Post Politics, CBS News, American Prospect and Towleroad News #gay

James Arkin / Politico:
Fleischer: Obama AWOL on race

Discussion: Yahoo! News, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Hot Air

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Why Obama decided to speak out

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Ted Cruz / CNN:
Cruz says Obama going after guns with ‘stand your ground’ remark

Discussion: Politico

Talking Points Memo: Why Obama Decided To Speak Out On Race And The Zimmerman Verdict

The Huffington Post:
Rick Scott Refuses To Budge On ‘Stand Your Ground’ After Meeting With Protesters

Discussion: CNN and The Hinterland Gazette

CNN:
Obama: ‘Trayvon Martin could have been me’

Discussion: Politico, Reuters, Washington Wire and Weasel Zippers

Washington Post:
President Obama's remarks on Trayvon Martin (full transcript)

Discussion: Firedoglake and Weasel Zippers

Politico:
President Obama: ‘Trayvon Martin could have been me’

Discussion: NewsBusters blogs

Dylan Matthews / Wonkblog: READ AND WATCH: President Obama addresses the Trayvon Martin case

Michael O'Brien / NBC Politics:
Obama: Trayvon Martin ‘could have been me’

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, theGrio, Atlas Shrugs and Balloon Juice

CNN: Transcript: President Obama addresses race, profiling and Florida law

Gary Heinlein / detroitnews.com:

Ingham County judge rules Detroit bankruptcy be withdrawn; Schuette appeals — Judge Rosemarie Aquilina (Dale G. Young/The Detroit News) — Lansing — Ruling the governor and Detroit's emergency manager violated the state constitution, an Ingham County Circuit judge ordered Friday …

Discussion: National Review, Weasel Zippers, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit, Wonkblog, Outside the Beltway, Twitchy and Ed Driscoll

Charlie Savage / New York Times:

In Major Ruling, Court Orders Times Reporter to Testify — WASHINGTON — In a major ruling about press freedoms, a divided federal appeals court on Friday ruled that James Risen, an author and reporter for The New York Times, must testify in the criminal trial of a former Central Intelligence …

Discussion: Yahoo! News, The Verge and Outside the Beltway, more at Mediagazer »

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Michigan judge halts Detroit bankruptcy because it dishonors Obama

Discussion: Business Insider, National Review and msnbc.com

Brad Plumer / Wonkblog:
Detroit isn't alone. The U.S. cities that have gone bankrupt, in one map

Discussion: PolicyMic, Twitchy and MuniLand

Peggy Noonan / Wall Street Journal:

A Bombshell in the IRS Scandal — A higher office is implicated. — The IRS scandal was connected this week not just to the Washington office—that had been established—but to the office of the chief counsel. — That is a bombshell—such a big one that it managed to emerge in spite of an unfocused …

Discussion: Politico, Washington Monthly, Daily Kos, NewsBusters, americanthinker.com, Power Line, Shot in the Dark, Betsy's Page and CNSNews

Steve Benen / The Maddow Blog:

When a ‘bombshell’ is a dud — House Oversight Committee Chairman, struggling to shake his well-deserved reputation as a “laughably inept” clown, did his level best this week to revive the discredited IRS “scandal.” Relying on a partial transcript — one of his favorite tactics — Issa fed the media what he said was a scoop.

Discussion: The Week, theGrio and USA Today

Matthew Boyle / BREITBART.COM:

EXCLUSIVE—RAND PAUL: OBAMA WILL BAIL OUT DETROIT ‘OVER MY DEAD BODY’ — Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said he will use every resource he has at his disposal to stop President Barack Obama from bailing out newly-bankrupt Detroit because he believes the city can and must save itself and learn from its fiscal mistakes.

Discussion: Red Alert Politics, Politico, BizPac Review, Mediaite and The Daily Caller

Tal Kopan / Politico:
Rep. Peter King launches air strike on Paul

Discussion: Right Turn and New Republic

Jeryl Bier / Weekly Standard:

HHS Admits: You Might Not Be Able to Keep Your Doctor Under Obamacare — As Obamacare was being pushed through Congress in 2010, the Obama administration and its allies were unequivocal in two claims: If you like your doctor and you like your current health care plan, you can keep them both.

Discussion: PostPartisan, TheBlaze.com, Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit, The PJ Tatler and Michelle Malkin

Erik Wasson / The Hill:

Divided GOP can't agree on food stamps — Divided House Republicans can't agree on a food stamp bill, dimming hopes that a farm bill conference can begin before the August recess. — House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) warned Friday that no one should expect action …

Discussion: Politico and The Reality-Based Community

Pat Buchanan / Yahoo! News:

Black America's Real Problem Isn't White Racism — In the aftermath of the acquittal of George Zimmerman, Eric Holder, Al Sharpton and Ben Jealous of the NAACP are calling on the black community to rise up in national protest. — Yet they know — and Barack Obama, whose silence speaks volumes, knows — nothing is going to happen.

Discussion: The Reality-Based Community

Alexander Burns / Politico:

Possible GOP opponent to Mitch McConnell books airtime — An emerging conservative challenger to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has reserved airtime in Kentucky starting next week, according to multiple media-tracking sources. — Matt Bevin, an investment executive based in Louisville …

Discussion: Weekly Standard and The Huffington Post

Jennifer Jacobs / Des Moines Register:

Ted Cruz to Iowa pastors: Belief ‘is not sitting there quietly’ — In a fiery, Bible-quoting first speech during his first time in Iowa, Republican Ted Cruz called on evangelical conservatives to demand their GOP elected officials actually stand for the conservative principles they pretend to believe in.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Yahoo! News, Right Wing Watch and Daily Kos