President Responds to Race Claims
COOPER: Tonight, President Obama on race: safe to say it is not what he wants to be talking about. He wants to be talking about health care and today he launched an all out [AUDIO GAP] charged racism and then Bill Cosby agreed and then Joe Wilson angrily denied it and then Rush Limbaugh weighed in. Well, you get the idea. So today he sat down with five major TV networks including CNN for interviews airing this weekend to talk health care and, yes, race. The "Raw Politics" from Joe Johns.</s>JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The president could no longer avoid talking about it: race. It came up in interview after interview; this one with CNN's John King.</s>BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now there are people out there who don't like me because of my race I'm sure there are. That's not the overriding issue here. I think there are people who are anti-government, you know. I think that there are -- there's been a long standing debate in this country that is usually that much more fierce during times of transition or when presidents are trying to bring about big changes. I mean, the things that were said about FDR pretty similar of the things that was about me. That he was a Communist, he was a socialist. Things that were said about Ronald Reagan when he was trying to reverse some of the New Deal programs, you know, were pretty vicious as well.</s>JOHNS: On ABC, Mr. Obama pointing out that strong views on race don't always hurt him politically.</s>OBAMA: Are there some people who don't like me because of my race. I'm sure there are. Are there some people who vote for me only because of my race, there are probably some of those, too.</s>JOHNS: The message much the same on CBS and NBC, too. It's territory his Press Secretary has already covered.</s>ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We all have to check our emotions despite the depth of our beliefs. That we can have these kinds of debates, important political debates without doing so in a way that makes anybody feel uncomfortable.</s>JOHNS: That was one side of the story. On the other side, one of the guys whose own conduct helped ramp-up the debate was back home in South Carolina holding his first news conference since he shouted out "You lie" at President Obama.</s>REP. JOE WILSON, (R) SOUTH CAROLINA: Let's close the vote from last week.</s>JOHNS: Was race a factor in Congressman Joe Wilson's outburst?</s>WILSON: I appreciate very much President Barack Obama has indicated this is not correct.</s>JOHNS: Also talking about how awful it's been, even though he's gotten well over $1 million in political contributions, he's also become a target.</s>WILSON: It was speaking at the wrong place at the wrong time.</s>JOHNS: Asserting that if you had it to do over again, he wouldn't, sending a message to the folks back home that he's not a ruffian.</s>WILSON: That I grew up in the holy City of Charleston, south of Broad. It is the center of civility and a civil state. And so I truly support civility.</s>COOPER: Let's "Dig Deeper" now with Joe Johns, also Tony Perkins of the conservative Family Research Council and on the liberal side, Jennifer Palmieri of the Center for American Progress. Jennifer, you heard what the president had to say. You heard what Joe Wilson had to say. Is this conversation over now? I mean is next week the story actually going to be about health care?</s>JENNIFER PALMIERI, CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS: I think that barring any other developments that, you know, any other outbursts from Congressmen like Joe Wilson, I think barring that, you probably will turn back to health care. And you know, it is -- I'm sure the White House is...</s>COOPER: The Republicans are saying that the Democrats want this to be the conversation.</s>PALMIERI: No. I promise you, I mean, I think it's pretty clear that the president does not want that to be the conversation. It doesn't -- I mean it's not a huge problem in terms of affecting the health care debate. But it does distract from it a little. You know, does distract from it a little bit. But, you know, moreover, I don't think that the president feels that most of this anger is not about racism. And to suggest, you know, for people to suggest that it is, is that alienates people. And that you know so, it doesn't actually help the Democrats politically to think this is about racism.</s>COOPER: Tony, do you believe the Democrats want to have this conversation?</s>TONY PERKINS, PRESIDENT, FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL: You know, I don't know. It clearly is convenient that this card of racism is often played when they get down to the bottom of the deck and their ability to debate the real issue here. I hope it's true that next week it's over and we can go back to talking about health care. And talk about the really fundamental things of health care in which we agree upon. And that is that everybody in this country should have access to affordable health care. I'm hoping we can get to that debate and get this behind us because it's not constructive.</s>COOPER: Joe, from a political perspective, certainly the president clearly does not want to be discussing this.</s>JOHNS: It doesn't seem like it. On the other hand, there are some Congressional Democrats who frankly think it's a little bit simpler and there's also that question of bringing in the Democratic base. They've been all over the place. You get on something like this and the base is going to sort of move to support the President of the United States. He's their guy. But as far as the president is concerned, health care is the main issue he needs to push through. It's his biggest domestic agenda item and he has a Congressional calendar that is simply running out. He doesn't have a whole lot of time to fool around with this although there are a lot of Democrats that say we need to have this discussion just not right now.</s>COOPER: Jennifer, if Democrats don't want this discussion, how come House Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday, you know, gave that answer about political violence and you know, was quite emotional about it. I mean that's -- that certainly seems to be...</s>PALMIERI: Yes...</s>COOPER: ...churning the waters.</s>PALMIERI: Yes, I was also surprised to see that she was particularly emotional about it. And I think that shows I don't think that there is any sort of political motivation in what she was saying. That you know, her own personal experience in San Francisco when Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone were assassinated. I mean, it's -- I found it very telling that she chose to speak out about it in this way that it must be affecting her that way. But I don't -- that was not politically motivated. And I don't think that -- you know, there's nothing more divisive than a discussion about race. And that doesn't -- that just doesn't help the Democrats politically. I think the president doesn't want this debate to be divisive. And I think that's why -- and I also -- they also don't believe it's true. They don't believe that most of this anger that's out there is about race. They think -- I mean there's no question in my mind that if Hillary Clinton were president today, she would be getting...</s>COOPER: Absolutely.</s>PALMIERI: ...the exact same kind of protest.</s>COOPER: Tony, do you believe...</s>PALMIERI: I mean this is about politics.</s>COOPER: Tony, do you believe that race plays any role in some of the criticism that's been directed toward the president? I mean, you see the signs of him portrayed as a witch doctor. Do you think it's any different than what we've normally seen in past years?</s>PERKINS: I mean there may be some of that out there. I'm not going to deny that there might be some. But it's miniscule and I have not seen it in any of the town halls or events that I've been in and it's certainly not a part of the main debate. What you said about Nancy Pelosi, I would say I think it was politically motivated. I mean, I look at Nancy Pelosi and in her own state of California after Proposition 8 passed last summer, there was no real outrage or last fall there was no real outrage from her with the violent response after that. I'm very concerned that when you see what she is saying and how she's responding to this, that I think it's really kind of setting the stage to clamp down on those who are expressing themselves against these big government policies like health care takeover. So I'm more troubled about her statements than I am the statements about racism.</s>COOPER: Jennifer, is this an attempt to clamp down?</s>PALMIERI: Yes -- I really don't think so. I think that that was a -- it was a very personal reaction from her. It is it not in her -- you know, it's not in Democrats' political interest to try to tamp down -- to try to tamp down these protests. I mean the, you know, in some ways the Joe Wilson outburst is what put Republicans on the defensive. I think that what you saw from her was a very emotional and personal reaction. And I don't think that there's any question in most of our minds that the debate has gotten more intense than it has in the political -- in past years. And, you know, we're moving beyond civil discourse in many of these arenas and I think that that was a concern that she was expressing. But it would seem very personal to me. And I really don't see any political gain for her in saying that.</s>COOPER: We've got to leave it there...</s>PALMIERI: I mean, when I think Tony's -- Tony's criticism sort of proves that point, that there is not a political gain for this for her.</s>COOPER: Jennifer Palmieri, Tony Perkins and Joe Johns, thank you very much. I appreciate it. And have a good weekend. Plenty more on the story at AC360.com including Joe Wilson's complete news conference without edits or interruptions today. Also up next, the White House today began using first lady, Michelle Obama to fight for health care reform. You're going to see the part she is playing and what it says about what the White House thinks about their chances right now for a real reform. We'll also hear from Democratic first lady -- former first lady Hillary Clinton, now Secretary of State, about what she says of the health care battle today. Also, the alleged Yale university killer: find out how early in the investigation police actually began suspecting him. Also "Dig Deeper" into the controversial choice authorities made to wait and tail this guy instead of picking him right up. We'll be right back.