President Obama and the rodeo clown who mocked him at the Missouri State Fair should really grab a beer, says one GOP rep.
Steve King (R-Iowa) says that the president should hold a “beer summit” with the as-yet unnamed Obama rodeo clown who wore a POTUS mask and encouraged a bull to run him down. The controversial stunt has been criticized as being in poor taste and for carrying racial implications.
King tweeted Friday that the president shouldn’t be mad about the rodeo clown incident. “Take the temperature down, have a laugh, relax. It’s not about race,” he said.
The “beer summit” is a reference to the infamous 2009 arrest of Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates . He was arrested at his home after a 911 report alleged that he was attempting to break into a house.
The arrest captured national attention, with racism being a key theme. In an effort to bring resolution to the incident, President Obama invited Gates and his arresting officer, James Crowley, to the White House for a “beer summit” to discuss the arrest, referring to it as a “teachable moment.”
The “beer summit” was largely considered an ineffective political stunt. “Sergeant Crowley and Professor Gates each missed opportunities to ‘ratchet down’ the situation and end it peacefully” said an independent panel of experts from across the country in a 2010 report.
Mr. President: Invite the rodeo clown 2 the White House 4 a beer summit. Take the temperature down, have a laugh, relax. It’s not about race
— Steve King (@SteveKingIA) August 16, 2013
Fair officials apologized for the Obama rodeo clown stunt, calling it “inappropriate and disrespectful.” State reps and officials similarly offered their apologies. President Obama has not responded personally to the controversy, but a Missouri-born White House official said “It was certainly not one of the finer moments in our state.”
Do you think that President Obama and the Obama rodeo clown should have a “beer summit?”
[Image: Gage Skidmore ]