The Buzz: Obama cools race row with a beer

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/8176099.stm

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By Siobhan Courtney

Welcome to The Buzz, our weekly round up of how the stories we report are being talked about in the blogosphere, twitterverse and other social media.

ALE TO THE CHIEF

Without sounding overly sexist, why is it that so many men seem to settle a "misunderstanding" with a cold beer?

That is the approach President Barack Obama decided to take after this week's "Gates Gate" incident. Black Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates and Sgt Jim Crowley, the white officer who arrested him in his own home, joined the president for a conciliatory beer at the White House.

Mr Obama organised the meeting in a bid to defuse the nationwide <a class="inlineText" href="http://medianation.blogspot.com/2009/07/obama-gates-and-racism.html">race row</a> triggered by the arrest - a row made worse when Mr Obama commented on the police's action.

Barack Obama said at a press conference that the police acted 'stupidly'.

Hot Air <a class="inlineText" href="http://hotair.com/archives/2009/07/24/obama-the-gates-clusterfark-is-a-teachable-moment-or-something/">really lays into Mr Obama over this.</a> While Right Angles claim his Gates gaffe is an <a class="inlineText" href="http://triangle.johnlocke.org/blog/?p=3880">emblem of his healthcare approach.</a>

Global Girl wonders whether Mr Obama's image is now stained and asks <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.globalgirlblog.com/2009/07/obamas-image-stained-the-gates-controversy/">if it is really that different from any white president mistakenly judging occurrences and American history based on their own racial experiences?</a>

American Thinker claims the Obama Gates affair is the media's fault. The blog says <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/07/obama_gates_affair_the_medias.html">that the same media that worshipped Mr Obama during his campaign, are to blame for prolonging this crisis.</a>

So let's draw thing to a close now with the essential, the all important <a class="inlineText" href="http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/ds4/2009/07/obama-crowley-and-gates-pick-t.php?ref=reccafe">tipple choice for the Obama-Gates-Crowley happy hour.</a>

PETER MANDELSON FOR PRIME MINISTER?

Peter Mandelson admitted on Newsnight <a class="inlineText" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/8173687.stm">that it will be very tough for Labour to win the next General Election.</a>

Lord Mandelson's life peerage is currently a sticking point

Dr Peter Slowe, chairman of Labour's finance and industry group, this week called for MPs to oust Prime Minister Gordon Brown and replace him with Lord Mandelson, saying he is "the only one with the clout, intellect and charisma who could realistically take on the Tories and win".

Could Lord Mandelson ever oust Mr Brown and <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.irfanahmed.org/2009/06/could-mandelson-become-prime-minister.html">become the next PM?</a> News Junction thinks <a class="inlineText" href="http://newsjunction.co.uk/news/?p=352">it's certainly possible.</a>

Under the posting Peter Mandelson for PM, Not A Sheep concludes <a class="inlineText" href="http://notasheepmaybeagoat.blogspot.com/2009/07/now-do-you-see-that-there-is-plan.html">Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Peter Mandelson... a downward slope of honesty and probity there but ability?</a>

Of course, there is the small matter of Lord Mandelson's life peerage - though the government is tabling a proposal that would give life peers the right to resign from the House of Lords - something hereditary peers have been able to do since 1963.

Blogger Archbishop Cramer is not happy about the plan saying, that in the case of both life sentences and life peerages <a class="inlineText" href="http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/2009/07/is-peter-mandelson-preparing-to-become.html">"life" should mean "life".</a>

Cyberhillbilly referred to Newsnight's interview accompanied by what can be only described as a <a class="inlineText" href="http://cyberhillbilly.blogspot.com/2009/07/mandelson-labour-are-underdogs-in-next.html">rather amusing sketch.</a>

And, will the real Lord Mandelson please tweet? I thought I found, his twitter account - but it appears it is in fact <a class="inlineText" href="http://twitter.com/lordmandelson">not to be the man himself.</a>

NHS FUTURE

Nick Robinson presented Newsnight this week, including a special programme on the future of the NHS, which he <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/nickrobinson/2009/07/safe_in_our_han.html">blogged about.</a>

Lord Darzi gave Newsnight his first TV interview since resigning

<a class="inlineText" href="http://twitter.com/ByrneTofferings">Byrne Tofferings.</a> who follows <a class="inlineText" href="http://twitter.com/BBCNewsnight">BBC's Newsnight's tweets</a> has a suspicion that the NHS, <a class="inlineText" href="http://northeastlibertarians.blogspot.com/2009/07/future-of-nhs.html">as a bastion of the Left, is being used to further Leftist control goals.</a>

Redesigning Health and Social Care asks instead of the news of budgets being cut and frozen being seen as a threat, <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/HSC/?p=40">could it not be seen as an opportunity for renewal?</a>

Lord Darzi also gave Nick <a class="inlineText" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/8172247.stm">his take on the future of the NHS </a> in what was <a class="inlineText" href="http://nhsexposedblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/lord-darzi-resigns.html">his first TV interview since resigning from government last week.</a>

CAMERON DOESN'T WANT TO LOOK LIKE A TWIT

David Cameron has said he regrets swearing in a <a class="inlineText" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8174583.stm">radio interview about Twitter.</a>

David Cameron - feeling a twit?

I presume, then he won't be joining Sarah Brown and tweeting on the micro blogging site.

On the subject of Twitter and Sarah Brown, I've noticed that despite her tweeting about her normal her life is - one entry from this week reads - "My only excuse for so little tweeting today is the many hours I have spent putting together a set of bunkbeds". 10:57 AM Jul 28th from web she has very controlled <a class="inlineText" href="http://twitter.com/sarahbrown10">settings on her account.</a>

A social media lover or a very controlled image?

And staying on the subject of Twitter - according to new Cabinet Office guidance, the government now think civil servants <a class="inlineText" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8171597.stm">should be tweeting.</a>

They, like all of us, should remember to <a class="inlineText" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8173731.stm">be careful what you tweet.</a>