After NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams fawned Tuesday over President Obama planning to have a beer with Sergeant Crowley and Professor Gates, on Wednesday’s CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith similarly declared: "...it’s being called the ‘beer summit.’ Tomorrow’s meeting between the President, the professor, and the policeman. We’re going to tell you what’s on tap."
Smith, along with co-hosts Russ Mitchell and Maggie Rodriguez, later devoted nearly two minutes of air time to discussing who would drink what brand of beer at the White House meeting, with Blue Moon, Budweiser, and Beck’s sitting on the table in front of them.
On NBC, Williams reported: "Professor Gates reported to be a Red Stripe man, Crowley is said to be partial to Blue Moon and the White House isn't talking about the President's brand of choice. That might constitute, you see, a White House endorsement."
Here is a full transcript of the Early Show exchange:
7:13AM TEASE:
MAGGIE RODRIGUEZ: The President pours a cold one for the professor and the policeman.
7:19AM TEASE:
HARRY SMITH: Coming up next, it’s being called the ‘beer summit.’ Tomorrow’s meeting between the President, the professor, and the policeman. We’re going to tell you what’s on tap.
7:23AM SEGMENT:
MAGGIE RODRIGUEZ [REFERRING TO BEER ON SET]: Breakfast time, just kidding.
HARRY SMITH: So the big beer summit is tomorrow night, right? With Sergeant Crowley and Skip Gates and President Obama. You don’t know which is which beer right?
RUSS MITCHELL: I do not. I don’t know who picked what.
SMITH: Do you want to – do you want to guess? Do you want to venture a guess?
RODRIGUEZ: Yeah, take a guess.
SMITH: This is good.
MITCHELL: Well – well, much like Budweiser, I was once known as the ‘king of beers.’
[LAUGHTER]
MITCHELL: So I’m going to guess that Budweiser-
SMITH: Right.
MITCHELL: -is going to be the pick that-
RODRIGUEZ: For?
MITCHELL: For Sergeant Crowley.
RODRIGUEZ: Okay.
SMITH: Okay.
MITCHELL: Blue Moon for Skip Gates, and Beck’s for the President.
RODRIGUEZ: Completely wrong.
MITCHELL: Really?
SMITH: That’s great. That’s really good.
MITCHELL: Well, hey, hey, hey.
SMITH: That’s really good.
MITCHELL: Alright.
SMITH: The President was at the All-Star game recently and he drank-
MITCHELL: -a Budweiser.
SMITH: There you go.
MITCHELL: Oh, there you go.
SMITH: Now – but about these two, that’s what’s really interesting, right? Because James Bond, martini, ‘shaken not stirred.’ You know, like Willie Nelson and Toby Keith, you know, ‘whiskey for my men, beer for my horses.’ You are what you drink, right?
RODRIGUEZ: Yes.
SMITH: Sergeant Crowley drinks Blue Moon, this is a wheat ale, it’s a micro-brewery from Colorado, right? This is – and Skip Gates is-
RODRIGUEZ: Drinks Beck’s.
SMITH: It’s a pilsner, you know, it’s foreign without being fru-fru.
RUSS MITCHELL: Gosh. I was – I was totally wrong.
MAGGIE RODRIGUEZ: It’s interesting if they do serve these, because, you know, dating back to the Johnson administration, the White House is only supposed to stock American beers. So they would have to break with that tradition. So I don’t know if they’re going to get their wish with the Beck’s.
SMITH: Yeah, there you go. But a beer with an orange slice. I mean, really it’s quite good, I know from personal experience.
MITCHELL: That’s actually very good. Yes, yes, you’re the king of beers, perhaps.
[LAUGHTER]
RODRIGUEZ: Three beers, three of us. If we’re really, really happy for the rest of the show, or sleepy, you’ll know why.
—Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.





MAGGIE RODRIGUEZ [REFERRING TO BEER ON SET]: Breakfast time, just kidding.














Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Really? I would have
July 29, 2009 - 16:32 ET by Ruths husband BenReally? I would have guessed Obama was a Redstripe guy. After all he has a big Red stripe through his ideology.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. - Groucho
Now that's funny.
July 29, 2009 - 17:04 ET by Kingfish17Very clever!
A side note on Red Stripe. When I was in Jamaica about five years ago we drank Red Stripe quite a bit. It was actually pretty good, much more flavorful then a regular American beer like Budweiser, and much better then the Red Stripe that they ship for export to the United States.
They told us that the Red Stripe in Jamaica is different then the export stuff.
"I've sentenced boys younger then you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it, but I felt I owed it to them." Judge Smails
Jamaican Beer Quiz
July 29, 2009 - 22:49 ET by stratmanRed Stripe is a good beer.
After a long day of sun and fun followed by several beers, does it matter how your beer was named?
I have yet to see it sold in the USA since I first drank it over 30 years ago in a palm tree branch thatched roof cabana by the beach in Ocho Rios. But I remember it like yesterday. Well, most of that day I remember - the night is a bit hazy. ;-)
I expect...
July 30, 2009 - 07:18 ET by AJBNo. Old homebOybama will be havin hisself a foty in a brown papa bag -- probably Schlitz Malt likker.
Colt45?
July 30, 2009 - 10:27 ET by slickwillie2001I can't see the Bamster as a beer drinker at all. He's led a sheltered life and a blue collar type to him is like a Martian to the rest of us. I see him drinking many-year old Cognac, maybe some quality Brandy. Perhaps there are some elite microbrew brands in Chicago that he may have tried, but a fan of beer? Not a chance.
This is soooo
July 29, 2009 - 16:37 ET by bigtimerThis is soooo important.
Bottoms up...Cheers!
SRM...pathetic.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
BT
July 29, 2009 - 19:10 ET by doug1950Ditto to that. This will be reported like the first moon landing. What kind of beer glass is being used? Oh the decisions, Pilsner or stein, chilled or room temperature? Will there be a head on the beer or not, bottle or can or draft? It will get the usual wall to wall coverage, over and over, every 15 minutes until my butt will want to crochet a doilly. Whatever happens, Obama will be hailed as brilliant, articulate and above all else KOOL.
Doug... It's all
July 29, 2009 - 19:20 ET by bigtimerDoug...
It's all disgusting.
Dog and Pony show.
O never apologized...he won't.
I personally wished Crowley would have refused until he received an apology first...then go if you want to.
Oh well...the msm will be all breathless, the clock counting down...
Barf-bag time.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Obama does like his booze.
July 29, 2009 - 23:34 ET by kgObama does like his booze.
"DumbAssity of Dope"
Maybe
July 29, 2009 - 16:38 ET by Joe CamelMaybe he will offer up some of that "nose candy" he and Michelle have stashed..Ah, just like the old days..snort anyone??
This so exciting.
July 29, 2009 - 16:41 ET by superconI can hardly wait. Can we do some sort of count down....? Reagan went to Reykjavik. Carter went to Egypt. Nixon went to China. Now Barack is finally going to have his own summit. All to provide cover once again for one of his racist a-hole buddies and his own fumblings. Maybe if we are lucky we will all be healed again by the greatest speaker on race the world has ever seen.
Oh great one Barack, teach us not to hate anymore.
" if Republicans are able to stop Barack Obama on health care, 'it will be his Waterloo, it will break him...." -Sen. Jim DeMint
And on Friday
July 29, 2009 - 16:44 ET by acumenthe President, the professor and Mary Ann will meet for the bong summit.
"...it's being called the
July 29, 2009 - 16:48 ET by merkava"...it's being called the 'beer summit.'
No, it isn't.
That is possibly the most inane conversation I've ever read. It should be written in txt speak and every sentence should have 'lolz' at the end.
Just pathetic.
Remember, "Always take
July 29, 2009 - 16:58 ET by d1carterRemember, "Always take advantage of a good crisis"...this should be written at the top of White House stationary.
Obama is in a job that is
July 29, 2009 - 17:05 ET by Andrew H.Obama is in a job that is "over his pay grade," and one that "he is not up to."
Never, ever elect or hire anyone who claims he or she finished at Harvard Law or the school of Economics. I mean, damn, a second year JUCO could do better than a host of the clowns we are paying now.
Liberalism is a convenient lie.
Even a gay would say this is beyond gay
July 29, 2009 - 17:15 ET by SickofLibsI cannot believe they actually set up the table with the beers.
HARRIET: "It’s foreign without being fru-fru."
You're an American, and you're the most fru-fru thing on TV! Good grief.
That fru-fru-thingamajig
July 29, 2009 - 17:21 ET by bigtimerThat fru-fru-thingamajig cracked me up too!
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Blue Moon
July 29, 2009 - 17:24 ET by Kingfish17Blue Moon is just about my favorite beer right now. It's readily available, (I think Coors brews it under a seperate company name to keep the micro-brew "mistique"), has a lot of flavor, and is very drinkable and not heavy like some darker beers. Above all it's unfiltered, and not too expensive. It's a great white ale, also referred to as a Belgian Wheat beer. (But it's definitely an ale and not a beer.) I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes wheat beers.
I use to drink Sam Adams and then Fat Tire, but I'm pretty much into wheat beers right now.
My favorite all time wheat beer is Paulaner Hefe-Weizen on draft. It hasn't been available where I live for about eight months because of some distriubtion problems but it will hopefully be back in a month or so.
I'm glad that Sergeant Crowley is a Blue Moon drinker. As for Becks? I'll drink Becks Dark if offered, but not the light.
"I've sentenced boys younger then you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it, but I felt I owed it to them." Judge Smails
Not a Big fan of
July 29, 2009 - 17:53 ET by general companyBlue moon, but I would love to see Coors in this. That means some of the procceds would help support the Heritage Foundation
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
If they're invitin' the
July 29, 2009 - 17:26 ET by MidAmericaIf they're invitin' the white boy up for some beers they needs to play the right kinda music for when it's... Beer thirty.
MA... YEAH! ...at least
July 29, 2009 - 17:39 ET by bigtimerMA...
YEAH!
...at least we know it won't be 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Continued bias for Obama
July 29, 2009 - 17:42 ET by averageschmoeIf Bush were President the "srmsm" would still be calling on Bush to apoligize for the "stupidly" comment.
Obama makes the comment that fuels the fire and he gets to be the hero and gather everyone together and have a beer. Obama is the greatest! lol
Well he did call it a
July 29, 2009 - 18:49 ET by general companyTeaching moment? No doubt he meant for us? I sure learned a lot,,,,, about him
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
I like this song, people are
July 29, 2009 - 18:58 ET by Dan The Man 2I like this song, people are crazy.
Dan... What a great
July 29, 2009 - 19:16 ET by bigtimerDan...
What a great song...sums it up too.
Loved the ending. ;-)
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
I wish he wouldn't go.
July 29, 2009 - 18:00 ET by Calypso JonesCrowley that is. He's been insulted, he's not a democrat, thank goodness. And he's meeting with two racists. He should respectfully decline because he has nothing in common with those two.
Totally agree,
July 29, 2009 - 18:09 ET by UpNorthMearline, Crowley has nothing to gain from attending the "beer summit". No matter what's actually said, Gates will spin it as Crowley acknowledged his actions were wrong, and it was an apology. Nothing to gain, everything to lose.
"he's not a democrat",
July 29, 2009 - 21:09 ET by ckc1227"he's not a democrat", thank goodness"
But he did vote for Obama, and he supports the president 110%.
Yep. Doubling down on
July 29, 2009 - 21:12 ET by bigtimerYep.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Have you read
July 29, 2009 - 21:19 ET by general companyAnn this week?
Ann: You could not ask for a more perfect illustration of the thesis of my latest book, "Guilty: Liberal Victims and Their Assault on America," than the black president of the United States attacking a powerless white cop for arresting a black Harvard professor – in a city with a black mayor and a state with a black governor – as the professor vacations in Martha's Vineyard.
Kinda says it all doesnt it?
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
Priceless. Seriously. Do
July 29, 2009 - 21:27 ET by bigtimerPriceless.
Seriously.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Photo-Op
July 29, 2009 - 18:10 ET by slickwillie2001I saw someone at the White House Press Conference the other day asking Gibbs about the details of the beer event. They referred to it as a 'photo-op' and he got very irate, although he couldn't quickly come up with a better description. This is a sensitive point, so let's do call it a 'photo-op'.
I wonder...
July 29, 2009 - 18:13 ET by jdlybrand... which side of the picnic table Dumbo will sit on?
"What a revoltin' development this is!"
Chester Riley
Sun angle
July 30, 2009 - 12:02 ET by CarlosSDepends on the Sun angle at that time of day..., so 'Bumma can read the Teleprompter..., I'm sure the White House now has an entire department devoted only to setting up the teleprompter correctly.
Here is the official Beerfest poster
July 29, 2009 - 21:31 ET by R D Helmhttp://img268.yfrog....
(h/t: Jimmyruf )
-Dave
Leaderhosen???
July 29, 2009 - 21:37 ET by misterbillLeaderhosen???
Will Sam Adams be there??
They should serve Guinness Dark or Harp's.
From the internet---
"Dark beer is unimaginable to most American beer drinkers. It's perceived as awful, ... "
Does that constitute a racial issue??
And----it's in the White House. There is no end to this racial divide.
misterbill,
July 29, 2009 - 22:37 ET by R D Helm"Does that constitute a racial issue??"
Sadly, in some circles, I am guessing it would.
-Dave
This space
July 30, 2009 - 11:44 ET by RukusThis space reserved for jessieH. ; )
Edit: Oops, not any more.
Gary
Hey, Jimmah Che Obama! I want my country back!
Pandering to diversity
July 30, 2009 - 10:31 ET by sevenThis will be kabuki theatre.
Obama will play this up all over the web. when will Obama diminish his Racial authenticity agenda?
Watch out, James!
July 30, 2009 - 12:31 ET by Joe BlogsIf the WH invitation doesn't say BYOB, Crowley better bring his own bottle, anyway. Otherwise, Skip and Hopey will pee in his beer.