I was half asleep when I started reading this piece in the New York Times by Peter Baker and Helene Cooper. But a few paragraphs in, I woke up with a start.Remember: This is a news piece:The Gates case has become the first significant racial controversy Mr. Obama has confronted since being sworn in as the nation's first African-American president. The improvisational handling of it underscored the delicate challenges for a leader who has tried to govern by crossing old lines and emphasizing commonalities over differences. So that's what Obama has been doing. I never would have guessed. Advisers said both his sharp statement, which was made at Wednesday night's news conference, and his toned-down remarks on Friday reflected strains of his experiences. He was personally outraged by the arrest and wanted to speak bluntly about it, aides said. And they said he was distressed that his words proved polarizing and contrary to his instincts for conciliation. If those are Obama's...(Read Full Post)