Barack Obama actually said...

"The fact that this has become such a big issue I think is indicative of the fact that, you know, race is still a troubling aspect of our society."

"There are some who say that as president I shouldn't have stepped into this at all, because it's a local issue."

"At the end of the conversation, there was discussion about -- my conversation with Sergeant Crowley, there was a discussion about he and I and Professor Gates having a beer here in the White House."

"I wanted to address you guys directly, because over the last day and a half, obviously, there's been all sorts of controversy around the incident that happened in Cambridge with Professor Gates and th..."