But the white is on top

New York Times booze expert Eric Asimov on the White House meeting with Henry Louis Gates and Officer Crowley --

I’ll tell you what I would have done if I were President Obama. First of all, I wouldn’t give anybody a choice. I’d throw political symbolism out the door. Then, I’d import a keg of Guinness Stout directly from Dublin, because the kegs from Ireland are simply superior to anything out of a bottle or can. Then I’d import a Dublin publican to serve the Guinness because drawing a proper pint is an art that requires vast experience.

Then, I’d sit ’em down at a bar (because I’d bring in the actual pub – this is the White House, it can do anything). “Gates, you, over there. Crowley, you, here. Sit. Publican, draw us some pints!’’

Now it might be simpler just to head to an actual Irish pub and have the distinctive sound of Sky Sports going in the background, but there is one appealing aspect of the choice of Guinness given the fraught racial context. As the relevant Seinfeld episode put it -

JERRY: Oh look Elaine, the black and white cookie. I love the black and white. Two races of flavor living side by side [mumble?] It's a wonderful thing isn't it? ...

JERRY: Uhm, The thing about eating the Black and White cookie, Elaine, is you want to get some black and some white in each bite. Nothing mixes better than vanilla and chocolate And yet somehow racial harmony eludes us. If people would only look to the cookie all our problems would be solved.

ELAINE: Your views on race relations are fascinating. You really should do an op-ed piece for the Times.

JERRY: Um, um, Look to the cookie Elaine. Look to the cookie.

UPDATE: Officer Crowley had Blue Moon with what looks like an orange slice. We warned about this plague years ago! BHO's Bud Light looks disturbingly transparent.

AP Photo/Ron Edmonds