From PRI, Public Radio International and KCRW Santa Monica, this is To the Point.

Presidential leadership and conflict resolution.

Hello again, I'm Roman Alney, and this is To the Poet from Public Radio International,

a daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

Civil rights leaders applauded the president for saying the Cambridge police acted stupidly.

The police union demanded an apology.

The president invited Professor Gates and Sergeant Crowley to have a drink at the end of the day for a friendly, thoughtful conversation.

Did last night's beer summit start to clear the air about racial profiling?

Did it quell the media firestorm over the president's comment?

What did it reveal about the leadership style of a former community organizer

facing congressional partisanship and intractable conflicts all over the world?

On reporter's notebook later on, Congress finds more cash for clunkers with record speed.

First, here's the news.

Support for To the Point comes from subscribers of KCRW Santa Monica and from the Public Radio

International Program Fund, whose contributors include the Ford Foundation, the John D. and Catherine

T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Skoll Foundation, supporting social entrepreneurs around the world,

uncommon heroes dedicated to the common good. Learn more at Skoll.org. Hello again, Warren

Alany, back with To The Poet. President Obama brought the policemen and the professor together

for some conflict resolution last night.

What did the Beer Summit accomplish?

Is a similar strategy working with Congress?

Will it help to achieve the goals of foreign policy?

...