Should Obama be Concerned With the Secret Service?

He was plenty safe. And the distance of the SS was most likely at the request of the admin. You know photo ops and all.

 

Keep in mind...the reporters were screened, both in background, and physically.

The shoe was the most dangerous object he could have had in there.

Now...they did seem asleep at the wheel. But I don't think it was as bad a lapse as some do.

 

Also, where were the Secret Service when Bush received the news that the second tower of the World Trade Center had been hit and America was likely under attack? Shouldn't the President have been immediately grabbed by the Secret service and taken to a place of safety? Instead he continued listening to a story about a pet goat for 10-15 min. and then held a press conference at the school. Air Force 1 was not accompanied by a fighter escort when it left Tampa.

 

Please stay on topic. This is not about the WTC.

 

righteousdude2

I too was surprised at the lack of diligence. I was also surprised that those next to him did not stop the throwing of the second shoe. Actually Malik did a better job than the Secret Service. That being said I am sure that anyone who entered the room had to pass through appropriate detectors.

I do not want Obama to be president of this country but assassination of a public official, particularly a president, is not only a blight on the country but a danger to our freedoms.

 

I talked to my friend, who is an ex-Secret Service agent, about this today. He said that the press room in which the shoe throwing occurred was a secure room. This means that the Secret Service had control of the room, it had been swept to make sure there were no weapons/bombs etc in the room, then the reporters had gone through security screening, padded down, etc. before being allowed inside. There was no possible way any weapons (other than shoes) were in the room. If you notice the other reporters in the room are using note pads and pencils. The photographers and camera men are in the back furthest from the President. Iraqi and US Security were right on hand if needed. It actually worked out better this way. Just think how foolish the US would have looked if several Secret Service agents had rushed in a tackled the President to cover him just because some nutter threw his shoes at him.

 

Bush was quick to dodge the shoes.:laugh:

 

The topic is President Bush and the threat of terrorists. What was the WTC about?

 

Actually the topic is Obama and the Secret Service. Just read the title - it's right there.

Your coy attempt to bash Bush is off topic.

 

Emphasis mine

Old habits die hard!!:laugh::laugh:

 

My post was about Bush and the lack of Secret Service support on 9/11. Is that close enough?

 

Nope. It is off topic again....

 

It isn't enough that every person must take off his shoes to board a plane? Maybe the president should conduct nude press conferences. Is there anything we are not supposed to be afraid of?

 

A lot of the times the Secret Service is put off by the administration. I think every president has to balance their security with the fact that they still need to be seen and meet with normal people.

It seems like their reaction was a little slow in this case but I also don't think there was any real danger.

I hope that our new president does not fall into the bunker mentality that both President Bush's fell into. He probably will though, in a lot of ways he already has.

We elect a guy president and then we lock him up in the white house and limit his contact with anyone other than a hand picked group of advisers more interested in advancing themselves then the nation. Then we wonder why our politicians loose touch with us normal folks (well I may not be normal, but you know what I mean).

The Secret Service does a great job and has to deal with a lot of difficult individuals. I made a social mistake once at the white house and was helped off the grounds by the Secret Service. They were gracious, polite, professional and left me with no doubt that they had complete control.