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Secret Service Orders the End to Gun Checks at Obama Rally
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by Albert Milliron | February 22, 2008 at 01:34 pm
1545 views | 22 Recommendations | 15 comments
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Senator Barack Obama, Myrtle Beach, SC Media Credit Iron Mill Interactiive Media, inc
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Secret Service Ordered End to Gun Checks at Obama Rally
I have attend five rallys with Barack Obama in addition to Debates throughout this campaign season. I have never seen any Lax of the Secret Service screening even the press. Why this breach took place I have not idea. Read on
Fort Worth Paper: Secret Service Ordered End to Gun Checks at Obama Rally
By E&P Staff
Published: February 22, 2008 8:00 AM ET
NEW YORK The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported late Thursday that security details at Barack Obama's rally in Dallas (of all places) on Wednesday "stopped screening people for weapons at the front gates more than an hour before the Democratic presidential candidate took the stage at Reunion Arena.
"The order to put down the metal detectors and stop checking purses and laptop bags came as a surprise to several Dallas police officers who said they believed it was a lapse in security," reported the paper's Jack Douglas, Jr. More than 10 days remain until the Texas primary and a key vote for president.
"Dallas Deputy Police Chief T.W. Lawrence, head of the Police Department's homeland security and special operations divisions, said the order -- apparently made by the U.S. Secret Service -- was meant to speed up the long lines outside and fill the arena's vacant seats before Obama came on. '"Sure,' said Lawrence, when asked if he was concerned by the great number of people who had gotten into the building without being checked. But, he added, the turnout of more than 17,000 people seemed to be a 'friendly crowd.'"
The Secret Service did not return a call from the Star-Telegram seeking comment.
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Albert Milliron
Columbia, South Carolina, United States
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (15)
at 13:40 on February 22nd, 2008
politisite, I like this story. It's good stuff. I am shocked about this lapse in security at a major political rally, and the fact that Obama seemed to be so easy going about the stop in checks. I mean really, anyone can be part of a friendly crowd until someone else pulls out a gun.
at 13:40 on February 22nd, 2008
Officially the dodgiest thing I've heard all day. This story has been bubbling up through the series of tubes that is the Internet- we'll see how much traction it gets. Hopefully quite a bit, if it's true.
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Slackat 14:22 on February 22nd, 2008
I was at the Obama event in Boston on Feb. 4th. There were 14,000 people there and everyone, including media, got checked. This included leaving my camera gear on the ground so a bomb sniffing dog could check it over. If they can do this at sporting events that attract 10's of thousands, they can do it for these events, and what is more, they should.
at 18:23 on February 22nd, 2008
Slack: That is the same process everywhere Why they opened up that part I am not sure. We have to leave all of our equiptment and go through screening, They look through our stuff and we can than go back a get our materials. They have always been cautionary at every event
at 16:09 on February 22nd, 2008
If memory serves me, I thought I recalled, Politisite, that you were told that they had investigated the report of death threats reported against Senator Obama, ultimately reporting the Secret Service indicated no credible threat had been found.
I'm not quite sure what 'no credible threat' means but, given the history of America and knowing not EVERYONE will be thrilled with a Black man as the democratic nominee, I find it deplorable, unconcionable and negligent for the Secret Service to withdraw their protection and support at any time during these primaries.
African Americans in particular are concerned for Senator Obama's safety.
Whatever agency is responsible for the Secret Service, I think it is the U.S. Treasury Department, should be held liable if any harm should come to the Senator.
at 16:16 on February 22nd, 2008
Many whites are concerned about Senator Obama's safety as well. Not sure why AP singled out blacks as being concerned. Any American should be concerned.
I am most likely voting for Obama....and I have been praying for his safety for some time now.
at 19:28 on February 22nd, 2008
TBR: kinda a backhanded slap, eh?
All candidates are at risk. There are nutjobs of every ilk out there. Any decent, normal citizen hopes that we have a clean race and election without violence to anyone.
at 16:18 on February 22nd, 2008
All that said...I did not hear any top advisers from the Obama camp complain.
at 18:30 on February 22nd, 2008
There are still threats, but none credibile. Even when there was no crediible threat they still checked every item as though theyre where. As I stated in the previous, wthout being too specific, all of our items were checked with us seperated from our equipment. Then we were allowed back. To stop this process is a huge breach of protocol
at 18:35 on February 22nd, 2008
Karen, it is probably why Obama early on ask for SS protection. It is not a requirment for a candidate to have SS protection.
at 13:35 on February 23rd, 2008
I was trying to Edit but, the comment box came up! Oh well! Here is a link to an update to this story, with the Secret Service defending it's actions.
I watched CNN for a considerable amount of time this morning and did not hear any mention of the story.
at 16:54 on February 22nd, 2008
politisite, that does seem strange. I hope they were still confiscating nail clippers and bottles of water...oh wait that's the airport. Thanks for posting this.
at 18:05 on February 22nd, 2008
If you asked me it sounds like someone on Obama's staff (maybe even the Senator himself) told the Secret Service to suspend the checks. The men and women who make up the Secret Service are extremely professional and dedicated to what they do. But I'm sure the conspiracy theorists are going to grab hold of this and use it as evidence that there is some kind of powerful cabal (surely populated with people from big oil to people from the Freemasons) that wants to kill off Mr. Obama.
at 18:37 on February 22nd, 2008
The SS would not suspend on their own
at 19:21 on February 22nd, 2008
Question: is every single person who attends a Hillary Clinton event wanded (the type of screening people are talking about here)?
Yes? No?
Is every single person who attends a John McCain event wanded?
Was every single person who attended any event for former candidates wanded?
Unless the answer can be conclusively proven to be "yes", this story doesn't have legs. The Secret Service said that its security plan works in layers, and that the plan for this event at this facility never included wanding every single person.
Obama was placed under Secret Service protection, at his request, earlier than any candidate who wasn't a former administration veteran (and hence entitled) than any candidate in U.S. history.
Has every single person who ever attended any Obama-attended event since May 3, 2007 been wanded?
Note: not wanding every single person doesn't mean that other security (such as bomb sniffing dogs, as Slack commented above) wasn't used. There are multiple forms of security used by the SS, and in overlapping layers, as they said.
Sounds like either a) some loal cops got po'd at having "the feds" tell them what to do (the turf warfare between locals and feds is well-known) and/or b) someone was looking to start something alleging that Obama is being left without adequate protection just because he's black.
Bottom line: unless every single person who ever attended any event for any candidate in this race, that had SS protection, has been wanded, this story is is "much ado about nothing."