My thoughts on the SS, POTUS and the guy with the gun strapped

[monmouth]

to his leg. These are only my thoughts but common sense and having worked for law enforcement many years go has given me some insight. Long before POTUS arrived at the site everyone knew about this guy. A decision with POTUS in on discussion, decided to let this guy stand there (with many eyes on him) not disturbed. He looked foolish but was not going to be a threat. Had he been escorted out the right would have gone into a tizzy about his "rights" blah, blah, blah. The guy who sneaked into the venue early, without permission and carrying a knife, to me, was pretty much the same. Of course, a loaded gun in his truck emphasized the fact he needed to be removed. Again, as with the other guy, "testing the waters"...

The Secret Service, especially Obama's own detail, are the best and brightest. Nothing gets by them. I understand they are under-staffed and this of course is because of the radical right with their threats ad nauseum. Keeping up with all of these nuts from FR on down/up the line has to be exhausting, but the people doing that digging are not a part of Obama's personal detail. They have only one job and that is the immediate protection of the President. I hope more hires will be brought into the Service to do the "knocking on doors" and whatever else they do to root these nutsos out. I do have complete faith in the SS, I feel they do like Obama and his family and as dedicated servicemen 24/7 are always on the job. They saw all of this coming, they're way ahead of the nutsos and know exactly what they're doing...

[damntexdem]

1. Arguable, but the decision was too political, not sufficiently security-conscious.

You note "... the right would have gone into a tizzy ..." The RW is always in a tizzy; but the problem is that some tizzies can become violent. It was a calculated risk that an openly-carried gun in the crowd outside was OK. But the calculations likely weighed in the political issue (RW tizzy). They may not have adequately judged purely on security grounds. For example, what if there were a larger conspiracy, with the gun guy meant to play a role while something happened inside? Why an open carry in that case? That would depend on the role. Or what if the open carry guy were meant as a diversion while something else happened? In that case, taking him into custody early might have served to provide info on the larger plot. OK, in the case in point, everything came off fine; but that does not mean that it always would.

[monmouth]

2. I couldn't agree with you more. It was a calculated risk but I think

when they talked and watched him they calculated him as more a show off than a risk. Thanks for your post.

[izquierdista]

3. What we will never know

Is how many guns were trained on him, waiting for him to reach down to his holster.

[damonm]

7. I'd bet LONG odds...

that had that pistol come out of the holster, he'd have been dead before the gun reached his waist...

[depakid]

4. "Obama will take away your guns" vs. "enabling and encouraging other nutcases"

As to the former- they're going to believe and shout about that anyway, no matter what the evidence is.

As to the latter- I guess we will see....

[Paladin]

5. "Nothing Gets By Them."

What a tragedy that American history doesn't support that rosy outlook for yours....

[Ocracoker16]

6. I think that is the best explanation I have heard

I think that people forget that just because they can't see the SS doesn't mean that they aren't there. The SS always visits anyplace the president is going prior to his visit so they can scope it out and come up with a plan that takes into account every angle from which a gun could be fired. Obviously, there are many undercover agents who could step right in if there was a problem. I have heard different reports about the SS being understaffed and not able to provide appropriate protection. It is important to remember that the SS protects many individuals, but Obama is the most important protectee. Therefore, the SS can't cut corners when it comes to the number of agents or the quality of the agents that protect him. It is a great honor to be involved with the president. On the other hand, protecting Dick Cheney is not a job for the very best agents.