White House breaches and the SS

[albrecht]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SECRET_SERVICE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-09-30-11-23-21

I understand that the nation's border doesn't need to be secure (due to various political purposes and reasons;) but the White House itself? Is this simply a bunch of coincidences caused by general incompetence or laziness by bureaucrats? Especially after all the drunken antics by some SS agents in the past few years and previous incidents, this is disturbing and bizarre. Nothing was learned or procedures/personnel changed? So "just mistakes?" Or something more nefarious? A message? A warning? One knows from history that the Emperor needs to be worried when even his Praetorian guard starts to turn on him....

[b_dubb]

The SS is a culture of jerks and assholes. 

[FightTheFuture]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SECRET_SERVICE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-09-30-11-23-21

I understand that the nation's border doesn't need to be secure (due to various political purposes and reasons;) but the White House itself? Is this simply a bunch of coincidences caused by general incompetence or laziness by bureaucrats? Especially after all the drunken antics by some SS agents in the past few years and previous incidents, this is disturbing and bizarre. Nothing was learned or procedures/personnel changed? So "just mistakes?" Or something more nefarious? A message? A warning? One knows from history that the Emperor needs to be worried when even his Praetorian guard starts to turn on him....

Have you been watching the House Oversight Committee hearing on CSPAN today? I have to tell you, the Secret Service Director, Julia Pierson, is in way over her head. You talk about total incompetence. It's actually a bit frightening. She had that deer-in-the-headlights look every time someone asked her a tough question. She must have acquired this job as a political favor from Obama.

[albrecht]

Have you been watching the House Oversight Committee hearing on CSPAN today? I have to tell you, the Secret Service Director, Julia Pierson, is in way over her head. You talk about total incompetence. It's actually a bit frightening. She had that deer-in-the-headlights look every time someone asked her a tough question. She must have acquired this job as a political favor from Obama.

"Inclusivity" and "political correctness" is more important than background, effectiveness, or experience. If those criteria are sufficient to be President, why not for his SS leader? (Recall Obama was facing criticisms that he wasn't appointed enough women by the progressives and the SS sex scandal, so, I'm guessing, this was more based on "inclusivity/political-correctness" pressure than an outright political favor.)

[VtaGeezer]

"Inclusivity" and "political correctness" is more important than background, effectiveness, or experience. If those criteria are sufficient to be President, why not for his SS leader? (Recall Obama was facing criticisms that he wasn't appointed enough women by the progressives and the SS sex scandal, so, I'm guessing, this was more based on "inclusivity/political-correctness" pressure than an outright political favor.)

Three guesses who changed the position Director of Secret Service into a political appointment and rolled the SS it into DHS and dramatically expanded its responsibilities outside previous roles.  Clue - it happened in 2003. 

[albrecht]

Three guesses who changed the position Director of Secret Service into a political appointment and rolled the SS it into DHS and dramatically expanded its responsibilities outside previous roles.  Clue - it happened in 2003.

I knew it. It was, like everything else, Bush's fault!! Of course. (Ignore, of course, that Obama is President for sometime now and could reverse these policies, if he wished, or at least used his great acumen and experience and appointed people who were competent instead of for politically-correct reasons.)

[VtaGeezer]

I knew it. It was, like everything else, Bush's fault!!

Glad you're catching on to the fact that almost everything bad that's happened since Jan 2001 has been; but he shares the fault with those who voted for his 2nd term.  And Jesus himself couldn't reverse the PATRIOT Act with the GOP controlling the House.

[pate]

Carry me caravan take me away, take me to Portugal take me to Spain...


The Doors Spanish Caravan

[PB the Deplorable]

Have you been watching the House Oversight Committee hearing on CSPAN today? I have to tell you, the Secret Service Director, Julia Pierson, is in way over her head. You talk about total incompetence. It's actually a bit frightening. She had that deer-in-the-headlights look every time someone asked her a tough question. She must have acquired this job as a political favor from Obama.

Why would his choice to run the Secret Service be any better than his other appointees?  Why would that agency be run any better than the rest of them?

"Yes we can!"

"We're the ones we've been waiting for!'

[albrecht]

-shots fired at White House thought to be car-backfires (when is the last time you've heard a backfire considering the more modern cars with fuel-injection and EPA mandated exhaust system changes btw) only discovered when cleaners said "what's this broken glass here"

-the schizo African sign-language interpreter allowed to do his antics right near the Pres during Mandela's death celebration

-the CDC contractor in the elevator with Obama who had a gun who also had multiple felony convictions (only caught when he took camera photos of Obama and then the SS decided to check him out.) The SS discovered his felony convictions and the boss of the contractor said "you're fired" to the elevator operator who in turn took out a gun and handed it to the boss. Stunned SS agents didn't know the guy had a gun.

-the various fence jumpers including the guy who got all over the White House, finally being stopped by a random off-duty personnel.

-the drunken SS agent found stumbling around

-the drunken SS parties with prostitutes in South America

Just incompetence or not really caring about protecting Obama. Sort of a passive-aggressive position towards this character Obama, maybe? Has his praetorian guard turned on him? Or just the usual government incompetence, laziness, etc exacerbated by political-correctness and inclusivity? Or is it all, as others have posited, all "Bush's Fault?"

[VtaGeezer]

I think SS should be put back under Treasury where it's not lost in the DHS weeds and would get more appropriate direct cabinet oversight and attention. 

[albrecht]

I think SS should be put back under Treasury where it's not lost in the DHS weeds and would get more appropriate direct cabinet oversight and attention.

I think almost all of the agencies should be put back. Sharing is fine and dandy but top-down solutions and "too much" integration and sharing also potential causes security breaches. Also having investigations and monitoring from different angles and perspectives might help break cases or identify threats better. There is also nothing wrong with a little competition between agencies (as long as it doesn't become too large or cause more concern for politics and funding than their mission.)

[b_dubb]

Too bad the US Government doesn't have a roll back feature like XP.  Roll that shit back to the early 60's.

[VtaGeezer]

I think almost all of the agencies should be put back. Sharing is fine and dandy but top-down solutions and "too much" integration and sharing also potential causes security breaches. Also having investigations and monitoring from different angles and perspectives might help break cases or identify threats better. There is also nothing wrong with a little competition between agencies (as long as it doesn't become too large or cause more concern for politics and funding than their mission.)

I agree in principal, but have seen personally how inter-department competition become turf wars when there is no common authority to knock heads together, and sight of the goal is blurred or lost.  The Federal bureaucracies have a congenital predisposition to be run by anal bureaucrats because the career ladder favors those who focus on process and politics instead of results.  It takes about two minutes of hearing Julia Pierson to recognize she's a deeply burrowed into procedural, budgetary, and regulatory compliance and the day-to-day quality of WH security is far removed from her routine. Actually, her resume is balanced and impressive, and I have little doubt she was appointed because of it and her gender in reaction to the SS's hooker and drinking scandals.

BTW, I'm watching the news at lunch; Pierson just resigned.

[FightTheFuture]

I agree in principal, but have seen personally how inter-department competition become turf wars when there is no common authority to knock heads together, and sight of the goal is blurred or lost.  The Federal bureaucracies have a congenital predisposition to be run by anal bureaucrats because the career ladder favors those who focus on process and politics instead of results.  It takes about two minutes of hearing Julia Pierson to recognize she's a deeply burrowed into procedural, budgetary, and regulatory compliance and the day-to-day quality of WH security is far removed from her routine. Actually, her resume is balanced and impressive, and I have little doubt she was appointed because of it and her gender in reaction to the SS's hooker and drinking scandals.

BTW, I'm watching the news at lunch; Pierson just resigned.

I'm surprised she lasted a day. I thought she was going to crawl under the table yesterday when Trey Gowdy started on her. It was brutal.

[pate]

albee (alby?) you forgot the incident that our intrepid man on the street hard hitting news correspondant sNooron so eloquently pointed out a few weeks ago on the same day as the crazed knife wielder did his deal.  The goofball Japanese tourist or whatever that jumped the fence with the plushie toy that he was trying to get to the Preezy.  My bad, I think he was a brony or something, prolly wearing the "Freindship is Magic" t-shirt and maybe not a plushie toy but a My Little Pony figurine (cuz figurine doesn't sound so gay)....

blurp.

[Heather Wade]

I've heard the theory that JFK was accidentally shot by a SS agent, and that is why it was covered up.  But, I am just an idiot civilian, and know nothing.   

[pate]

I've heard the theory that JFK was accidentally shot by a SS agent, and that is why it was covered up.  But, I am just an idiot civilian, and know nothing.   

'nother thang, when did all these SS guys get into the White House anyhow?  I thought our head commie FDR beat them to death back in the '40s or sumthin...

[bateman]

-shots fired at White House thought to be car-backfires (when is the last time you've heard a backfire considering the more modern cars with fuel-injection and EPA mandated exhaust system changes btw) only discovered when cleaners said "what's this broken glass here"

-the schizo African sign-language interpreter allowed to do his antics right near the Pres during Mandela's death celebration

-the CDC contractor in the elevator with Obama who had a gun who also had multiple felony convictions (only caught when he took camera photos of Obama and then the SS decided to check him out.) The SS discovered his felony convictions and the boss of the contractor said "you're fired" to the elevator operator who in turn took out a gun and handed it to the boss. Stunned SS agents didn't know the guy had a gun.

-the various fence jumpers including the guy who got all over the White House, finally being stopped by a random off-duty personnel.

-the drunken SS agent found stumbling around

-the drunken SS parties with prostitutes in South America

Just incompetence or not really caring about protecting Obama. Sort of a passive-aggressive position towards this character Obama, maybe? Has his praetorian guard turned on him? Or just the usual government incompetence, laziness, etc exacerbated by political-correctness and inclusivity? Or is it all, as others have posited, all "Bush's Fault?"

Let's not forget these assclowns:

[Juan]

Too bad the US Government doesn't have a roll back feature like XP.  Roll that shit back to the early 60's.

One full chapter of the Warren Report details the Secret Service agents drinking and whoring in Ft. Worth the night before Kennedy was assassinated. The early 60s were no different.

[b_dubb]

One full chapter of the Warren Report details the Secret Service agents drinking and whoring in Ft. Worth the night before Kennedy was assassinated. The early 60s were no different.

The IRS used to be known for efficiency. I bet every agency was smaller and more efficient. Even the Office for Screwing Over Native Americans


Watch JFK: The Smoking Gun

[VtaGeezer]

I've heard the theory that JFK was accidentally shot by a SS agent, and that is why it was covered up.  But, I am just an idiot civilian, and know nothing.   

The idea is that an agent in a open car following Kennedy's stood with an M-16, lost his balance, and fired the shot as he was falling into the seat.  It was explored in a cable TV program (NG?) in detail and seemed entirely plausible, but those shows always focus on the supporting details and tend to omit the contrary ones.

[VtaGeezer]

Let's not forget these assclowns:

Didn't she end up divorced and on a reality show?

[FightTheFuture]

The idea is that an agent in a open car following Kennedy's stood with an M-16, lost his balance, and fired the shot as he was falling into the seat.  It was explored in a cable TV program (NG?) in detail and seemed entirely plausible, but those shows always focus on the supporting details and tend to omit the contrary ones.

That`s almost -- almost, mind you -- as far fetched as the dashboard gun. I think Marrs floated that one for a while.

No, unfortunately, the truth is far more mundane; a lone kook, named Lee Harvey Oswald, assassinated JFK.

[Gd5150]

This whole story is a joke. A streaker runs into the White House, takes less than a week to have hearings and get someone canned.

An US embassy is over run and an embassador and 3 special forces guards are killed because their calls for assistance and the U.S. Marines 10min away calls for permission to assist were ignored for 8 hours by our Secretary of State and President, and we still haven't had a legitimate hearing. Add to it there was a blatant amateurish attempt at covering up the cause of the incident when the cause was obvious to all from the start, it was 911.

Not only should there have been real hearings within a few months, there should have been a special prosecutor and people at the top should have lost their jobs. Americans died due to blatant negligence and there was an attempted cover up.

[VtaGeezer]

That`s almost -- almost, mind you -- as far fetched as the dashboard gun. I think Marrs floated that one for a while.

No, unfortunately, the truth is far more mundane; a lone kook, named Lee Harvey Oswald, assassinated JFK.

Just saying I saw the program, and all pieces and timing fell into place.  I forget the details, but I think it held that the neck shot was from Oswald but the head shot came from the M16.

[FightTheFuture]

This whole story is a joke. A streaker runs into the White House, takes less than a week to have hearings and get someone canned.

An US embassy is over run and an embassador and 3 special forces guards are killed because their calls for assistance and the U.S. Marines 10min away calls for permission to assist were ignored for 8 hours by our Secretary of State and President, and we still haven't had a legitimate hearing. Add to it there was a blatant amateurish attempt at covering up the cause of the incident when the cause was obvious to all from the start, it was 911.

Not only should there have been real hearings within a few months, there should have been a special prosecutor and people at the top should have lost their jobs. Americans died due to blatant negligence and there was an attempted cover up.

Absolutely. However, I can tell you without the slightest fear of contradiction, my homie, Trey Gowdy (R-SC) , will get to the bottom of Benghazi. Stay tuned.

[VtaGeezer]

This whole story is a joke. A streaker runs into the White House, takes less than a week to have hearings and get someone canned.

An US embassy is over run and an embassador and 3 special forces guards are killed because their calls for assistance and the U.S. Marines 10min away calls for permission to assist were ignored for 8 hours by our Secretary of State and President, and we still haven't had a legitimate hearing. Add to it there was a blatant amateurish attempt at covering up the cause of the incident when the cause was obvious to all from the start, it was 911.

Not only should there have been real hearings within a few months, there should have been a special prosecutor and people at the top should have lost their jobs. Americans died due to blatant negligence and there was an attempted cover up.

You make Sean proud.  :

[albrecht]

I agree in principal, but have seen personally how inter-department competition become turf wars when there is no common authority to knock heads together, and sight of the goal is blurred or lost.  The Federal bureaucracies have a congenital predisposition to be run by anal bureaucrats because the career ladder favors those who focus on process and politics instead of results.  It takes about two minutes of hearing Julia Pierson to recognize she's a deeply burrowed into procedural, budgetary, and regulatory compliance and the day-to-day quality of WH security is far removed from her routine. Actually, her resume is balanced and impressive, and I have little doubt she was appointed because of it and her gender in reaction to the SS's hooker and drinking scandals.

BTW, I'm watching the news at lunch; Pierson just resigned.

I agree with you on that though a little inter-agency rivalry isnt, necessarily,  bad but can become so when folks worry more about their budget and rivalry than the real purpose. What I worried about with the consolidation is changing the whole structure in response to a , relatively,  low level threat. Still a threat but nothing compared to possible nation threats (China, Russia etc.) The more people "know" info means more opps for interception. Also the consolidation also muddied (or worse) the difference between country and "others" and even our own "checks and balances." Agencies mining Congressional computers to wit. And, of course, monitoring etc we civilians without warrant or cause.