Pierson Punted: Obama, Congress Must Now Undo Bush-Era Injustice to Secret Service

National Journal ^ | October 1, 2014 | RON FOURNIER

[Ann Archy]

ALL Govt. is poorly run!!!! There are NO decent Liberal Leaders!!

[Flick Lives]

The SS fiasco is just another sign of FedGov having reached Peak Incompetence.

[DoodleDawg]

1) utterly incompetent

Quite possible but most likely complacent. The last serious attempt on the president was over 30 years ago.

2) so PC-ized that they were ineffective or

Pierson got her job because she was a woman, there is no doubt about that. But you also have to remember what prompted her appointment. It was right after that scandal about the Secret Service Agents drinking and whoring down in Venezuela. A shakeup was definitely needed after that and I'm sure someone thought that a woman would be more believable when the agency claimed it was going to cut out the skit-chasing. Unfortunately the woman they chose was not up to the job.

3) the agents themselves really didn't care what happens to Zero

Then they need to be tracked down and fired. Immediately. This isn't a job where you get to choose to defend who you like. The agents are there to protect the President and his family regardless of who they are, regardless of how they treat the agents on the detail, and regardless of their personal feelings. If they can't do that then they have no business being in the job.

[Buckeye McFrog]

In this instance they may have a case.

Creating a massive new Homeland Security bureaucracy was one of Bush’s worst moves.

[CAluvdubya]

3. the agents themselves really didn't care what happens to Zero

I'll take number three for the win.....this has been my thought from the beginning of this mess.

[X-spurt]

something terrible happens to the first family it will be some Muslim AA hire that is in his protection detail.

And it will be nobama’s own damn fault.

To quote hitlery “what possible difference can it now make?” None to me.

[hoosiermama]

Needs repeating loudly on every thread about this subject

Keep in mind---the SS's other function is to monitor counterfeiting, money laundering and other funny money schemes. Looks like the Chicago criminal combine had a much larger plan from the getgo.

[Verginius Rufus]

I heard that once Gonzalez got inside the White House, the Secret Service agent at the door tried to stop him but it was a small woman and he overpowered her. So political correctness could have had fatal consequences if the off-duty agent had not come along at the right moment to tackle Gonzalez.

[Billthedrill]

Still Bush’s fault. Always Bush’s fault. These people need a new script.

[DoodleDawg]

I heard that once Gonzalez got inside the White House, the Secret Service agent at the door tried to stop him but it was a small woman and he overpowered her. So political correctness could have had fatal consequences if the off-duty agent had not come along at the right moment to tackle Gonzalez.

I don't think anyone knows exactly what happened. But since we're speculating then perhaps if the door had been locked or if the Secret Service had not turned off the audio door alarm at the request of the White House Usher then the Secret Service agent might not have been surprised and overpowered. It was a comedy of errors from start to finish. I doubt the gender of the agent made things any worse, or that had it been a guy it would have been any better.

[justiceseeker93]

Obama put his COS, Rahm Emanuel, in charge of Treasury---Rahm Emanuel's dual role was an unusual move.

When he got to Treasury, WH COS Rahm Emanuel was so involved in the inner workings of the Treasury that the phrase "Rahm wants it" had become an unofficial mantra among subservient govt staffers, prostrate in obeisance, scurrying to accede to Rahm's wishes, according to Treasury government officials.

Hadn't heard about the connection between Rahm Emanuel and Treasury. Thanks for the info, Liz.