Posted on 07/08/2004 11:43:56 AM PDT by doesnt like kerry
Subject: Secret Service Viewpoints
(WHAT WAS, COULD HAVE BEEN, AND WHAT IS)
WHAT WAS:
Hillary Clinton was arrogant and orally abusive to her security detail. She forbade her daughter, Chelsea, from exchanging pleasantries with them. Sometimes Chelsea, miffed at her mother's obvious conceit and mean spiritedness ignored her demands and exchanged pleasantries regardless, but never in her mother presence. Chelsea really was a nice, kindhearted, and lovely young lady. The consensus opinion was that Chelsea loved her mom but did not like her.
Hillary Clinton was continuously rude and abrasive to those who were charged to protect her life. Her security detail dutifully did their job, as professionals should, but they all "loathed" her and wanted to be on a different detail. She was hard work because she was so nasty and mean toward her detail. Hillary Clinton was uniformly despised by the Secret Service as a whole.
Former President Bill Clinton was much more amiable than his wife Hillary. Often the Secret Service would cringe at the verbal attack antics that Hillary would use against her husband, the then President. They were embarrassed for his sake by the manner and frequency in which she verbally insulted him, sometimes in the presence of the Secret Service, and sometimes behind closed doors. Even behind closed doors Hillary Clinton would scream and holler so loudly that everyone could hear what she was saying.
Many felt sorry for President Clinton and most wondered why he tolerated it instead of just divorcing his "attack dog" wife. It was crystal clear that the Clinton's neither liked nor respected each other and this was true long before the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Theirs was genuinely a "marriage of convenience."
Chelsea was much closer to her father than her mother, even after the Lewinsky scandal which hurt her gravely. Bill Clinton did in fact have "charisma," and occasionally would smile at or shake hands with his security detail. Still, he always displayed an obvious air of superiority towards them. His security detail uniformly believed him to be disingenuous, false, and that he did nothing without a motive that in some way would enhance his image and political career. They did respect him, unlike his wife, but they did not particularly like him and nobody trusted him. He was polite, but not kind.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN:
Al Gore was the male version of Hillary Clinton. They were friendlier toward each other than either of them was towards former President Clinton. They were not intimate, so please don't read that in.
They were very close in a political way. Tipper Gore was generally nice and pleasant. She initially liked Hillary but soon after the election she had her "pegged" and no longer liked her or associated with her except for events that were politically obligatory.
Al Gore was far more left wing and very hateful, not just politically opposed, to Republicans than Bill Clinton. Al Gore resented Bill Clinton and thought he was too "centrist." He despised all Republicans. His hatred was bitter and this was long before he announced for the Presidency. This bitter hatred was something that he and Hillary had very much in common. They often said as much, even in the presence of their security detail. Neither of them trusted Bill Clinton, and the Secret Service opined neither of them even liked Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton did have some good qualities where Al Gore and Hillary had none in the view of their security details.
Al Gore, like Hillary, was very rude and arrogant toward his security detail. He was extremely unappreciative and would not hesitate to scold them in the presence of their peers for minor details over which they had no control. Al Gore also looked down on them in disgust as they finally observed and learned with certainty on one occasion when Al Gore got angry at his offspring and loudly, in their presence, pointed at his security detail and said, "Do you want to grow up and be like them?"
Word of this insulting and demeaning verbiage by the former Vice-President quickly spread and he became as despised and disliked by the Secret Service as Hillary. Most of them prayed that Al Gore would not be elected President and they really did have private small celebrations in a few of their homes after President Bush won. This was not necessarily to celebrate President Bush's election, but to celebrate Al Gore's defeat. He was much disliked. Al Gore was not a good and kind person. That he could have been our President may suggest that God was "answering prayers" and looking out for the country with Al Gore's defeat.
WHAT IS:
Everyone in the Secret Service wants to be on First Lady Laura Bush's detail. Without exception, they uniformly concede that she is perhaps the most nice, kind, and genuinely good person they have ever had the privilege of serving. Where Hillary patently refused to allow her picture to be taken with her security detail, Laura Bush doesn't even have to be asked, she offers. She doesn't just shake their hand and say, "Thank you." Very often, she will give members of her detail a kind-hearted hug to express her appreciation. There is nothing false about her. This is her genuine nature. Laura Bush really is this kind of a person and her security detail considers her to be a "breath of fresh air." They actually love her as a human being. They joke that comparing Laura Bush with Hillary Clinton is like comparing "Mother Teresa" with the "Wicked Witch of the North."
Likewise, the Secret Service considers President Bush to be a gem of a man to work for. He always treats them with genuine respect and he always trusts and listens to their expert advice. They really like the Crawford, Texas detail. Every time the president goes to Crawford he has a Bar-B-Q for his security detail and he helps in serving them their meals. He eats with them, sits with them, and talks with them. He always asks about their family, the names of which he always remembers, and he of course, knows each of them by their first name, and calls them by their first name as a show of affection.
They believe that he actually loves his security detail and that he is deeply and genuinely appreciative of their service. They could not like, love, or respect anyone more than President Bush, and most of them did not know they would feel this way until they had an opportunity to work for him and learn that his manner was genuine and consistent. It has never changed in the three years that he has been President. He always treats them with the utmost respect, kindness, and compassion.
So it MUST be true.
WOW!!
Hey, it's on the World Wide Web.
They couldn't print it if it weren't true.
Having said THAT, I have read other sources that pretty much confirm what is written here.
Two words: Spousal Immunity.
Thank you for posting. The part about W and Laura just made my day!
Sounds a little bit to one-sided to be 100% true. References would help to add to the credibility.
I want to believe it is true, but can't see this as anything more than propaganda.
Well I believe it.
Back in 2000 I was at a Women for Bush event and attempting to take a photo of Laura Bush. She saw me fumbling with the camera and asked if SHE, LAURA, could have her picture taken with me.
She handed my camera to her Secret Service and they took the photo of Laura, me, and some idiot who I do not know who stuck her head in the middle. There is no way I can airbrush out the idiot in the middle.
Back to the original story, Laura is gracious and so is her security detail.
The details of relationships during the Clinton adminstration sound exactly like the stories that the Marine Security Gaurds at Camp David used to relate to us, when I was stationed at 8th and I.
I have a HS buddy of mine who worked in the Secret Service under Reagan, Bush 41, and Clinton... From what I gather from what he alludes to (he won't come right out and say it), there is a lot of truth in this essay.
One thing I have yet to grasp is why would someone treat so badly a person or group of people who took an oath to defend your life above theirs. I can see that there would be problems from time to time when the SS sought to change the "protectee's" plans, etc. I just don't understand why Al Gore and Hillary would openly snub these people. I believe that I would want to have my protectors on my side and get along. I would hate to think my protectors hated me and might not do their duty when the time came. It just doesn't make sense.
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