WHY INAUGURATION DAY IS DANGEROUS. Unprepared

The New Republic ^ | Januray 17, 2005 | Norman Ornstein

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Here is the nightmare scenario: Right at noon, a suitcase nuclear bomb goes off somewhere on the Mall--a bomb small enough to fit in a satchel but powerful enough to devastate six to ten square city blocks, or most of the area between the Capitol and the White House. (Such a bomb could easily wreak havoc even if outside the zone of protection contemplated by security authorities this year.)

Considering how sensitive the scanners they are using are there is almost zero possibility that a suitcase nuke could be planted anywhere near the Mall.

Conventional bomb maybe but not a nuke.

[July 4th]

Yes. Those scanners have already sounded alerts on trucks carrying radioactive medical waste, most of which has quite a bit shorter half-life than plutonium or uranium.

[Nita Nupress]

Just in case someone here gets any ideas, I swear I didn't write this. :-)

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

The ones they use at the border and airports sound alerts on people who have had Chemo in the past five weeks.

I worry about a lot of things but a suitcase nuke is pretty close to the bottom of the list.

[KC_for_Freedom]

I liked Clancy's solution', have Cheney hang out in the tunnel until the president is sworn in, then he can come up and get sworn in while the President is leaving in the tunnel. Actually, I believe the team has contingency plans in place, they just don't publish them all. I agree that during the time of transition we have a heightened vulnerability, (including all those FReepers at the ball). So take steps George.

[KJC1]

I just googled Norm Ornstein.
Check out this short bio (he's a friend of Al Franken):
http://www.nndb.com/people/976/000047835/

[KingNo155]

We would still have State Government's and elect a new Senate, House and President. Its not really that chaotic.

[_Jim]

Right at noon, a suitcase nuclear bomb goes off somewhere on the Mall--a bomb small enough to fit in a satchel but powerful enough to devastate six to ten square city blocks

Oprah: "I'd like to give a warm welcome to President Denny Hastert who has taken time from his busy scehdule to ..."

[Wolfstar]

Pinging you to this article. Yet another example of how our system works -- or more to the point of this article, might not work in the event of a terrorist attack on Inauguration Day. Frankly, my solution would be a constitutional amendment that requires the governors of all 50 states to convene and select an acting president and vice president until another election could be held. That would be most in keeping with the Founders' point of view.

[tirednvirginia]

Since I am going to be in the mall on Inauguration Day at noon, I am sorry I read this article. LOL

[txhurl]

Hear, hear.

[Hank Rearden]

Guaranteed, the first thing the parasites would reconstitute is some scheme to keep taxing us.

And I'm sure we'll all be most receptive, after the great job they've been doing.

[Lancey Howard]

Here is the nightmare scenario: Right at noon, a suitcase nuclear bomb goes off somewhere on the Mall

Norman Ornstein should be a novelist.

[hinckley buzzard]

"I just googled Norm Ornstein.
Check out this short bio (he's a friend of Al Franken): "

I was just thinking, Ornstein has so little, actually, to say, despite the wordwooze he generates in saying it, he is approaching the David Gergen level of content-free "Virtual pundit."

[Mad Mammoth]

I just googled Norm Ornstein...
(he's a friend of Al Franken)

In that case, Ornstein AND Franken should probably be temporarily (ahem) 'detained' between January 17th and January 21st so authorities can be sure they don't get into harms way.

Don't put it past any of the Bush-haters who have been whipped into a frenzy by the DUmmies and the DNC and the rest of the far left freakazoids to literally attempt an assassination of the President and/or Vice President. Unlikely you say?

Consider this: we have already read reports of 'depressed' Democrats who have committed suicide due to the re-election of President Bush, how much further into mental illness does one have to sink to choose homicide instead of suicide?

Indeed, it would not surprise me if some of the nutjobs in Congress (hello, Stephanie TUBBS Jones? hello, Babs Boxer?) strapped explosives to themselves in an attempt to stop at all costs, the inauguration of Bush/Cheney to a second term.

Don't think it can't happen.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

Same here.

I'm more concerned about the lefties, though.

[fso301]

Seems like someone had a deadline for an article.

One or more persons in the line of succession won't be present and problem solved.

[msnimje]

Wow, I wonder if the Secret Service agents ever thought of this? Somebody better call them quick and let them know. :~)

[GSlob]

The shorter half life the more intensive the radiation. Plutonium suitcase nuke (half-life 24000 yrs) would emit 30000 times more radiation than uranium suitcase nuke (half life 750000000 yrs) for the same amount of fissionable material.