Secret Service on Scranton 'Kill Him' Report: "We Have Yet to Find Someone to Back Up the Story"

The Weekly Standard ^ | 10/15/08 | John McCormack

[DocT111]

Yesterday, David Singleton of the Scranton Times-Tribune reported that someone shouted "kill him!" about Barack Obama at a McCain-Palin rally in Scranton, Pennsylvania, while GOP congressional candidate Chris Hackett spoke. But today Andrew M. Seder of the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader reports that not a single person interviewed by the Secret Service heard this outburst:

[Secret Service agent] Bill Slavoski said he was in the audience, along with an undisclosed number of additional secret service agents and other law enforcement officers and not one heard the comment.

“I was baffled,” he said after reading the report in Wednesday’s Times-Tribune.

He said the agency conducted an investigation Wednesday, after seeing the story, and could not find one person to corroborate the allegation other than Singleton.

Slavoski said more than 20 non-security agents were interviewed Wednesday, from news media to ordinary citizens in attendance at the rally for the Republican vice presidential candidate held at the Riverfront Sports Complex. He said Singleton was the only one to say he heard someone yell “kill him.”

“We have yet to find someone to back up the story,” Slavoski said. “We had people all over and we have yet to find anyone who said they heard it.”

[madison10]

ACORN made it up...

[cripplecreek]

Of course they did.

[Ann Archy]

Methinks the reporter is a LIAR....but hey, they got their talking point. EVIL.

[sofaman]

Dana Milbank, Washington Compost, is apparently, a liar. And the media grabbed it and ran without once stopping to confirm the story.

I am beyond disgusted with the media, who have forgone any semblance of, or pretense at, objectivity. It's disgraceful and I fear mightily for my country.

[ClaudiusI]

I'm Spartacus!
Er, uh, I heard nothing.

[Ann Archy]

Dana Milbank is a small minded little gay guy that swallows the democrat Kool Aid.

[NeoConfederate]

This was reported in the mainstream media and they’ve got it wrong as they have so many other stories. Who’s surprised at another one?

[Minus_The_Bear]

remember when “journalist” wasn’t a synonym for “lying whore”?

[Frank_2001]

They ARE liars, those MSM ‘ers, most of what they report can be described as “creative writing” designed to reinforce their agendas. Disgusting! I have more respect for used-car salesmen.....They’re smooth enough to fool even the Secret Service! Imagine what effect they have on the pink hair, tattoo and nose-ring crowd.....

[pj_627]

If there was someone in the crowd who shouted “Kill him”, which I seriously doubt, it in no way reflects the sentiments of the McCain/Palin supporters I personally know....and I know a bunch of them. To the woman/man, we despise Barry’s politics, his words and his actions as a public figure. But we do NOT want to harm him, physically. We would be quick to remove from our midst any brainless fool who’d express any desire to do so. That is not how my friends and I think or operate. Incredibly insulting.....But this type of accusation doesn’t have to be true, it just has to be ‘out there’. So, the media creeps have accomplished their intention. Makes me so angry!

pattyjo

[sofaman]

hiya pj, I agree totally.

I want him, and his ideas, defeated, not harmed.

[ethics]

What consequences will this reporter face for his comments?

[SE Mom]

Nice try ACORN/Axelrod/MSM-Dana Milbank.

The SECRET SERVICE- who are everywhere during these events couldn’t find anyone to corroborate “kill him”...

I fear for our country. Truly.

[stockpirate]

Hope Rush picks up on this tomorrow.

[Bruinator]

Please don’t use gay and swallows in the sentence. Not a pretty image. Thanks :)

[kempster]

“It’s not whether it happened or not. It’s the seriousness of the issue”.

[LiveFreeOrDie2001]

It either didn’t happen or it was a plant !!

[BIGLOOK]

Rush already had a caller last week who had attended the Scranton rally and commented on this event. No one heard anything but she did report that there were several protesters outside the rally. Now, if they were outside, say, near the media vans and slung epithets and remarks like ‘Kill him’ and ‘Off with his head’, the MSM would duly report on this.....even though the remarks weren't directed towards Obama. After all, it's sensational news and not subject to any investigation.

[Albion Wilde]

"We Have Yet to Find Someone to Back Up the Story

LOL. Reminds me of the people who live in mob neighborhoods like Philly's Italian Market during the shoot-out with the New York mob over control of Atlantic City. When the FBI comes knocking on doors asking about the latest chalk outline on the pavement, nobody knows anything! Nobody saw nuttin'! Heard nuttin"! "Gunshots? Ehhhh - I t'ought it wuz somebodi's TV, y'noow?"