Sec.Service Warns Public That They'd Confiscate Any Cameras Used to Take Pictures of First Family

JonathonTurley.org ^ | 03/22/10 | Jonathon Turley

[bvw]

I am a famous public figure with many jealous of me. Do you allow my bodyguards to take your cellphone?

[hal ogen]

Maybe the “bug-assed-one is afraid someone will get a photo of her chompin’ down on some greasy ribs or maybe a dozen or so doughnuts. That said...does it take a wide angle to “capture” all of her????

[Nachum]

Are you person who is also designated by law to be protected by the Secret Service?

[LA Woman3]

Must be getting a lot more threats lately....

[bvw]

Cite the code then that gives Obama’s family the right to confiscate whatever they feel is necessary from you.

[Nachum]

(d) Presidential Threat Protection Act (Public Law 106-544) was passed, which in part, authorized the Secret Service to participate in the planning, coordination, and implementation of security operations at special events of national significance ("National Special Security Event"), as determined by the President.

http://www.secretservice.gov/history.shtml

The ACLU has been attacking this one. Gives them a great deal of power.

[NurseZac]

Not surprising....goes right along with all the other dictator behavior. Shame on the SS for morphing into the Gestapo however. They are mostly former military and should know better.

[Palladin]

Michelle doesn’t want any more photos of her rear end, since she has become the Czarina of Fat. She’s supposed to be setting an example of thinness and fitness for America’s youth.

That Sasha is a cute little chub; but people will be questioning what her mama feeds her.

The Secret Service are joining in on the general thuggishness of the prez and first lady.

[Palladin]

Can I use my Brownie camera to photograph her, or is that racist?

[MNDude]

I’d like to see them confiscate phones from 10,000 tea partiers at once. Let’s put them to the challenge

[MilspecRob]

as so has Sarah Palin with her special needs child and her lets do absence now daughter.

[airborne]

as so has Sarah Palin with her special needs child and her lets do absence now daughter.

OK - I must have missed the story where Palin had federal agents threaten American citizens with confiscating private property.

Could you please provide a link?

[rollo tomasi]

Um, did the Secretary/Department of Homeland Security designate a play, performed on an ordinary day, that did not serve any national significance what so ever, which was UNATTENDED by the CIC, a National Special Security Event? Also, several other ordinary outings which this same demand was called upon.

If so, we might as well call winners of federal popularity contests, their spouses, as well as their offspring, the nobility and just get it over with already.

Of course the usual suspect that originally instituted this power grab, Bill Clinton, boy king to some, or sink emperor to those who are coherent enough. But a play attended by a spouse/children of an elected official is a far cry for this:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RS22754.pdf

[bvw]

Too much power, too broad an authority. Breeds arrogance which breeds stupidity.

Still, if they come to take my phone I will not give it up and will depose witnesses with a defense on the grounds that will include a claim that Obama is not a legal President due such special protection. That SHOULD give such a directly and specifically harmed person standing.

[Voter62vb]

I’m thinking Tea Party photo Walk!

What the heck!?

Such openness with this Hope and Change.

[Mr. Wright]

Can you say “GESTAPO’?

[Nachum]

Too much power, too broad an authority. Breeds arrogance which breeds stupidity.

Very true.

Still, if they come to take my phone I will not give it up and will depose witnesses with a defense on the grounds that will include a claim that Obama is not a legal President due such special protection. That SHOULD give such a directly and specifically harmed person standing

And I would avoid taking the first lady's picture with my phone if the Secret Service tells me not to. Of course, it is worth trying and contesting to test the limits of their power.

[ladyjane]

My guess is they do not want to caught out socializing with Bill Ayers or Rev. Wright.

Actually it's probably because they don't want pictures taken of the 35 relatives who are freeloading during spring vacation.

The Obamas promised them an exotic foreign trip but it got cancelled. We're lucky they're just seeing the sights of NYC from the ground and not from a low flying Air Force One.

[hinckley buzzard]

Got no beef with the Secret Service. Their(sic) just doing their(sic) job.

Assume nothing. Do you remember the secret service agent who was stopped from heading to Crawford TX shortly after 9/11, (while Bush was there on vacation,) armed, and without proper authorization, and with a book about radical Islam on his person? The incident was dumped down the memory hole, and no followup ever reported. But I remember.

This report about SS agents resorting to Nazi tactics should not be shrugged off. They are, after all, only cops with a federal badge. They are not exempt from the Bill of Rights.

[Palladin]

Good point!