Report: Secret Service Strained to Protect Obama

rockin'robin · 10-22-2009, 12:00 PM

An internal congressional report questioning the ability of the Secret Service to continue fulfilling its duties was leaked to the Boston Globe. The report says the Secret Service is strained by a drastic increase in threats to President Obama, coupled with deep budget cuts. Some are speculating that the agency may need to relinquish all or part of its roles in protecting the country's financial machinery in order to focus resources on the protection of the president and other high-profile leaders.

The report, issued in August by the Congressional Research Service, claimed that if "an evaluation of the service's two missions" were to be done at this time, there's a good possibility that "it might be determined that it is ineffective...to conduct its protection mission and investigate financial crimes." Additionally, an anonymously quoted government official said that many inside the halls of Congress and within the Secret Service itself are questioning whether or not the agency's effectiveness wouldn't be enhanced by transferring some of its responsibilities regarding the investigation of financial crimes over to the Treasury Department.

Talking Points Memo noted that Ronald Kessler, the author of a recently released book on the Secret Service's protection of U.S. presidents, recently said that threats against President Obama are up 400 percent from the number of threats levied against former President George W. Bush, while the size of the agency's staff has only increased by 5.3 percent.

The Southern Poverty Law Center says that the U.S. has seen a 35 percent rise in hate groups in recent years, and few doubt that the discontent stirred up over the election of an African-American president is fueling the rise in threats. But, could the influx of modern technology also be to blame?

As the cost of computer technology has fallen (and accessibility to high-speed Internet service has spread), more and more people are spending more and more time online. Accordingly, these people are doing what people often do on the Internet: sending emails, communicating in chat rooms and on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, watching YouTube videos, etc. According to results of a recent study by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, these activities seem to be enhancing the scope of extremist groups' reach:

With over 200 million users, online bigots have to date outpaced efforts to remove them. Some sites have thousands of friends, thus enabling the message of hate to spread virally...This user-generated material increases the viral spread of extremism online and aids in increasing the social acceptability of hate in mainstream discourse. By creating an environment where users are equal participants in the Web, all editorial functions are removed and expressions of hate can easily flow unchallenged.

In other words, extremists once confined to small sects can now congregate on the Internet anonymously and distribute propaganda to millions of people in mere seconds. People with extreme views can also now communicate direct threats to individuals quicker and more easily than they have previously, thanks to the immediacy of email and chat rooms.

In other words, extremists once confined to small sects can now congregate on the Internet anonymously and distribute propaganda to millions of people in mere seconds. People with extreme views can also now communicate direct threats to individuals quicker and more easily than they have previously, thanks to the immediacy of email and chat rooms.

The Secret Service, presently housed under the bureaucratic umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security, was initially established in 1865 to help combat the rise in counterfeiting that took place in that era. The protection of national leaders didn't become a full-time responsibility until William McKinley was assassinated in 1901. Congress passed a law in 1917 making any threat against the president a federal crime, and the responsibility of investigating such threats often falls upon the Secret Service. Along with protecting presidents, the agency's role in policing financial shenanigans was expanded when the 20th century's technological revolution led to a rise in electronic financial transactions.

It should be noted in all of this, however, that the Secret Service has issued a response in which the agency denied any decreased capacity to carry out its missions, saying that the Boston Globe's report was "not accurate and lacks a good deal of information."

Report: Secret Service strained to protect Obama - Yahoo! News

kokonut · 10-25-2009, 12:00 PM

souggy · 10-25-2009, 12:05 PM

Like a moth to a candlelight...

kokonut · 10-25-2009, 12:24 PM

Hmmm.....likewise.

LOL

jillio · 10-25-2009, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by souggy

Like a moth to a candlelight...

saywhatkid · 10-25-2009, 03:18 PM

Well, there were two actual attempts on Ford, and one actual attempt on Reagan. I think we need to send the Secret Service on vacation, until there is an actual attempt on Obama. That way, we keep things fair and square.

kokonut · 10-25-2009, 03:50 PM

Secret Service people are to be treated like any other human beings. They are the ones willing to risk a bullet for the president. Yet they get treated like dirt by some presidents, vice presidents and even by their spouses.
http://www.northstarnational.com/200...es-presidents/

Cowpuppy · 10-25-2009, 04:00 PM

6th paragraph...."With over 200 million online users, online bigots have to date outpaced efforts to remove them".

jillio · 10-25-2009, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cowpuppy

6th paragraph...."With over 200 million online users, online bigots have to date outpaced efforts to remove them".

Jiro · 10-25-2009, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kokonut

Secret Service people are to be treated like any other human beings. They are the ones willing to risk a bullet for the president. Yet they get treated like dirt by some presidents, vice presidents and even by their spouses.
http://www.northstarnational.com/200...es-presidents/

so how is this related to this topic?

Did Obamas mistreat Secret Service?

saywhatkid · 10-26-2009, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jiro

so how is this related to this topic?

Did Obamas mistreat Secret Service?

It was just an opportunity to post a link to another whining website filled with sore losers. Bwahahahahaha......Obama for the next 3+ years!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jiro · 10-26-2009, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saywhatkid

It was just an opportunity to post a link to another whining website filled with sore losers. Bwahahahahaha......Obama for the next 3+ years!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bwahahahahaha

kokonut · 10-26-2009, 02:20 AM

It was interesting to see how Bush I and II, and Reagan treated their SS with respect while others saw them as an annoyance. Interesting to hear their side of the story and how presidents and, even their spouses, behave behind "closed doors." Fascinating insight

Jiro · 10-26-2009, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kokonut

It was interesting to see how Bush I and II, and Reagan treated their SS with respect while others saw them as an annoyance. Interesting to hear their side of the story and how presidents and, even their spouses, behave behind "closed doors." Fascinating insight

but.... what does that have to do with Obama?

saywhatkid · 10-26-2009, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jiro

but.... what does that have to do with Obama?

Obama, my hero! I want to bear his next child....oops, no womb.

Jiro · 10-26-2009, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saywhatkid

Obama, my hero! I want to bear his next child....oops, no womb.

kokonut · 10-26-2009, 02:32 AM

Go ahead.

Jiro · 10-26-2009, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kokonut

Go ahead.

still haven't answered my question. so I repeat - what does that have to do with Obama? Is Obama family mistreating Secret Service agents?

saywhatkid · 10-26-2009, 02:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jiro

still haven't answered my question. so I repeat - what does that have to do with Obama? Is Obama family mistreating Secret Service agents?

I don't even need to read the article to figure out why the Secret Service is strained. It is all these nutjobs that spew anger and hate and slanted "news" in an effort to degrade the leader of the USA. If they wore Iraqi uniforms, and this was Bush, we would go to war. Oh wait....

Gotta love how Rush got punked by the fake Obama college thesis. Nothing like jumping to conclusions and using the airwaves to make a bigger buffoon out of himself; all in the name of Liberal bashing. Makes me wonder about the rest of his sources. Oh wait....he can just go to all these anti-Obama links I see posted around here!

Now perhaps we can stay on topic for once, instead of using every tiny crack in the wall of history to fill with angry white male mortar? It is not about how the Presidents treat the staff, as reported by a website endorsed by Obama haters. It is about the strain on the Secret Service to protect Obama. Who's the college educated poster, and who is the idiot with no degree? At least the idiot can read.

kokonut · 10-26-2009, 02:53 AM

Strain beyond incredulity is more like it. Money is no object here since we're spending trillions of dollars of money we don't have and the WH can certainly get and train more SS people for Obama.

Jiro · 10-26-2009, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kokonut

Strain beyond incredulity is more like it. Money is no object here since we're spending trillions of dollars of money we don't have and the WH can certainly get and train more SS people for Obama.

still haven't answered my question.... I guess we all know why

Foxrac · 10-26-2009, 04:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kokonut

It was interesting to see how Bush I and II, and Reagan treated their SS with respect while others saw them as an annoyance. Interesting to hear their side of the story and how presidents and, even their spouses, behave behind "closed doors." Fascinating insight

Quote:

Originally Posted by kokonut

Go ahead.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kokonut

Strain beyond incredulity is more like it. Money is no object here since we're spending trillions of dollars of money we don't have and the WH can certainly get and train more SS people for Obama.

Come on, you don't have any credit about between Obama and Secret Service.

Stop being liar and show your grow up of right wing jokes.

Steel X · 10-26-2009, 05:26 AM

Uh huh...

It's nothing new, really...ALL presidents get very strict and tight protection. since mid 20th and 21st century, that is....

Reba · 10-26-2009, 10:37 AM

The Secret Service is also strained because there are more living former presidents and their families still around.

From the official Secret Service site:

Quote:

* Who is the Secret Service authorized to protect?

By law, the Secret Service is authorized to protect:
o The president, the vice president, (or other individuals next in order of succession to the Office of the President), the president-elect and vice president-elect
o The immediate families of the above individuals
o Former presidents, their spouses, except when the spouse re-marries
o Children of former presidents until age 16
o Visiting heads of foreign states or governments and their spouses traveling with them, other distinguished foreign visitors to the United States, and official representatives of the United States performing special missions abroad
o Major presidential and vice presidential candidates, and their spouses within 120 days of a general presidential election
o Other individuals as designated per Executive Order of the President and
o National Special Security Events, when designated as such by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security

* How long do former presidents receive Secret Service protection after they leave office?

In 1965, Congress authorized the Secret Service (Public Law 89-186) to protect a former president and his/her spouse during their lifetime, unless they decline protection. In 1997, Congress enacted legislation (Public Law 103-329) that limits Secret Service protection for former presidents to 10 years after leaving office. Under this new law, individuals who are in office before January 1, 1997, will continue to receive Secret Service protection for their lifetime. Individuals elected to office after that time will receive protection for 10 years after leaving office. Therefore, President Clinton will be the last president to receive lifetime protection.

United States Secret Service: Frequently Asked Questions

Also, last year was a particular strain on their resources because there were so many candidates running for President/VP.

Then, there are logistics. The more travel involved, the more resources are used. Then, if the President and First Lady travel separately at the same time, that's another stretch on resources. Visits by high profile "unfriendly" foreigners to the UN are another strain.

They are hiring:

United States Secret Service: Employment Opportunities

kokonut · 10-26-2009, 11:11 AM

Like I said, they can hire more SS people during the Obama administration.

jillio · 10-26-2009, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kokonut

It was interesting to see how Bush I and II, and Reagan treated their SS with respect while others saw them as an annoyance. Interesting to hear their side of the story and how presidents and, even their spouses, behave behind "closed doors." Fascinating insight

How exactly would you know how anyone behaves behind closed doors? The term "behind closed doors" means no one is observing what is happening.

Using that phrase pretty much negates you knowing what goes on.

jillio · 10-26-2009, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kokonut

Like I said, they can hire more SS people during the Obama administration.

Like you said about health care reform:

We can't afford it!!!!

DURAY · 10-29-2009, 12:29 AM

Jiro, why don't YOU find out? Investigate.. Read Kessler's book on the Secret Service. You defending Obama too much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jiro

still haven't answered my question. so I repeat - what does that have to do with Obama? Is Obama family mistreating Secret Service agents?

Jiro · 10-29-2009, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DURAY

Jiro, why don't YOU find out? Investigate.. Read Kessler's book on the Secret Service. You defending Obama too much.

how would I? it's classified and Kessler is not protecting Obama. I'm not defending Obama. I'm questioning your assumption based on..... what? speculation?

I ask you again - is Obama mistreating Secret Service?

DURAY · 10-29-2009, 12:34 AM

a new law stated that former presidents will have protection for 10 years after leaving the prestigious office of the President of the USA!!! First ladies too for 10 years unless they got remarried. Vice-presidents get 6 months.

Yeah the Secret Service is overworked. they can transfer their financial crimes investigations to the FBI. Most countries' head of state's bodyguards are from a single unit focusing on protection like SO(?) from Scotland Yard for the Prime Minister; France's Nationale Gendermarie (Not GIGN); Germany's Bunder force (not GSG-9); Israel's Shin Bet. etc. The US love quantity. Other countries used quality since they may be 4 to 10 bodyguards in contrast to the 100+ detail at all time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reba

The Secret Service is also strained because there are more living former presidents and their families still around.
From the official Secret Service site:
United States Secret Service: Frequently Asked Questions
Also, last year was a particular strain on their resources because there were so many candidates running for President/VP.
Then, there are logistics. The more travel involved, the more resources are used. Then, if the President and First Lady travel separately at the same time, that's another stretch on resources. Visits by high profile "unfriendly" foreigners to the UN are another strain.
They are hiring:
United States Secret Service: Employment Opportunities

10-22-2009, 12:00 PM	#1 (permalink)
rockin'robin Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Jacksonville, Florida Posts: 2,782	Report: Secret Service Strained to Protect Obama An internal congressional report questioning the ability of the Secret Service to continue fulfilling its duties was leaked to the Boston Globe. The report says the Secret Service is strained by a drastic increase in threats to President Obama, coupled with deep budget cuts. Some are speculating that the agency may need to relinquish all or part of its roles in protecting the country's financial machinery in order to focus resources on the protection of the president and other high-profile leaders. The report, issued in August by the Congressional Research Service, claimed that if "an evaluation of the service's two missions" were to be done at this time, there's a good possibility that "it might be determined that it is ineffective...to conduct its protection mission and investigate financial crimes." Additionally, an anonymously quoted government official said that many inside the halls of Congress and within the Secret Service itself are questioning whether or not the agency's effectiveness wouldn't be enhanced by transferring some of its responsibilities regarding the investigation of financial crimes over to the Treasury Department. Talking Points Memo noted that Ronald Kessler, the author of a recently released book on the Secret Service's protection of U.S. presidents, recently said that threats against President Obama are up 400 percent from the number of threats levied against former President George W. Bush, while the size of the agency's staff has only increased by 5.3 percent. The Southern Poverty Law Center says that the U.S. has seen a 35 percent rise in hate groups in recent years, and few doubt that the discontent stirred up over the election of an African-American president is fueling the rise in threats. But, could the influx of modern technology also be to blame? As the cost of computer technology has fallen (and accessibility to high-speed Internet service has spread), more and more people are spending more and more time online. Accordingly, these people are doing what people often do on the Internet: sending emails, communicating in chat rooms and on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, watching YouTube videos, etc. According to results of a recent study by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, these activities seem to be enhancing the scope of extremist groups' reach: With over 200 million users, online bigots have to date outpaced efforts to remove them. Some sites have thousands of friends, thus enabling the message of hate to spread virally...This user-generated material increases the viral spread of extremism online and aids in increasing the social acceptability of hate in mainstream discourse. By creating an environment where users are equal participants in the Web, all editorial functions are removed and expressions of hate can easily flow unchallenged. In other words, extremists once confined to small sects can now congregate on the Internet anonymously and distribute propaganda to millions of people in mere seconds. People with extreme views can also now communicate direct threats to individuals quicker and more easily than they have previously, thanks to the immediacy of email and chat rooms. In other words, extremists once confined to small sects can now congregate on the Internet anonymously and distribute propaganda to millions of people in mere seconds. People with extreme views can also now communicate direct threats to individuals quicker and more easily than they have previously, thanks to the immediacy of email and chat rooms. The Secret Service, presently housed under the bureaucratic umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security, was initially established in 1865 to help combat the rise in counterfeiting that took place in that era. The protection of national leaders didn't become a full-time responsibility until William McKinley was assassinated in 1901. Congress passed a law in 1917 making any threat against the president a federal crime, and the responsibility of investigating such threats often falls upon the Secret Service. Along with protecting presidents, the agency's role in policing financial shenanigans was expanded when the 20th century's technological revolution led to a rise in electronic financial transactions. It should be noted in all of this, however, that the Secret Service has issued a response in which the agency denied any decreased capacity to carry out its missions, saying that the Boston Globe's report was "not accurate and lacks a good deal of information." Report: Secret Service strained to protect Obama - Yahoo! News

10-25-2009, 12:05 PM	#3 (permalink)
souggy Ace Attorney Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Victoria, BC Posts: 2,379	Like a moth to a candlelight... __________________ Souggy's Blog Warning! Contains skewed comments & inane ramblings. May cause spontaneous human combustion

10-25-2009, 03:18 PM	#6 (permalink)
saywhatkid Thinking outside the box Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Trapped in a box Posts: 1,916	Well, there were two actual attempts on Ford, and one actual attempt on Reagan. I think we need to send the Secret Service on vacation, until there is an actual attempt on Obama. That way, we keep things fair and square. __________________ "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." — Jimi Hendrix

10-26-2009, 05:26 AM	#23 (permalink)
Steel X Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 13,078	Uh huh... It's nothing new, really...ALL presidents get very strict and tight protection. since mid 20th and 21st century, that is.... __________________

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10-25-2009, 12:00 PM	#2 (permalink)
kokonut Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 3,708

10-25-2009, 12:24 PM	#4 (permalink)
kokonut Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 3,708	Hmmm.....likewise. LOL

10-25-2009, 03:50 PM	#7 (permalink)
kokonut Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 3,708	Secret Service people are to be treated like any other human beings. They are the ones willing to risk a bullet for the president. Yet they get treated like dirt by some presidents, vice presidents and even by their spouses. http://www.northstarnational.com/200...es-presidents/

10-25-2009, 04:00 PM	#8 (permalink)
Cowpuppy Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: On The Road Again Posts: 618	6th paragraph...."With over 200 million online users, online bigots have to date outpaced efforts to remove them".

10-26-2009, 02:20 AM	#13 (permalink)
kokonut Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 3,708	It was interesting to see how Bush I and II, and Reagan treated their SS with respect while others saw them as an annoyance. Interesting to hear their side of the story and how presidents and, even their spouses, behave behind "closed doors." Fascinating insight

10-26-2009, 02:32 AM	#17 (permalink)
kokonut Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 3,708	Go ahead.

10-26-2009, 02:53 AM	#20 (permalink)
kokonut Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 3,708	Strain beyond incredulity is more like it. Money is no object here since we're spending trillions of dollars of money we don't have and the WH can certainly get and train more SS people for Obama.

10-26-2009, 11:11 AM	#25 (permalink)
kokonut Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 3,708	Like I said, they can hire more SS people during the Obama administration.