Is there anything they won’t use as a political bludgeon against this administration:
Jackboot Nation
So I guess calling the president a “doodiehead” would mean a DOJ investigation? God, things are getting out of hand.
Secret Service agents questioned a high school student about anti-war drawings he did for an art class, one of which depicted President Bush’s head on a stick.
Another pencil-and-ink drawing portrayed Bush as a devil launching a missile, with a caption reading “End the war — on terrorism.”
The 15-year-old boy’s art teacher at Prosser High School turned the drawings over to school administrators, who notified police, who called the Secret Service.
Although Oliver is clearly implying that things are somehow worse now than they were in the past, we will just attribute this to Oliver’s youth and memory lapses rather than just completely attribute it to his all-out jihad against this administration. Oh, and btw, Oliver- the Secret Service is part of the Treasury Department, not the Department of Justice. Put away your Ashcroft hammer. Some flashbacks:
In the past the Secret Service hasn’t waited for actual lawbreaking to occur before acting, even in situations that pose little or no threat to the first family and others under their protection.
In July 1996, agents arrested Glenn and Patricia Mendoza for threatening President Clinton at the “Taste of Chicago” food fair, though the couple were not armed and neither made any overt threats.
However, after Clinton approached Patricia to shake her hand, she responded, “You suck and those boys died,” a reference to the then-recent deaths of 19 American soldiers in the Khobar Towers bombing. Agents at the scene characterized Mendoza’s words as “threatening.”
Both Mendozas spent the night in the Cook County Jail, after being arrested on suspicion of threatening the life of the president. Weeks later, lacking evidence, the Secret Service dropped all charges.
The Mendozas are hardly alone. In 1993 the Secret Service arrested William Kelly – also unarmed – who merely challenged Clinton at a town meeting about his failure to deliver on a promised middle-class tax cut. Not only was Kelly booted out of the meeting, hours later his home was surrounded by armed agents who took him into custody.
In 1996 a pro-life activist who confronted Clinton after a Washington, D.C., church service was detained and questioned by the Secret Service.
The Secret Service has been extraordinarily protective of Mrs. Clinton, who, according to New York Post Albany bureau chief Fred Dicker, is shielded from tough questioning, by bodyguards who physically block reporters, even as she campaigns for the U.S. Senate.
Here is another resource about threats to the President, past and present.
Things are not, however, ‘getting out of hand,’ but the Secret Service has always investigated things of this nature. Oliver and I might agree that it seems extreme, but, that is how it has always been. In fact, crazier things have happened- in fact, I remember a guy who shot a President just to impress Jody Foster.
However, what is increasingly lame is Oliver and other’s attempts to attack this administration with anything and everything. Notice his eagerness to invoke the DOJ and the Ahscroft bogeyman- both of whom have nothing to do with this case, but are good for titillating the know-nothings on the left. We are not turning into ‘Jackboot nation,’ despite your partisan histrionics and breathless forboding.
Oliver
Because a direct threat is the same as a kid’s drawing.
Eric Sivula
How does ‘you suck’ threaten anyone?
‘I am going to kick your ass’ is a threat. ‘You suck’ is an insult.
michael
While I applaud your going after Democrat stupidity…you’re going to give yourself a heart attack man.
I wish you good luck, you would need a team of 10 year old vietnamese kids working 20 hours a day to keep up with all the Democrat lying and the applicable response/fisking.
How about that, another reason outsourcing is good. How bout that.
Kimmitt
Here’s the difference between Ashcroft and Clinton:
Under Clinton, these people got harassed, because it’s better to be safe than sorry. It sucks, but waddayagonnado.
Under Ashcroft, these people can get detained indefinitely without charges or access to counsel.
whatever
Regardless of whether you agree with the Secret Service or not, any 15 year old who draws a picture of ANYONE’S head on a stick is a sick MF and needs to be pulled from the general population for counseling (think Columbine)
michael
Jeez kimmitt, the kid was questioned, not blindfolded and kidnapped to Cuba.
Did you get your stories mixed up? Or did I? Shoot I better re-read the article, theres a good chance the kid wasn’t in art class, but was in fact drawing IN THE BATTLEFIELD IN AFGHANISTAN.
Nope, the little punk was in school, and was questioned, not thrown in Cuba.
Whew thanks for clearing that up.
Asshat.
Kimmitt
So, your big defense of Ashcroft isn’t that he isn’t seeking the power I suggested, but that he hasn’t used it yet?
John Cole
What does this have to do with Ashcroft?
Greg
It’s amazing that even AFTER you pointed out that the Secret Service falls under the treasury dept and not DOJ, there was still Ashcroft references.
Michael is right, keep pointing out the stupidity, but just pointing out Oliver’s idiocy could be a full time job.
And on the list of Democratic party tolerance, you left out the time that about six union goons, with the approval of Ed Rendell, beat the hell out of an anti-Clinton protester at a Clinton event in Philly.
Jeez, union guys must not be as tough as they used to be. Six of them to beat up a guy who was 5’6″, 140 lbs.
HH
“Under Ashcroft, these people can get detained indefinitely without charges or access to counsel.”
And Janet Reno praises Ashcroft’s ability to do this.. she clearly wishes she had it too.
HH
And as the link points out, in the Clinton years, when a Reverend pointed out that God will hold the president accountable… the sort of thing Reverends say every day, he was detained.
Joe
Oliver Witless: Like Superglue to Stupid. That guy’s never even seen a clue, let alone gotten one.
It’s unfair to pick on the mentally deficient, John. Although when dealing with lefties, what else is there ? ;)