Pelosi Leans Toward Ousting Secret Service Director, Wants Independent Probe Of Security Lapses

[Purveyor]

Source: Washington Post

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) declined to support embattled Secret Service director Julia Pierson Wednesday, as calls mounted for the director's resignation amid revelations of a growing number of White House and presidential security breaches.

Pelosi hesitated on whether Pierson should resign, but said she would follow the advice of Rep. Elijah Cummings (Md.), the top Democrat on the Oversight and Government Reform committee. The panel is investigating the recent incident involving an intruder who managed to evade security and infiltrate the White House, along with additional security breaches exposed in a series of Washington Post articles over the past week. Without formally calling for Pierson's ouster, Cummings told TV and radio interviewers Wednesday morning that he was "not comfortable with her being in that position."

"I agree with his analysis, yes," Pelosi said of Cummings, who helped lead several hours of tough questioning of Pierson at Tuesday's oversight hearing. "I support his suggestion," she added.

That left Pierson, who pledged Tuesday that these security breaches "will never happen again," in a perilous political state with almost no support on Capitol Hill. Top Republicans on the oversight panel, including Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who has led the early stages of the Secret Service probe, have already called for Pierson's removal.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/10/01/pelosi-leans-toward-ousting-secret-service-director-wants-independent-probe-of-security-lapses/

---

Cummings Suggests Pierson Should Resign Secret Service Post


By John Fritze The Baltimore Sun

12:36 p.m. EDT, October 1, 2014

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Elijah E. Cummings appeared to call Wednesday for U.S. Secret Service Director Julia Pierson to step down over a series of recent security breaches at the White House -- becoming the first member of Congress to do so -- but then later softened his stance on the matter.

The Baltimore lawmaker, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, used several national media appearances Wednesday to say he did not believe Pierson's testimony before his committee on Tuesday conveyed a sense of urgency in addressing the problems.

"I am convinced that she is not the person to lead that agency," Cummings said on The Diane Rehm Show Wednesday when asked whether he thought Pierson should resign. "My trust has been eroded."

But soon after Cummings appeared to walk back that sentiment, noting on Twitter that he has "not decided about Pierson" but that he has concerns about the safety of the president.

Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/blog/bal-cummings-suggests-pierson-should-resign-20141001,0,4542014.story#ixzz3Euqzpgmk

[leftynyc]

1. Why is this even a question?

Of course she should be fired - along with the entire shift that let this latest incident occur.

[tularetom]

3. I couldn't agree more but I keep asking who's going to fire her?

Congressional Democrats and republicans have called for her dismissal but the one person with the ability and responsibility to fire her doesn't seem to be paying attention.

That would be the President.

[Ash_F]

2. How about ousting the CIA NSA and FBI directors along the way?

[Wellstone ruled]

4. Get rid of all of the

Bush/Cheney hold overs, Period!! Did Frank Luntz write Pierson's statement? Sure as hell sounded like it. Probabley has a contract with Luntz P.R. Group.

[democrank]

5. Julia Pierson must go.

Fire her.

[OldRedneck]

6. Before the Bush Gang screwed with it . . .

The Secret Service was part of Treasury Department, had two missions: investigating counterfeiting and executive protection.

Bush Gang created Dept of Fatherland --- oooopppsss -- meant to say "Homeland" -- Security and they moved SS to DHS.

DHS is a farce. Too many unrelated agencies under one roof, each agency has its own "culture," no way one agency head can maintain order.

Then, there's the sequester that cut 550 positions from SS.

I'm not excusing their failures -- chasing prostitutes in Colombia, drinking and carousing, White House shooters and fence jumpers -- but -- one wonders what would have happened had SS stayed under Treasury.

[jtuck004]

7. GODDAMMIT! WE NEED SOMEONE MORE WAR-LOVING IN THERE. She sounds like a nice

person trying to do a tough job, with a lot of critics who probably couldn't even hold a candle to what she has given and would give for this country.

But then again, why miss a chance to piss on another human being?

So let's replace her with someone who knows how to turn the people's house into a better and less-welcoming armed fortress. What could be more appropriate today?

[Psephos]

9. "Nice person" vs. catastrophically inept job performance.

Which is the best criterion to use when evaluating whether someone should keep their job?

hmmmmm......

[jtuck004]

10. I remember Jimmy Carter and Rosalyn getting out, in a time when one could order a rifle from a comic

book and shoot them from a nearby building, of their bulletproof car and walking to the White House. He was scared, new the risks just as well - even talked about them in later interviews. But he didn't put it off on other people.

Then again, he wasn't all about himself. At all.

[bigdarryl]

8. I love this woman she's tough as nails.Much more than that crying ass

Bohner