WH gatecrashers DID meet President Obama...

[HipChick]

so why are they still walking around, and the SS unable to contact them as of yet?


http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/11/27/2009-11-27_party_crashers_no_strangers_to_trouble.html

[spanone]

1. according to nbc news, they were interviewed by the ss today.

per brian williams

who do these assholes think they are?

[shanti]

5. well, one of them thinks she's one of the "real housewives of d.c."

google it.

[Whisp]

7. makes the balloon boy/dad sound pretty petty doesn't it?

wtf?
are people that stupid and desperate?
I mean the ones who actually watch these stupid and desperate worthless tv shows....

[spanone]

9. they will be giving interviews next week and probably appear on all the morning/cable shows they can

for a few days they will be the media darlings...then they'll get a reality show...

[shanti]

13. nah, i think it's a done deal

http://www.nbcwashington.com/around-town/events/Are-These-the-Real-Housewives-of-DC-60048797.html

scroll down

[spanone]

33. naw, you watch. they're already all over my local news...local webpages...this will go on

[shanti]

12. it's like watching a train wreck

people are attracted to the sensational, that's how i see it.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

18. Yep, it's Balloon Boy Syndrome

we're going to see more and more of these hoaxes as economic opportunities lessen and
people see a gig on a reality show as a career option. What's going to be interesting is,
whether either of these hoaxes result in a contract. If so, get ready for a slew of them.

I'm horrified that the SS could have allowed this to happen.

[pitohui]

61. this wasn't a hoax, they met the president

the balloon thing, no one ever went up in a balloon

these people actually did the ballsy thing, that you and i were too cowardly to do, of getting dressed and risking the embarrassment of being turned away at the door, so that they could meet people they admire, including obama

good for them, i see no hoax here!

[tanyev]

76. "You aren't really anybody in America if you're not on TV."

To Die For, 1995.

[GMA]

2. Just scary.

n/t

[RB TexLa]

3. We have plenty of people for them to meet in the federal prison system

[notesdev]

27. What exactly is their crime?

I can see trespassing, maybe, but people hardly get thrown in jail over that, especially post facto. Is embarrassing the Secret Service a felony?

[RB TexLa]

34. Lying to a federal agent is a crime.

[arcadian]

28. I'd like to know what their crime is as well.

They were on public property the entire time.

[RB TexLa]

35. they lied to a federal agent to get on that public property

[marshall]

43. Who did they lie to?

I've only heard that they made their way in the party. It's on them if they forged an invitation, jumped over a barrier, created a distraction and ran, bypassed security and sneaked in weapons, or even told a lie to get in. But as far as I can tell they just walked in right past Secret Service, White House staff, etc.

Are they going to be charged with chutzpah?

[notesdev]

47. Reading the stories

I can't find anything that says they actually lied to anybody. They just showed up like they belonged, without invitations, and got in along with the rest of the guests.

Without new information it looks to me like they are innocent of any actual crime. "Embarrassing the government" is not a crime... yet.


edit - I have to wonder... are the kind of jet-setting elites that get invitations to White House parties even subject to security checks? It seems they aren't, if no one even asked for invitations. The police state they have imposed on the rest of us might not be part of their elite experience at all. Imagine the horror of V.I.P.s at the White House being asked for ID like us plebes have to deal with.

[Generic Other]

48. I was surprised they weren't required to remove their shoes

for obvious reasons. We don't want people flinging their ferragamos at the Commander in Chief.

[cherokeeprogressive]

44. Is it lying if you're not under oath or being interrogated after having been Marandized? n/t

[pitohui]

63. if you're speaking to an fbi agent you do not have to be under oath/mirandized

that said, i don't think these people did anything wrong or bad other than having (i love this word!) chutzpah

i'm happy they met their hero, it's kind of like something we were all wishing to do back in january in those days when we were all still united in our admiration for obama's success

i like to see people succeed at a dream, don't you?

[gateley]

4. It iss just so wrong that this could happen. Not only Obama's safety, but

the PM of India as well. It's not as though he doesn't have enemies. :scared:

[spanone]

6. this is an unacceptable breach of security....

[arcadian]

29. That is a Secret Service problem

Not the "party crasher's"

[spanone]

31. yes, a breach of security would be secret service

[marshall]

50. Secret Service has a history of being pushed around by the White House

Stories abound from past administrations, both Repubican and Democrat, either dodging Secret Service or asking them to do something outside the line of their job or taking umbrage when their friends and associates are frisked and questioned.

My guess is the agents had been treated badly by other guests who said something like "Do you know who I am???" and rather than offend them and the President they just waved people through.

[tekisui]

8. Wow.

[DonCoquixote]

10. Pardon the tinfoil hat, but

Does it sound funny that this breach of security happened right around the time Obama is planning an announcement about the war? It's a way of saying "if a reality show can get you, the boys from "the shop" certainly could.

[gateley]

19. Although my tinfoil hat is my favorite and most donned chapeau, I'm leaving

it in the hatbox for this one.

I just think these people fuck up way more than we imagine and that's what happened this time. I would venture to guess that the background checks came through (whether theirs did or not), they passed through the metal detector, she had on a beautiful India-inspired dress, looked the part, and that they never dreamed somebody could actually just waltz into the festivities. They weren't on their toes.

[harlfxstc]

45. ya, that would be a BIG shiny tinfoil hat.....sheese. NT

[louis-t]

11. Didn't bush underfund SS?

Now watch this drive.

[gateley]

22. I think so -- that when it was taken into the loving embrace of Homeland

Security (oxymoron), they were severely hampered in all areas, not the least of which was financially.

[harlfxstc]

46. So underfunding causes people watching the president to go stupid? NT

[harlfxstc]

14. Amateur security. This is what you get when everybody is afraid of offending someone

This is what you get when everybody is afraid of offending someone by actually asking them a question or challenging them. Imagine if this individual & his wife were SUPPOSE to be on the list and were challenged and his reaction was "is it because of my name you challenge me" and the the rhubarb starts.

We have everyone terrified of asking pertinent and inquiring questions necessary to protect our leaders.

[gateley]

24. That's a valid point. Didn't want to offend any legit guests and get in trouble

for THAT later.

[Missy Vixen]

36. They also had a camera crew with them

Double insurance they wouldn't be challenged.

It'll be interesting to see if there is some fallout for Bravo Network as a result...

[bluestateguy]

15. Oh tee hee hee!!! It's so cute, so funny what they did!!!Colbert material! Daily Show material!!!

These people are lawbreakers who ought to go on the terrorist watch list.

See how they like not being able to board an airplane for the next few years.

[warrior1]

16. Questions

How long where on the White House grounds? How did it get discover that they didn't belong there?

[HipChick]

21. It was never discovered...if she had not bragged about on her Facebook

no-one would have known

[warrior1]

25. Then

Did they bump someone on their dinners? Because how would they have been able to sit when I'm sure each guest had a name for their chair.

[HipChick]

38. they were able to mingle at the cocktail hour, they had no place at the dinner

so they left..

[liberalmuse]

17. Heads need to fucking roll.

The only way I console myself that President Obama is likely safe from one of the millions of right wing whack jobs who want to see him JFK'ed is that he has a good SS detail. Now that fantasy has just been blown to bits. This is completely unacceptable. I'm not going to blame the reality show people because you can't blame narcissistic fame whores for trying, but they never should have gotten in. I blame the person in charge of the number of SS detail assigned to such events and I hope Rahm is on their ass right now.

[murray hill farm]

20. Yes....heads should roll.

If these, apparently harmless folks could get in..just to get attention...then it is just luck that it was not some crazed right wing teabagger spured on by the likes of Glen Beck to kill the Obama antichrist for Jebus. Yep, heads should roll.

[Ocracoker16]

41. Yes, I expect an SS explanation of how this will never happen again

Once is more than enough. We are fortunate that these people were just trying to promote themselves for a reality tv show. They could have been trying to harm Obama, his family, and their guests. This could have been a nightmare situation. How can you let people in who aren't on the guest list?

[Name removed]

56. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[AllenVanAllen]

49. For the threat level to Obama to be as high as it is

It's an goddamn outrage our president wasn't better protected. She's standing right in front of him! For a lack of better words, I am livid. I hope heads do roll and they fix whatever problem they have. This is unacceptable.

Unfortunately, I think there are more than just "wack jobs" that would like to see him come to harm...

[graywarrior]

23. That is really really scary

[ProdigalJunkMail]

26. besides being immensely stupid...

what law did they really break? the white house is public property...and unless they lied their way in the problem is not so much with them as it is with the Secret Service...

sP

[Hannah Bell]

53. "the white house is public property" - so i can just go in anytime, anywhere i please?

lots of things are de jure "public property," but access is restricted.

they weren't invited guests.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

54. yes, that is exactly what I said... n/t

[Hannah Bell]

66. if i crash a private party i can be arrested for trespassing.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

68. not until they ask you to leave and you fail to do so...

[Hannah Bell]

69. the trespass occurred, regardless of whether it was discovered at the time or not.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

70. then why aren't they in jail?

[Hannah Bell]

71. you deny trespass occurred? as for jail, we'll see what happens.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

72. Yes, I deny it.

Because they passed through a designated checkpoint and were cleared into the Whitehouse. Keep checking back...there will be no charges and no jail time. They have not tried to hide...they have not refused access to the Secret Service. If they were going to jail they already would have gone.

sP

[Hannah Bell]

73. whether or not they're prosecuted, trespass occurred. & no, they wouldn't

already be in jail, the dinner was one week ago.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

75. ok, hannah...you just keep on thinking that

if they had 'trespassed' on the Whitehouse grounds they would be in Gitmo already. They passed a security checkpoint. They hung out for a good long while. Hell, they had photos taken. They were not asked to leave. The only law they MIGHT have broken would be in lying to the SS...if they did that.

Oh, and they might not be in jail...but you can bet your sweet ass charges would be in the offing...and there has be zero mention of that.

sP

[Hannah Bell]

77. your position is that if i enter someone's house but they don't notice, no crime occurred.

whatever, dude.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

78. They DID notice...that is the problem... n/t

[Firstzar]

30. "I'm on television, therefore I am."

Sickening.

[davidwparker]

32. Real life "Alias" -- Loved that show.

[HipChick]

37. Republicans are already calling for a congressional hearing on this..

[RC]

40. Of course. This is a good distraction from the health care reform the repugs don't want.

[HipChick]

39. Another woman would have never let her through....

she would not have been to smooze a female

[HopeOverFear]

42. that's some scary shit, man

[Vinca]

51. Not only was the President endangered, 4 of the 5 people

first in the line of succession were at the dinner.

[Paladin]

52. I Wonder How Our Resident Gun Nuts Feel About This Incident?

Remember when the openly-armed intimidation junkies were showing up in close proximity to Obama not too long ago? Our DU gun obsessives' standard response was: Don't worry, be happy; the Secret Service is on the case, and nothing can possibly go wrong.

Oops. Ain't it a bitch when Reality comes calling?

[aikoaiko]

58. You're right, Paladin, I'm sure the guy with the slung AR could have waltz into the dinner too

:sarcasm:

Somethings a bitch, but it ain't reality.

[951-Riverside]

55. I'm going to choose my words carefully...

...There are covert methods of doing harm. In fact we don't know that they didn't do harm while they were in there. OTOH this event could purely be psychological, in other words someone wanted to send a message.

What doesn't make sense is that their names were announced before they entered in front of the media, so far no one has explained how that happened if they were just crashing the party but in any event the secret service agent or agents involved at these initial checkpoints should be detained for as long as the law allows along with Michaele and Tareq Salahi. BTW, Tareq seems like an Iraqi, Iranian or maybe Turkish name anyone know their nationalities?

[Name removed]

57. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[951-Riverside]

59. Pretty hard to imagine a magician using sleight of hand instead of magic

don't ya think?

[pitohui]

60. they are still walking around because they did nothing wrong

it is not w's white house any more, the white house belongs to the people, they were screened, they were harmless social butterflies, they had their pic taken with biden and obama, and they didn't steal the shrimp platter

they are pretty people, maybe a little shallow, who wanted to meet people they admire

hardly a crime and i wish them every success for their daring to take steps to achieve a dream

[ecstatic]

62. Do we have to worry about teabaggers sneaking in as well?

:wtf:

[pitohui]

64. do you think teabaggers can dress nicely and use their party manners to get into a state function?

you already know that a mouth breather would not get in the door

are we going to pretend that "class" doesn't exist in america and that people, including guards, don't recognize "class" markers?

the teabagger wouldn't get two steps

you can put lipstick on a pig but the secret service will still notice the pig...

[Brooklyns_Finest]

65. Secret Service

I am concerned with the quality of agents that the Secret Service employs. This is the second incident in less than two years where the USSS where negligent in their duties to protect the president. The first incident was when the "reporter" in Iraq was able to throw 2 shoes at Bush, and now we have two people breaking in to the white house to shake hands with Obama. This is unacceptable.

[951-Riverside]

67. Lets not forget a Secret Service agent "accidently"shot himself and another agent at the white house

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-04-17-secret-service-shooting_N.htm

Of course the two agents involved were never identified.

Then in 1995 an armed man was shot by agents after he jumped the fence

http://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/24/us/man-and-agent-in-shooting-on-the-white-house-lawn.html

Then in 1994 a man with an SKS Rifle shot at the White House

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Martin_Duran

Also in 1994 a man crashed a plane into the South Lawn of the white house on September 11th ...1994

http://tech.mit.edu/V114/N40/crash.40w.html

[watercolors]

74. Who helped them or prompted them to do this

If Bravo TV was, it could be held responsible. Someone has to be behind this, can't believe the ditzy blond planned it all!