Report: Unprecedented Number Of Death Threats Against Obama -- And Secret Service Overwhelmed

[DearAbby]

The Boston Globe reports that a new internal Congressional Research Service report and government sources say there are an unprecedented number of death threats against President Obama -- and that the Secret Service is insufficiently funded and staffed to deal with them.

According to The Globe, a report issued by the Congressional Research Service shows that the Secret Service is investigating more threats against government officials than ever before, and questions whether the 144-year old agency should continue probing financial crimes, as was its original mandate.

In total, the Secret Service regularly protects 32 people and arranges security for high-profile events. But the election of Barack Obama has increased threats against the president's life by 400 percent from his predecessor, according to "In the President's Secret Service," Ronald Kessler's account of presidential security. The Secret Service has looked into a number of race-based threats since Obama took office, and a Facebook poll that asked "Should Obama be killed?" President Obama also had a Secret Service detail 18 months before the election, the earliest of any Presidential candidate.

As Bryan Bender at The Boston Globe reports, some government officials are calling for a review of the way the agency is run, and suggesting that some of its financial investigations be transferred to the Treasury Department so the Secret Service can focus on terrorist and assassination threats.

More:

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/10/new-report-find-secret-service-overwhelmed-by-increased-threats.php

[TwilightGardener]

1. Not surprised at all. There's your teabaggers in action.

[hlthe2b]

2. Teabaggers agitated by Beck, Hannity. Rush, O'Reilly & others

What will it take to initiate some well deserved backlash towards these assholes? (sadly, I know the answer)

[Winterblues]

3. "If ballots don't work bullets will"

I have not heard a single Republican condemn that statement..Not a one...

[RKP5637]

4. Yep, racism is alive and well in this country. Often I wonder if we are

progressing as a country or just sliding backward more than we realize.

[madokie]

5. goes to show that we dems like our President

enough to not make threats to the republicon president when he's in office. Whereas the republicons have such a hatred for anything democratic that we're where we're at today with these threat levels as they are. The republicons don't like black people and that should be pretty plain to see for anyone even if they aren't looking. Our President is simply the wrong color for so many whites in our country that I'm blown away with what I'm seeing. I thought we'd got past that part of our history but no, hell no, we're going to have to relive it. I think we need to have a republicon nutt kicking contest to see who can kick the most nutts. they suck as an opposition party, its their way or no way.

[Frustratedlady]

7. But he is half white. If Black is so onerous for them, they can respect the other half.

I cannot believe the racism that is still alive and well in this country. It is shameful.

[madokie]

8. Yes it is

A good man trying to do a good job for us and being treated like the hired hands used to be treated, before we had unions that is.

[Parker CA]

6. Just pointing out this article is more than a year old. Was there an update to the original

piece or revised threat accounts and details?

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. That's because the Republicans don't believe the rules apply to them.