Armed contractor with criminal record was on elevator with Obama

Something is wrong within the Secret Service, and it isn't good.

Two weeks ago some guy with a knife runs all the way into the Green Room in the White House, (link ), and now this.

This is from the Washington Post:

A security contractor with a gun and three convictions for assault and battery was allowed on an elevator with President Obama during a Sept. 16 trip to Atlanta, violating Secret Service protocols, according to three people familiar with the incident.

The private contractor first aroused the agents’ concerns when he acted oddly and did not comply with their orders to stop using a cellphone camera to record the president in the elevator, according to the people familiar with the incident.

When the elevator opened, Obama left with most of his Secret Service detail. Some agents stayed behind to question the man and then used a national database check that turned up his criminal history.

His employer fired the man on the spot, when told of the background check results.

What the heck?
I get that many people are disgusted with the President.
But is someone on the inside trying to get him killed?

a reply to: Olivine

But is someone on the inside trying to get him killed?

I'm sorry I don't have a link for this. Can someone confirm that the secret service themselves have broken these stories because they are disillusioned with the, (cough) White House staff?

What I heard is that the staff are running their operation to the point that these lapses may be occurring due to their meddling with their job of protecting the President.

The Secret Service wants to be close to protect him and the White House staff wants them to be less visible (hang back more).

So there is this conflict of interest?

A modern day Valkyrie Operation? Somebody must really hate the unaffordable death care act. It wouldn't surprise me much though as Obongo has created quite a long list of enemies while in office.

I think I've been obvious, I am not a fan of Obama, but these kind of security issues are inexcusable. He is the president, like it or not. He and his family, considering the funding and agencies involved here should NEVER have to worry about their safety or security period.

Do they want something bad to happen to our president?

It's a valid question, considering these many serious issues.

I would be more concerned for the safety of the security contractor than any one else here.

I mean come on, lets be honest...

Who are the the real criminals here?

I must commend the contractor for his amazing restraint....lol...
2nd....

a reply to: Olivine

But is someone on the inside trying to get him killed?

No way. The shadow gov likes him just fine.

All the alphabet agencies that are really running this nation are running amok. That's why US foreign policy appears fragmented and incoherent.

The bastards work every day to ensure the citizens are split as close to 50-50 as possible so corporations can sink the choke hold progressively deeper.

My first thought is that someone is testing the boundaries of the secret service protection... I agree with ausername, there's no excuse for this obviously foul protection of the president, regardless who he is...

Perhaps the scandal a few years ago that saw several secret service members fired over the prostitute scandal were the good competent ones and since the country is so dumbed down this is as good as it gets, just like the problems were having with our nuclear personnel??

In my opinion the Secret Service has become somewhat complacent in its procedures and processes. I feel like the Secret Service is operating under the assumption that "nothing will happen while I am on duty" or "if the guy is in this area he has already been cleared by someone else on one of the outer rings of security." Being complacent in proper procedure eventually leads to a mishap at some point. The question is will it be a big mishap or a relatively small one like we have seen of late with the fence jumper who took a "jog" in the White House.

I have done some personal security overseas and I am telling ya, the Secret Service is having some big issues following proper procedures. There is NO WAY a person with a sidearm gets within 50ft of a protectee like POTUS when the team is operating outside the White House. POTUS has several rings of security around him in public so this is an epic fail IMO. The Director of Secret Service needs to be fired immediately and whoever was on duty at the White House when the "jogger" took a lap needs to go as well.

The response to a security breach at the White House or any function POTUS is attending has got to be overwhelming and leave NO DOUBT in anyone's mind that the POTUS is unreachable. Carry on......

originally posted by: ausername
I think I've been obvious, I am not a fan of Obama, but these kind of security issues are inexcusable. He is the president, like it or not. He and his family, considering the funding and agencies involved here should NEVER have to worry about their safety or security period.

Nicely put, ausername.

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic
My first thought is that someone is testing the boundaries of the secret service protection... I agree with ausername, there's no excuse for this obviously foul protection of the president, regardless who he is...

Interesting. I wouldn't have thought of the "testing boundaries" angle.
That's why I enjoy ATS--so many novel viewpoints.

a reply to: Olivine
So....
The guy is a security contractor.... with three convictions for assault and battery. In the 'old days', those convictions would have been felony convictions.... I think?
Sure, what is he doing with a gun near the POTUS..... But better yet, WTH is he doing with a gun..... PERIOD?

a reply to: butcherguy
No kidding.

I would think that by now the head of the Secret Service, Julia Pierson, would have offered her resignation. Especially after omitting this incident in Atlanta when testifying before a House Committee yesterday.

I believe the President's security was unnecessarily compromised," Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, told CNN. "A convict with a gun in an elevator with the President put his life in danger. The Director should have informed the President, yet she testified she did not. Did she lie to Congress or fail to inform the President?"

President Obama has accepted Secret Service head, Julia Pierson's resignation.
NPR

Just a random thought, I tend to lean to the incompetence angle myself but what if someone in power were simply trying to send the president a message and show him that he's not secure, and that if he doesn't cooperate he can be taken out? A guy runs into the White House, an armed felon next to him in an elevator. If intentional, these are the types of things someone would do when a warning message needs to be sent.

a reply to: Olivine

Uh... how is it that the doors were open, allowing the knife wielding goon into the White House? How come he was not picked off by a sniper, or tackled by a SIS (spook in a suit) before even getting within twenty feet of the actual White House itself?

How can it be that a man, upon whose shoulders rests the fates of nations, can be so poorly protected that armed criminals can be within feet of him, that even the seat of office held by the president of the United States of America, is not safe from invasion by bladed nutcases? What kind of a world is it, where a nation can spend TRILLIONS on defense and not be able to afford to bloody well secure its leader?

At the end of the day , the Secret Service do not get told what to do by White House staffers, or even by the President, assuming things get crazy enough. If the White House comes under assault, and the President for some reason takes it into his head that his bedroom there is the safest place on Gods Earth, then the Secret Servicemen looking after him have every right to pop him in the jaw, throw him over their shoulder, and carry him along an escape route, one of a few pre-planned channels of egress from the building.

So just to recap, only the President can order Secret Service personnel to move back, or not be as obvious in their looming presence, and even he cannot force them to make bad calls about his safety. They do not require his permission to do their jobs, and can overrule him if they feel that to comply with his request for space, would represent an unacceptable risk to his safety.

So at the end of the day, the Secret Service are responsible for whatever problem they are having with keeping the President safe. They have all the toys, all the power (I mean, if being able to overrule their President to his face is not enough for them, then there is nothing anyone can do for them if they cannot make a good job of it!).

I agree with ausername and TrueBrit

It's amazing how incompetent the SS seem to be. Is everyone around the pres asleep or something? (Including the pres actually, lol... but that's a whole 'nother thread!)
I think the whole crew need to be replaced ASAP. Something appears to be very off with the way things are going security-wise. Seems like a public invitation... planned or unplanned.

The writing is on the wall. I bet they have a saboteur in the Secret Service or within Obama's circle. Someone wants Obama dead that Obama deems "close to him".

There are all just cases of "work-place violence".

Noithing to see here.



I mean, if Ft. Hood was "work-place violence" and the beheading of a woman by someone claiming Islamic jihad was "work-place violence" then this shouldn't be any different.

Right?

a reply to: Vrill
What? Did they put Uncle Joe in charge of the Secret Service?

A couple of good dogs on the WH lawn would have prevented the "jogger with a blade", eh?