The conservative site Newsbusters has denounced the concern expressed by Joseph Palermo, a Huffington Post Blogger, about the potential assassination of Barack Obama by Blackwater (or other private security companies) whose balance sheets have benefited immensely from George Bush’s Long War on Terror. Newsbusters claims that Palermo’s fear for Obama is merely ludicrous “tin foil hat” lunacy from the Left. Oddly enough, three days later, The Washington Times, not exactly a bastion of liberals or progressives by anyone’s definition has written a story about the same topic: fear of an assassination attempt against Senator Obama which have led to increased security by the Secret Service:
Secret Service presence has increased for Sen. Barack Obama since his dramatic win in Iowa, amid fears over the safety of the man seeking to become America’s first black president.
The Illinois senator’s security now rivals that of President Bush, with a dozen Secret Service agents wearing dark suits and earpieces leading bomb-sniffing dogs through event venues, sweeping all equipment brought by journalists and flanking the candidate as he plunges into crowds of supporters.
“For many black supporters, there is a lot of anxiety that he will be killed, and it is on people’s minds,” said Melissa Harris-Lacewell, a Princeton University professor of political science and contemporary black culture. […]
Another black presidential candidate, Jesse Jackson, drew Secret Service protection because of violent threats during his campaigns in the 1980s. And former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell ruled out a presidential run in part because his wife expressed fears he would be assassinated. […]
At his first morning event yesterday, at least a dozen plainclothes Secret Service agents, most with yellow pins on their lapels, stood guard in and around the Palace Theater, and, unlike other candidates touring the state, uniformed police were also on hand. The theater was emptied early so bomb-detecting dogs could sweep through, and journalists covering the event were corralled for inspection.
“Just put all your equipment down, leave the room, and close the door,” one agent barked as another agent paced the hallway with a bomb-detection dog. Known as a “sweep” on the White House beat, the media did as told, allowing agents to rustle through their computer bags and turn on electronic equipment to make sure it was real. […]
There were more agents in the theater yesterday, some undercover, some wearing temporary pins. Reporters who have covered the candidate for months said the increase in security was obvious.
I guess this just proves (at least to conservatives, anyway) that the US Secret Service is now just another fringe leftist organization, much like the CIA has become since its analysts started opposing the stated views of Our Dear Leader Bush and his favorite sidekick Dick “Fuck You Senator Leahy” Cheney. Or maybe this just proves that Mr. Palermo’s concerns about Obama’s “health,” in a time of private armies controlled by conservative religious extremists, aren’t as crazy or outlandish as they seem to our right wing brethren.
And now we know why Colin Powell never chose to run for the Presidency. I guess his wife and the Secret Service have something in common — a healthy respect for all the violent nut cases on the American right who don’t mind using violence or threats of violence to achieve their aims. People like say Timothy McVeigh, for example. Or the Klu Klux Klan, the Minutemen, and even well known Republican politicians. Or certain good folks residing in Alabama who were planning for a massacre of “illegal immigrants” by stockpiling grenades and a rocket launcher, among other weaponry. Not to mention Eric Rudolph who perpetrated acts of right wing terror against both abortion providers and gay people.
So before we begin accepting the right wing meme that only crazy left wing conspiracy theorists would even consider Obama (or any other popular Democratic politician for that matter) to be at increased risk of assassination, maybe we should recall a few lessons from our own recent history, a history filled with vastly more examples of violence from those on the right side of our political spectrum than from the left. It seems the good people in the United States Secret Service have already done so. Good on them.
For anyone in this country to refer to assassination concerns as lunacy, especially for a black candidate who has some serious mojo going on, is simply beyond the pail. Do they need as history lesson or what?
I vote for “or what” myself. ;o)
Every November as a small kid, I remember my mom would sit down on the couch with a box of kleenex and watch the coverage of the anniversary of the Kennedy assassination. It makes me tear up just thinking about that now.
I can’t imagine what it must have been like to live through those times, when the brightest stars were snuffed out too early; and it’s a lesson I’d just as soon not have to learn through personal experience.
I remember all the assassinations and assassination attempts vividly, even Arthur Bremer’s failed attempt at George Wallace. From the age of seven until 17 it just seemed to me that one American political figure or another was being murdered every other year or so. Two Kennedys, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, George Wallace. And that doesn’t even include the people killed at Kent State and Jackson State for protesting the war in Vietnam. It was a very crazy time to be a child in America.
I’m not sure it’s a whole helluva lot saner now, but I’m getting to a place where the people who say “can’t happen here” are the first ones I’m worrying about when it gets to MAKING ithappen here.
I also think this is partly the result of BO’R’s little stunt. I wondered how he got that close; maybe he wasn’t supposed to be able to?
Dad? They don’t shoot african-americans do they?
I would like to point out that if they do try to kill him, especially near the end of the general election, and FAIL, he will be unbeatable.
It’s a totally legitimate concern though I’m not sure that the actual PMCs would do it, it would be far too obvious.
I hate to actually write it down, but a false flag assasination operation could ensure just about anyone the White House….
Legitimate concern. I think as the scale of conservative defeat becomes increasingly evident, the more unhinged they will become whoever we nominate. But yeah, it goes into the stratosphere with Obama. But somehow the US Secret Service must come up with a way to cope.
There’s plenty of nutbags who would want to MURDER Obama but let’s not confuse murder with assassination here.
Assassinate? As in a more narrowed definition, like say RFK or MLK? I don’t think so. I think Obama is just fine for the “establishment”.
A Larry Flynt or George Wallace style attempt? Sure of course it’s a legitimate risk.
What gave me the fucking jeepers was seeing Tim Russert tell Ron Paul a couple weeks ago to be “safe out there on the campaign trail”.
Pax
I always thought that things like Vince Foster, Whitewatergate and Monica, kept Bill Clinton from being the target of assassination.
I really think that the life of any of the three Dem contenders will be in danger if they win. You could get a wingnut racist or misogynist if it is Hillary Clinton or Obama. You could get someone who appears to be racist or misogynist who is used by Blackwater or whatever element of the power structure is willing to do it. If Edwards wins, they might have to use a run of the mill nut case.
Barack Obama will be fine – Johnny Reb isn’t going to take a shot at him, but Mike Huckabee stands to catch one if he seriously contends for the GOP nomination. Huckabee represents a fundamental challenge to the Republican coalition of fiscal, social, and foreign policy conservatives, and if he gets traction outside of the Bible Belt then I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see “a terrorist attack” unfold that just happens to expedite Huckabee’s personal encounter with Jesus.
Just sayin’, he might want to avoid convertible limo rides in Dallas…
What if the Secret Service step aside moments before the shot?
With all the spying “for our protection” I doubt that anyone gets anywhere near a Presidential nomination nowadays without being controlled by the Permanent Government. There are many ways to sink someone. Kiddie porn on a computer, dead hooker, live boy. I suspect everyone gets offered a little graft here and there, proof of which can be produced when needed. Watch any good Mafia movie to show how to control people. Progressives tend to have bad luck in airplanes too.
Considering that for the last 60 years our country (through the CIA) has been killing political leaders around the world for the benefit of our oligarchy, I’m not sure why anyone would think that there is anything theoretical about killing politicians who get in the way.
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As for who would do the killing, Fletcher Prouty once explained that you just ease the protection and let it be known to those who are interested. Ask Musharraf. Some lone nut always comes along.