Uproar continues over Obama security in Dallas

After reporting last week that the Secret Service and other federal agents stopped checking people for weapons an hour before Barack Obama took the stage at a Dallas rally, the Star-Telegram has received hundreds of e-mails and phone calls from across the country, most of them from people who say they are shocked by such a "lapse" in protection.

The Secret Service, which declined to comment when first called about the Obama rally on Wednesday, has since said it was following a well-thought-out plan, which included screening people initially, then allowing those in the back of the long lines to go unchecked into the Reunion Arena in downtown Dallas.

Agency spokesman Eric Zahren declined to give a reasoning for the search/don't-search policy, saying that such information is classified and, if made public, could compromise security for future presidential campaign events.

At an Obama rally in Austin on Friday, police and federal agents seemed diligent in screening many of those in attendance, especially the people up close and in VIP sections near the candidate, while thousands of supporters further back on the street were not searched.

Meanwhile, the e-mails roll in, including this one on Friday from Janet Remington of Costa Mesa, Calif., who wrote: "Another chilling reminder of our dangerous times ... We need the greatest protection for American presidential candidates."

-- Jack Douglas Jr.

Comments

[Mike in Seattle]

So... this Secret Service "plan" which has "layers" allows people
to bring weapons in to the venue where Obama is speaking.
check.
one question:
is that how they do it for Bush?

[Joan]

The Republicans will stop at NOTHING

[Mabel]

TOTALLY Unacceptable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wolf2012]

What you all need to understand is it was Obama himself that made the order to stop with the screening, now that there is a backlash, he can now blame the police, republicans, and even Hillary for the lack of security. This is more of his hate, spin tactics to garner support for the "poor" black man. and even that statement is an out and out lie. His family ancestory on his fathers side are Arabs, not Negros. In order to claim African minority status one must be 1/8 or 12 percent Negro, he is only 6% negro, 50% caucasion and 44% Arab, it would be a truth to call himself the first Arab/American canidate running for president, but then if he did that then he probably wouldn't get the "black" vote. He was also not the first African to hold the position of editor of the law review at harvard, that distinction was actually held by a real African some 60 years ago. But again, his LIES read better for the public than his TRUTH

[wolf2012]

http://kennethelamb.blogspot.com/2008/02/barak-obama-questions-about-ethnic.html

If you don't believe me, visit the link above, this man actually did his research.

[Jimmy Davis]

How can you justify not protecting a candidate for the Presidency of the United States of Amercia.

[charles]

wolf2012 you are a racist, as is obvious from your "poor black man" response as well as your 'detailed' breakdown of Obama's geneology. crawl back into your slimey racist hole with your klansmen friends and leave decent people the hell alone. the last thing you are qualified to talk about is the truth. RACIST GO HOME!

and moderators: if don't screen for racism doesn that mean anything goes here?

[wolf2012]

Sorry Charles,

despite your hate speech, I am not the racist, apparently you are. The "poor black man" reference was taken from Obama's self penned book "Dreams of my father" perhaps you should read it. The detailed breakdown of his geneology did not come from me, it came from a renowned journalist, Kenneth Lamb. If you don't like it, call him the racist not me. If Colin Powell were to run for president I would be the first to vote for him. Check out Harvard listings of who have been editors of law review, again, I didn't compile the list I just spent the time to research it...Do us the world a favor and read the vast amount of information available to you and stop watching TV. Reading won't actually hurt you, but drinking the Obama kool-aid will.

[Namanemo]

Kenneth Lamb is not a "renowned journalist." In a letter, he writes, "I’m using my real name for this, even though I’m not a celebrity so you won’t recognize it." Read it for yourself at: http://kennethelamb.blogspot.com/2008/02/barak-obama-questions-about-ethnic.html. Search his name on Google and you will not find one single published article except for his rantings on his own and similar blogs.

[Lati]

Let's just stop with these hateful comments. Obama's ancestry shouldn't matter much. He's human and an American. That's all that matters. It saddens me to still see people who are so blinded and bigoted about someone's skin color. I don't see anyone making such a big deal about Hillary Clinton or John McCain's ethnicities...

[Sid P.]

People are running around with their heads filled with half-truths, unsubstantiated rumors, lies, deceptions and then turn around and think they know something. If you don't like my candidate, who happens to be Barack Obama, fine but nothing you can say will change my mind, so why not just keep quiet and support your candidate without throwing mud on mine. The planet is getting to small for hate and where do you really think it gets you. Hate and anger do more damage to the vessel in which they are stored than to those on which it is meant to be poured. I think calling off the search in Dallas was unthinkable and even if Mr. Obama himself said to do so, the security people should have known better and done the right thing. What should have happened is the doors should have been opened earlier so screening could have been done before the rally started and the line got so long.

[Velkyrie]

Wolf2012, do you have any links to the ancestry and pedigree charts for the other candidates, too? I think we should check to be sure nobody else is being misleading about what kind of blood they've got and where it came from.

I heard that Rudy Giuliani said he was Italian, and his great grandparents but actually his great grandparents immigrated before the unification of the country and so it was just a big fat lie! I mean, look it up! Risorgiomento took place in 1872 and before that there was no such thing as "Italy" or "Italian." Good thing he dropped out because stuff like that really hocks me off.

Okay, now I was also hoping you could explain what countries are technically "Arab" and what countries are "African" when it comes to Obama's background. I think it is really important that we all identify ourselves correctly by ethnic group in case we get confused. If I'm talking to an Arab-American who just "looks" black then they ought to point that out.

For example, I'd like to know if John McCain is really Irish or Scottish and in what amounts. I've heard rumors that his blood has a nigher percentage of German, but his name is very misleading.

Somebody also said he has Cherokee indian blood but I think we have a right to know just how much indian blood he's got and also which tribe. Where can we find out about these important matters?

Thanks for sharing the info about Obama. I'm glad at least someone believes in honesty and full disclosure when it comes to a person's racial and ethnic make-up. We simply can't have "quadrooms" trying to pass themselves off as "octoroons" and vice versa.

"Sicilians" whose family was clearly born on soil belonging to the Bourbon king prior to 1872, who then call themselvese "Italian" is a blatant misprepresentation of the North African and Greek blood that is probably in their veins. Northern Italians find that all very disturbing as their blood is more pure with Swiss and other more European stock.

And don't even get ne started on this thing about John McCain being born in the Panama Canal Zone. Don't they speak Spanish down there? Spanish! (I mean, "Spanish" as in "Mexico!")

I mean, he looks white and all but he could be something different. And, like you, I want to know "what kind" and "how much" of each race and ethnic group so it can be cross referenced with a pedigree chart and a decision can be made as to what label he should be allowed to use.

So... anyway... all this excitement about the Secret Service and all is ridiculous when it is not even clear what the truth is about his racial purity. (especially when it comes to someone with slightly more than 40 percent but less than 50 percent of their blood from a place that could be considered "Arab" - you know ... "Arab" as in "Muslim" and "terrorist" and "baba ganouj"...)

Thanks for sharing your info with us. God bless you for being such a champion of the truth. Together we can save America from brown people.

[Thankful]

Often times I wish we could get points across without using sarcasm. All the same, we need more people like Velkyrie around. Thanks, V, I appreciate your thoughtful setting things right.

[Voting 4 Change]

Are you guys for real?? You can't be. Your comments are so far from not only reality, but from the truth its just plain scary. Save the world from brown people???? What the he@$ is that supposed to mean? Its a sad place when people are so comfortable in thier ignorance. GOD help you and our country.

BTW.... I read his book, Dreams from my Father.... you are all so wrong and full of it. You should all be ashamed up yourselves for spreading such hatred and lies.

[50566]

Wow, Vel & T, apparently even sarcasm is useless in getting your point across these days... ROFL. It clearly flew right over VfC's head, and then you had to suffer the "comfortably ignorant" label to boot. Well, VfC started out with a clue, saying you can't be for real.. but then uncomfortably lost it, but at least their heart is trying to be in the right place, god bless 'em! Couldn't resist trying to help other sarcasm-challenged people understand where we're coming from. Maybe then they can enjoy the humor. It's good for the heart after all! Peace out, hope is in the house!