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Thursday, February 21, 2008

UPDATED: Secret Services reportedly halts security screening of Dallas Obama rally crowds

Updated 11:20 a.m., February 23, 2008

by PegNews wire

In a move that makes one wonder what the heck they were thinking, the U.S. Secret Service apparently ordered Dallas police on the scene to stop their metal detector and purse-searching security screening procedures about an hour before presidential candidate Barack Obama was scheduled to arrive at Reunion Arena.

Several DPD officers (who requested anonymity) expressed their concern over the orders, noting that none of those who entered the arena after 11 a.m. were subjected to even the most rudimentary of inspections. (Yikes.)

UPDATE: The Secret Service says there were no problems with the security procedures which went exactly as they planned.

posted by JM

Staff
Verified User
Anonymous

Can somebody please verify this (or not)?

Just the thought of this being true scares me.

thejanet Anonymous

1 year, 9 months ago
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i don't know about before we arrived, but i can verify that there was NO screening or inspections when we walked in around 11:45am. we, too, thought it was odd.

Trey Kazee Verified

1 year, 9 months ago
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i've guessed for a long time that our government doesn't want obama to be the next president. i heard a caller on a radio show say that obama might end up in a "benazir bhutto" type of situation. would the secret service EVER, EVER do that to any other presidential candidate because the crowd "looked" friendly? that right there is a recipe for disaster.

peteandcarla Anonymous

1 year, 9 months ago
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Very true. It's because the line was way too long and moving way too slow to get the arena filled up by the time he was supposed to speak. They just started letting people in and we walked right in.

xdavidwattsx Anonymous

1 year, 9 months ago
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peteandcarla, I severely doubt lax security measures at a rally is "our government's" means to keep Obama out of office if they don't want him there.

Not to mention, they wouldn't off him until they're sure he's the Dem candidate. He's still useful.

Scott Doyle Verified

1 year, 9 months ago
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Drudge just got a hold of this, with all his red font.

Note to self: mountainous spike in the Startlegram's traffic on 2-22-08.

Chad Jones Verified

1 year, 9 months ago
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Definitely no security checks at the media entrance: http://halz-haz-a-say.typepad.com/hal...

Lame.

Halz Anonymous

1 year, 9 months ago
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I will verify this on two ends and dispute the fact that the media entrance security was anything but lax.

I arrived with two large DSLR ("Professional" digital cameras with telephoto and wide-angle lenses) at the media entrance and produced credentials from an independent media corporation, and produced my California issued drivers' license which was checked, then logged in.

My equipment was scrutinized by TSA/Secret service staff, and I was hand-checked for weapons by a handheld metal detector, forced to open my lenses and prove my cameras were operable.

My friend who also attended the rally said that they checked "the first 250 people, and after that they just started letting people in."

He was on the floor of the rally stating he was less than 100 ft. from Mr. Obama.

Having said this--I also covered Senator Clinton's rally in fort worth, which was much more secure. The secret service presence was extremely visible, and the media checkpoints much more strict. We were made to lay out all of our equipment in our respective media areas, and then waited for 30 minutes while 3 sets of explosive sniffing dogs searched the entire area.

Let us not forget that Mr. Obama was the earliest presidential candidate in history to receive secret service protection; Hillary already recieved protection as a spouse of a former President.

People can claim and prove conspiracies, but from what my eyes have seen, I believe they are doing the best they can.

No political figure is immune to assassination, and, fortunate or unfortunate, sometimes an untimely murder can solidify people.

"Bhutto was alive yesterday, Bhutto is alive today," her supporters say.

Think on these things...

Brody Anonymous

1 year, 9 months ago
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Good recap and all that, Brody, but you could have done without the last part. Maybe let's not start ruminating on the possible uniting benefits of someone's death while they're, uh, alive?

Chad Jones Verified

1 year, 9 months ago
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Please god dont let him get shot - listening to the conspiracy theories and how life would have been better had Barrack become the next president would drive me to drink.

Peter Stawicki Verified

1 year, 9 months ago
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On Wed, just before noon, I glided (as in slipped in un-noticed pretending I was 'chasing' my straying (imaginary) 3 yr. old daughter "Amy"....Hey, they were turning us away! A guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do.... ) straight into Reunion to see Obama and there was zero evident security screening.

Then Friday, I parked on Jefferson in Oak Cliff and walked straight to front of stage, about 5 people from Senator Clinton, where again I never saw nor sensed any 'screening'. The security guys were on top of the building across the street and intent side stage, but if I had been dangerous, this would have been a dangerous situation.

As it was, within a 4o hr. span, this was an impossibly, uniquely All-American invigorating and enlightening thing to see 2 outta 3 viable players remaining in this historic presidential race, face to face, in my home town. Ironic to this story we're posting to, the last time this happened to me was John F. Kennedy.