RELATED: Herman Cain Cancels Newspaper Editorial Board Meeting Following Disagreement Over Taping

The Secret Service will not reveal the exact reason that the Cain campaign has requested its protection. Although threats against the candidate can be a possible factor in asking for protection, any candidate can receive protection if they have “achieved prominence.”

A CBSNews.com report, however, notes that Cain has been receiving threats “as far back as when he was CEO of Godfather’s Pizza.”

h/t NYT‘s The Caucus

RELATED: Report: Shots Fired Near White House

An additional round of ammunition was also found on the exterior of the White House. The bullets were found Tuesday.

President Obama was not at home at the time of the incident and is currently away on visit to Australia.

Update:

ABC News has further information on the alleged shooter:

ABC News has learned authorities are increasingly concerned that a man sought in connection with a bizarre shooting incident on the Washington Mall last week may pose a threat to President Obama.

The Secret Service now suspects that a bullet fired in this incident may have hit the White House after a bullet round was found in a White House window, though the round had not yet been conclusively linked to the incident.

Police believe the suspect, Oscar Ramiro Ortega of Idaho Falls, is mentally ill. Local News 8 broke Ortega’s connection to Idaho Falls on Sunday night.

Ortega has an extensive record, ranging from domestic violence to drug charges. Sources say a police investigation has uncovered evidence suggesting Ortega has a fixation on the White House.

(h/t NBC)

Traveling White House reporters and senior White House staff, including Jay Carney, gathered for drinks Tuesday night at Davenport, Iowa’s Duck City Bistro for some off-the-record recreation, but when President Obama tried to join the fun, the Secret Service quickly deployed the kibosh.

The Wall Street Journal‘s Laurie Meckler wrote:

Just after boarding Air Force One, the president came back to the press section. He apologized for not hanging out with the press for drinks the previous night at the Duck City Bistro in Davenport, Iowa, but he said the plan leaked and the Secret Service nixed the idea.

According to The Washington Times‘ David Boyer, the President busted Jay Carney’s chops for not ponying up for the press corps:

Before takeoff, potus came to press cabin briefly to say he had wanted to join the press last night for a gathering with some senior staff but word leaked out that he might go and the secret service scotched it. Joked that he hoped jay paid for his drinks. He said he had a great time on this bus trip.
“I hope Jay (Carney) picked up the tab,” Mr. Obama said.

The press corp replied quickly, and nearly in unison, that Mr. Carney had not in fact picked up the tab.

“That’s terrible. That’s shameful,” the president said, smiling.

The President said he “had a great time” on the trip, and thought it had done the reporters some good, as well. “The more we’re out of Washington, the better off — look, you guys all have smiles on your faces. You’ve had some cookies, some pie.”

It’s good to know that the Secret Service is there to ensure that the Leader of the Free World doesn’t wake up with a tooth missing and a tiger in the bathroom, even if that would make for an awesome story. Of course, there’s a bit of a parental “Do as I say, not as I do” element to this story, since, just days earlier, an off-duty member of the President’s Secret Service detail was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence.

Of course, there’s no colorful anecdote that critics of the President and the mainstream press (two groups with more overlap than a plate of pancakes) can’t blow out of proportion. Previous recreational interactions between the White House press and administration officials have been cause for criticism of the “cozy relationship” between the President and the press. Such criticisms are more overblown that a stunt double in a Linda Lovelace movie. Such gatherings are very infrequent, and there’s no demonstrable link  between them and a weakening of the press corps’ independence. In fact, such interactions can lead to better reporting, from less-guarded sources.

But I’ll let you in on a little secret: We The Media™ revel in pointing fingers while the other hand is giving a thumbs up. We delight in bread and circuses while casting judgment over your enjoyment of these things. And this is how things will continue until we return to sleep for another hundred billion years in the darkest, dankest, innermost recesses of the sunken city of R’lye (nerding out today)… or in our too-bright office cubicles.

In any case: If you step outside the lines we’ve created for you, Politician, we will rake you over the proverbial coals until you issue an apology or clarification that’s about as heartfelt as the unholy union between these two. In that vein, let’s stumble together down memory lane, reminiscing about instances where a politician — rightfully or otherwise — was made to grovel under three inches of television makeup and hairspray for the entertainment of the quietly gurgling masses. (Like us! *Gurgle.*)

1. In the wake of his remarks about the Tea Party, McCain paid a visit to Fox News’ Sean Hannity saying that he “appreciates” the Tea Party movement and wants to have its babies, basically.

2. After all the hubbub surrounding her decision to sign the now-infamous marriage pledge issued by The Family Leader, Michele Bachmann appeared on (What else?) Hannity’s show to announce that, contrary to some of the rhetoric in the pledge’s original preamble, she definitely “abhor(s) slavery.” Other things Michele Bachmann hates: Famine, genocide, child trafficking, people who harm puppies, and that feeling you get when your thighs stick to subway seats in the summertime.

3. Michael Steele, who was at the time Chairman of the Republican National Committee, went off-script in early 2009, telling CNN’s D.L. Hughley (2009, you guys!) that conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh is “an entertainer. Rush Limbaugh — his whole thing is entertainment. He has this incendiary — yes, it’s ugly.” Steele then called Limbaugh to apologize, because goodness knows the public isn’t entertained by incendiary media figures.

4. This might be stretching the definition of a “politician,” but most of you stopped reading after the headline anyway. Back in May, the Secret Service’s official Twitter account (2011, you guys!) published thishighly critical Tweet: “Had to monitor Fox for a story. Can’t. Deal. With. The. Blathering.” Kill. That intern. And eat it. The Secret Service later apologized for the offending Tweet, noting that a government employee had, surprisingly, done something stupid.

5. I saved the best for last. Take a deep breath, collect yourself, and make sure you’re not currently noshing any delicious cured meats.

After Carl Paladino publicly apologized for anti-gay remarks he’d made during a speech at an Orthodox Jewish gathering, “Tea Party Rabbi ” Yehuda Levin — who had helped write Paladino’s speech — announced that he would be withdrawing his support for the politician. And then this happened:

“Which part of the speech that you gave in Brooklyn to the Orthodox Jewish community are you apologizing for?” Rabbi Levin asked at a news conference in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, on Fifth Avenue. “Will we see you next year with your daughter at that gay pride march?”
[...]
“I was in the middle of eating a kosher pastrami sandwich,” Rabbi Levin said. “While I was eating it, they come running and they say, ‘Paladino became gay!*’ I said, ‘What?’ And then they showed me the statement. I almost choked on the kosher salami.”

Oh my God, right? Politicians and The Media make such strange bedfellows, literally and figuratively. And we hope that never, ever changes.

*Carl Paladino is not gay.

“I just got tired of being tired. I was tired two years ago. Now I’m really tired. So I got tired of being tired and I said it’s time to get in the ring and throw a few punches. It was a huge risk, no doubt about it. I gave up a great career. i love the Secret Service. They were very good to me.”

While a lot of Bongino’s answers weren’t that different from those he’s been giving since the announcement of his candidacy earlier this week, there’s still something intriguing about seeing a former Secret Service member speaking candidly about the policies of the president and his party. After Bongino went after the lack of results in the unemployment problem, Cavuto pointed out that he’d kept this quiet for a while.

Of course, while Bongino may have had qualms with his former protectee’s policies, he had nothing but nice things to say about the man himself. When Cavuto tried to get him to compare Obama to the second Bush, Bongino would only say that they were both “wonderful.:

Watch the clip from Fox News below:

It appears that part of the President’s motorcade had a bit of a tough time transitioning from American to Irish soil and got caught on a ramp. A YouTuber caught the whole situation as the Secret Service quickly moved a bus in front of the stalled vehicle to protect it from the jeering Dublin citizens.

No one’s sure yet whether or not the President was actually in this vehicle or somewhere behind it (The National Journal‘s Marc Ambinder argues that it’s actually a spare limo). However, if it is the President’s car, it’s nice to know that the vehicle, affectionately known as the Beast, can withstand biochemical attacks and sense incoming RPG shots has met its match in a slight incline.

(h/t Breaking News)

Watch the video below:

Now, the Secret Service has issued an apology for the offending Tweet through its spokesperson, Edwin Donovan. As we’d guessed yesterday, the mistake was a result of someone confusing his or her own personal account with the official Secret Service account:

An employee with access to the Secret Service’s Twitter account, who mistakenly believed they were on their personal account, posted an unapproved and inappropriate tweet. … The tweet did not reflect the views of the U.S. Secret Service and it was immediately removed. We apologize for this mistake, and the user no longer has access to our official account.

Donovan also clarified that the organization routinely monitors several channels and media outlets, not solely Fox News.

h/t NPR

That might be what happened to whomever was in charge of Tweeting for the Secret Service’s official Twitter account recently. “Had to monitor Fox for a story,” the Tweet read. “Can’t. Deal. With. The. Blathering.” Totes. Profesh.

ShortFormBlog chronicles Tumblr reaction to the offending Tweet, which was almost immediately deleted:

The account is a mere 9 days old. Growing pains, perhaps?

h/t ShortFormBlog

Broun became embroiled in another controversy when, at a Tuesday town hall meeting, he was asked “who is going to shoot Obama?” and responded with stunning nonchalance.

According to the Athens Banner Herald, Broun decided to let the person who had driven the farthest to the town hall ask the first question. The reporter didn’t hear the question, but saw it on a blog comment, and later confirmed it with Broun’s Press Secretary:

Broun’s press secretary, Jessica Morris, confirmed that the question was indeed, who is going to shoot Obama? “Obviously, the question was inappropriate, so Congressman Broun moved on,” she said.

Here was Broun’s response:

The thing is, I know there’s a lot of frustration with this president. We’re going to have an election next year. Hopefully, we’ll elect somebody that’s going to be a conservative, limited-government president that will take a smaller, who will sign a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare.

The blog commenter, Mark Farmer, recounted the incident this way:

I was there last evening. The honor of the first question asked was given to a man who had traveled 75 miles to attend.

“Who’s gonna shoot Obama?” he asked.

Nearly everyone in the room, including U.S. Congressman Broun laughed.

The Secret Service has already investigated the incident, and assessed the threat.

Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan told Mediaite this morning “We’re aware of the situation, the appropriate investigative steps have been taken, and we consider the matter closed.”

Donovan explained that “We’ve interviewed the subject, and at this point, the matter is closed…no action is being taken.”

Another law enforcement source told The Washington Post: (h/t Alan Colmes)

A law enforcement source confirmed that the Secret Service interviewed the constituent and determined that he or she was an “elderly person” who now regrets making a bad joke.

Aside from the more weighty aspects of this story, this is the first time that I’ve ever seen a commenter on a blog actually break news, although our readers do regularly tip us off to stories that we may end up covering.

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/online/rep-paul-brouns-stunning-response-to-town-hall-question-who-will-shoot-obama/feed/ 235 http://www.mediaite.com/online/oof-secret-service-confirms-third-white-house-party-crasher/ http://www.mediaite.com/online/oof-secret-service-confirms-third-white-house-party-crasher/#comments Mon, 04 Jan 2010 20:47:28 +0000 Glynnis MacNicol http://www.mediaite.com/?p=64975 Oof. Welcome to the new decade where apparently we are on our own when it comes to security. Of course you remember, last month when the Salahis created quite the media stir after they slipped the Secret Service “crashed” a White House state dinner. Even at the time there was a serious element to all that overdone, splashy headline coverage, because of course while the Salahis didn’t appear terribly threatening we were still talking about the President of the United States.

Somehow post the Christmas/Underwear bomber, yesterday’s shutdown of Newark, and the general sense that not only do people still wish us harm, but we are not prepared to deal with it, the Salahis are less funny. So the news that there was likely a third party crasher, which might have made for a fun (ish) follow-up headline just a short month or so ago, is actually not that funny. Or at all funny.

Newsmax first reported this morning that there may have been a third crasher:

At the last minute, someone from the Indian diplomatic delegation invited a man to attend the White House event on Nov. 24 without the knowledge or consent of the White House. As with the Salahis, the Secret Service ignored the fact that the man was not on the guest list and failed to conduct a background check on him.

The Secret Service confirmed later today there was indeed a third uninvited guest:

“It appears at this point that the subject traveled from a local hotel, where the official Indian delegation was staying, and arrived at the dinner with the group, which was under the responsibility of the Department of State. This individual went through all required security measures along with the rest of the official delegation at the hotel, and boarded a bus/van with the delegation guests en route to the White House.

“At present, there is nothing to indicate that this individual went through the receiving line or had contact with the president or first lady.”

Sigh. At this rate there’ll be full body scans at all future White House functions.

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/online/oof-secret-service-confirms-third-white-house-party-crasher/feed/ 4 http://www.mediaite.com/tv/whos-responsible-for-crashergate-leave-desiree-rogers-alone/ http://www.mediaite.com/tv/whos-responsible-for-crashergate-leave-desiree-rogers-alone/#comments Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:09:10 +0000 Tommy Christopher http://www.mediaite.com/?p=54153 Thursday's Crasher-gate hearing, but chief among them were Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan's continued insistence that the now-famous security breach posed no threat to the President, and the committee's focus on Social Secretary Desiree Rogers' role in said breach. This is absurd on two counts.]]>

There were several disappointments at Thursday’s Crasher-gate hearing, but chief among them were Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan‘s continued insistence that the now-famous security breach posed no threat to the President, and the committee’s focus on Social Secretary Desiree Rogers‘ role in said breach.

Taken together with the media’s initial narrative on the Social Secretary’s Office, the right’s targeting of her, and a heated broadside from the White House press corps, it seems some are taking the Secret Service’s failure as an opportunity to settle scores with Desiree Rogers.

Initially, I shared the House Committee on Homeland Security’s consternation at Rogers’ absence from the hearing, but after further consideration, I’m not so sure. The committee members’ interest in Rogers seemed to involve spreading some of the blame for the Secret Service’s failure to turn away Michaele and Tareq Salahi, as they repeatedly questioned Sullivan as to whether the presence of a Social Office staffer would have prevented the breach. This is absurd on two counts.

First of all, this is the year 2009. You no longer have to actually be standing next to someone in order to communicate with them. The officers at that first checkpoint had an entire world of confirmation at their fingertips. The committee focused on the fact that there usually is a staffer present for state dinners, but they seemed ignorant of the fact that 99.99% of White House visitors are checked in by the Secret Service alone.

More absurd is the notion that the Secret Service needs backup from the White House social staff. If that’s true, Sullivan should just hang it up. This would be akin to Batman blaming a defeat on the absence of Alfred, the butler.

Since Rogers’ name first came up, however, there seems to have been a cauldron of resentment simmering just below the surface. A disgruntled former staffer came forward to complain about Rogers, and the right jumped at the chance to show how Rogers was yet another example of how Barack Obama is everything that’s wrong with the world.

>>>NEXT: A transcript of Ryan’s chat with Gibbs and a final defense of Desiree Rogers…

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/tv/whos-responsible-for-crashergate-leave-desiree-rogers-alone/feed/ 22 http://www.mediaite.com/online/crashergate-hearing-secret-service-learned-about-it-from-facebook/ http://www.mediaite.com/online/crashergate-hearing-secret-service-learned-about-it-from-facebook/#comments Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:46:21 +0000 Tommy Christopher http://www.mediaite.com/?p=53113 Mark Sullivan spent the morning on the hot seat for his agency's failure to repel uninvited guests Michaele and Tareq Salahi from last Tuesday's White House state dinner. Among the revelations this morning is the embarrassing fact that, according to Sullivan, the Secret Service learned of the breach on Facebook.]]> I’m at the House Committee on Homeland Security hearing on Crashergate, where Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan spent the morning on the hot seat for his agency’s failure to repel uninvited guests Michaele and Tareq Salahi from last Tuesday’s White House state dinner. Among the revelations this morning is the embarrassing fact that, according to Sullivan, the Secret Service learned of the breach on Facebook.

Also new is the fact that, as Sullivan says, “the officers are all on administrative leave, with pay” pending completion of the investigation. As far as I know, this is the first time the agency has said that there was more than one officer involved in the breach.

As we went to recess, I tried to question Sullivan about how many officers were involved, and if they had consulted anyone at all before allowing the Salahis onto the White house grounds, but one  of his aides body-checked me into the banister as Sullivan strode down the stairs.

Thus far, committee members from both parties have condemned the White House for not making social secretary Desiree Rogers available to the committee.

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/online/crashergate-hearing-secret-service-learned-about-it-from-facebook/feed/ 4 http://www.mediaite.com/online/crashergate-update-white-house-nails-it-down/ http://www.mediaite.com/online/crashergate-update-white-house-nails-it-down/#comments Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:03:20 +0000 Tommy Christopher http://www.mediaite.com/?p=53065 Salahi couple managed to breach White House security, the White House has removed any and all doubt as to whether the Secret Service might have had a legitimate excuse for letting the couple past the first checkpoint.]]> As a Congressional hearing gets underway to drill down on how the uninvited Salahi couple managed to breach White House security, the White House has removed any and all doubt as to whether the Secret Service might have had a legitimate excuse for letting the couple past the first checkpoint.

The way the White House and the Secret Service have been talking about this incident so far has left open the possibility that a less serious breach may have occurred. I contacted the White House to see if they could eliminate those possibilities.

As I said yesterday, the emails between the Salahis and Michelle Jones left open the possibility that the couple were not invited to the dinner, but may have been cleared for the arrival ceremony. A White House official told me that “the Salahi’s were not cleared to enter the White House grounds for any reason…Not being waved in means not being waved in for anything at all, or as (we’ve said), not cleared to enter the White House grounds for any reason.”

The emails also state that their names, ss#, etc, were submitted in case tickets became available. If there had been a background check done just in case they got in, and a computer record remained when the Secret Service looked them up at the checkpoint, it would mitigate the breach somewhat. Of the submission of the Salahis’ request, the White House official told me the following:

“No (there was no background check). No. On Friday November 20, Michele Jones’s office sent a request to the White House office of Public Engagement for two arrival ceremony tickets for the Salahis. That request was denied by the White House Office of Public Engagement later that same day.”

White House staff, including Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, have evinced frustration that their statements on this story have been questioned and dissected so, but they should understand that, knowing how vigilant Secret Service is, and knowing how vigilant the White House press office staff are, it’s not at all obvious that the Salahis should have been able to BS their way past a guy whose sole job it is to make sure they belong there, and then shake hands with the President and Vice President without any of the White House staff noticing they weren’t supposed to be there.

The White House also raises questions by not making WH Social Secretary Desiree Rogers available to testify at the hearing. Without her or the Salahis at today’s hearing, all that’s left is the Secret Service, who were eager to take the blame from day one, even before an investigation had begun.

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/online/crashergate-update-white-house-nails-it-down/feed/ 1 http://www.mediaite.com/online/do-salahis-emails-exonerate-the-white-house-party-crashers/ http://www.mediaite.com/online/do-salahis-emails-exonerate-the-white-house-party-crashers/#comments Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:11:08 +0000 Tommy Christopher http://www.mediaite.com/?p=52784 The saga of would-be reality stars and accused White House Party Crashers Michaele and Tareq Salahi continues to unroll slowly, as NBC fortuitously scores scoop after scoop. The latest: The Salahis' attorney provided The Today Show with copies of their emails with Defense Department White House Liaison Michele Jones. If this is the bombshell evidence they promised to bring Matt Lauer in their meager Today interview Monday, they're in trouble. These emails are all smoke, no gun]]> The saga of would-be reality stars and accused White House Party Crashers Michaele and Tareq Salahi continues to unroll slowly, as NBC fortuitously scores scoop after scoop. The latest: The Salahis’ attorney provided The Today Show with copies of their emails with Defense Department White House Liaison Michele Jones. If this is the bombshell evidence they promised to bring Matt Lauer in their meager Today interview Monday, they’re in trouble. These emails are all smoke, no  gun.

Given the very best possible interpretation, the emails show that Michelle Jones was working to get the Salahis tickets to the arrival ceremony prior to the dinner, but explicitly tells them that the dinner has been full up for months. The emails leave open the possibility, however unlikely, that the Salahis might attend the arrival if tickets became available.

That leaves open the possibility that the couple passed through the first checkpoint as legitimate attendees of the arrival ceremony. I asked the White House about the arrival ceremony specifically, and a White House official told me that “the Salahi’s were not cleared to enter the White House grounds for any reason.”

Michele Jones never confirms either event for the couple in the emails, except to accept their thanks the following day.

The crux of their defense, then, is that they went to the White House just to check if Jones had managed an 11th-hour miracle, and they say in a thank-you email that they were, indeed, on the list. The email conveniently explains that their cellphone battery had died, so they wouldn’t have received any calls telling them not to go.

The White House and the Secret Service have now fairly definitively ruled out every scenario that could vindicate the Salahis. While their future as reality TV stars may be bright, it looks like they could face serious trouble for what looks more and more like a ridiculous security breach.

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/online/do-salahis-emails-exonerate-the-white-house-party-crashers/feed/ 1 http://www.mediaite.com/online/gop-rep-crasher-gate-happened-to-most-threatened-president-ever/ http://www.mediaite.com/online/gop-rep-crasher-gate-happened-to-most-threatened-president-ever/#comments Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:19:50 +0000 Tommy Christopher http://www.mediaite.com/?p=51920 At the heart of the story of Michaele and Tareq Salahi's big adventure at last week's state dinner is a security breach so unbelievable, I actually don't believe it. However, the President would do well to heed the alarm being sounded by Rep. Peter King (R-NY) and "In the President's Secret Service" author Ronald Kessler in this clip from yesterday's "Today Show." King calls Obama our "most threatened President ever," and Kessler says "it's only a matter of time before there's an assassination."]]> At the heart of the story of Michaele and Tareq Salahi’s big adventure at last week’s state dinner is a security breach so unbelievable, I actually don’t believe it. However, barring the emergence of exculpatory “stunning details” that were absent from this morning’s useless “Today Show” interview, the President would do well to heed the alarm being sounded by Rep. Peter King (R-NY) and “In the President’s Secret Service” author Ronald Kessler in this clip from yesterday’s “Today Show.” King calls Obama our “most threatened President ever,” and Kessler says “it’s only a matter of time before there’s an assassination.”

(Video of the interview with Congressman King starts at the 2:55 mark)

While they differ as to the reasons for concern, both King and Kessler rightly agree that, despite the reality TV angle and the Salahis’ own penchant for the ridiculous, this story is no laughing matter. While the Secret Service downplays the degree to which President Obama faces a greater number of threats than past presidents, the fact that he does is a well-established fact.

So far, the official story is that a uniformed agent at the first checkpoint admitted the Salahis after checking their ID and physically screening them, but did not verify that they were on the guest list for the dinner, thinking this would be done by a later post.

Assuming that there’s nothing more to the story, this was an unthinkable breach of security. Attempts by some to spread culpability to the absence of a Social Office staffer at the checkpoint completely miss the point. Any idiot can pass someone through a metal detector. The most important part of that first checkpoint is to ensure that the person has a reason to enter, that they’re not windpipe-crushing, anthrax-smuggling stealth assassins. It’s basically their sole reason to exist.

Both the White House and the Secret Service, however, were quick to dismiss the notion that the President was ever in any danger, based on the fact that the couple were physically screened.

Part of the problem the Secret Service faces is that they must necessarily fight this PR battle with one hand tied behind their backs. First of all, any perception that the President is/was vulnerable could easily encourage others to give this a try.

This is compounded by the fact that they are limited in their ability to reassure the public, since specific security measures are secret (hence the name “Secret Service”). They are extremely vigilant about this.

Still, at this point, it sends a bad message to downplay the seriousness of this incident. When the Secret Service completes its investigation this week, some pretty drastic consequences are in order.

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/online/gop-rep-crasher-gate-happened-to-most-threatened-president-ever/feed/ 0 http://www.mediaite.com/tv/white-house-press-corps-hammers-gibbs-on-party-crashers-he-blames-secret-service/ http://www.mediaite.com/tv/white-house-press-corps-hammers-gibbs-on-party-crashers-he-blames-secret-service/#comments Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:33:19 +0000 Steve Krakauer http://www.mediaite.com/?p=51539 Robert Gibbs with questions about the party crashers, Michaele and Tareq Salahi, and he appeared to place the blame squarely on the Secret Service. During today's briefing, several correspondents tried to get Gibbs to expand on the announced investigation and vague public comments by the Secret Service. They didn't have much luck.]]> The White House press corps peppered Press Secretary Robert Gibbs with questions about the party crashers, Michaele and Tareq Salahi, and he appeared to place the blame squarely on the Secret Service.

During today’s briefing, several correspondents tried to get Gibbs to expand on the announced investigation and vague public comments by the Secret Service. They didn’t have much luck.

“I think the Secret Service, through the director, has admitted that somebody who wasn’t on the list, who wasn’t waved in, was allowed into an event that clearly, he said, shouldn’t be,” said Gibbs to a question from CNN’s Ed Henry.

But what about the social office at the White House? Why weren’t they involved in the process at all, and why are they exempt from blame? It was a question raised, repeatedly, by April Ryan of the American Urban Radio Networks. “None of that relay happened between the Secret Service and the social office,” said Gibbs. “The relay didn’t happen because nobody picked up the phone to relay the information.”

But Gibbs assured he was not concerned for the safety of the President. As for why – no real answer was given. But he did tell Chip Reid of CBS News, “The reason there’s an investigation is because the President and the White House has asked for that to happen…The President is rightly concerned about what happened last week.”

So he’s concerned. But! “The President has faith in the Secret Service, always has, and that’s not about to change,” said Gibbs during the latter part of the questions from all corners of the briefing room.

That’s about all that was gleaned from the briefing today, before a frustrated Gibbs got the press corps to move on to other topics. But this is certainly not going away – and with the White House’s stubborn insistence their social office had no part in the mistake, the blame game continues.

Here’s the key part of the briefing today:

—–
» Follow Steve Krakauer on Twitter

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/tv/white-house-press-corps-hammers-gibbs-on-party-crashers-he-blames-secret-service/feed/ 33 http://www.mediaite.com/print/the-salahis-extreme-reality-show-meets-the-secret-service/ http://www.mediaite.com/print/the-salahis-extreme-reality-show-meets-the-secret-service/#comments Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:01:30 +0000 Glynnis MacNicol http://www.mediaite.com/?p=51295 Tareq and Michaele Salahi -- the Virginian couple who crashed last week's White House state dinner -- it's hard not to wonder whether we haven't just witnessed the invention of some brand new type of reality game show: extreme reality. Unlike Balloon Boy all signs point to the Salahis wanting to be caught. Now they get to tell their story to the Secret Service. ]]> Looking back over the last few days at the events surrounding Tareq and Michaele Salahi — the Virginian couple who crashed last week’s White House state dinner — it’s hard not to wonder whether we haven’t just witnessed the invention of some brand new type of reality game show: extreme reality. Like extreme sports but with a reality game show twist. And boy did the Salahi’s take it to the extreme (really, is there anything more extreme than infiltrating the White House and meeting President Obama?) Of course, in this case (much like its “extreme” Balloon Boy predecessor) who needs an actual contract with an actual television company (the Salahi’s were apparently merely in talks with Bravo) when the cable newsers are so willing to take the bait and run with it.

Unlike Balloon Boy (which was technically fake extreme reality, I suppose) — all signs point to the Salahis wanting to be caught. After their escapade to the White House, with cameras in tow no less, they posted pictures of themselves with high level politicos on their Facebook — though the White House was actually responsible for making available the money shot (as it were). Now the couple is shopping their story around to the highest bidder (maybe). This is not a couple that appears to be terribly caught off guard by the hoopla surrounding their presidential partying.

Whether it works out in their favor remains to be seen — we all know how Balloon Boy ended up. The Secret Service interviewed the couple (for free we assume) over the weekend and says they still may press charges. Ed Rollins, appearing on CNN’s State of the Union yesterday (video below), is understandably quie angry about the whole thing and thinks the couple should be charged for trespassing. He went so far as to suggest an entirely new reality show premise for them: “These people want a reality TV show, give them one. It’s called ‘Dealing With the Federal Prosecution System of the District of Columbia.’”

Former White House press secretary Dana Perino, appearing on “Fox News Sunday With Chris Wallace” thinks that with the White House holiday season about to kick into full swing, this is just the tip of the iceberg: “What will be a concern for, I think, the social office going forward is they have their busiest season coming up. It’s the holiday season. They’ll have a lot of people coming through.” Or not. It’s entirely possible the Salahi’s have ruined Christmas for everyone. Just imagine the sort of background checks future guests are going to be required to undergo.

And with “as many as 1,000 reality participants on television at any given moment” one has to assume this is just the beginning of some sort of weird trend that will probably result in the President livestreaming events from an undisclosed location because no one will ever be allowed into the White House ever again.

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/print/the-salahis-extreme-reality-show-meets-the-secret-service/feed/ 1 http://www.mediaite.com/online/state-dinner-party-crashers-indian-ambassador/ http://www.mediaite.com/online/state-dinner-party-crashers-indian-ambassador/#comments Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:10:29 +0000 Tommy Christopher http://www.mediaite.com/?p=50946 polo-playing, dove-throwing socialites who crashed the first state dinner of the Obama administration is something that we suggested yesterday: Michaele and Tareq Salahi may have had help from the inside.]]> The latest development in the saga of the polo-playing, dove-throwing socialites who crashed the first state dinner of the Obama administration is something that we suggested yesterday: Michaele and Tareq Salahi may have had help from the inside.

Gawker is reporting — with photo evidence — that the Salahis are “polo buddies” with an influential state dinner guest, Indian Ambassador Arun Singh. Whether it turns out to be this specific connection or another (they have a lot of powerful friends), it makes a lot more sense that they had a helping hand into the White House than that the Secret Service got conned by would-be reality show contestants.

As the NYT reported yesterday, Bravo has now confirmed that a TV crew for the upcoming “Real Housewives of DC” was indeed trailing the Salahis, who told the crew that they were invited to the dinner. The Salahis are set to appear on “Larry King Live” on Monday to tell their side of the story. Through a lawyer, they deny “crashing” the event, so look for them to explain how they were left off the guest list, but were added to the White House clearance list.

What struck me was the Secret Service’s response. When I talked to spokesman Ed Donovan yesterday, he was quick to accept responsibility for the incident, even though no investigation has been completed. (Secret Service director Mark Patterson told Politico that they were “deeply embarrassed” — especially since it’s been confirmed that the couple met the President and Mrs. Obama on the receiving line). Neither he nor the White House could confirm or deny that someone within the White House had interceded on the Salahis’ behalf, and both have pointed out repeatedly that the couple were subject to the same physical security measures as the other guests.

While it seems counter-intuitive that the Secret Service, already under fire for cutbacks, would take the blame for this if it wasn’t really their fault, the alternative is arguably worse. It’s fairly simple to mitigate a relatively harmless, isolated slip-up.

On the other hand, the idea that the vapid, privileged stars of a reality show could be waved through security and into the White House would not play well with recession-battered Americans (or with luminaries who couldn’t score an invite), and the security implications of the People’s House becoming the brass ring of D-list prankdom are also far-reaching.

The possibility that the Salahis were admitted at the request of a foreign diplomat is just gravy on top of the red meat.

What also amazes me is the credulity with which the media reported this story. As Gawker puts it, “the Salahis weren’t just some randos who showed up at the White House and schmoozed their way past the Secret Service with their fancy clothes.”

Yet that’s pretty much how it has been reported. Perhaps the pop culture appeal of the moxie-laden gadabout who skirts the velvet rope was too powerful a lure to resist.

Update: Report from NBC Nightly News about how the Salahis got through that first checkpoint, and how they met President Obama.

Photo of the Salahis with Ambassador Singh from Gawker.com

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/online/state-dinner-party-crashers-indian-ambassador/feed/ 12 http://www.mediaite.com/online/salahis-party-crashers-white-house-state-dinner/ http://www.mediaite.com/online/salahis-party-crashers-white-house-state-dinner/#comments Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:37:05 +0000 Tommy Christopher http://www.mediaite.com/?p=50596 socialite reality-show wannabes crash their way into the most exclusive event in the nation — in the same room as senators, celebrities, and the President? Tareq and Michaele Salahi somehow managed to brazen their way past the Secret Service and into the White House without a hitch, leaving the news to break on their Facebook page. How did they do it? ]]> As we head into the news hell that is a long holiday weekend, you can be sure to learn more than you ever wanted to know about the White House Party Crashers, Tareq and Michaele Salahi. Of primary concern is how this pair of Chester Cheetah-level socialites managed to brazenly blow their way past the Secret Service and into the White House for the ultra-exclusive State Dinner in the first place. My expert opinion? They didn’t.

The Salahis, owners of the Oasis Winery and the America’s Cup of Polo, are rumored to be part of Bravo’s upcoming “Real Houeswives of DC” reality show. Actually, there are more than rumors. In September, the Salahis were spotted being trailed by a Bravo film crew, and Michaele Salahi’s makeup artist reported seeing a TV crew filming them as they prepared to crash the state dinner. Though Bravo declined to make a statement yesterday (even to NBC News, part of its corporate family!), today Bravo reluctantly confirmed that a “Real Housewives” camera crew was ineed with the Salahis as they crashed their way to the most exclusive ticket in town. They’ve got a flair for the dramatic, as their cheese-tastic wedding video shows.Yes, they’re throwing doves.

NBC’s Brian Williams also says he saw the couple’s SUV turned away at the East Gate, at which point they got, camera and makeup people in tow, and went to the pedestrian entrance. (video below)

I spoke with Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan this morning, and he would only offer  that they had identified a checkpoint at which proper procedures were not followed, and that the incident would be investigated. He stressed that, no matter which checkpoint was the problem, “It’s on us.” He stressed, again, that the Salahis had been subjected to the same stringent physical checks (magnometer, x-rays, etc.) as the other guests.

A White House official tells me that the White House has called for a “full review of the incident” by Secret service.

The Secret Service isn’t saying which checkpoint was the problem, nor will they confirm or deny whether the Salahis were already on the grounds when the misstep occurred. This is an important distinction. Once you’re inside the White House gates, it becomes significantly easier to wander into someplace you don’t belong, especially with a crowd. It’s possible that a White House staffer walked them through the gates, perhaps for a legitimate purpose. The Salahis know a lot of people in DC, as their 2,000-person wedding guest list attests.

It would have been a challenge for the Salahis to have slipped past the first checkpoint. First of all, the Secret Service Uniformed Division are extremely, shall we say, detail-oriented. On my first day at the White House, I watched them turn away a very famous person that they see pretty much every day because he wasn’t on the list. He was only admitted when a White House staffer vouched for him.

Since then, I’ve seen countless people hold up the line trying to get in, most of whom really did belong there but weren’t on the list, including me. It doesn’t matter who you are or what your story is, if you’re not on the list, No…Soup…For…You!

Even if you decide that once in a million times, someone could slip through unassisted, what are the odds that it would be this couple, who were planning to slip through? It doesn’t seem possible.

The Secret Service’s Office of Professional Responsibility has been tasked with investigating this incident, but it will be interesting to see how they let this play out publicly. If the Salahis got onto the grounds legitimately, and then snuck into the dinner, it’s embarrassing, sure, but a much less serious security problem.

If, on the other hand, they just managed to talk their way past that first checkpoint, it points up a disturbing vulnerability. Even though they were physically checked, there’s a reason for doing background checks on White House visitors, especially ones who will be sharing dinner with the President.

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