Secret Service Blocking Reporters At Palin Rallies: Milbank

Via Romenesko, the Washington Post's Dana Milbank reveals in an online chat that the Secret Service is stopping people reporters from interviewing people at Palin rallies:

Arlington, Va.: The Secret Service has now labeled the "kill him" report as unfounded. Why isn't The Post giving this report as much coverage as the original false report received?

Dana Milbank:

Glad you asked, because I saw this earlier. This is actually about the incident in Scranton, not the one in Clearwater, Fla, that I wrote about here.

I wasn't at the Scranton event, but I have to say the Secret Service is in dangerous territory here. In cooperation with the Palin campaign, they've started preventing reporters from leaving the press section to interview people in the crowd. This is a serious violation of their duty -- protecting the protectee -- and gets into assisting with the political aspirations of the candidate. It also often makes it impossible for reporters to get into the crowd to question the people who say vulgar things. So they prevent reporters from getting near the people doing the shouting, then claim it's unfounded because the reporters can't get close enough to identify the person.

Comments

[RReitz]

12:53 PM on 10/17/2008

Sarah Abuse of Power Palin is running for Vice President of America's malevolent misfits of intoleranc­e.

[Gooostaf]

12:33 PM on 10/17/2008

Palin thinks humans lived with dinosaurs. Huh, Huh, Huh HU, ha, ha, huh.

[cinderfrigginrella]

11:10 AM on 10/17/2008

McCain -Palin ALL THE WAY !!

[madeline2]

11:14 AM on 10/17/2008

That's Right Let's Bust That Obama Money Train....

Mccain\Pal­in 08

[TruthfullyYours]

11:21 AM on 10/17/2008

because you don't have any left? you folks are just way too funny to say the least. just a few more days and y'all be crying a river. then again, y'all be reaping the fruits of obama's policies, along with the folks who firmly believe in him. leeches.

[cinderfrigginrella]

11:08 AM on 10/17/2008

McCain Palin ALL THE WAY !!!

[cinderfrigginrella]

11:08 AM on 10/17/2008

McCain- Palin ALL THE WAY !!!

[NoSillyName]

10:54 AM on 10/17/2008

Why?

Why aren't they blocking the racists with the sock monkeys and those who yell out HATE SPEECH?

[CP18]

10:52 AM on 10/17/2008

Prior restrant of news gathering, pure and simply, a violation of the 1st Amendment.

[That Guy]

10:40 AM on 10/17/2008

Why do I not find this at all surprising­? And this is just her as a candidate. Imagine her as president!­!

[madeline2]

11:17 AM on 10/17/2008

If Mccain, Romney, Clinton anyone else were connected in anyway to ACORN, Ayers, Wright (that hate speak troll-on tape proof) Odinga, .... these same Obama supporters would be demanding they resign...

Also, if Clinton or Biden were the nominee these same Obama folks would be voting for John Mccain....

[badfluffy]

11:39 AM on 10/17/2008

Not a chance in he11 that I would ever vote for that man. I vote on issues and the old white haired dude is too scary.

[coloboyz]

11:42 AM on 10/17/2008

Sarah's husband, Todd, is a member of a separatist organizati­on, and she has supported them. Their founder's, Jim Vogler, greatest moment of glory was to be his 1993 appearance before the United Nations to denounce United States "tyranny" before the entire world and to demand Alaska's freedom. The Alaska secessioni­st had persuaded the government of Iran to sponsor his anti-Ameri­can harangue.

Where's your outrage about that? Why aren't you demanding that Palin resign?

[NoBlinky]

10:36 AM on 10/17/2008

PLEASE have a look at this video. These are the very questions we need answered about Sarah Palin and the rabid crowds who attend her rallies.

Palin's Apocalypse
ANP: Would biblical prophecies influence Palin's foreign policy positions? Nobody's asking her so far.
http://the­realnews.c­om/t/index­.php?optio­n=com_cont­ent&task=v­iew&id=31&­Itemid=74&­jumival=24­59

We can make it through an economic downturn. We can hold our own against terrorists­. But the implicatio­ns of our government in the hands of people who think like this, for whom no outcome but Armageddon will do -- I think there really is no more important issue in this election.

[ebanks84]

10:15 AM on 10/17/2008

Everyone should be able to see now for sure the difference between the two candidates is equivalent to the difference between e^ vil and goodness. Palin is the epitome of everything wrong, everything sad, everything awful and everything ugly. Obama is the epitome of everything good.

No matter what you say, you cannot deny this is the truth.

[Deirdre89]

10:09 AM on 10/17/2008

I've emailed the Secret Service telling them how unacceptab­le this is.

Let's all do it! If they're inundated with emails, perhaps they'll realize the perception problem they're giving themselves­.

Here's the address: http://www­.ustreas.g­ov/usss/co­ntact_usss­.shtml

[ebanks84]

10:16 AM on 10/17/2008

Good luck with that. If you listen closely enough, you might hear them laughing their a^ s off :)

[badfluffy]

11:18 AM on 10/17/2008

Or knocking on your door

[ebanks84]

10:08 AM on 10/17/2008

Palin should be hog tied and shipped back to Alaska as soon as possible before she makes the Secret Service do something else illegal. This woman is toxic like poison and everywhere she goes and everything she touches is left with a touch of e^ vil.

[Spud777]

10:08 AM on 10/17/2008

The head of the Secret Service will join the unemployme­nt line after the Nov 04 elections.

[sueno]

09:59 AM on 10/17/2008

It's time to investigat­e the Secret Service-
Remember when they "left" Obama unattended at an early rally?
They are apart of the "McCain team" now and I'm sure there have been other episodes.
INVESTIGAT­E THE SECRET SERVICE AGENTS!

[AnalyzeIT]

09:55 AM on 10/17/2008

Palin agrees to go on SNL - But will have reporters barred from her rallies.

American do your part to let her know that the the 'lower 48' is will not abide by her rules. Do what you can from your computer to let her know that she is not wanted.

COME ON - you do not have to stand in line to vote - nor use your car/gas to go vote.

No Palin on SNL

http://www­.nbc.com/F­ooter/Cont­act_Us/?__­status=1

Write to nbc

Analyze it - you do not even have to leave your computer to vote on this one.

Please tell them NO - Sarah Palin on SNL

This woman is fast becoming the most despised woman in America - WE'VE HAD ENOUGH!!! Why in a sense condon a woman who spreads hate and division among American Citizens.

Tina Fey is amusing - Palin is NOT.

Why idiolize Palin and give her a free platform? You're slapping the majority of Amercians in the face pretty much like she is.

Thank you

[CP18]

10:56 AM on 10/17/2008

Love the "lower 48" she always spews, and now has granpa saying it too. If she's excluding Alaska, shouldn't it be the "lower 49?" Maybe they need some updated text books in the great white north.

[madeline2]

11:19 AM on 10/17/2008

AnalyzeIT - It's you\your not wanted....