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

[tedbear]

That is an outrage! How dare the Secret Service or any federal agent stop the press from a political event.

I HOPE THIS GETS PLAY ON THE AIRWAVES! WHAT, IS THIS A DICTATORSHIP?

I am calling my Senator and Congressman, and I hope everyone else does too.

VOTE DRIVE PEOPLE TO THE POLLS EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE AVAILABLE TO HELP ON NOV.4TH! GET INVOLVED OR DON'T COMPLAIN

[altovuelo]

The politicization of the Secret Service is a truly scary prospect. Aside from the obvious inappropriateness of this agency, whose charge is to protect the President and Vice-President, becoming involved in promoting a political agenda, is the spine-tingling possibility that these agents could become corrupted in this very mission by putting political or personal ideology before their mission. I know that such a suggestion would be considered as deeply insulting by the dedicated and highly professional agents of the Secret Service. But that's exactly the point: The Secret Service should never, ever allow itself to be put in the position where the public would start questioning whether its agents can be trusted. Can you imagine the horror of a rogue Secret Service agent -- perhaps one of those who are now suppressing press coverage at the request of Sarah Palin -- later feeling that he's been given "permission" to act on the basis of ideology to aid and abet a plot against President Obama?

This concern should be not only exposed but soundly and widely condemned. We are NOT a totalitarian country, and there is never, ever a valid justification for adopting totalitarian methods of control. These kinds of restrictions on a free press will lead in precisely this direction unless they are stopped now.

[suhud]

Are those Secret Service guys getting paid under the table in moose hide?

[blair771999]

My dog is more qualified as Palin and his bark not nearly as annoying as her voice.

[brownforall]

LOL!

I really care that MCCAIN is linked to the person

responsible for the Saudis flying out of the US!

http://www.madcowprod.com/02272008.html
The lavishly-furnished custom Boeing 727 airliner

(727PX) which ferried Senator John McCain on four

occasions during his Presidential run in 2000 also flew

Saudi Royals out of the U.S. right! This same plane is

owned by

who???????­??????????­??????????­??????????­??????????­??????

??????????­??????????­??????????­??????????­??????????­??????

??????????????????

VICKI ISEMAN
VICKI ISEMAN
VICKI ISEMAN
VICKI ISEMAN

[codwix]

They are not doing anything because they do not care!

everyone must vote.

talk, tell, email everyone you know

and tell them that they must vote for Obama.

the Repubs are trying to steal this election right before our eyes.

everyone must vote!

talk, tell, email

[TRichards]

Seriously, the Secret Service and, for that matter, local police need to be trained in knowing just what is and is NOT appropriate for them. It is NOT their job to shut down the press. Too bad not all our politicians are of high enough quality to know that themselves and to so instruct their personal details.

[bushgirlsgone]

The Secret Service announced yesterday that Governor Sarah Palin would be the first candidate to receive protection from a new, elite Secret Service division known as the Query Team.

Upon sighting a potential or actual “gotcha journalist”, agents of the Query Team alert other one another by shouting “Question!” —then shield the candidate with their bodies as fellow agents perform a ‘swarm maneuver’ on the suspect, taking them to the ground as quickly as possible.

Agents then remove all potential weapons from the detainee (or ‘new fish’, as they are referred to by the agents) such as pencils, pens, cell phones, and expensive watches and gold jewelry —provided McCain / Palin supporters haven’t already taken them.

Senator Larry Craig (R) of Idaho, upon hearing of the Query Team, flew to the Palin rally held this afternoon and attempted to ask Governor Palin numerous questions.

[harrymellon]

Her supporters are the scary ones...she just manipulates their mob mentality for her own fascist ends. Early Nazi Germany or 1930's Italy sound familiar.

[bushgirlsgone]

The Secret Service announced today that Governor Sarah Palin, as a truly 'special needs' person, would be the first candidate to qualify and receive protection from a new, elite Secret Service division known as the 'Query Team'.

Upon sighting a potential or actual “gotcha journalist”, agents of the Query Team alert other one another by shouting “Question!” —then shield the candidate with their bodies as fellow agents perform a ‘swarm maneuver’ on the suspect, taking them to the ground as quickly as possible.

Agents then remove potential weapons from the detainee such as pencils, pens, cellphones, and expensive watches and gold jewelry —provided McCain / Palin supporters haven’t already taken them.

Senator Larry Craig, upon hearing of the Query Team, flew to the rally this afternoon to ask Governor Palin numerous questions.

Well, Since the people who attend McCain / Palin rallies could slip seamlessly into the rodeo scene of Borat’s last movie, I’ll save you reporters the trouble of a beating and give you their answers to your questions:

“On acountta Barack Hussien Osama is a terrier and my children is ‘fraid of dogs what want to attack ‘Merica…”

“As a goddam fearin’ Christain still recovering from our nation’s crystal meth problem, I do not have a mind to vote for anybody what can’t bowl a higher score than my water-headed cousin fiancée …”

“I am worried ‘bout my family, specially my daughter who I think has f***ing Tourette’s syndrome, what’s Osama gonna do ‘bout her special needs?”

[LemonMeringue]

What's to prevent audience members from taking photos and videos? Did they ban camera too?

[izAriver]

I've always had difficulty trusting a group called the "secret service". Just as scary as the "national security agency" or the "trilateral commission" or the "bildeburg group" or whatever the name of that "grove" is...

[Badger84]

I'm really looking forward to seeing Sarah Palin appearing as a contestant on "Flavor of Love" three years from now.

[Frenbar]

Every other arm of government has been co-opted by the Bush administration for its own political purposes, why should the secret service be any different.

[LemonMeringue]

George W. Bush in lipstick. Only without the charm.

[NTO08]

I never thought Bush had charm.

[sonoffestus]

Maybe if the reporters used softer leads in their pencils, they would let them get closer.

[NTO08]

I heard Michael Barone on Laura Ingraham admit that having Palin do interviews with small town media would have been far more effective than turning her on Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric.

[neurologymatters]

I have to put my trust in the Secret Service. And that Barack Obama will win this election by a landslide.