If someone even jokingly threatens harm to the President or Vice President, it's taken very seriously. It's a federal offense, after all.
So what if someone suggests, even jokingly, that they want to kill the person third in line to the Presidency? If we all reflect back to our high school civics class, that would be the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Other threats against various federal officials in recent years have not been taken lightly.
Guess what? It turns out that the same statute that applies to the president applies to all other federal officials, too. And, yes, despite what the right-wingers want you to think, being number three in the Constitutional federal succession for the White House means you're a federal official.
Has anyone mentioned this to Glenn Beck?
Or I suppose a better question is whether anyone is going to send the federal marshals by Beck's house to bring him in? Because it seems to me that going on national television and suggesting that you want to put poison in Nancy Pelosi's merlot is a threat.
I know, I know -- it's just Glenn Beck. But maybe that's the way to get all of this right wing nonsense to stop. If we take seriously every threatening comment made by a right wing on-air personality, soon they could all be in prison. I hope not Allenwood though -- that's too cushy for the likes of people like Beck who think poisoning the Speaker of the House is somehow amusing.
I used to work for the federal government. I'm sure I can go through my rolodex and find someone who might be interested in at least giving Beck a call with a little refresher course on this criminal statute.
I just hope they don't drink his wine!
Joanne Bamberger is a professional writer and political analyst who is better known around the blogosphere as PunditMom. When she's not scratching her head about why the authorities don't take these right wing "jokes" more seriously, she's at work on other things, including her panel at Netroots Nation entitled, Building a Covnersation Across Generations of Progressive Women.
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As such, I am confused that the same stand has not taken related to our previous President. The number of comedians who made similar "jokes" on national television, and worse, the near-riot that occurred by left-wingers when then-President Bush was in Oregon in 2002- as far as I can tell, and I am happy to be proven wrong, all have been ignored over the years by a majority of the news services, including the Huff Post, when it happened to those who did not share their political views.
Further, if our public officials are going to enjoy the protection their post allows, should they not be held accountable for their inappropriate accusatuions and misrepresentations? Not that such behavior would excuse even a joking threat, it does add to the visceral and aggressive tone of the present debates and disagreements, and should also be stood against.
You know if you tell an obvious joke at an airport about a bomb, I mean an OBVIOUS joke, they will handcuff you and take you away.
Isn't that kind of strange you can joke about premeditated murder about an elected official and get away with that?
And there are not that many people even listening to me. (Psst... hey! ... pssst... nod your head like you're agreeing with me...no... really...that's it...) See?