Is the Secret Service Investigating Liz Trotta and Fox News?

FOX News political pundit Liz Trotta jokingly suggested this weekend that someone should assassinate an American presidential candidate. She had first "mistakenly" referred to Obama as "Osama" while discussing theories that Hillary Clinton's recent comments about the RFK assassination was in fact a suggestion that someone "knock off Osama." When she was corrected and reminded that she meant "Obama," she then said, "Well, both if we could."

The United States Secret Service is charged with the protection of Senator Obama and famously takes all threats seriously, so it's important to ask the question whether they will be investigating Liz Trotta's comment, FOX News' response to that comment, and any collateral threats that may have been generated by the comment.

Assassins throughout our history have repeatedly claimed to find their motivations in the media. John Hinckley claimed his attempted assassination of Reagan was because of his obsession with Jodie Foster, Mark David Chapman cited The Catcher in the Rye and the film Ordinary People as inspirations for his assassination of John Lennon, and Charles Manson claims his murders were a result of his twisted interpretation of The Beatles' "Helter Skelter."

While these so-called motivations are inexplicable to a healthy mind, it is foolish and naive not to accept as a terrifying fact that psychotics can and will be triggered by almost anything, which is why it's not only vulgar but completely reckless, irresponsible and bordering on criminal for those who comment on politics and political figures to say the kind of disgusting thing that Liz Trotta said. It's also, not incidentally, why the world pounced so quickly and decisively on Hillary Clinton's comments about the RFK assassination.

This from the Secret Service website: "The Secret Service is interested in legitimate information relating to threats, plans or attempts by individuals, groups or organizations to harm Secret Service protectees. However, the agency does not desire or solicit information pertaining to individuals or groups expressing legitimate criticism of, or political opposition to, the policies and decisions of the government or government officials."

The questions the Secret Service should be asking are: Were Liz Trotta and FOX News criminally negligent in using the public airwaves to suggest the assassination of a presidential candidate; Is the suggestion of political assassination an example of legitimate criticism; and, If the First Amendment doesn't allow one to yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater or "Bomb!" on an airplane, how could it allow a public "joke" about assassinating a political candidate?

And what is the question the rest of us should be asking? How about, what kind of world are we creating for ourselves and our children where we allow our political divisions to become so deep that the suggestion or even the joke about a political assassination is in any way acceptable?

Comments

[skibum49]

To be 'fair and balanced' Trotta "apologized" for her comments on Fox News Monday morning.


Trotta:
"I am so sorry about what happened yesterday. In a lame attempt at humor I really just fell all over myself in making it appear that I wished Barack Obama harm or any other candidate for that matter. I sincerely regret it and apologize to anybody I've offended. It's a very colorful political season and many of us are making mistakes and saying things we wish we hadn't said."

Make of that statement what you will. Personally I hope (always the crazy optomist that I am) that this will get folks 'thinking' about what they say no matter their political point of view.

[poppaculture]

she apologized, as far as I know

[connski]

just see Liz Trotta's comments for what they are,
a call for a lynching in our times.

[DUMAMAY]

Why people don't ask the GUY who said "KKK America" !!!

That is showing how media is Bs that can manipulate stupid people !!!

That is showing how people are so scare to say the truth !!!!

That is showing how are UNFAIR AND IMBALANCED

Asian people won't vote for Osama

[Knowitall]

What???

[4real]

"I sincerely regret it and apologize to anybody I've offended."

What a weak apology. How about "I apologize to Barack Obama and his family for my careless remarks."

He is the one who the comments were directed to. She should apologize directly to HIM.

[PatriotAct]

If you or I had said this, we woud be in prison under the felony provisions of the USA Patriot Act. You would have no right of habeous corpus, you would be rendered unto the arms of the US military at a torture prison abroad.

[Veri]

Welcome to the reality of The New American Aristocracy.

[KBAR]

That would be 1/2 the posters on HufPo and their vile hatred for Bush and Cheney. Threats and death wishes abound everyday in their posts.

[Knowitall]

Maybe I haven't been reading very carefully. I have seen ridicule, and yes from time to time hatred of Bush and Cheney--but I don't recall out and out death threats. (Implicit threats against them are against the law anyway.) Such exaggerations as yours--"1/2 the posters"--do nothing to further your defense of, and yes, whining, about legitimate criticism of your flawed heroes. When you survey the catastrophe of the last 7 1/2 years, they are probably getting off easy.

[LibDrummer]

Bush appologists on the move. I do not recall seeing a single death threat or call for the assasination of Bush.

[realpolitic]

Well, really believe it or not most of us strongly dislike Bush for his policies, incuriousity, and dishonesty and do not wish him death. Probably what I wish for him is a long retirement and possible a jail sentence, either here or abroad for war crimes.

[zann]

Somehow a police state is better coming from the left? I believe in freedom of speech. This wasn't yelling fire in a theater, or making a threat. It was a coarse, aggressive, offensive joke. We may hate it, but we don't get to bring down the force of law against people who offend us.

[jean22]

I just would love to see the reaction if folks, especially Black folks, starting appearing on the airwaves expressing desires to see Hillary Clinton, Bush and McCain assasinated. I wonder if it those remarks would continue to be excused as "freedom of speech", for some reason I think not.

[ObamAtomic]

No joke

Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedures
Sec. 3056. Powers, authorities, and duties of United States Secret Service

(7) Major Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates and,
within 120 days of the general Presidential election, the spouses
of such candidates. As used in this paragraph, the term ''major
Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates'' means those
individuals identified as such by the Secretary of the Treasury
after consultation with an advisory committee consisting of the
Speaker of the House of Representatives, the minority leader of
the House of Representatives, the majority and minority leaders
of the Senate, and one additional member selected by the other
members of the committee. The protection authorized in paragraphs (2) through (7) may b

[shinybear]

Let's not let this Fox issue distract us from the main issue- that a major Presidential candidate casually implied that her opponant could be assassinated.

[poppaculture]

casually implying could.
Laughingly saying should.

Theodore White would be appalled at the Making of the President 2008.

[BabsfromKS]

check this story on LIz Trotta out and then make a post to the LA times

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/05/shocking-fox-ne.html

[PatriotAct]

The major media outlets consistently use the rhetoric and prose littered with violent imagery and metaphor to describe political contests, they themselves are the biggest offenders of the spirit of this law, and they are unamerican. They are for the most part owned by foreigners keeping the sheep fighting amongst one another, always watching their backs, inundated with violent TV and rhetoric.

[PatriotAct]

The most flagrant and egregious violators of federal law, (violations of the law through
speech about election candidates), using speech that promotes or incites, (and encourages further), speech, thought and fantasy which is of a violent nature, i.e., paints hostility between candidates, creating or promoting a hostile literary environment for a political candidate while proceeding to the national nominating conventions to select the candidates for the President of the United States of America, the most flagrant and egregious offenders are the major media outlets themselves.

Read their headlines and bylines as the conventions near, especially in the 'elections' categories of the media.

'Hilary is in a third down situation'. We can hear the crunch of bones, there should never be room for this violent implication at any level in modern, civilized, and legal political journalism, (boxing euphemisms, etc ...)

Something like, 'Hilary hits back at Obama', is in my opinion a federal crime.

Or how about, 'McCain loads up for primary'. Well, what on earth would a General, the son of a General who was the son of a General be loading up ? Whatever some psycho might want to think, right? Ah, that's why they made these laws, the ones you ... and I ... and all the psychos must obey.

Major media crafts headlines and taglines in violence terms, (like sports violence, war violence), the speech used by major journalists in the largest outlets is the largest offender. It's all very yellow.

It's all unamerican.

[Cherlesq]

It makes you wonder if any of us offering comments here and elsewhere had suggested such a final remedy, so to speak, would the Secret Service and any other agency interested in investigating these kinds of threats, call any of us in for questioning. So since it would appear as though Fox got through with impunity, one needs to ask just what will it take before the Secret Service responds to threatening suggestions of assasination.

[ladyv]

I knew a woman who was investigated by the Secret Service because some fanfic she'd posted on her LJ imagined that the current President had been assassinated. Wasn't a central theme, just a choice she'd made for plot reasons. That may be more indicative of the Bush administration stifling any and all dissent rather than standard operating procedure for the Secret Service, though.

[veracity]

The New York Times, the Washington Post, Fox "news", most other major US papers have seen fit to support the bombing, invasion, occupation, and torture-as-policy agenda of the IRAQ WAR, so what makes anyone think that these ghoulish scum give a hoot about a minority candidate.

The dirty secret in America is not that we had slavery and "manifest destiny" ethnic cleansing on a continental scale, but for the 100 years after the 15th Amendment, "THE RIGHT TO VOTE SHALL _NOT_ BE ABRIDGED" it most certainly was "abridged" by Segregation, poll taxes, and outright quasi-state terrorism. ("Midnight visits" from the sheriff and lynch-mobs­.)

That means that for 100 years American courts, the Supreme Court, the Congress, state legislatures, and other government officials deigned NOT to notice the US Constitution, the so-called "supreme law of the land." We realize that "the supreme law of the land" is whatever the billionaires, millionaires, and autocrats say it is.

George W. Bush (and his disastrous, blatant corruption economic policies) are the price America is paying for glossing over this very real history.

For jimminy's sake, hardly anyone, anywhere, points out that when Righties bang the drum for "MORAL VALUES!", they sound just like Southern preachers banging the drums to defend slavery.

[Veri]

Those autocrats consist of the entire U.S. Congress, The Administration, and an increasingly partisan Supreme Court bent on imposing a right-wing ideological interpretation of law, i.e. legislating from the bench.

As far as dirty little secrets, neither you nor I participated in ethnic cleansing, slavery, etc. Time to stop feeling guilty, living in the past, and blaming ourselves for events we had no control or participation over. Sure, I support equal rights. However, if someone tries to pull a guilt-trip by associating myself with the horrendous decisions of over 100 years ago, take it somewhere else. No sympathy. Tactics such as these breed resentment and perpetuates stereotyping along with other negative feelings.

Instead, we should be looking at the here and now. Examine our problems, that do have roots in the past, and correct any deficiencies. Live in the past and nothing is ever done. Live in the here and now and take care of each other. There is such a concept as "common wealth". America seems to have forgotten that.

[PatA]

Thanks very much for the links! I used them and contacted everyone you listed.
Ms. Trotta should be fired and Fox Network should be fined heavily. Of course, I have a bridges and islands to sell you. You name the location, I've got them.
It is disgusting to think about how the rest of the world sees us. To think that we used to be the most respected country in the world!

[TeddyRoosevelt]

Citizens have been investigated and jailed for much less than Trotta's comments. If she were a non-citizen I would expect she would be deported by now. If she had said it about Bush or McCain, you'd really see something happen. No one knows if she was really joking. After all, she wasn't on MadTV, SNL, South Park, etc. Those are purely comic venue where such humor is the norm. Terrorism with a smile is still terrorism. Murder threats are murder threats. Using the public news media for this filth is a crime.

[Msohio]

Were these the Fox News talking points? There has never been any contest where the same party opponent (Hillary) nor the opposition party suggested that a candidate be or possibly be assassinated. The world is watching intently.

[Okieborn]

This is getting way out of hand !!
Hillary gets by with setting Senator Obama up by some Hillary loving nut-ball !!
Then here comes Fox news with the same crap !
What in the hell has happened to our protection for candidates .
I guess Bush has cut back on that also !!
Lizz Trott should be arrested and Fox news shut down,I am certainly glad Sen. Obama is going to be our next President, this country is going to hell in a hand basket.
Clean house Sen. Obama you will need a super sizes cleaning crew !!!!

[4real]

This is a man with two young daughters. Do you think his daughters would find this "joke" funny about assassinating their father? What about his wife? Fox news is disgusting and should be ashamed of themselves. The guy who was interviewing her should of made her apologize then and there but I guess he saw no problem with it.

This is the same channel where their "FOX and Friends" folks got all upset with Geraldo for making a joke about Arnold Schwarzenagger using steriods. What a buch of hypocrites!! "Joking" about killing someone is NOT funny in the least bit and that woman should never be allowed on the airwaves again. She should call Obama personally and apologize to him and his family. Then she should go look for another job.

[AlexVonHussein]

I really hope the girls and Michelle dont watch fox... can you Imagine the Kids at school talking about that...!! I really hope the teacher are decent people....­..

Olbermann said it..Those comments are unforgivea­ble..and this ones should never be forgotten.­.each time you think of watching TV think of that..and pass the word and write to Murdoch Daughter she is an Obama Supporter.­...express you opinions

[Veri]

In addition, comments such as these make one wonder if the fix is in for November. Have our leaders already been chosen?

[tea in the harbor]

As to the bigger question, about what kind of world we are creating for ourselves and our children.
We are creating a world where rules are made entirely by corporations, one in which individuals are unwelcome. Where everything is dictated by what is profitable, where human labor is a commodity and creativity and art are the province of a fiscal royal class.
We have become economic cannibals, feeding on the poverty of other nations, we go en mass to China's company store and arrogantly think our support for starvation wages will never have any effect on anything other than the fifty cent pair of socks in the eternal plastic bag. While the threat of nuclear war may have subsided, our chance to die of our own stupidity increases every day!

[ProfessorDuh]

It's nothing new. It's called "fascism."

[AlexVonHussein]

You are wright!! and the Pundits and the TV presenters are like on drugs most look and sound like they are on steroids..­they don't feel or think twice what they say....You just need to watch Morning Joe or Fox news,, they are not aware anymore..!­! or have lost self awareness and responsibility they hold

[UnbiasView]

Wright like Rev Wright?

[Veri]

"...rules are made entirely by corporatio­ns..."

Funny, I seem to recall that the poor outnumber the corporations. And just why are you and the majority of Americans voting Democrat or Republican this fall? Which two parties have been in power during our decline of the last thirty years? Hmmmm.... makes you wonder about our collective sanity.

[johnwinner]

If they investigate Trotto - and they should - they must also investigate Clinton who brought it up n public first.

[musselmanm]

As much as I hate Hillary, I do not think she hoped for the assasination!
I call McBushs' name for his wonderful wife.
You know, the C word!

[naschkatze]

She threw it out there to try and scare the voters off Obama, but there is no doubt that she opened the door for the right to say things like this, and she, Clinton, knew damn well what she was doing. She now will argue before the DNC what a risk it is to go with Obama.

[BookDesigner]

Hear of "Freudian slip," where the secret wishes of the subconscious inadvertently slip out of a person's mouth? Why else is Clinton "hanging in there," if not in the hope that something will happen to hand her the nomination? Barring any new, "scandal," Obama will be the nominee. Any normal person would have dropped out by now in this long, long primary campaign. So what's Clinton's motivation? It certainly isn't a concern for the "disenfranchised" people of Florida and MIchigan--she signed off on that when the punishement for violating the rules was imposed.

[Soule23]

A Google News search reveals that this has leaked out of the blogosphere and made it onto the LA Times website...­perhaps the NY Times will catch on tomorrow. As much as we love to criticize the MSM here, nothing will happen regarding this issue until and unless they decide to cover it.

[GiannaX]

I sure hope this is true. The inciting rhetoric over the public airwaves has to STOP and those who engage in it need to be held accountable.

[Abaddon]

What about Randi Rhodes and her "Death of Dubya" remark?

[shinybear]

Anything Randi does is OK. I adore her.