I know folks here in Philly have a certain reputation for being bad asses. There is nothing brotherly about this city. We can be crude obnoxious, and downright ignorant at times.
So I was not surprised to see the "O" man confronted on a South Philly street by one of our own the other day. Honestly, it's the first time that I ever saw the "O" man actually lose his cool. " I won't be smiling. Because you're wearing me out". But Philly folks will do that to you---cause you to lose your cool---hell we booed Santa Claus for crying out loud!
What did surprise me when the "O" man was confronted by that overzealous picture seeker, was the behaviour of the people who are paid to protect him. I mean how the hell did the guy get so close to the "O" man for so long in the first place? I am sorry, the secret service agents just weren't as zealous as I have seen them in the past. In fact, I don't think I would be out of line if I said that they were damn near negligent. Which begs the question: (You know what I am going to ask next). Why this type of treatment for the "O" man? Would these agents, who are sworn to protect him, really put their own lives on the line to save the Senator from Illinois? Hmmmmmm, I am not so sure.
Hey, all I can say is thank goodness that all that obnoxious man in Philadelphia wanted was a picture. What if he had wanted infamy? What if he wanted to save A-merry-ca from getting its first black President? I am telling you, it could have gotten really ugly in South Philadelphia.
Thankfully it didn't. The guy was an obnoxious jerk, not a killer.
But did the secret service know that? I sure hope they did.
52 comments:
Field! I thought the same damn thing. That guy may not have been a killer, but he was obviously not just an average photo seeker! How obvious was it that the business about his wife being a teacher present at an earlier engagement was just bullshit? And I expect the *Secret Service* to be a little bit more savvy than I am about people who are acting a *role* to get close to the Senator, for crying out loud. And what normal person would keep coming back like that guy did? Damn.
In some sad news, one of the premiere bloggers of the New Orleans Recovery, a man who saw all the copious baloney and called it as it was, Ashely Morris (http://ashleymorris.typepad.com/ashley_morris_the_blog/), passed away yesterday at 44, unexpectedly, and it's a been a very sad day in the N.O. blogosphere.
When it comes to Philadelphian agression, South Philly is like a smaller, uber-Philadelphia. I was afraid take my black behind there until I was an adult, only to have someone key my car because I parked in "their spot." I guess Obama's not properly staffed to ride a float in the Mummers Parade, hunh?
Today on the Huffington Post, MR. Morton, aka McMoron, McSalty, McLobbyist, the Stray Cock Express, has not requested secret service protection and he doesn't want it. He said something about them not being able to stop a sniper on the 4th story window or something like that. So who's guarding his ass? Blackwater?
The SS got away with one today. Next time, it might be a guy with a shiv or a poorly written smear e-mail (like the madrassa one).
agent x, trust me, Mr. Morton doesn't need SS protection, if you get my drift.
No thembi, I don't think the good Senator would make it in the Mummer's parade. I also don't think that too many of my Two Street friends will be voting for the good Senator in the upcoming elections :)
Wow a.f., I am sorry to hear about that NO blogger. My heart goes out to the family.
Thanks for the news. I will check out that site now.
Yeah, I know how Philly sports fans are. I still laugh at the Tie Domi incident a few years back. :)
Looking at the picture, the man has contact with Obama, physical contact is very close, someone needs to look into this.
What really got me is how Obama says to dude:
"You are wearing me out Brotha."
That never stops being funny.
I am going to trust that these folk know what they are doing. It's hard enough worrying about winning and losing....worrying about snipers and ish is more than I can handle.
You would think that the Secret Service would be especially careful this week.
I saw this yesterday and was horrified by this footage. There's no reason for that man to get that close to Obama. Somebody only has to be lucky once... I don't even want to think about what could have happened.
Field,
That was the first thing I noticed about the Secret Service not taking control of the situation. The guy was too d%mn close to our next president. I didn't like that sh%t at all!! What is it with the SS & our next president? First--they relaxed security in Dallas!
Then this guy in Philly keeps f-ing coming upon Barack! I thought--what the f%%% is wrong with the SS letting this man practically get in our next president's face!
Field--I don't like that sh%t at all! As a matter of fact---I'm mad as hell about it!
Field:
...all I can say is thank goodness that all that obnoxious man in Philadelphia wanted was a picture.
If the "O" man had been carrying that infamous bowling ball with him, he could have used it to up his score.
I got further skeeved out when I saw Fox consultant Frank Luntz talking about how cool it is that, in this country, our presidential candidates can walk amongst the people and "you can get to them."
Should NOT be so damn easy to "get to" Barack Obama.
Remember how close Swill Oliely got to Sen.Obama. Then he said dont block the shot. He even made T-shirt of the shit.He's sick.
The O man needs to replace those state bought security and purchase his own. Hollar at some Muslin Brothers.
"If the "O" man had been carrying that infamous bowling ball with him, he could have used it to up his score."
Now that's funny :)
Hathor don't even remind me :(
I thnk most people feel like justice and los angelista on this one. That s**t was kind of messed up. Yeah jjbrock, bring on the FOI.
I did a post about "O" and the lunatic fringe back in Jan.
Check it here:
http://sullsblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/o.html
Peace
I will admit to not reading up a ton about Dr. King's assassination. The assumption being Ray did it with a high powered rifle, no conspiracy, just a nut job. My ignorance. After watching Soledad O'Brian's piece last night, seems like there's a lot of missing pieces in Dr. King's Assassination. The biggest being the lack of security that day.
That being said, I have a big question as to how someone got that close to Obama. Seems deliberate on the part of the Secret Service. If he's out of the way, it's just the Ice Queen left and Mr. Morton skates to the White House. That scares me.
I mean how the hell did the guy get so close to the "O" man for so long in the first place?
How the hell did the dumb fuckers on the Dallas Police Department, at the direction of the Secret Service, stop screening people on their way inside the Reunion Arena to hear Barack Obama speak last February?
The official answer from the Secret Service? "We were running late."
The official answer from the Dallas Police Department? "They looked like a friendly crowd."
Rest assured that had it been the Borg Queen speaking, no such "pass" would've been given a crowd of 20,000. She would've been protected like she had already been elected president.
It's clear to me that protecting Barack Obama's safety isn't a priority to the Secret Service. They have a demonstrated history of allowing lapses like the one Field touches upon and the gross violation of crowd protocol in Dallas to take place.
Michelle Obama was spot-on when she said one of her greatest concerns about Barack running for president was his safety. She gets it. I get it. Why doesn't the Secret Service get it?
I have to wonder if Mr. Obama did not ask his secret service personnel to back off so as not to appear to be to aloof?
I would assume that Mr. Obama and his secret service persons have some sort of agreed upon look or gesture that says, this guy is a whack job, and get him the hell out of my face.
I once heard a secret service agent who used to walk the rope line with several presidents say that if someone held onto the president's hand too long or was too intense, the president would give him (the agent) a look and he (still the agent) could do something to the person's nose (not the agent's) that would make her or him (not the agent) instantly back off.
But given the history of this country and what happens to charismatic persons of the liberal bent, it might us all feel a little better if the secret service were just a little more aggressive in doing their job.
I hope that Mr. Obama finds his own bodyguards. I think the secret service are not doing their jobs. This guy good a little bit to close. Mr. Obama needs is own personal bodyguards.
Obama's Secret Service detail needs to be fired.
But, then again, it has been published in the blogsphere that his detail has been lackadaisical in their protection of him.
Maybe he should call the NOI brothas for protection instead. No one gets within 100 feet when they protect Farrakhan, but it might involve Obama eating a lil' crow; yet at least, he'd be fully protected from nuts in the street.
OTOH, Obama probably should have gone "South-Side" and slugged him if the guy was being obnoxious or abusive.
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis. Wake up, Secret Service and do your fucking job. If Barack Obama is harmed the same way John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. were harmed, there will be hell to pay this time.
"Wake up, Secret Service and do your fucking job. If Barack Obama is harmed the same way John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. were harmed, there will be hell to pay this time.
-----------------------------------
D%mn right!
On the 40th anniversary of Dr. King Jr's assassination, just a few days before the actual date of the assassination, one would think the secret service would be on extra alert, curbing a lot of Obama's direct contact with people, checking buildings closely, closing the space around him. They have specific procedures for tighten security. But I didn't much of that in the clips I saw.
Occassionally, I hold my nose and go on some of these super-racist, Aryan Nation type websites; and, one thing you pick up immediately is the fact that they're very conscious of historical dates: Hitler's birthday, the date of the attack by Waco, the date of the bombing of a federal building by Timothy McVeigh, etc.
field, if these guys are aware of these dates, don't you think they remember with glee the date of the assassination of Dr. King?
Don't you just know that by these guys weird, racist logic it would be a a big feather in their cap if one of their members would kill the next president of the United States, a black man-- in the city of "brotherly love"?
Field, While I don't doubt that "O" Man is in more danger than any other presidential candidate has ever been in this coutry. . . for obvious reasons, I also don't doubt the integrity and voracity of SS agents.
I know an SS agent and once spent a lot of time with him learning all about how they do things. I believe that the SS agents protecting O Man had already ascertained that the subject in question was not a threat to Mr. Obama. I also believe that any SS agent would take a bullet for any person they were assigned to protect. It's just their nature and hardcore training.
Having said that: my biggest worry is that we won't get to see President Obama because of some whacked out white supremist piece of shit who decides to martyr himself. Let's face it, O Man puts his faith in the American people everyday when he steps out into a crowd.
YES we can!
The guy was from new york, not philly. he has a business selling signed sh&t on ebay and has photos of him with hill, salty, shrub, and anyone else he can muzzle up to. I thought the o-man showed patience all-in-all - I'd rather him have to brush off some jerks than have the secret service bust some heads of anyone who acts badly.
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/04/02/persistent_pictureseeker_irks.html
Anon 11:40 when I watched the clip on CBS's website that is exactly what O said-"you're one of those ebay guys" right as he was walking into the door. The guy was being very aggressive but I think O and the SS did not see him as a lethal threat but rather a nuisance.
O just seemed exasperated and finally said get your pic but I'm not going to smile--the guy seemed like those celeb stalking paparazzi.
We all know that this man was a SET UP! I wrote a post about it on my blog too!
Obama needs to understand that he WILL be targeted for assassination the closer he gets to the White House and he needs to get some new security because that man should not have been in his face.
The man was trying to provoke a confrontation - and someone had it planned. This is not the only one that we will see. There are many "TRICKS" that will be deployed in front of the cameras to try and dismantle the Obama's composure!
Lisa
http://blackwomenblowthetrumpet.blogspot.com
Sorry to be off topic, but your sidebar comment on Jay Leno just screams for me to share this.
For those that didn't see it, Jay asked Ryan Phillipe to look into the camera and give his "gayest" look. This is the response from viewers.
http://www.mygayestlook.com/
I didn't realize what this was about until I saw that video. Wow, if I had body guards I'd want them kick the shit out of this guy. Is he from Long island or something?
The SS ubersturmfuhrer should have a talk with his troopers.
What I can't believe is that other candidates are so, what, maleable, pliable, condescending that they gave this guy the time of day.
Hey Field I thought this seemed a little odd as well. But at the same time there may have been good explanations for the way this went down.
I like Justice 58's passion but I don't think there will be blood in the streets if Obama goes down. If he does get knocked off it will definitely be from a whacked out person. He is too precious to US imperialism for them to knock him off. His very presence offers a hope that the economy and the ruling class does not have for us.
Boy its hard for us black folks we can't relax about anything and any wild conspiracy idea we have can never be too wild because judging from these folks (ruling class and its lackies) past behaviour they are liable to do anything.
Field he's lucky he didn't get his damn ass kicked. Had I been working that security detail Ol'boy would have been flat on his back with a damn nine in his face.
But I digress...and leave it up to others to decide. May be it was a trial run, and if so my question is where the hell was his body guards.
Every last one those clowns needs to recieve there walking papers.
I was floored, I tell you, floored, when I heard John McCave say he voted against the creation of the MLK holiday.
Of course, now that he's running for president, he's issuing mea culpas like crazy and telling black people he was wrong.
So are we to believe he hated black people in 1983 but had an epiphany in the years to follow? I say bullshit.
"booed Santa"
Didn't you crazy Philly motherfuckers actually pelt Santa with frozen rock-solid ice snowballs?
Christopher, if you think McCain's back peddling is bad, think about how Ronnie Raygun felt when the proposal to honor Dr. King passed in both houses of Congress, and he couldn't afford to veto it upon threat of public backlash.
If Reagan were alive, he'd try to take credit for it, as opposed to admitting he had to sign it at gunpoint.
I had a discussion with a friend of mine this morning who was telling me the story about the man. She neglected to give me details because she just wanted to tell me that Obama made a snapfu. However, I do not look at it as a mistake on Obama's part as the man had not business ever getting that close to him in the first place. I really do not understand why people have a difficult time grasping the concept of people's person space. I do not blame Obama, the guy probably was wearing him out. And don't you just love the crack secret service team. Can you imagine how he would protected Obama if he was President?
Hey Field:
Here's your newest House Negro:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120726732176388295.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries
FN,
I thought the same thing.
Which is why I wasn't mad at Obama NOT being in Memphis today. I've been to that Museum, and it was eery being in a place where profound BAD history was.
The "O" Man didn't need to add to any kind of bad ANYTHING.
You know that the "A" word is right beneath the surface of Black folks' thought. And we didn't need The "O" Man to bring it up to the surface. He was where he needed to be....AWAY from that cursed place.
dear field and fellow concerned obamaholics, i have wondered twice about inside stories on obama and secret service. the first was when oreilly suggested lynching michelle. i thought it was interesting that he apologised the next day. he never apologises. i wondered if maybe the secret service had a conversation with him. i was waiting for the media to pounce on this recent event. as field notes obama lost his cool. is it possible the media was warned off this subject as the vulnerability of obama was so disturbingly evident. secret service may have asked for restraint in publicising this embarassing and revealing video.
Further comment on Obama NOT being in Memphis....Cornel West's criticism acknowledged:
CNN Seems Particularly Pissed that Obama did not show up in Memphis today.
To be blunt, Obama denied them the ready-made narrative that they had already prepared for when Obama came to Memphis.
They were going to go up to every Black person they saw and say:
‘ You see that Barack Obama is here in Memphis. Do you worry that he’s going to be assassinated like Dr. King?’
That was going to be the narrative for them with Obama.
Then they were going to get THE picture of him with Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, et al.
Run it in a continuous loop.
‘See see, he’s the BLACK Candidate’.
By not showing up, Obama denied them that…and they’re pissed.
Sometimes folks, see the trap for what it is.
I have been accused of being paranoid about CNN, but by the way every single commentator on CNN found a way to bring it up more than once....(Obama NOT being in Memphis)...add into it, Lou Dobbs' program -WITHOUT HIM EVEN BEING THERE - found yet ANOTHER way of bringing up Trinity UCC...
I concluded that there wasn't no positive storyline gonna come out of Memphis for Obama.
Call me a tinfoil hat wearer if you wish, and I accept the accusation...but doesn't mean that my paranoia doesn't have basis.
Love you Rikyrah,
You always bring it!
@Sidebar:
A-MERRY-CA LOST HER CONSCIENCE.
I agree. It's in lost and found, in the personhood of Rev. Wright, but rather than claim it, America chooses to pretend it's not theirs--that it belongs to somebody else.
@rikyrah:
Call me a tinfoil hat wearer if you wish...
Could you fit me for one of those hats?
Tinfoil is my favorite material, and silver my favorite color.
FN,
Saw you on Al-Jazeera. Enjoyed your comments.
Field,
Al-Jazeera, thumbs up. You rock!
I have been accused of being paranoid about CNN, but by the way every single commentator on CNN found a way to bring it up more than once.
Rikyrah,
Then I'm paranoid too.
For months now, I've been saying CNN is heavily invested in seeing the Borg Queen win the nomination.
They keep hiring Clintonistas who will go on their blab shows and say things like, "Hillary Clinton can still win if she does this," ignoring Barack's popular vote advantage and delegate lead.
The face of CNN changed when Ted Turner sold the network and the new owners began firing the old staff and replacing them with former AIPAC lobbyists like Wolf Blitzer. Little wonder he's on-air 6 days out of 7. It's also little wonder CNN is invested in Hillary becoming the next president. She's AIPAC-approved and the Likuds in Tel Aviv has signed off on her.
"Didn't you crazy Philly motherfuckers actually pelt Santa with frozen rock-solid ice snowballs?"
Yes physioprof, but they were soft snowballs.
"The guy was from new york, not philly.."
Well that would explain a lot too :)
Lawd my family lives on 7th and Snyder (it's ok you can lock your doors with me just saying that) and I think now my sole purpose of working is to get my momma out that God Forsaken Town.
It was all cute that she wanted to be Shahrazad Ali the one who stayed in the hood in spite of, but the hood is no longer kind to anybody and I am NOT a fan of Philly - so this right here just adds to my distain.
I don't know what it is but I just never got the vibe. Field if you would or if you have summed up that which is black philly point me in the right direction
www.pamalicious.com
Pam
Rikyrah,
Then I'm paranoid too.
For months now, I've been saying CNN is heavily invested in seeing the Borg Queen win the nomination.
They keep hiring Clintonistas who will go on their blab shows and say things like, "Hillary Clinton can still win if she does this," ignoring Barack's popular vote advantage and delegate lead.
Tell me about it, and won't even tell folks that they are Clintonistas.
You know when I just gave up on them being objective? The night Obama gave his speech on race in Philly, and they had the nerve to have Clinton operatives on Larry King...I was like WTF are they doing there?
I know I watch too much political tv, but sometimes it's instructional.
There you have Anderson Cooper taking the latest CBS Poll and what was HIS focus?
Obama's losing ground.
And he wants to make THAT the focus of it, and it takes David Gergen to say, well, maybe has lost a little support, but he's going like gangbusters in Pennsylvania, gaining ground on her by the day.
If there were NO angle to this, then the journalist would have honed in on the second page of that poll, which I read, and brought out what had to be THE story of the poll -
Even AFTER Jeremiah Wright..
They asked the poll question:
Which candidate best represents COMMON AMERICAN VALUES.
Not only did Obama WIN, but he won by 70%
70%.
Now, don't you think, since this was taken AFTER the Wright 'controversy', that THIS would be the better story to come out of the poll - if you were looking at it objectively.
It was the story on MSNBC, even with that hack Joe Scarborough.
Like I said, call me paranoid if you want to. But, I have seen little from the Clinton News Network to dissuade me from my paranoia.
HRC stretching the truth again:
Clinton Drops Another Tale From Stump Speech
Another Clinton Campaign Story Shot Down
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=4597361&page=1
Field and Co. -
Sen. O can't recruit the FOI without the RWRs (right wing racists - yes, you guessed it) inciting the American lurkers to riot.
Perhaps Ms. Michelle can get Kimora to - quietly - write a check for private security. She has Baby Phat revenue in addition to alimony, right?
Post a Comment