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Gibbs: Social Office Not Problem With Dinner Crashers
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs
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White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the investigation into the state dinner party crashers was focusing exclusively on the Secret Service, not administration staffers.
Reporters pressed Gibbs on whether the White House social office was also being investigated since the checks at large events were part of protocol in previous administrations.
"My understanding is Secret Service will look at what the Secret Service did," Gibbs said. "The Secret Service, through the director, has admitted that somebody who wasn't on a list and wasn't waived in was allowed into an event that clearly he said shouldn't be."
Several reporters kept pushing, asking whether the social office should have been on hand double checking attendees.
"In absence of somebody being there, because there are working telephones in the White House, somebody would have checked," Gibbs said. "That couple got into the White House and that is what the Secret Service is rightly focused on."
Gibbs said "no call or reach out ever came to anybody in terms of staff from Secret Service."
Gibbs said Obama hasn't talked about the breach, but added: "The president shares the concern the director had."
Late Update: Ken Bazinet from the New York Daily News has top brass on the record saying the social office deserves no blame and it's all the Secret Service's fault: "They screwed up. There's nowhere else to go with this."
Also, here's the video of the Gibbs exchange from this afternoon.
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FreeRider
November 30, 2009 2:11 PM
There has been an effort to blame this on Desiree Rogers, the social secretary, which makes no sense.
She provided security/secret service with an accurate guest list. One agent ignored that list and allowed someone in who was not on the list without ever bothering to verify it with the Social Office by telephone or walkie-talkie.
If the Secret Service needs to have a social secretary back them up on security then they are pretty pathetic.
The SS manager said "we did not follow established procedures." End of story.
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tiowally
November 30, 2009 2:12 PM
And you thought the Secret Service was in charge of protecting the President. Silly people.
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MJAN
November 30, 2009 2:14 PM
Boy, I'm glad the white house press corps is focused on the right things these days...Good job, Ed Henry!
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Schmed
November 30, 2009 2:21 PM in reply to MJAN
What if the headline read,
Whackjob Salahi Throws Mysterious White Powder Into Obama's Face
would you still say the press attention was unwarranted?
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roxsteady
November 30, 2009 2:36 PM in reply to Schmed
Ah, the word "If" If a frog had wings he wouldn't be bumping his ass on the ground. Sure, it's not good that these people were allowed in but, let's not get carried away here. As for the previous administration, they were warned in August of 2001 about possible attacks in the US and did nothing. I wouldn't be holding that administration up as a shining example of NATIONAL SECURITY!
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Schmed
November 30, 2009 2:45 PM in reply to roxsteady
If Lincoln had just ducked, Mary could have enjoyed "Our American Cousin" so much better. "If" is a good word; "why/how" is often far more important.
Asking how two social climbers got into the White House isn't "getting carried away." The SS has to come up with an accounting and letting the social secretary take the fall doesn't cut it.
Not sure what your allusion to Bush and NATIONAL SECURITY have to do with staying focused on the WH security breach....
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fbacon2
November 30, 2009 2:19 PM
Well done, team. We'll get to that war thingy later. The public has a right to know about the social secretary.
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Schmed
November 30, 2009 2:22 PM in reply to fbacon2
The public has the right to know who fucked up covering the President's back.
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FreeRider
November 30, 2009 2:25 PM in reply to Schmed
And in what world would the social secretary EVER be responsible for the president's security? This attempt to lay blame at the social office is absurd.
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Dorn76
November 30, 2009 2:29 PM in reply to FreeRider
Would they expect the social secretary to take a bullet for the POTUS, too?
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Cal Gal
November 30, 2009 4:47 PM in reply to Dorn76
I don't think they expect her to, but don't forget that Raygun's press secretary did just that. I would not be surprised if Ms. Rogers DID take a bullet for Obama.
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Schmed
November 30, 2009 2:50 PM in reply to FreeRider
I don't disagree with you. I just maintain that press attention on a security breach at the White House is an excellent point of inquiry for the press. How the social secretary enters into the mix (if at all) is a fair question. I would like to see every aspect examined in minute detail publicly so that the proper head(s) roll(s).
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
November 30, 2009 5:13 PM in reply to FreeRider
In Bushworld, of course. This whole thing is happening because Unnamed Bushies chimed in to say that in their day, such a thing would never have happened because they had the social secretary's office double-checking the Secret Service at the gate. Given that it is well known that the Bush Administration was supremely competent in all matters related to governance, any deviation from their procedures is conclusive evidence of where the breakdown occurred.
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fbacon2
November 30, 2009 2:34 PM in reply to Schmed
Sure. My problem was with the shallow WH press pool fishing for some sort of scandal, implying that administration staff should be under investigation. Unless some evidence comes out saying the Secret Service disobeyed procedure under WH orders, or somehow the WH is protecting the Indian Embassy, this is a security breach at the front lines being chased by pointy-headed press people into something that should reflect on Obama. The fact that this fox hunt during the daily briefing occurs on the eve of the Afghanistan speech speaks to the whole circus act our MSM has become.
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FreeRider
November 30, 2009 2:41 PM in reply to fbacon2
I agree with you about the press chasing a "sexy" story.
This WH established that social office staff would not be at the check-point looking over shoulder of security. The SS has to approves the security arrangement/protocol. If they felt it was necessary for security, they would have insisted and it would be done.
This is the fault of one guy who allowed them in despite the fact that they were not on the list.
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CT Voter
November 30, 2009 3:14 PM in reply to FreeRider
Dana Perino started the whole "It was the social secretary's office that screwed up" yesterday on the talking heads blabberfests.
They didn't think this up on their own.
Which makes it all more pathetic.
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Schmed
November 30, 2009 3:24 PM in reply to CT Voter
Gotta admit that Perino knows what flavor of herring it takes to distract the press from getting to the truth. Rove sure can pick 'em.
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fbacon2
November 30, 2009 3:47 PM in reply to CT Voter
Pathetic is right. Is there any question produced by a former Bush official or Fox News that Jake Tapper or Chip Reid won't bite?
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Cal Gal
November 30, 2009 4:49 PM in reply to CT Voter
Same woman who didn't remember 9/11? Or know anything about the Cuban Missle Crisis? Her opinions are really important and relevant and stuff
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roxsteady
November 30, 2009 2:43 PM in reply to Schmed
The public was informed that it was the Secret Service who screwed up, according to THE SECRET SERVICE. Or haven't you guys heard?
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FreeRider
November 30, 2009 2:45 PM in reply to roxsteady
We know THAT! We're talking about the press pool's continued attempts to blame this on the social office.
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Schmed
November 30, 2009 2:58 PM in reply to roxsteady
The public (at least, the part in which I reside) also wants to know how they screwed up, who else was responsible, what's being done to fix the problem(s), and if the changes that the Bush administration wrecked on the SS by clamping them under DHS has neutered their legendary effectiveness. So, no, I haven't heard that yet, and I'd like the questions to keep flying until I do.
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FreeRider
November 30, 2009 3:09 PM in reply to Schmed
The Secret Service issued a formal apology saying that they were solely responsible for the breach because THEY did not follow established protocol.
“The preliminary findings of our internal investigation have determined established protocols were not followed at an initial checkpoint, verifying that two individuals were on the guest list,” Mr. Sullivan said.
In my mind, that settles whose fault it was. When the agency didn't follow its own rules and this happened as a result, case closed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/28/us/politics/28crasher.html
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Schmed
November 30, 2009 3:22 PM in reply to FreeRider
Thanks for this. However, the case is far from closed. Given that the crashers were in killing range of the POTUS, saying "opps, my bad" doesn't satisfy my outrage. I want to know (and I'm fairly sure that I'm not alone) why the protocols were not followed (incompetence, poor or no training, lack of funding or other resources, all of the above?), what fail/safes also weren't properly engaged at the single point of failure (clearly, a robust security plan does not permit a single point of failure), and what laws were broken and by whom. A congressional investigation is clearly warranted, as is continued press coverage beyond the usual smattering of "reportage" served up to an A.D.D. challenged public.
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FreeRider
November 30, 2009 3:28 PM in reply to Schmed
I mean the case is closed as far as who fucked up! Of course, the SS needs to go over every detail and see why they didn't follow their own rules and heads should roll.
But this "perhaps Desiree is responsible in some way" or "if she had been at the door" BS needs to stop! She did her job. The SS didn't do its job.
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Cal Gal
November 30, 2009 4:52 PM in reply to Schmed
I'm with you. And if Martha Stewart was sent to jail for "lying" to federal officials, I want these two social-climbing morans in orange jump suits, too.
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Knothead Jake
November 30, 2009 2:28 PM
Don't be so sure FreeRider, I hear that Desiree packs some awesome firepower and she has the Secret Service's back. When the SS totally screws up (like this time) Desiree could have taken out those "two bit debt ridden grifters playing dress-up" like they were Sarah and Trig. However she was busy at the time. Malia and Sasha weren't fooled for a second either. There are layers and layers of protection at the WH. You just can't see them.
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FreeRider
November 30, 2009 2:44 PM in reply to Knothead Jake
There were some people on HP saying that since Michelle is the hostess, she holds primary responsibility for who gets in, then comes Desiree, then comes the Secret Service.
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SchrodingersCat
November 30, 2009 2:57 PM in reply to FreeRider
That's a pretty fair representation of the quality of discourse on HP these days.
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FreeRider
November 30, 2009 3:12 PM in reply to SchrodingersCat
You are so right about that place. It's a zoo. They're following Ariana's example with her screeching rants, misleading and/or overblown headlines and incessant nitpicking.
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tiowally
November 30, 2009 3:12 PM in reply to FreeRider
Wait. I thought it was White House Chef Sam Kass, then Desiree, then Michelle, then Sasha and Malia, then Trig Palin, and then the Secret Service.
It appears protecting POTUS is more complicated than I thought.
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MrMasterson
November 30, 2009 2:34 PM
Secret Service is supposed to be impervious therefore it has to be another person's fault.
No the Social Secretary should not have to back up the Secret Service but when things are done differently than before folks need to make a story and possibly get someone with a name fired. Random Secret Service agent doesn't work. Desiree Rogers causes security breach is a better headline since a finger can be pointed, someone can be fired and then the paparazzi can follow her around for the next few months generating more unnecessary headlines. Don't you guys know anything about REAL journalism.
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roxsteady
November 30, 2009 2:45 PM in reply to MrMasterson
THANK YOU! I couldn't have said it better!
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jg1967
November 30, 2009 2:51 PM
Paranoid conspiracy theory #958: Former Bushies "burrowed in" at Secret Service and attempted "burrowing" in the social secretary's office (see Cathy Hargraves) 'allowed' this breach as a test run for not just access to harm POTUS but as a test of how readily someone other than SS can be blamed if 'something' does happen to the President or someone close to him. It's not just doing it, but getting away with it.
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mk3872
November 30, 2009 2:56 PM
No fear, America! Our WH press corps is there to push the administration into answering the pressing, most important issues of the day! Good grief ...
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hey norm
November 30, 2009 3:51 PM
the most threatened president in history has to count on his social secretary for protection??? sorry...doesn't pass the giggle test. unfortunately for the republic the msm can't pass that test either.
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Campesino
November 30, 2009 4:38 PM
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.........
waste of bandwidth
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EdA
November 30, 2009 4:43 PM
I'm STILL waiting to learn whom Jeff Gannon/Jim Guckert was visiting at all hours of the day and night. (Incidentally, according to Wikipedia, his birthday is tomorrow.)
More seriously, MUCH more seriously, in addition to the President of the United States being at risk, so was the Prime Minister of India. What a coup it would have been for an Al-Qaeda operative of Pakistani origin to dispose of the leaders of the world's two most populous democracies, both of which are active targets of violence rooted in Pakistan.
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sean
November 30, 2009 5:16 PM
So much nooz cheese and so little rind...
Watching the Rubber Situation Room re-dumbified with a resplendently corduroy Leslie tackling their new fired Bush appointee angle on the state dinner crashers makes it clear, what with 'Tiger, Tiger burning bright', President Huckabee's mortal blow we have a plethora of potential silver UFO balloons on the horizon without even remembering Moosie who...
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rbeats
November 30, 2009 5:20 PM
It is 19 after the hour and Tweety has spent his whole show on this topic so far.
It really is quite pathetic.
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rbeats
November 30, 2009 5:37 PM in reply to rbeats
It's now 36 after the hour and Tweety has moved onto the pressing issue of healthcare...Just kidding he is now gonna feature the Tiger Woods domestic dispute.
What garbage.
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Knothead Jake
November 30, 2009 6:40 PM
Balloon Boy floated over the gate so I can excuse the SS for that,but where was NORAD? Inquiring minds want to know. I suspect a cover-up.
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Mike Licht
November 30, 2009 7:25 PM
Not the first time the Obama White House has had gatecrashers.
See:
http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2009/02/05/masked-raiders-infiltrate-white-house/
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Knothead Jake
November 30, 2009 9:06 PM
There must be a way that the media can blame this on Tiger Woods so that they can post pictures of the hot girl he was supposed to be having an affair with. I'm getting real tired of looking at the same pictures of Michaele "Flat as a Pancake" Salami. Sheesh
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Jeronimo Dan
December 1, 2009 3:12 PM
In other words Obama's SS security is about as good as Bush's National Security was!
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Jeronimo Dan
December 1, 2009 3:18 PM
In other words Obama's Secret Service Security, is as great as Bush's National Security was?
What did the SS say when the elephant walked in the room? Nothing, they didn't Notice it!
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Jeronimo Dan
December 1, 2009 3:20 PM
In other words Obama's Secret Service Security, is as great as Bush's National Security was?
What did the SS say when the elephant walked in the room? Nothing, they didn't Notice it!
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