Sarah Palin blamed by the US Secret Service over death threats against Barack Obama

Sarah Palin blamed by the US Secret Service over death threats against Barack Obama
Sarah Palin's attacks on Barack Obama's patriotism provoked a spike in death threats against the future president, Secret Service agents revealed during the final weeks of the campaign.


By Tim Shipman in Washington
Last Updated: 8:38AM GMT 10 Nov 2008


The Republican vice presidential candidate attracted criticism for accusing Mr Obama of "palling around with terrorists", citing his association with the sixties radical William Ayers.

The attacks provoked a near lynch mob atmosphere at her rallies, with supporters yelling "terrorist" and "kill him" until the McCain campaign ordered her to tone down the rhetoric.

But it has now emerged that her demagogic tone may have unintentionally encouraged white supremacists to go even further.

The Secret Service warned the Obama family in mid October that they had seen a dramatic increase in the number of threats against the Democratic candidate, coinciding with Mrs Palin's attacks.

Michelle Obama, the future First Lady, was so upset that she turned to her friend and campaign adviser Valerie Jarrett and said: "Why would they try to make people hate us?"

The revelations, contained in a Newsweek history of the campaign, are likely to further damage Mrs Palin's credentials as a future presidential candidate. She is already a frontrunner, with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, to take on Mr Obama in four years time.

Details of the spike in threats to Mr Obama come as a report last week by security and intelligence analysts Stratfor, warned that he is a high risk target for racist gunmen. It concluded: "Two plots to assassinate Obama were broken up during the campaign season, and several more remain under investigation. We would expect federal authorities to uncover many more plots to attack the president that have been hatched by white supremacist ideologues."

Irate John McCain aides, who blame Mrs Palin for losing the election, claim Mrs Palin took it upon herself to question Mr Obama's patriotism, before the line of attack had been cleared by Mr McCain.

That claim is part of a campaign of targeted leaks designed to torpedo her ambitions, with claims that she did not know that Africawas a continent rather than a country.

The advisers have branded her a "diva" and a "whack job" and claimed that she did not know which other countries are in the North American Free Trade Area, (Canada and Mexico). They say she spent more than $150,000 on designer clothes, including $40,000 on her husband Todd and that she refused to prepare for the disastrous series of interviews with CBS's Katie Couric.

In a bid to salvage her reputation Mrs Palin came out firing in an interview with CNN, dismissing the anonymous leakers in unpresidential language as "jerks" who had taken "questions or comments I made in debate prep out of context."

She said: "I consider it cowardly. It's not true. That's cruel, it's mean-spirited, it's immature, it's unprofessional and those guys are jerks if they came away taking things out of context and then tried to spread something on national news that's not fair and not right."

She was not asked about her incendiary rhetoric against Mr Obama. But she did deny the spending spree claims, saying the clothes in question had been returned to the Republican National Committee. "Those are the RNC's clothes, they're not my clothes. I asked for anything more than maybe a diet Dr Pepper once in a while. These are false allegations."

Speaking as she returned to her native Alaska, Mrs Palin claimed to be baffled by what she claims was sexism on the national stage. "Here in Alaska that double standard isn't applied because these guys know that Alaskan women are pretty tough, on a par with the men in terms of being outdoors, working hard," she said.

"They're commercial fishermen, they're pilots, they're working up on the North slopein the oil fields. You see equality in Alaska. I think that was a bit of as surprise on the national level."







link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/sarahpalin/3405336/Sarah-Palin-blamed-by-the-US-Secret-Service-for-death-threats-against-Barack-Obama.html

Yep. Sarah Palins fault. Those white supremacists never would have thunk of shooting a black man who became president without her prompts. She put that idea in their heads. Now if we could just get her to tell them to jump off of a cliff, problem solved. They aren't capable of thinking without her leadership.

On this I would have to agree with the neocons (aka Justoo and EP) they racists still would have plotted for a shooting or something else

I don't consider myself to be a neocon. I am registered as an independent. My ideas fall a little to the right of center on many issues. A little to the left on others. But then I suppose a centrist is pretty much a neocon to the extreme left.

I think this demonstrates the typical Republican tactic of stirring up fear and hatred for political gain.

Oh for fucks sake, anything else we want to blame this woman for? Perhaps the current financial crisis? These people SERIOUSLY need to get a life.

Bighead wrote:

I think this demonstrates the typical Republican tactic of stirring up fear and hatred for political gain.

Sure didn't work worth a Tinker's Damn now did it? Sure is funny how Ol' Caribou Barbie has now become Chatty Cathy since she isn't being muzzled by the Advisor's for the Campaign. Of course she still is spieling the same old tired talking points and calling everybody who has said anything critical about her liars.

Justoo wrote:

I don't consider myself to be a neocon. I am registered as an independent. My ideas fall a little to the right of center on many issues. A little to the left on others. But then I suppose a centrist is pretty much a neocon to the extreme left.

Slick forgot that I am a neocon also. I think the saddest thing is the pure hatred by the extreme lest towards anything that does not follow their agenda. The differences Palin comparison...

Quote :

The differences Palin comparison...

Would you PLEASE learn to type complete sentences? What is this supposed to mean?

It was a pun.

Justoo wrote:

It was a pun.

geeze the election is over and Palin is still on everyones minds...........

nitromaxx98 wrote:

Justoo wrote:

It was a pun.

I'll never understand you, Nitro. Just when I've resolved that you're completely illetarate, you surprise me. And this isn't the first time.

LukeTHr wrote:

geeze the election is over and Palin is still on everyones minds...........

Somebody say "Hillary"; or tell a Clinton blowjob joke. Quick!!

LukeTHr wrote:

geeze the election is over and Palin is still on everyone's minds...........

McCain's pick of Palin reminds me of Bush's nomination of Harriet Miers. Each pick clearly demonstrated the true priorities Bush and McCain, respectively.

By nominating Miers, Bush showed that he valued loyalty (some would call it 'cronyism') and cheap political points (she had a vagina) over qualifications. He OBVIOUSLY chose to bolster his own power rather than pick from among dozens of more qualified candidates.

McCain's pick of Palin isn't much different. He chose cheap political points (she had a vagina and appealed to the flag-waving, bible-thumping base) over qualifications. I could name half a dozen potential nominees who were VASTLY more qualified than Palin- she had no business being anywhere NEAR the presidency for a variety of reasons that have been hashed and re-hashed on this forum. IMO, he showed his cynicism (thinking that women would vote for Palin just 'cause she has a vagina), and he put the country in very real danger (potentially subject to the whims of a barely-literate, Armageddon-craving Pentecostal) in a desperate bid for power.

Don't get me wrong- I ain't saying that the Democrats are above this sort of thing (far from it). But it gives me hope that AmeriCANs saw these follies for what they were... and they should be remembered. And discussed. Ad nauseum.

Bighead wrote:

LukeTHr wrote:

geeze the election is over and Palin is still on everyone's minds...........

McCain's pick of Palin reminds me of Bush's nomination of Harriet Miers. Each pick clearly demonstrated the true priorities Bush and McCain, respectively.

By nominating Miers, Bush showed that he valued loyalty (some would call it 'cronyism') and cheap political points (she had a vagina) over qualifications. He OBVIOUSLY chose to bolster his own power rather than pick from among dozens of more qualified candidates.

McCain's pick of Palin isn't much different. He chose cheap political points (she had a vagina and appealed to the flag-waving, bible-thumping base) over qualifications. I could name half a dozen potential nominees who were VASTLY more qualified than Palin- she had no business being anywhere NEAR the presidency for a variety of reasons that have been hashed and re-hashed on this forum. IMO, he showed his cynicism (thinking that women would vote for Palin just 'cause she has a vagina), and he put the country in very real danger (potentially subject to the whims of a barely-literate, Armageddon-craving Pentecostal) in a desperate bid for power.

Don't get me wrong- I ain't saying that the Democrats are above this sort of thing (far from it). But it gives me hope that AmeriCANs saw these follies for what they were... and they should be remembered. And discussed. Ad nauseum.

so just so i am clear in this the main reason Sarah was picked because she has a vagina?

I don't think that was the only reason... but it was a big one.

Several better-qualified people without vaginas were passed over in favor of Caribou Barbie.

Bighead wrote:

I don't think that was the only reason... but it was a big one.

Several better-qualified people without vaginas were passed over in favor or Caribou Barbie.

Just curious who?

Romney, Huckabee, Nuge?

Maybe the next republican will realize that if McCain wanted to use a woman as a vote getter, a hot young slut that always dresses provocatively making public appearances at keg parties could potentially steal the liberal college boy votes. Not to mention how cool McCain would have looked for picking her to those young voters who think with their little heads and tend to vote democrat.

Serious republicans, and even the religious far right would have still voted as usual even if they hated her because they hate democrats more. Palin looked nice, but the holy girl routine was a big turnoff to liberals and many independants.

nitromaxx98 wrote:

Bighead wrote:

I don't think that was the only reason... but it was a big one.

Several better-qualified people without vaginas were passed over in favor or Caribou Barbie.

Just curious who?

Romney, Huckabee, Nuge?

In light of the financial meltdown, Romney would have been an excellent choice.

How about Tim Pawlenty, Bobby Jindahl, Michael Steele? If he really wanted to be outside the box, why not Joe Lieberman?

Hey now, Nugent might have been a good choice. He could have invited McCain on stage at a concert and without warning hit the guitar with amps on full power. McCain might have had a massive coronary and Nugent would be in.

Or McCain could have danced. His mom is in her 90's and loves her Ted Nugent 8-tracks.

nitromaxx98 wrote:

Bighead wrote:

I don't think that was the only reason... but it was a big one.

Several better-qualified people without vaginas were passed over in favor or Caribou Barbie.

Just curious who?

Romney, Huckabee, Nuge?

Don't count this as a political endorsement on my part, but EP's list, several of the Republican candidates in the primaries, and Tom Ridge would've been MUCH better picks. Most are vastly more qualified than Palin... but they didn't have the 'stunt' factor that McCain seems to enjoy so much.

IMO, if McCain had picked Leiberman, Ridge, Romney, or Giuliani- then he very well might've won. In my professional opinion as a diesel mechanic, McCain failed in part because he wasn't genuine in his message- he didn't fully BELIEVE it. He was playing a part that his Gawd-Fearin', Flag-Wavin' base wanted to see- splicing sound bytes straight out of Sean Hannityt's show into his speeches and debates. It's difficult to be convincing when you're ain't arguing your own convictions. If he had picked any of these more moderate candidates, and ran on his OWN convictions (rather than those of Carl Rove et. al.)- then he might've shifted the entire Republican Party away from the evangelicals... with more emphasis on Republican fetishes of War, Authority, and Capitalism.

So in a sense, thank Gawd for Palin.

If McCain wanted the perfect poster girl of conservatism he should have told Palin to answer every question by saying "Wait a minute while I ask my husband what to say."

Bighead wrote:

IMO, if McCain had picked Leiberman, Ridge, Romney, or Giuliani- then he very well might've won. In my professional opinion as a diesel mechanic, McCain failed in part because he wasn't genuine in his message- he didn't fully BELIEVE it. He was playing a part that his Gawd-Fearin', Flag-Wavin' base wanted to see- splicing sound bytes straight out of Sean Hannityt's show into his speeches and debates. It's difficult to be convincing when you're ain't arguing your own convictions. If he had picked any of these more moderate candidates, and ran on his OWN convictions (rather than those of Carl Rove et. al.)- then he might've shifted the entire Republican Party away from the evangelicals... with more emphasis on Republican fetishes of War, Authority, and Capitalism.

So in a sense, thank Gawd for Palin.

"If you want to win the nomination, you must tack hard to the right. If you want to win the general election, you must then veer toward the center." - Richard Nixon's advice to Bob Dole, 1988

Yep, and McCain did pretty much the opposite of that.

Whereas Obama worked hard for the affections of the Left during the primaries, then moved toward the Center after securing the nomination.

Goes to show that sometimes conventional wisdom is dead-on.