While I agree with the errand, what did he expect, showing up at WH 5AM with an envelope?

[havocmom]

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/conservative_attorney_delivering_letter_to_obama_s.php?ref=fpa

Went with a letter for Obama, asking who was at Obama/Health Care insiders meeting. Tried to give it to guard at gate at 5 AM... pissed that Secret Service mistreated (detained & questioned) him.

...

But back to our story. Did we mention Klayman decided to make his unannounced trip to the White House at 5 a.m.?

At a security gate outside the White House (the one facing Pennsylvania Avenue, he says), Klayman walked up to a guard with the letter in an unsealed envelope and asked, "can you deliver this to POTUS?"

After the guard refused to take the letter, Klayman said he had identification, and she asked to see it, according to Klayman. "Then she said, 'we need to run a background check now.' Next thing I know, three uniformed Secret Service officers surround me and interrogate me," he says.

Over the next 75 minutes, according to Klayman, the three officers "worked me over" in the cold, asking for background information and about his intentions. He believes he was "in effect under false arrest." Even though Klayman told the officers he had to make a hearing in Baltimore, which is why he made the trip at 5 a.m., "they told me, 'you're not going anywhere, friend.'"

...

Wonder what would have happened if he had shown up at that hour under bush. Hell, try it with cheney and ya might be BEGGING for Secret Service to ask questions, or call for an ambulance. I don't see bush or cheney treating such presumptive behavior with just some questioning by security.

An envelope for POTUS? Unannounced/uninvited at 5 AM? Hell, if they hadn't 'worked him over' the RW noise machine would be screaming about lax security.

Jesus Christmas, can anybody think beyond their own snit fits anymore?

[msongs]

1. proper response would be to take/refuse the letter and say have a nice day, citizen nt

[Aramchek]

2. I'm really glad you're in charge of nothing

[havocmom]

3. Seriously? In the age of so many threats agains POTUS?

No, I would prefer to know people who would try that stunt are questioned a bit. The errand showed a certain disregard for the office, and the institution of the WH.

If he just wanted to get the letter to Obama, and was running on a tight schedule, he could have mailed the damned thing! It's not any more likely to reach POTUS' desk via dropping it off with a guard at the gate. This guy was looking for a reason to go out and complain about being mistreated. He was asking for a fight.

Secret Service, recently embarrassed, did not give him a fight, just did their job.

[Renew Deal]

18. I don't think the Secret Service operates this way.

I've heard these types of stories before. They're not receptionists. They very powerful cops.

[havocmom]

21. "They're not receptionists"

Thank you for the perfect explanation.

[Orangepeel]

4. Larry Klayman is a grandstanding loon

the secret service "worked him over". Yeah, right.

[havocmom]

5. LOL, interesting choice of phrasing he made there, isn't it?

'Worked over' as opposed to the accurate 'questioned'.

"Grandstanding loon" is a kindness! The spirit of the season must be upon you, for you to be so charitable to the poor, persecuted :sarcasm: attention whore ::<--- NOT sarcasm::

More and more, I am convinced RW twits are all just big kids still trying to get loving attention from parental figure.

[Milo_Bloom]

6. You take the letter and send them on their way.

[havocmom]

7. Really? Did they ever find the guy who mailed the anthrax?

Why would they just take the envelop?

[Milo_Bloom]

9. It was unsealed. You take it, inspect it before giving it to the President.

If you really feel this guy may be a threat, make a photo copy of ID before he leaves.

No need to detail and question.

Duh, this ain't rocket science.

[havocmom]

10. There are substances which require very small quantities to be dangerous

And some which require skin contact rather than inhalation. Anthrax is not the only threat out there.

That's right, it isn't rocket science. But it is cause for careful consideration of any bozo who would pull such a stunt.

While I agree, some questioning is silly, like school kids who wrote assigned essays for school getting visited by SS, showing up uninvited, unannounced at 5 AM at the WH deserves a close look right there. INSISTING a federal employee who is NOT USPS accept an envelope was just asking for trouble. He did it so he could complain and no other reason. If he wasn't looking for a fight, he would have put it in the mail or regular courier service.

He was looking for a fight, and PR.

[Milo_Bloom]

15. And it looks like he won.

When he didn't have to. Take the letter, photo copy his ID and inspect the package at your convenience.

Dropping off a unsealed letter at the gate isn't a stunt unless you are stupid enough to turn it into one.

I guess they were stupid enough.

[Cha]

16. larry klayman is the stupid idiot ..fucking attentionwhore.

[Milo_Bloom]

17. Yeah, but the point is there was no reason to detain him.

Take the unsealed letter, get a copy of ID.. analyze the letter later for contaminants.

[havocmom]

22. LOL

In this day and age? :rofl:

If they hadn't detained (for only a bit over an hour) and questioned, I'm bettin he would be on TV squawking about the lax security at the Obama WH.

[Milo_Bloom]

23. Ooo, the wittle teworrists scare you?

Yes, in this day and age you get the id, and analyze the letter later.

Letting him IN would be lax security.

It is amazing to me how far the hero-worshipers will go to defend the indefensible.

[MiniMe]

8. I've met Larry Klayman, he is an ass

I met him when he was head of Judicial Watch, well I was introduced to him. He thought it was somebody else from where I worked. I put out my hand to shake it as we were being introduced and he turned around and walked out. Not that I was thrilled at all about meeting him, but it was for work so I had to be professional about it. I thought he was downright rude, there was a group of us there, and he just turned around and walked away.

[havocmom]

11. LOL thanks for sharing your experience and observation.

Lends a lot of color and context to this.

So, OK for him to be rude and condescending, but a travesty (in his view) for the Secret Service to do their job? :rofl:

[MiniMe]

12. That's about it

Klayman lives to file lawsuits. He sued his own mother. I have nothing good to say about the man.

[Sebastian Doyle]

13. Klayman is a wackjob, but I doubt he would ever be a physical threat to the President

He considers himself to be some sort of non-partisan legal crusader (he has gone after Repukes and Democrats in the past)so I doubt he would end his so-called career of doing so by being dumb enough to hand deliver a letter bomb/anthrax/whatever to the White House at 5 AM.

[vaberella]

19. You can't make that sort of call. Neither can the SS.

Everyone is a suspect when it relates to their President and after the last fiasco with reality show cats crashing a party. You know very well that the SS won't take a chance on any body. Their doing their job and I don't give a fuck who it was who did it. It could have been Jonathan Turley doing that---and he would have deserved the treatment for the same concerns because I wouldn't want to take any chances. People can snap over the stupidest things.

[havocmom]

20. But the staff at the gate don't know that and are not in decision making roles

They passed it up to the guys who make the call. Everybody did the correct thing.

Lawyer boy is a brat, but the procedure needed to go according to policy, especially after the State Dinner crashers ;)

[Ikonoklast]

14. What a sad life he must live.

So desperate to find meaning to his life.

Klayman is just one step up from the crank that is at every city council meeting, who rants about the mind control rays beamed at him from the police radio tower.

[tritsofme]

24. Here's an idea: put a stamp on the letter, and drop it in the mailbox.

Secret Service agents are not postal workers.

The president is just as likely to read the letter, but I guess it doesn't help you out much if you are just an attention whore.