...and, no, I don't believe the Director is the problem. Assuming those agents were on their own time they have to take responsiblity for their own actions.

DaNoid, didn't you take your memory-erasing pill like every good Republican or political pundit has? 2000-2008 never happened. NEVER HAPPENED. Also, no one knows how the federal deficit got so big or who spent the Clinton surplus! Get with the program.

Amy, your post reminds me of the video I was watching last week with Rachel Maddow and Bill Maher. They were talking about the Iran Contra affair, and how it was much worse than Watergate.

And then Bill quickly says, with his most sincerest insincere voice eva - But not worse than Monica Lewinksy.

So funny.

Think Progress:

What’s the worst thing a politician from Red Sox Nation could do? Taking money from the arch-rival Yankees might be high on the list. And that’s exactly what Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) did.

Brown last month took the maximum $2,500 from Randy Levine, the president of the New York Yankees, according to newly released campaign finance records. “We’re happy to accept Randy Levine’s donation,” said Brown campaign spokesman Colin Reed.

********

Seems to me Martha Coakley got into trouble for believing Schilling was a Yankee during her campaign. So she lost.

Scott Brown. See ya.

Da Rhoid: Aren't you a good little Obamabot to trot out the "We inherited this" Barry's-never-at-fault-for -anything-bad-but-always-deserves-credit-for-anything-good mantra. You are awarded one gold star.

As far as your excuse that "the agents were on their own time", even Barry is embarrassed enough that he is avoiding weaseling out on that BS line:

"We're representing the people of the United States," Obama said. "And when we travel to another country, I expect us to observe the highest standards because we're not just representing ourselves, we're here on behalf of our people. And that means that we conduct ourselves with the utmost dignity and probity. And obviously what's been reported doesn't match up with those standards."

Ah Noid, that's classic.

The director does not have a problem? Really. Huh.

So just who is responsible for the rather huge problems, some supervisor?

See my man, that's the bitch about being the boss - all problems, no matter how big of small are yours.

You dems are just so silly - just can't seem to grasp the whole responsibility thing-y.

Oh and the whole GSA thing is Bush's baby. Why I bet it was a young George W that crammed all that dog meat down little young Obama's throat, right?

Man, putting a dog on the roof of a car is bad, but eating one is just a tad worse. At least if you are a dog, right Noid?

Pat,

Martha Coakley lost because she and the entire democrat party thought they were entitled to the KENNEDY seat. In fact, what sealed the deal was during a debate the moderator flat out asked Scott Brown why he thinks he deserves the Kennedy seat.

Not missing a beat Brown responsed it's "not the Kennedy seat it's the PEOPLE's seat". It was game over, right there.

Gosh, I thought that President Obama was President during the 2000-2008 period. You know, he gets blamed for the crap that went down then.

The Director should resign.

Pat---I heard an ad on the radio yesterday in a Congressional primary contest. Seems the incumbent Republican should be voted out of office because he was born in Cleveland (and grew up rooting for the Browns). The more conservative Republican should be elected instead because he is a season ticket holder for the Steelers, a Penguins fan and has even rooted for the Pirates in all their years of losing. There was nothing in the ad about what this man would do or support.

Oh Steeler Fan, that is hilarious! Thanx for the story. It made my day. LoL.

Joe & Spanky,

Is your boss responsible for what you do on your own time?

Funny thing Noid is - as the boss I am often responsible for what my employees do on theirs.

Nice try though. Oh and try to articulate how this was 'on their time' vs. on our time. Go ahead, I'll wait.

Odd how your little argument has gotten no traction. Now why do you suppose that is?

Oh lord, here we go again with the morality police. What is it with the right wing freaks that they MUST have their nose in everyone's sexual business? Ok, let's play that game. Where is the outrage over Newt 'do me in the car' Gingrich's sex-capades and his illicit affairs. Where is the outrage over the sexual harassment guy Mr. Nien-Nien-Nien? Speaking of hookers and prostitutes, why hasn't the right wing morality police gone after Mr. Vitter? Could it possibly be that sexual conduct only is only an issue when democrats are engaged? Why yes, I believe that is the answer. When Republicans have at it, the motto is forgive and forget. When Democrats boink, start a smear campaign.

As long as the security protocols are not compromised, who gives a rat's a$$ about boinking agents.

Is your boss responsible for what you do on your own time?

__________________________________________________

False equivalence. I'm not a representative of the US government charged with protecting the POTUS on an official visit to a foreign country. They and their bosses should be held to a much higher standard than some working stiff going out to a strip joint in say, Roselle, IL. (I apologize in advance if anyone feels the need to gouge out their eyes after THAT mind-picture)

Unlike the GSA -- or other agencies like the Mineral Management Service snorting speed/cocaine/meth what ever the heck it was off a toaster oven during Dubya -- The Secret Service will and has taken a bullet for those they protect. So...show a little respect, and allow the investigation to be completed and appropriate action to be taken, and not get your undies in such a bundle. Moving on...

Secret Service agents behaving like frat boys!..

Thankfully nothing more serious/dangerous took place (Presidents safety) and the offenders will get their just punishment....Their integrity is gone, their jobs are gone, and maybe their marriages.

Their integrity is gone, their jobs are gone, and maybe their marriages.

...and maybe their nads. I mean, seriously, I don't want to know where THAT has been, if you know what I mean.

And yet you ask about their nads, right Noid?

So AnaB - why has there not been a thorough house cleaning at the SS and GSA?

Hell, we know the answer - you start firing federal employees for incompetence you ain't gonna have any left.

But hey you all pay your taxes - the GSA needs your cash.

Did Obama hire the 40,000 extra IRS people for ObamaCare yet? Anybody, check the benefit package to see if there's provisions for hookers and junkets to Hawaii?

BIG GOVERNMENT???? I'll take big oil any day over this.

Forget the Secret Service Director. Obama owns all this crap.

Spanky and Rob in ma,

Seriously? Pleeeze! Ted Nugent is calling you. Best answer his call or he'll take his revenge.

Forget the Secret Service Director. Obama owns all this crap.

Oh yes like the crap between 2000 and 2008.

AnaB - 'Ted to the head.'

So how about it AnaB - should the GSA and SS be cleaned out?

Or are you with Noidster - just a few bad apples and those at the top, blissfully ignorant, and that's ok?

Few bad apples was good enough explanation for the right during Abu Gharib. Rusmsfield, Bush and Gonzalez the rest were blissfully ignorant and didn't contribute to the culture of torture with their directives and illegal rulings.

Oops I spoke of "he that shall not be named".

Rob in ma:

I can find references for new IRS agents that range between 1000 and 4000, but nothing even close to 40,000. Did you accidently add an extra zero, or are you intentionally inflating numbers?

Feisty,

Agree with you 100%

It's pretty scary, considering the President's schedule was printed out and in the room where the girls were "visiting." Talk about an egregious dereliction of duty.

How do spy agencies usually recruit moles, etc? Through blackmailing cheating officials, or enmeshing them with seductive Mata Hari types. It's classic espionage to use a woman to turn an informant. Don't these guys read LeCarre?

Northstar,

Try as I might, I just can't find humor in any of this mess...

Especially since it's going to be a long hot summer...

Feisty, to your post above. I have been looking at a new line of books I want to buy which have to do with American history. I want to read but then don't buy them.

Why?

Because Americans aren't the Americans of old. Looking at the Nugent soundbites and his audience just made my skin crawl. Listening to all the lies coming out of Romney's mouth and the GOP as a whole.

It's sad. Slowly, Americans have become insensitive to just about everybody it seems.

This isn't the America that prospered afte WWII.

Daily Kos: Every Democrat is a communist . . . going all the way back to 1933 when FDR set up New Deal Communism. That would be the same New Deal communism you grew up under. The New Deal Communism that made us the richest, most powerful nation in history. The New Deal Communism that took us to the moon just 36 years after FDR was sworn in.

Guns are the new calling card. And violent rhetoric. They have taken this great country of ours and have now made it all about guns, as if we were living in the 18th Century. They have made it about disrespecting hard working Americans. The rich are exploiting our entire country and they don't seem to have a problem finding people to support them.

Robber Baron:

An American capitalist of the latter part of the 19th century who became wealthy through exploitation (as of natural resources, low wages, government influence).

It's happening yet again right before our eyes. And people's #1 concern is guns. And getting Obama out of office, even if they know what a liar Romney is.

Looking at the Nugent soundbites and his audience just made my skin crawl.

Me too... Pat... me too...

It makes me sad, then angry! You have to wonder what the rest of the world is thinking watching his mess?

Robber Baron:

An American capitalist of the latter part of the 19th century who became wealthy through exploitation (as of natural resources, low wages, government influence).

History reminds us how well that worked out in 1929...

Keep your chin up my friend - good always triumphs over evil!

Obama/Biden 2012 - YES WE WILL!

Red, this crap has been going on long before Obama and will continue long after he is gone. Anyone that has been around most any President"s entourage knows that.

And getting Obama out of office, even if they know what a liar Romney is.

I know Obama is a liar too. Once again, if Romney wins the nomination, we will be left with 2 vials of the same poison to choose from.

Feisty, Couldn't agree more. This is a disgusting display of dereliction of duty. What is wrong with these people who go overseas representing the American people, and then decide it is Ok to act like this.

I also ask the same question of the military and these incidents in Afghanistan, another bunch of stupid ignorant people who take pictures of body parts as if they are prized trophies, really thought we were better than that. Whomever is training these people and are supervising them need to be severely reprimanded and or fired.

Quite the 'smoking gun' you have there booby! lol

I do appreciate you at least including the entire context - makes much more sense now.

A 10 year old child compared to a grown father & the choices they made...

Man Bob these silly dem memes all seem to be backfiring.

This dog thing is classic.

Oh and if Romney is down 19 point with women, yet is essentially tied, how far is Obama down with men?

I wonder when First Read will write about that?

Oh and Feisty - you got line up a 10 year old in your area to eat some dog, then we will take.

Dog is dog. You eat a dog, you suck. End of story.

Or when will First Read write about the the Enerl scandal. Turns out that Mister Green technology doesn't look at a companies ownership before handing out stimulus money. Enerl's majority stockholder is a Russian with ties to Medevev. Like all of Obama's green dream companies, Enerl went bankrupt even after using Argonne Lab scientist on loan from the federal government to develop battery technology. The Russian stockholder bought them at auction and took all of the technology with him. With Obama, Russians don't even need spies. He uses taxpayer dollars to give them technology. Come on First Read. It was in all of the newspapers last week.

Hey - one area where Obama has really been Captain Kick Ass: killing all things green.

Man, has he done a number on that. It's all a big giant suck hole of taxpayer money.

You know, like the stimulus.

Good golly.

China, Indonesia, Korea, Mexico, Philippines, Polynesia, Switzerland, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Arctic and the Antarctic are all places where dog meat is consumed. Some places it is the norm and in some places it is for religious purposes. Dogs are used as an emergency food source in Siberia, Alaska, Canada and Greenland.

Minoki .. you can't expect an ethnocentric bigot to understand any culture other than their own little world behind the "Orange Curtain". Never mind that those religious folks from India might be appalled that Americans consume beef. Hopefully, they aren't so crude as to follow it up with:

Cow is cow. You eat a cow, you suck. End of story.

Thanks for the reminder JoAnne - time for me to bust out my copy & reread it.

I had forgotten how inspirational the President's story is.

Comparing the actions of a young boy to a father with 5 sons is *grasping at straws* to say the least...

JoAnne - do you know anyone who has eaten a dog?

Now tell me, why do you think that is?

See, you boy Axelrod knows that dog lovers are very powerful and this ain't going to go well.

Damn funny though, particularly cause you all seemed to love the Seamus story so much.

Somehow I suspect you all are going to be letting that one go from now on.

right Joanne?

Thanks for sharing, JoAnne. The Republicans are the kings of false equivalency in this as in everything else. The story of poor Seamus, on which Mitt & Ann have recently doubled down, is out and out animal mistreatment and they laugh about it.

Hey Spanky,

Do you suppose if Obama had a brother he would look like Michael Vick?

boooyaaaahhhhhhhhhhh

Spanky: "JoAnne - do you know anyone who has eaten a dog?"

Not personally, no. Then again, I don't know anyone who's ever eaten roasted grasshopper either. I've never known anyone who HAD to eat either one because that's all there was to eat. I guess I'm pretty lucky, huh?

But given a choice between a President who has that sort of life experience and one whose biggest worry in life is whether or not the car elevator is big enough for both his wife's Cadillacs, which one do you think most people believe can better relate to the kind of hardships they HAVE had to deal with in their lives?

I already know which one best relates to you.

Did Obama wash down his dog with a cool glass of Algae water?

Thanks for posting this excerpt, JoAnne. I confess I've never read Obama's books, and this passage astounds me with it's sensitivity (for lack of a better word) and the revelation of how much more he'd seen as a child then most American politicians. No wonder he relates well to people both here and abroad.

Amy---I would highly recommend both of Obama's books. I would say I enjoyed Dreams From My Father a little more than The Audacity of Hope but both are compelling.

I'd love to have a car elevator.

But no way would I eat dog.

But let's boil it down - I vote for the dude that has earned the car elevator to run the country.

Amy - seemed to pay dividends with his comments on the Falklands, no?

Dude is just ignorant of so much.

But no way would I eat dog.

So if given the choice of eating dog or dying of starvation, you'd die? I don't think so spanks my man. You're much to vain for that.

You're much to vain for that.

Not to mention vicious - he would eat his neighbor before starving to death.