Man held in Fla. for threatening Obama's life

[nonesuche]

This isn't an I told you so moment, it's a caution for Obama, his arrogance has the propensity to be inflammatory. I see no reason for it, it's not as if he has a track record in politics to support any arrogance, he is a very junior young senator. I cannot imagine what he and Michelle might be like in terms of increasing arrogance, if he is elected.

Many in the MSM have made similar references to Obama's arrogance recently, so this isn't just my opinion either.


Man held in Fla. for threatening Obama's life

Suspect held without bail Thursday after a brief court hearing

MIAMI - A man who authorities said was keeping weapons and military-style gear in his hotel room and car appeared in court Thursday on charges he threatened to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Raymond Hunter Geisel, 22, was arrested by the Secret Service on Saturday in Miami and was ordered held at Miami's downtown detention center without bail Thursday by a federal magistrate.

A Secret Service affidavit charges that Geisel made the threat during a training class for bail bondsmen in Miami in late July. According to someone else in the 48-member class, Geisel allegedly referred to Obama with a racial epithet and continued, "If he gets elected, I'll assassinate him myself."

Obama was most recently in Florida on Aug. 1-2 but did not visit the South Florida area.

Another person in the class quoted Geisel as saying that "he hated George W. Bush and that he wanted to put a bullet in the president's head," according to the Secret Service.

Geisel denied in a written statement to a Secret Service agent that he ever made those threats, and the documents don't indicate that he ever took steps to carry out any assassination. He was charged only with threatening Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, but not for any threat against President Bush.

Geisel's court-appointed attorney declined comment.

In the interview with a Secret Service agent, Geisel said "if he wanted to kill Senator Obama he simply would shoot him with a sniper rifle, but then he claimed that he was just joking," according to court documents.

A search of Geisel's 1998 Ford Explorer and hotel room in Miami uncovered a loaded 9mm handgun, knives, dozens of rounds of ammunition including armor-piercing types, body armor, military-style fatigues and a machete. The SUV was wired with flashing red and yellow emergency lights.

Geisel told the Secret Service he was originally from Bangor, Maine, and had been living recently in a houseboat in the Florida Keys town of Marathon, according to court documents. He said he used the handgun for training for the bail bondsman class, had the knives for protection and used the machete to cut brush in Maine.

In the affidavit, the Secret Service said Geisel told agents that he suffered from psychiatric problems including post-traumatic stress disorder, but he couldn't provide the names of any facilities where he sought treatment.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26077318

[caesu]

everyone thinking about running for such an office needs a great deal of arrogance.
inevitably some nutters will pop up and make assassination plans.

that's why the candidates need and get secret service protection.

i hope the candidates are arrogant enough so they won't hold back if they are threatened by such nutters.

same guy wanted to assassinate president Bush i read here.
his over the top arrogance might have caused his presidency to fail.
that is an opinion of course.

[nonesuche]

actually I'd describe Bush as being more cocky than arrogant, but if you think he's arrogant then that's fine.

You should listen to some of Obama's speeches around the country lately, he's pretty arrogant - I  believe you can find those on youtube.


Post modified due to inappropriate personal remarks

[crazybabyborg]

I want to thank all the posters in the political thread for being responsive to the rules I posted recently. Please know that the recent discussions have been lively, heartfelt, and respectful, and the improvements have been noticed by all who work very hard to make Scared Monkeys available for us all. There was a concensus that passions were overriding respect here, and because I do post in this thread, it fell to me to enforce the rules. Other moderators are also closely watching the thread as well, in hopes that we can get things off to a good start and that the past problems won't be revisited. There have been lots of appropriate posts since my posts and they haven't lost a thing in regard to effectively presenting opposing views. Thank you, again, for your efforts. The management at SM is grateful, and since I really do value you guys, I, personally am very relieved each time I check, that I do not have to reprimand or remind anyone.

The criteria, in a nutshell, is simple. Are your words directed at a poster? If so, then you must ask yourself if they are disrespectful of that person or is it reasonable to expect them to interpret your words as disrespectful to them personally. Commentary on a poster, rather than an issue, is inappropriate.

We can all take opposing views on any issue, and even argue with each other, as long as we direct our arguments and views at the issue, not the poster personally.

You guys know the difference. It's 3 months until the election and I look forward to lots more discussion. Hope you do too! 

[klaasend]

Nonesuche - Muffy modified your post and I modified the color.  I agree with Muffy's edit 100%.  No need to directly attack the poster. 

[WhiskeyGirl]

America burning: racists say Obama must die

August 2008

By CLAIRE PRENTICE
IN THE UNITED STATES

AMERICAN law enforcement agencies fear Barack Obama will be the target of a violent attack by white supremacists at the Democratic convention in Denver this month.
Ever since the Senator for Illinois emerged as the likely Democratic presidential candidate, neo-Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan and similar groups have been making racist threats.

(snip)

John W Hickenlooper, the Democrat Mayor of Denver, confirmed that he was aware of threats against Obama from white supremacists and other racist groups.

He added that the Denver Police Department was working closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Secret Service. He said: "We are looking at every possibility and making sure that we have prepared for every conceivable contingency. If someone is threatening violence we will go to great lengths to deal with that."

(snip)

The Denver Police Department will nearly double in size, bringing in an additional 1,500 police officers from communities throughout Colorado and beyond. National Guard specialists trained to deal with biological, chemical, nuclear and radiological weapons will also be available.

Keen to take advantage of an unprecedented level of media attention – 16,000 journalists are expected – protesters are preparing to flock to Denver in their tens of thousands.

They will include everyone from environmental to health groups and those championing the rights of unborn children to Hillary Clinton supporters, as well as more sinister groups.

(snip)

Mark Potok, an expert on the radical right at the Southern Poverty Law enter in Montgomery, Alabama, said: "People on these racist and white supremacist websites are being quite careful because they know that if they make a threat they will very likely get a visit from the Secret Service.

"The scary thing out there is the lone wolf phenomenon. There are enough crazy people in this movement that it is possible one of them will decide today is the day to kick off the Aryan revolution."

A survey by the centre, which tracks hate groups and handles legal cases against white supremacist organisations, found that the number of racist groups in America has soared in recent years, from 602 in 2000 to 844 in 2006.

It is not just the security forces who fear a racially motivated attack on the Democratic presidential candidate. An ABC News/Washington Post poll found that 59% of Americans (and 83% of African-Americans) are concerned "that someone might attempt to physically harm Barack Obama".

(snip)

The Obama campaign declined to comment on specific threats to the candidate.

read the rest here -

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/world/America-burning-racists-say-Obama.4375120.jp

[Sam]

You al know what it is very sad but the crazies in this world do not care what political party it is or what color you are. They just want there 15 minutes of fame. Thank God for the secret service.

[WhiskeyGirl]

You al know what it is very sad but the crazies in this world do not care what political party it is or what color you are. They just want there 15 minutes of fame. Thank God for the secret service.

Crazies just want to be noticed.  They'll find a reason and a target.  jmho

I did think this was a bit funny...

"They will include everyone from environmental to health groups and those championing the rights of unborn children to Hillary Clinton supporters, as well as more sinister groups."

I didn't know those other groups were 'sinister'.   

Hillary Clinton supporters = sinister

I wonder if they pictures posted of the ringleaders?