“They had arranged to have a bunch of prostitutes come by and one of the agents refused to pay a prostitute,” said author Ronald Kessler, one of the leading experts on the Secret Service. “Yes, doubly good judgment there.” – New York Daily News
Well, it’s one way to “boost economic ties” with Latin America.
In some parts of Columbia, prostitution is legal. Let’s start there.
But, boys, seriously?
No one should think this is a first for the elite agents, however, getting caught with your pants down in our new media world is beyond negligent.
If you are so arrogant to think not paying for sex you propositioned is more important than keeping it quiet you deserve what you get. (Was it really only $47?)
The 11 Secret Service men were placed on leave, with 5 servicemen allegedly also involved, according to the AP.
From the New York Daily News:
“The agent said, ‘I don’t owe you anything,’ but gave the woman some money,” said King (R-L.I.),the head of the House Homeland Security Committee, who was briefed on the matter. “I don’t know how much, and it was settled right there.”
Ah, but it was not settled, because an incident that has not been fully described created enough dust for the local police to be called, which precipitated a report being filed with the U.S. Embassy in Cartagena, Columbia.
Five American service members were also accused of misconduct stemming from the scandalous incident at the hotel, according to the U.S. military.
The entire event happened before Pres. Obama landed in Columbia.
Boys will be boys, but if you’re an advance detail for the president of the United States wanting a little strange on the side, nothing new about that, you’d best be able to keep it quiet and also realize that’s your first priority.
This incident, whatever the actual facts, is criminally stupid.
Ah, for the days of John F. Kennedy when everyone just winked, nodded and moved along instead of thinking sex was a crime, propositioned or otherwise.
President Obama’s detractors no doubt will try to use this incident to smear him in about 5,4,3,2………….!
Solo…your correct. I’ve already come across countless folks…trying to somehow blame or connect Obama to this scandal. I can not fathom how anyone could possibly find the President at fault for what the secret service agents did in Columbia.
The sad thing is these posters assume they are helping their political party by trying to tarnish Obama with this scandal. It only makes them look even worse then their intended target Obama. And this coming from someone that doesn’t plan to support Obama (nor Romney) in 2012.
A very fair assessment on your part! Obama is many things but corrupt or ethically challenged he is neither!
They won’t say that he was ethically responsible for the incident. They will say his failure of leadership, his Islamic anti-Christianity, his anti-military agenda and his celebration of gays in the military caused the incident. The Secret Service had to prove they were real men, because everywhere they go now everybody calls them gay.
Ethically challenged, yes, in as much as he failed to stand up for the principles he espoused in the campaign and beyond. (Stated without an excited, fellatio-induced exclamation mark.) Woo, Obama! You be the man, hurney! Woo! I’m Solo, and I luvs you!
Hmm. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the gay service members.
We haven’t heard from the woman or women involved. Sixteen guys and one woman in a hotel room? By the way, what is “a little strange on the side?”
This is all about Bush, not Obama, no matter how they play it. It’s a direct result of eight years of anything goes government. Start all the wars you want, have all the guns you want, steal and lie all you want, rip each other off all you want, pay no taxes, pile on the debt and the taxpayer will pick up the tab; have sex in airport bathrooms, have sex with male pages and prostitutes without even trying to hide it ; party hardy at the taxpayers expense, get rich off dead and mutilated soldiers and hundreds of thousands of dead civilians. Bush’s final gift was the gift of hate; everyone hates everyone hates everyone else now and everyone wants a piece of the action.
Oh for Pete’s sake — it is NOT about Bush in any way, shape or form — and no, I didn’t vote for him either time. This has NOTHING to do with Bush and everything to do with a bunch of men thinking that they could do something legal in another country because it was forbidden and legal. Maybe it has to do with the culture of the Secret Service organization, but in that case, it started a whole bunch of years before Bush.
” a bunch of men thinking that they could do something legal in another country because it was forbidden and legal. ” What? By the way, Who’s Pete?
Sigh Beth,
this does have
“everything to do with a bunch of men thinking that they could do something legal in another country because it was forbidden and legal.”
I have seen it far too many times for any other conclusion. It seems to be a guy thing; testosterone short circuiting the higher brain functions and all that.
For years U.S. supported death squads have been murdering and torturing union members, labor journalists, leftist politicians, priests and nuns. And now the media treats this as headline news?
I don’t think it was 16 guys and one woman. I think the news story said 11 women. One refused to leave because the guy didn’t want to pay here so the hotel called the cops who filed a report with the US Embassy. Taylor’s right–monumentally stupid.
Incredibly Stupid, and Extremely Gross….
…and….
Not Obama’s fault.
ok. 16 guys and 11 women in the hotel room. and not a single one of the women had a cell phone camera?
Secret Service guys are a mess… lol
I think Obama just threw the SS guys under the bus.
What’s better than a sex scandal to knock the Hilary Rosen war on women story off the front pages?
I don’t find this humorous at all Sasha. This kind of sloppiness has a tendency to seep into much more critical matters.
As for Obama, what the hell is supposed to do with these clowns? His public, prissy, prudish response to the scandal was the only response allowed by our political process. He had to go full school marm on these jokers, no matter what his real thoughts on the matter might be.
OK, well, the secret service is part of the executive branch by way of the Treasury, and Obama is, in fact, the chief executive. And the service members? Well, they are in the military, and Obama is commander in chief. So, yes, he is responsible. For all of it. I mean, if the buck doesn’t stop with him, well, then with whom does it stop?
R.R.
For the military, the buck starts with the local commander. The military guys fall under the UCMJ wich is a legal proceeding. As the military members are only under investigation at this time, it is a little early for BHO sticking his nose in the matter. As for the S.Service guys, they fall under Civil Service rules and regs, thus again, a contractual and legal procedure. Too soon for Obama’s involvement there as well.
How about we let the system work its way out RR and see how it plays out? As for the White House, I’m sure some poor overworked staffer just had this bag of live scorpions and pissed off pit vipers plopped into his or her in box.
Right. I served in the Air Force for four years. I know about the UCMJ. Obama is not directly responsible, but he is ultimately responsible. He is the commander in chief of all armed forces. The buck stops with him.
Spin, you switched buck stops with buck starts. My saying the president is ultimately responsible it not the same as saying he is to blame.
I am all for letting the system work. Where did I suggest otherwise? Are you perhaps arguing with another Rick? I thought I was the only Rick here.
I’ll combine the answer RR:
In both the UCMJ and Civil Service regulations the buck actually stops at the Supremes. Obama has a lot more latitude with the S.S. guys but still has to mind the regulations and the union. Obama, or more exactly the Executive Office, will have an impact on how the final results of play out RR, but the Buck is not entirely in his court, especially in matters of Courts Martial (if that how the Military Justice part plays out.)
Push me up against the wall and I will say most of the decisions will be delegated. Obama loves to show up for the 9th inning of play and pitch for the save as it were. That seems to be his default. If he sticks to form he will show up for the final dust up, maybe; if at all. The real heavy lifting will be done elsewhere RR and Obama will most like back the end result. So the buck will stop at Obama– for a rubber stamp.
OK, I’ll go along with most of this.
I don’t blame President Obama either, its the morals that have gone down big time. This is the Secert Service that is supposed to protect the President and former Presidents, goodness, like we don’t have enough to worry about in this country.
I thought the SS was supposed to be so super disciplined? Part of this might be the low regard for our country south of the border. Don’t you know they are sick to death of Norte America?
This is not the first SS sex scandal and it will not be the last.
The SS are doing the same things they have always done.
Sounds to me like they were working on the cover up with the pay offs and hush money as they usually do and someone pulled the plug.
SS men using hookers and not paying in a country where prostitution it is legal is NOT a scandal. It is the equivalent of walking out of a restaurant and not paying the bill.
I also agree that this was very stupid and certainly not Obama’s fault.
However, I am not certain that if a Republican was in the White House, that Dems would not be jumping on the bandwagon, blaming this on the Rep POTUS. Politics is so hypocritical… each side will use what they can to blame the Commander in Chief… when they are not on his or her side (no her of yet, but you get my drift).
This is stupid, and trivial…which means the repugnantklan/teabaggers…and a couple of the more fever addled posters here will be all over it.
16 guys…11 women….and they were upset about the GSA parties?!
heyyy Sec, you aren’t talking about me are you?
*Sarah Palin wink*
There were 11 SS men and 11 hookers during the night of fun.
I think the 5 military men may have been involved with the cover up but not the fun.
Sasha, you can’t have the prize, dude.
I have no idea what turns the male of species into complete idiots when they go overseas, or cross boarders, but they do. Saw it plenty of times in the PI when good Bible reading “Christian” men went native in Olongapo. All I can do is shake my head, and mutter something rude about the little head thinking for the big head. And they got into all the hot water over $47.00? It’s a business transaction guys, request the “service,” pay the freight; how hard is that concept?
arharris: maybe the agents were in form and confiscated cell phones. I think Sasha has it right–11 SS guys and 11 women and 5 military who seem to be implicated. I think Obama’s response so far is appropriate: put everyone on notice that he expects a full investigation and not wring his hands over it.
It would be completely appropriate for the president to say: “I am the chief executive in the government and the commander in chief of armed forces. We will get to the bottom of this.”
And it would be grandstanding RR. It would be pointless chest thumping by Obama.
What we got was actually better; “hey I just heard about it, we are not going off half cocked, we will investigate, gather the facts, and we will, of course, handle any wrongdoing appropriately.”
The SS guys had a Blast during the Clinton years!
What happens in Columbia stays in Columbia.
These days I hear moral is low…
In other pressing news, did anyone see the picture of Barry and Shakira?