May 18, 2011 5:31 PM

Secret Service bashes Fox News on Twitter

By
Brian Montopoli
Topics
In The News

The Secret Service's Twitter page.

(Credit: Twitter)

The Secret Service has only been on Twitter for 10 days, and it looks like the Service is still trying to work out the kinks.

A Tweet went out on the Secret Service's official, verified account Wednesday that read: "Had to monitor Fox for a story. Can't. Deal. With. The. Blathering."

That was quite a departure from the typical Tweets from the service, such as, "Meet our Secret Service recruiters at events throughout the U.S. Visit http://www.secretservice.gov/join/apply_events.shtml to learn more."

The Tweet was quickly deleted, but before it came down it was retweeted by some of the Service's 18,000-plus followers, some of whom also took screengrabs.

In a statement released to CBS News, Edwin M. Donovan, Special Agent in Charge at the Secret Service Office of Government and Public Affairs, said the tweet was the result of someone not understanding that the account was public.

"An employee with access to the Secret Service's Twitter account, who mistakenly believed they were on their personal account, posted an unapproved and inappropriate tweet," said Donovan.

"The tweet contained no vulgarity, security or pertinent agency information," he continued. "The tweet did not reflect the views of the U.S. Secret Service and it was immediately removed. We apologize for this mistake, and the user no longer has access to our official account."

Added Donovan: "Policies and practices which would have prevented this were not followed and will be reinforced for all account users. We will ensure existing policies are strictly adhered to in order to prevent this mistake from being repeated, and we are conducting appropriate internal follow-up."

It's not clear what prompted the tweet, but FoxNews.com reports that Fox News has been covering the story of  13-year-old Vito LaPinta today. LaPinta was interviewed by the Secret Service after posting on Facebook that President Obama should watch out for terrorist attacks in the wake of the killing of Osama bin Laden. LaPinta's mother has complained that she was not present when the Secret Service interviewed her son.


Add a Comment See all 66 Comments
by philom-2009 May 20, 2011 4:32 PM EDT
I was finally able to unable to secret of Fox News

Distracted, I tuned into Fox News
and, curious, waited to hear their mendacious views.
To my surprise everything they said was bland
not at all reflecting Mr. Murdoch's brand.

The usual suspects were not to be seen
and no-one vented any spleen.
Not a nasty word about anyone was said
making me think the world had turned on its head.

Where were Limbaugh or Glenn Beck, the most ferocious Obama hater,
or Sarah Palin, the great communicator?
No sight of O'Reilly or of Hannity, that right-wing czar
whose record shows he once tended bar.

Not a glimpse of Brit Hume, Fox's Senior Analyst of things political,
who of Tiger Woods was supercritical.
He would be able, said Brit, to get rid of his sex addiction
if only he'd give up his Buddhist faith and become a Christian.

He was applauded by Ann Coulter, who is clearly demented,
when she told a Jewish interviewer, and never relented,
that he could only be saved if he followed her advice
and became a disciple of her Christ.

What had gone wrong I had to find out
and determine what had caused the Fox News drought.
What steps could I take to get the mystery solved
without myself becoming involved?

My only hope would be to try
to find a Fox News Channel disgruntled spy.
It was in fact easy when I met someone who said things had gone too far
when he had to listen while Creationist Huckabee tortured his guitar.

He told me every day to Fox News headquarters a woman came
but unfortunately he did not know her name.
She was hustled into what, if I can believe my mole,
is the commentators' and analysts' private watering hole.

She always arrived with a bulging briefcase
that was always empty when she left the place.
His conclusion was she was the one who brought instructions
about how the Fox News charlatans could raise their ructions.

But yesterday she did not show
apparently held up by the snow.
That made Glenn Beck turn purple with exasperation
when he screamed "Where the b*l*a*n*k is that b*l*a*n*k*i*n*g Miss Information!?"

Phil Linehan www.philitics.com
Reply to this comment
by justme2012 May 19, 2011 11:44 AM EDT
The "user" should be fired. Tired of paying high wages to government workers for playing on the job.
Reply to this comment
by actornaught May 19, 2011 11:54 AM EDT
It was a work assignment. The Secret Service definately needs to keep an eye on fox, and it's radical white wing fans.
by justme2012 May 19, 2011 12:46 PM EDT
The tweeting was NOT a work assignment.
See all 5 Replies
by John_Rational May 19, 2011 10:24 AM EDT
You can lead a RepubliCON to knowledge but you can't make him think.

The nation will shake off the RepubliCON economic terrorists and their Voodoo economics like a bad case of fleas come 2012. Bye Bye!
Reply to this comment
by unclebernies May 19, 2011 9:09 AM EDT
The deal is this. Fox from it's creation was started by Rupert Murdoch because he said he wanted to offset the views of Ted Turner's CNN. CNN has always been a legit news channel whereas Fox has been a propaganda arm for special interests and the Republican party.
Reply to this comment
by infantryman1968 May 19, 2011 9:29 AM EDT
LOL!

really? is that why they fire everyone who does not agree with them?

spare us.
by nottblu May 19, 2011 9:36 AM EDT
How would you characterize CBS news, fair and balanced? LOL!
by omnibus66 May 19, 2011 7:50 AM EDT
Unfortunately the only ones who cannot see Faux Nooze for what it really is are the ones who are addicted to it. The tea baggers and the racists who can't stomach a black man in their WHITE house know what they want to believe, and Faux Nooze reinforces and adds to those beliefs. What is puzzling is that many of their commentators actually appear to have a brain. They really can't believe the garbage they spew. But they do it anyway. The money must be really good.
Reply to this comment
by infantryman1968 May 19, 2011 8:30 AM EDT
LOL!

Where else is Amercia going to hear about you and Obama shaking down Old Women and Children?
by troopf4 May 19, 2011 8:45 AM EDT
Okay, racist, shut the hell up - the black thing doesn't work anymore. Where's CBS's article on Nancy Pelosi's district getting 20% of the Obamacare waivers, where's CBS's article regarding Harry Reid stopping every attempt to make Gold, Silver and Uranium mining companies in Nevada pay taxes on minerals mined on Public Land aka Government land, aka we the people's land? At over $1,500 an ounce for gold they're making a killing and screwing the american people - Harry Reid received $750.000 in campaign contributions in 2010 from these companies in NV. MSM and Obama/ Dem. Senate scream Big Oil while their political pals get free passes - create a FOG so democratic voters don't see the screwing they're getting as well as the rest of the american people. The ploy to bash FOX when real news is reported is getting old as well. No child is EVER suppose to be interviewed by law enforcement from any agency without a parent present - are you that stupid - if so, you shouldn't be allowed to vote in any election. Sounds like this ADMIN. has some idiots working in every department: Paneta tells WH staffers in his department to STOP releasing information about Bin Laden - Classified - if they are that stupid that they don't know the rules going in they shouldn't be allowed to work for that department. Idiots gone wild in this ADMIN as well as democratic Pimps Top to Bottom.
by bigsk8fan May 19, 2011 7:39 AM EDT
most americans are tired of fox news lack of being 'fair and balanced'!
Reply to this comment
by John_Rational May 19, 2011 4:22 AM EDT
I would also like to encourage everyone to watch a wide variety of news channels, even faux snoze. We should take a clue from the secret service and keep a close eye on all nutcases. Besides, I find if you approach it as a dark comedy, the antics of lunatics can often be quite entertaining.
Reply to this comment
by WeHappyFew May 19, 2011 6:19 AM EDT
I concur. Best game show on TV. Watching a highly intelligent man with a BA in history and two Masters' (from Boston and Harvard) argue the indefensible to win a 20 million dollar pay out.
by John_Rational May 19, 2011 4:14 AM EDT
I love the sound of RepubliCON economic terrorists screaming lunacy in the morning!!! It sounds like.............VICTORY!!!

Scream RepubliCON Dinosaurs! The asteroid strikes in 2012, and his name is Obama!!! Say hello to the Tories and the Wigs for us! Bye Bye!

They say come now John you can't be serious? Well let's see, RepubliCONs are offering up candidates which most of their own base can't get behind, they have angered the unions to the point where they can't see straight, the senior citizens are mostly screaming mad at them, most large minority blocks are POed, the independents will swing back like they always do but a lot of them are upset with them, and they are advocating more of the same kind foolishness that has large voting blocks determined to defeat them. Hmmmmm...let me see....hmmmm...Yep, they're toast come election day! Hurray!!!!!!!
Reply to this comment
by John_Rational May 19, 2011 10:20 AM EDT
Actually I was right in 2008, I was wrong in 2010, and I will be right again in 2012. In 2010 I honestly thought the horror of the bush administration had not been forgotten and people would actually turn out to vote, but the usual happened, the independents swung back to the opposite party and the young people and minorities mostly didn't turn out, and boy are they sorry they didn't. Voter turnout is much greater in presidential elections and in case you haven't noticed RepubliCONs are the minority party.
by skepticalJM May 18, 2011 11:29 PM EDT
Republicans, Democrats, Tea Parties; too many secrets!
Somewhere, the American People got lost in the blather.
Reply to this comment
by backkddraft May 18, 2011 10:33 PM EDT
The Secret Service got it right why chicken out and pull the tweet.
Reply to this comment
See all 66 Comments
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