Nov. 22, 2006

Bush Daughter Has Purse Stolen

Barbara Bush Had Purse And Cell Phone Taken During Trip To Argentina

  • Play CBS Video Video First Daughter's Purse Stolen

    Despite being under Secret Service protection, the president's daughter Barbara had her purse stolen in Argentina. Wyatt Andrews looks at whether the agent was right to not chase the thief.

  • The President with First Daughter, Barbara.

    The President with First Daughter, Barbara.  (AP)

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    President Bush and wife Laura visit an important ally in the war on terror during Asia tour.

(CBS/AP)  Barbara Bush, one of President Bush's 24-year-old twin daughters, had her purse stolen last weekend while she was being guarded by the Secret Service during a visit to Argentina, CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller has learned.

Barbara Bush's purse and cell phone were taken while she was dining in a Buenos Aires restaurant.

La Nacion newspaper, citing anonymous government sources, said in its online edition early Wednesday that one of Mr. Bush's daughters had her purse taken Sunday afternoon in the popular tourist district of San Telmo.

A pair of thieves removed the purse from under a table while Secret Service agents stood guard at a distance, La Nacion reported.

Should the Secret Service have chased the guy? Absolutely not, former agent Chuck Vance told CBS News correspondent Wyatt Andrews. Vance said the theft may have been a diversion and the greater danger was a possible kidnapping.

"Their response is to the protectee, to be with the protectee, not to give chase," Vance said.

Argentine police told The Associated Press they had no complaint of any such incident on file, and the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires said it would have no comment. In Washington, the White House, Secret Service and State Department also declined comment.

CNN cited a law-enforcement source who was briefed on the incident as saying that "at no point were the protectees out of visual contact and at no point was there any risk of harm."

Argentina's largest-circulation daily, Clarin, ran an online report citing the government news agency Telam as saying that Barbara Bush had her purse taken along with a cell phone that was inside it. Telam cited an official source who did not wish to be identified by name and who provided no other details.

Barbara and her twin sister, Jenna, will turn 25 on Saturday.

Jenna visited neighboring Paraguay last month to take part in a UNICEF program for young professionals.

This wasn’t the only troubling incident on the twins’ trip to Argentina: a Secret Service agent on the advance detail got into an altercation with someone after a night out and was badly beaten, according ABC News. The incident, described as an attempted mugging, happened while the agent was spending time on his own, the Secret Service told ABC.


©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Add a Comment See all 90 Comments
by itchybrain November 26, 2006 12:12 AM EST
by thew way... bushrocks1... get a life.
Reply to this comment
by itchybrain November 26, 2006 12:11 AM EST
This is not news. If she joined the military... that's news.
Reply to this comment
by November 25, 2006 9:51 PM EST
for all those interested I have emailed the technical team at CBSnews.com to please make it google friendly so that we may be able to autofill user name and password with one click so we do not have to fill in the blanks any more, please forgive me if you see this post in more than one forum
Reply to this comment
by catt42701 November 25, 2006 9:37 PM EST
Who gives a flip? Isn't there anything better to report.
Reply to this comment
by bushrocks1 November 25, 2006 6:56 PM EST
Would I send my son to this war? You might ask would I send him to WW II? Or Vietnam? Maybe you would distinguish those conflicts and whether you would send your son to fight in them. But that question is misdirected in a very important way: I can't command my son to go to war. He has to make that choice. So the better question would be: would I volunteer to fight in Iraq, WW II, Vietnam? Would I volunteer to fight in any war? Respond if drafted? I don%u2019t know. I'm not equivocating, only addressing that it is a hypothetical. To a hypothetical, I can answer, sure I'd fight. But I have nightmares of battle (from my past life as a Jacobite). So how do I feel toward those who do volunteer? Impressed and maturely knowing that many things go into their decision. But I do strongly believe that a country that can't find those men is doomed. The fact that we can find them is one reason why I say there is no failure in Iraq. Objectively, I also believe it for other reasons. An attempt to establish democracy in the Middle East is a bold, brilliant, noble effort, facing a high chance of failure. That's why I greatly respect and admire those who have made the attempt--the Bush administration. They have been resolute, something I have not seen in my lifetime. They may not succeed, for reasons outside their control or fault: traitors on the home front, being a big one. But now those traitors have apparently occupied the high ground. Yet... we're still in Iraq. Why?... I'm waiting.
Reply to this comment
by frankly6 November 25, 2006 5:03 PM EST
Who cares?
Reply to this comment
by jw218389 November 25, 2006 1:37 PM EST
That purse is probably 6 mos wages in Argentina.

She should give everyone there a purse - that be more charity than any other Bush COMBINED has ever performed.

Dubya needs to look somewhere else for his post impeachment/war profiteering exile. I heard that Napolean really enjoyed Corsica (his 1st island exile).
Reply to this comment
by grumpas November 25, 2006 1:16 PM EST
What's-her-name looks as dumb as her father!!!! It must be difficult to bear the burden of having been sired by a dumb bunny like him! I am surprised she is even seen in public! I wouldn't! I would hang my head in shame!
Reply to this comment
by aeasus November 25, 2006 12:55 PM EST
to nadeau4201,

Between G.W.Bush and G.H.W.Bush they now own almost 3% of Paraguay. Daughter Jenna closed the deal.
Reply to this comment
by ampsanne November 24, 2006 9:11 PM EST
Seems to me some of you people have gotten off the subject here. If it were not for our forefathers fighting wars maybe we would not be here. Now as for the subject of the purse being stolen. I think the media thinks we have to know about everything going on. I say what do I care? Enough said!
Reply to this comment
by bushrocks1 November 24, 2006 3:10 PM EST
Would I send my son to this war? You might ask would I send him to WW II? Or Vietnam? Maybe you would distinguish those conflicts and whether you would send your son to fight in them. But that question is misdirected in a very important way: I can't command my son to go to war. He has to make that choice. So the better question would be: would I volunteer to fight in Iraq, WW II, Vietnam? Would I volunteer to fight in any war? Respond if drafted? I don%u2019t know. I'm not equivocating, only addressing that it is a hypothetical. As a hypothetical, I can say, sure I'd fight. But I have nightmares of battle (from my past life as a Jacobite). So how do I feel toward those who do volunteer? Impressed and maturely knowing that many things go into their decision. But I do strongly believe that a country who can't find those men is doomed. The fact that we can find them is one reason why I say there is no failure in Iraq. Objectively, I also believe it for other reasons. An attempt to establish democracy in the Middle East is a bold, brilliant, noble effort, facing a high chance of failure. That's why I greatly respect and admire those who have made the attempt--the Bush administration. They have been resolute, something I have not seen in my lifetime. They may not succeed, for reasons outside their control or fault: traitors on the home front, being a big one. But now those traitors have apparently occupied the high ground. Yet... we're still in Iraq. Why?... I'm waiting.
Reply to this comment
by grumpas November 24, 2006 1:09 PM EST
How long has this inane story been in the news???? It seems like it's been a week or more! Who cares????? She is just one more rich b....who thinks the world rises and set's and her you know what! Big deal!!! I am really growing tired of people like her who think they are more important than they really are! Whose lives are so shallow and insignificant they aren't happy to be without public adoration! She is why daddy is never going to open the draft again! Everyone in the country would insist she be first in line! I sure as hell would not send my Grandson without her being there in front of him!
Reply to this comment
by jw218389 November 23, 2006 11:59 PM EST
Is Bush's daughter scouting for a place to hide her favorite Iraqi war criminal?

Sorry W but those days are over now - Argentina doesn't hide Nazi's anymore. Dubya's going have to find a new place.

Maybe he can be the new "Governor" of Iraq. It be pretty funny to exhile Dumbya to the Iraqi mess he and Cheney created.
Reply to this comment
by sammyerichar November 23, 2006 9:04 PM EST
Pain is relative. What is more painful loosing a loved one, an arm, perhaps a leg or half your face, or a mere purse, while having fun.
I have often wondered if there was a draft, would Bush have started this war, I have also wondered if Bush knows what it is to suffer pain, and have your door kicked in by invaders who call them selves angels of democracy.
I have also wondered if Bush knows what it is when a middle class citizen is thrown out of his home by a corporate giant because he has a heartless Judge in his pocket?
And I have no answers, so forgive me if I ask God why did she just loose her purse, could he not do something more courageous to get her fathers attention, that he starts doing unto others as he "Bush" demands for himself.

I ask you God with my hands raised to teach this haughty man and the "wizard named Cheney" as his pupeteer the lesson of "Ozimandius" so that togehter or alone they never hurt another living soul did death taketh away all men from this earth, reagardless of how powerful they are.
We the middle class cannot take it anymore!
Enough! Enough! and Enough.
Reply to this comment
by nadeau4201 November 23, 2006 5:50 PM EST
"Bush is planning on exile in Paraguay" look it up please.
Reply to this comment
by barbarast59 November 23, 2006 5:38 PM EST
Everyday, many, many, people have their purses stolen. A good number of theses people are poor or lower middle class and this causes taruma in their lives because they have no way to replace the money lost. It takes forever for their SS card and other papers to be replaced. This is a wealthy young lady whose father can haveeverything replaced in minutes by his "people". Now tell me, why do I not care?
Reply to this comment
by peaceforusa November 23, 2006 2:09 PM EST
Bet she doesn't suffer like the rest of Americans who are victims of Identity theft. I am sure she will have a new SSN and other important changes before the thief even attempts to use one of her billion dollar credit cards!!!
Reply to this comment
by November 23, 2006 1:16 PM EST
Oh look!! I found her purse!! well let me look inside to see what I can find....well lets see...hmm, wallet with lots of money, daddys picture, Haliburton business card, lipstick, mirror, condoms, birth control pills, chewing gum, small metal pipe, little white bag with powder inside, straw, cigarettes, keys, small book cover says "If I did it",diaphragm, ***, AA batteries, John Kerry business card, pistol, oh and look a picture of Jenna Jameson........
Reply to this comment
by aeasus November 23, 2006 11:06 AM EST
This story ain't worth the time to leave a comment :P
Reply to this comment
by ganjaman22 November 23, 2006 10:27 AM EST
I'd do her.
Reply to this comment
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