Secret Service "Cutting Corners"?

(CBS)  The apparent security breach by a pair of Washington socialites at Tuesday night's White House state dinner did not come as much of a surprise to the author of a recent book on the Secret Service.

Since the agency was taken over by the Department of Homeland Security after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, "the Secret Service has been cutting corners to a shocking degree," Ronald Kessler, author of "Inside the President's Secret Service," told CBS' "The Early Show" Thursday.

Kessler, a former reporter for the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, blamed the Service's management for allowing Michaele and Tareq Salahi to attend the dinner and even take photos with Vice President Joe Biden.

U.S. Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan told CBS News that initial findings suggest a Secret Service checkpoint at the party "did not follow proper procedures" and may have permitted them admission to the dinner.

Donovan said the Secret Service Office of Professional Responsibility has been directed to conduct "a comprehensive review" of the incident.

But he was emphatic in stating that the Salahis, "went through magnetometers and other levels of security, as did all guests attending the dinner."

Despite these measures, Kessler said of the Salahis: "They could have brought anthrax," adding, "this is the way assassinations occur.

Click here to read the full story on the state dinner crashing

[jd2408]

You mean to tell us the Secret Service can't count to 300 ! The Secret Service has no one that can read well enough to check people off a guest list as they arrive. This is outrageous and the couple should be prosecuted and Secret Service people should be fired.

From now on the test to get into the Secret Service should be counting and reading. Maybe we can get some protection for our President that are not idiots.

[babooph]

Seems it was always the Homeland INsecurity dept....

[excoachken]

antibush--- A Fox Noise plant has been exposed!

[excoachken]

The rational people reading this site can check the facts about the Fox "Psalm 109:*" scare and see if it warrants better security for our President. I don't really care if members of the American Taliban, like antibush tries to cover it up. This is a clear and present danger to our democracy by the empty headed sheeple,(like antibush) who would prefer an Iranian style theocracy.

[culturechang]

Most of the federal govt is still operating on flawed Bush priorities.

[excoachken]

Nobody mentioned the Cowardly Cowboy Bush, but at least there was one original part of your post. Now, you can go back to watching Fox Noise, and listen to their call to arms.

[excoachken]

For rightwingnuts it is always about blame, not responsibility. When the going gets tough, they just pull out the "Born Again" eraser card to play. The Psalm 109:8 campaign is a well orchestrated, well funded Fox campaign, to try to get some disturbed gun nut to assassinate our President.

[bassinapple]

Thats right CBS blame it on the Secret Service. Everyone knows the Obama White House is like watching amatuer hour.

[ajvw]

and who would you blame it on? the secret service is 100 percent responsible for the security of the president and the white house. I suppose you want to blame it on bush

[excoachken]

Raving yes, lunatics, not quite. Do some research on the "Pray for Obama" campaign, which actually is quoting Psalms, praying for his death. Before you call names, research, as I did , and then you can call names if you wish.

[jgg000015]

I'd type more but I gotta go crash the schwarzeneggars Thanksgiving dinner.