Secret Service wants to know the races of Correspondents Dinner guests

[BurtWorm]

All the better to profile you, my dears...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/28/AR2005042801727_pf.html

Racial Data Sought for Bush Event
Secret Service Says Request Is Routine

By Dana Milbank
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, April 29, 2005; A09



The Secret Service has requested racial information on journalists and guests scheduled to attend a reception tomorrow night with President Bush.

White House reporters said they were offended that after furnishing the customary information -- name, date of birth and Social Security number -- they were also asked for the race of each person expected to attend the small reception scheduled before the White House Correspondents' Association's annual dinner.

The Secret Service said that it has been routine for many years to request such information of people who will be near the president, and that the information allows for quicker and more accurate searches of criminal databases. The policy has not been applied universally, however; such information is not requested of the people who greet the president and first lady at White House Christmas parties, for example, and is not always asked of people who have appointments in the White House complex.

After officers of the White House Correspondents' Association provided the Secret Service with names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers of those who would attend the VIP reception, an agent called back to ask for racial identities. "It's offensive on the face of it," said Edwin Chen, a Los Angeles Times White House reporter who is secretary of the association and who provided the information. "Why do they need to have race?"

[Nite Owl]

1. "...routine for many years..."

* years, it wasn't done during Clinton's time. The press should unite and boycott the WH. They want info out as much as the press needs it.

[BrainRants]

2. Problem is, the press is too far up Shrub's ass to boycott.

Can you see a Faux News reporter doing this?

[susu369]

3. Dana Milbank suddenly is interested in Secret Service's scrutiny?

Remember how he joked and downplayed the importance of JJGG's visits to the White House on Keith Olbermann's show? Dana didn't seem to think JJGG 200/196 visits to the White House was a big deal or unusual....

[montanacowboy]

5. Thank you

I mentioned this on another post - there was Dana and Keith yucking it up over GG/196 visits...no not unusual, move along..ha ha ha....sometmes your pass does not get ticked on the way out,,,,happens to me all the time...BLAH BLAH

that is why I AM NEVER WATCHING KEITH AGAIN...THIS WAS SHAMEFUL, AND MILBANK, UNFRICKIN BELIEVABLE

[susu369]

6. Thank you, Montanacowboy

Don't forget, Dana Milbank is a member of the Skull and Bones. FYI.

:toast:

[bvar22]

4. Race is very important to the Republicans....

...who insist that only the right kind of people get to eat at OUR table (wink wink).