BREAKING: Bomb Sniffing Dog Registers HIT On Truck By Obama's Townhall Setting

[WeDidIt]

Secret Service Has Truck Towed From Site Of Obama Town Hall
Bomb Squad Dog Registers Hit On Truck
POSTED: 10:33 am EDT August 11, 2009

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. -- A pickup truck outside Portsmouth High School, where President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak Tuesday, was towed away for security reasons.

Officials said a Secret Service bomb dog had a hit on the truck, but they did not say whether there was a specific threat detected. Secret Service members entered the unlocked vehicle after the dog circled it several times.

The truck had masonry equipment in it. It was parked off Andrew Jarvis Drive near the site where demonstrators were rallying. It was parked in the furthest lane away from the rally, closer to media satellite trucks.

Link

First a gun openly on one guy and now a bomb.

These bastards are going to try to kill him.

ETA: I'm getting what people are saying about Freepers and the unrec feature. Why would anybody unrec a post about a potential bombing of our president in they were not a Freeper?

[Schema Thing]

1. would they have towed it if they really believed there was a bomb?

[ThomWV]

33. Of course not, they would have evacuated the area if there was even a hint of this being true.

[bjobotts]

115. Of course. Let's not jump to conclusions.Beck, Rush, Hannity bettter pray nothing happens to Obama

[Stellar]

190. That is probably the third or fourth time

that I have read statement such as yours around the net. I think that's a serious threat to those rethugs

[AlbertCat]

134. would they have towed it if they really believed there was a bomb?

I woulda towed it over to RNC headquarters and left it there.

[chiffon]

2. Wow, this is some scary stuff.

I have not heard anything on the news yet.

[Botany]

3. I hope it was a false hit

Maybe the masonry stuff set off the dog.

[Hoopla Phil]

12. Most likely a false hit. The construction material has lots of

stuff that could cause a false "hit" from a dog. It was also parked closer to the protest area than the president's location.

[Nay]

163. Maybe not a false hit, but a hit on ordinary stuff -- jackhammers, nailguns,

etc., are often powered with gunpowder-like stuff and a dog will def hit on that.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[berni_mccoy]

6. I hope mods are looking at unrecs on at least some posts.

[NYC_SKP]

10. No kidding. nt

[Hepburn]

43. +1....

...unless there was an unR by mistake, IMO we are looking at a RW troll.

[Hepburn]

44. +1....

...unless there was an unR by mistake, IMO we are looking at a RW troll.

[billyoc]

202. Yeah, because "and now a bomb" when there's no bomb definitely shouldn't be unrecced.

:eyes:

[Dinger]

9. Well I Just Gave It A Rec. Hope That Helps

Wish I could do more. This thread has inspired me to do a post on this.

[SkyDaddy7]

191. I have a question...

Dont laugh...How can one tell when a thread has been Unrec? Is just by watching the direction in which the number of recs go? Up or down?

[Orsino]

19. Well, I did, too.

Not because a bomb isn't serious business, but only because I think your conclusion is very premature. I hope it is, anyway. :scared:

But as noted below, a truck with a bomb in it wouldn't have been towed away. A false hit by a bomb-sniffing dog, or a rumor of such a hit, doesn't make this a bomb story.

[H2O Man]

20. And a

Water Man counters with a recommend!

[Jackpine Radical]

51. Aquarius to the Rescue.

[H2O Man]

108. Let the sunshine in.

[Jackpine Radical]

113. Jeez, now I'm sorta homesick for 1968.

Oh, wait, I was in Vietnam that year. Make it '69.

[mzmolly]

133. How bout 67

when you were still naive? ;)

[Jackpine Radical]

151. I was drafted in Feb 67, sent to 'Nam in July of that year.

[mzmolly]

153. Yikes! We're back to 1966 then...

Joking aside, my Dad was in Nam about the same time as you. War is ugly. I hope one day we'll be evolved enough that we don't use them as a means to an end any longer.

[H2O Man]

186. There's no place

like home.

[swishyfeet]

22. Well you did just claim someone tried to bomb his event

with some rather weak evidence. Maybe people dislike fearmongering in general.

Wasn't me who unrec'd you though.

Edit: on second thought, this does NOT deserve to be at the top of the greatest page. I'm sure they'da called in the bomb squad for an unintended lunch sack too - so I'll save my outrage for a legitimate threat. Unrec.

[AlbertCat]

137. I'm sure they'da called in the bomb squad

Perhaps it's just Obama's "pal", Mr Ayres' truck. He wanted to get a good seat.

I agree we shouldn't jump to conclusions. But with the RW's history and current hysteria, we were all thinking it was definitely not a remote possibility.

[WeDidIt]

139. Owner of the truck is in custody

and the Secret Service is investigating.

[The Doctor.]

27. It might be due to the assumption that the 'hit' is proof of a threat.

Personally, I see no reason to unrec this, but it may have been the generally alarmist nature. You kind of assume that 'they're trying to kill him!', when it's likely harmless.

Either way, it's good to know how thorough they're being. I'm more worried about the shitheads openly wearing guns at this thing.

[WeDidIt]

35. ANY time a bomb sniffing dog has a hit anywhere near where the prsident will be

there is a threat by definition. Regardless of why there was a hit.

Could be fertilizer.

Could be construction materials.

Could eb a bomb.

Buyt it is a threat no matter what.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

37. I was one of several who unrecced your thread.

1. Because of your conclusion that there was a bomb.

2. Because you whine about unreccing.

[WeDidIt]

46. Thanks for sharing

You are now ignored.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

90. I've written you a poem.

The last few stanzas are particularly personal.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=8918723

[uppityperson]

95. bookmarked with thanks

unless you have me on ignore and can't see me
:rofl:

[Myrina]

97. I LOVE it!

:applause:

[SidDithers]

102. I'm recc'ing this thread just so that poem gets more exposure!...

Beautiful. Brought a tear to my eye :hi:

Sid

[sabrina 1]

109. That's a funny poem!

:rofl:

[hugo_from_TN]

117. Oh man - spot on!!!

[The Doctor.]

131. Oh... can I borrow that one day?

Pretty please?

No?!?!?

*Ignore!*

:evilgrin:

[grantcart]

132. so what did "ignore" have to say anyway?

(great poem)

[AlbertCat]

138. I've written you a poem.

Beautiful.

[Honeycombe8]

157. Wow. Great poem! nt

[Maru Kitteh]

213. That is the FUNNIEST poem I've read in a long time. I love it!

[tavalon]

152. I tried to figure out who you just ignored

But I already did it a while ago, so I don't know who it is, and I am not going to try to figure it out. I only have 4 people on my ignore list. Therefore, I am amused by this. That is all.

[Myrina]

87. +1

I'm so tired of the "You unrec'ed my thread! I'm going to cry to the mods" whiners!!!

I swear some people here never left second grade.

:applause:

[uppityperson]

93. "you unrec'ed my thread,I'm gonna put you on ignore. that'll teach you"

gonna take my toys and go home you poopoohead you wahhh.

Very much so

[pipi_k]

155. The irony...

if I'm not mistaken...

if we put someone on ignore, that means we can't see their threads/posts and therefore we can't rec/unrec.

OTOH, those we put on ignore can still see us and can still rec/unrec us


yes?

:7

[FourScore]

50. +1

Bastards.

[Dinger]

5. Yes

On one hand, I was thinking maybe this event should be postponed or canceled, but then the fuckers get what they want. I'm not sure what should be done.

[NYC_SKP]

7. Masonry contractors use powder-acuated devices. Hit on the gunpowder maybe?

[smoogatz]

15. Good call.

I've used those bolt guns--they basically use a .22 charge to fire a nail or bolt into a concrete slab or block wall. Hell of a kick, and very loud.

[krispos42]

21. Good guess

They use nails driven by .22-caliber blanks to put them in masonry.


Kudos to the dog... that's one sensitive nose!

[Tesha]

81. That'd be my guess too. Heck, even Mr. Tesha...

the most anti-gun New Hampshirite you're ever likely
to meet, has a Ramset (22 calibre powder-actuated
nail driver) and knows how to use it, too.

Funny/sad story: One of Mr T's coworkers was an ex-
Marine who did two tours in Oil War I. One day, this
guy was using his Ramset and he said that the smell
of the Cordite made it almost impossible for him to
use it: he was right back in Kuwait with each "shot"!

Tesha

[Grinchie]

107. Don't they also use Muriatic Acid to clean masonry as well?

According to the OP, just walking into a supermarket cleaning supply aisle would be considered a bomb threat.

Just watch the rise of Joe the Mason railing against the police state

[sofa king]

111. A bucket full of pee could do it, too.

Not to mention the fillers, primers, fungus inhibitors and so on.

When I worked construction our crew had a five-gallon bucket and a funnel in the van so we could all take leaks while stranded on the Beltway. Pee contains urea, which can be converted into urea nitrate, an explosive comparable to the fertilizer bomb used by Republican terrorist Timothy McVeigh.

[Hoopla Phil]

8. Don't over react.

The truck is a work truck that had masonry equipment in it. It was NOT parked in a place to put it in close proximity (actually parked closer to the protester area). There are MANY chemicals/compounds used in construction that could cause a "hit" by a bomb sniffing dog.

[Posteritatis]

13. Yep; I want more info on this one, one way or another (nt)

[SoxFan]

74. They didn't overreact

Portsmouth is a VERY compact and crowded community. It wouldn't take much to get this truck over to the high school or onto the route from the school to the air base.

Couple this with the fact that you have yo-yos strutting around with guns and signs bearing allusions to spilling blood. I don't want the police and Secret Service taking any chances,

[uppityperson]

79. Don't posters overreact by assuming "now a bomb".

[mzmolly]

162. I took it as more of

a question. That said, the sentence in question was missing a question mark. ;)

[Hoopla Phil]

106. this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6274895&mesg_id=6276801

[spanone]

11. somewhere glenn beck is high-fiving himself

[smoogatz]

16. That's one word for it.

squishasqhishasquisha...

[intaglio]

57. In Beck's case it is a high 2

or maybe 3

[ooglymoogly]

89. What is the sound of one hand high fiveing? nt

[yodermon]

14. Odds are there is no bomb, but the OP does not deserve to be unrec'd.

[swishyfeet]

26. Does it belong at the top of the greatest?

No. It's just makes us look like a bunch of paranoid nutcases and there's plenty of that going around already.

[Seldona]

116. A possible bomb near a meeting the President is to attend?

Hell yes it belongs on the front page. If it turns out the dog gave a false hit, so be it. Talking about doesn't make one a paranoid nutcase. This President has had more threats against him than any President in history.

[malaise]

17. Fuff the Freepers

Rec

GObama!

[Echo In Light]

18. I stand corrected. Didn't initially think racists would become so unhinged

[nadinbrzezinski]

28. You are forgiven

:evilgrin:

I have been expecting this insanity from the moment he became Candidate Obama.

[Echo In Light]

29. I wasn't counting on specific M$M/Establishment sectors passively encouraging it

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. I have, and I expect far worst than this insanity

But hey, some call me Cassandra... these days I wear that moniker proudly.

:-)

[Joanne98]

23. It's probably one of the anti-abortion terrorists.

[greyl]

24. "now a bomb"? Terrible journalism. nt

[gkhouston]

70. Until it goes off, it might still be a child plucking daisies.

}(

I'm guessing (and hoping) it's a false alert.

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. To the unrec we have libertarians on this site

had them for evah...

As to the truck and all that, I am not shocked or surprised. People are going nuts in this country.

[RaleighNCDUer]

30. It could have been a false hit - trucks can actually be used to haul

fertilizer, and if it had been used to take a bag of fertilizer from Wal Mart to Grandma's roses, it would hit.

But better safe than sorry.

[asdjrocky]

31. Just some clear thinking here-

you don't tow a truck that has a bomb on it. Most likely just in the way or a false hit on the construction materials in the truck.

[stray cat]

34. No bomb yet is there?

[WeDidIt]

36. Nope, with no report of a bomb most likely will not be a bomb.

Thank goodness for the secret service, though.

[backscatter712]

38. Could be bad, could be a false alarm.

Of course, all precautions must be taken.

At the same time, it could be a farm truck that was recently carrying a load of fertilizer. Let's hope that's all it is.

Edit: apparently, it was a truck with masonry equipment - other posters mentioned things like gunpowder-actuated tools. Sounds like a false alarm to me, but yeah, take precautions.

[WeDidIt]

39. Fortunately, they treated is as if it were bad

Better safe than sorry.

[backscatter712]

41. Very true.

The right-wing machine's been deliberately riling up the psychos, the situation could be very dangerous.

Gotta take precautions...

[Hepburn]

40. OMG.....

...just reading this headline to the OP....I broke out in goosebumps and my stomach flipped over.

Holy fuck....:wow:

[helderheid]

42. So agreed on your ETA

[tuckessee]

45. Unrecced.

No bomb. Just a bunch of chicken-little BS.

I don't blame the cops at all for acting upon the dogs signal but so far there has been no bomb discovered despite your false claim about "now a bomb" and a "potential bombing of our president".

Plus, cops wouldn't move a vehicle that potentially has a bomb in it. Much too dangerous. Cops would evacuate the people leaving the threat en situ to be disarmed. The fact that the truck was towed is sure sign of no bomb.

A dog falsely reacting to a scent does not equal a "bomb" Jeesh......

[WeDidIt]

47. Ignored

for freep like behavior

[tuckessee]

48. It's against the rules to accuse people of being freepers.

But you're just embarrassed because this thread shows you as a panic mongering loon.

[LanternWaste]

49. It appears in many cases the reactions...

It appears in many cases the reactions are just a petulant as the action.

[xultar]

61. Exactly but the UnRec=Troll group won't get it and they'll riot.

[anigbrowl]

69. The question is whether anyone will notice by the time they do :-)

[autorank]

52. k*r Great post. The "dehumanizing" process leads to violence

That's textbook war propoganda - the "enemy" is not human (e.g, "Manchurian Candidate, not legitimate (e.g., birth certificate, Kenyan conapiracy), and evil (e.g., Nazi comparisons).

Say that enough times and you've got the rationale for violence.

It's simply awful and this process is known from time immemorial. It's how you whip up your population in
war time but now the war is on Obama.

Shame on them and great post.

[Mnemosyne]

188. +1 n/t

:hi:

[mzmolly]

53. Hopefully the mods have a way to track the unrecs and see who's

responsible? Might help them determine who's trolling and who's not?

[jeanmarc]

54. At this point, I'd like to see the story drop out of our Greatest

It's one thing to be concerned about the President, quite another to sensationalize what will turn out to be nothing. I don't blame anyone for rec'ing this and I don't blame the OP.

[mzmolly]

63. I find it interesting for several reasons. 1. The SS is doing their job.

2. Dogs can detect bombs and we're using them to do so.

I hope it does turn out to be nothing, but that does not mean it's not worthy of discussion/attention.

[SoxFan]

77. I'm guessing you approve of this crap, too

[uppityperson]

80. It is 1 thing to be concerned, another to assume "now a bomb"

there are other reasons a dog would sniff out this truck and the assumption of "now a bomb" is what we don't like.

[jeanmarc]

85. No, I don't

But thanks for the straw man. Hope you win that argument with yourself.

[mzmolly]

127. Booooooooooooooring.

I mean no one was actually killed, ya know? :sarcasm:

[Schema Thing]

56. this should not be on the greatest page

it's silly.

[mzmolly]

58. Silly?

:shrug: How so?

[xultar]

59. It is unfounded as of yet. Itshouldn't be on the greatest page unless it is real.

Since it isn't real...it needs to drop off.

What is it about the Unrec feature that people don't get? It's the GREATEST PAGE...nothing else.

[mzmolly]

65. Real or not, the SS did a good thing in preventing a potential

threat. That, in and of itself is interesting and worthy of note. I don't understand the desire to remove anything from the GREATEST other than that which is anti-dem/negative, personally. That said, I now realize that some took issue with the commentary, not the story. I misunderstood the rationale for un-recommending when I commented. I recommended on the story, personally, not the commentary.

[uppityperson]

68. SS did good, put posting this with "now a bomb" conclusion is undeserving of a rec

[mzmolly]

71. Gotcha. I just re-read the post. I recommended on the story - not the commentary.

You, on the other hand, unrecommended due to the commentary which, in hindsight makes sense. :hi: Pardon the misunderstanding on my part.

[uppityperson]

72. No problem. I'd like to see it posted in GD without the commentary, as it is in lbn.

:toast:

[mzmolly]

73. Makes sense.

:pals:

[xultar]

88. DAYUM straight they did, Sec Service did GOOD. But hysteria on the greatest page...BAD.

[uppityperson]

60. I unrecced because of "now a bomb" conclusion. Waiting to be called a

freeper for it now. Perhaps I will only be ignored. tiny tear


There are things other than "now a bomb" that can make a dog alert on a vehicle. While I am very glad they are taking things like this seriously, "now a bomb" is too far out an assumption. Hence the unrec.

Now you can accuse me of being a troll. OP can accuse me of being a freeper. If either of you do, please also put me on ignore since it would probably be for the best.

[mzmolly]

66. I know you're not a troll or a freeper uppity..

However, I am saying that the unrec feature might be used to potentially track trolls in certain circumstances.

[xultar]

76. Really though it can't be used to track trolls. If you think about it.

I think this thread does not belong on the greatest page.
You do.
If I unrec...you'll call me a troll.

If you think about what the feature is for, which is keeping crapola off the GP...then you'll never be able to track trolls.
I don't understand why you're taking it so personally and using it as a litmus test. It cannot be used that way.

[greyl]

82. I agree. I think trolls would be likely to rec sensationalistic and untrue OPs like this one. nt

[uppityperson]

84. +1

excellent, thank you

[mzmolly]

119. I never called you a troll.

What I said was that if a pattern of unreccommending certain threads shows a trend by certain people, it may be helpful for the mods to determine who IS. Further, I'M not taking anything personally, this isn't MY thread But, I think and others have taken my commentary far to personally, frankly. Surprising ... given the fact that we've all been around here for years.

[tavalon]

154. Well, you had best be getting 137 of your bestest DU friends to join with you in the unrec orgy

Even if it's a false alarm, I would like to know about it so having it on the greatest page works for me. I find unrec childish and mean, but hey, clearly your mileage may vary.

[pipi_k]

83. I think "trolls" are way overrated as a threat to DU

Honestly, sometimes I don't know whether to laugh or cry sometimes when I see the paranoia that goes on.

Yeah, trolls are annoying little pests. But they're not going to blow the site up or sneak into our homes and steal the silverware. They're going to be annoying until the Mods deal with them as they appear.

I've done Mod and Admin duty on other sites, and I'll tell ya what...anyone who wanted the Mods or Admins to protect them from potential trolls (by taking time from our own lives) got laughed at.

Mods and Admins have lives too. Those lives are not spent sitting around analyzing information in order to track down and neutralize potential "trolls".

:+

[xultar]

86. +10 ...I don't know whether to laugh or cry sometimes when I see the paranoia...

A FUCKING MEN!!!!

[mzmolly]

120. So, it's paranoid to suggest

that people come here to disrupt? Interesting.

[pipi_k]

136. No, it's paranoia to assume that everyone who doesn't agree with

the status quo is a "troll".

It's paranoia to assume that everyone who unrecs a topic is a "troll"

Oh wait...not every topic...only the ones WE think are worthwhile.

If the topic were about something people thought was incredibly stupid, then all the unrecs would be justified, right?

so if I think a topic is ridiculous and undeserving of being on the "Greatest Page" and give it an unrec, that means I'm a "troll"...


It only means I didn't think it's deserving of top billing, that's all.


Not everyone who disagrees with you is a troll...

[mzmolly]

146. I did not suggest everyone who disagrees with ME is a troll.

What I suggest is that the mods can use the system to determine what a person is interested in promoting/not promoting and as such may be able to conclude who is or is not a troll. It's not rocket science. The rec or non recommendation of a single thread such as this is certainly not a measure of who's trolling and who is not. I mean not to imply that it was, however in hindsight, I can understand why people took my comments in that way.

[pipi_k]

196. I think you're giving Mods way too much credit for having superpowers

beyond those of mortal men...

like, number one, being able to have normal ordinary lives while sitting here for hours tracking potential troll behavior.

How many members are there at DU? How many post on any given day? How many topics/threads are there?


And number two...I would not want to be given the task of trying to determine, using recs/unrecs as criteria, what is in someone's mind. Despite what some people want to believe, it's not that easy.

[mzmolly]

208. Using technology to run and monitor a discussion board, does not require

super human powers. BTW, I've also moderated various discussion boards. We disagree on what is possible and what is not.

[jberryhill]

149. "It only means I didn't think it's deserving of top billing, that's all."

Yeah... I don't unrec much, but do think DU as a whole has a good news editor sense of "top story" or "below the fold". Below the fold stories are fine, but people go bananas over the unrec feature and read too much into it.

A contractor's truck could have any number of things or traces of things in it that might come across as a nitrate compound. No biggy. It's great that the secret service continues to do their job, and do it well.

[xultar]

187. It is paranoid to suggest that the unrec feature can cause the disruption.

It only impacts what gets on the greatest page.

If you think it means more than that you are actually feeding the frenzy.

[pipi_k]

197. Hee hee...you know what's incredibly humorous?

I've seen threads that got lots of recs and they end up on the Greatest Page but then they die out after a day or so because the discussion peters out.

Then there have been threads that get hardly any recs at all stay on the main page or at the top of the particular forum listing because there are 300...400...or more...replies.

What's the use of being on the Greatest Page if people will give recs but there's nothing to discuss? Lots of people just don't get it...

Oh well...

:7

[xultar]

203. This deserves it's own thread. Keep this post in your hip pocket.

[mzmolly]

207. The purpose is at times to encourage one

read, not necessarily discuss.

[mzmolly]

206. I never indicated that the feature "caused" disruption.

I stated that I felt the feature could be used as a TOOL (one of many) in determining who may be disrupting.

[mzmolly]

118. It's not "paranoid" to acknowledge

that people troll here. People are banned for disruption here on a regular basis, thus the need for mods. Yes they have lives, but they take on the responsibility, willingly.

Also, I don't suggest that I be "protected" from trolls, I suggest that the admins here don't want them around. Again, I hope the unrecommend feature will be a helpful tool for our mods and admins in more ways than one.

[pipi_k]

140. Well like I said before...

I highly doubt that the Mods and Admin lead such dull and boring lives that they have all this time to go searching through recs and unrecs looking for patterns, and by implication, potential trolls.

Just out of curiosity, what will be the criteria for judging who's a "troll" and who isn't?

Whose yardstick are the Mods going to use to decide which topics were undeserving of being kept off the Greatest Page?

Mine? Yours? Theirs?

What if their opinions are different from yours? What if all the mods together decide this particular thread sucks donkey dick? Are they all trolls too?

People rec and unrec for various reasons. Unless Mods are infused with some form of ESP when they take the job, there's no way for anyone to tell with certainty what is in someone else's heart and mind.

This whole rec/unrec brouhaha is absolute bullshit and only serves to make us all look like idiots.

[mzmolly]

148. I don't suggest that they spend time searching through recs etc.

What I suggest is that the system can help determine if someone who appears trollish has a pattern of recommending negative threads or unreccommending positive threads. In fact, there may even be automated ways to do this ... rankings on threads being positive/negative/neutral etc. I consider this thread neutral, but I'm in the minority as it's at the TOP of the greatest page. And, I'm sure the OP is delighted with your continued attention to a thread you find so unimportant, by the way.

"Whose yardstick are the Mods going to use to decide which topics were undeserving of being kept off the Greatest Page?"

The same "yardstick" they use to determine when a person is being disruptive now. It's not a matter of ESP, it's a matter of establishing a pattern. It's a matter of having one more tool at their disposal.

What if all the mods together decide this particular thread sucks donkey dick? Are they all trolls too?

Charming. :eyes:

[armyowalgreens]

99. I unrec'd it. Now you know.

[mzmolly]

122. And more than 147 recommended.

Now YOU know.

[armyowalgreens]

125. It's called "maintaining the status quo".

Even DU falls victim to it.

[mzmolly]

126. So, we're maintaining a status quo because we find the story about a potential

bomb threat being dealt with, interesting? Huh.

[armyowalgreens]

128. The OP clearly implies that there was a bomb.

[mzmolly]

130. Indeed. But I recommended on the story not the commentary.

:hi:

[kirby]

100. Who made you boss around here?

Various people have reasons to unrecommend things, especially a post that has no proof behind it. Some people use the unrecommend feature as just one vote in trying to keep things tidy. For example, someone posted a Tsunami warning yesterday. At a later time, the warning was cancelled. At that time I unrecommended it because it was no longer useful information.

[kirby]

104. BREAKING: Metal detector went off somewhere near a townhall!

First a gun, then a bomb, and now a metal detector going off!

[mzmolly]

124. Yea, completely uninteresting that a potential bomb threat was removed

from the area of a town hall today. :sarcasm:

[mzmolly]

123. My comment was a GENERALIZATION

it was not about a particular thread. CHILL....

[Mnemosyne]

189. I remember some being TS'd for votes in a poll here a year or so ago, so believe they

may be able to track unrecs also. These things must be taken seriously, dangerous times for our President with all the fruits riled.

:hi:

[mzmolly]

205. Good point!

:hi:

[Mnemosyne]

214. I thought you'd remember that time.

:)

[Aragorn]

55. turns out

it was the smell of leftover pizza

[aikoaiko]

62. "...and not a bomb" -- what bomb?

:shrug:

[JDPriestly]

64. I'm sure the Secret Service is taking this very seriously.

These kinds of events are tests and distractions to tire and confuse the Secret Service. Remember the assassination of Robert Kennedy. Kennedy's supporters were very careless.

[anigbrowl]

67. There is no evidence of 'a bomb'; dial it back a bit there..

And yes, I have unrecommended the thread - not because the news story is uninteresting, but because your conclusion about 'a bomb' is hysterical and unwarranted by the facts in the story. You are misleading people when you talk about a bomb, and there is no evidence that the truck actually had a bomb in it. Is it worthy of investigation? For sure. That is not a license to jump to conclusions.

The story mentions masonry equipment in the truck. It's entirely possible that the truck owner is licensed to use explosives in the course of their work. I have worked alongside people who had demolition licenses and other people who use gunpowder-firing nailguns. If so, it's equally likely that they might use their truck to transport such materials. This is, after all, what things like trucks are for. Another possibility is that they don't use explosives, but they buy stone from a quarry - where explosives may be used regularly, and their residue is all over the ground. A sniffer dog would react to the traces left by such entirely legitimate materials just as they would to those stored for illegitimate purposes.

Like I say, it is definitely worth checking out - but it's also worth maintaining a sense of perspective, and bearing in mind that the most sensational possibility is not necessarily the most likely one.

[SoxFan]

75. There's a loon strutting around with a gun

The Portsmouth PD and the Secret Service are not going to play pattycake, nor should they. If the dog sensed something, get the damn truck out of there.

[xultar]

78. That isn't what the poster you were replying to was trying to say. This thread is

over the top...that is what they were saying.

[anigbrowl]

91. My consolations on your reading difficulty

Good luck with that.

[november3rd]

92. The Lucky One

The misfortune of President Obama to be left by his party to suffer the abuses of the corporate consolidated media and their pathetic angry whitebreads is stunning.

He would be lucky if the bomb went off. At least then he wouldn't have to deal with losers like we the people have become.

This country, the media, and the commercial culture are pathetic, sickening.

The morons live in such fear, they can't handle anything other than a "Dr. Mabuse" http://www.google.com/search?q=dr.+mabuse&hl=en&safe=off&tbs=tl:1&tbo=u&ei=ONSBSpKEE4yOMY_l_aYL&sa=X&oi=timeline_result&ct=title&resnum=11 controlling their frightened minds.

[uppityperson]

96. "He would be lucky if the bomb went off."? wtf? Lucky to die and what bomb?

[datasuspect]

94. re: freeper trolls

Google Adsense pays per impression and per click.

The more eyes you have looking at a website, the more revenue it generates. and that is just one revenue stream.

from a network traffic perspective, freeper trolls represent revenue for DU.

the resident trolls on DU gin things up and keep the argument flames burning. that's why they are here.

keeps the rankings up. the bottom line is the bottom line.

[armyowalgreens]

98. Unrec'd.

Complete bullshit OP. It's okay to report on the incident, but let's not get carried away. We are not the party of fear mongering. We are the party of logic.

[kegler14]

101. The gun guy was nowhere near Obama and police were watching.

And open carry is legal there. The Secret Service have rules about how close they would let this guy get, and he wasn't that close.

[texastoast]

110. And bullets shoot how far?

:shrug:

[kegler14]

167. Not hat far from a pistol. As said, he was being watched closely.

[kegler14]

168. Seriously, this guy might have been a publicity hound

but he was no threat to Obama.

[jwirr]

103. A thanks to the law enforcement who were so diligent in this case.

:)

[Cetacea]

105. The drum beat grows louder. This all started at the Palin/McCain events. nt

[Silver Gaia]

112. Just FYI: The story at the link has changed

Now they're saying they arrested a man for trying to enter the secured building before the town hall meeting, and that his truck was towed after being "swept by Secret Service agents." No mention of a bomb-sniffing dog. They must have retracted the earlier version.

[anigbrowl]

114. It'll be a day or two before we find out the whole story

I really can't tell if it's a case of an ill-doer or someone who hoped to cut the line.

[BooBluePotion]

121. I pressed rec and the total stands at 146+ but

No unrec button is visible. A THREAT to our president is a threat to all democrats! Creepers are incapable if humane thoughts towards progressive opposition or any act of mercy. These people are domestic terrorists and should be called out as such cowards are lame

[dbmk]

185. But were was the threat in that story?

[usregimechange]

129. "How to start a civil war" by right wing lunatics

[WeDidIt]

135. So the guy who owned the truck is currently in custody

Had an unregistered gun in the truck and was caught trying to get into the school before the event.

Still waiting to find out what the dog alerted on.

[malaise]

141. Heard KO with that

Keep us posted

[pipi_k]

143. What the dog alerted on...

Maybe the guy farted and the dog alerted on the sulphur.

[WeDidIt]

144. Maybe the guy had the makings of a bomb

and planned to assemble on site.

[jberryhill]

150. Maybe the guy had a load of limestone, too...

Dogs are fantastic, and great at what they do. They can detect traces of a range of substances, and can also false hit, which is at it should be. Best not to panic and emphasize information about security procedures.

[WeDidIt]

156. We do know three things

HE had a firearm in the truck.

He was caught attempting to sneak into the venue before it opened.

HE is currently in custody.

[jberryhill]

160. I am by no means a gun nut...

...but a "firearm in the truck" wasn't going to shoot anyone.

[pipi_k]

161. Maybe he's just an idiot.

[mzmolly]

170. That goes without saying. However it appears as if he's a dangerous

idiot according to the reports on Keith Olbermann tonight. Guess Keith doesn't consider the story about an investigation into this person, "wasted energy"?

[mzmolly]

164. He also had a knife in his

possession. :(

[uppityperson]

182. I'm never letting you look through my purse. I have several knives there

swiss army knife because of sentimental value and the tweezers and scissors and corkscrew. suedeman (mini-leatherman) for the pliers. Random multi-knife/tool because it is the sharpest one.

Always have to remember to not have them in there when I go through security. I did get caught once with a cleaver, back in the 80's after Somalia. Had just bought it, taking it home and didn't think about it being in my daypack. Oh well, they were nice enough to let me check it.

From link downthread "Young was carrying a pocket knife, police said." OMG A POCKET KNIFE!!!11111

[mzmolly]

204. Just don't try and sneak into an area sealed off for a Presidential event

with a loaded gun in your car and you likely will not have any issues. ;) BTW, I too have a swiss army knife, I just haven't attempted to sneak past the SOS prior to Presidential events with it on my person.

I will say, I do not own a cleaver! LOL

[pipi_k]

158. then again, maybe he didn't. No sense in getting all foaming at the mouth

before the truth comes out, is there?


I'm betting it turns out to be something innocent

all that energy wasted...

[AlbertCat]

147. You're over-reacting!

Calm down!

He just forgot to register his gun and he left the forms for that in the school for some reason and wanted to get them out before the event started so he could get that gun registered as soon as possible! Geeez!






oh and

:sarcasm:

[mzmolly]

172. Yeah! And, he needed the knife to jimmy the locks and open the envelope containing

the gun registration forms. It's common sense! That poor man! :sarcasm:

[jmj217]

171. He didn't need to register the gun but..

I agree that trying to get into the school is suspicious.

But - NH does not require gun registration. Also, you can have a loaded handgun in your vehicle if you have a concealed carry permit.

This guy really screwed up because he had a loaded, unlocked gun within 1000 ft of the school. I'm sure he'll get some time. But at least he didn't have the gun with him in the school.

Maybe he was just trying to get a good seat for the town hall. He is probably just an idiot.

The SS did what we pay them to do. Good Job.

[Redneck Socialist]

176. There is no gun registration in NH. n/t

[X_Digger]

179. No registration, but..

a CHL/CCW is required to keep a loaded pistol in a vehicle.

[Redneck Socialist]

180. True, I posted before I read the whole thread.

Further down thread there is a post that explains what the guy was actually arrested for.

[madeline_con]

142. They alert on fireworks, too. Nothing to see here. n/t

[WeDidIt]

145. They arrested the guy

Something to see here.

[pipi_k]

159. And we all know that false arrests never happen in this country

Or being arrested and then let go after questioning...


What about those unfortunate morons who got arrested for "hatching terror plots" a few years ago and it turned out they didn't even have the means to carry out a terrorist act, let alone the collective intelligence of a dung beetle...

[orleans]

165. "Police: Man arrested before Obama event had loaded gun

-picture-

Richard Terry Young, 62, of 821 Ocean Blvd. in Hampton, was arrested around 9:40 a.m., hours before Obama's arrival, and charged with the misdemeanor crimes of criminal trespass and carrying a loaded pistol without a license.

Young was found inside Portsmouth High School, where Obama later in the day held his town hall-style forum. Young was detained by the Secret Service and subsequently arrested by Portsmouth Lt. Corey MacDonald. Young was carrying a pocket knife, police said. A subsequent search of his vehicle, parked on school property, revealed a loaded hand gun, police said.

Police said Young is being investigated by the Secret Service for possible federal crimes resulting from the same series of events.

Bail was not immediately set, and Young was in the custody of Portsmouth police on Tuesday night.

Police ask anyone with information regarding the incident to contact Detective Lt. Corey MacDonald at 610-7548, or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 431-1199 or [phone] or online at www.seacoastcrimestoppers.org.

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20090811-NEWS-908119961

[pipi_k]

169. Yeah, I know he got arrested for the gun charge, but

the OP seems to be suggesting that he was arrested because he was in the process of planning a terrorist act.

If that's one of the charges and there's no evidence of it, then that charge would be a false one and his arrest for that charge wouldn't be justified, although his arrest for the gun would be.

[Historic NY]

174. You can't bring a gun concealed or not into a school...besides

if he brought this to an event with the POTUS nearby its a breach of security, he should have never made it through the magnetometer.

[orleans]

175. magnetometer? did they even have one? was *everyone* being screened?

i just posted this piece in another thread:

Secret Service Cuts Endangering Obama?

Budget cuts at the Secret Service are so deep and a "culture change" so pervasive that the agency tasked with protecting the president is putting his life is at risk, because agents are cutting so many corners.

The explosive charge comes from Ronald Kessler, author of the new book, "In the President's Secret Service," in which Kessler reveals many previously unknown inside info told to him by agents themselves.

The Secret Service denies Kessler's assertion.

On "The Early Show" Tuesday, Kessler said such routine moves as using metal detectors until everyone attending a presidential or vice presidential event has entered are being curtailed, and someone carrying a weapon could sneak it in.

~snip~

It's scary," Kessler agreed, "and the Secret Service has not really changed to take account of that, because they're cutting corners."

Would he go so far to say that you think, because of these budget cuts, the president's life might be at risk?

"Oh, there's no question his life is in danger. How basic can it be that they don't do metal detection when you go to an airport? Everyone goes through a metal detector. When George Bush was in the country of Georgia, someone got through with a grenade because metal detection was shut down. It's exactly the same thing, the same chance. Tomorrow, (Mr.) Obama could be assassinated, Biden could be assassinated, simply because the Secret Service was not doing what it used to do until Homeland Security took it over."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/08/04/earlyshow/leisure/books/main5211273.shtml

[uppityperson]

183. So he left his gun in his car, and had a pocket knife?

Huh. Sounds like leaving his gun in his car was a GOOD thing, and carrying a pocket knife? Many many many people do, even those who live in cities.

[WeDidIt]

166. The guy was sneaking into the venue before the doors had opened

He;s not getting out any times soon.

[pipi_k]

173. I didn't know that sneaking into a venue before it opened

was a major felony.

Good thing he didn't pee in any of the water fountains...they'd probably have to execute him.

:scared:

[WeDidIt]

177. When the president is going to be speaking at the venue

it could be a major felony.

[pipi_k]

193. Just the act itself?

Is there a law someplace that says it's clearly a felony to merely sneak into a venue before the president arrives?

[mzmolly]

210. I think that depends upon what the SOS finds in their

investigation. Why do YOU think he was sneaking in? To get a good seat?

[mzmolly]

209. .

:eyes:

[peacetalksforall]

178. Construction material? Reaction from the dogs? Makes you want to ask

about what happened to the recycled materials from 9-11. We know the steel shipped out to China as soon as they could get it to the docks? What about the rest? Horrible thought, but it was a thought that passed through.

I think we should call it as it is. Corporate TV and radio would be very suspect as instigators of hate crimes that could go wrong if this was an honest country.

[billh58]

181. Explosives

If I'm not mistaken, a "bomb-sniffing" dog can also detect gunpowder, as in bullets. The other explanantion is that after they identified the dude, they had a dog sniff his car because he was already showing suspicious behavior.

[dbmk]

184. Unrecced.

Its the equivalent of "We think we saw a man with a rifle - but it turned out to be a bag of groceries" turning into "First a gun openly and now a rifle."
Its like Sarah Palin reading a health care bill.

Essentially there is no story in it is quite clear that there was no bomb to be found. Pretty certain that SS get a great deal of false positives of this kind. It only takes the slightest trace for the bomb dog to register a hit.

There is no "potential bombing" to it. Just a hysterical assessment of the story that does not really reflect well on the community in its hyping of this as a "potential" assasination attempt. Hence I did my, futile as it seems, part to keep it off the Greatest page.

[Deep13]

192. Your link does not match the quoted story. nt

[mwb970]

194. The best outcome is probably for some wingnut to try something and fail.

The attempt will wake everyone up but nobody will actually be hurt.

[pipi_k]

195. The latest....

Seems he only faces misdemeanor charges of trespass and carrying an unlicensed loaded gun.

Nowhere is there mention of bomb sniffing dogs or potential bombs


a proverbial molehill piled into a great mountain of bullshit, IMO


http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/gun_arrest_obama/2009/08/12/246802.html

[Historic NY]

198. um...newsmax its like Repuke talking points 10x.

[mzmolly]

211. Newsmax? More on the latest from a more reputable source:

http://www.wmur.com/news/20356764/detail.html

"Police said he could face more serious federal charges."

And: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20090812man_with_gun_at_nh_obama_event_intended_no_harm/

"Arresting officer Lt. Corey MacDonald said that after Young was taken into custody for sneaking past security officials (HOURS BEFORE THE SCHEDULED EVENT) at the high school in advance of the presidential visit, a warrant was obtained for a search of his pickup truck. Inside, he said, police found a loaded .380 Kel Tec semiautomatic pistol, with a round in the chamber and concealed in some type of bag."

I'm sure he just wanted to get to the event plenty early, entering through the back door was merely a coincidence, and he thought he grabbed his lunch instead of a loaded gun. :sarcasm:

[pipi_k]

215. He was in the building...his gun was in the truck...

what was he going to do...use telekinesis on the gun to get it to jump out of the truck, crawl into the building, and shoot the prez all by itself?

If he could do that, he deserves his own TV show, by golly...


:rofl:

anyway, I read that first article already and I had already seen the sentence "Could face Federal charges".


"Could face Federal charges" doesn't mean he will.


Just like "An asteroid COULD hit the earth tomorrow" doesn't mean it will

[mzmolly]

216. Ever hear of planning? As in planning

to bring a gun inside after "casing" an area first?

You go ahead and assume he came to the event hours early, snuck in though a back door, with a loaded gun in his car for no good reason. I, on the other hand, am glad there is an investigation into the matter.

[pipi_k]

217. I'm not assuming anything

And I'm glad it's being investigated too.

But the whole thread started out with BREAKING NEWS!!! BOMB SNIFFING DOG...blah blah blah!!!! and it was a bunch of bullshit.

Of course it needs to be investigated further.

But it was NOT worthy of being on the Greatest Page, which, if we go back and look (forgetting everything else that got discussed afterward) at the beginning, the OP was quite incensed about, going so far as to announce that he would "ignore" people who dared to unrec his topic.

A lot of brouhaha over something that could, potentially, be nothing more than a very stupid guy in NH doing a very stupid thing.

People came in and had him charged, prosecuted, drawn and quartered without even knowing the rest of the story...or even if there WAS a "rest of the story".


Before sanity took over, the guy with the gun was GUILTY and a COLD BLOODED KILLER, and anyone who dared to disagree was a "troll".

Sad..very very sad.

This is Democracy in action? This is Democratic Underground? Wow..for a while there it looked just like FR for all the hysteria being displayed.


:eyes:

[mzmolly]

218. Actually the news story did speculate on a bomb and the op took it

a bit farther. I saw the comment "now a bomb" as one that was perhaps missing a question mark "now a bomb?" However, and again I recommended on the STORY, not the commentary by the OP.

As for the greatest page, over 200 people felt it was worthy of the greatest page. So, you're in the minority on that. It's not necessarily about whether or not there was a bomb, the story had many elements.

Also, I'm not sure who rushed to judgment. I haven't, but I think the man under investigation has good reason to be and I'm following the story because it was on the greatest page.

As to what looks like FR, I don't visit the place, so I can't tell you what it looks like over there.

Peace

[pipi_k]

219. Well really that's all it was...speculation

A bomb sniffing dog got a "hit", and that was all.

Like others said, it could have been anything at all quite innocent, but the OP went all crazy and tons of people are jumping up and down and all of a sudden what could have been just one very sick individual (the guy in the story) becomes the next OK City bomber or something.

anyway, I'm glad the brouhaha has died down over this.

I don't go to FR either...at least not on my own. I mostly forget it even exists unless someone here posts a link for people to see...then I only venture over and stay as long as I can hold my breath.


What really hurts...not me personally, but the community in general...is when a DU'er makes baseless accusations of trolldom against other members just because they're using "unrec" or telling him to calm down or whatever. "What??? You unrecc'd my topic??? Well I'm just gonna PUT YOU ON IGNORE!!!!" Honestly, how reactionary and childish is that...

anyway, I'm glad we could discuss this without either of us being nasty to the other....

peace back
:)

[mzmolly]

220. I didn't think the OP went "crazy." I think he/she had a genuine concern for the President.

As such, he/she did not understand why anyone would unrec a thread about a "bomb threat". Later, it was determined that those who unrec'd had an issue with the comments, not the content of the story (which is still evolving.) Hopefully, we've all learned something from the discussion.

Have a nice day. :hi:

[hmorehead]

199. My shop would read like a bomb, too

I voted for Obama and I want him and the country to succeed and I want some form of universal health care. I am also a hand dyer and I use urea in my process. A sweep of my shop would read like a bomb factory. You know, urea - what the first WTC bombers and Timothy McViegh used to make thier bombs. My grandfather and a million other farmers used to use it to blow stumps and bolders out of thier fields. If your dad ever put fertilizer on the lawn then your garage would probably read a little like a bomb factory, too. I am more concerned about some nit wit carrying a piece to a townhall. I believe in open carry but not to bars, banks or political arenas just out of common sense. If you do carry legaly or not to a Presidential event I think you need to be stopped and questioned seriously by the authorities, maybe even down at the precinct house. That's the obligation that free people who walk in liberty have to do - accept consequences and questions.

I am a Republican and I do not think any of those morons disrupting the national discourse on the need for medical coverage for all are also Republican. I don't think Sarah Palin has any more clue on the philosophy of the Republican Party than she did on the duties of the vice-President. I don't think many of those morons at the town hall meetings are familiar with the party values and quite a few so called conservative Republicans in state and federal legislatures aren't versed at all with Republican values.

[mzmolly]

212. Welcome.

:hi:

[sui generis]

200. -1 I guess I'm a rebel without a pause

Or possibly without a limbic system.

I just can't get excited either way about this. They're doing their job. Masonry equipment will have almost certainly been around blasting, blast caps, or on site where some such had been used. No need to assume the crash position about our noble deity the lord holy Obama being the subject of involuntary martydom. :eyes:

The only thing in this post that was utterly absurd is the comment about freepers and unrec, which just forced me to unrec it to prove that not only freepers but sometimes DU'ers (I'm guessing mostly DU'ers) would be unreccing.

Why is it that the stubs that get everyone the most verklempt over the shallowest emotional responses get the most recs? It's almost as if we only choose to pay attention to the things that make us feel a certain way, and we rate their importance by that.

uch.

[TaffyMoon]

201. Yeah, they`re practising trying to kill him.

Keep him safe, Secret Service. No mistakes this time.