By GottaLaff
The threats have leveled off in recent months, officials said, and Mr. Obama now receives about the same as his two most recent predecessors. But several officials said they took no solace that the volume of reports had receded because it was the nature of the threats that concern them and because the factors behind the increase remain — Mr. Obama’s race prime among them. [...]And about those menacing messages that some scoff at, but we at TPC take very seriously:
A review of dozens of court records and police reports by The New York Times uncovered an array of cases, most of which did not gain public attention even as they rang alarm bells at some of the highest levels of the government. Some involved suspects with a history of violence or mental illness and easy access to guns and explosives, while others involved men whose menacing talk was ultimately deemed to be just that by the authorities.
While cases involving heated political rhetoric are seldom prosecuted, they are often investigated by the authorities, including the case of a Republican candidate for governor in Idaho who made a hunting-season joke about “Obama tags.” “We’d buy some of those,” he said. [...]
“We don’t have the luxury of saying, ‘That’s just a political statement,’ ” said Edwin Donovan, a spokesman for the Secret Service. “We don’t know someone’s intent until we go out and ask them about it.”
Tea Partiers, this is for you:
While the big increase in threats against Mr. Obama took place in the first four months of his presidency, officials say the depressed economy has contributed to an increase in antigovernment sentiment, which particularly alarmed federal officials over the summer.We should all keep our eyes open, and of course, hope for the best, including that the Secret Service is more vigilant than ever.
H/t: snoopy4eva2
.jpg)