Thread: Secret Service probing Facebook poll on Obama

Secret Service probing Facebook poll on Obama

Posted 34m ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Secret Service is investigating an online survey that asked whether people thought President Obama should be assassinated, officials said Monday.

The poll, posted Saturday on Facebook, was taken off the popular social networking site quickly after company officials were alerted to its existence. But, like any threat against the president, Secret Service agents are taking no chances.

"We are aware of it and we will take the appropriate investigative steps," said Darrin Blackford, a Secret Service spokesman. "We take of these things seriously."

The poll asked respondents "Should Obama be killed?" The choices: No, Maybe, Yes, and Yes if he cuts my health care.

The question was not created by Facebook, but by an independent person using an add-on application that has been suspended from the site.

"The third-party application that enabled an individual user to create the offensive poll was brought to our attention this morning," said Barry Schnitt, Facebook's spokesman for policy.

Because the application was disabled, the responses to the nonscientific polls are not available.

"We're working with the U.S. Secret Service, but they'll need to provide any details of their investigation," Schnitt said.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/200 ... reat_N.htm

I believe this type of poll SHOULD be investigated and SHUT DOWN.

This type of polling shouldn't be permitted for any President.

I think the vast majority of Americans want Obama impeached not murdered.

Agree magyart. The SS does not take their duties to protect the president lightly. Would be interesting to know if this poll was submitted from a foreign country.

This kind of thing cannot, and should not, be tolerated.

It doesn't make one bit of difference what anyone may think of this guy.....or any potus/public official for that matter.....there is never any justification for that type of outrageous conduct.

And, quite frankly, I hope that whoever is responsible, right along with any respondents who responded in the affirmative, is investigated and prosecuted if so deemed necessary.

But like V, I'm wondering where it originated although not so much from a foreign country.

It sounds like a stunt which would be pulled by the insanely liberal left

Secret Service Probing Obama Assassination Poll on Facebook

Monday, September 28, 2009
By Joshua Rhett Miller

The U.S. Secret Service is investigating a "poll" posted on Facebook that asked users the most unsocial, unspeakable question: Should President Obama be assassinated?

Edwin Donovan, a spokesman for the Secret Service, said the agency will take "appropriate investigative steps" in connection to the survey, which was posted on Saturday and was quickly removed when Facebook employees were alerted to its existence.

"We are continuing our investigation," Donovan told FOXNews.com, declining further comment.

The poll asked respondents: "Should Obama be killed?"

The possible answers were "no," "maybe," yes," and "yes if he cuts my health care."

Facebook spokesman Barry Schnitt said a "third-party application" enabled an individual user to create what he said was an "offensive poll."

"The application was immediately suspended while the inappropriate content could be removed by the developer and until such time as the developer institutes better procedures to monitor their user-generated content," Schnitt said in a statement to FOXNews.com.

Facebook is now cooperating with the Secret Service, Schnitt said.

Bob Beckel, a Democratic Party strategist and FOX News contributor, said the individual responsible for the poll should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

"This is the kind of garbage that's generated from the extreme right against Obama, and it's going way over the line," Beckel told FOXNews.com. "It's got to be stopped. Find him, prosecute him and put him in jail."

Regardless of political persuasion, Beckel said such threats are "un-American" and simply not acceptable.

"If they don't like what Obama is doing, then maybe they ought to go out and vote for someone else," he said. "But relying on this kind of attack is un-American and unacceptable."

In November, prior to Obama's landslide election victory, officials from the Secret Service declined to comment on the number of threats he had received, but they said they saw more threats against him than any other candidate during the campaign.

Originally Posted by azwreath

along with any respondents who responded in the affirmative, is investigated and prosecuted if so deemed necessary.

Free speach is free speach, no matter how offensive you may find it - we are not talking about crying 'fire' in a crowded thearer or a crucifix in a bottle of urine. We are talking about a simple online pole. A simple online pole - good grief. This question was not asked in a mob armed with pitchforks and guns - just to a group of people hanging out on an online fellowship site.

They should have had more sense than to participated in such a foolish poll, but Prosecute a person for merely voicing an opinion???? Maybe I should stop posting here.

Also, where was the broo-haa-haa when movies and books were made about assassinating George Bush? And liberals were flapping their fool lips about killing him? Oh yea, free speach was cool then, just as black-panthers intimidating white voters is cool now and won't be investigated or prosecuted. Don't prosecute actions, just foolish thoughts and mouse clicks? I'm confused. Please read the First Ammendment to me again - I missed the thought police part.

azwreath wrote:

Maybe I should stop posting here.

Now that was the most intelligent thing you said.

Yes we have free speech and at times it is offensive. Exercising the extremes of free speech doesn't engage people or even tempt them to politely listen. It merely inflames the issue and may even incite anger.

We do NOT have the freedom to discuss the assassination of any President, not in any social media or from a public soap box.

Our entire society is demeaned, when we encourage speech about killing our ELECTED leaders. To speak of it is a crime. To do it is a tragedy, I hope it never happens again.

Well, since my reading of the First Ammendment (a beautiful ammendment that most of the rest of the world is not allowed to live by - being able to speak your thoughts - even our neighbors to the north don't have that full right) doesn't specifically list all of the topics that you find offensive - and thus should be listed as politically uncorrect speech, please be a jolly good constitutional scholar chap and list the taboo and OK subjects that I may think and speak about.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Once again, I can't find the part about not taking a poll about killing someone - as offensive and stupid as that may be. Or killing anyone, since we are all equal before the law. I don't want you to be the judge of what I can or cannot say because you have already proven yourself to be a reactionary and not constitutionally sound. I'm sure the Secret Service has enough common sense and understands that most people shooting off their mouths are in no way a real threat to the president. And by the way, how many times have you heard someone near you say something to the effect of "I could just kill him", or "if you do that, I'll kill you". Do you really think they are a serious threat? Really?

[quote="magyart"]

azwreath wrote:

Maybe I should stop posting here.

Could you correct this please? No, AzWreath did not say she should stop posting here.......that was EuropeanDescendant who said that.

Thanks



Now that was the most intelligent thing you said.

Yes we have free speech and at times it is offensive. Exercising the extremes of free speech doesn't engage people or even tempt them to politely listen. It merely inflames the issue and may even incite anger.

We do NOT have the freedom to discuss the assassination of any President, not in any social media or from a public soap box.

Our entire society is demeaned, when we encourage speech about killing our ELECTED leaders. To speak of it is a crime. To do it is a tragedy, I hope it never happens again.[/quote]