Secret Service Director Resigns

“Battered by a mounting series of security lapses, the head of the Secret Service resigned Wednesday, a day after enduring fierce criticism from lawmakers for failing to fix what they called systemic problems in the agency.

The agency’s director, Julia A. Pierson, herself brought in as a reformer amid embarrassments including a prostitution scandal in 2012, will be replaced by retired agent Joseph Clancy.

Pierson’s tenure began to unravel when an intruder with a knife scaled a fence and ran into the White House on Sept. 19, followed by days of revelations that undermined the initial Secret Service account of what happened. A torrent of news reports also uncovered the agency’s fumbled response to a 2011 shooting attack on the White House and an elevator ride last month that President Obama shared with a security contractor who was armed, which Secret Service agents were unaware of at the time."* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.

*Read more here from Matt Hansen / LA Times:

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Ebola in the US, Secret Service Director, Obama Drones & Netanyahu - The Young Turks 10/1/2014 News & Politics

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The Largest Online News Show in the World. Hosted by Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian. LIVE STREAMING weekdays 6-8pm ET.

Young Turk (n), 1. Young progressive or insurgent member of an institution, movement, or political party. 2. Young person who rebels against authority or societal expectations. (American Heritage Dictionary)

The Young Turks (Winner - Best Political Podcast & Best Political News Site of 2009) were the first original talk show on Sirius satellite radio and the first live, daily webcast on the internet. But that is not the revolution.

We are a rare show that combines all of the news that people care about in one place. We are not afraid to talk about politics and entertainment and sports and pop culture. But that is not the revolution either.

The real revolution is in daring to be honest with people. We don't patronize our viewers or lie to them. We have real conversations and deliver the news honestly.

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[averageguysgadgetguy]

I don't think it's unreasonable to say the agents on the ground, the main line of defense at the white house, should be the biggest, strongest, fastest secret service agents possible. Who cares if the director is woman, the issue here is the fact a woman agent wasn't capable of taking down an intruder. I don't see the issue with calling the physical strength of females into question here. Face facts males and females are physically different. Equality is fine and dandy except in position where there shouldn't be weak small men, likewise there shouldn't be even more physically weak women patrolling the grounds of the white house.

[BloodMoneyLLC]

It's an unfortunate fact of life about American culture that we are less evolved and less mature on many issues, including gender equality, than our other Western/industrialized nations on the world-stage.

[crotchet]

2014 women dying on the frontline in support roles, flying jets, saving lives and these people still believe that they are the weaker sex.

[scienceismyopium]

In *2011* a man with a semiautomatic rifle parks in front of the White House and fires at the building, with Sasha Obama inside. A Secret Service supervisor, mistaking the shots for car backfire, orders officers to stand down. The service does not figure out that shots hit the building for four days, and only then because a housekeeper noticed broken glass. Who was head of the Secret Service at that time? *Mark J. Sullivan*. If there is an issue with the Secret Service, it has little to do with the gender of the person in charge and more to do with the culture/training/resources.

[randomrants]

I don't mind a woman being in charge if she doesn't have to be on the ground.  If she has to be on the ground physically protecting me, I wouldn't want here there.  Let's just be honest.  If you're bring rushed by a 6'7" monster, would you want a 5'5" woman standing there to protect you?  You can be as politically correct as you want.  I'll be safe.

[stupidburp]

I think this is a good lesson that any organization can have lapses in security. A lot of effort, logging, auditing, reporting, and vigilance is required to maintain the security standards that have been established anywhere. This happens in government buildings, public event venues, and even schools. Every person involved is responsible for observing and reporting potential deficiencies before they cause a problem.

[WoopsWii]

They aren't complaining that she is unqualified because she is a woman. They are saying that they believe she is unqualified, but still hired because she was a woman. Like it or not, but the quotas they mention are real. The administration is under preasure to higher a certain number of women and a certain number of minorities. There are many qualified women and minorities out there, but when you force highering decisions based on needing X amount of women and X amount of minorities then at the very least there is a perception that they were hired just because they were a woman or a minority.

[takutatanga]

The available secret service agents need to be the BEST possible agents. Being BIG doesn't mean best, being STRONG doesn't mean best, being FAST doesn't mean best. What about INTELLIGENCE, INGENUITY, RESOURCEFULNESS, COURAGE and DETERMINATION? Those aren't gender specific and nor is an armed agent!

[magottyk]

The question needs to be asked, if a conclusion is to be reached.

Pierson did the honourable thing by falling on her sword (albeit pressured), two intrusions in a month is pretty serious.
The inside security guard that was overpowered apparently had no warning, so it's difficult to not bring physical aspects into play, the term over powered suggests that the guard wasn't up to man to man combat, but that might just be a buzzword used by the press. She may have been blindsided especially as the outside guard wasn't at the door and the alarms were off (why?), even a male agent could be overpowered by a surprise attack.

It's not a time for political correctness to prevail, the question of the female guards suitability needs to be on the table, along with the systemic failures that allowed the intruder to get as far as he did.

Apparently the intruder didn't get the memo from Obama that it's not ok to hit a woman. One would think that if women are too soft to be properly defended against, then they are too soft to be able to dish it out. Female secret service agents belies that particular special snowflake agenda, they must be capable if they hold those positions.

So Cenk, STFU, the question needs to be asked, the investigation will hopefully provide answers. Without the public posing the question, would the investigators overlook that particular aspect, due to the politically correct mindset that has silenced genuine concerns. The question of women in key protective roles in the whitehouse and their relative capability, needs to be answered.

[vicm.]

Did you people watch Pierson's hearing???? She literally makes Bush seem like Einstein. She stumbled the whole way through

[MckinneyMini]

I love you Cenk, but Im getting annoyed with the flip flopping. A couple of months ago you said it was "ridiculous and dangerous" that they let a man with an AR15 strapped to his back at one of President Obamas speaches, but here you are saying "the guy was in the elevator with a gun, but I don't think thats nearly a big of a deal as people are making it, he (Obama) was never in any real danger....what? How do you know that? Just like you said the guy at the rally could have been a nut job, so could this guy. Please just stick to ONE point of view, whatever it may be. You were right the first time, it is absolutely ridiculous that both times an armed man was allowed by the president and in this case its worse because if something happens he is trapped in a tiny elevator with the do agree with the rest of the stuff you said in the video though.

[rdidri]

Appease women voters? Political correctness? --Isn't that how Sarah Palin got her gig with McCain?-Was she the most qualified person for the position? 

[asierra]

I agree with Cenk on the director being targeted. But he said nothing about the female agent who was overpowered by the intruder.

[GBart]

I thought the Director of the Secret Service directed the secret service, and didn't stand by doors to keep people out...

[roccaflocca]

Why is the Secret Service Director expected to be on the front lines? Shouldn't she be directing if she's a director?

[rosecityandbeyond]

The new title is much better. Thanks for changing it.

[adenwachtel]

I don't understand exactly whether they were complaining about two people or just the director, but if there was a female secret services officer then, well that is ridiculous to me, in that position a woman doesn't cut it, and if she got overpowered easily then they should learn from this incident.

[writernthesky]

...because that's the way we treat our vets.

[PurushaDesa]

"Glorified HR director". This takes me back to the Valerie Plame scandal so that women in top jobs are merely secretaries, tea ladies or cleaners who got lucky, thanks to an affirmative action project.

[LukeReed]

I agree with Cenk that the investigation should come first before any sacking - although it does look bad.
What I'm really confused at is the fact that they had a an agent that couldn't take the guy down. Unless this intruder was exceptional that is unacceptable - one of the key skills for that particular role should be combat ability and it doesn't sound like that was the case.