Security details at Barack Obama's rally Wednesday stopped screening people for weapons at the front gates more than an hour before the Democratic presidential candidate took the stage at Reunion Arena ... the orders coming from Federal officials.<br><br>http://www.star-telegram.com/dallas_news/story/486413.html<br><br><br>unf*ckingbelievable<br><br><br>

Wow! Shades of James E. Ray!<br><br>A government that is large enough to supply everything you need is large enough to take everything you have - Thomas Jefferson

when i saw him in Iowa, there was no security other than asking folks not to park in the lot next to the gym where we'd all be watching Obama. i suppose back then he wasn't near winning the nomination. i know when i saw Kerry in the summer before the election the security was tight. so yeah, i guess this seems pretty pathetic in this stage of the game. poor decision.<br><br>

<br>*OUCH* <br><br>Yeah, I'd question that. <br><br><br><br>[color:green]"...or am I a butterfly that's dreaming she's a woman?"</font color=green> [color:green]. . . _ _ _ . . .</font color=green><br>

I've been really worried about an assassination or assassination attempt on him and/or on Hillary ever since the whole primary season started. Let me put it this way . . . I wouldn't be surprised if there were an attempt, whether successful or not.<br><br>[color:red]&#63743;</font color=red> [color:orange]&#63743;</font color=orange> [color:yellow]&#63743;</font color=yellow> [color:green]&#63743;</font color=green> [color:blue]&#63743;</font color=blue> [color:purple]&#63743;</font color=purple>

Early in the primary season, I heard a couple of my students parroting the bit about Sen. Obama and assassination and it really pissed me off because I thought it was a bunch of FUD. I still think so. Sure, I'm concerned about his security just as I would be for any political candidate with a somewhat populist message.<br><br>I just hate the idea that people had better play it safe and make sure they play ball with all the wrong people if they want a long and successful political career.<br><br>-- Cee Bee Double-U

The police in Dallas are very sensitive, maybe over sensitive, for security at political gatherings. Reunion Arena in Dallas doesn't have huge concourses, nor much protection from the wind while waiting outside queued in a line to enter. It was a windy, cool, damp day in Dallas yesterday.<br>Maybe the federal authorities heard many complaints from the people outside, so made entering Reunion quicker. Maybe they had a very good podium and other security measures within Reunion in place, and didn't require as thorough a screening outside. Maybe there were no threats made for this event. Maybe Obama's staff suggested reducing the security requirements.<br><br>We don't know the whole story. <br><br>P.S. To add, the Dallas Morning News didn't even print that story. Instead, here's their news about the Obama visit yesterday:<br>http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/022108dnpolobama.ff11ed4.html<br><br>And breaking news today, really bad news:<br>http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/...h.196e2bd6.html<br>

Drudge has put the story up this morning ... so I can only hope that the public outcry will far offset the number of wackos with guns.<br><br>

I have 2 fears with Obama and one is also shared with Hillary:<br><br>(1) whoever the next President is (O or H) the hole that GW has dug is so bad and deep, they might fail to make significant improvements and you know the far right will blame them - not "the excavator" who set it up.<br><br>(2) the other I won't directly say - deals with this security lapse. read between the lines. I hope we don't go down that dammed road again like we did in the 60's ! <br><br>David (OFI)

I suppose people who remember the Kennedys, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcom X have a right to be a little worried, but is it unreasonable to think that we have progressed a little bit? It's not like Sen. Preston Brooks unleashed an era of brutal Senatorial caning that we have yet to come out from under.<br><br>If there is anything to be afraid of, it's that we and the leaders that we select will be too afraid of standing up for what is right and our little whispering about dangers to people who inspire hope will do the real damage.<br><br>-- Cee Bee Double-U