OBAMA'S WELL PAID AND WHORED SS PRAETORIAN GUARD CRYING IN ITS BEER...SO SAD :-)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The acting director of the Secret Service
warned lawmakers Wednesday of "potentially dire consequences" from
lowered morale and operational security at the agency. He vowed to do
better.
Joseph Clancy offered the sobering assessment in
testimony to the House Judiciary Committee, making his first appearance
on Capitol Hill since his appointment last month to lead the embattled
agency. The Secret Service has suffered a string of embarrassments,
including a fence jumper who made it into the White House, which led to
the resignation of its previous director.
Clancy acknowledged that
the agency has fallen short of its goal of perfection. He said that
being in the spotlight has had detrimental effects on employee morale
and operational security, "both with potentially dire consequences."
He
also offered a mea culpa over the Sept. 19 fence-jumping incident. An
internal review last week detailed a string of failures that allowed a
Texas Army veteran, Omar Gonzalez, to make it way all the way into the
East Room.
"I found the
findings devastating. What hits me hardest is the range of shortcomings
that ultimately allowed Omar Gonzalez to enter the White House
practically unencumbered," Clancy said.
"Although
I firmly believe the Secret Service is better than this incident I
openly acknowledge that a failure of this magnitude, especially in light
of other recent incidents, requires immediate action and longer term
reform," he said. Clancy said he's conducting a top-to-bottom assessment
and is establishing new procedures, improving communications and
considering other changes, including strengthening the White House
fence.
An outside review of the agency also is underway.
Lawmakers told him there was no margin for error,.
"The
Secret Service cannot make mistakes," said Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas.
"You're protecting the president and the president's family, there can't
be mistakes."
Clancy also
came under attack from lawmakers over wrong information the agency put
out about the fence-jumping incident early on, including initial claims
that Gonzalez was unarmed and was tackled immediately inside the White
House. In fact he had a knife and made it far into the executive
mansion.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, complained that no one had been disciplined over the misinformation.
"The Secret Service misled us on purpose," he said. "Was there any consequence to any personnel?"
Clancy acknowledged no punishments had been meted out but argued that the errors were unintentional.
"We know it's critical to give accurate information, and that's what our goal is, but we failed on that day," Clancy said.
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