The Secret Service has gotten a lot of grief lately. Scandals abound: there were drunken nights out in Amsterdam, visits to a brothel in Cartagena, and an incident in which a senior supervisor left a bullet in a woman’s hotel room.
The most recent, involving Omar Gonzalez paying an unannounced visit to the West Wing, may not be deserving of the criticism it has received. Instead of seeing it as an “error of comedies,” the media should look at it for what it is: Evidence that the Obama Administration is finally living up to Obama’s election promise to be the “most open administration in history.”
For years, the media has criticized Obama as being “the least transparent president” ever. Meetings previously open to the press have been held in secret, more documents have been kept classified, and more Freedom of Information requests have been refused.
Now we see a White House that finally gets it, one that is more receptive to the American public. Like “arms open wide” receptive.
The Secret Service was merely following this new and bold policy when they let Gonzalez enter the White House grounds through a hole in the fence. According to a report on the incident, the first line officer tasked with stopping Gonzalez was on a personal call — probably long-distance with his regular Colombian prostitute.
When the next officer radioed command that the president had a visitor, the radio was apparently not set for two-way communication. While outsiders might see this as a blunder, real Obama watchers will know it for what it actually is: a parable on the need for better communication between the Democrats and Republicans.
Feeling quite welcome, Gonzalez made it up to the West Wing, and found an egress inside.
In a 2009 speech, President Obama had promised, “My door is always open.” When Gonzalez turned the knob of that door that would take him towards the Oval Office, he discovered that the president had told the truth: It was, indeed, unlocked.
That Gonzalez had been stopped near the White House twice — twice! — for suspicious behavior, and both times to have been found with weapons, shouldn’t matter. Gonzalez clearly abided by the “no weapons” policy when he made his visit, leaving his firearms and axes in the car. Besides, the Supreme Court has already ruled that restrictions possessing weapons are constitutionally limited.
It’s disingenuous to blame the administration for a lack of willingness to be more open, while also attacking the White House for a lack of security when they respond to the criticism. Republicans and the media want to have their cake and eat it too.
I hope everyone will finally appreciate that President Obama does want to hear from you and, hey, if you happen to be in the neighborhood, please feel free to drop by.
