And the bad news just keeps flowing for Mr. Booker and the Guardian (hat tip Drudge)
Washington D.C.’s Secret Service is investigating Charlie Brooker of the UK Guardian. The entertainment writer’s weekend, anti-Bush tantrum, ending with the words, “John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinckley Jr.–where are you now that we need you,” was picked up by the Drudge Report,–using Brooker’s provocative last words as the main headline.
Citing federal statute 18 USC 879, Florida attorney John B. Thompson, called in the Secret Service Protective Intelligence Unit. “Please do whatever is necessary to punish the UK Guardian and to educate Matt Drudge on the meaning and scope of statute 18,” Thompson wrote in a letter faxed to the Secret Service on Saturday.
Thompson’s letter indicates that not only was his complaint being taken seriously by the Secret Service, but that it had already been tipped off about the Guardian story before receipt of his letter.
Do not know about you, but I would be very worried if the USSS was taking an interest in me. These are men and women who have absolutely zero sense of humor about any threat to their protectorates, especially POTUS. Unlike in books, they change his codename if anyone finds out about it. The USSS is very tightly wrapped, and, I believe we can certainly understand why. (If you haven’t seen the program “Inside the US Secret Service.” on National Geographic)
But Mr. Booker is a UK Citizen, and the Guardian is a UK paper, so the USSS cannot do anything, right? Avast! There is a fair amount of reciprocity between the US government and Her Majesties government. I expect quite a bit of cooperation, and for Mr. Booker to have a visit from gentleman and ladies from both governments today. They will certainly not take the article as “an ironic joke.” Please, let the story be posted!
