National Journal: Daniel Bongino, a former U.S. Secret Service agent whose recent assignments included a posting to President Obama’s protective detail, has decided to run for the U.S. Senate in Maryland as a Republican.
At an agency that stresses the silence and political neutrality of its agents, Bongino’s announcement is raising eyebrows … the Secret Service frowns upon former agents who make sudden turns to politics….
Bongino is seeking the Republican nomination to take on freshman Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md. Bongino’s Twitter account calls him a “Conservative Republican Candidate for the U.S. Senate” and directs visitors to a campaign website that is offline.
In a press release announcing his candidacy, Bongino said that he left law enforcement “because of political leaders making decisions which are making America a follower and not a leader in the global economy.” ….The Secret Service declined to comment on Bongino’s planned candidacy.
More here
I seriously hate posting a link to Fox, but this is an interview with the guy – here
Here’s another Fox interview:
Free country. Lets see if he wins.
Of course it’s a free country Jessica, I’m just not hugely comfortable with a Secret Service agent, who was protecting the President, feeling so opposed to his policies he leaves to stand for the GOP.
As the article said:
“At an agency that stresses the silence and political neutrality of its agents, Bongino’s announcement is raising eyebrows … the Secret Service frowns upon former agents who make sudden turns to politics…. ”
In my humble opinion, he should have made his views clear from day one and never been assigned to protect the President.
As a Marylander, I agree. This bothers me.
To elaborate on being a Marylander, yes we are a blue state, but that is mostly around the Washington, D.C. area where the majority live. In the outer counties, the state is mostly red. My concern is an ex-Secret Service person knowing how to get close and personal with the President. He will and does have constituents and he is a Republican and some of these folks might as well be from South Carolina or any other southern state. This concerns me. We still have a lot of prejudice here. BTW, I AA, so I know what I’m talking about.
The fact that he is running as a Repug really bothers me.
You got it.
me 2 Doris
Agree with your assessment 100%. Can you imagine the conversations he was having with his co-workers? It makes me nervous that the very people assigned to protecting our President can be so opposed to him. Scary.
It bothers the hell out of me.
That was my first thought too, Chips. Glad he is no longer on the detail.
yes, agree there…so glad he is no longer “on the detail.”
This does bother me alot. Especially with a President that is getting as many death threats as he does.
Thanks Chips, I finally saw the little CBS logo and went and got the previous video of the kids. Thanks, I posted it over at OFA.
This is very troubling. And this character sounds like a tea bagger – no specifics, just concerned about not being top dog in the global community. These people are being left behind by living history. This joker should never have been allowed around the President, especially since he’s clearly not professional enough to follow the unspoken protocol.
Yep, I just hope there aren’t more agents like him.
I wonder if the problem is that it is unspoken. That policy needs to be in writing. There should be a prescribed period of time where former SS agents cannot participate in the political process. I find this revolting. If they circumvent that protocol the SS or the DOJ (Department of Justice) should vigorously pursue the person to the fullest extent of the law. This guy seems jaded and crass, what is the vetting process for agents? I also deplore Lt. Choi’s actions, swinging off of poles in full dress uniform. I do not care how passionate you are about something, talking public office means something. My husband is employed by the federal government, he is very diligent about not buying even lottery tickets or liquor in uniform. He also not casually walk around in uniform after work. I cannot remember the woman who was wrongly termination, she worked with distributing farm subsidies, when you are involved in something political, you need to expressly disclaim your professional role with your personal views. I have grown tired of people being so careless and cavalier
This makes me so freakin’ angry. And scared.
Good riddance; and he will find that the by-the-book life of someone in law enforcement and protection does not prepare anyone for the messy, illogical, twisted path that leads to success in politics.
So much has happened in a negative way that is a first for the presidency during PBO’s time; however, it is a good thing when all of the warts are out on full view so that the adminstration and its supporters will be able to defend against and defeat all of the nastiness. Knowledge is power.
Well said CEB!
I’m a Marylander. This angers me.
Me too collegekay.
Don’t think he will win. Not concerned about it.
That’s not the point Jessica.
I can’t bring myself to watch the fox clip.
Neither can I.
me neither. I’m too disgusted
+1 – i almost cannot stand to see network Fox, not just cable -yuck
Eh.. well I watched the video.. the guy is arrogant imo. He’s gonna fix things for us all. No fan of Harry Reid, didnt say anything negative about either of the Presidents he worked for, Bush or POTUS. But – as a republican he seems to believe he’s got the answers on health care, which it effing funny from a guy who’s had SOCIALIZED Health Care for the last 12 years. He talks all savvy, but I ain’t buying his bs . Just another anti-government repub getting a government paycheck.
Theres something ‘oily’ about him – to me. But I don’t like repubs and I sure don’t like one thats been a Secret Service agent to my President, it just seems so unethical. And yet I imagine there are many secret service who vote republican… lots of them prolly came to the job during the Bush administration.
Not only weird but that is real scary.
He looks like a perv. Like one of those guys who searches for porn in the public library.
Good riddance.
Yep, he looks really cooky.
I listened to as much as I could, and I kept having to fight the urge to stop the playback. Clearly, this guy thinks he’s really smoth, but he just seems to be good at criticizing, with no actual solitions himself. This is really unprofessional.
Agree, he’s creepy and him running right now is creepy. Everyone pray……
There used to be a time when being a Senator was a highly esteemed thing, you had to work hard, have a wealth of political experience. Now this mysterious coalitions just catapult anyone and I do mean anyone into the limelight to score political points…it’s revolting
NEVER, while I’m a Marylander. I have been a big supporter of Ben’s and will do everything I can to make sure he returns to office. Ben is a great supporter of the President and for Democratic principles. He stood strong for health care reform and is generally well like by the people of Maryland.