rivercityvibe   “Puerile, smutty, schoolboy nonsense” – My Mom

I remember the movie The Bodyguard starring Whitney Houston (in her pre-crack and valium days) making it PRETTY darn clear that close-protection agents were expected to interpose their bodies between an assailant and the individual they were protecting. This was commonly interpreted to mean that bodyguards should be ready to “take a bullet” to protect their charges.

I think recent events in Baghdad have busted that myth RIGHT OPEN. The fatties on President Bush’s security detail weren’t even prepared to take a SHOE, full on, let alone a bullet.

I’ve done some math.

The muzzle velocity of a standard handgun using 9×19 Parabellum ammunition propels a bullet at between 1000 and 1300 feet per second. The average tired and angry Iraqi journalist propels his shoes at about 12 feet per second. He also has to reload by bending over and picking up the other one (provided of course that he has “made ready” by undoing his shoelaces…….). If the Secret Service can’t even react competently within this sort of time frame,  how will they handle a gunman?

Check out this UTTERLY PATHETIC response to the biggest personal security threat of the Bush Presidency:

See those guys coming in through the backdoor, wiping donut crumbs from their mouths? Elite close protection agents…….