NYT Op Ed reminded me of a story from an earlier presidency

[Dennis S]

Cheney.

[Pam]

Palin

[sekker]

rjmacs wrote:
It seems extremely unlikely that the President and Vice President are airborne at the same time hardly ever.

Not true, they are often traveling at the same time.

The VP in question was Dan Quayle. His severely limited intellect was considered a grave national security risk at that time.

As a part of my travels, I met and spoke with a Secret Service member who had (at that time) served in the White House since Nixon. I cannot imagine what they think of the current administration.

[Lemon Drop]

This thread is not serious is it?
This is urban legend from 1988, possibly fueled by a joke in very poor taste by then Sen. John Kerry. Nobody in the military brass or secret service would even joke about such a thing. Seriously, murder Quayle and all the people on the plane?? Somebody's been watching too many movies or is pulling our leg over here and I really hope it's the latter.

BOSTON — Sen. John Kerry apologized Wednesday for telling a joke about shooting Vice President-elect Dan Quayle, saying he regretted repeating the story he had heard in Washington.

At a businessman's breakfast Tuesday, Kerry responded to a question about Quayle's ability to govern by saying, "Somebody told me the other day that the Secret Service has orders that if George Bush is shot, they're to shoot Quayle," according to newspaper reports of the incident.

The Massachusetts Democrat then said: "There isn't any press here, is there?"

"I shouldn't have repeated the story. It was inappropriate and I apologize for doing so," Kerry said in a two-line statement released by his aide, Larry Carpman.

No elaboration on the statement was planned, Carpman said.

Republican state Sen. David Locke, who co-chaired the Bush-Quayle campaign in Massachusetts, said he was shocked by the reported remark, saying it was irresponsible.

"It just seems to me to be an extraordinarily reckless comment for a public official to make," Locke said.

[sekker]

My sources were directly connected at the White House, one tied to NSA and one tied to a branch of the military. One of the individuals secured the special White House tour and had direct access to West Wing personnel.

To my knowledge, my two sources did not know each other, and they separately offered this answer as a part of a strategy that was in response to serious concerns raised about the VP at the time. The first time I heard it, I thought it likely hyperbole. The second time, unsolicited, made me take notice.

I suppose it's possible this was all misdirection (and could very well share origins with that story from Senator Kerry, was within the same year). However, the concerns were shared in earnest and without expectation or recompense.

I had not heard the Senator Kerry story before now, which was a little different than what I recall being told.

[space-time]

Sometimes I wonder what would happen it 45 were forced to resign and Pence took over. I think Pence would be even more scary that 45.