Update: Man who threw book at President was an "overexhuberant supporter."

[Clio the Leo]

Book Hurled at President Obama

A paperback book was hurled towards President Obama seconds after he completed a Democratic rally in Philadelphia on Sunday, but aides say the incident in no way affected the event.

In video of the President, the book appears as little more than a blurr hurdling past his head to his left as he waved to the crowd on his right. It is not clear how close the book came to him but it is apparent the President does not notice it at all. The paperback seems to be coming from the direction of the audience penned in closest to the stage, not from the thousands of other spectators behind barricades farther back.

<snip>

The US Secret Service found and interviewed the man who threw the book onstage. He was deemed to be an “overexhuberant” supporter who wanted the President to have a copy of a book he had written, according the Special Agent Edwin Donovan of the Secret Service in Washington. “He was deemed not to be a threat and was not arrested,” Donovan told ABC News.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/10/book-hurled-at-president-obama.html

I'd still love to know what the book was ABOUT.

[n2doc]

1. Yep. Book title would tell us a lot

And it sounds like the Secret Service needs to turn it up a notch. What it it had been a knife?

[onenote]

5. Secret Service needs to turn it up? How?

What could they have done to prevent this? Confiscate books at rallies? Shoes? Wallets,keys, and anything else that might be thrown at (or towards) the president? Should there be one secret service agent assigned to stand next to every person attending the rally so that if someone raises their hand to throw something, they can tackle them before they complete the act (because if you're not a foot away from the person you aren't stopping them).

As for the question of "what if had been a knife"? I'd be curious to hear from anyone who attended this rally if, like most presidential appearances these days, anyone attending had to go through a metal detector before entering the area.

[n2doc]

6. I'm not privy to their methods

But if they cannot stop a knife throwing assassin then they need to think about how to do it. There are very good ceramic blade knives. I know no one can be made perfectly safe is they interact with the public, this just seemed egregious.

[onenote]

8. I really am curious why you think it was "egregious" that the Secret Service

didn't prevent someone from throwing a book towards the platform where the president was standing. If it was so "egregious" I would expect that you would be able to offer some suggestion as to how it could've been prevented.

[jenmito]

9. I'm sure those close to Obama were scanned through metal detectors or something

similar. A book is different from a knife, don't ya think?

[Clio the Leo]

12. They stand there and look out into the crowd scanning for suspicious activity...

.... n2doc has a point. Someone dropped the ball.

[onenote]

13. seriously. Holding a book should be viewed as suspicious activity?

They found the guy and questioned him. But, seriously, you think there is a way the secret service, in a crowd like that, could keep someone from tossing a non lethal object? How? I'm sure the Secret Service would love to hear your suggestions.

[Inchworm]

2. Did anyone find out the title?

:shrug:

[Clio the Leo]

3. WH reporter says Secret Service not disclosing it....

... only that he (the thrower) was the author.

[mkultra]

7. so he was trying to get his message to the pres

i wonder what his deal was.

[Clio the Leo]

10. Oh definitely.

I thought that the whole time ... well, not HIS message, but SOME message. I guess theoretically someone could try to hurt the President by throwing a book at him, but more likely, you're gonna throw a book at someone if you think they'll actually READ it.

Which is why Bush got a shoe. Why waste a book?

[RamboLiberal]

4. Not cool supporter

He sure wasn't thinking straight. I don't want to see him busted but I do hope the Service explained to him why that just wasn't cool.

[Clio the Leo]

11. That's the impression I'm getting...

.... that the man was well-intentioned if not totally the most intelligent person in the yard.

If he had just waited, Reggie Love would have gently taken it from his hand. Patience is a virtue.

An unidentified man tries to hand a stack of documents with the words "Hydraulic Expandable Flange" printed on the cover to President Barack Obama as he greets audience members after he spoke at a town-hall style event on the economy, Wednesday, June 30, 2010, at Racine Memorial Hall in Racine, Wis. The documents were later taken by presidential aide Reggie Love.

[rasputin1952]

14. Must have been a RW illiterate tossing a Spiderman comic....

:evilgrin: