The Secret Service appears to be playing politics by ignoring threats of riots and violence against Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney made by leftist filmmaker Michael Moore and the liberal group MoveOn.
The threat was made via a web ad video released earlier this week in which Moore and MoveOn hide behind elderly women who make scripted terrorist threats against Romney and the nation over the presidential election.
One woman is shown inciting riots if Romney defeats Democratic party President Barack Obama, “I want the Republican party to know, if your voter suppression throughout this beautiful country enables Romney to oust Barack Obama, we will burn this mother****** down!” (Expletive edited from original.)
Another woman says she’ll attack Romney in his genitals, “If the Republicans steal this election, I am going to track down Mitt Romney and give him the world’s biggest ****-punch. What’s the matter sonny, you never heard that phrase, ****-punch? Right in the *******.” (Expletives deleted from original.)
Several phone calls to the Secret Service public affairs office about the threat to Romney, who is under their protection, over the past few days have not been returned. Detailed messages of inquiry were left with the voicemail of spokesman George Ogilvie.
A search of news sites shows no articles reporting a Secret Service investigation in to the threat.
Last April, conservative rock musician and outspoken Second Amendment activist Ted Nugent was investigated by the Secret Service within days of making an ambiguous comment about President Barack Obama.
Nugent was reported to have said at a National Rifle Association convention, “If Barack Obama becomes the president in November, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year.”
After meeting with Nugent, the Secret Service issued a statement, “The Secret Service interview of Ted Nugent has been completed,” Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary told Yahoo News. “The issue has been resolved. The Secret Service does not anticipate any further action.”
Unlike Moore and MoveOn, Nugent did not make a threat of violence. Romney has been the subject of numerous threats, prompting the Secret Service to take to Twitter to encourage people to report threats.
While it highly unlikely the women in the ad would be able to fulfill their threats, Moore and MoveOn are inciting violence against Romney and riots over the election.
Is the Secret Service playing politics by not investigating the ad? It would appear so. In 2004 Moore was a guest of honor at the Democrats’ convention, being seated in a special box with former President Jimmy Carter. MoveOn is a well-funded ally of the Democrat party.
There has been no statement from the Obama campaign or administration denouncing the threats of violence against the president’s chief political rival and riots by Moore and MoveOn.
MoveOn’s posting of the ad at YouTube lists the credits for the video:
Produced by Michael Moore w/ Daron Murphy & David Ambrose of ART NOT WAR
Written by Michael Moore & Jonathan Schwarz
Directed by Laura Dawn
Associate Producers: Angela Linneman & Eddie Geller
DP: David Ambrose
Edited by David Ambrose & Laura Dawn
Assistant Editor: Eddie Geller
Original Music & Sound Design: Daron Murphy
Line Producer: Aaron Kinsley-Brooks
Set Design & Art Direction: Adrian Alexis
Props & Production Assistance: Sarah Kinsley-Brooks
Make Up & Hair: Ananda Khan