November 24, 2010
DOCUMENT: Stupid, Crime

Vet, 77, Busted For Obama Death Threat

Man enraged over “what he has done to this country”

President Obama

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Presidental Death Threat

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NOVEMBER 24--A 77-year-old South Carolina man whose home was stocked with an arsenal of guns told Secret Service agents that he wanted to shoot Barack Obama “for what he has done to this country,” according to a criminal complaint charging him with threatening the president’s life.

Michael Bowden allegedly first spoke of killing Obama last week during a “routine check-up” at a Veterans Administration clinic in Spartanburg. Bowden, pictured in the mug shot at right, told a nurse that he “was thinking of traveling to Washington, DC, to shoot the President (Obama) because he is not doing enough to help African Americans,” according to an affidavit sworn by Agent Mark Booth.

In an interview last Wednesday with three federal investigators, Bowden acknowledged threatening Obama’s life at the VA facility.

In a sworn, written statement he noted that, “if I had the opportunity to put Obama against the wall and shoot him, I would.” Bowden added that if he could kill anyone, “I would kill, if possible, the President (Obama), for what he has done to this country.”

During a search of Bowden’s home, agents located three semi-automatic handguns and a semi-automatic rifle--all of which were “fully loaded, with rounds in the firing chamber--near his bed. In Bowden’s son’s bedroom, agents found 12 other guns, while a “loaded, short-barrel shotgun” was found near the home’s front door.

The jailed Bowden, who turns 78 on Friday, may soon be freed pending the completion of a psychiatric evaluation. One condition of his release will require Bowden to refrain from possessing a firearm. (2 pages)

Presidental Death Threat

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South Carolina, Barack Obama, death threats

Comments (165)

Submitted by vegwell on Wed, 2010-11-24 23:12.
That old canard about Clinton era Congress pressuring banks to lend to people who couldn't afford it has been dis-proven and debunked over and over. You probably didn't forget this little bit of info, like you accused the other poster of doing, because you never knew it. How convenient indeed.
Submitted by cb6352 on Thu, 2010-11-25 12:08.
where? i am sure your debunking was come from a democrat talking point memo. by the way the last 2 years of bush congress was run by democrats and let america burn and did nothing. would you not at least agree with that? by the way unemployment was 4.6% when democrats took back congress and went on a spending spree. just under 5 trillion debt in less than 4 years, thts a fact not a talking point!
Submitted by shag11 on Wed, 2010-11-24 16:55.
Yea, and Bush's dumb ass should have allowed us to stay in Afghanistan, and finish that war, but he had another delusional agenda. The Taliban could have been finished off, but now, we'll suffer just like we'll suffer the residual damage just like we did in Vietnam. You know why Russia has the highest heroin addiction and AIDS rate in the world right now? It's because one of the ways we helped them to push Russia out of Afghanistan was by getting their soldiers hooked on heroin. Now that same thing is happening to our soldiers, and how long have we been there? Ten years?! Sound familiar?
Submitted by Luther Poach on Wed, 2010-11-24 15:57.
If you had actually studied the housing meltdown you would know that the things you are saying are not accurate. The banks got crazy with their lending -- I was approved for far more than I wanted or even asked for, but I didn't take it because I knew I couldn't handle it. You blame Frank and Dodd, but who had full control of the Senate and Congress at that time? For six years Reps had control of all branches of government, and that's when this happened. I seriously doubt that Barney Frank was ordering Tom Delay around.
Submitted by ronl11 on Thu, 2010-11-25 02:26.
The Democrats were in control of the house then, and they control the purse strings. The banks were threatened with lawsuits if they didnt lend to those who could not afford it also...research that and smoke it.
Submitted by greycoat on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:46.
I don't have a clue why this obviously intelligent gentleman would be required to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. He seems perfectly sane and clear headed to me. As a vet, he took an oath to protect and defend this country and he is arrested for attempting to do just that??? I only wish he had kept his mouth shut and quietly made the trip to Washington D.C. Can you say "HERO" ?? LOL
Submitted by JungleCogs on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:36.
Man you Lefties are a trip; bye!
Submitted by procopi on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:36.
lithead56 blames Fox news for just about everything even though Fox has nothing to do with the the old man's threat. And Matt1030 said this astute analysis restores his faith in America. Fox is a news channel and they have not brainwashed anyone, anymore than NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, MSNBC has brainwashed folks to think like you do. Oh lord, would you two THINK and stop your insanity. Matt1030, we are in this mess because a housing bubble caused by overly loose credit popped. The overly loose credit was encouraged and mandated by our Congress and facilitated by our banks. Congress has both parties in it. BOTH parties are to blame. Obama has been President for close to two years and he has not done much to fix the mess, though who really knows if anything but time will fix it. This is reality. Get a grip on it.
Submitted by fedupwithpolitics on Fri, 2010-11-26 21:22.
you are correct to say both parties are to blame but sadly seem to think Obama could do anything to change (with no help from the republicans and yes some of the dems too)in only 2 years, what the republicans and big business have destroyed for over 20 years with deregulation and trickle down economic bullshiat, wars that we helped start or started ourselves. As far as the Fox news brainwashing goes, yes they are, if you can't see it than you either watch only Fox or no Fox at all. they are the first to call others liars and than proceed to lie their asses off. typical elementary brainwashing wrap themselves in words like "fair and honest, patriotic, god fearing all the words that appeal to emotional, ignorant, single issue voters, who want to believe they are not racist or elitist or self righteous, but unfortunately are one or more of these things. Time will not fix anything in this economy we need to fix Education, Health care, unemployment. You state the overly loose credit was mandated by congress but congress didn't mandate impossible loans with ridiculous rates and impossible terms sold by legal mafia style lenders unregulated because of Ronald Reagan and his team of thieves. I could go on but none of you right wing citizens would listen because the moment I said anything sounding left leaning I was branded a liberal nut and dangerous to "YOUR" America too bad you can't think for yourselves only Beck, O'rielly, Limbough are allowed to think for the right don't forget Palin LOL.
Submitted by lithead56 on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:32.
k1olk, ever actually taken a course in ConLaw? No, you are getting interpreted to you by Beck and Hannity - both of whom are being paid to "teach" you the Right Wing interpretation. I said that you guys sound like the Right Wing back in the early 60s. Since you probably weren't around then, how about if you try reading in some archives or some history about the John Birch Society and the Anti-Communist League - both of whom made the same crazy claims about Kennedy and Marxism back then? Kennedy wasn't shot because Oswald was in the ACLU once, or because he was a Conservative. He was viewed as a radical Lefty who was hated by the "Free Cuba" movement. Once again, it's YOU who are a "dumbass," regurgitating factoids as if that disproves anything. Those of us with an actual education and a memory of the actual occurrences have listened to you guys spew this Right Wing plutocrat-enabling garbage long enough. You've supported the Bush tax cuts and the pointless rip-off wars that have destroyed the middle class. Now you want to destroy all the rest of the country - because you believe bullsh!t. But that's it! You don't get to destroy any more! Everyplace you start to repeat these slanders, we are going to fight back. I DARE you to read a history book outside of your "approved" list of bought-and-paid-for Righties. Oh, no, we forgot - you've already been brainwashed into thinking that the whole rest of the world is crazy "Lieberals." We are going to ignore your ill-informed propaganda - except to tell you that you sound like crazy fanatics.
Submitted by shadowwarrior on Thu, 2010-11-25 21:13.
ok lithead i was growing up in the 60s. i read your posts. i have no problem with target and enemy identification. i did it for 26yrs. you are without more delusional than the poor vet ever was or a communist. my guess is you are both.
Submitted by ronl11 on Thu, 2010-11-25 02:36.
k1, you are wrong on Kennedy. He was killed because he would have never sent massive amounts of troops to Vietnam. He was fixing to pull out. McNamara had Johnson in his pocket and the Generals wanted to fight..so JOhnson capitulated. and unlike what the kids are taught about Vietnam, We didnt loose. We had been gone for three years, when vietnam fell. Why you might ask The democrats defunded the South and they had no bullets beans or gas, and the Democratic Congress refused to help even with supplies. That in itself cost millions of live in SE Asia when the North invaded and MURDERED ALL THE EDUCATED PEOPLE, 750,000 South Vietnamese troops in reeducation camps for 25 years where most died. 100,000 drowned boat people, the killing fields of /Cambodia. None of that would have happened had Congress paid attention the the peace agreement. None of it.
Submitted by shadowwarrior on Thu, 2010-11-25 21:15.
you are right. and 6 mos. later a russian nuke boomer was parked at the harbor in cam rhan bay. within missle range of the united states.
Submitted by IWO VET on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:26.
I`m 84 and still have all of my facalties. He may be 77 but he sure knew how to handle guns
Submitted by lithead56 on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:35.
You've got all of your faculties except for your spelling ability. eh? Or is proper spelling just another Leftist conspiracy? The issue isn't whether this crazy guy knew how to handle guns. The issue is whether he wanted to kill the President and had the means to do so. He was investigated just like crazy President-threatening fellows during the Bush administration were.
Submitted by IWO VET on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:50.
Lit. I`m saying he was a flying monkey P.S. I couldn`t spell in grade school either.
Submitted by lithead56 on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:35.
You've got all of your faculties except for your spelling ability. eh? Or is proper spelling just another Leftist conspiracy? The issue isn't whether this crazy guy knew how to handle guns. The issue is whether he wanted to kill the President and had the means to do so. He was investigated just like crazy President-threatening fellows during the Bush administration were.
Submitted by edwardc on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:12.
Just another crazy bitter old nut job just like some of the people supporting him .
Submitted by JungleCogs on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:25.
Are you speaking about Obama?
Submitted by edwardc on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:12.
Just another crazy bitter old nut job just like some of the people supporting him .
Submitted by TeaaPartyFlags on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:09.
To the guy who wrote this. An arsenal isn't a lot of guns. An arsenal is the building that houses the guns. 1. (Military) a store for arms, ammunition, and other military items 2. (Military) a workshop or factory that produces munitions Just so you know.
Submitted by vanceco on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:48.
hey t.p.flags- you are WRONG. per mirriam webster- ar·se·nal noun \ˈärs-nəl, ˈär-sə-\ Definition of ARSENAL 1 a : an establishment for the manufacture or storage of arms and military equipment b : a collection of weapons just so you know.
Submitted by laguna on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:05.
Sorry!, I got the poster wrong it was 'liteinthe head'.
Submitted by laguna on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:02.
Hey kloik, I can tell by your writing style that you are a 'young punk' but thats no excuse for making up false history. Lee Harvey Oswald, the Kennedy killer was a self-described Communist.
Submitted by JungleCogs on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:26.
Yeah, Kennedy was only a Socialist.
Submitted by Bob Hamilton on Wed, 2010-11-24 13:56.
Obama saved the country and this guy wants to shoot him? He is nuts. No further psych exam needed.
Submitted by ronl11 on Thu, 2010-11-25 02:39.
Saved it from What? After 2 years of you morons it now needs saved or it will disappear completely. What you gonna do when your food stamps run out?
Submitted by Nav7 on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:19.
OMG God! The Liberal Disease is strong in this one! Use the Force Luke!
Submitted by carnot on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:18.
"Obama saved the country"...bahahahahahaha...but I (and you) digress. you know.....in the run-up to the 2008 Prez election I visited a lot of sites across the ideological spectrum. One in particular, WAPO, a blog under the moniker of a very well known Liberal commentator, always impressed me. When one regular poster opined on how he dreamed/wished for the death of the then sitting occupant of the WH.....there was no response, no admonition, no action whatsoever from either the BLOG monitors or the well known commentator. this was a defining moment for me about what these people...Liberals...are really all about. POT.KETTLE.BLACK.
Submitted by David Sparkman on Wed, 2010-11-24 13:55.
Sounds like this guy is "smarter than your average bear". Now don't get me wrong, I am not advocating shooting anyone much less the President. But at 77, faced with end of life expenses and medical care, this guy has found an all expense paid way of doing it. Threaten the Prez and get a 100% paid for care in a nice federal pen. Like I said, pretty smart guy...
Submitted by Matt1030 on Wed, 2010-11-24 13:55.
Thank you lithead56 for restoring my faith in Americans. The rest of you- I only ask that you think twice before swallowing the blue pill. Republicans and Republican backers seem to think if they wail enough about Obama that we'll forget why we're in this mess in the first place. Please, for the sake of our country- stop swallowing what they're feeding you and start thinking for your selves.
Submitted by shadowwarrior on Thu, 2010-11-25 21:24.
well matt i was actually encouraged by obama when he was a senator in illinois. heard he was pro vet. so i started watching him. i noticed that he always voted present. never yes or no. then he got elected to the fed level. he has a history of running. winning and then running for the next job while not doing the latter job. read the numerous articles in the news gazette. you are entitled to your opinion my friend but facts are facts . even when you try to deny them or hide them.
Submitted by cb6352 on Thu, 2010-11-25 12:15.
were you thinking when you voted for this guy because he conned you? my guess no. like that reporter you got a tingle down your leg when he read a scrolling speech! by the way heard about the lady who was tired of standing up for him, she got canned.
Submitted by ronl11 on Thu, 2010-11-25 02:42.
Matt the democrats caused this mess..scroll up for the links to proof.
Submitted by kazek on Wed, 2010-11-24 13:53.
Wow. I'm quite disturbed at how many people are supporting this nut-job.
Submitted by JungleCogs on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:28.
I agree; at least in 2012 we can get rid of the bum.
Submitted by Flagwaver on Wed, 2010-11-24 13:46.
It's a shame that the people in a VA hospital can't stick to medical procedures. They are required to report such rantings to authorities but before they do, they should consider the source. This old Veteran is only stating what thousands of us think in private. We know assassination, or attempts at it are illegal but we think a lot of illegal thoughts without acting on them. As for the weapons in this man's home, so what! I have several weapons in my home and none of them except an old musket are unloaded. As others have said, an unloaded gun is of no use when the need comes to reach for it. This is just another example of our government trying to disarm the public so they can control us even more. It's one of the first things an enemy does is disarm the public. This was Hitler's intent and was also King George's when he tried to subdue the Revolution that gave birth to our nation. I would honestly have to admit that I have made remarks similar to this old gentleman's but I am fully aware that it isn't the way to resolve our present problems. If the Government considers this Veteran a real threat to the safety of the current resident at the White House, let them have him honestly evaluated by Mental Health professionals. Any such actions should be closely monitored by outside observers to protect him from being railroaded by Federal officials.
Submitted by k1oik on Wed, 2010-11-24 13:42.
@LitHead blaming his troubles on FOX news which didn't exist when Kennedy was president. Also, Kennedy was a life member of the NRA. Oswald was a member of the ACLU. We have yet another liberal shooting at a president. This really blows your hairbrained theory up, douche. No conservative wants violence against an elected official. That is against the Constitution. That is all we are about. Dumbass.
Submitted by lithead56 on Wed, 2010-11-24 13:23.
The previous posters on here sound as crazy as this septuagenarian. It's obvious to the entire rest of the country that you are all listening to a noxious brew of paranoid lies and conspiracy theories promulgated by Fox News and a right-wing "press corps." The sources" that have you all believing in a farrago of lies have been bought and paid for by plutocrats who are trying to get rid of the last vestiges of ANY sort of progressive taxation and fairness in this country. The wealthiest - the top 1% here, those guys with billion dollar incomes, NOT the merely 250K wage earners - the wealthiest are PAYING for this campaign to make Obama into the "Marxist Kenyan Muslim who is trying to destroy America." These guys ROBBED you in the 00s. The economy began to fall apart during the bubble in property after the Bush tax cuts. Now THEY have gotten all the benefits during the past ten years, and the rest of us are left holding the bag. THEY insist that the only way to solve the deficit is to give back everything that our grandparents fought to get for us, including Social Security. But you listen to that biased crap that Fox is PAID to sell you. And you believe it because they tell you "it's fair and balanced." And THEN Fox tells you not to believe anything else that comes from any other source all over the world? The fact that there are three of you all repeating the exact same crazy talk doesn't make it factual. It makes you part of a movement of crazy talkers - a movement that results in you justifying assassination talk against the President. You guys sound exactly like the Right-Wing did before Kennedy was killed. Apparently, that is the Plutocrats' plan - to get easily-manipulated fools like you to get so angry believing this ridiculous crap that one of you KILL the President.
Submitted by ronl11 on Thu, 2010-11-25 02:50.
hey lithead56 Its that top 2% that pays 70% of all the taxes. Teh bottom 47% pay nothing and get a 3500 earned income credit back for kids...whweere you supposed that comes from. It is that top 2% that are the employers in this country of large corporations, that supports the next 10 or 15% of smaller employers. What you going to do if they say I quit and move the Australia or Sweden and say screw it all. Your trying to kick the gift horse in the mouth. I am just an old retired vet, but I know who butters my bread, and it damned sure isnt a democrat. I have never had the opportunity to work for a poor person either. They create nothing, they just take.
Submitted by esh77 on Wed, 2010-11-24 15:08.
To lithead56 and like minds(?). First, even the majority of the media admit a liberal bias. Now as to some of your other points-- some facts: N. Korea committed an act of war against S.Korea (arguably the second) and our Chinese friends who love us (everybody loves Obama) will not lift a finger to help ...Our G20 allies have been warning Obamato stop spending...Russia agreed to START when we agreed not to build a (promised) missile defense system in Eastern Europe. [In return , they gave us NOTHING... China and Russia decided they will no longer recognize the US dollar as the world's currency. Even I would never have believed one person could go so far towards destroying this Country so fast. The facts about Candidate Obama were there, but the media suppressed them. Could you have attended a Church for 20+ years whose leader (your mentor) honored Farrakhan, preached anti-Americanism, anti-Semitism etc and NOT KNOWN it was happening. Either 'O' lied and he knew..OR...he told the truth making him too 'clueless' to govern. As for Kennedy, the 'buzz' focused on Castro, Russia, even LBJ...NOT conservatives. Oswald was a known Communist sympathizer. As for getting the real story from 'the horse's (Oswald's) mouth,' Jack Ruby--a known Democrat--prevented that by killing the 'horse'. No, I don't want to kill the president but I do want him out and am counting the days to the 2012 election. BTW, among all these terrible Wall Street/Capitalists you hate so much, Goldman Sachs would have to be right at the top of the list. So why is it they were the second largest donor to Obama 2008, their PAC has continued to give roughly twice the money to Democrats for 2010, they 'approved' the financial regulation bill and they continue to be among the most frequent viitors to the whitehouse? I could go on...and on...and on...but facts are like kryptonite to the Left. On that note, enjoy your blissful ignorance...you deserve it.
Submitted by IWO VET on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:32.
Lit H couldn`t have said it better .Fying Monkeys ( oops wingers) are brain washed
Submitted by JungleCogs on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:30.
Right, that's why Obama got his shorts handed to him in November. Wait until 2012, Obama will have to find his first real job.
Submitted by Mark Carlton on Wed, 2010-11-24 13:18.
He merely articulated what a few million people in this country are already thinking. Nevertheless, it's impotant that Obama live to serve out his term and cement his legacy as an utter failure and disaster. The last thing this country needs is to have him assassinated and then instantly and incorrectly declared a martyr.
Submitted by shadowwarrior on Thu, 2010-11-25 21:32.
plus if we keep him alive and fill the house with real conservatives we could investigate this farce. try him for treason,dereliction of duty and fraud. isnt the death penalty still used for treason during a time of war.
Submitted by Questionman on Thu, 2010-11-25 01:20.
Typical closet racist and right-winger. Do what you can to justify this act of crime to the point of being ignorant to history. which is why this site was created. http://whattheheckhasobamadonesofar.com/ So people can know the good Obama has done, the ones that have been not reported and facts distored by the racist band of faux news and hate radio ans stupid people like you.
Submitted by cleveland_jimmy on Wed, 2010-11-24 14:39.
@Mark Carlton Here here! This has got to be the best comment I have ever read in a public forum. It is well written, to the point and most of all, accurate. It is rare these days to find someone who can express their opinion in a well-thought-out, intelligent manner without resorting to name-calling. Want proof? Read the comments posted by others. Keep the good work!
Submitted by Questionman on Thu, 2010-11-25 01:24.
You must as ignorant and stupid as this Carlton idiot. there's nothing "accurate" about this BS rant when it's a rant of lies there's nothing "well-thought out" about this BS rant when it's repeated lies there's nothing "intelligent" about this BS rant when it's as stupid as the people who believe it. this is nothing but lies.
Submitted by Ray Walker on Wed, 2010-11-24 13:15.
Come on, the Tea Party people don't support this kind of nuttiness. There are people on the left, like the Weathermen and others, who are nutty, too. Every idea, political, religious, philosophical has their extremists that need meds to function. There are perfectly sane and moral people on all sides of any issue. Let's not make assumptions that are based on partisan idiocies.
Submitted by Ray Walker on Wed, 2010-11-24 13:11.
You people are nuttier than hell. We DON'T shoot/kill presidents no matter how much you dislike them. We are not a Jihadisst nation that settles political and religious arguments with a gun or rope. I voted for McCain and would vote for Palin if she runs against Obama, but I damn sure don't want Obama assassinated. That would be the absolutely worst thing that could happen, beyond your limited abilities to grasp. And I am a Marine combat veteran and right of center politically. Anyone that supports assassination of any political figure is just deranged.
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