Fox host blames egg salad attack on Obama fan Reporting on concerns over Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's safety on the campaign trail, Fox News conflated an egg-salad "attack" on a secret service agent, Obama's sometimes over-eager fans and the assassinations of civil rights leaders in the 1960s.
"Barack Obama has a lot of big fans but one woman went a bit too far, sending his secret service detail into action," Fox's Martha McClullen said Monday. She went on to recap the story of a Texas state capitol employee who became frustrated at a Secret Service agent who wouldn't allow her to return to her office when Obama spoke at the capitol Friday. There's no indication that the woman, 47-year-old Tracy Firsching, was an Obama supporter nor that she was seen as a threat to the candidate. According to the Austin American-Statesman:
The affidavit said Firsching told [the Secret Service officer] that, “You’re going to have to arrest me” and attempted to go past him. Sanders grabbed her by the arm to turn her around when she threw a plastic bowl of egg salad at him and struck him in the face with the bowl, the affidavit said.
Fox's McClullen interviewed House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson about the Secret Service's decision to provide Obama with security protection early in his campaign.
"Sometimes weirdos come out," Thompson said. "If they did, or its anybody else wanted to do harm to him, he would be protected."
During the interview, in which McClullen invoked assassinations of civil rights leaders, Fox showed B-roll of African American demonstrators being sprayed with fire hoses as they fought for equal rights.
This video is from Fox's The Live Desk, broadcast February 26, 2008.
Transcript via closed captions
:: martha: barack obama has a lot of big fans but one woman went too far, sending his secret service detail into action. it was a weird moment. a texas state capitol employee was arrested after she allegedly tried to enter a secure area. when the secret service agent try to turn her around, she threw egg salad at his face. there is a steady undercurrent of safety for barack obama. he was given secret service early but his wife died in that moment which meant that they may have received credible threats. -- the dreaded that moment which meant that they may have credible threats. joining me now is a congressman. why do you feel that barack obama needed extra security early on?
:: given the state of the country, when political campaigns are at a high point, when new players are involved, like senator obama, sometimes weird of os come out. if they did, or its anybody else wanted to do harm to him, he would be protected. in an abundance of caution, i inquired about security and was provided information that said everything was ok. at a later date, we did the same thing for michelle. ibm -- i am glad to say that secret service is doing their job and i am confident they will be provided the best security we can afford.
martha: when you look at the threats out there and you compare it to sell the rights in the 1960' s when we sell assassinations, do you worry about the same kinds of threats?
:: there is no question this campaign is a high energy campaign, historic in a number of ways, and we have to error on the side of caution. what we need to do is make sure security is provided. and given our history, we would not any of -- we would not want any of that history to be repeated. as present -- professionals who provide security for presidential candidates, i am confident that everyone supporting this effort, the resources necessary, are provided as needed.
martha: we were showing some pictures of civil rights strife in the 1960' s to show the difference between then and now. thank you for sharing your concern, congressman. it is tough for a secret service to keep up with all of these candidates.
:: thank you.
 
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