by Mark Silva
The Bush twins gave the Secret Service a run for their money in the White House, according to a new book about the job of protecting the president.
Author Ronald Kessler claims Barbara and Jenna Bush put the Secret Service through its paces: "Jenna would purposely try to lose her protection by going through red lights or by jumping in her car without telling agents where she was going,'' Kessler writes, according to a preview of the book in the New York Post. "As a result, in a total waste of manpower, the Secret Service kept her car under surveillance so agents could follow her.''
"The author claims that at a 2005 Halloween party, Henry Hager, Jenna's boyfriend and soon-to-be-hubby, got so drunk the Secret Service took him to Georgetown University Hospital. He also got boozed up with Jenna in a Georgetown bar and picked a fight with several other patrons, with agents having to intervene to avoid a brawl.''
Asked if Barbara, Jenna, or Hager had any comment, Sally McDonough, Laura Bush's press secretary, told Kessler, "I am making a formal request that you do not include any of this nonsense in your book."
In another book, Bush's Law, New York Times reporter Eric Lichtblau wrote that the Secret Service worked with Mexican government agents to help a 19-year-old Jenna Bush go on a bar-hopping trip south of the border. The story was set to run in a major newspaper on Sept. 12, 2001, the Huffington Post notes, but it was never published.
Kessler, a former reporter for the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, now writes for the conservative website Newsmax. His book, In the President's Secret Service: Behind the Scenes with Agents in the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect, comes out inext month.









Comments
Learn a lesson from your father's example:
STAY ON THE BOOZE
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport | July 20, 2009 1:12 PM
A bird in the hand is worth 2 Bushes. (and 3 Inkies)
Posted by: mort | July 20, 2009 1:26 PM
Nobody parties like the religious right.
Posted by: bill r. | July 20, 2009 1:28 PM
Their dad is an alcoholic, none of this is a surprise. And it's not news.
Posted by: Paul | July 20, 2009 1:38 PM
Why don't you report on Michelle Obama's $700 Lanvin shoes that she wore to a food kitchen?
Yea, wear $700 gym shoes to a place where people who are homeless need food to survive. Good choice on attire.
Posted by: Tracey | July 20, 2009 1:42 PM
Asked if Barbara, Jenna, or Hager had any comment, Sally McDonough, Laura Bush's press secretary, told Kessler, "I am making a formal request that you do not include any of this nonsense in your book."
Translation: "Of course it's all true. Just don't print it.
I can't knock the Twins. There's no way they wanted their father to be POTUS either. They used to have money and freedom and ended up with money and no way to enjoy it. Just two more lives ruined by GWB. Take a number.
Posted by: a blinkin | July 20, 2009 1:49 PM
I'm just glad this group of morons are out of the White House.
Posted by: JOE | July 20, 2009 2:09 PM
Thanks for this article. Maybe next you can write something about a Republican saying "fried chicken" in reference to a black person, or a comment about Sarah Palin's expense account? We need more of this.
Posted by: Jeremy - Chicago | July 20, 2009 2:14 PM
Do the children of former presidents continue to get Secret Service protection?
Posted by: Kathleen | July 20, 2009 2:28 PM
Why don't you report on Michelle Obama's $700 Lanvin shoes that she wore to a food kitchen?
Yea, wear $700 gym shoes to a place where people who are homeless need food to survive. Good choice on attire.
Posted by: Tracey | July 20, 2009 1:42 PM
Not that your post has anything whatsoever to do with this topic, but did Michelle tell you how much her shoes cost, or did you find out about this deeply important issue in the "liberal media?"
Posted by: a blinkin | July 20, 2009 2:29 PM
And . . . you failed to mention Obama's admission to using and hint at selling cocaine, as noted in "The Audacity of Hope," why??????
No, you're not biased. Not at all.
Posted by: Joe Dusek | July 20, 2009 2:32 PM
Gee, two pretty young girls acting like two pretty young girls--what a surprise. Who ever said the President's kids had to be saints? Can't wait to hear all the untold stories about Bill Clinton's adventures--not that we haven't seen enough of them already. And to all the sanctimonious Bush haters out there--at least he never took a "date night " in NYC at the taxpayer's expense.
Posted by: Michael Verta | July 20, 2009 2:34 PM
You tell'em Tracey. Why aren't they reporting about Mrs. Obama's shoes? Yes, the story is months old and was reported at the time, but reporting on something timely that doesn't agree with a person's political biases is outrageous!
Posted by: Dan Morrison | July 20, 2009 2:34 PM
To a blinkin, just how were their lives ruined by GW Bush? They seem to be doing pretty good these days. I committed some highjinks myself as a teenager. Difference was I wasn't hounded by the press. Only idiots take this for more than it is worth.
Posted by: chris | July 20, 2009 2:39 PM
Great job, Mark.
Don't write about how Obama fired Inspector Generals who got to close to a political ally's fraud. Don't write about the million dollar "stimulus" hams.
Don't mention the trial of Dem Congressman "cold cash" Jefferson. Or Dem Congressman Charlie Rangel's frauds.
Instead, go after what's really important--the bar hopping of an ex-president's daughters.
Posted by: Left wing nutter | July 20, 2009 2:57 PM
doesn't surprise me - they always seemed like spoiled, ignorant brats!!!
Posted by: sara | July 20, 2009 2:57 PM
Right on Michale Verta! GWB never took personal trips anywhere on the taxpayer dime. Only that no-good Obama. And where's his brith certificate?
Posted by: Roger Mason | July 20, 2009 2:58 PM
If this is true, what difference does it make. Michelle Obama paid for the shoes! The Bush twins didn't pay for their Secret Service protection.
Why don't you report on Michelle Obama's $700 Lanvin shoes that she wore to a food kitchen?
Yea, wear $700 gym shoes to a place where people who are homeless need food to survive. Good choice on attire.
Posted by: Tracey | July 20, 2009 1:42 PM
Posted by: High Pockets | July 20, 2009 3:04 PM
Why don't you report on Michelle Obama's $700 Lanvin shoes that she wore to a food kitchen?
Yea, wear $700 gym shoes to a place where people who are homeless need food to survive. Good choice on attire.
Posted by: Tracey | July 20, 2009 1:42 PM
$700 shoes? Who wears such trash? I wouldn't be caught dead in shoes that cheap even in a soup kitchen.
Michelle should tatke my example when it comes to elite dressing, even when when doing charitble acts. At the Republican Convention, I was asked to ask for contributions from the little people for hurricane relief. The outfit I wore to do it cost over $300,000 . I felt I owed it to the little people to give them a taste of the good life when I asked them to give until it hurts. The upper crust does have a responsibilty to the lower classes to dress the part. Michelle really needs to learn to act like us old money elitists.
Posted by: Cindy McCain | July 20, 2009 3:07 PM
I wasn't aware that Secret Service agents protecting presidential kids, and apparently their significant others, are also supposed to be babysitters fending off self-inflicted stupidity, such as the Bush's new son-in-law ...
Posted by: AB | July 20, 2009 3:08 PM
It takes an awful lot of stupid to get kicked out of Argentina, even Mark Sanford couldn't do that.
BUSH TWINS KICKED OUT OF ARGENTINA:
http://wonkette.com/217391/breaking-bush-twins-kicked-out-of-argentina/
Posted by: lovemyselfbetterthanyou | July 20, 2009 3:14 PM
@Chris:
You answered your own question. It was only because he became president that they were "hounded by the press" and otherwise scrutinized in a way that never would have occurred otherwise.
True, they have not had any limbs blown off, so in that sense their daddy did not ruin their lives like he did hundreds of thousands of others.
Again, I have nothing against the twins. I have no problem with their partying.
Posted by: a blinkin | July 20, 2009 3:20 PM
"Why don't you report on Michelle Obama's $700 Lanvin shoes that she wore to a food kitchen? Yea, wear $700 gym shoes to a place where people who are homeless need food to survive. Good choice on attire."
Posted by: Tracey
Um. Because the article is not about Michelle Obama. Wake up.
Posted by: craig | July 20, 2009 3:26 PM
I'll bet the twins saw more action in their years in the White House than poor little Chelsea will ever see in her life! But then Chelsea's dad more than made up that.
Posted by: Devil's Advocate | July 20, 2009 3:27 PM
Chelsea's Dad was not in the party of family values and this article is not about the clinton's, Obama's it is about the guy that was the leader of the party of moral values, the one that lied about the mission accomplished photo op, you originally said the navy wanted to honor him and it turned out that they had the ship moved off the coast near San Diego and the white house actually sent over the mission accomplished banner but that is not what they originally told us, you want to play that game? you more examples?
Posted by: dale folts | July 20, 2009 3:45 PM
Wow. I think that Obama is going to have one heck of a time with Malia. She already looks and acts like she is 20 and acts like she is entitled to whatever she wants.
Posted by: jacque | July 20, 2009 3:45 PM
Wow. I think that Obama is going to have one heck of a time with Malia. She already looks and acts like she is 20 and acts like she is entitled to whatever she wants.
Posted by: jacque |
Malia looks and acts like she's 20???
you need to stop inhaling.....
Posted by: wtf??? | July 20, 2009 4:07 PM
Jacque, I just love you conservative righties. You throw garbage around without any consideration for the truth. Please give us an example of Malia's acting as though she feels as though she's "ENTITLED"! Hmmm, can you do that for us dearie?
Posted by: Fed Up with Righties | July 20, 2009 4:08 PM
I wasn't aware that Secret Service agents protecting presidential kids, and apparently their significant others, are also supposed to be babysitters fending off self-inflicted stupidity, such as the Bush's new son-in-law ...
because the President's daughters are terrorist targets, and even so they are still entitled to their civil liberties. I'm not thrilled at the fact that they chose to act like drunken teenagers, but short of putting them in prison there isn't a lot that can be done about it..
Posted by: reality check | July 20, 2009 4:12 PM
Dale - Don't have a cow! This article is about president's kids... not about your lack of understanding the English language!
Posted by: Devil's Advocate | July 20, 2009 4:13 PM
Wow - what a real waste of money this was - and "a total waste of manpower". Just like Obama's term so far. I hope all you liberal sheep are enjoying record government spending! What's the worst that can happen when Democrats have all the power??? Just ask California, Illinois, Michigan... Soon you will all be "hoping" for "change"...
Posted by: hof | July 20, 2009 4:24 PM
Don't have a cow! This article is about president's kids... not about your lack of understanding the English language!
Posted by: Devil's Advocate | July 20, 2009 4:13 PM
-------------------------------------
.
Teresa,
This article is called: "BUSH TWINS secret service nightmare".
It's not about all of the presidents kids, it's about BUSH'S......and it's not about your lack of understanding the English language!
Posted by: Kathy | July 20, 2009 4:25 PM
How about the picture of her with the peace sign shirt with a guy who looks like puff daddy and her expensive J crew wardrobe?
Wait a few years and you will see.
Posted by: jacque | July 20, 2009 4:29 PM
Who cares. This article is stupid, HS kids acting as such? Why is this a book? I am sure the Secret Service tales of following the actual Presidents is 1000x more interesting than this.
Posted by: Um | July 20, 2009 4:41 PM
"Bush twins: Secret Service 'nightmare?"
More drunk and stupid Republicans? I'm SHOCKED!.....not
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFGit_tZDqs
.
Posted by: Drunk, Stupid and Republican is no way to go through life, son | July 20, 2009 4:47 PM
All those looking for Obama dirt, click on the links; the author's already delving into the Obama secrets for the next book.
Posted by: Mich | July 20, 2009 5:05 PM
Earth to all you who wonder why this article isn't bashing Obama?
It's about the SECRET SERVICE and what it goes through to protect the president and his family. DUH.
Posted by: eddie | July 20, 2009 5:09 PM
The Bush twins when they mis-behaved were 17 or older, as considered in most states as adults. I'm just glad that I didn't have SS protection when I was 16...I'd always be in trouble.
I say not fair tattling on the girls...it's just heresay anyway. They can deny it all unless they have photos.
Posted by: lochnesssmonster | July 20, 2009 5:18 PM
Right on Michale Verta! GWB never took personal trips anywhere on the taxpayer dime. Only that no-good Obama. And where's his brith certificate?
Posted by: Roger Mason | July 20, 2009 2:58 PM
Yeah, Bush only took four-week vacations to his Crawford ranch.
Posted by: Juno | July 20, 2009 5:48 PM
9/11 was a cover-up to prevent the HuffPo story from being published!!!!!
Posted by: DS | July 20, 2009 5:58 PM
The Secret Service provided protection for Chelsea Clinton while she was at Stanford.
The Secret Service provides protection for Mrs. Obama's brother, a basketball coach for Oregon State, as well as the Obama daughters.
As an aside, Ron Kessler tells the story, in a previous book, that Hillary became so angry at Bill that she tossed a briefing book at him!
Protection for all but the President and the spouse ends when the President leaves office.
Eleanor Mondale described her feelings when she awakened on the morning of January 21, 1981, and realized that her Secret Service guards were no longer there. She said that it was frightening -- at least for a brief period of time.
A difficulty the Secret Service has, since they are sworn law enforcement officers, is when someone breaks the law, as when Jenna was ticketed for underage drinking while at the University of Texas.
Posted by: retiree | July 20, 2009 6:02 PM
Ok, $700 shoes, so what, and so what about the twins having some fun. All you guys are ridiculous, I'd still be in jail 50 years later if I'd have been caught pulling the hi jinks that I did...sure glad I had a heavy hitter Republican Dad, or I'd have been screwed!
Posted by: Randall Nixon | July 20, 2009 7:06 PM
Let's see...
China is our biggest creditor.
North Korea is testing nuclear weapons.
Obama has quadrupled the deficit.
Unemployment is 9.5%.
So this "journalist" has focused on..... Bush! And not Bush, but Bush's daughters.
What's Obama's approval index again? -7? -8?
I think I see why!
Posted by: OSD | July 20, 2009 9:14 PM
GWB never took personal trips anywhere on the taxpayer dime. Only that no-good Obama. And where's his brith certificate?
Posted by: Roger Mason | July 20, 2009 2:58 PM
Are you just acting stupid or just a typical Republican Moron?
Bush took more personal vacations than any other President in history so tell me Roger who paid for his flights back and forth? We did! And as for your really ignorant remark about President Obamas birth certificat, how many copies do you need before youbelieve them? MORON!
Posted by: Scot S. Blakeley | July 20, 2009 9:26 PM
It's good to see someone had fun during the Bush administration.
Posted by: SteveO | July 20, 2009 9:36 PM
It's good to see someone had fun during the Bush administration.
Posted by: SteveO | July 20, 2009 10:12 PM
Mexican bar hopping ? did she get to see the donkey show or was it a buisness trip? securing green cards for the party would be my guess. did i say that out loud ,yes i did 12.000000 ml elegal aliens in the country i would have stayed at the show it would have cost us americans less
Posted by: JAMES BRYAN | July 20, 2009 10:22 PM
wonder if they were ever on the autobahn ? boozers aint losers
Posted by: cool writer near chicago | July 21, 2009 12:03 AM
wonder if they were ever on the autobahn ? boozers aint losers
Posted by: cool writer near chicago | July 21, 2009 12:03 AM
Nice looking, fun loving, and around college age/early to mid 20's...what's the problem? I have no problem with the story, but why are all the comments so negative...probably b/c all you naysayers were a bunch of toothpick armed losers throughout childhood and college. No? Then why don't you recognize the fun these two were having?
Posted by: Chris | July 21, 2009 12:28 AM
The $700 shoes worn by Michelle Obama does not trump the $300,000 outfit worn by Mr. McCains wife.
Obama's supposedly using and selling of cocaine if true, which I doubt, does not trump the picking up of Kilo grams of cocaine then killing someone to cover it up (Iran Contra).
For a party to preach such family values and then can't even spread those morals to their family, how can they expect to spread them to society. All of those comments about Obama are not as relevant as he doesnt try to put up this front. And yeah, Bush has done a lot with tax payer dollars similar and maybe even worse than Obama's vacations.
Then you want to provide excuses for the girls wild behavior. When you are rich and young you commit crimes like DUI, run around nake din Argentina and have drinking problems. So in other words your saying that most teenagers are a product of their environment and too leave them alone cause what they do reflects the fact that they want to live a life and have fun and those crimes reflect that.
However you all dont want to provide any excuses or feel empathy when poor impoverished youth commit crimes relating to drugs, murder and other violence, which reflect their environment and the society that they are forced to live in as they are born into those environments.
Yeah you might say underage drinking and selling drugs or joining gangs are two separate yet totally different crimes but then growing up rich with your father the president and having the secret service protect you is not the same as living under racism, poorly funded school systems, lack of job education and being surrounded by crime and violence. If the Bush twins are like that now, lets just image how they would be if they grew up in the many impoverished neighborhoods around the world.
Posted by: Candyman | July 21, 2009 2:14 AM
These agents recently wrote a book Secret Service Nightmare in which many secrets about Bush twins are revealed. It is very interest that those famous are always sold by their servers, such as Diana.
More from: http://handbagsblog.insanejournal.com
Posted by: Bush twins | July 21, 2009 2:47 AM
Lanvin shoes?
Check out what the security bubble costs.
It doesn't matter because the President is Head of State.
Like Elizabeth II and Pope Benedict (papal territories somewhat shrunken since 16th century, but head of state nevertheless).
Check out the Queen's footwear.
Check out the Pope's ruby slippers.
You'll find they cost a lot more than Lanvin shoes.
Just get used to the fact that Barack is the Head of State, in addition to being CEO.
People in other countries seem to like him a lot!
Posted by: ornery | July 21, 2009 8:11 AM
The Bush women were 19 when their dad was sworn in as POTUS, not by any stretch of the imagination "girls", young, but not 10 yrs, 9 yrs, ect.
Posted by: Lisabeth | July 21, 2009 8:21 AM
I guess the media is taking a short vacation from trashing Sarah Palin and her kids so they are using the break to drag up stories trashing Bush's daughters. Pathetic. Democrat kids are off limits. Republican kids are fair game. Then the media wonders why newspaper and magazine subscriptions are dropping like a rock. Earth to liberal media you are alienating about half your potential readers with your one sided and baised coverage. Your so far in the tank for Obama you need scuba gear.
Posted by: Steve Johnson | July 21, 2009 8:42 AM
Democrat kids are off limits. Republican kids are fair game. Then the media wonders why newspaper and magazine subscriptions are dropping like a rock.
Posted by: Steve Johnson | July 21, 2009 8:42 AM
Hey Short-Term-Memory wingnut, AMy Carter and Chelsea Clinton were constantly attacked by the right wing media. Even your '' I dont know much about the economy' McCain made a jab at Chelsea and had to apologize!!
And as for the shrinking magazine and newspaper subscriptions, um ever hear of the internet you MORON!!!!
Posted by: Scot S. Blakeley | July 21, 2009 9:29 AM
Scot, I think that Roger was being tongue-in-cheek in his post that you jumped all over.
Irony-challenged, much?
Posted by: DaveB | July 21, 2009 10:08 AM
Posted by: DaveB | July 21, 2009 10:08 AM
Yes I see that now, thanks for the input. Sorry I just get so worked up!
Posted by: Scot S. Blakeley | July 21, 2009 1:39 PM
Chips off the ol' blockhead. Maybe in 30 years one of them can replace W as the worst president of all time.
Posted by: Daniel V | July 22, 2009 3:56 PM
I cannot stand GW and hate even more what he did to this. country. But, LEAVE HIS CHILDREN ALONE. I know a young woman who was at Yale with one of the girls - reports she was a real nice kid. So they did some partying, who didn't? If I had the Secret Service following me while I was trying to date, I'd find all sorts of ways to lose them. As far as the comments about what can be inferred by how Obama's kids "look", OMG!!! Get a life.
Posted by: Shirley | July 22, 2009 5:20 PM