White House fence jumper ruins Obamas’ Thanksgiving dinner

[mountaineer]

That's a shame.

White House fence jumper ruins Obamas’ Thanksgiving dinner
By Marisa Schultz
November 26, 2015 | 4:47pm
NY Post


WASHINGTON — A man jumped the White House fence Thursday afternoon as the First Family was home celebrating Thanksgiving.

The fence jumper was clad in an American flag and stood triumphantly on the White House lawn with both hands in the air, according to a photos posted on social media and aired on CNN.

The Turkey Day jumper, the latest of several high profile presidential security breeches, was immediately apprehended by authorities and the White House placed on lock-down.

The Secret Service had pledged to boost security measures at the executive mansion after an Iraq war veteran scaled the fence in September 2014 and made it all the way into the White House front door with a knife.

Earlier Thursday in his Thanksgiving address, Obama compared the Syrian refugees fleeing ISIS to pilgrims coming to America on the Mayflower.

Since the Paris terrorist attacks Republicans have demanded America shut its doors to Syrian refugees over fear they could be terrorists.

But Obama said refugees receive “the highest security checks of anyone traveling to the United States” and reminded Americas of the spirit of Thanksgiving.

“Nearly four centuries after the Mayflower set sail, the world is still full of pilgrims – men and women who want nothing more than the chance for a safer, better future for themselves and their families,” Obama said.

“What makes America America is that we offer that chance.”

[mountaineer]

Meanwhile, the Obamas were busy trying to starch their clothes from the inside-out, and the do-as-I-say-not-as-I-chow-down-Mooch's butt grew about three sizes:

2015 First Family Thanksgiving Dinner:

Thyme Roasted Turkey
Garlic Jus and Cranberry-Orange Relish
Honey-Baked Ham with Apricot-Mustard Glaze
Prime Rib and Creamed Horseradish
Cornbread Stuffing with Chorizo and Roasted Peppers Oyster Stuffing
Braised Winter Greens (Collards, Kale, and Turnip Greens)
Macaroni and Cheese
Sweet Potato Gratin
Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Fresh Greens
Kale Caesar Salad

Dessert

Banana Cream Pie, Coconut Cream Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie, Pecan Pie, Cherry Pie

[Paladin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe-HQ2-dxv0

[GourmetDan]

 
We need to buy that guy a beer...   

[mountaineer]

He said, ‘All right, let’s do this.’ Then he jumped the White House fence
 By Lynh Bui and Ashley Halsey III
November 26 at 7:03 PM

A man draped in an American flag was taken into custody Thursday afternoon after he jumped the fence of the White House while the first family was inside celebrating Thanksgiving.

Joseph Caputo faces criminal charges after he scaled over the north fence line of the grounds and was immediately apprehended at about 2:45 p.m., according to Robert Hoback, a spokesman for the Secret Service. Officials did not provide details on Caputo’s age, home town or any reason for the jumper’s actions.

The Secret Service did not immediately provide further details of the incident, and officials were working to determine how the man made it past new “pencil-point” spikes added to the White House perimeter earlier this year to deter intruders.

Virginia resident Vanessa Peña was visiting the White House with her sister Thursday afternoon when she saw a man behind them take off his sweatshirt and wrap an American flag around himself.

Peña then heard him take a deep breath before saying, “‘All right, let’s do this.’”

“Then he just ran through us, jumped over the first barricade and went over the fence,” said Peña, who captured photos of the incident. “Right when he landed, he threw his arms in the air and went to his knees.”

Officers and security dogs quickly swarmed the man, who carried a binder in his mouth as he sailed over the fence, and took him into custody, Peña said. The incident lasted no more than five minutes.

Police deployed rapidly, pushing the usual crowd of tourists back through Lafayette Park to H Street. The park and Pennsylvania Avenue were cordoned off for much of the afternoon after the incident. ...

Rest of story at WashPost

[mountaineer]

[mountaineer]

He's just wrapped up very decoratively in the flag. 

I wonder if he is this Joseph Caputo (Facebook page): https://www.facebook.com/Cougar.Caputs
Looks a bit like him. His posts and photos are kind of strange (including one from 11/23 of him standing in front of the White House, wearing a beard which he shaved off on 11/25)

[Carling]

Officers and security dogs quickly swarmed the man, who carried a binder in his mouth as he sailed over the fence, and took him into custody, Peña said. The incident lasted no more than five minutes.

How does one trespass on one's own lawn that I assume he pays taxes to support and maintain?

[EC]

It's Ted Cruz!!!!!

[Carling]

It's Ted Cruz!!!!!

I don't know why but that made me laugh.

If you look real close in the background you can see Jeb Bush rushing to help apprehend this guy.

[mountaineer]

Apparently, the Facebook profile I described above is that of the "jumper."

Lawyer: White House fence-jumper is ‘not militant, not violent’
Washington Post


An attorney for the man who climbed over the White House fence last week said his client was a “good American” who meant no harm but had chosen an un­usual means of delivering proposals to improve government.

Joseph Anthony Caputo, 23, was “not militant, not violent” and definitely not suicidal, although he was portrayed that way in news accounts, said the lawyer, Stephan Seeger.

Although his action renewed concerns about White House security, Caputo, a resident of Stamford, Conn., did not intend to be seen as any sort of menace, Seeger said.

His proposals involved such matters as voting, the judiciary and the separation of powers, Seeger said. Although he did not discuss them in detail, he indicated that they leaned in the direction of expanding the pool of those eligible to cast ballots, and to enlist judges more representative of the public.

Draped in an American flag, Caputo climbed the fence Thursday while the first family was celebrating Thanksgiving and was quickly taken into custody by the Secret Service. He was charged with unlawful entry and sent for a psychiatric evaluation.

The lawyer said Caputo had successfully dealt with Asperger’s syndrome and added that the mental condition is sometimes associated with impulsive behavior. That might have contributed to the decision to climb the fence, Seeger said. But, he said, nobody has spoken to Caputo long enough to find exactly what precipitated his action or its timing.

In support of his assertions that Caputo presented no threat, Seeger noted how quick he was to surrender. He also said he quickly dropped what he carried, a binder with his written suggestions for improvements to the Constitution and American government.

Caputo’s act, the lawyer suggested, was more akin to a sit-in or other nonviolent demonstration intended to call attention to ideas rather than to pose a threat.

Seeger challenged suggestions that Caputo intended to die. What writings he left behind had been wrongly characterized, the lawyer said. “None of the information I have before me suggests he wanted to take his own life in any way,” Seeger said.

When he was reached Sunday, Seeger — who practices criminal law in the New York City area — was on his way to Washington, where he expected to appear Monday on Caputo’s behalf.

In climbing the fence Thursday, Caputo surmounted or avoided the pencil-style spikes that had been recently affixed to deter such acts.

The lawyer said Caputo had been studying criminal justice at the University of Bridgeport and trained in the martial arts.

[mountaineer]

WASHINGTON (WUSA9 via USA Today) -- In court, Joseph Caputo turned to his mother and mouthed the words "I love you." He was shackled, but wearing the same clothing he had on Thanksgiving when he jumped the White House fence, reports WUSA-TV.

The distraught mother of White House fence jumper Caputo said nothing as she left D.C. Superior Court surrounded by reporters.

Caputo jumped the fence with an American flag draped over him like a cape and a binder of papers between his teeth. He immediately put his hands up and then lay on the ground, as the Secret Service moved in. ...

Charging documents reveal that while in custody, Caputo told agents, "l love my country" and "l knew I would be locked up." Officers confiscated an American Flag, a flash drive in the form of a 'Captain America' shield, a pocket guide to the Constitution, and weightlifting gloves.

The documents also reveal Caputo left behind a suicide note in the Virginia home where he'd been staying. It said, "Death is a natural part of life." Caputo's mother also provided officers with a "Last Will and Testament" prepared by Caputo and an audio message in which he tells his mother "something will happen and he may or may not be able to see her again."

Caputo was released to the custody of the Secret Service and will undergo a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation at St. Elizabeth's Hospital.

In 2011, when Caputo was a high school senior, a Connecticut newspaper published a glowing feature on his success, despite having Asperger's syndrome. At the time, Caputo said he dreamed of studying study criminal justice. Now, he's learning about it firsthand. He'll be in federal court on Monday.

The Secret Service put new, temporary security measures in place last summer.

[aligncare]

It's Ted Cruz!!!!!

That got a big giggle out of me!