President Obama isn’t used to being challenged while giving one of his endless speeches, but during his speech today at the National Defense University, he found himself at the mercy of Code Pink’s Medea Benjamin.
Tyler Perry's "Madea Goes to a Press Conference".
— Lying Dog Faced Pony Soldier (@leahblizz) May 23, 2013
Benjamin began shouting at the president as he spoke about Gitmo.
Heckler identified herself as a member of Codepink demanding that Pres Obama shut Gitmo now.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) May 23, 2013
Medea Benjamin of @codepink interrupts Obama to raise issue of moratorium on detainee transfers to Yemen
— Kevin Gosztola (@kgosztola) May 23, 2013
But her penchant for shouting is well known, so some are wondering how she managed to get in:
That was Code Pink's Medea Benjamin, saw her in line on way in. Don't get how they miss her.
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) May 23, 2013
@markknoller How did she get in? She's well known as a protester and he's at Ft. McNair. Just anyone can get in and close to POTUS?
— Sunny McSunnyface (@sunnyright) May 23, 2013
https://twitter.com/DanFosterNRO/status/337644239066365952
It was only after several minutes of shouting that she was finally escorted out:
.@medeabenjamin being led out of @BarackObama #NDU speech via @ryanjreilly: http://t.co/nmuEO7Umn1 @bbcbreaking @nytimes @msnbc
— CODEPINK (@codepink) May 23, 2013
Why did Obama engage with her rather than going on with his speech?
Obama to heckler: "This is being part of free speech is you being able to speak, but also me being able to speak and you listening."
— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) May 23, 2013
After all, heckling the president is extremely disrespectful.
C'mon Mr. President…she does not deserve the respect you are showing her. Enough.
— Michael Smerconish (@smerconish) May 23, 2013
Some suspect that this wasn’t a spontaneous protest, so to speak, but that Benjamin was in fact a plant:
https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/337644117947453440
O couldn't answer questions during debates so he had his plant Medea ask a few questions ….
— Sherن (@ZephyrK9) May 23, 2013
Code Pink at speech was so SET UP… no way she'd be allowed to go on several times with out getting the boot. #ObamaPlant #Liars #Phonys
— American-Dreamer (@RememberTruth_) May 23, 2013
https://twitter.com/untwin34/status/337642680769200128
Personally I think @medeabenjamin was a plant so it would look like Obama was being heckled. We know how this Admin feels about plants #IRS
— littlepol (@littlepol) May 23, 2013
https://twitter.com/luvGodncountry/status/337647679326781440
https://twitter.com/JamesBlankens16/status/337643768792612864
https://twitter.com/MeSoBland/status/337646066231042049
“@ryanjreilly: That was Code Pink's Medea Benjamin, saw her in line on way in. Don't get how they miss her.” She was a plant
— T Mills (@agentrevolt) May 23, 2013
Medea Benjamin? SRSLY? At NDU? No once screened for crazy? I'm totally calling bullshit on this one. Feature, not bug.
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) May 23, 2013
In any event, both Obama and Code Pink got what they came for:
How convenient. Code Pink gets attention, Obama gets to look less of foreign policy lunatic than someone else. #winwin
— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) May 23, 2013
And plant or not, we’re guessing that Benjamin won’t face the stiff penalties she’d face if she were a Tea Party member:
BOLOs (be on the lookout) for #teaparty. LTOW (look the other way) for #codepink.
— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) May 23, 2013
The dissenting voice of that heckler from my base is worth listening to — you Tea Partiers, however, get the IRS …
— Andy McCarthy (@AndrewCMcCarthy) May 23, 2013
Maybe if Tea Partyers started wearing giant vagina costumes …
***
Update:
Politico’s Jennifer Epstein reports that Benjamin may have been issued a press pass:
photog at POTUS speech was near Code Pinker in line, says she had a press badge reading "Susan Benjamin" http://t.co/zSHgXvTS1J
— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) May 23, 2013
If that’s that case, that raises another question:
How did Medea Benjamin get a press pass? http://t.co/ff1hl7OEt1 Anyone? Bueller?
— RBe (@RBPundit) May 23, 2013
And another:
Will Obama administration be grabbing phone records to find out how Code Pink leader got a press pass?
— Drew McCoy (@_Drew_McCoy_) May 23, 2013
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