The American Spectator

“1. The Department of Defense shall support the national security of the United States by maintaining an effective nuclear deterrent while protecting the public health, safety, and environment. For that reason, nuclear-weapons require special consideration because of their policy implications and military importance, their destructive power, and the political consequences of an accident or an unauthorized act. The safety, security, control, and effectiveness of nuclear weapons are of paramount importance to the security of the United States…

“Only those personnel who have demonstrated the highest degree of individual reliability for allegiance, trustworthiness, conduct, behavior, and responsibility shall be allowed to perform duties associated with nuclear weapons, and they shall be continuously evaluated for adherence to PRP standards…

“illicit drugs such as heroin, heroin derivatives, cocaine, ‘crack,’ phencyclidine (PCP), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), ‘ecstasy,’ or other ‘designer’ drugs, amphetamines, barbiturates, or other narcotic drugs not prescribed by proper medical authorities, and anabolic steroids shall render an individual ineligible for admission to or retention in PRP duties. The individual shall not be certified into the program or shall be permanently decertified, and those actions shall be made a matter of permanent record…” (DODD 5210.42 Nuclear Weapons Personnel Reliability Program [PRP]).

Barack Obama is unfit for command.
— E. Patrick Mosman
Pleasantville, New York

As a Radioman (Seaman 3rd Class at the time) in the Navy I was cleared for the highest level of security in the handling of encrypted messages and encryption communication equipment. As Mr. Wittman describes, my family and friends told me they had been visited and talked to by investigators before that clearance was granted. I have no doubt had my associations even approached Barack Obama’s, I would have been kept out of that very secretive arena.
— Jim Jackson

I have to ask George Wittman if he is so dense as to think the CIA, FBI, DOD and Secret Service haven’t vetted this guy extensively? I ain’t voting for him, but the whole premise of the article is based on ZERO facts and only the opinion of the writer.
 
As bad as the Liberal media is at spinning things, you have to go and outright make things up, which is even worse. You should be ashamed of yourselves. I hope you pray for God’s forgiveness tonight and that he might give you the strength to find and write about the truth.
— Andrew Zabilla

How in the world can Obama run for president, without his background with drugs and connections being checked? How much scrutiny do Congress people get? Please air this as much as possible, to find out why they aren’t checked, completely, from birth certificate, schooling, on up, as we don’t want to be living in a socialist/communist nation.
— The Moore Family
Newark, Ohio

My husband applied for a job at the CIA in 1967. We had to be in Washington for three days of interrogation and interviews. Included in this ordeal were lie detector tests, a psychiatric examination and many months of investigation during which they questioned practically everyone we ever knew or lived near. Obama never, never would have passed the entrance exam for the CIA, because of the nefarious characters that he “palled around” with. My husband did receive an offer; the letter for which is proudly in his collection, but he turned down the job; they didn’t pay enough money for us to afford to live in the DC area, even at that time.
— Bette S.
Miami, Florida

When I was in the Marine Corps, I worked in a communication center and had to have a top secret clearance. The investigators talked with everyone of my school teachers back to first grade. They also talked to all of my neighbors at every address that I had lived. They also talked with anyone that my neighbors said was my friend. I couldn’t believe how thorough they were. How can they just hand over top secrets material to someone that hasn’t gone through any investigation?
— Kenneth W. Breeden, Sr.
Sweetwater, Tennesse

Great article. I am a member of the U.S. Army and have a secret clearance and currently going through the top secret phase. I also edit the Topix website on U.S. Politics and Baghdad. Many soldiers have raised this question on there and all of us agree with you. Needless to say I did post a link for your article on Topix.
— Sgt. Nathan Fernandez
Coraopolis, Pennsylvania

TAX…GIFTS?
Re: Philip Klein’s Searching for Obama’s 95 Percent: