Obama Assassination Plot Foiled!

[Azazal]

Incredible that they were planning to shot him from that far away.

Until I can get more details on the rifles they had other then high power with a scope, I'm thinking they were a little ambitious on that shot.

[Broomstick]

I haven't read of an actual moving vehicle going up yet, but I have read of several people being busted for having a meth lab setup in their vehicles.

We've had car trunk meth labs explode while moving in the my area. Just a few. Also, rear-ending of those can be very bad for the health of all concerned.

Meth labs also tend to be more rural because they STINK. It's a very distinctive reek somewhat like a cat box gone bad. Rural areas have space - set up a meth lab in a city tenement the neighbors will know if they have any sense of smell at all. Out in the boonies, you can locate one kilometers from other people.

Back to the OP, I'm not entirely surprised someone of (apparent) rural origins would have something capable as a "sniper" rifle - it sounds basically like they had really good hunting rifles which, of course, are as effective against humans as deer.

Beyond that - fortunately, drugs not only tend to make people high, they tend to fuck up their planning ability and generally make them stupid. Thus, assholes like these are more likely to be caught prior to carrying out Nasty Plans than sober individuals. That doesn't, however, mean they're less dangerous.

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

Incredible that they were planning to shot him from that far away.

Until I can get more details on the rifles they had other then high power with a scope, I'm thinking they were a little ambitious on that shot.

Agreed, unless we hear the terms 'Sniper School' and '.338 Lapua Magnum', which are both beaucoup Beaucoup BEAUCOUP Expensive. Add tweek to the equation, and it won't matter how well the rifle performs. You thought Caffeine jitters were bad?

P.S. 'High power' in MSMese means essentially any centerfire cartridge with bottle-shaped brass. Yes, that includes .223 Mousegun rounds, which are tiny in the grand scheme of things. Even a good 9mm Parabellum hollowpoint will do more damage to a soft target (read: anything soft, squishy, and pink on the inside and isn't wearing a vest). Granted, the .223 Mousegun will punch a vest-wearer's card in nearly any shooting scenario where the 9mm slug would just go splat against the vest, but that's a function of small long bullet driven at high velocity.

I bet the 'Sniper Rifle' captured was a .308 or .30-06 deer rifle with a bipod. Either way, you'd be very hard-pressed to hit a man at three quarters of a klick without serious training and upgrades to the rifle, the least of which would be a match-grade barrel and ammo, which is again Expensive.

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

Video sez it's a .22-250 More info on the .22-250 Remington. this chart implies that 750 yards is a bit much to ask, as bullet drop becomes excessive past four hundred yards.

As for the guy, DAAAAAAMMMMN he looks TWEEKED. Hope he rolls over for the law and helps put these bastards away!

[loomer]

A .22-250? That's rather optimistic, even assuming a hit. You'd have to get lucky to cause a fatal injury, and pierce the intestines in the wrong place, the heart, a major artery, or the brain.

[Azazal]

Video sez it's a .22-250 More info on the .22-250 Remington. this chart implies that 750 yards is a bit much to ask, as bullet drop becomes excessive past four hundred yards.

As for the guy, DAAAAAAMMMMN he looks TWEEKED. Hope he rolls over for the law and helps put these bastards away!

Well at least that counts for high powered, I was having visions of the media calling a Wal-Mart bought 22 as high-powered. Yeah, 22-250 at 750 yards, sure whatever, but this was the claim of meth-head hillbillie white trash man, so I'm really not putting much faith in it.

[FSTargetDrone]

Dunno - Biden made some crack last night about still being "allowed" to take Amtrak, but I was falling asleep so I didn't quite catch it.

In theory, it should be possible, but the inconvenience to other travelers may make it prohibitive. While some senators do take public conveyances (Amtrak, commercial flights, cabs, etc.) presidential candidates take non-commercial airplanes/helicopters and private limos for practical reasons.

Assuming Obama/Biden win, Biden will have access to Air Force Two/Marine Two and will probably not be taking Amtrak any longer.

It really seems to be too much of a risk the now-vice presidential candidate to be taking public transit. While I admire him doing so, it just doesn't seem safe.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Ever since Robert Kennedy was shot while running for office the US secret service has handled the security for the nominees and, in some cases, even before that. Mr. Obama has had secret service protection for several months now, if I recall correctly.

Speaking of candidates, I'm guessing that Biden is no longer taking the train to and from work?

Dunno - Biden made some crack last night about still being "allowed" to take Amtrak, but I was falling asleep so I didn't quite catch it.

In theory, it should be possible, but the inconvenience to other travelers may make it prohibitive. While some senators do take public conveyances (Amtrak, commercial flights, cabs, etc.) presidential candidates take non-commercial airplanes/helicopters and private limos for practical reasons.

Assuming Obama/Biden win, Biden will have access to Air Force Two/Marine Two and will probably not be taking Amtrak any longer.

They normally don't open up the long-distance trains on the Corridor to intra-corridor passengers, but if the Secret Service arranged to make a special exception they could get him into a sealed sleeping car compartment which would be quite luxurious for the journey from Delaware to D.C. and back and still provide a reasonable degree of protection.

[TithonusSyndrome]

Adolf? Swastika ring? Ties to white supremacist groups? Oh good lord, the cliches hear read like a bad Palonie novel...

And the fuckers had meth on top. GOD DAMN tweekers! They're worse than crackheads. At least a crackhead will stick to stealing your stereo; these shitbirds want to steal the entire fucking future of America!

Can't say I'm overly familiar with the difference, aside from the fact that Meth has a bunch of stuff in it that comes from over the counter/prescription drugs, and if some of the intake photos I've seen are accurate, absolutely screws you up.

I can tell you from experience that the effects of meth last a lot longer. Crackheads blaze, act nutty, come down and then scrabble about looking for more; methheads blaze or pound a rail and don't come down for hours. It's fairly easy to stay up overnight on your first trip.

[SirNitram]

Speaking of candidates, I'm guessing that Biden is no longer taking the train to and from work?

Dunno - Biden made some crack last night about still being "allowed" to take Amtrak, but I was falling asleep so I didn't quite catch it.

In theory, it should be possible, but the inconvenience to other travelers may make it prohibitive. While some senators do take public conveyances (Amtrak, commercial flights, cabs, etc.) presidential candidates take non-commercial airplanes/helicopters and private limos for practical reasons.

Assuming Obama/Biden win, Biden will have access to Air Force Two/Marine Two and will probably not be taking Amtrak any longer.

They normally don't open up the long-distance trains on the Corridor to intra-corridor passengers, but if the Secret Service arranged to make a special exception they could get him into a sealed sleeping car compartment which would be quite luxurious for the journey from Delaware to D.C. and back and still provide a reasonable degree of protection.

Is it wrong to hope he continues to take Amtrak? Honestly, the boost it'd get from such a big-name passenger would only help it's political leverage as it continues to grow in ridership.

[Death from the Sea]

if they were seriously planning on using the .22-250 at 750 yards, even though their threat was real, it was not credible, if that makes sense.

It takes serious knowledge to make that kind of shot.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Is it wrong to hope he continues to take Amtrak? Honestly, the boost it'd get from such a big-name passenger would only help it's political leverage as it continues to grow in ridership.

You know, I was thinking about security concerns, but it has the kind of 'doing our part' for alternative transportation feel that I get when I read stories about how they grazed sheep on the White House Lawn during WWII.

I hope he keeps riding.

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

if they were seriously planning on using the .22-250 at 750 yards, even though their threat was real, it was not credible, if that makes sense.

It takes serious knowledge to make that kind of shot.

Prosecute the bastards anyway. Make an example of them so that everyone will unequivocally get it through their thick skulls that no racist meth head with a gun and delusions of grandeur will ever be allowed to stand in the way of Progress!

[Isolder74]

I haven't read of an actual moving vehicle going up yet, but I have read of several people being busted for having a meth lab setup in their vehicles.

The shit's a very real problem and that's why while I don't really care for having to sign a register and show ID in order to buy Nyquil, I'm not viscerally opposed to the idea either.

I'm not either. I knew a kid when I was 12 that had made a habit of stealing Robitussen DM to get drunk on. Supposedly this was because the beer was too hard to conceal and the state liquor store was to well watched for the hard core stuff. Of course he almost ODed on the cough medicine in it.....

[Death from the Sea]

if they were seriously planning on using the .22-250 at 750 yards, even though their threat was real, it was not credible, if that makes sense.

It takes serious knowledge to make that kind of shot.

Prosecute the bastards anyway. Make an example of them so that everyone will unequivocally get it through their thick skulls that no racist meth head with a gun and delusions of grandeur will ever be allowed to stand in the way of Progress!

oh, I agree that they should be screwed to the max. After all they were planning to try, I just don't think they had the know how or skill to pull it off.

[Pelranius]

I don't suppose these people have any like to the wonderful Mr. Card by any chance?