Twitter erupts after Obama is HECKLED during national security speech by CODEPINK founder Medea Benjamin

  • 'Next Tyler Perry movie: "Medea goes to Gitmo"'
  • 'Never a drone when you need one!'
  • 'Don't they have better crowd control at National Defense University?'
  • 'Why do all Code Pink protesters look like frizzy-headed meth addicts?'

By David Martosko In Washington

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CODEPINK founding president Medea Benjamin interrupted President Barack Obama three times as he delivered a national security speech Thursday at National Defense University in Washington, D.C.

Medea is known for her antics in pursuit of an anti-war agenda for the United States and other Western nations. Her organization held a protest outside the speech site, and she managed to be admitted personally to the event despite her notoriety and a strong U.S. Secret Service presence.

Obama sparred with her, insisting that she let him finish his comments, but she interrupted him a total of three times before security escorted her out.

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Benjamin repeatedly disrupts Obama's speech about the White House's counter terrorism policy, including drone strikes and the future of the American prison at Guantanamo Bay

Benjamin repeatedly disrupts Obama's speech about the White House's counter terrorism policy, including drone strikes and the future of the American prison at Guantanamo Bay

Obama grew frustrated with CODEPINK founder Medea Benjamin as she shouted at him from the back of the auditorium during his speech about national security

Obama grew frustrated with CODEPINK founder Medea Benjamin as she shouted at him from the back of the auditorium during his speech about national security

Alex Burns of Politico suggested, tongue-in-cheek, that Benjamin could be headed to GITMO herself

Alex Burns of Politico suggested, tongue-in-cheek, that Benjamin could be headed to GITMO herself

Benjamin's interruptions concerned the president's use of drone strikes to target Muslim terrorists, including some U.S. citizens, and his promised closure of the detention complex at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, something he promised would be accomplished on year after he took office in January 2009.

'Will you apologize to the thousands of Muslims that you have killed?' she yelled.

 

The Twittersphere erupted, bringing a mixture of catcalls and disbelief from reporters and pundits.

Politico reporter Alex Burns joked that Benjamin could be headed to Guantanamo Bay herself, and that the next Tyler Perry movie would be titled Medea Goes To Gitmo.'

Members of the liberal activist group CODEPINK dressed in orange jumpsuits to protest the continued operation of the American prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

Members of the liberal activist group CODEPINK dressed in orange jumpsuits to protest the continued operation of the American prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba


Republican strategist Rick Wilson suggested that the Obama administration let Benjamin in on purpose in order to provoke debate. 'I'm totally calling bull***t on this one,' he tweeted

Republican strategist Rick Wilson suggested that the Obama administration let Benjamin in on purpose in order to provoke debate. 'I'm totally calling bull***t on this one,' he tweeted

The Washington Free Beacon's publisher quipped that the WHite House should blow Benjamin up with a strike from the sky

The Washington Free Beacon's publisher quipped that the WHite House should blow Benjamin up with a strike from the sky

Conservative radio host Dana Loesch took a sharp-tongued crack at Benjamin for being part of the 1960s hippie generation

Conservative radio host Dana Loesch took a sharp-tongued crack at Benjamin for being part of the 1960s hippie generation

Republican strategist Rick Wilson suggested that the Obama administration allowed Benjamin in on purpose, in order to provoke debate and make the president look strong. 'I'm totally calling bull***t on this one,' he tweeted, relying on computer programming terminology to call her interruptions a 'feature, not [a] bug.'

Dana Loesch, a conservative radio host and former blogger for Breitbart.com, jabbed at Benjamin for looking 'like [a] frizzy-headed meth addict.'

Benjamin, like many U.S. protest leaders, is a product of the 1960s protest culture and self-identifies as a counter-culture protester.

'Is that Helen Thomas?' Emergency Committee for Israel executive director Noah Pollak tweeted, referring to the 92-year-old former longtime White House correspondent whose career came to an ignominious end over anti-Semitic comments.

Michael Goldfarb, the publisher of the Washington Free Beacon, a right-wing online news outlet, quipped that the Obama administration might want to take advantage of its unmanned strike capabilities to shut her up.

There's 'never a drone when you need one!' he tweeted.

Mother Jones reporter David Corn was not amused, despite his liberal credentials

Mother Jones reporter David Corn was not amused, despite his liberal credentials

HuffPo's Ryan J. Reilly, seated near Benjamin, was among the first to identify her, wondering in a tweet why security allowed her in

HuffPo's Ryan J. Reilly, seated near Benjamin, was among the first to identify her, wondering in a tweet why security allowed her in

Some liberal journalists were as frustrated as the president, siding with his need to finish his speech over the lone protester's right to be heard.

'Don't they have better crowd control at the National Defense University?' tweeted Mother Jones correspondent David Corn, an Obama loyalist.

the Huffington Post's Ryan J. Reilly was among the first to identify Benjamin, as he was seated near her in the auditorium.

That was Code Pink's Medea Benjamin,'he tweeted. '[I] saw her in line on way in. Don't get how they miss her.'

Reilly captured video for HuffPo on his cell phone, showing the scene as Benjamin was escorted out, following her third interruption of the president.

CODEPINK founder Medea Benjamin, without her trademark pink clothing, was ultimately removed from the auditorium, but made her points heard as she sparred with the president for nearly three minutes

CODEPINK founder Medea Benjamin, without her trademark pink clothing, was ultimately removed from the auditorium, but made her points heard as she sparred with the president for nearly three minutes

MSNBC host Chris Hayes couldn't believe his ears when Obama said Benjamin's voice 'is worth paying attention to

MSNBC host Chris Hayes couldn't believe his ears when Obama said Benjamin's voice 'is worth paying attention to

Blogger William Jacobson, a Cornell University law professor, was quick to condemn Obama for suggesting Benjamin was worth hearing out

Blogger William Jacobson, a Cornell University law professor, was quick to condemn Obama for suggesting Benjamin was worth hearing out

Obama, flustered but undeterred,said at one point that Benjamin should be heard out, but chastized her for not listening to his entire speech before she spoke.

But her voice, he allowed, was 'worth paying attention to.'

'No. It's. Not.' replied William Jacobson, a conservative Cornell University law professor who blogs on legal issues.

Obama's assessment was too much for MSNBC host Chris Hayes, a committed liberal.

'Holy crap,' Hayes wrote. 'POTUS was basically just like: "Code Pink is right to be outraged!"'

Obama's speech, a long-planned hour-long treatise on national security, covered his administration's position on drone strikes, the Guantanamo Bay prison and the global war on terror.

An annoyed Obama sparred with the CODEPINK founder for several minutes after she interrupted his national security speech

An annoyed Obama sparred with the CODEPINK founder for several minutes after she interrupted his national security speech


The comments below have not been moderated.

Anybody with the balls to stand up for what they believe in in todays world under this mans watch - gets my respect. Far too many brain dead tools out there. Just look at those twitter feeds all of them are people with absolutely no conscience much less live the same lives we live. Obama deserves to be confronted for all the mess he's made, we are less safe, we have more enemies and under his watch he's got people planning to EXTEND the war for another TWENTY YEARS - and guess who they EXPECT is going to fight that war? Not them, not one of them is EVER going to fight in this war of insanity, but they expect us to. Just how many more of our sons, fathers, brothers, daughters, mothers and sisters are we going to bury before we REFUSE to fight this rich mans war anymore?

Click to rate     Rating   1

Liberal heckling a liberal, how liberal is that. Christoper Hayes' reaction sounds much like a pre-teen rebellious school kid.

Click to rate     Rating   1

Obama, winner of a Nobel peace prize, started a war....classic

Click to rate     Rating   2

Although I don't agree with Obama on anything, Code Pink and this woman Medea take the cake. They think war is totally unnecesary no matter what the circumstance. They never consider the repercussions that would result from their stupid demands or offer any thoughtfull alternatives. They should be taxed on the air they waste breathing. - scottyusa, Windham, United States, 24/5/2013 12:16......Of course they have not considered that, they are liberals and therefore emotionally driven, logic has no affect.

Click to rate     Rating   4

Funny, I didn't see this reported in the US media but it led the news when Bush was president.....hmmm, I wonder why.

Click to rate     Rating   6

Although I don't agree with Obama on anything, Code Pink and this woman Medea take the cake. They think war is totally unnecesary no matter what the circumstance. They never consider the repercussions that would result from their stupid demands or offer any thoughtfull alternatives. They should be taxed on the air they waste breathing.

Click to rate     Rating   2

Code DInk ... buy the looks of these women I dont think any of them get any ...

Click to rate     Rating   2

While she speaks the truth, it was the perfect stage to get Democrats and Republicans who actually still believe there is still a difference to the parties to get all riled up and defend the use of drones and indefinite detention of people for any reason whatsoever.

Click to rate     Rating   2

Dumb and Dumber II the sequel - get out of GITMO...

Click to rate     Rating   8

I watched Dufus's "speech", he completely out-Dufussed himself. Never has there been such a contradictory and inaccurate description of the situation. He is so far out of his depth, it is embarrassing.

Click to rate     Rating   24
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