Congressman Proposes "Moat" Around White House, Secret Service Director Confirms "May Be Good Idea"

I am seldom astonished by ridiculous Congressional proposals to waste money, but here's an entirely new idea: Congressman Suggests Moat Around White House.

Faced with an increasing number of White House intrusions that led to the resignation of a Secret Service director, a congressman on Wednesday suggested that maybe a moat should be erected around the president’s home.

The suggestion was made by Rep. Steve Cohen, a Tennessee Democrat, at a House Judiciary Committee hearing.

With hand gestures, Cohen suggested a moat roughly six-feet wide may be “attractive” and “effective.”

MarketWatch provides this diagram.

CSPAN Video

At the 3:40 mark, acting secret service director Joseph Clancey responds to the Rep. Cohen's idea. I started the video at the correct spot.

Link if video does not play: Secret Service Says Moat May Be Effective.

Partial Transcript

Rep. Steve Cohen: Would a moat, water, six feet around be kind of attractive and effective?
Secret Service: Sir, it may be.

Addendum

Reader "Ivo" proposes the moat may be a good idea. He writes ...

Hello Mish

This is actually a very useful idea for a change. We need a moat, a fence, and a heavily guarded perimiter to make sure no one from the inside can get out. The only problem I can see is that a "moat" around just the White House does not separate a large enough area to keep everyone inside that should be there - all politicians, their staff, Pentagon, central bankers, all ranks of bureaucrats etc. All these people should be put inside the separated area, with no outside contact with the rest of the world.

The same should be done in Europe, Argentina, Japan, etc. It would be the best solution to solve the current economic crisis around the world!

All the best, Ivo

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Mike "Mish" Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management. Sitka Pacific is an asset management firm whose goal is strong performance and low volatility, regardless of market direction. Visit http://www.sitkapacific.com/account_management.html to learn more about wealth management and capital preservation strategies of Sitka Pacific.