posted
Comment: A friend told me recently that she had heard on ABC news that President Bush uses a "Taster" to be sure that no one is trying to poison him. I had heard that he is the best protected president in history, but I had not heard that there was any such position as a "Taster" in the Civil Service Positions. I am curious to know what kind of health benefits that person has and what sort of suvivor benefits their family will receive. Is it true?
Posts: 36029 | From: Admin | Registered: Feb 2000
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posted
Sounds like someone is taking a common theme in stories about corrupt or "evil" kings and rulers that had "taste-testers" to make sure they weren't poisoned and applying it to the office of President just 'cause they can.
I highly doubt the President has a "taste-tester" for this purpose.
What I wonder is...did this ever occur in history, or is it just a "story-book" type thing that people think actually happened in the day of kings and queens?
posted
I also have to wonder how effective a "taster" would really be. After all, not many poisions will kill you on the spot if you take a sip. Most of them take some time. The Ukrainian politician was poisoned with dioxin, which, according to the news, probably was put in his food days or weeks before he showed symptoms. Seems like a taster would not be much of a guard against that.
Last year the Thai government apparently provided one, though not a very big one. (This isn't a joke.)
That's all I found.
-------------------- Assume that all my posts will be edited at least once. Dyslexic -- can't spell, can't type, can't proofread. Posts: 8317 | From: Reading, PA | Registered: Mar 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Simaoztzurical: That makes me wonder . . . would it actually be feasible to slip some cyanide or something into the President's food?
-Simetrical
I would have put that whole idea into the realm of thriller novels if not, as Rubber Chicken points out, for what happened in the Ukraine.
-------------------- If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, it's just possible you haven't grasped the situation. - Jean Kerr Posts: 18428 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
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posted
Every time I see the title of this thread, I have NFBSK thoughts.
Nonny
-------------------- When there isn't anything else worth analyzing, we examine our collective navel. I found thirty-six cents in change in mine the other day. Let no one say that there is no profit in philosophy. -- Silas Sparkhammer Posts: 10141 | From: Toronto, Ontario | Registered: Apr 2000
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quote:Originally posted by Up Nonny Mousetop: Every time I see the title of this thread, I have NFBSK thoughts.
Nonny
I've been getting those thoughts whenever I see the title in Police Blotter "Man Allegedly Swallows Man's..."
-------------------- If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, it's just possible you haven't grasped the situation. - Jean Kerr Posts: 18428 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
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posted
Could this taster have prevented the Pretzel incident?
Posts: 532 | From: Champaign-Urbana, IL | Registered: Feb 2004
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Sara at home
Ding Dong! Merrily on High Definition TV
posted
No, for that he would have needed a chewer.
-------------------- Assume that all my posts will be edited at least once. Dyslexic -- can't spell, can't type, can't proofread. Posts: 8317 | From: Reading, PA | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
I read in a magazine that teh white house staff prepairs all of the presidents food so that it cant be tampered with. I would guess that a cook in teh White house kitchen could do it if they were lucky enough...
-------------------- W.W.F.S.M.D? But this image of Bush as some sort of Snidely Whiplash tying the fair maiden to the railroad tracks is beyond the pale. - Joe Bentley Posts: 2311 | From: Minnnesota | Registered: Mar 2004
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KeithB
The Red and the Green Stamps
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Well, the real problem would be at state dinners *in other countries.* I imagine they have Secret Service Chefs that watch the preperation of the food.
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MustangKatie91
The Red and the Green Stamps
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Isn't there some sort of machine that could test the food for poison? (Sorry for being so vague, I'm far from an expert on this subject.) That would be a much easier and more ethical process than using a human taster. Besides, if the food preparation is as well supervised as others have mentioned, it seems that neither would be necessary. If there's any doubt as to the safety of the food, the easiest solution is just to not let anybody eat it. That seems a lot more probable in my mind than testing it in any way, unless there was interest in prosecuting the individual(s) who poisoned the food, and that comes back to using a machine as opposed to a human.
Just throwing ideas out there, I've done no research on the subject.
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KeithB
The Red and the Green Stamps
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No, not really, look at all the trouble and uncertainty there was with the recent dioxin poisoning. Most of these machines need lots of time and expertise, and even then would probably yield a lot of false positives. And one false negative could be fatal.
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Jeff-B
The Red and the Green Stamps
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I wouldn't blame the President or Secret Service for creating the position. Since there is no civility left in the country, and unmitigated hatred for the president from so many places. I'm not taking sides here, the same amount of hatred came from the other side during the Clinton years. Can't anybody at least respect the office anymore?
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When I saw the title "Bush Taster" I immediately had a couple of NFBSK thoughts when I remembered this photo of a lucky friend of Jenna's doing just that! Wonder if it was sweet or sour... Bad thoughts, BAD!!! Posts: 127 | From: Over the hill and through the woods... | Registered: Jan 2005
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-------------------- Windows cannot open this file. To open this file correctly, defenestrate, then try running the file again... Posts: 5383 | From: New Zealand | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
the actual plate of food for the president is chosen at random from all of those at the event.
Posts: 61 | From: Pittsburgh, PA | Registered: Aug 2005
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quote:Originally posted by diddy: I read in a magazine that teh white house staff prepairs all of the presidents food so that it cant be tampered with. I would guess that a cook in teh White house kitchen could do it if they were lucky enough...
It's my understanding that the kitchen staff are members of the Navy.
quote:During their tour, cadets saw the Oval Office, Cabinet Room, Situation Room, the White House press briefing room and the dining room where 30 U.S. Navy chefs and kitchen staff attend to the needs of senior White House officials.
-------------------- All posts foretold by Nostradamus.
Turing test failures: 6 Posts: 5481 | From: Decatur, GA | Registered: Nov 2002
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