Tommy Christopher is Asylum's White House correspondent.As a rookie White House reporter, I often find myself gormlessly wandering into places I'm not supposed to be, so I was grateful not to be the guy who got hassled by the Secret Service for snapping an unauthorized picture of the Presidential limo yesterday.
I was copping a smoke outside the briefing room, where the Secret Service was prepping two of the presidential limos to take him to an event at the Ritz Carlton. They were checking something under the hood when one of the agents pointed through the briefing room window and shouted, "Hey! C'mere!"
Apparently, he had seen one of the cable news tech guys shooting a picture with his iPhone. He made the guy come outside, and show him that he had deleted the photo.
See, there's this rule.
Nobody is allowed to photograph the presidential limos while either the hood or the trunk are open. I already knew this because the same agent had told me the rule a minute earlier. You also can't shoot the interiors of the limos.
Although I didn't take any pictures while the hood was open, I did get a pretty good look. I can tell you that there were no signs of any hookers or Kenyan birth certificates, but I thought I saw something that looked an awful lot like a flux capacitor.
I also learned that the limos, sensibly enough, all have the same license plate number. How much do you wanna bet someone at the DMV broke their balls about that the first time they asked about it?
The presidential limo is quite an impressive ride. While everyone knows the thing has got to be a rolling fortress, the strict rules are in place to keep specific measures safely secret. All in all, I'd say the iPhone guy got off easy. As I reminded him later, Gitmo is still open.

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Comments:
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Tuesday 20 October
By Jen
KIM! Your caps lock is on. It really did not add any sensible emphasis to your comment.
Monday 19 October
By Heavytoka
I wonder what the gas mileage is on that thing. I mean it's most likely bomb proof and weighs 5 times the average limo.
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Tuesday 20 October
By ex flight test
Gas mileage? Why do you think they DOUBLED the presidential salary? The M1A1 probably looks like great gas mileage compared to it.
What I want to know is there a wide screen TV in the back? Do they screen spammers that show up on all the AOL sites? No digital blotches on the online porn? No wait, First Lady would kill the prez if that came out......(there's a reason the windows are tinted)
Friday 23 October
By Ronald Holder
It is my understanding that the limo can cruise at 70 mph on four flat tires. When the limo is to go out of town, 2 limos are placed on the Air Force transports incase one limo breaks down and at least two secret service SUV loaded for a "war" go along with the limos. Most of this is public knowledge from articles in the print media and recall this. Pres. George Bush's limo broke down in Russia and he had to wait for the back up limo to show up before he could go about his business.
Tuesday 20 October
By Gary
Ronald Holder - The reason they send 2 limos is not in case one breaks down. There are two of them for security reasons that no one knows for sure which limo the President is actually riding in.
Tuesday 20 October
By Sable
Beautiful! And, I sure would like that shine job on my black sedan. The interiur must gleam too.
Wednesday 21 October
By Joe
I'm almost positive I read someplace it gets about 5 miles a gallon. And it sits running the whole time the pres is in doing what ever he is doing. they don't want to take a chance it won't start if it needs to make a quick getaway.
Wednesday 21 October
By kathrynks
The gas mileage? Oh were we told to save the planet and live green? Gee, I guess the prez is exempt from his own rules... kinda like Al Gore, who said everyone should ride their bikes to work to save energy - and then flies all over creation in his private jet. Yup, to the libs, the rules are for "the little people" - not big important folks like them.
Thursday 22 October
By wilkokke
It might be more cost-effective to drive the guy around in a Humvee or an armed personnel carier.
Monday 16 November
By belazvezda
Oh, I don't know, but might it not be more important that the President of our country, no matter whether you like him or not, is safe? Just thinkin'...
Monday 19 October
By Takahashi
I'm a little shocked, not at what you can and cannot take pictures of but the make of the limo. I haven't been paying to much attention to the latest limos that the president has been being being transported in, but I had no idea that they where Catalacs. For me, I've always been use to Lincolns being driven around, that's all I remember. Hell, even Pres. Kennedy was shot in one, and I know the gent who owns the limo that was behind the presidents in the motorcade. Strange, well I guess we learn something new every day.
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Wednesday 21 October
By Brian
Where have you been? Presidents Clinton and Bush both used CADILLAC limousines. And before that, President Reagan had a Cadillac. Not all presidents used limousines that were branded Lincoln.
Wednesday 21 October
By msasko
It's a Cadillac because the US Government bought general Motors. If Ford would have ran their business in the ground and needed a bailout, it would still be a Lincoln.
Wednesday 21 October
By Duncan
Of coarse it is a Caddy that is one of the makes under GM (government motors).
Wednesday 21 October
By skyynyte
Oh look another knuckledragger whining about Hitler. Do you think before you type stuff. Caddy's have been around the white house for years. If Obama was hitler, really Hitler, you'd be in Gitmo right now. Stop whining. Like Limpbaugh said in 2006 "shut up until you win an election, stop whining or get out!" Yep he said that. We won, get over it.
Tuesday 20 October
By michael sarro
aww, they didn't want anyone to see how the obamas pimped the ride.
Reply
Tuesday 20 October
By Lou
too funny!
Wednesday 21 October
By jemteku
LOL!! :o)
Tuesday 20 October
By ex flight test
1. Keg is in the back (underneath the Easy Rider Rifle Rack (tm))
2. Its a Mazda rotary engine
Reply
Tuesday 20 October
By Tad Ewton
I can tell just by looking at pictures on the outside, those tires HAVE to be solid rubber. There is NO bulging of the tire at the pavement...just an interesting observation. Anything weighing that much would have to bulge a little.
Reply