Not-Jenna's purse stolen; Secret Service agent mugged …

Posted by Joshua Holland at 11:15 AM on November 22, 2006.

Is it just me, or is something more going on with this story than meets the eye?

The acting director of the White House Travel Office was robbed and beaten in Waikiki early on Tuesday morning outside a nightclub, according to Honolulu police.

"He was knocked down, punched, kicked -- his wallet and id were stolen," Honolulu Police Department Capt. Frank Fujii said.

Pitts' passport and international phone were also taken.

Pitts left the bar alone. He walked through International Marketplace, where he was confronted by three men beaten up and robbed, according to a source familiar with the case.

Just hours later, another rather unusual occurrence …

Two of the three Honolulu Police Department motorcycle officers involved in a crash while escorting President George W. Bush to Hickam Air Force Base are in serious condition at The Queen's Medical Center.

The motorcycles reportedly slipped indvidually on a rain-slicked roadway at about 7:10 a.m near the base entry area.

City Emergency Services transported two of the officers to the medical center. Police officials said that by mid-morning two of the officers were in serious condition and the other was in good condition.

It was a really bad week for the Secret Service. Elsewhere, not-Jenna had her purse swiped and the detail guarding her missed it entirely:

First Daughter Barbara Bush had her purse and cell phone stolen as she had dinner in a restaurant in Buenos Aires, Argentina, even though she was being guarded by a detail of Secret Service agents, according to law enforcement reports made available to ABC News.

The purse snatching took place on Barbara's first night in town while she was dining in the picturesque San Telmo neighborhood. According to the reports, the Secret Service agents failed to notice the incident.

Where do you think those agents are going to end up? I'm thinking a detail guarding something smelly somewhere cold.

It was not the only mishap on the two-week trip to Argentina …

A Secret Service agent on the advance detail got into an "altercation" with someone after a night out and was badly beaten, according to the law enforcement reports. The Secret Service said today the incident was an attempted mugging that occurred while the agent was on his own time. The agent is doing fine.

When it rains it pours.

[Hat tips all around to Robert G, our intrepid copyeditor]

Tagged as: bush, secret service

Joshua Holland is a staff writer at Alternet and a regular contributor to The Gadflyer.