THE TRANSITION

Life With The Secret Service

The Obamas have a head start among First Families in learning to live with the Secret Service's constant presence.

By Katie Paul | NEWSWEEK
Published Nov 13, 2008

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  • Posted By: xxdeatheragexx @ 01/11/2009 11:30:30 PM

    Revealing certain aspects of the Obama family schedules is essential to his protection. If anyone has what it takes to assassinate him then they will most likely not be relying on information from the press. The facts remain the same, He is president, elected by you!! Like it or not. It is ur duty as an American to respect this decision. With faith and less hate!! R.E.S.P.E.C.T or become one of a dieing breed that will not play an active role in modern society!!

  • Posted By: xxdeatheragexx @ 01/11/2009 11:28:14 PM

    Revealing certain aspects of the Obama family schedules is essential to his protection. If anyone has what it takes to assassinate him then they will most likely not be relying on information from the press. The facts remain the same, He is president, elected by you!! Like it or not. It is ur duty as an American to respect this decision. With faith and less hate!! R.E.S.P.E.C.T!!

  • Posted By: Debunked! @ 01/06/2009 4:50:47 PM

    I am NO Obama fan but I really think it is a mistake for the media to announce certain info about it such as the schools the girls go to, what hotel he and his family are staying in, and so forth. Obama has received more death threats than any other president------the media even announced their code names, where they were in Hawaii and so on.

    I just think the utmost discretion should be used.

    • Posted By: Debunked! @ 01/07/2009 8:31:14 AM

      And may I add that you could not pay me enough to be a secret service agent assigned to Obama!

  • Posted By: austin c @ 11/21/2008 12:51:54 AM

    The other day I walked through a GM new car dealer's lot having many unsold Cadillac SUVs, they are twice as large as regular SUVs. The price tag is over 60k, not much higher than a middle priced Mercedes sedan. No wonder GM is hard to survive and asking for handout or bailout from the Dem. congress. These Cadillac SUV seem to be built for the rich and powerful, Obama's Whitehouse can certainly buy a few of them for his entourage.

    • Posted By: Racerkoi @ 12/22/2008 8:33:01 AM

      The Obama White House will draw from the Secret Service Motor Pool, just like GWB did. But thanks for trying to put a 'dark inflection' to Obama's Presidency...crawl back under your rock.

  • Posted By: bnwalls @ 11/14/2008 11:43:04 AM

    We have a man who has been elected president elect by the people. It would be nice if for just a moment you embrace change. There could be a great deal of things printed about you that could be true or untrue. This man is no more a muslim then you are a muslim but if it makes his nomination that much easier for you to accept then by all means "stick with that" And guess what....i know this might come as a surprise to you but we all have a past. I wonder what we could dig up up you. Obama is as american as you are...except the change and lets lose the hatred. I love all americans i would suggest you embrace that idea. May God Bless you.

    • Posted By: LOOKINGOUTFORYOU @ 11/14/2008 11:57:20 AM

      The people don't elect a president. Your vote only helps to determine who gets an electorate from your state. Of course Obama isn't muslim he's an Arabic/Caucasion-American. I can't wait to see what he put's his left hand on during inauguration.

      • Posted By: Horrible Bastard @ 11/26/2008 1:17:10 PM

        Kenyans are Arabic?

        • Posted By: Nkundarahamwe @ 11/27/2008 10:02:32 PM

          I think he is reffering to some body else from whom we all know, Obama is Kenya/Caucasian and Kenya is in East Africa, I happen to know most of his Kenyan relatives and non of them look Arabic.

        • Posted By: Nkundarahamwe @ 11/27/2008 10:02:11 PM

          I think he is reffering to some body else from whom we all know, Obama is Kenya/Caucasian and Kenya is in East Africa, I happen to know most of his Kenyan relatives and non of them look Arabic.

      • Posted By: anathema.untamed @ 11/14/2008 1:10:32 PM

        He also won the popular vote. And he's Christian. You know it so just stop with the hate-mongering.

      • Posted By: bnwalls @ 11/14/2008 12:15:42 PM

        Which wouldn't happen if we didn't vote. Yes, 270 electoral votes are required. Obama got that. Obama will put his hand on the same thing you do. But then, maybe not........

  • Posted By: vertel123 @ 11/18/2008 4:33:20 PM

    ridiculous article. USSS doesnt protect congress members or their staff. They dont take orders from children. They arent asked to carry bags. They dont "complain" to reprters.

    • Posted By: Horrible Bastard @ 11/26/2008 1:13:36 PM

      "They arent asked to carry bags."

      Your proof?

  • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 11/15/2008 10:29:11 PM

    Life for the Obama's will certainly be interesting.

  • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 11/15/2008 10:23:49 PM

    Sinibaldi-your writings are beautiful and inspiring. Thank you.

  • Posted By: Sinibaldi @ 11/15/2008 2:41:46 PM

    With all my heart.

    In the springtime,
    near an hedge
    full of intentions,
    I see the blackbird
    of a youthful
    day: over a bridge,
    near a delicate
    sadness, with
    all my heart......

    Francesco Sinibaldi

  • Posted By: nickpr53 @ 11/15/2008 6:42:00 AM

    black panthers do not supprt obama, indeed!
    but anyway i do find it shameful when people use their security staff to help out with errands.. how embarrassing is that?
    I also get frustrated when I hear people say there is no plot against obama.. or when they say he's entirely safe: it only takes one maniac to kill Obama. he needs to be safe.. he's a good man (http://www.spinwhip.com/obama) and even if you don't like him, he is important and has good intentions for america, he deserves the best protection any man has in the world..

  • Posted By: Sinibaldi @ 11/14/2008 7:03:48 PM

    And if you need me sometimes...

    And when the
    sunshine returns
    in my head
    with a loving
    intention and a
    magic idea,
    when your
    memory changes
    with a beautiful
    sadness, when a
    star disappears,
    you'll need
    me, sometimes,
    like a leaf
    in the tempest.

    Francesco Sinibaldi

  • Posted By: LOOKINGOUTFORYOU @ 11/14/2008 11:13:13 AM

    Maybe Obama can get the Black Panthers to act as his secret guard. They certainly helped "guard" the polling places from the "white menace".

    • Posted By: anathema.untamed @ 11/14/2008 11:16:11 AM

      And just where did this happen? Or is this further uneducated bigot-babble? As if I need to ask.

      • Posted By: LOOKINGOUTFORYOU @ 11/14/2008 11:24:38 AM

        Pennsylvania. It was on video. But maybe those guys had just voted and were waiting on a friend to come out. Oh, and that billy club he had smacking his hand with, probably going to check his tire pressure on his big rig when he went back to work.

        • Posted By: slamdunkt @ 11/14/2008 1:02:35 PM

          I watched that video, it was appalling the way the Racist Panthers were walking around in uniform trying to intimidate voters.. I could not believe my eyes that the police didnt haul them off the jail. I would have shoved them right out of the way.

          • Posted By: Col40 @ 11/14/2008 2:40:55 PM

            I saw it too--in Philadelphia, a live report on TV. They wouldn't let the reporters near the door---and they did appear menacing. Why wasn't that stopped???

            • Posted By: MiamiMike @ 11/14/2008 3:52:39 PM

              If you took the time to inform yourself, you would have found that those black panthers where not Obama Supporters.

  • Posted By: anathema.untamed @ 11/14/2008 11:14:40 AM

    My father has worked with Secret Service since the Carter administration and oh the horror stories would make anyone twitch. And no, the "rumors" about Hillary Clinton are not "rumors". There is a reason that many, if not most, of the agents assigned to them left the service after being on that particular detail. Once, upon landing at SFO, Hillary stood at the door of Airforce One, waving at the media, and turned to her personal agent and asked of the group of suited men in the distance... "Who are those Keystone Cops?" Ma'am... those are the men who are going to save your life if an explosive device (they were officers with the US Navy EOD) just happens to make it past the rest of security. Frankly, I could give a damn about what she's crying now, I know how badly she treated these men and women and there is never an excuse for such a thing.

    A good story. Barbara Bush, upon seeing the suited men doing a security sweep of the exterior of Airforce One in the pressing heat, sent out cookies and lemonade with her compliments and thanks.

    Oh and an agent going to the media? Most of these tales come from the politicians themselves. Then there are folks like me... family members tired of seeing their family members roundly abused.

    • Posted By: Col40 @ 11/14/2008 2:38:07 PM

      Let's see--here are men and women assigned to take a bullet for someone and their family--and they're being treated with disrespect. And you're not the first family member from the Secret Service I've heard whose had anything frustrating to say about a first family (or potential first family--I heard about John Kerry and wife being difficult). If I had to have someone protecting me, I would be so grateful of their service. I would do whatever they needed for me to be safe, and I would not go out of my way to do anything that would potentially not only cost me or my family their lives, but also hurt another human being--even if that was the risk associated with their job. Power comes with priveledge and risks.

    • Posted By: musician51 @ 11/14/2008 12:24:19 PM

      If you know anything about personal protection, Barbara Bush should never be involved in distracting the people that are assigned to protect. See this is the milk and cookie story from people that believe Aunt Bee is coming with the sweet potato pie from Mayberry and all is well. While the agents are busy scarfing down the cookies and lemonade, someone is always waiting. That's how it really is. Happy Trails........

      • Posted By: anathema.untamed @ 11/14/2008 1:05:19 PM

        I never said they ate them just that she sent them. O.o

  • Posted By: Marine1992 @ 11/14/2008 12:43:47 PM

    I am ashamed that some in this country still can not see pass the color of our new President. He is a bi-racial man that has won the publics vote and the secret service agents will do for him what they have done and will continue to do, protect our heads of state. As an agent you know that you have to take the good with the bad and keep moving on. I would like to thank all forms of Law Enforcement for the job that they do. How many of you are willing to put your life on the line for another individual. Not many of you. Being a former Marine I know that it takes guts to do what they do and we all should give them the respect due.

    • Posted By: Iconoblaster @ 11/14/2008 2:21:14 PM

      I agree. Semper fi!

  • Posted By: tracelle @ 11/14/2008 11:45:17 AM

    Are you kidding me, Oregonboundgal? You conspiracy theorists demonstrate your ignorance time and time again. You're going to try to convince us that Hawaii doesn't count as the US?? But it doesn't bother you at all that McCain was born in PANAMA??? And you worry about Obama hating America when McCain's VP candidate has strong ties to Alaska's secessionist movement. Doesn't get more anti-American than trying to secede from our union.

    • Posted By: 47rusty @ 11/14/2008 2:14:38 PM

      Consistency is never very high up on the list of priorities for the lunatic fringe.

  • Posted By: nvrick @ 11/14/2008 12:22:21 PM

    I find it very entertaining that Obama would not be able to get a security clearance. This brings back such fond memories of all the people that Clinton brought into the White House and into Gov jobs. It will be most interesting to see how many, if any, of his campaign promises he keeps. I think once the kool aid and pot brownies wear off, and Obama shows his true agenda (pay back all the special interests that got him elected) that the people that voted for his change are going to be most unhappy.

    • Posted By: emeryannharris @ 11/14/2008 2:11:16 PM

      What I'm getting from your comment is that you're hoping the new leader of our country fails just so that you can run around going nyah nyah nyah? What happened to Country First? Listen to Mike Huckabee - it's time to put the election behind us and the country before us.

  • Posted By: slamdunkt @ 11/14/2008 11:01:50 AM

    OK, lets save the impeachment until after Jan 20th, I can wait that long.

    • Posted By: 47rusty @ 11/14/2008 2:09:28 PM

      You still need to identify a crime that he committed while in the office the articles of impeachment relate to. So, first he has to be sworn in, then he has to commit an impeachable act, and then he can be impeached. Whether you approve or not, a politician can't be impeached just because you don't like him.

    • Posted By: emeryannharris @ 11/14/2008 11:50:43 AM

      Reality is a cold, cold place - but burning spite keeps us warm, doesn't it?

  • Posted By: slamdunkt @ 11/14/2008 10:11:57 AM

    Impeach Obama NOW!

    • Posted By: 47rusty @ 11/14/2008 10:26:32 AM

      a) You can't impeach someone who doesn't hold public office. In case you hadn't noticed, he's not sworn in as President until January 20th.

      b) Articles of impeachment would have to specify the crimes he's being impeached for. Can you please specify what they are, or should we just disregard anything you say from now on?

      • Posted By: Oregonboundgal @ 11/14/2008 11:30:31 AM

        Obama still has not shown proof that he is eligible to run for president as in proof of him being born in the United States. From what I learned, you HAVE to be born a citizen of the USA to run for office. HAwaii does not count. TI am NOT a McCain supporter at all, but when he was asked to show his birth certificate, he whoipped it out and said Here it is! The only thing Obama showed was a peice of paper stating he was only born alive. Not the same. then there is the past he has, belonging to a extremist Muslim Church when he was young. They taught hatred of America. Check out the site OutragedPatriots.com. Very interesting stuff on there about him.

        • Posted By: 47rusty @ 11/14/2008 2:03:18 PM

          To be born a citizen of the United States, you either have to be a) born in the US, and it doesn't matter whether your parents are citizens or not, or b) the child of a US citizen, and it doesn't matter whether you are born in the United States or not. If you don't believe me, there's always Google.

        • Posted By: Flanders @ 11/14/2008 11:54:05 AM

          Also, you are saying Obama walks around with a piece of paper that states he was born alive? That would be funny. I think I'll do that to prove when I was born I was alive.

          And not that what you say is true about the church he attended, but if it were Muslim, it wouldn't be a church he was attending, it would be a mosque.

          Oh yes, and Hawaii doesn't count.

        • Posted By: dennisepaylor @ 11/14/2008 11:51:09 AM

          Why does it not count as a state. Last I heard as of 1959 Alaska and Hawaii were added as the 49th and 50th states. Obama was born in 1961. This man is a citizen of the USA and followed the Baptist faith not the Muslim faith as so many people want to believe whether its true or not. At first folks wanted to say he was born in Kenya which was not true now you are saying Hawaii is not a state. Sounds to me like you are trying to justify your racism!!!!!!!!!!

        • Posted By: tracelle @ 11/14/2008 11:48:28 AM

          Are you kidding me? Hawaii doesn't count as the US?? But it doesn't bother you at all that McCain was born in PANAMA??? And you worry about Obama hating America when McCain's VP candidate has strong ties to Alaska's secessionist movement. Doesn't get more anti-American than trying to secede from our union.

        • Posted By: Flanders @ 11/14/2008 11:39:39 AM

          Hawaii is no longer part of the United States? News to me. Thanks for the information. I feel smarter now.

        • Posted By: KFish1987 @ 11/14/2008 11:38:06 AM

          I believe that Hawaii is one of the 50 states on the United States of America. Did they not teach you that is school?

  • Posted By: pperson @ 11/14/2008 12:56:32 PM

    Oh... and: Did you vote? (if you did - Way to go!) (if you didn't - shut up!)
    I have always put my full support behind The President of The United States once he is ELECTED - regardless of who I voted for.

  • Posted By: pperson @ 11/14/2008 12:47:54 PM

    OK - all kidding asside. Aren't you worried about all the danger, my friends? Don't you go to bed evey night worried about all the commies down in Hollywood, Joe? How about Lyndon... Do you think he was part of the plot to kill Kennedy?

    Our great leaders are stong and sure, helping us stay the course, Winston. The ones that get us through the FEAR... Franklin! Don't they usually die in a traffice wreck - after the war, Doug?

    I gotta tell you... standing in a bomb hole in Paris on Christmas day - in the biggest department store in town, when they are still held hostage in Beirut, when the Ayotollah is just ourside of town, when Vietnam veterans are meeting with their former enemy in the same hotel the cease fire was signed just befor the Tet offensive (hehehe) to work out a cooperation agreement (called Veteran's Initiative) to jointly search for persons stil missing from that war (sorry... what did we end up calling it?)... I like the guy that is shopping!

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