MORE info on beefed-up Obama Security and more photos

[Triana]

http://cryptome.org/obama-protect/obama-protect.htm

Obama Gets Beefed-Up Protection

By Joseph Curl

January 7, 2008



MANCHESTER, N.H. — Secret Service presence has increased for Sen. Barack Obama since his dramatic win in Iowa, amid fears over the safety of the man seeking to become America's first black president.

The Illinois senator's security now rivals that of President Bush, with a dozen Secret Service agents wearing dark suits and earpieces leading bomb-sniffing dogs through event venues, sweeping all equipment brought by journalists and flanking the candidate as he plunges into crowds of supporters.

Mr. Obama, who reportedly resisted asking for Secret Service protection but personally requested a detail of agents after friends insisted, has been under federal watch since early last year. No one will say whether he has received an explicit death threat — his campaign said yesterday only that "we don't comment on security" — but officials have tracked racist chatter on white-supremacist Web sites.

AND...

Based on a review of AP photos from December 2007 to January 6, 2008, no other presidential candidate is being protected as carefully as Obama. The Secret Service is clearly worried, and may have information on threats.

Secret Service agents never smile, never look at Obama, only the crowd. Up to five are now closely surrounding Obama, with more in the crowd and in the background, some likely under cover. The USSS Counter Sniper Squad may be on nearby roofs. Obama transport vehicles are armored. Protection against possible sabotage of aircraft is unknown -- recall Senator Wellstone.

_ _ _ _ _

Well. I, for one am HAPPY they're protecting him as much as they are. AND PEOPLE WONDER WHY we get so upset and fearful when Hillary uses the 'A' word and seems to be staying in the race in case something "catastrophic" happens, eh? Well. Duh.

[chknltl]

1. I'll feel a little better after he picks a VP

I am not entirely relieved by this knowledge that he has as good a security team as does President bush. We have heard from fellow DUers who have attended his rallies that they felt security, particularly security at the public entrances, should have been better.
KnR

[ChazII]

2. Catastrophic things

have happened to folks within the Clinton's orbit. I agree that is a good thing the detail is being beefed up.

[fasttense]

5. It's not the Clintons he needs to worry about.

In a new book by Thom Hartmann and Lamar Waldron "Legacy of Secrecy: The Long Shadow of the JFK Assassination" the claim is that organized crime and the KKK (or those of like mind) joined up to murder JFK, MLK and Bobby Kennedy. Many people knew and many people were in on it.

http://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Secrecy-Long-Shadow-Assassination/dp/1582434220/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211709295&sr=1-5

(I think it comes out in October. You can pre-order at the link)

[Triana]

16. Yea, it's not Hillary. It would be others that would be the concern..

...domestic terrorists and the like, probably. (ie: KKK et al)

[FrenchieCat]

3. I remember when this happened........

I thought, please, GOD, keep him safe then, and I think that after the Hulkeberry/Clinton duo dance.

[blonndee]

4. I'm getting creeped out by all this.

I guess I've been reading too much here and at DK about the recent "gaffe." I think I need to treat my insomnia with TV trash instead.

[intaglio]

6. You do wonder

What the Secret Service detail thinks of Obama both as a candidate and as a job. On the job side they probably loathe it - huge unvetted crowds, lots of hand shaking ...

[Why Syzygy]

7. Hope not. Wouldn't want some guy who hates his job protecting me.

That's their JOB.

[mamalone]

10. Actually....

I was acquainted with someone whose husband was a Secret Service agent. He loved his job.. mightily. Getting one of those positions is very hard and only la creme do la creme are even able to get into training. Some rare people are blessed/cursed with a hyper protective response and find this type of work to be their passion. These are the kinds of people that they are looking for to train and serve in this capacity. This was certainly true of my friend's husband. I never was privvy to who he was actually protecting, but I do know that he served him with a deep and abiding respect and affection and would have considered it an honor to have died in the aim of protecting him. These guys are true heroes.

[izzie]

8. This did pop up in my mind when he said he would run.

I really felt sad about it for some odd reason. That I would think that he would be un-safe.

[druidity33]

9. that site creeps me out...

With all of those photos of BHO, someone could assemble a dossier on his security detail. They seem to be the same dozen or so people.

:scared:

[Triana]

15. I dunno. I see different ones - looks as if they switch around quite a bit.

But there are a few familiar faces too.

[mamalone]

11. I have a question....

You wrote:
Secret Service agents never smile, never look at Obama, only the crowd.

Wonder why they "never smile".... do you know? Is it possibly that it would break their concentration? I used to know someone whose husband was an agent, but he never really shared anything specific.(or rather she never shared anything... I never actually met him!)

[Triana]

13. I don't know really.

Maybe they're not supposed to appear friendly and are supposed to give an air of authority and enforcement. But I am really not sure.

[Yael]

12. When he did his whistle stop through PA in April,

they had TSA at the gates and SS were crawling everywhere like a thousand ants. Snipers prominently on the roof.

[Triana]

14. Well...good.

I know the campaign won't mention it according to that write up (OP here) but I suspect there have been some sort of threats.

Again, in one of the articles about Hillary's "talking point" it was mentioned that after he declared he received threats and another senator asked for SS detail for him. Apparently Obama himself didn't really want it but was encouraged by others/friends to accept.

Or, so it seems.

Anyhoo, I'm glad they're there!

[Yael]

17. Yes -- it was Dick Durbin his partner senator from Illinois.

[Triana]

19. OK - that's what I thought I remembered but wasn't sure. n/t

[LucyParsons]

18. Somebody in a Texas A&M hat supporting Obama?!

Wow, that even makes cynical old me have hope. Shit.