Secret Service

[firefox28]

I'm sure there are staunch Republicans in the Secret Service who oppose President Obama as much as other Republicans. I wonder if they are barred from being part of his detail? Does the service run checks like those or will there be "The Sentinel" in reality?

[Nay]

1. From what I know, the motto is "You elect 'em, we protect 'em,"

and all agents are only interested in keeping their charge alive and well -- most cop types are generally conservative, lots are Republican, but SS agents pretty much put all that aside to keep their guy alive. Their careers are 25-30 years, and they will be safeguarding presidents of both parties, so it really doesn't matter to them.

[rasputin1952]

2. I knew someone, years ago, that was involved w/the SS...

The people are very serious about their positions and jobs. Other than protecting the president, they look into all kinds of threats, counterfeiting and a host of other things. Much like the military, naturally, there are political opinions, but these must be suppressed as political viewpoints are counterproductive to the mission. Those the protect the president are highly trained in the art of being "apolitical" when it comes to the protection aspect of the job.

FWIW, I can't think of any SS Agent being ecstatic about protecting bush, as he is an arrogant idiot and has little respect for anything a real working man/woman has to do. bush, being a coward, probably didn't help his stature w/in the SS either. However, I can't picture any of them not taking a bullet in protecting him. I think they might actually enjoy the new air in the WH under President Obama, but probably not the additional pressure from the increase in threats against the president. The extreme RW has gone utterly nuts over Obama being in the WH, and threats, many of them overt, have increased. Just ask Jim Robinson over at FR when the nutcases openly talked about assassinating the president...:D

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[MercutioATC]

5. It's not a job to them, it's a religion. They'll keep their charge safe at any cost.

ANY charge.

[firedupdem]

6. Unlike the nuts over on FR, most people don't want any harm to

come to any individual, including the President.

[old mark]

7. I heard similar stories about the SS detain with Bill Clinton - someone had

a cousin who knew someone on the detail who said if there was an attempt on the President, the SS would give the bad guys a "free shot" rather than risk their own lives to protect him.

It was bullshit them and it is bullshit now. The agents on the Presidential protection detail are professionals, who are trained to respond and anticipate any trouble. Any one of them who displayed any hesitation or personal feelings would no longer be on the team.

Bseides, how do you know they are not Democrats?
Why the assumption that everyone in a job like that is a Republican, much less a RW Republican?

They do have to be able to read, you know....


mark

[Beacool]

8. Oh please,

That's just as inane as saying that Democratic SS agents shouldn't have protected Bush. They are professionals and they guard the protectees assigned to them with their lives if they have to, politics does not enter into it.

:eyes:

Forgot to add, due to Hillary I was around plenty of them and they are all very professional. Some are in her regular detail and you would see them all the time, others were assigned to the specific location, depending on the city and state. I even have one of their pins that one of the guys gave me. They are not bad off duty, but when they are on duty they are serious as death and don't mess around.

[Exilednight]

9. I am still curious to know how Cheney managed to swindle .........

us out six more months of Secret Service protection, yet Al Gore was provided no such luxury. Also, Clinton is the last President to receive Secret Service protection for the rest of his life - Bush's only lasts for ten years after his Presidency, as will Obama's.

[Beacool]

10. After 9/11 Congress talked about reconsidering changing it.

Regardless of how we feel about some presidents, we can't have as a nation someone assassinating a former president just because we stopped providing him with protection.

The Cheney thing I didn't know. I too wonder why he got an extra 6 months of SS protection.

:eyes:

[Exilednight]

11. The change to ten year protection was made in 1997 - and that I understnand. .............

Bush only gets ten years of protection, unless the law is changed again.

[Ilsa]

13. Most of these ex-prezes should be able to afford their own security

ten years after they are out of office. It may not be the SS, but it should be pretty good security.

[zulchzulu]

12. I think any agent who willfully tried to kill the President knows they are dead meat within seconds

I doubt many are suicidal. They do have to go through a lot of tests and are certainly monitored for any questionable behavior.

[Imagevision]

14. Yeah this photographic proof that there were Repug secret sewrvice that didn't like JFK also...