Straining the Secret Service:

[partylessinOhio]

Campaign Puts New Strain on Secret Service
Big Field and Early Start Force Cuts in Other Efforts

By Spencer S. Hsu
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 29, 2007

The U.S. Secret Service expects to borrow more than 2,000 immigration officers and federal airport screeners next year to help guard an ever-expanding field of presidential candidates, while shifting 250 of its own agents from investigations to security details.

Burdened by the White House's wartime security needs, the persistent threat of terrorism and a field of at least 20 presidential contenders, the Secret Service was showing signs of strain even before the Department of Homeland Security ordered protection for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) as of May 3, the earliest a candidate has ever been assigned protection in an election season.

Its $110 million-plus budget for campaign protection -- two-thirds more than the record $65 million it spent for the 2004 election -- was prepared when the service did not expect to be guarding Obama or anyone else until January. The agency has already been forced to scale back its efforts to battle counterfeiting and cybercrime.

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Bush administration has doubled the number of officials granted Secret Service protection, from 26 to 54, including top White House aides such as the chief of staff and national and homeland security advisers. ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/28/AR2007052801159.html?hpid%3Dtopnews&sub=AR

[displacedtexan]

1. And there are at least 6 DC police officers at Rove's house every 24 hrs.

3 shifts 24/7 for that guy. While the rest of the District
could use those officers.

I went with Billionaires For Bush to sing Christmas carols
to Rove, and there were 8 guarding his house that night.

GGGRRR!!!

It's not just the SS that's strained.

[partylessinOhio]

2. That is totally disgusting and should be stopped immediately.

Rove should be frog marched not guarded.

How do immigration officers and federal airport screeners qualify for the secret service? There are serious questions whether they are qualified for those jobs to begin with.

[LiberalFighter]

3. Just use the SS protection provided for dimwad bush!!!!