Posted by Jim Tankersley and Christi Parsons at 4:20 CDT
Sen. Barack Obama picked up a personal Secret Service detail today, after a committee made up of the top Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate determined that he was a "major candidate" in need of special protection.
The Secret Service confirms the appointment of the detail, the earliest ever assigned to a presidential candidate who didn't already merit protection because of another job, but did not say why Obama now needs it.
Privately, several congressional sources close to the senator said they believe there was no threat against Obama that raised specific concerns but that there had been a series of threats since he launched his campaign.
Two Secret Service agents stood out front of his Hyde Park home this afternoon.
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) already has a detail because of her status as a former First Lady.
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Comments
Please keep Barack safe! America needs his leadership desperatly! Barack '08
Posted by: Katherine | May 3, 2007 5:01 PM
Wow! I'm surprised this is just happening. I would've assumed that the folks who are terrified of a non-white President started thinking about it right after he announced he was going to run.
Posted by: Gregory | May 3, 2007 5:19 PM
I'm so glad.
I was just commenting on his Mysapce that i thought that was VERY important.
After all, we all remember (even if we are too young to have been born Yet) Whom Obama reminds us of....A young, vibrant, successful & loved JFK who was taken far too quickly.
Take care of him. He may be our last and best hope.
despite all of this Myspace nonsense.
Posted by: etta | May 3, 2007 6:42 PM
Have they taken Don B and Bruce into custody yet?
Posted by: John E | May 3, 2007 9:45 PM
Put the gun down John D!!! Oh that's right you just spew nonsense like the dumb guy Steve Carell(Brick Tamland)in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | May 3, 2007 10:32 PM
This is a ploy by Durbin and Obama to keep him from having to spend campaign money on security and have taxpayers pay for it. Once again IL politicians show that they just have no shame.
Posted by: Vinny | May 4, 2007 1:11 PM
Another example of how he is hurting the Democrats chances of winning...taxpayers should not be paying for his security at this point in the campaign...something else to anger the red state folks...I wish he would have stuck to trying to be an effective Senator for a while.
Posted by: james | May 4, 2007 2:01 PM
I was not aware that every other candidate in history has paid for secret service detail out of their own pocket. Shame on you Barack!
Posted by: Marko | May 4, 2007 2:35 PM
Amazing!!! The Sergeant In Arms demands Nancy Pelosi be flown by the Defense Department on trips home and you Republics get bent out of shape. Barack Obama's life and his families life is threatened and the Secret Service sees fit that they should provide his security and Republics throw another fit. Yet when there is an article on the Swamp about the majority of Americans now favoring talk of withdrawel from Iraq you people stay silent and avoid commenting on it. You people are pathetic and will do anything to avoid talking about your failed war.
Posted by: jethro | May 4, 2007 3:45 PM