Misplaced security

From the Washington Post-

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.

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Founded as part of the Treasury Department in 1865 to combat counterfeiting and tapped in 1901 as guardian of presidents, the service is best known for protecting individuals. By law, the agency guards presidents, vice presidents, candidates, their families and visiting heads of state. The president can also extend protection by executive memorandum.

But the service has taken on added homeland security jobs in recent years, such as screening White House mail and coordinating security at national events such as presidential conventions and Super Bowls. And while its budget has grown 50 percent since 2001, the number of agents, uniformed officers and support staff has increased by about 20 percent, to 6,500.

Security for those running for elected office is important. It is less than 40 years since Robert Kennedy, running for President in 1968, was assainated and George Wallace, running for President in 1972, was seriously wounded.

As always, that wise man in West Virginia proposes a common sense solution-

Still, with the major presidential candidates pulling in $20 million every three or four months, certainly they can afford their own damned security.

Taking thousands of workers off border patrol and airport screening makes America more vulnerable to terrorism.

Here is some free advice to the 18 candidates: Turn down Secret Service protection. And be very public about it. Cite this story. Make it plain that you are willing to put your life at risk rather than weaken America’s defenses.

The candidates could hire former British SAS also. There are plenty of those men working in private security across the Atlantic. Presidential campaign security meets globialization.

Don Surber is right, but our politicians are like feudal lords, they feel security is an entitlement for what they do for the people. All these candidates are millionaires, if they want to run, let them pay for security protection instead of US taxpayers.

Linked to- Big Dog, Morewhat, Perri Nelson, Right Wing Nation,