CNN reports that Barack Obama has been awarded a Secret Service protective detail:
Hotline has the story as well. They note that this is the earliest a detail has ever been awarded. Typically the Service waits until January or February of an election year. The Secret Service previously noted that costs of protection are likely to be much higher this presidential cycle because of the deep field of candidates; now the costs are likely to increase further — not so much because of the Obama detail, but because other major candidates can be expected to press for protection as well. Secret Service protection adds a number of advantages — not least the ‘presidential aura’ that only Hillary has enjoyed in the campaign to date. It also confers logistical support, planning assistance, ‘free’ travel, and other advantages. If you’re Rudy Giuliani or any of the other major candidates, why shouldn’t you feel ‘entitled’ to it as well?
