McCain to Take Secret Service Protection
By Michael D. Shear
Sen. John McCain has decided to request Secret Service protection and will meet with officials from the agency in the next several days, a senior aide said today.
The move came after the head of the Secret Service openly discussed McCain's lack of protection at a congressional hearing on Thursday.
"Statutorily, he is not required to take protection," The Washington Post reported Sullivan saying when asked about McCain's security during a hearing on the agency's budget. "As far as an actual request, we have not gotten one. We have no involvement at this point."
Aides said no meeting had yet been scheduled. But they said the senator intended to accept protection for the remaining months of his campaign for the presidency.
Until now, McCain has said he does not want the security apparatus that comes with Secret Service protection. In November, campaigning in New Hampshire, he derided it as unnecessary and intrusive.
"It's the inconvenience. It's the inconvenience it causes people," he said at the time. "It's a waste of the taxpayers money. It's just everything I don't like."
Posted at 3:01 PM ET on Apr 4, 2008
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Posted by: californicationdude | April 6, 2008 7:23 PM
Whatever...
Posted by: ddraper81 | April 4, 2008 10:40 PM
Sorry for the inconvenience John McCain, but, as the President, it is now required! ;~)
Someone tell the trained chimp to leave that Furniture ALONE! After those Arkansas Hillbillaries made off with all that stuff the last time, we engraved ID's on the stuff! :-(
Posted by: rat-the | April 4, 2008 10:29 PM
All of the candidates should accept secret service protection, we want them all to be able to continue their campaign. Given past experiences, and the crazy things happening these days, they cannot be too careful. Both for themselves and their family.
Posted by: metropal | April 4, 2008 8:22 PM
Why is it that no one is reporting on the fact that McCain, Obama and Clinton are not doing their jobs as Senators?
Some very important bills and amendments were voted on in the Senate relating to the housing and mortgage crises, which seem to have taken over as the top issue concerning most Americans right now.
All three candidates did not vote on these bills, As you can see by my reference to the Senate Roll Call, http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00091
Posted by: sweil | April 4, 2008 7:58 PM
I'm glad to see this finally happening. You can tell that Mr. McCain was not so overwhelmed with his own importance, thus he waited as long as possible before taking this step.
Posted by: dennispro | April 4, 2008 7:45 PM
John is a good man and deserves to be President. He should have had protection the entire time since he garnered enough votes to secure the nomination. There are too many crazy people out there.
Posted by: Scruffy1970 | April 4, 2008 7:28 PM
Good. Anybody who reads these message boards should know there are a lot of crazy people out there. Stay safe, Sen. McCain.
Posted by: davestickler | April 4, 2008 3:10 PM
Thank you, Christopher Lee, Michael Shear, and Matt Drudge : )
Posted by: JakeD | April 4, 2008 3:05 PM
That's what I figured, after all the publicity about it -- John SIDNEY McCain made his point though -- I'm beginning to think the campaign was ready to accept protection but used this as a way out ...
Posted by: JakeD | April 4, 2008 3:03 PM
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