Portable Planet

The Secret Service revealed today that U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama is being placed under protection. 

Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren said that Michael Chertoff, Department of Homeland Security Secretary, gave the authorization for Obama to be protected.  However, no details were given as to why the decision had been made.

“I’m not aware it was based on any threat,” Zahren said.

This is the earliest that any presidential candidate has been given a Secret Service detail.  In February 2004, John Kerry and John Edwards received their protection. 

“I face the same security issues as anybody,” the senator told the AP. “We’re comfortable with the steps we have taken.”

Michelle Obama, the candidate’s wife, addressed the possibility of an assassination attempt on her husband in an interview on 60 Minutes in February.

“I don’t lose sleep over it because the realities are that, you know, as a black man, you know, Barack can get shot going to the gas station, you know,” she said. “So you can’t make decisions based on fear and the possibility of what might happen. We just weren’t raised that way.”
 

Source: ABC News