Kerry and Edwards have both requested Secret Service detail - WP [View All]

[VolcanoJen]

Interesting tidbit that appears at the very end of this Washington Post article:

John Kerry, Keeping One Step Behind His Pack

Excerpt:

Still, the United States government has not yet bestowed that stamp of ultimate authenticity upon Kerry, although both his and the Edwards campaigns have put in their requests. When the protective detail comes, the seas part, the car goes armored, and agents guard the home. But not all five: Not the one in Idaho, not the one in Nantucket, or Pittsburgh or Boston. Just the mansion on O Street in Georgetown.

There's a congressional committee that has to approve such requests, says a spokeswoman for the Homeland Security Department. But the committee has yet to make its recommendation, leaving John Kerry still waiting for one more primary win: The Secret Service primary.

I do wish they'd get on with it. The sooner our front-runners receive Secret Service protection, the better. I worry about them. :-( When does this traditionally happen? I always thought it wasn't until the convention, but considering the crowds these two have been encountering, I think it's time to pay a little closer attention to the security issue.

Here's another mention of a Kerry request, in a Boston Globe article from February 11, as well as a funny line that seems to be aimed at a certain dusty city in Texas:

Success resonates and reels in crowds

Kerry aides say they have begun talking to the Secret Service about protection for the front-runner.

Kerry himself has also noted, half-jokingly, that the White House press corps will enjoy spending summers in Nantucket and winters in Ketchum, Idaho, near Kerry's two vacation homes.