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Herman Cain's campaign is pushing back against the suggestion it requested Secret Service protection as a way to keep media at bay and limit the access reporters will have to the candidate.
"It has nothing to do with the media, it has nothing to do with reporters," campaign spokesman J.D. Gordon said of the request for Secret Service protection.
Gordon said the campaign had requested protection "a couple weeks ago" after having received a series of threats. But Gordon said he would not comment on the nature of the threats or any specific instances.
Gordon's comment to NBC News came after a report by the Washington Post, in which Gordon seemed to indicate that the members of the media trailing his campaign were contributors to the decision to request a Secret Service detail.
Cain's Secret Service detail began last night, though the number of agents assigned to his detail or the extent of resources devoted to the former Georgia businessman is still unknown.
The news came just a day after reports had emerged of multiple altercations involving journalists covering Cain in Florida on Wednesday. In one instance, a reporter was struck by a man who later revealed himself as a plainclothes police officer. At an earlier stop that day, a video journalist yelled at the media scrum for shoving her.
Gordon said Secret Service can help prevent those situations from happening again, but they did not spur the campaign to make the request.
The Cain campaign has had noticeable growing pains as the candidate has risen from the bottom towards the top of the polls, one of the biggest of which has been dealing with the increased media attention.
Events have been scheduled at venues that cannot accomodate both supporters and the media. Rarely is space set aside for cameras to film open press events.
Local police will often be called to assist with crowd control and protection -- as was the case in Florida this week. But when Cain works the crowd after speeches, he is usually surrounded only by one security guard and a member of his staff. He will frequently field questions from the media scrum surrounding him, causing reporters to jostle for position.
But Gordon said the popularity of Cain is a large part of the problem.
"There is an intense interest in Mr. Cain that you don't see for other candidates," he said.
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Why is this old bugger back in the news today?
Don't you love it?
Big bad Hermie needs the Secret Service to protect him from... wait for it...
The MEDIA! lmfao!!!
Did you hear his code-name is 'Cornbread'?
Unbelievable...
Code-names:
Mitt Romney - Flipper
Rick Perry - Genius
Michelle Bachmann - Pea-Nuts
Rick Santorum - Pewee
Ron Paul - The Old Guy
Newt Gingridge - The Grinch
who am I forgetting?
Did you hear his code-name is 'Cornbread'?
___________________________________________________
Gee, Nasty, that name seems likely to fit you much better according to the Urban Dictionary:
cornbread: A girl with an extremely large ass, this refers to the fact that she must "eat her cornbread" in order to obtain such a fine ass.
LMAO!!!!
Feisty, have you been sending Joe "all I know how to type is Lefty Liberal" in Albany links to your @ss or is he just fantasising again?
The Secret Service has special instructions to keep Katie Couric away from Hermie!
Joe, That's not Feisty's ass in your mirror :)
Tom,
From the sound of the Idiot in Albany - he like himself some 'junk in the trunk'...
Sorry, I'm not his type! ;o)
Because now the Pimp has a Posse!
Feisty,
You assured me yesterday Cain would soon be gone................
Aaaahhhhhhgggggg!
Well, you know how weak women are .... they just can't resist a manly pizza.
I have to make a minor correction to your statement Anna Molly...
Patience my friend... patience... lol
This is a pure PR gimmick. Cain is doing this to stay in the public eye without having to address issues. Who would want to harm this guy? Ok, his wife, but beyond that poor lady, no one. The Dems would love for him to be a candidate. The likely Republican nominee - Romney - knows all he has to do is say nothing so he doesn't have to flip or flop on whatever it is he says.
Cain, Gingrich, Perry - today's bread and butter, tomorrow's toast.
Finally, the answer as to what to do with a pantry full of jam...
Voted by First Read gourmands the tastiest thread of the day.
Pepperoni with jam. Yum.
why would a loseing candidate .. to be a presidential candidate ..need secret service protection... who authorized it ?? do the tea party people know Cain is spending tax payer money on himself ... who authorized this expense to the tax payer ???
The Secret Service is following Cain around to protect American women, not Herman.
Big government is just fine when it is working for you right Herman.
Me FIRST! Me FIRST!!
d-b-o,
Dang it, thought I had it pegged. ha
You FIRST - You First!
YAY! ;o)
ME no be de-terred!!
YOW!
Dear drive-by-observer
Congratulations on being FIRST.
Congratulations, DBO!
Me, too, earlier. It was a surprise to discover I was first on Thoughts this morning and FT had been up a couple minutes. Usually when it looks as if I'm first, FR gremlins won't let me post!
In case I don't make it to the Week Ahead until later, have a great weekend but I'll be at the DDI on time toasting Amy for her question and DBO for being first!
WooHOO! dbo is FIRST!!
Lots of reason to celebrate at the DDI today----TGIF, of course, Amy's question being asked in Boiler Room and DBO being first!! Any one of those would be enough for me! First round on me---champagne (always my first choice) with Maine cranberry juice in honor of Amy!!
Just who the HELL does this guy think he is? And why the hell should WE THE TAXPAYERS pay for his protection??
There really ought to be a No Bigot, No Bully rule for tax-funded Secret Service candidate protection. The Cains and their ilk can pay for their own detail tyvm--maybe hold a meet-n-greet pizza sale if they're still not rich enough for that.
You have a point but apparently there were some death threats. I may find him weird and unqualified but wouldn't want something to happen to him either. Actually, its rather late in the campaign season for him to be the first and only one with Secret Service.
Better keep an eye on Mrs. Cain.
Hey Bali Bob - why exactly did the secret service get two rocking RVs?
What was the other one for again?
Pizza Delivery?
Wow that's some expensive Pizza delivery - what kind of tips do Secret Service guys get?
That depends on what Lobbyists ordered the Pizza.
The second RV is to deliver the talking point of the day from Fox Nation to the Little Rascal's doorstep.
Howdy Mickey - still not an actual thought, apart from all things Spanky, eh?
So Mickey care to tell us how the secret service's purchase of the second RV is a 'talking point?'
You know Mickey I am starting to believe you have no idea what a 'talking point' is. It's just one of the few things you can articulate.
So where did Bali Bob go off to? I was so hoping he could tell us all what the purpose of the secret service was, and how it relates to tax payer money being spent on protection of the candidates.
Oh well. At least we got us some Mickey loves Spanky posts.
Gee, Spanky, I thought the Obama Administration bought the RVs and not the Secret Service. At least that was the talking point when the President went on the bus tour this summer.
Hey Spanky, this is off topic but did you see that drug tunnel and wharehouses discovered in your neck of the woods, that was some operation they had going there. I'm glad they shut that down. It makes you wonder how many more passageways there might be that go undetected.
Spanky...no idea about the second RV, but I have a question. Where is all of the uproar about the taxpayer paying this candidate's security detail? "Get the government out of my life!" Unless of course it is about YOUR life, then by all means government, come on in. I heard it about Obama in '08 and he was the actual nominee, far beyond a candidate.
And it seems to me that you are the "stay on topic" police in every thread that someone gets off of your sound byte mantra, yet in this instance you have no problem curving the conversation. Is that how it works in the courtroom? Or does it need to have "Solyndra" in it for you to stay in point? I bet you were just positively drippy yesterday.
Oh well, perhaps Cain will do the right thing and pay for the security detail. If so, then I will call it a wash. Until then...hypocrite much?
Interesting point Noid, and to be honest I have no idea 'who' purchased it. But to me it would be a distinction without a difference. Whichever governmental agency bought it taxpayer money was used.
No, the point here was Bali Bob's assertion the the taxpayers should not pay for Cain's protection. I tend to agree in principal, but we taxpayers never ever get to make the call as to what our money is spent on.
Why I bet many here on the left would not have approved of RV1, if given the chance. But none of us were.
The reality, and thus not a talking point, is that not one, but two RVs were bought. One for President 'I'm and not in this now to campaign' Obama, the other for the GOP pick.
But see Bali Bob chose not to come on back to discuss. I would love to talk about the various uses of taxpayer money.
Why is that Noid? Instead we were treated to more of my favorite poster, the guy that loves him some Spanky the most - Mickey. Sadly all a guy like Mickey can do it parrot the term "talking point."
Steve Yo, he was more than drippy, I think he even got a little testie (cal)
Forrest - they uncover tunnels like that pretty regularly around here. We also get boats coming ashore with thousands of pounds of drugs and dudes armed with AKs every week.
SteveYO - Are you saying I am the 'stay on topic police?"
I wonder, can you point ot one time I have ever said that? You seem a tad confused.
Hey Tis - you need to get together with my man Mickey. Mickey likes to talk about my vagina, which seems to be in contrast to your repeated references to my NADS.
Now I can't for the life of me figure out why my sexual organs are on your mind, but in any event you all need to coordinate.
hey you two could have a Spanky party.
Sadly I have better things to do, but thanks for the shout outs.
Here you go, it was a little over 24 hours ago...bye, bye.
"Spanky-
This just in: Cain trims toenails.
OK there Drive By - this very insightful article has been posted. Rather than make fun of other posters fire off an equally insightful comment.
You know about the article.
Good luck.
#1.2 - Thu Nov 17, 2011 4:01 PM EST"
I actually don't have an issue with him or any high profile candidate for President getting Secret Service. In an election for the highest office in the land why wouldn't you want candidates to be protected by the best-trained bodyguards in history?
As for the buses, the alternative is for the Secret Service to rent for the candidates/President...again, with taxpayer funds. This meant renting the buses and fitting them for use...probably much more expensive in the long run than simply purchasing two buses.
Glad to see your in a lighter mood today, by the way I was corrected yesterday and informed they were not yours. My mistake, so Mickey must have a better source. By the way did not see you on the BBA page no comments on the bi-partisian NO vote.
Forrest that explains where Spanky was hiding out!
America provides them with a hell of a market, and If there is a buck to be made, I guess somebody will figure out how to make it. I sometimes wonder if maybe the US should just give up and legalize marijuana, take the big money out of the picture and let the farmers grow it, American farmers could probably produce it for 5 dollars a bushel, and put those drug cartels out of business in short order. I have other reservations about legalizing it, but I think this is one case where a free market solution might be just the ticket. Let the cartels take on Monsanto instead of law enforcement for a change.
[So where did Bali Bob go off to?]
Are you insinuating he "pulled a Spanky" and ran out on you? And here I though "insinuations" aren't admissible in court...but maybe they are admissible in traffic court, "counselor"?
So, I take it you no-likey Cain using your tax "fat stacks" dollars for a Secret Service posse? I'd love to hear your take on the subject of these wasted tax dollars, being Cain is still just an "average citizen".
This must truly piss you off. You're outraged at this misuse of your tax dollars, aren't you "counselor"...
Ha I'm just pissed that they were not electric buses.
Run off? Me?
Naa, just sometimes need to do some work.
Besides I sure would not want to miss any of the love and admiration/total devotion you constantly show me Mickey.
And SteveYo - big swing and a miss there buddy.
Tis you lost me, but you are flat wrong about my state of mind.
I'm always happy to hang here. It's much better than the alternative, which at this moment of to write a letter to the IRS.
The estate owes $5million. I'm pretty sure they'll take $1.2. They usually cave pretty easy.
Cross your fingers, my client is a 92 year old lady.
[...which at this moment of to write a letter to the IRS.]
Awwww, c'mon Spanks...can you at leas FAKE your outrage? You can do that, right?
Sure you can, "counselor"....oh, and by the way...that letter you're writing? I hope you're using spellcheck...a 92 year old lady's estate is depending on you...
Anybody get the feeling there is more than the usual amount of bad blood between the journalists covering his campaign and Cain or his aides?
Amy- because Journalists bristle at the notion 'we don't need no readers'?
Cain thought he could blow off the Union Leader, because it's "old media," but he forgot the "media" in "social media."
Good point DBO, I was thinking maybe Evelyn Wood, had it in for him.
He needs protection from the Union Leader Thugs!
The only reason for the interest in Mr. Cain is his naughty notorious nature, not his popularity
Uh Oh it's the Mormon Mafia, I think maybe Mitt is up to no good.
I'm going with Mrs. Cain, in the Billard Room, with the rolling pin.
Well, you know, liberals/marxists/hippies/OWS'ers/people who have lost jobs and homes because it's their own fault are a very dangerous bunch. Then again, some white-sheeted conservatives may have issues with Cain.
Seriously though--I would hope the Secret Service is being used only because there is a very real threat.
But it raises the questions of, a) the level of political discourse in this country, and b) when does a candidate really require Secret Service protection?
Mr. Cain and Mr. Romney are currently tied for the lead. Many of us think Cain is useless, but there are clearly many others who support Cain.
So, the show must go on.....(cue the calliope.)
comfortablynumb, good points.
I don't think the Secret Service would provide protection if the death threats weren't real. As soon as I post this, there will be a rash of posters calling me a racist but here goes. Candidate Barack Obama was the first to received Secret Service protection during the 2007/08 campaign and Herman Cain is the first in 2011/12; both were provided protection because of death threats. The only thing they have in common is their race, sad but true.
Thanks Jody.
Someone might take shots at both of us for alluding to race.
I can't think of anything else President Obama and Mr. Cain have in common.
steeler, pretty sure they both put their pants on the same way, one leg at a time and I am sure that they both shake it at least once to get the last few drops out...
Just PAY for your Protection Herman, whether it be fro the SECRET SERVICE or from a private firm, you can avoid this scrutiny by paying for what you claim to need. No FREE rides, Herman. Nein,nein,nein! You aren't an elected official, nor won any primaries; you're just a private citizen who's big mouth has gotten you in harms way.
Gee paul, such anger issues. I am sure you demanded that hillary pay for her own SS protection back in 2007 and 2008 right? Or was that ok for you? I have an answer, but do you?
As a former First Lady she probably already had SS protection for the rest of her life regardless of whatever else she did.
That's not true Forrest, only Bill. ExPOTUS's wife's don't get USSS support
Did Hillary get Secret Service Protection before she had won a Primary? if so then yes, her campaign should re-imburse the government for that expense. But hadn't she been a Senator from NY then too? She was and had been an ELECTED official.
Mr. Cain, the Secret Service? Please! I could understand if You were a viable candidate, but, you're not.
The Secret Service cannot protect You from the press..................................
and of course those "GOTCHA" questions
I hear is Secret Service code name is "Groper".
I think he needs protection from Rachael Maddow who has him figured out as a giant farce!
A series of THREATS? Ex female employee's husbands, sons, boyfriends and fathers? the employees themselves?
I can't think of anyone else who would want to hurt you Hermie......................Oh, wait, the other NUT JOBS running against you? maybe you could just travel incognito perhaps in a Pizza Hut or Dominoes delivery car
Actually, I'm willing to give him some benefit of the doubt. If there have been threats his campaign and Homeland Security are wise to issue protection and not reveal what threats have been made or who has made them.
yep, Da Noid, I guess you're right. even I would feel bad if something bad happened to Hermie. If nothing else, He does have quite a bit of comedic value.
I thought I saw Bachmann and Perry at the gun range last week:)
I guarantee you the threats would not come from a democrat, democrats would probably provide him free protection if he was the nominee. He may need protection from an irate husband, but more than likely he needs to be protected from his own propensity to make a fool of himself nearly every-time he opens his mouth. The secret service gave him the code name "Cornbread", I guess that makes Perry's code name "Hambone" and Gringrich's codename is "Favabean". I'm glad I am not a republican, these candidates would depress me.
He's probably been getting threats from teabaggers.
Well, now they're all going to want it. Try taking all your children to a store and only buy a toy for one of them.
So much for down sizing big government.
I draw the line at Bachmann.
There goes more of my tax dollars down the drain! Make Cain pay for his own security!!
The country wants a breeder not a reader....?? No wait...the country wants a .....ummm....9-9-9 !!!
I still think he should just travel with Perry,you know that dude is loaded to the gills....and probably has a weapon too....
He no doubt has a weapon, he shoots himself in the foot every couple of days, soon he will need some orthopedic cowboy boots.
I thank rational man for the comment that my comment can be seeded into an article . I have no problem with anyone doing this . It is not copywrited by me .
With the guy who said I am wasting space . I have to answer that I listened to Ron Paul in the debates when he went through quickly the statement that major banks are still be subsidized by the American Taxpayer and is responsible for the lack of the recovery of the economy and the housing market . Then he went into process and indicate that the banks borrow at zero from the government and lend it back to the government at 3% . Mr Paul did not explain this and to understand this it has to be explained or it is poo pooed and it takes up too much space . In fact Mr Paul did not have the time to explain this or the space to do so. Also , people do not like complication or things they do not want to know , and most of the people here on this blog certainly don't want to deal with process as in Mr Paul's statement . Is it really worth the effort . No it isn't , the trick of Mr Paul is those who have the capacity to understand or interest understood him , and the rest of you unless you demand to know process which you will not do are left out , and guess what , Mr Paul snap process answer is the best popular way to deal with those who don't want to know , or would have a wrinkle brow to know . You know there are those people who don't want to know and many who don't want to be taught . In fact , they have good reason , and this is it will not make a difference to them or society if they know because there is nothing they or we can do about it . Mr Paul at least indicate to the smart Republicans that he understands and knows what the process is , and he certainly is not going to change it even if it is destroying the US.
Now you know why it doesn't pay to seed an article and the guy who said I was wasting space is absolutely right because sometimes it is much better to have space between your ears . Hey the German people said there was nothing they could do about the holocaust and they had space between their ears too.
Feisty and Anna Molly it's the sausage that is truly irresistable!