How difficult was it for the Secret Service to protect Obama?

I knew someone who was, for a time, on Michelle Obama's Secret Service detail. Watching his face, I could tell me how stressed out he was on Inauguration Day. Later, I joked with him about it. He relayed his feelings when she got out the limo to shake hands with the crowd. read more

The Secret Service would have had to look at each piece and establish its threat level. So, I don’t suppose the first family was especially demanding or difficult for the Secret Service the level of threat against the President and first family must have been difficult. This provides a brief glance. read more

But the more frequently “the bear gets loose,” as the president and top staffers jokingly refer to the unscheduled forays away from the White House grounds, the more heartburn the president causes for the Secret Service agents charged with protecting his life. read more

The report says the Secret Service is strained by a drastic increase in threats to President Obama, coupled with deep budget cuts. Some are speculating that the agency may need to relinquish all or part of its roles in protecting the country’s financial machinery in order to focus resources on the protection of the president and other high-profile leaders. read more