Secret Service Handles
The president of the United States has his own special security protection, special police officers who are responsible primarily for protecting the president and the vice president from any danger. This security team is called the Secret Service, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, although for many years it was part of the U.S. Treasury Department. They normally wear formal business suits, not police uniforms (clothing).
The Secret Service protects all current and former presidents for life, meaning that even after a president leaves his or her position, both the ex-president and spouse (husband or wife) continue to have special protection until the day they die. The Secret Service also protects the children of the current president and the main candidates for president during most of the election year. Finally, the Secret Service protects the president-elect and vice president-elect before they take office (officially become president and vice president) in January. So President-elect Obama has Secret Service protection 24 hours a day now, as does his wife, Michelle, and two daughters, Malia and Sasha.
The Secret Service has certain code names or special names for the people it protects that it uses for communication instead of their real names. The names don’t necessarily have anything to do with the person, although people often try to figure out why they were given that name. (The president does not get to choose his or her own code name.) For example, President Bush’s code name is Tumbler, which is a glass often associated with making drinks with alcohol. Former President Clinton’s name was Eagle, a kind of bird.
So what about the new occupants (residents) of the White House (the house where the president lives, sometimes referred to by its street address, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue)? President-elect Obama is called Renegade, which is a person who does things differently, who doesn’t follow the official rules or organization. Future First Lady (what we call the wife of the president) Michelle Obama is Renaissance, referring to the period of European history when there was a growth in art and learning after the Middle Ages (from the French word for “rebirth”). The Obama children will be called Radiance (for Malia) and Rosebud (for Sasha). Radiance means shining brightly, like the sun or a bright light. Rosebud is what we call the flower rose before it opens. Rosebud can be seen as a symbol of innocence and childhood, as it was in the famous movie Citizen Kane many years ago.
Vice President-elect Joseph Biden’s code name is Celtic, perhaps because the word Celtic is associated with the Irish, and Biden is himself an Irish American.
~Jeff
November 20th, 2008 at 1:22 am
Thanks for very intresting, as always, story, this time about the Secret Service.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:34 am
I’ve learned about the code names that Obama family had been given on video podcasts.
But a fundamental question emerged.
These code names have to be kept in secret, don’t they?
I think there would be no sense to make the information public.
Code names are something more different than I think?
November 20th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Hi Jeff,
this is one exciting topic. I agree with people who try to figure out why they use code names. Do you have an idea? How do you know the code name. Why they aren’t secret? Do you know more code names. J.F. Kennedy and his wife for example. Also I think, they choose the code name very well. Renegade for example and all the others are perfect for each person. Perhaps you could give us more news about this topic or perhaps you will talk about in an English Café. Please… Maybe there are more listeners like me who find it interessting. I hope so.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Jeff,
here I’m again. Do you know if the Secret Service of presidents in Europe is different as in the US. They also have code names? I’m sure you have an answer to my questions. You always know… Thank you !
November 20th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
It’s an interesting story. Well, it sees that you’re in L.A., near Hollywood.
If you let me, I want to make you some questions, but I’m serious: is it Really true?. If it’s true, and it’s supposed that must be secret, how do you know it?. And if you know and all of us know now too, why to use secret names or code names?. Maybe can be another joke of you.
Please, don’t get me wrong Jeff, but I still remember the day when my youngest son laughed to me, due to one of your jokes.
In the Blog on twenty-third of septembre, called “Third anniversary Video” you say that you was an actor more than twenty years ago, playing a character called “Chewbacca” in the movie “Star Wars”. I Believed you and I ran to tell my son this curiosity. (My son is a degree at “Audiovisual Communication” and nowadays is working as a director assitant for the movie industry here in Spain). When I told him, he looked at me and laughed loud in my face (some sons are able to be very cruel). He only wrote in Google the word “Chewbacca”, and straight afterwards, he left room, but now he just was smiling.
Then I read that “Chewbacca” was played an English actor called “Peter Mayhew”, not you
I don’t know how are you, but then, I understood that you are a great person with a great sens of humor.
Greetings.
November 20th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
My dearest teacher Jeff,
How about a cod name for you jeff as the president of The podcast, Whether you admit it or not ,you have lots of fans across the world.As I learnt about you , you have a good sense of humour, topped with your keenness of insight.I give you acumen.How about it? Yes ,this name totally suit you bro.
November 20th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Exciting content~ I also wonder, why the code names open to public and how to give a code name.
November 21st, 2008 at 12:06 am
I think, Jeff told us the truth…
November 21st, 2008 at 3:17 am
It’s very interesting to know the organization, secret service.
November 21st, 2008 at 5:18 am
Well I think this news has been told by a person that was conected with the Secret Service, that is my information and I have heard it some days before Jeff write it in the blog. May be he/her write a book or have some speech in tv. or radio stations.
But it sounds very strange for us, because if people that are secret agents working this kind of dangerous works it is so strange that everybody knows how the people they have to protect are code called…..it’s really incredible.
These news are even more odd in Spain where there are so many people to protect against terrorist attacks, and where so many persons have been killed (nearly a thousand along 40 years) by those wrong callled “separatist group” by newspaper so good as New York Times or others.
Very often I have been moved to write to some newspaper to protest about this wrong form of calling to terrorist or killers, but I don’t know the form of doing it, and it’s hard to read the new this way.
I have to thank you Jeff by the opportunity of writting what I think about this delicate matter, also clarifying what are people who in a democratic way want to be independent (they have all rights) and what are doing others that don’t respect other’s life at all, in getting their purposes.
So please, call everything or everybody propperly all over the world’s news. May be this is an utopia?
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:03 am
I need to tell one thing. I´m also from a secret organization called ESLPodcast google group!
This message will explode in five seconds.
November 23rd, 2008 at 5:20 am
Gosh ! you really know how to keep a secret
November 24th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Jeff, I think it’s time to react. Did you tell us the truth? Mystery… I never know when you are kidding and in this case I would like to know!
November 24th, 2008 at 11:51 am
No, you aren’t elcomandant, I can’t really belive you about the story of Chewbacca, that’s not possible.
If so, I am like your son, but….no I really don’t belive you are serious….please, forgive me but that’s
my point of view and again don’t get me wrong elcomandant but it’s so hard of belive………
May be you are cheating me (us) now?. Please, seriously, now tell us the truth
November 26th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Thanks Emiliano,
I see you are as curious as me to find the answer of our question. Maybe it’s you who is right and Jeff was kidding.
November 26th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Forget my last message please. I misunderstood completely your response. I’m sorry.
November 27th, 2008 at 5:25 am
Doesnl`t matter at all Bettina, as you I am very surprised about these news, but I think is true and I as told before, may be a person who was before in the secret service is who has told this matter in a book or at the newspaper.
Even so I think it is really dangerous and incredible.
The other mesage was sent to one of our blogers but it seems he has not read it.
Take care Bettina and regards.