The Secret Service says its prepared.
Obama needs an invisible bullet-proof cloak.
Politico: In Obama's case, that involves an additional consideration: his race. Obama received Secret Service protection 18 months before the election, the earliest of any previously unprotected presidential candidate, in part because of concerns about racially charged rhetoric that had been directed at him.' The fact that this is an African American is not lost on us,' Secret Service spokesman Malcolm Wiley says. 'We understand that this is a historic event; we understand that this is different from other inaugurations. It is one additional piece that we factor into the plan.' Washington, D.C., Assistant Police Chief Patrick Burke says the crowds 'will likely make this the biggest inauguration' in U.S. history. ... The inaugural security plan, Burke says, will include an intelligence-gathering operation involving 'the entire intelligence community.' Directed by the Secret Service, the operation is designed to vet all possible threats, including those that could be posed by hate groups.'
More at ABC:
Wiley dismisses the suggestion of added pressure, saying that Obama's historic role is "one of myriad" security considerations. For months, Wiley says, officials have been overseeing the Inauguration Day roles of 58 federal, state and local security agencies, including the U.S. military.
The Pentagon plans to deploy about 5,000 troops, a mix of personnel from every branch of service for both security and ceremonial purposes, according to the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee.
In addition, Washington's police department is coordinating with 96 police agencies across the nation that are sending 4,000 officers to help secure the event, says D.C. police spokeswoman Traci Hughes.
Burke says challenges include providing the large crowds with enough space to "appreciate the historical significance of the event," while maintaining a high level of security for Obama.
Ray Mey, a former FBI agent who helped with security for the 1997 Clinton inauguration, says the crowds that gathered during the 2007-08 campaign and Obama's close interaction with them signal the new president will be "a tough guy to protect."
"He likes to get out in the crowd," Mey says.
