WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has been placed under secret service detail, according to a statement from the U.S. Secret Service.
"Secretary Chertoff has, after consultation with the congressional advisory committee, authorized the United States Secret Service, to protect presidential candidate Senate Barack Obama.
"As a matter of procedure, we will not release any details of the deliberations or assessments that led to protection being initiated. For security reasons we will not release the timing, scope or details of any protective operations."
*UPDATE: CNN has added this information to its report:*
The Secret Service told CNN no specific threat had been made against Obama.
UPDATE 2: CNN has changed to:
The Secret Service would not divulge the reason for the protection.
UPDATE 3: ABC says:
WABC and ABC News have learned that Democratic presidential hopeful Barak Obama has been put under the protection of the United States Secret Service, reportedly due to a threat against the candidate.
UPDATE 4: Via MSNBC:
"I face the same security issues as anybody," Obama told the AP. "We’re comfortable with the steps we have taken."
And...
"I’m not aware it was based on any threat," [said a Secret Service spokesperson].
So was there a specific threat? I don't think anyone is going to get a definitive answer because the Secret Service doesn't comment on that sort of thing and Obama has previously refused to say anything about the threats made against him.
But I'll say this - Bush's Sec. of Homeland Security doesn't raise the profile of a Democratic candidate for nothing, in my opinion. Also, a spokesperson saying "not aware" usually means just that - as in, the spokesperson isn't privy to those details.
Clarification: That Obama quote was given to the AP before the decision was made to give him Secret Service protection.
UPDATE 5: From the Chicago Tribune (h/t: Magnifico)
Concerned about the safety of Sen. Barack Obama on the presidential campaign trail, Sen. Dick Durbin two weeks ago went to the Senate’s top Democrat to point out the danger he thought his fellow Illinois Democrat might be in.
Durbin said he told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid about the size of the crowds he’d seen on the campaign trail with Obama, and also that he showed Reid some unspecified material that added to his concern.
That conversation lead Thursday to the assignment of a Secret Service detail to Obama, the earliest in a presidential campaign the service has ever made the decision to cover a candidate not already under their protection as an office holder.
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