Secret Service selection

Factual Questions
1

I’ve got a question here, and I’m struggling with how to put it. We all know there’s just been a contentious U.S. Presidential election (apparently) put to bed. Much has been made of the so-called extereme divisions amongst the electorate (that ignores the ~5% of those who vote third party and see little difference between Bush and Gore) and it causes me to wonder: How do they screen Secret Service agents for the presidential guard?

After all, if political tensions are running high amongst the 50% of the electorate who bothered to vote (I don’t think they’re really running that high - some lean towards inflammatory remarks designed to hurt, but, really, half didn’t bother to vote) one would assume that the President must be physically protected from all comers. One might also think that those who would aspire to a position of such a protector that involves personal risk might have spent some time pondering our political landscape. The end result of that conjecture is that Secret Service agents probably are at least as, if not more, politically aware and civically motivated as any other part of the population.

And it’s a career gig. So, if you’re an SS officer (unfortunate choice of initials), you’re likely going to, at some point, have your life on the line for someone whose politics, and possibly personal demeanor, you abhor.

So, what do they do to screen for guys and gals who can be reliably counted upon to protect The Body politic throughout a career that will include protecting their political enemies?

Anwar Sadat’s security detail comes to mind…, hmm…, w/o researching it - didn’t a South Korean leader eat it at the hands of his bodyguards, as well?

2

Leaders’ lives have always been most at risk from their own bodyguards. Look at the Roman and Russian emperors for a multitude of examples.

As for the USSS, they are primarily a law-enforcement agency. Most cops take (or think they take) the attitude of “You are an SOB, but I will defend to the death your right to be an SOB”. They rationalise it, not as protecting the SOB, but as apprehending the murderers.

A friend of mine had to go through some extensive background checks and psychological testing to get into the police academy. (And this was in a hick town whose PD has a bad reputation.) With funding from the federal government, I imagine that Secret Service agents are the best-screened in the world.