The United States Secret Service (ie, the guys and gals who protect the President the other important people) don't refer to the people they are looking after by name. Instead they use code names.
The current US President is codenamed Tumbler (He was a cheerleader in college), while his wife is Tempo, and their two daughters are Twinkle and Turquoise.
Since Barak Obama is now the President-Elect, him and his family are now protected by the US Secret Service, so they have been given code names as well.
Barack Obama is Renegade while wife Michelle is Renaissance. The kids, Malia and Sasha, are Radiance and Rosebud respectively.
As was pointed out in someone else's blog (Bill in Exile: half political, half NSFW, and almost all gay), the Bush code names are lame, while the Obama's are cool, just like them.
The current US President is codenamed Tumbler (He was a cheerleader in college), while his wife is Tempo, and their two daughters are Twinkle and Turquoise.
Since Barak Obama is now the President-Elect, him and his family are now protected by the US Secret Service, so they have been given code names as well.
Barack Obama is Renegade while wife Michelle is Renaissance. The kids, Malia and Sasha, are Radiance and Rosebud respectively.
As was pointed out in someone else's blog (Bill in Exile: half political, half NSFW, and almost all gay), the Bush code names are lame, while the Obama's are cool, just like them.
- Current Location:Reynard St, Melbourne, Australia
- Current Mood:
amused
Profile
halloranelder- Random
- grey/blue
Comments
(In passing - Obama would have had Secret Service protection for several months already. All presidential candidates get it as a matter of course.)
I've seen a rather amusing macro that contrasts "Renegade" with "Maverick".
And - dude! - Bush was a cheerleader?! That does things to my head .. things that are going to need bleach and a wire brush to get out.
Explains a lot, doesn't it?
The Secret Service is apparently not very creative.
I wonder what decides what letter they use?
Renegade and Rosebud are okay, but I'm not big on Renaissance and Radiance. I don't think they'd be the easiest codenames to shout into a radio while under fire.
Maybe they don't figure Michelle and Malia are so likely to be targets.
They're easy to say and distinctive, which are the two main requirements.
"Renaissance" is three syllables, with no hard consonants and two sibilants. That doesn't make it the hardest thing to say, but it isn't the easiest to say clearly.
Maybe I'm just more conscious of it, given my speech difficulties.
When they talk about "Obama", who are they talking about? The President-Elect, or his wife, or either of the kids? They're not going to call the President-Elect or his wife by first name when they are talking about them, as that wouldn't be respectful.
The code names are so that over the radio one of them can say "Renegade has entered the building" and everyone listening knows exactly who they are talking about. In a high risk situation that level of clarity might save someones life.
Hey, if Obama is the Renegade, does that mean he'll just keep shooting until everyone is dead, but make sure that the Sheriff is the last to die?
Geek!