First Family Detail - Ronald Kessler

Ronald Kessler's 20th book, The First Family Detail: Secret Service Agents Reveal the Hidden Lives of the Presidents, offers a behind the scenes look at the secret service detail guarding elected officials, candidates and their families.  The book also offers up a critique of the mismanagement of the secret service and the risks posed to the security of the people being protected.

The first family and the agents work together to balance security and freedom.  In the view of the line staff managers and directors of the secret service are too willing to compromise the security of the President to give in to personal favors or cover up incompetency.

After reading this book I hope the Democratic Party comes up with an alternative to Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden.  As detailed in the book, Hillary's public persona contrasts with her very nasty behavior with secret service agents and White House Staff.  The author's sources credit Hillary's public humiliation of Vince Foster as a contributing factor to his suicide.  She also fired an agent for helping former first lady Barbara Bush with a computer problem. Agents assigned to Hillary view it as a form of punishment.

Joe Biden is an affable person, but according to accounts does not take his responsibility for the nuclear football seriously.  His habit of swimming without clothes in front of female agents assigned to him does not earn him any respect.  His erratic personal schedule makes it very difficult for agents to plan for his protection.  This contrasted with Dick Cheney who planned out his life almost a year in advance.

Agents report excellent treatment by the Obama's.  This contrasted with the utter disdain the the Clinton's and Al Gore had for the secret service.  The agents were told to be invisible and they were told to hide from view.  Mr. Clinton has mellowed since leaving office and now has a good relationship with his agents.  John F. Kennedy was kind to the agents while being less than faithful to his wife.  As President, Jimmy Carter was a know it all faker who could not take instruction even from a ski instructor.  Lyndon Johnson probably was the worst of the lot being inconsiderate, profane and coarse to everyone.

The secret service had a good working relationship with the two Bush Administrations and with Ronald Reagan.  The Reagan's and Bush 41 would do there best stay in Washington over Christmas to allow agents to be with their families.  Richard Nixon was characterized as a man with a sharp political mind while being socially awkward and paranoid.

The first ladies are a mixed bag: Pat Nixon and Betty Ford were alcoholics. Nancy Reagan was controlling and protective. Rosalynn Carter was intellectually sharp and cordial.  Barbara Bush was everyone's mother and Laura Bush was uniformly loved by the secret service.

I appreciate the author providing details on the security breakdown's for each of the assassination attempts.  Peter Gabriel's song; Family Snapshot provides a good generic profile of these often mentally disturbed individuals listening to the wrong voices inside their heads. 

The office of the presidency reveals the true character of the person charged with leading the nation.  Are the people running the country completely self absorbed and inconsiderate of others, or do they treat others with respect without regard to a person's status?  Is there a huge disconnect between their public and private life?
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Peter Gabriel - Snapshot - 5 min.