November 17, 2011 6:53 PM

Herman Cain to get Secret Service protection

By
Brian Montopoli
Topics
Campaign 2012

Updated 7:34 p.m. Eastern Time

Two government officials tell CBS News that Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain has been approved for Secret Service protection.

The Secret Service would not say why the decision was made. Cain has received threats as far back as when he was CEO of Godfather's Pizza.

The Cain campaign would not confirm that Cain had been approved for Secret Service protection.

The news comes after the Cain campaign apologized after a CBS News/National Journal reporter was manhandled at a Cain event. The Cain campaign said after the incident that it was "reviewing our own internal security procedures."

Then-Sen. Barack Obama received Secret Service protection on May 3, 2007. Then-Sen. Hillary Clinton, who also sought the presidency in the 2008 cycle, already had Secret Service protection because he husband had recently been president; her official campaign protection began on November 29, 2007.

Among the candidates who have gotten Secret Secret protection are Rev. Jesse Jackson (starting November 23, 1987 and November 10, 1983), Pat Robertson (December 1, 1987) and Sen. Edward Kennedy (October 25,1979). Six candidates received Secret Service protection in the 1976 campaign cycle.

Congress authorized protection for major presidential candidates after Robert Kennedy was assassinated in 1968, as he was seeking the presidency. A congressional panel signs off on all requests for Secret Service protection.

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Herman Cain on the campaign trail

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Add a Comment See all 53 Comments
by leftyintexas November 20, 2011 12:25 AM EST
I'll bet that was Cain's idea to give himself the importance he lacks and doesn't deserve. Nice try, Boobie.
Reply to this comment
by JenniferLawsonZepeda November 18, 2011 12:30 PM EST
OCCUPY CORPORATE PRACTICES! See more:

http://lawsonzepeda.blogspot.com/2011/11/occupy-corporate-practices.html
Reply to this comment
by JenniferLawsonZepeda November 18, 2011 12:28 PM EST
Cain is old news. He burnt his bridges. As far as socialism, I wish Obama WAS a socialist. I would vote for him in 2012 if he were, but he's the usual bipartisan fence straddler. Thus, I am forced to vote for a REAL socialist -- Stewart Alexander! Someone who stands for the ideals of the people...the 99%, not the 1% elitist pigs.
Reply to this comment
by Overruled1 November 18, 2011 12:20 PM EST
Cain had a plan, a bad plan, but the only one I heard...now his plans are toast.
Unfortunate that Cain isn't qualified to be our president....
I feel President Obama is a shoe in anyhow for a second term.
Reply to this comment
by Sloughfoot November 18, 2011 11:58 AM EST
We need more info about Cain's pizza hut days - no maybe we don't, I think he may have burnt his own crust. How quickly can we retrieve the tax payer security forces?
Reply to this comment
by bigsk8fan November 18, 2011 10:42 AM EST
besides the death threats, other news sources quoted herman cain as saying that his security staff had run-ins with reporters. the death threats seem a better reason for secret service protection than reporters asking questions.
Reply to this comment
by ruffiannd November 18, 2011 7:53 AM EST
No one's threatening Cain. This is Mark Block's strategy to help Cain look more presidential. After all, if you have a security detail following you, you MUST be important. I hope they also report on the day the Secret Service stops covering him. Shouldn't be too long now.
Reply to this comment
by maryderricotte62 November 18, 2011 6:42 AM EST
Mr. Cain pull yourself up by your own boot straps and pay the tab yourself since you said you where against financial aid for students as they become doctors and nurses should be working at Mc Donalds at night to study and go to school in the day time or remember when you said the community and churches should pay for ther education well get your friends the Koch Brothers to pay for your security.
Reply to this comment
by JenniferLawsonZepeda November 18, 2011 12:38 PM EST
Amen! If Cain is so opposed to government spending, then stop sponging off the taxpayers to cover his latest PR campaign...the supposed danger to him...which is a thinly veiled effort to bring his name back up in the polls.
by JenniferLawsonZepeda November 18, 2011 12:39 PM EST
AMEN! Cain says he is opposed to government spending? Then man up and pay for your own PR campaign -- this b.s. about OWS being a threat to you; which is simply a Public Relations tactic to cover your sexual harassment behavior that pulled you down in the polls. This man is so disgusting it is unbelievable. There isn't a trick he misses!
by maryderricotte62 November 18, 2011 6:36 AM EST
Little Hitler deserves no special treatment. If he is going to go down with saying Occuppying wall stereet is a plot against him than he is delusional. He is seeking publicity for his campaign. Oh yes. unless he is worried about the KKK whom has a base in the Republican Party.
Reply to this comment
by maryderricotte62 November 18, 2011 6:35 AM EST
Little Hitler deserves no special treatment. If he is going to go down with saying Occuppying wall stereet is a plot against him than he is delusional. He is seeking publicity for his campaign. Oh yes. unless he is worried about the KKK whom has a base in the Republican Party.
Reply to this comment
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