[jatfla]

I can't get enough of the pictures. One lady described him yesterday as "Hunka, Hunka, Hunka." Who would have thought we'd be saying this about our President? Yah, no more blue suits and red ties for him anymore. And he did look like a kid in a candy store yesterday. One commentator commented that not one person on the carrier appeared to be disappointed about remaining on the USS Lincoln one more day. Everyone was having a great time. (Except the Secret Service guys.) Does anyone know the reason the one kept his hand around the President's back the whole time he was greating the sailors?

[mass55th]

" Does anyone know the reason the one kept his hand around the President's back the whole time he was greeting the sailors?"

That's standard practice especially when he's working a line. I'd say it's done just in case Dubya trips, starts falling forward, or has to be pulled back quickly off the line. While one would never expect a violent act by one of our nation's finest, "better safe than sorry," I always say. We never thought one of our soldiers would throw grenades at, or fire at his fellow soldiers, but it happened. You can never be too careful...especially when it comes to President Bush. I think the SS guys feel as strongly about him as our troops do, and it would kill them if anything happened to him that they could have possibly prevented.

[Wolfstar]

They do that every time the President (any President) is working a crowd. The agent immediately behind the President with his hand lightly on his waist is the detail's lead agent. By keeping light physical contact, it helps him respond instantaneously to the President's movements, and also to the need to instantaneously pull him away should sudden danger arise. The fraction of a second it would take for the agent to move his hand to the President in such a situation (if it weren't already in place on his waist) could mean the difference between life and death.

[floriduh voter]

I think the hand was around the President because the deck of that carrier is pretty huge and they didn't want to get separated. They've done that before - nothing new. It probably also kept Dubya from getting mobbed because he's so popular. He's kind of like the fifth Beatle these days. And the speech that evening... WOW!