I found this:
“Mr. Obama has had Secret Service agents surrounding him since May 3, the earliest a candidate has ever been provided protection. (He reluctantly gave in to the insistent urging of Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, and others in Congress.) As his rallies have swelled in size, his security has increased, coming close to rivaling that given to a sitting president.” (I don’t know how to underline or emphasise in FR format, but the last sentence is what I’m looking at. Is that what you are referring to?)
from www.nytimes.com/2008/02/25/us/politics/25memo.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin linked at www.cnn.com.
I was referring to news stories I have heard since Obama’s campaign started late last year. These were on TV as throw away lines. At the time I thought them odd and out of place. Later, I realized they weren’t.
I watch too much tv news.