There was a time, not that long ago in terms of the nation’s history, when a president of the United States could take a brisk morning walk in the vicinity of the White House.
President Harry Truman used to do that regularly in the late ’40s and early ’50s.
He was accompanied by a few Secret Service men and a gaggle of news reporters hoping to pick up some tidbit of information.
The Secret Service men were along to protect the president; overall it was an uncomplicated assignment for them and there was little impediment to how long the walk took and where it went.
While I never saw Truman on one of his walks, I was in Washington at the time and read news stories about it.
Once a few years ago, I did observe President George W. Bush going to the church a quarter-mile or so away from the White House. It took a small fleet of big cars, motorcycles and a batch of steely-eyed Secret Service men to accomplish this trip, plus at least one sniper at the ready on top of the hotel across the street from the church.
All of this comment has to do with President Barack Obama attending the funeral yesterday of the mother of Vice President Joe Biden.
Times have changed. Today a president’s movements — to any location — have become increasingly complex.
The fact that President Obama made this decision to attend the funeral, with all the disruption it meant to his schedule and the massive amount of detailed effort it took to carry out the trip to Wilmington, tells a number of things.
It shows the favorable impression that Jean Biden had on those who knew her.
It shows the personal good feeling the president has for his vice president.
And it shows, to his credit, an awareness by the president of the personal grief of others.
May Jean Biden’s soul rest in peace.
