Barack the renegade, say secret service

The Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has been variously characterized as the bright young hope of the nation, a know-nothing upstart and a rebel without a cause.

But for the wired-up, sunglassed, lapel-murmuring men and women of the US secret service, the senator from Illinois is known simply as "renegade", it was revealed yesterday.

If Obama's aim is to present himself as an underdog outsider running against politics-as-usual, the secret service's codename could be a plus with undecided voters. But others in this race-sensitive country are likely to perceive a slight on Obama's African-American background.