Now, compare that to the number of presidents. Perhaps it'd be more accurate to compare it on a percentage basis: what is the precentage of members of Congress throughout American history who have been assassinated verses the percentage of presidents? Face it, the Secret Service had a tough job. No matter who is president, there are a number of mental cases out there who want to immortalize themselves. Stopping someone bent on murder and who isn't afraid to die is a tough job.

Due to the special security and communications requirements that go with the office, I don't begrudge presidents getting special treatment so long as they don't abuse it. I've never liked it when presidents use Air Force One to go on fundraising or other purely partisan political activities regardless of who sits in the Oval Office. Perhaps my opinion comes from my late father's bumber sticker from 1973: "Be thrifty, drive 50, so Nixon can fly."

I do remember Nixon once riding on an ordinary airliner but that was mostly a publicity stunt during the Watergate mess. It didn't help.