Racial Data Sought for Bush Event

Secret Service Says Request Is Routine

By Dana Milbank
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, April 29, 2005; Page A09

The Secret Service has requested racial information on journalists and guests scheduled to attend a reception tomorrow night with President Bush.

White House reporters said they were offended that after furnishing the customary information -- name, date of birth and Social Security number -- they were also asked for the race of each person expected to attend the small reception scheduled before the White House Correspondents' Association's annual dinner.

The Secret Service said that it has been routine for many years to request such information of people who will be near the president, and that the information allows for quicker and more accurate searches of criminal databases. The policy has not been applied universally, however; such information is not requested of the people who greet the president and first lady at White House Christmas parties, for example, and is not always asked of people who have appointments in the White House complex.

After officers of the White House Correspondents' Association provided the Secret Service with names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers of those who would attend the VIP reception, an agent called back to ask for racial identities. "It's offensive on the face of it," said Edwin Chen, a Los Angeles Times White House reporter who is secretary of the association and who provided the information. "Why do they need to have race?"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/28/AR2005042801727.html?referrer=email&referrer=email


---"and that the information allows for quicker and more accurate searches of criminal databases"....Ummmm..hmmmm...sure...---