Could Obama and McCain Pass A Secret Service or FBI (employment, interviews)

[Ibginnie]

background investigation? Would either be qualified to guard the POTUS?
Remove the age restriction. Both are too old to apply.

... drug test, and polygraph examination. The polygraph will check the truthfulness of all of your responses on the FBI Background Investigation Forms. In the next phase of the process, the FBI will perform extensive records checks (e.g., credit checks, police records checks, etc.), and FBI investigators will interview current and former colleagues, neighbors, friends, professors, etc.

https://www.fbijobs.gov/53.asp

Complete background investigation to include in-depth interviews, drug screening, medical examination and polygraph examination

United States Secret Service: Employment Opportunities - Special Agent

[NWS]

From your title I was going to recommend fiber. Lots of it.

[SGrey]

Taking the physical out of the equation for obvious reasons, they'd both fail the exam the moment they hit the lie detector.

CNN tried come stupid sound meter thing during the conventions. I propose instead of that, we have a lie o'meter. Before any politician can speak publicly on a national stage like that, they should all to be hooked up to a lie detector with the results posted live on the side of the screen as they speak.

The day they do that is the day I might start trusting them a smidge. That or I'll at least be provided with an endless source of amusement.

[Mircea]

Originally Posted by Ibginnie

background investigation? Would either be qualified to guard the POTUS?

And this is relevant how exactly?

[scorp200]

Technically you are not supposed to have smoked pot 15 times or more in your life so I don't know.

[WingsOfGold]

McCain has passed SEVERAL background investigations, Dumbo on the other hand could not pass one in all probability with his known drug use and anti American friends.

[Ibginnie]

Originally Posted by Mircea

And this is relevant how exactly?

Actually, I am just curious. Both McCain and Obama have questionable things in their past. I guess I was wondering that if either one was not eligible to guard the POTUS how could either realistically be the POTUS.

Shouldn't the POTUS have AT LEAST the same amount of clearance as a CIA or an FBI agent?

[Mircea]

Originally Posted by Ibginnie

Actually, I am just curious. Both McCain and Obama have questionable things in their past. I guess I was wondering that if either one was not eligible to guard the POTUS how could either realistically be the POTUS.

Shouldn't the POTUS have AT LEAST the same amount of clearance as a CIA or an FBI agent?

No, all presidents are granted a Secret ATOMAL clearance as a courtesy on the basis of their position, not the basis of their past personal history.

Normally it wouldn't be possible for someone to be granted a Top Secret clearance with an ATOMAL, CRYPTO, COSMIC or other designator or an identifier like "EYES ONLY" etc if they had been associated with the John Birch Society, Greenpeace or other organizations, etc etc etc or had a history of drug use or gambling but then presidents are granted exceptions and it's irrelevant since presidents do not get Top Secret clearances anyway.