'Renegade:' A look at Obama's new life

[babylonsister]

I think this is sad. I know Obama signed up for it and knew it was coming, but still...:(


'Renegade:' A look at Obama's new life


Saul Loeb, AFP/Getty Images
http://stmedia.startribune.com/images/502*322/8obama1114.jpg
President-elect Barack Obama, surrounded by Secret Service members, has largely dropped out of public view — with brief outings with his daughters at school and trips to the gym, above.

By PETER BAKER, New York Times

Last update: November 13, 2008 - 9:30 PM


CHICAGO - A couple of weeks ago, Barack Obama headed to the Hyde Park Hair Salon for a trim. He greeted the staff and other customers and plopped down in the same chair in front of the same barber who has cut his hair for the last 14 years.

But when he wanted a trim, the Secret Service took one look at the shop's large plate-glass windows and the gawking tourists eager for a glimpse of the president-elect and the plan quickly changed. If Obama could no longer come to the barber, the barber would come to him and cut his hair at a friend's apartment.

Life for the newly chosen president and his family has changed forever. Even the constraints and security of the campaign trail do not compare with the bubble that has enveloped him in the 10 days since his election.

Renegade, as the Secret Service calls him, now lives within the strict limits that come with the most powerful office on the planet.

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"This is a tremendous personal transition, as well, far beyond what anyone could imagine," said Alexi Giannoulias, the Illinois state treasurer and a close friend. "Little things, like going to the gym, going to the movies, going to dinner with his wife, none of that will ever be the same again. Things that we take for granted."

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http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/president/34431639.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUX