Obama's not-so-secret alias turns him into a traitor

Barack Obama has been called a deserter from his faith and a fallen Christian every day for the past year and a half.

Several times a day, he is accused of rejecting lawful behavior.

Who says?

The U.S. Secret Service ... every day for almost a year and a half.

Since June 2007, when Mr. Obama began receiving federal protection, his code name has been "Renegade."

That is the name agents use to refer to Mr. Obama during radio communications as he moves from place to place.

"Renegade is on the move," agents say sternly into flesh-colored microphones protruding from their suit coat sleeves as Obama prepares to leave his Hyde Park home. "Renegade is moving," they say as he walks out of the transition office in the Loop.

When the name "Renegade" was chosen as Obama's Secret Service alter ego in June of 2007, whoever put it on the list of choices probably thought the word meant rebel or one-of-a-kind. Renegade also conjures up "maverick," but John McCain was already calling himself that.

So it was "Renegade" for Obama.

But there is just one problem with "Renegade."

The actual meaning of the word really isn't very nice.

The two main definitions in Webster's Dictionary are: "a deserter from one faith, cause, or allegiance to another" and "an individual who rejects lawful or conventional behavior."

The word was especially popular in the Middle Ages when it referred to someone who was "a fallen Christian or a knight without allegiance."

Synonyms listed for renegade are: "traitor, turncoat, outlaw, defector ... disloyal."

I have some personal knowledge in the misuse of the word "renegade." In a news story, I once called Father Andrew Greeley "a renegade priest."

While Father Greeley is a controversial, unconventional, nonconforming, exceptional and eccentric maverick of a priest; he is not a renegade priest any more than Obama will be a renegade president.

After the TV story aired in which I called Greeley a renegade priest, he let me have it in a letter. The priest-sociologist informed me that he was not a "deserter from his faith" as I had labeled him. I told him that I had misunderstood the meaning of the word, was wrong and apologized. We remain on friendly terms.

Last week when I heard that Father Greeley had been in an accident and was in critical condition, I thought about having once called him a renegade. And then the next day I found out that Renegade was the Secret Service's code name for Barack Obama.

I asked an Obama spokesman whether the president-elect approved the use of the name as has been reported, and whether he cares about the negative connotations.

"Negative connotations?" countered spokesman Tommy Vietor.

I explained the real definition of "renegade" in an e-mail, but didn't hear back.

Protectee code names are devised by the White House Communications Agency that is a branch of the military supporting both the White House and the Secret Service.

The codes names always start with the same letter for each family. Ronald and Nancy Reagan were "Rawhide" and "Rainbow."

George W. Bush is "Trailblazer." Laura is "Tempo."

When Bill Clinton was first given protection he was "Eagle" and Hillary was "Evergreen."

Similarly, Michelle Obama is known as "Renaissance." Obama daughters Sasha and Malia are called "Rosebud" and "Radiance."

Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill are known by the benign code names "Celtic" and "Capri."

A Secret Service official in Washington did not respond to questions about whether Barack Obama's Secret Service moniker was an intentional slam. But it wouldn't be the first time there was some editorializing in the nickname selection.

John F. Kennedy was given a Camelot-sounding name: "Lancer." When Rev. Jesse Jackson was running for president he was called "Thunder." When the pope is given Secret Service protection, he is known as "Halo."

"Renegade" though is harsh and unforgiving. Besides, it would seem to be just plain inaccurate.

Obama may have quit the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's church but there is no evidence he deserted his faith or is a fallen Christian.

He may have broken the law for a time in his life when he admits using drugs, but apparently does no more.

And despite a continuing campaign to malign Obama's patriotism, he doesn't seem to be a traitor, turncoat, outlaw or defector.

Even if the Secret Service was invoking the definition of renegade when used as a verb: "to break with established customs," Mr. Obama hardly qualifies. Rahm Emanuel and Hillary Clinton hardly seem to be much of a break from established customs.

Actually, the Secret Service could have slapped Mr. Obama with a more damning code name than Renegade.

If they really wanted to sear his hide, a different R word would be heard from the ends of their curly earpieces.

"Rezko is on the move."

• Chuck Goudie, whose column appears each Monday, is the chief investigative reporter at ABC 7 News in Chicago. The views in this column are his own and not those of WLS-TV. He can be reached by e-mail at chuckgoudie@gmail.com.