News nearly a dozen Secret Service agents sent to Colombia to protect President Barack Obama were sent home last week for misconduct should shock - and worry - Americans.
Secret Service agents are sent in advance to destinations where presidential visits are planned. Some of those dispatched to Cartagena, Colombia, took women who may have been prostitutes to their rooms, according to published reports.
The many dangers of such behavior are obvious - and no doubt, Secret Service agents are aware of them.
Misconduct by federal officials and employees who waste taxpayers' money is bad enough. But when misdeeds risk chipping away at the cordon protecting the president of the United States, they are positively frightening. Such conduct is absolutely unacceptable, and citizens have the right to expect better behavior from agents who are trusted with protecting the president of the United States on a daily basis.
Obama should be able to rely on everyone in his Secret Service detail. Clearly, after the recent shenanigans in Colombia, he cannot. The misconduct needs to be immediately investigated - and corrected, whatever it takes.