DECODED

GOP Secret Service Names Leaked

Mitt ‘Javelin’ Romney; Rick ‘Petrus’ Santorum.

The race is on to analyze Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum’s Secret Service code names, which campaign sources have confirmed exclusively to GQ magazine. Romney chose the code name “Javelin,” which could refer to the 1960s muscle car made by an automotive company Mitt’s father once ran. Santorum, who seems to be as interested in gathering disciples as delegates, chose “Petrus,” Latin for “rock” and root of the name "Peter," the first pope of the Roman Catholic Church. The tradition of code names dates back to the days when communications between the Secret Service and the White House weren’t encrypted. Now that they have a back-up, apparently it’s no big deal if candidates’ code names are leaked, agent Ed Donovan told GQ. President Obama’s code name was revealed shortly after he got Secret Service protection in 2007. The Democratic candidate and his wife were apparently fans of alliteration: Barack Obama went by “Renegade,” while Michelle Obama used “Renaissance.”