The Open Secret of First Family Code Names

The Obamas: Malia, Barack, Sasha and Michelle. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

Shhh! Don't tell anyone, but the secret code names for the new first family are Barack Obama, "Renegade"; Michelle, "Renaissance"; Malia, "Radiance"; Sasha, "Rosebud." So, uh, what's the secret here exactly? For starters, the Secret Service gets a little annoyed hearing these names (Reagan was "Rawhide," Jenna was "Twinkle," etc.) referred to as its "code names": They're actually picked out by the White House Military Office (which oversees all military units on duty with the president), and although the Secret Service sometimes uses them as well, they don't serve any security function. "We work on all encoded, encrypted communications systems," a service spokesman said. So why use aliases at all? Brevity. "It's easier to refer to them by code names than to go through the titles," a White House spokesman said.