US-SECURITY-WHITE HOUSE The White House is seen behind a fence on October 3, 2014 in Washington, DC. A new director has been appointed to head the Secret Service after a series of security breeches. The Secret Service lost more than its boss over the cascade of security lapses which cast doubt on its capacity to fulfill its prime mission: protecting President Barack Obama. The agency, known for sharp-suited agents in mirror shades whispering into shirt cuff microphones, became a punchline. Obama asked retired agent Joseph Clancy -- a man in whose hands he placed his own life as head of the presidential detail -- to steer his old agency through the crisis. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)