How odd for this lighter item from WaPo’s “The Trail” to fail to mention that Sarah Palin’s secret-service codename, Denali, is the Native-American name for the peak that used to be commonly known as Mount McKinley, and literally means “The Great One.” Was it ignorance, incuriosity — or editorial intent?
I mean, they note that the name is shared with a character from Gumby, but somehow failed to uncover the elusive fact that it is the name of the tallest peak in North America, which was also named for the 25th President of the United States?
The Secret Service has selected a fitting enough code name for Gov. Sarah Palin: “Denali,” same as the Alaska national park and preserve famed for its mountain peaks and wildlife.
Perhaps even more perfect is their code name for former oil slope worker Todd Palin — “Driller.” McCain and Palin have made drilling for oil a central part of their platform, so much so that “Drill, baby, drill!” is now a regular McCain-Palin rally chant.
The names aren’t exactly state secrets; although the Secret Service doesn’t advertise them, the names are generally symbolic, with the service relying on more sophisticated methods to safeguard protectees. McCain is “Phoenix” and his wife Cindy is “Parasol.” Sen. Barack Obama is codenamed “Renegade,” while his wife, Michelle — in keeping with the theme of selecting code names for spouses that begin with the same letter — is “Renaissance.”
Sen. Joe Biden’s handle remains unknown, though he has joked he’s so boring it could just be plain old “Joe.”
Denali is word that comes up with some frequency in the commercial world.
It’s the name of a luxury model of GMC SUVs, the great Mastodon from “Gumby” and a computer project that “enables hosts to safety execute untrusted applications,” particularly in “virtual machines,” according to The University of Washington.