White House Responds to Petition Requesting "Gun Free Zone" Around President, Vice President

President faces too many "serious, persistent and credible threats on a daily basis"

President Obama needs armed security because he faces "serious, persistent and credible threats on a daily basis," the White House said in response to a petition meant to undercut his push for new gun controls.

The "We the People" petition was submitted nine days after the elementary school shooting last year in Newtown, Conn. It called for the elimination of armed guards that protect the president and vice president and the establishment of "Gun Free Zones" around them — a reference to a federal law that bans firearms on school grounds.