McCain to accept Secret Service protection

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain said on Friday he plans to accept protection from the U.S. Secret Service soon.

The Arizona senator has declined to seek such protection for months. Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton accepted Secret Service body guards months ago.

"I think that it's important as we get more and more visibility, that we recognize the inevitable. And so we will be talking with them early (next week) to arrange," McCain told "Fox News Sunday" in an interview to be aired on Sunday.

He said his campaign would have talks in coming days with the Secret Service with an eye toward accepting a security detail in the near future.

McCain, 71, who has clinched his party's nomination to run against the Democrats' choice in the November election, told Fox he has not requested a detail until now because "it inhibits my ability to have close contact with people."

The Secret Service protects the U.S. president and his family, some former presidents and leading presidential candidates.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Bill Trott)

(To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online at blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)