Incompetence?

There's a story out today involving the Secret Service with reports of "shots fired," agents being told to "stand down," and another agent so drunk he passed out. But we're not talking about 1963. It's happening right now.
 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/11129061/Is-Barack-Obamas-life-safe-in-the-Secret-Services-hands.html

I've asked myself before if the SS was really incompetent in 1963, or did they know exactly what they were doing? Maybe it's a valid question for today as well, because things that don't change stay the same.