State Dept: Two contractors fired for accessing Obama’s passport records
posted at 9:08 pm on March 20, 2008 by Allahpundit
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A Nixonian dirty trick? Must be. Just imagine the type of spam one could send if you knew a candidate’s e-mail address:
Passport application data includes such details as date and place of birth, e-mail address, mailing address, Social Security number, former names and travel plans. Mr. Obama was born in Honolulu in 1961 to a Kenyan father and American mother. He lived in Jakarta, Indonesia, from age six to 10.
A State spokesman says the data wasn’t copied or altered and doesn’t appear to have been accessed at anyone’s behest, but it’ll knock the Wright stuff off the front page for a day and give the left the opportunity it’s been searching for the past week to return to victimhood. And darned if Obama’s team isn’t seizing it with both hands.
Minor discrepancy: NBC says the unauthorized access happened in January but the Wash Times says it happened once that month, then again in February, and then again in March. Exit question one: Why didn’t anyone step in after the first breach? Exit question two: If it’s all a great Rovian conspiracy to destroy the Messiah by discovering his secret date of birth or whatever, why’d the feds burn their bridges to the employees who have the goods by firing them instead of making some demonic bargain for their silence?
Update: “A senior official told NBC News there was ‘no political motivation’ to the incidents, adding that the three were low-level contract employees doing administrative work and accessed Obama’s records out of ‘curiosity.’”
Update: Think of this story as the flip side of the speech the other day. You knew exactly which way the most shameless hacks would bend on that one. And you know exactly which way they’ll bend on this one.
Update: State will brief Obama’s staff on the breach tomorrow.
Update: Geraghty points the finger — baselessly!
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The Social Security number is dicey, but most of it’s public info and the travel plans are pretty much useless. Plus, anyone who was thinking about using government access to steal identities just got a warning, so you can’t say the system doesn’t work; the attempts to view Obama’s info triggered alarms, so there IS a system in place to protect privacy. And you can bet that if there’s a problem with the system, it’s being fixed right about now, if only to avoid another blast from the cacophonous press.
The reason people are talking about the political implications rather than the identity theft is because Obama’s campaign staff made it political with their manufactured outrage. “An outrageous breach of security and privacy”? Seriously? And they also blow steam at the Bush administration for not conducting a full investigation, never mind that it says on page 2 that the FBI IS conducting an investigation. Since that’s more noteworthy than the crime, detection of said crime, and punishment for said crime, that’s what people are talking about.
Math_Mage on March 21, 2008 at 2:08 AM
“…travel plans are pretty much useless.”
Unless Obama was planning on “acting presidential” by sneakin’ into Iraq soon.
alphie on March 21, 2008 at 2:31 AM
Then answer this, senator: If Wright is a man of the past, why would you expose your children to his vitriolic divisiveness? This is a man who curses America and who proclaimed moral satisfaction in the deaths of 3,000 innocents at a time when their bodies were still being sought at Ground Zero. It is not just the older congregants who stand and cheer and roar in wild approval of Wright’s rants, but young people as well. Why did you give $22,500 just two years ago to a church run by a man of the past who infects the younger generation with precisely the racial attitudes and animus you say you have come unto us to transcend?
- Charles Krauthammer
MB4 on March 21, 2008 at 3:02 AM
Still useless unless the contractors are somehow aligned with a terrorist organization, which is pretty far-fetched. And I can’t be sure, but was that a failed jab at McCain?
Math_Mage on March 21, 2008 at 3:05 AM
Probably not.
MB4 on March 21, 2008 at 3:14 AM
I’m trying to remember…
Didn’t somthing like this happen during the Clinton administration ith astonishing regularity? Could those that have been terminated be Clinton supporters?
And what about all those FBI files? hmmm?
Oh, excuse me, my tinfoil hat polish just arrived in the mail. ;)
evilned on March 21, 2008 at 6:46 AM
Typical governmental stupidity at it’s absolute zenith!
pilamaye on March 21, 2008 at 7:28 AM
Of course the msm will be hanging this on the Bush administration and republicans although the only republicans working at the state department are the amintenance guys and electricians. The answer to the barry campaign of why this was done should be “Because Americans suspect you are a racist, anti-American marxist and want to know where you’ve been hanging out and with whom. That’s all, barry.”
peacenprosperity on March 21, 2008 at 7:43 AM
Whut’s up wit’ all the “outrage” ?
Methinks, thou doest squawk too much.
Whut’s in those passport files, you don’t want us to see?
How do we know, it wasn’t one of Obama’s minions, trying to scrub out politically damaging information?
The pendulum swings two directions
franksalterego on March 21, 2008 at 8:03 AM
Perfect solution to this: the administration can just say the two State Dept. contractors were just being sloppy — like Sandy Berger in the National Archives!
ToddonCapeCod on March 21, 2008 at 8:15 AM
I could see some low level clerk getting curious and looking at records of Obama, I bet records of Madonna or Spears are “researched” more then any candidate would ever be.
right2bright on March 21, 2008 at 8:57 AM
We should have some answers by tonight. Krazy Keith is going to ask “Who knew what and when?” at 8:00 est. Must-Not-See-TV. I really hope this turns out to be three moonbats who just couldn’t get enough of their Messiah.
chief on March 21, 2008 at 9:15 AM
msnbc is still running this as “breaking news”
Stupid.
ArmyAunt on March 21, 2008 at 9:21 AM
Maybe it was someone trying to find Michelle Obama.
Wade on March 21, 2008 at 9:25 AM
He’s outraged huh?! Somehow I doubt it, but now perhaps he can identify with us ignorant folks who are still outraged about his association with a racist preacher for 20 years.
4shoes on March 21, 2008 at 9:35 AM
I’d like to know how many State Dept. employees have been fired for the same sort of thing in the past. I bet it is sizeable. Every year, for instance, there is a story about IRS employees being fired for accessing tax returns for celebrities. This aspect of the story needs to be examined long before the media starts speculating on Watergate-like tactics.
That being said, Obama will play the victim in this case as long as possible. The system attempting to keep the black man down by any means necessary. Anything to deflect attention from Obama’s racist roots.
highhopes on March 21, 2008 at 9:35 AM
That’s not Wright!!! read the comments people are posting HObama.
http://imustimes.wordpress.com/2008/03/20/comparing-rev-wright-imus-obamas-hypocrisy-coming-home-to-roost/
Dr Evil on March 21, 2008 at 9:42 AM
Hmmmmm? This is the same State Department Bush has had to work with for the past, OHHHHH, 7 and a 1/2 years. Explains a lot. Don’t it???
pueblo1032 on March 21, 2008 at 10:04 AM
Maura Harty: State Department Official In Charge During Two Of The Breaches An Ambassador Under Clinton
Connie on March 21, 2008 at 10:26 AM
I would feel a lot better if the FBI handled the investigation rather than the State Department.
diogenes on March 21, 2008 at 10:26 AM
So, if Obama loses after this passport breach of security and his Social Security number is exposed, is he going to end up dressed as a singing pirate in one of those Free Credit Report.com commercials?
jon1979 on March 21, 2008 at 10:38 AM
DKOS is celebrating. This is better for them and their preferred candidate than anything short of someone at the Illinois DMV adjusting the contrast on his driver’s license photo. They must feel actual pain when Obama is getting his ass kicked.
I went over there first thing this morning. There were 488 comments on the most current diary on the issue. It was a bit painful, but entertaining in its own way. Recurring themes were: It was Bush (Rove); It was Clinton; Biggest Scandal Ever!!!, etc. The projection that goes on in those types of threads is so palpable you can feel it zip past you in semi-corporeal form.
My opinion? I would be surprised if at least one of those three employees wasn’t an Obama fan, and shocked if more than one was even borderline conservative. They were contract employees, so anything’s possible, but among the permanent staff Republicans are as rare happy faces at an airport smoking lounge.
Immolate on March 21, 2008 at 10:38 AM
Geraghty points the finger — baselessly!
Really, even dailykos too.
Anita on March 21, 2008 at 10:46 AM
Yeah don’t mind that thing called the constitution (its just paper), their just playing the victim card.
Hypocrites R US strikes again.
TOPV on March 21, 2008 at 10:48 AM
I’ve had that stupid song going through my head all morning.
Connie on March 21, 2008 at 11:14 AM
See…. nothin up my sleeve…
Watch me pull a conspiricy outa my hat…
PRESTO!!!!
I would venture to guess that this happens all the time… and its interesting that this was LEAKED to the press… because it sure does not get talked about normally…
And its interesting that the person in charge, who would have leaked this… is a Democrat?
Romeo13 on March 21, 2008 at 11:16 AM
Honestly, I don’t care if Obama’s travel plans are useless. Or of his SSN # is dicey. I am talking about MYSELF. It took them months to even mention that Obama’s information was viewed. Why would they care about me?
As another posted said, this is a horrible horrible setup. All SQL systems have permissions for a reason - so you can control what people can see (and can’t see). Giving access to ‘low level contractors’ to all the enchilada is horrible. I’m sorry, but I value MY privacy - no one has any business going in and sniffing in there.
A Axe on March 21, 2008 at 11:19 AM
The PIC being a Clinton-appointed ambassador trying to stop the Obama free fall (because the story that the Clinton and Obama camps are fighting was only created for a TV series) and they really are going to run as a team against McCain?
heh
Connie on March 21, 2008 at 11:31 AM
Just because he was once appointed by Clinton does NOT mean he is not an Obama supporter…
Romeo13 on March 21, 2008 at 11:38 AM
True. I thought that while writing, but figured I’d let you say it.
Connie on March 21, 2008 at 11:43 AM
I think I got the most out of the information that he lived in Jakarta between the ages of 6-10. Having (2) boys in this age range, I would say that those are the most formative years. Age 6 is about when kids repeat and understand past memories, i.e. remembering things like Santa Claus at Christmas and the exact activities you did the year before, and your likes and dislikes about them.
Sen. Obama spent this time in Jakarta, Indonesia? Stats about that city:
Ethnic groups: Javanese (35%), Betawi (28%), Sundanese (15%), Chinese (6%), Batak (4%), Minangkabau (3%)
Religion: Islam (86%), Protestant (6%), Roman Catholic (4%), Buddhism (4%), Hindu
Languages: Indonesian, Betawi, Javanese, Sundanese
I’m not trying to say anything other than when you’re young your sensibilities are rooted mostly in your childhood. Think about how much Americans spend on therapy just to get over the things that happened to them in their childhood.
Sultry Beauty on March 21, 2008 at 11:49 AM
Let’s see, whose administration was infamous for illegally copying people’s FBI files? Whose was it? I’m trying to remember. I just know there once was a president in the White House who had a wife who liked to look at the secret files of her husband’s political enemies. I remember that this was the same administration that saw an inordinate number of their political enemies audited by the IRS. Hmmm, who was that? I wonder if any of their friends still work at the State Department? The same State Department that has had leak after leak of top secret information over the past 7 years designed to undermine a Republican president. Now whose administration was that? Who would benefit from finding dirt on Barack Obama? The name escapes me, but it’s just on the tip of my tongue…
Rational Thought on March 21, 2008 at 11:49 AM
Just like I said - they don’t care about the little people, just flagged users. Which means someone could just go in and view all my info, including my SSN. Heckuva job!
A Axe on March 21, 2008 at 11:58 AM
That was my thought as well when this story broke… that it could’ve been someone in the Hillary camp, or a Hillary sympathizer.
But now we learn that someone at State’s been snooping around Hillary’s passport file. What’s going on here?
I still think these are Dems who did this and I can’t wait to find out. However, we know the Bush Administration will get all the blame for allegedly allowing it to happen in the first place and for the lag time in taking action and notifying the candidates.
The snooping at State also plays right into the Lib argument of the Bush Admins spying on innocent Americans in the name of national security.
CliffHanger on March 21, 2008 at 12:07 PM
CBS is now reporting that Hillary Clinton’s passport was also accessed.
CommentGuy on March 21, 2008 at 12:26 PM
The Swamp is reporting the McCain also had his passport peaked at also.
CommentGuy on March 21, 2008 at 12:34 PM
MM has an update too…
/pats self on back…
Called that one…
Romeo13 on March 21, 2008 at 12:34 PM
If this is political and if was committed by state department personnel, you can bet the Republicans weren’t involved. The state department is almost completely inhabited by left wingers.
rplat on March 21, 2008 at 12:56 PM
Data entry contractors in the DC area? There’s a very good chance they could be admiring members of the Messiah’s core constituency, if you know what I mean. If Schuster and Abrams all of a sudden lose interest in this, we’ll know why.
Infidoll on March 21, 2008 at 12:56 PM
where’s my apology for “breaching my passport files”??? ha ha ha This is nothing but a diversion from the spiritual enlightenment from that great “spiritual mentor”….Jeremiah Wright….ha ha ha ha
DfDeportation on March 21, 2008 at 1:19 PM
If this is political and if was committed by state department personnel, you can bet the Republicans weren’t involved. The state department is almost completely inhabited by left wingers.
rplat on March 21, 2008 at 12:56 PM
All OPEN BORDERS ZEALOTS!!!
DfDeportation on March 21, 2008 at 1:20 PM
This is waaaay worse than Chuckie Schumer’s staffers getting into Michael Steele’s credit report. Waaaay.
Akzed on March 21, 2008 at 1:51 PM
Actually, IMO, it plays into the idea that the State Department needs massive reform- starting with driving out all the career bureaucrats who have no allegience to the nation if it runs counter to the “global view.”
As to the passport snooping, there are some serious questions that the department needs to answer. Obama’s people have one of the most obvious- why did it take so long for the department to make this public? Other questions include: Why are they contracting out something as sensitive as passport operations? What was the motive behind the snooping? and Were any laws broken?
highhopes on March 21, 2008 at 2:08 PM
Maybe he’s trying to deflect attention from this story:
Obama’s “church” published Hamas terror manifesto
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=59456
SaintOlaf on March 21, 2008 at 2:16 PM
I see that Fox News is now reporting that all three candidates’ (Clinton, Obama, McCain) files were breached.
That ought to take some of the sting out of it for Obama since it appears to be either idle curiosity or someone with no party affiliation looking for dirt. It’s not really a conspiracy by typical white people.
TooTall on March 21, 2008 at 2:42 PM
I once worked at large health insurance company which handled the federal employee insurance plan. Everyone with a computer had access to the social security number, address, phone and health information of every federal employee, including members of congress and the president and his cabinet.
And I’m fairly certain that no one tracked who accessed what.
mofo on March 21, 2008 at 5:11 PM
I stole Obabma’s passport photo. Shhhhhhhh.
MrC_5150 on March 21, 2008 at 8:55 PM
That was funny! Nice one!
Ballistic on March 21, 2008 at 11:31 PM
I thought that all three candidates had their files breached? Why the focus on Obama.
“Pastor Wright? Oh wow, over there, look! It’s a landshark!”
*ducks away*
linlithgow on March 22, 2008 at 12:00 AM
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