Mar
20
Low level voyeurs or an orchestrated act of Republican operatives?
ByA presidential candidate’s passport privacy compromised . . . two months ago . . . two State Department bureaucrats have already been fired . . . the Obama campaign only received the basic details late this afternoon.
Misdemeanor to look at the files without cause; if they told anyone about what they found, felony.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Bush I did it to Bill Clinton.
And according to Secretary Rice (TODAY, FRIDAY, the 21st), THEY DID IT TO HILLARY TOO.
6 Comments
March 20th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
I love this – “imprudent curiosity”.
I’m about ready for bed – hopefully more details will come forth by morning. Names would be good.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
March 20th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
This will be huge in the morning. It’s great fun following the blogs and watching this story develop. Olbermann was doing the yeoman’s work tonight on Countdown. Video
Rate this comment:
0 
0
March 21st, 2008 at 9:27 am
It’s scary how aligned we are on some things, TP. I said something similar as soon as the story broke last night, except I used “One’ll getcha two” instead of “dollars to doughnuts”. Of course, my wife looked at me like I was nuts, but there it is.
I think Joe Scarborough mentioned off-handedly this morning that the DoS supervisor who hired these “low level contract workers” was a Clinton appointee. But I hadn’t had my first cup of coffee at that point, so I was still a little groggy. But anyway…
Rate this comment:
0 
0
March 21st, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Just breaking: Now Rice tells HRC that HER files were breached as well. So see? Happens all the time. Nothing to see here. Move along now. Story
Rate this comment:
0 
0
March 21st, 2008 at 8:40 pm
While everyone else is looking for a political hit job and someone to pin it on, we now have all three candidates expressing their horror and dismay that their own passport files were looked at inappropriately. If only they could have mustered this amount of outrage while Bush was spying domestically without warrants and wanting to grant immunity to telcoms to cover his ass and hide all his illegal spying. Now that it affects them, they are all concerned. Tough noogies.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
March 22nd, 2008 at 9:15 am
Chris C NC:
You nailed it, brother.
However, I have to differ with you about the degree to which passport peeking impacts the candidates equally. In other words, Senator Obama and his wife/children have legitimate legal claims based on the State Department’s invasion of his personal privacy, much like President Clinton did in 1992 when the SD peeked at his file to find evidence he evaded the draft. The difference between the tort committed against Senator Obama and Senators McCain and Clinton is that there are ramifications that could affect Senator Obama’s health and safety as well as his family’s right to privacy. Just listen to the talk coming from the Secret Service, if you don’t believe me.
I do tend toward hyperbole from time to time.
Rate this comment:
0 
0