Slog - Comments on Obama's Passport File Breached http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file By State Department contract workers (two of whom have now been fired). From the Obama campaign, via Ben Smith: This is an outrageous breach of security and privacy, even from an Administration that has shown little regard for either over the last eight years. Our government’s duty is to protect the private information of the American people, not use it for political purposes. This is a serious matter that merits a complete investigation, and we demand to know who looked at Senator Obama’s passport file, for what purpose, and why it took so long for them to reveal this security... Copyright 2008 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:06:46 -0800 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:49:38 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by McG bush administration crooked and stupid - no fucking way

]]> McG http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975662 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975662 2008 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:32:47 -0800 Comment by Michigan Matt (soon to be Balt-o-matt) This is all Hillary's fault.

]]> Michigan Matt (soon to be Balt-o-matt) http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975664 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975664 2008 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:38:46 -0800 Comment by Fitz The same thing happened to Clinton & others in '92, I think.

]]> Fitz http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975672 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975672 2008 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:47:22 -0800 Comment by Andy Niable How many minutes before we get a YouTube link to the Chris Crocker LEAVE BARACK ALONE! video?

]]> Andy Niable http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975674 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975674 2008 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:48:22 -0800 Comment by NO MORE! no impeach bush NOW!

]]> NO MORE! no http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975684 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975684 2008 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:55:58 -0800 Comment by Michigan Matt (soon to be Balt-o-matt) Holy Passportgate! Apparently Andrea Mitchell *was* pointing to the Clinton campaign and noting that the three breaches strangely coincided with Obama victories and such. As far as I know, the Clinton campaign wasn't involved. You know, as far as I know. That can't be good for Clinton, though--to have people thinking she'd stoop even lower than she already has.

]]> Michigan Matt (soon to be Balt-o-matt) http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975726 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975726 2008 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:25:00 -0800 Comment by Slogobama Memo
From: Slog News dept.
To:
Slog reporters

Remember, concentrate on silly things like a passport security breach that led to...nothing. This is important to ensure our readers do not see actual news like at
http://www.surveyusa.com/

showing Obama dropping like a stone against McCain in state after state.

Obama tied with McCain in Mass. and similar "news" could be very harmful if released.

]]> Slogobama http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975794 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975794 2008 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 21:41:54 -0800 Comment by Andy Niable The bad news is it happened.

The good news is we heard about it.

]]> Andy Niable http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975796 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975796 2008 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 21:45:18 -0800 Comment by raindrop They were contractors. The State Department is not the White House. Leave Bush alone!

]]> raindrop http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975814 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975814 2008 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 22:13:09 -0800 Comment by MNG Probably just more typical white people trying to damage poor, sweet above-it-all Obama.

]]> MNG http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975827 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975827 2008 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 22:38:27 -0800 Comment by ! MSNBC reports that the State Department official in charge of the Bureau Of Consular Affairs during the first two breaches of Obama's passport has a connection to the Clinton administration. "Mora Hardy was a consular affairs chief until the end of last month when she retired from foreign service work. Before her stint as the assistant secretary of state of consular affairs, Hardy was an ambassador to Paraguay under President Bill Clinton. She was also an executive assistant to Warren Christopher."

The dates of the breaches were January 9, February 21, and March 14 -- last Friday. Those correspond to the dates of the New Hampshire primary, the Democratic debate in Texas, and the day that Reverend Jeremiah Wright story became major political news.

How the State Department handled the incidents is as noteworthy as the breaches themselves.

]]> ! http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975833 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975833 2008 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 22:44:16 -0800 Comment by monkey Yeah, I'm guessing Bush wasn't in on this one. Although I'm sure Cheney is going to take them out to lunch now.

]]> monkey http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975879 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975879 2008 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 01:33:36 -0800 Comment by McG Between Jan.1 and today there have been how many primaries? Any breach would be near some vote and why would it matter. What possible connection could there be to a vote - hey Obama just won in Iowa let's see where he was traveling in 1982. Hey Obama just won SC let's see if he was in Kenya on this date in 1994.

Any spying is a bad thing but the lame attempt to blame the Clintons without evidence or a reasonable motive is sad and pathetic.

BTW the link above to SurveyUsa should cause some pause.

]]> McG http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975931 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975931 2008 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:30:17 -0800 Comment by jayme msnbc and cnn are now reporting that hillary's file was breached in 2007. now maybe it IS bush's fault.

]]> jayme http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975945 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975945 2008 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:53:39 -0800 Comment by McG For those too lazy to check SurveyUsa
they took polls 2/28 and 3/16

That's before Wright (BW) and after Wright but before the Speech (AWBS) the chart represents Obama's numbers against McCain

BW AWBS
AL -14 - -27
MN +7 - -1
WI +11 - +4
CA +11 - +14
MA +7 - 0

Clinton up by 2 in MO Obama down by 8.
Kentucky Clinton down by 10 Obama down by 36.

If the speech and time doesn't fix this soon, O and the Dems are in deep trouble. Draft Gore.

]]> McG http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975956 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975956 2008 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:03:59 -0800 Comment by fluteprof At least it helps Obama get that angry black preacher out of the news. They must be pretty relieved about that. But it's still over. His campaign is imploding...

]]> fluteprof http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975989 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975989 2008 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:36:16 -0800 Comment by infrequent this is outrageous. i'm surprised more people aren't upset by this. we have a government constantly gathering more and more information on us. they must guarantee our right to privacy if they are going to do this. firing is hardly a punishment that fits the crime.

]]> infrequent http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975990 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c975990 2008 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:36:55 -0800 Comment by FrantikGirl This is so damn silly. I wish someone would define "breach"... because Passport contractors handle private information all day, every day. Seeing an applicant's birthday, social security, address, high school, etc. is no more difficult than looking at the mail-in packet sent in by the applicant... which is part of the job. Did these people sell the information to telemarketers? Use it to take out credit cards in Obama's name?

Tempest in a bloody teacup... again. This country makes me tired.

]]> FrantikGirl http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c976007 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/obamas_passport_file#c976007 2008 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:49:38 -0800