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March 21, 2008
Add McCain to List of Candidates Passport Files Breached
All three presidential candidates had passport files breached
WASHINGTON -- State Department employees inappropriately examined the passport files of Democratic Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican candidate Sen. John McCain, a security breach that forced Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to apologize to Obama.
Rice said Friday she apologized to Obama for a security breach in which three State Department contractors reviewed his file on three occasions earlier this year. Two of the employees were fired and a third disciplined.
"I told him that I was sorry, and I told him that I myself would be very disturbed," Rice told reporters.
Separately, Clinton issued a statement saying Rice told her that her passport file was breached in 2007.
The State Department said the same contract employee who examined Barack Obama?s file also looked at McCain?s.
The State Department's inspector general is investigating the Obama passport breach, which occurred on three separate occasions -- Jan. 9, Feb. 21 and as recently as last week, on March 14. On Friday, the department announced that the Justice Department would be monitoring the probe in case it needs to get involved.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Friday that the State Department would make results of the investigation available to congressional oversight committees and to Obama's office.
Bill Burton, a spokesman for Obama's presidential campaign, has called the incident "an outrageous breach of security and privacy."
Aside from the file, the information could allow Obama's critics to dig deeper into his private life. While the file includes his date and place of birth, address at time of application and the countries he's traveled to, the most important detail would be his Social Security number, which can be used to pull credit reports and other personal information.
"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 breach," Burton said on Thursday.
McCormack said the breaches occurred were detected by internal State Department computer checks. The department's top management officer, Undersecretary Patrick Kennedy, said certain records, including those of high-profile people, are "flagged" with a computer tag that tips off supervisors when someone tries to view the records without a proper reason.
The firings and unspecified discipline of the third employee already had occurred when senior State Department officials learned of the breaches. Kennedy called that a failing. Rice only learned about the breaches Thursday.
"I will fully acknowledge this information should have been passed up the line," Kennedy told reporters in a conference call Thursday night. "It was dealt with at the office level."
In answer to a question, Kennedy said the department doesn't look into political affiliation in doing background checks on passport workers. "Now that this has arisen, this becomes a germane question, and that will be something for the appropriate investigation to look into," he said.
The department informed Obama's Senate office of the breach on Thursday. Kennedy said that at the office's request, he will provide a personal briefing for the senator's staff on Friday.
Wild Thing's comment........
Clinton’s file is improperly viewed. No outrage
McCain’s file is improperly viewed. No outrage
Obama’s file is improperly viewed. Yes outrage and media pushing for Obama go nuts. Oberman on MSNBC went balistic last nighit. And other networks pulling for him as well. LOL
Don't we have a right to know where they travel? I mean we pay their salaries, they work for us. If a public figure travels on MY TAX MONEY, I have a right to know it. It’s part of the public record. Senators are not undercover CIA operatives. LOL
I am really curious who did this. haha Maybe Clinton probably did it to herself so that she could use it as cover when her own people eventually got caught. Or omaybe it is just because of my thinking of the 900 FBI Files collected by the Clinton's. Just a thought heh heh I would love to see the media compare the breach of a passport file to 900 FBI files.Keep those Clinton gates in the news too.
I am not sure, but I think the Passport thing would only be dangerous in regards to knowing a person's social security number and probably their home address. That IS bad but that cant be the reason this breach happened. Who cares about where these idiots live or their SS#. What the Clinton's did with the 9090 FBI files was horrendous and personal and private information on anyone they considered and enemy real or imagined.
From MSNBC
There Were Three Types of Breaches
"(1) Fall 2007. A training exercise last fall involved somebody typing in Hillary Clinton's name... The person involved was not fired.
(2-a) January 9, 2008. A contractor looked at the passport file of Barack Obama. The supervisor felt it was a firing offense. The contractor was fired. But the immediate supervisor didn't notify officials outside office of consular affairs.
(2-b) February 21, 2008. Another contractor looked at Obama's passport file. Supervisor felt it was a firing offense. The contractor was fired. The immediate supervisor didn't notify officials outside office of consular affairs.
(3) March 14, 2008. A third contractor accessed Obama's passport file and McCain's passport file. Supervisor felt it was not a firing offense. The contractor suspended. The immediate supervisor didn't notify officials outside office of consular affairs.
Key questions: What made the Jan. 9 and Feb. 21 breaches of Obama more serious than the fall '07 breach of Clinton and the March 14 breaches of Obama/McCain? "
Posted by Wild Thing at March 21, 2008 02:55 PM
Comments
'Bill Burton, a spokesman for Obama's presidential campaign, has called the incident "an outrageous breach of security and privacy."'
If NoBama's 'outraged' by this trivial event, I bet he'd have an out right coranary with the first leak of confidential national security data to the press during his administration.
"Oh my bama, some one leeked as state secret, can't we trust any one?" -- Falls dead on the floor of the oval office.
Posted by: Odin at March 21, 2008 04:56 PM
C'mon Scooter fess up!!! You weasel, we all know you did it. You can't fool us, Valery saw you from her undercover CIA position beneath big Dan's desk.
Posted by: Jack at March 21, 2008 09:27 PM
This is why it will be almost impossible for McCain or any other Republican to run against Obama. Just look how the MSM, Blacks, and Liberal left turned on the Clinton's for basically saying the truth.
I don't fee their was any need for the supervisor to up-channeled the infractions. The supervisor handled the situation with appropriate action. Why up-channel it? That's what's called Responsibility with Authority...something true leaders, supervisors, and managers possess.
Posted by: BobF at March 21, 2008 10:38 PM
Odin, hahaha yes he probably would, he is such a chicken a real coward. He can't even stand up to answering questions without a lot of stammering.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 21, 2008 11:05 PM
Jack, LOL yes Valery saw the whole thing. haha
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 21, 2008 11:07 PM
Bob, yes, I know what you mean.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 21, 2008 11:12 PM
