All three presidential candidates had passport files breached
The State Department just acknowledged that presidential contenders Hillary Clinton and John McCain -- as well Barack Obama -- had their personal passport files peeked at without permission.
Spokesman Sean McCormack said that last summer, a trainee in the passport office looked at Clinton's records. Trainees are instructed to look up a family member, but chose Clinton instead, he said.
McCain's file was breached earlier this year by one of the same contract workers who looked at Obama's file, McCormack said. That worker was disciplined and no longer has access to passport records, but "we are reviewing our options" for further action, McCormack said.
The department dismissed two other contract employees for snooping into Obama's files. The unauthorized peeks happened at three different locations on Jan. 9, Feb. 21, and March 14, the department says.
"We're sorry that this happened and we take it very seriously," McCormack said.
Earlier today Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she personally apologized to Obama, whose campaign Thursday night declared, “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."
"I told him that I was sorry," Rice told reporters, adding that she would be troubled if her files had been breached in the same way. She pledged to comply with Obama's demand for a full investigation. "I will stay on top of it," she said.
Rice also apologized to Clinton and will soon be doing so to McCain, who is traveling in Europe, McCormack said. State Department officials are briefing the staffs of all three senators, he said.
McCain issued a statement, saying: "The U.S. government has a responsibility to respect the privacy of all Americans. It appears that privacy was breached and I expect a thorough review and a change in procedures as necessary to ensure the privacy of all passport files."
Clinton has not commented yet.
McCormack told reporters that what is in a person's passport file depends on the individual. He said he did not know what is in the candidates' records and wouldn't say if he did without their permission.
At minimum, the file would include the passport application, which seeks biographical data, emergency contacts, travel plans, and other information.
Please do not let this re-direct us from the real issue going on with Mr. Obama, his own racism. This isn't the first time for him to make negative references towards white people. Please, someone find his initial campaign footage from a black church where he was making fun of white people and their dancing. I'm sorry, but you don't sit day after day and week after week, listening to some horrible things being said if you disapprove of the rhetoric. This is supposed to be a church, supported by mine and everyone's tax dollars. The only reference I've heard toward God was to damn America. If you changed the words from alot of the phrases or "sermons" to white/caucasion........we'd have him leading the charge against White Racism. He does not have the compassion or honesty needed to be our President.
Settle down, Jake.
Jake -- grow up. I have near and dear friends (and family) who have long made statements I fully and totally disagree with. I have never thrown them out of my life and never will. I admire Barack Obama for condemning the statements without condemning the man. This man was his pastor and not his political advisor. And...where exactly do you find this tape "with initial campaign footage from a black church". I supposed you believe he is a Muslim too.
And, unless they've changed the rules recently, churches are not supported by tax dollars.
Jake -- grow up. I have near and dear friends (and family) who have long made statements that I fully and totally disagree with. I have never thought of throwing them out of my life and never will. I admire Barack Obama for comdemning the statements without condemning the man. Did you thoroughly read the pastor's sermon of 9/11? There is nothing in it that attacks whites. This man was his pastor and not his political advisor. I've been in church and have had priests say things I thoroughly disagree with. Doesn't stop me from going back. And...where exactly do you find this tape "with initial campaign footage from a black church"! I suppose you believe Obama's a Muslim too.
By the way, since when do taxes support churches?
Jake -- grow up. I have near and dear friends (and family) who have long made statements that I fully and totally disagree with. I have never thought of throwing them out of my life and never will. I admire Barack Obama for comdemning the statements without condemning the man. Did you thoroughly read the pastor's sermon of 9/11? There is nothing in it that attacks whites. This man was his pastor and not his political advisor. I've been in church and have had priests say things I thoroughly disagree with. Doesn't stop me from going back. And...where exactly do you find this tape "with initial campaign footage from a black church"! I suppose you believe Obama's a Muslim too.
By the way, since when do taxes support churches?
It’s not about race!
Let's not forget that Abama went to church for 20 years and shared hatred and anti-Semitism views of this church.
Why you journalist afraid to write about it?
Jake do you wear that funny hat and white cloth to work? Since when are Churches supported by tax dollars? They are given tax breaks given their non-profit status, but they are supported by the donations of its patrons and others in the same church elsewhere. Given your punctuation of "White Racism," it is you whom we should examine and determine a racist for bringing the topic up in an article that does not address the topic you feel so strongly, and ignorantly so, about. Have you worked for free for the benefit of others less fortunate than you? Have you addressed the issue of race head on in a well written and honest speech that has moved people to discuss the issues blacks and whites need to discuss? Obama has, and will continue to address the challenges of our times. with a fres
Jake do you wear that funny hat and white cloth to work? Since when are Churches supported by tax dollars? They are given tax breaks given their non-profit status, but they are supported by the donations of its patrons and others in the same church elsewhere. Given your punctuation of "White Racism," it is you whom we should examine and determine a racist for bringing the topic up in an article that does not address the topic you feel so strongly, and ignorantly so, about. Have you worked for free for the benefit of others less fortunate than you? Have you addressed the issue of race head on in a well written and honest speech that has moved people to discuss the issues blacks and whites need to discuss? Obama has, and will continue to address the challenges of our times. with a fres
I highly doubt that someone who admitted to all of his diverse bloodlines, acknowledged his own imperfections and appealed to a larger sense of unity for everyone in America - all in the same extraordinary speech - is actually a racist. We're so used to thinking we hear the same old stuff that we'll see that even when something really new is being shown to us.
Would these security breaches have ever come to anyone's attention without Obama's presence in the '08 campaign? Whether or not he gets elected, the Senator from Illinois is bringing an air of consideration for our national heritage like Lincoln and others did in our history - and standing up for that, whatever our backgrounds are. That's a tough sell in an otherwise hopelessly cynical and divisive world in America at this time. Can we hear that if we're already convinced that he and all other politicians are just self-serving demagogues?
Um. Yeah. So, firstly an off-topic response to Jake, and then on-topic:
Jake: your comments say more about your own ignorance and fears than they do about the candidate. Oh, and churches aren't tax supported - that would violate the 1st amendment.
On topic: it concerns me that the records the government keeps about private citizens are so easily accessed. The only reason we are hearing about this is because the victims are high-profile. How many people's records are accessed without their approval or knowledge? And to what ends?
Sounds a little bit like Watergate to me...I smell a right wing conspiracy....t's much too much of a coincidence that this happened to the 3 presidential candiadtes.
Sounds a little bit like Watergate to me...I smell a right wing conspiracy....t's much too much of a coincidence that this happened to the 3 presidential candiadtes.
Did you read the article above? Your response is not only nonsensical, it is off subject and a complete re-direct from what was written. The article talks a bout privacy, and the real issue here is how McCain can get upset about this and still fully support the thinly veiled attempts of the president to tap phones, allow water boarding, and decrease civilian provacies with the patriot act.
There are plenty of other articles you could respond to with your non-sense. And sure Barack isn't perfect, no candidate ever will be. But babble like yours draws voters to a candidate and not away from them.
Did you read the article above? Your response is not only nonsensical, it is off subject and a complete re-direct from what was written. The article talks a bout privacy, and the real issue here is how McCain can get upset about this and still fully support the thinly veiled attempts of the president to tap phones, allow water boarding, and decrease civilian provacies with the patriot act.
There are plenty of other articles you could respond to with your non-sense. And sure Barack isn't perfect, no candidate ever will be. But babble like yours draws voters to a candidate and not away from them.
Did you read the article above? Your response is not only nonsensical, it is off subject and a complete re-direct from what was written. The article talks a bout privacy, and the real issue here is how McCain can get upset about this and still fully support the thinly veiled attempts of the president to tap phones, allow water boarding, and decrease civilian provacies with the patriot act.
There are plenty of other articles you could respond to with your non-sense. And sure Barack isn't perfect, no candidate ever will be. But babble like yours draws voters to a candidate and not away from them.
Jake,
what a sad, dark, and depressing fantasy world you must live in. If you truly believe the nonsense you spouted in your post at 12:24, you must be a devoted viewer of Fox News, the ultimate media distorter channel. FYI, the Trinity Church of rev. Wright is not supported by taxpayer dollars. The angry, disrespectful comments the Rev. made, were from sermons given 5 years ago., not "day after day, week after week...". You need to shut off the T.V. for a while, get off the couch, and come out into the sunlight.
Dude, what planet are YOU from?
Please do not let this "Jake" re-direct us from the real issue going on with State Department security and access to records. The fact that "Jake" wants to divert our attention form Federal information securty rasies new and troubling questions about persons who most stand to benefit from operational breaches in the State Department. Al Queda certainly would be in line with "Jake" on this. "Jake" would rather raise allegations of heartlessness and dishonesty against Mr. Obama than have us consider his own motivations.
I've heard plenty of white preachers indicate outright or at least thru inference that america is damned if we 'let ' gay people get married, if we adhere to the constitution and continue to separate church and state, etc. These same white preachers are accepted. President and sentators go to churches where this type of prejudice and hate are expounded all the time. I would guess that 2/3 of the senate and congress attend churches in which hatred and prejudice are regularly endorsed, with the clear message being that unless the congregation does something to stop the 'evil' ways of (insert your churches particular prejudice here), america will be damned. 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. anyway. that's the opinion of this white atheist.
i'm a white atheist and almost everything any preacher says
No matter WHO it is! That is outrageous that even a trainee has access to passport records. What other records are accessible and to what other people?
This is still America and no one should be able to just do what those trainee's did.
What kind of background check is done on these people that have that kind of access? Who do they associate with? Every where we turn we find out that there does not seem to be any checks on people that are holding sensitive jobs.
The candidates might be outraged, but what about the plain "ole joe" that is traveling. Why is one allowed to yell and holler about a breach of privacy but not the average person?
No matter WHO it is! That is outrageous that even a trainee has access to passport records. What other records are accessible and to what other people?
This is still America and no one should be able to just do what those trainee's did.
What kind of background check is done on these people that have that kind of access? Who do they associate with? Every where we turn we find out that there does not seem to be any checks on people that are holding sensitive jobs.
The candidates might be outraged, but what about the plain "ole joe" that is traveling. Why is one allowed to yell and holler about a breach of privacy but not the average person?
I find it intriguing that people immediately see some sort of "right wing conspiracy" even though Senator McCain' records were also accessed. This is what drives people away from politics. Rather than acknowledging facts, the extremists, whether liberal or conservative, immediately launch into their own little petty rant about conspiracies and skullduggery. Let's face it, the extremist in politics only represent 10% of the folks out there. That leaves a vast 80% of us somewhere in the middle wondering at what point our political system got hijacked by the media and special interest groups (and you can block George Soros right in there with the NRA on that one.) Here's what probably happened-some tabloid offered a low level contract worker bunches of money for an inside scoop they could exploit. right up there with
I find it intriguing that people immediately see some sort of "right wing conspiracy" even though Senator McCain' records were also accessed. This is what drives people away from politics. Rather than acknowledging facts, the extremists, whether liberal or conservative, immediately launch into their own little petty rant about conspiracies and skullduggery. Let's face it, the extremist in politics only represent 10% of the folks out there. That leaves a vast 80% of us somewhere in the middle wondering at what point our political system got hijacked by the media and special interest groups (and you can block George Soros right in there with the NRA on that one.) Here's what probably happened-some tabloid offered a low level contract worker bunches of money for an inside scoop they could exploit. right up there with
By the way folks, the fact that churches do not pay taxes does amount to a tax subsidy.
Jake,
Please go back to school! Obviously you are leaving in a different country my friend. I live in a very prominent city. The white kids are fighting, stabbing, and doing drugs every weekends. Well I do not see them in the news because that will decrease our homes value. Instead we see Dorchester, Hyde Park, and Mattappan. Can you explain that my dear friend Jake?
I love this country and we have a long way to go. I wonder what you discuss with your family and friends at the Table? Think about it? We all have issues to solve and make this country a better place!
Go Bless America! Go Bless Obama 08!
The only person making a big public stink about this is Obama - and Ms. Rice had already started an investigation. Seems he wants to "deflect" any criticism away from him....sounds alot like what George W. does.
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