Following up on the breaking scandal involving the multiple breaches of Senator Barack Obama’s passport records by State Department contract employees, Dan Abrams spoke with Eric Holder, Co-Chair of Obama’s campaign, as well as Joe diGenova, former U.S. Attorney who investigated a similar breach of President Clinton’s passport records during his first run for president in 1992.
Download | Play 
Download | Play (h/t Heather)
The State Department is saying that Secretary of State, Condi Rice, is saying that she only learned of the breaches yesterday and as diGenova states, it is inexcusable that she wouldn’t know about something this important and that it shows an incredible lack of leadership and gross negligence. DiGenova also says that even if the Inspector General does do a formal investigation, the employees who were fired cannot be called to testify. In light of these facts, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi should call for an full investigation immediately, and these employees’ computers, bank and phone records should be gone over with a fine tooth comb. Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC noted that each intrusion happened within a day or so of an Obama victory - *Iowa, Wisconsin/Hawaii and Mississippi. Coincidence? We need to know who knew what, and when.
To put this into perspective, diGenova is outraged by the news of this compromise, and he’s known for being a partisan hack who believes he was a victim of the White House slander machine during the Clinton administration, just happens to be married to Victoria Toensing, counsel on the impeachment case against Clinton and who testified before Congress in the Valerie Plame case, repeatedly attacked Plame and saying that she was not a covert CIA operative.
Filed Under: Barack Obama, Campaigns/Elections, Election 08, George W. Bush, Hackery, Scandals
No Trackbacks To “Verdict: Former U.S. Attorney Speaks Out On Passportgate II“
Why should I believe anything will come of this?
Me thinks the “gentleman” doeth protest too much.
And DiGenova was the one who swept the Clinton investigation under the rug. Just like Condi will do with this one. Watch.
I didn’t know Obama won, New Hampshire…
its time for anyone who is anti-Obama to turn off the ‘game’ and recognize this for what it is - absolute monstrous incompetence and a horrible breach of privacy. it was bad when it happened to Clinton and Perot, and its bad now, ESPECIALLY since they never told Obama…
looking at the files AT ALL is an invasion of privacy. We MUST know who did this and why they did it, and why they were “curious” - each of these breaches came directly after a major event, and this has happened on multiple occasions.
There MUST be an investigation of this monumental incompetence.
Why is any of this “stunning” or “incomprehensible?” Honestly, if someone were to have asked me, prior to this story’s breaking, whether I thought the State Department was so mismanaged and corrupt that folks there were snooping through Obama’s private passport records for some insidious purpose, I would have said, “Yeah.”
“Heckuva job, Condi!”
The Bush Administration IS behind this.
They will effectively silent any investigation.
That’s what Nazis do.
“The State Department is saying that Secretary of State, Condi Rice, is saying that she only learned of the breaches yesterday…”
This is exactly how all of Bush administration appointees get away with this bullshit. Put her on the stand and we’ll here more of the same. Trouble is, she might be telling the truth.
I don’t expect for a minute that if we put George W. Bush on the stand that he would honestly be able to answer a god damn thing about what’s going on. The guy is there for face time and signing statements. This is how it works.
Gonzalez? He supposedly knew nothing either.
I’ll bet if anything does come of this it will be some low level people in their early thirties who graduated from some Bible Belt college no one has ever heard of to take the fall. And they won’t know anything, natch.
It’s the no-nothing bureaucratic smokescreen. And it’s planned to be that way.
junglefreak @ 4:
Fixed. Thanks.
its not surprising or stunning to think they would do this, but to KNOW, Karen, is a wake up call.
with all the Democratic infighting and media fighting, this is a punch in the face - a reminder all Democrats should respond to of exactly who we are fighting and why regardless of who the nominee was, we must unite behind him/her and prevent more Republican thuggery and abuse of power such as this.
Karen @ 6:
What’s surprising is that someone got caught or rather 3 were caught.
i am seeing (and this certainly is not all by any stretch by some) Hillary supporters such as Larry Johnson saying this is ‘no big deal’
What the hell is wrong with these people? has the Dem party become so divided we cant be collectively outraged at something so justifiably monstrous?
Fee, fie, fo, fum, I smell the work of Rovey-mun.
Goon @ 13:
Yes, weren’t the comments of Larry Johnson too too dismissive when he doesn’t know a fuck about what went on anymore than the rest of us?
Someone in present government is DEATHLY AFRAID of an Obama Presidency. Makes me want to vote for him just for that reason!
naschkatzeHussein @ 15:
I dont know anymore, sir or maam, I just dont know… for all we know whoever did it contributed to the Hillary campaign and he’s just trying to play it safe…. I guess its understandable THAT way… even if it wasnt the way the Rethugs are they could frame her campaign for it, I wouldnt put it past them.
Regardless what we should all know is to not trust any denial from the Bush side without actual proof.
Some thoughts about how easily anyone could be made “denounce-worthy”.
I was watching Dan Abrahms until the kids took over the TV. Tucker’s comments were laughable. If this were an Democratic adminastration, Tucker and his ilk would be screaming bloody murder. Unbeleivable!
Ya know, as despicably illegal as it is, why can’t Dems play hardball and say, “OK, once WE get into the White House, we’re gonna use the same tactics you Repigs have, and we’re gonna ROYALLY fuck you all over!! Illegal wiretaps, spying, passport prying - we’re gonna screw you all over for the next 50 years, only to benefit the American public and bring accountability back into the political process. Do we need to threaten these fuckers to preserve our American ideals? Is that hypocrisy?
Yes, I know we need to be above that and adhere to the rule of law, BUT are the ends worth the means? Is the threat of digging up crap on Repigs worth tarnishing the ideal of being above the corruption and crap?
I’m very conflicted on this. Thoughts?
I’ve noticed a lot lately that MSNBC continuously scoops CNN by a long shot which was the case tonight. Wonder why.
“an incredible lack of leadership and gross negligence” - Condi “The Intelligent Liar” Rice
Kettle meet pot, pot meet kettle
** One comment sure to be heard in Washington tonight from a certain Karl Rove, “Oh shit—we got caught.”
** TV ad copy for the Fall:
“If the Republicans, without shame, invade the privacy of a candidate for President, do you think they will hesitate to violate YOUR privacy and your private records? Haven’t we had enough of the destruction of our most basic liberties. Senator McCain thinks that the Patriot Act and other violations of your basic liberties are just fine. What do you think?”
Matt Hussein in Texas @ 19:
Matt, remember Sandy Berger? He did some stupid shit and stuffed papers down his clothes. I remember defending him thinking a Dem would never do such a thing, then was embarrassed when it was found he actually did it. No, I don’t feel like committing to the Republican playbook. I don’t know if souls exist, but if they do I’m not going to risk it in order to slime Rep. Whitey McReligiongood from West Virginia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Krongard
I wonder why Obama’s breach was not properly–much less rigorously–investigated???
Too busy with BLACKWATER??
“Democrat Opens Inquiry Into Whether State Dept. Official Impeded Investigations”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09.....=permalink|
Reid and Pelosi start an investigation? HA-HA
Condi’s response - “I don’t recall”
Cheney’s response - “So?”
I can just imagine how an investigation into this would play out.
Refusals to testify followed by a parade of smug and shameless memory challenged witnesses.
At least it should help detract from the Pastor Wright Hates America and White Babies story for a few news cycles…
Renee @ 17:
We could denounce Faux but, nobody at Faux is listening.
Toes @ 22:
I think this is not even an issue that will move Wright Gate off the front pages. What could possibly be in these records that have not been released already? Hopefully nothing
What breach?
Hey, you lost ALL of your “privacy” after everyone capitulated to the PATRIOT ACT!
Richard Clark said what?
9/11-commission: Ben Veniste grills Rice on PDB Aug 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related
RLF @ 28:
They look because they care more about winning than being caught and being hurt. Even though they were caught snooping Bill Clinton in 91, they found some trips which they tried to use claiming he was a Manchurian Candidate.
these sick people will use anything they can find to attack whoever is in the way.
Whether its Hillary or Barack, they must keep this sort of privacy issue alive to show America the difference between us and them. competence. integrity. privacy.
Karen @ 6:
No shit at this point I think we can say it’s “Business as Usual”
Ronaldo @ 29:
you are right.
this issue must be used as a segue whenever given the chance to speak to the people.
What I posted above is not a 9/11 invitation for ranting. It shows Condi’s blatent ineptitude.
Goon Hit the nail on the HEAD and slammed it right down to fix a broken NOLA home!
“Whether its Hillary or Barack, they must keep this sort of privacy issue alive to show America the difference between us and them. competence. integrity. privacy.”
Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi should show some leadership and fully investigate this outrage. Hopefully this will finally give them the motivation and courage to impeach this extremely corrupt administration.
33, segway
What communist country monitors their citizens phone calls, tortures prisoners and controls the media?
Bush’s Amerika.
Now he sends his cronies to snoop through Obama’s personal files.
But in Bush’s Amerika, the prez is above the law. He is a law unto himself, and fuck anybody getting in his way.
Thanks, Logan. This is gonna be fun! I doubt Sen. Obama is gonna let this slide, although no one should be too surprised by this maneuver to scrounge up something, anything, on the him. Could even be a actic out of the camp of She Who Must Not Be Named. As far as the Bushkovites, we know that there are not just under a million terrorists, as on the ‘No Fly’ list, or that not all of everyone’s e-communications warrant scrutiny, so why the shock? Maybe the Senator will see that this gets explored more thoroughly than the rest of the Dems have been willing to do. I was a bit taken aback the other day to hear Pelosi the Younger claim rather indignantly that it will be the Dem’s who suffer if impeachment goes forward. Arrrgghhh!!!!
after a couple of days, the gop will spin this into needing to know which months obama was in afghanistan getting his al quaida training. i’ll bet the msm will have a gop pundit actually saying something like this.
Surrrrrrrre, Condi didn’t know about the breach.
This is the same woman who didn’t think to pass that memo warning about Bin Laden determined to strike the United States on September 11th.
How do we know she didn’t give the order and hoped it wouldn’t be traced back to her?
Better still, how do we know she gave the order and didn’t care if it came back to her? This administration has given the law the “finger” for the past 8 years.
jdw @ 38:
Sounds more like Nazis.
ooops! “…be a tactic out of…” sorry!
sick of it @ 34:
I’m not trying to rant with the following:
As long as people feel they were lied to, and there was no real investigation not to mention not a single firing…oh, wait…Bill Maher got fired.
It’s hard not to rant when I think of what has been done to us and that people feel it’s OK to silence those who would demand real answers. Or at least to look at the facts.
But then again this nation has always buried it’s collective head in the sand when confronted with real issues like Racial Equality or Ethics or Political Fraud.