Daily Kos

Republicans are thieves

by kos

Tue Nov 25, 2003 at 11:48:27 PM PDT

It shouldn't be too surprising.
A top U.S. Senate Republican expressed "deep regret" on Tuesday in announcing that an internal investigation of computer records found one of his staffers had "improperly accessed" Democratic documents.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch said he placed the staffer on administrative leave with pay pending a separate probe by the Senate sergeant at arms, Bill Pickle.

Hatch, who had initially ridiculed the allegations, also said a former staffer "may also have been involved," but declined to identify either person by name.

"I am mortified that this improper, unethical and simply unacceptable breach of confidential files may have occurred on my watch," the Utah Republican told a news conference [...]

The disclosure came a week after congressional law enforcement authorities began looking into what Democrats called an apparent computer theft of 14 staff memos critical of President Bush's embattled judicial nominees [...]

Hatch had suggested that the memos had been turned over to the news media by a "conscience-stricken" Democratic staffer.

The committee staffs, both Republican and Democrat, share servers, making the theft a relatively easy matter by anyone with the technical knowhow.

And note -- the only reason this was exposed was because the memos were leaked to the press.

Hatch said the staffer who got access to the memos denied giving them to the news media and it remained unclear how reporters got them.
It wouldn't be surprising if this wasn't the first time Hatch's staff pilfered Democratic documents from the server. Hopefully investigators will be able to determine whether this was a one-time incident, or whether there has been a pattern of abuse by the Hatch's staff.

And Democrats should really look into getting their own servers to store sensitive information.

  • ::

Tags: (all tags) :: Previous Tag Versions

Permalink | 121 comments

  •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (none / 0)

    Orrin Hatch is straight out of The Gilded Age.

    by ten nights on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:02:19 AM PDT

    •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (none / 0)

      This isn't good news for the Dems. Only the most partisan Democrats are going to give a fuck about the theiving itself. Typical American couch potatos will be much more interested in what the memos actually said.

      I wouldn't be a bit suprised if Hatch put this guy in the dock simply for the sake of shining a larger light on the memos themselves.

      by g wiz on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:33:05 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (none / 0)

        so i guess what you're saying is that only the most partisan democrats have any moral fiber?

        and the moral decline evinced by the popularity of shows like temptation island and sordid spectacles like the michael jackson thing will only benefit the republicans?  because americans are too apathetic to care about right and wrong or fair play vs. might makes right, in your opinion.

        in short, republicans are the party of "bread and circuses".  is this a fair interpretation of your post?

        l'audace! l'audace! toujours l'audace!

        by zeke L on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:51:11 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

  •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (4.00 / 2)

    Hatch is obviously a hypocritical jerk.  You guys remember this this man is a software pirate and a thief (at least his staffers are).

    by dreww on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:05:12 AM PDT

  •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (3.66 / 3)

    You are telling me that the Democrats store internal documents on servers shared with Republicans?

    If that doesn't point out the crying need for a change in direction, what does?

    Who hires the network guys for those servers?  Who handles the permissions?

    That is so beyond incompetent, there are no words.

    by katiebird on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:07:18 AM PDT

    •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (none / 0)

      It's like a business sharing drives with their competitor, and putting business plans on it.

      Stupid, stupid, stupid. Doesn't ANYONE there realize this is a bad idea?

      W was elected to protect Them from Us.

      by Radical Middle on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:58:51 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Not a surprise to me (none / 0)

      A few years ago, I was a systems administrator on the Hill for a Congresswoman. At the time, it was unusual for offices to actually hire a devoted staffer for IT stuff. A lot of offices would just have the receptionist handle it.

      I believe the situation has improved in recent years but this just doesn't surprise me.

      Servers aren't that expensive either. It doesn't cost that much out of the budget. When I upgraded all the offices computers, I was able to find a lot of ways to save money(mostly support costs) so that the new monthly payments for new CMS software, computers and server were less than what was being paid before.

      If there actually is a paid IT staff member on the committee, 10 bucks says it's a GOP staff member.

      Barack Obama for President

      by Aexia on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 05:29:31 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (4.00 / 3)

    wow. our governments IT security sucks.

    in 2000 State lost two laptops- one of them contained 'code word' classified material about sources and methods. it wasn't so much as password protected. (repubs jumped all over State's political leadership for it)

    and who the hell knows how many laptop fed agencies like FBI and DEA have lost...400? 500? 600? they sure don't. the IRS has lost over 2,300 laptops.

    and now this. if the dem staffers didn't expect it they should have. they should have their own servers. they should be physically locked down. access should be restricted to senior staff only. the software should be setup by professionals. encryption should be used. access should be compartmentalized. passwords should be strong.

    they need a crash course in professional IT security and they need it now.

    by mbc on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:14:30 AM PDT

  •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (none / 0)

    The committee staffs, both Republican and Democrat, share servers, making the theft a relatively easy matter by anyone with the technical knowhow.

    Who the hell is in charge of security around here?
    Seriously, folks, we're in a battle for the future of the country, and we're using the same server?

    That's almost too stupid to believe.

    Always be sincere, even if you don't mean it.

    by justinb on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:15:01 AM PDT

    •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (none / 0)

      And the network security staff most likely reports to Ashcroft.

      by dorsano on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:41:51 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (none / 0)

      The committee staffs, both Republican and Democrat, share servers, making the theft a relatively easy matter by anyone with the technical knowhow.

      This explains a lot of why the Democrats are so outmaneuvered all the time.

      It doesn't explain why they are so incredibly dumb.

      After Watergate, I thought the Democrats did some security auditing and took basic precautions. I never read anything like that, I just assumed.

      Boy, was I wrong.

      I just can't believe this.

      Did I mention I can't believe it?

      I mean, WTF are they thinking? All those brilliant Harvard types up there. WHAT IS IN YOUR BRAIN? Don't you read history?

      I need to know.

      My only jope is that Trippi, with his paranoid rep, is a bit more careful. I mean, when you get down to it, Dean's campaign is as vulnerable as a disk drive. Their data better be multiply redundant in geographically independent locations, on private hardware. And encription would be nice, or at least encrypted communications.

      What else don't we know about our party's SOP?

      Let us rid ourselves of the fiction that low oil prices are somehow good for the United States.

      by M Aurelius on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 02:29:24 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (none / 0)

        Heck, most of the Dean campaign's stuff is up for the public on the Internet. It's no big secret.

        What IS secret you can bet is carefully guarded and protected. The campaign obviously employs good IT people.

        W was elected to protect Them from Us.

        by Radical Middle on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:51:24 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

  •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (4.00 / 7)

    Ya see, if we had the 10 Commandements posted in more public places, people would know that they aren't supposed to steal. How else was ths staffer supposed to know? I hope he doesn't kill or covet over the holiday weekend.

    Hmm.

    threehundredandtwentyelectoralvotes

    by theoria on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:17:21 AM PDT

    •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (none / 0)

      LOL!;)

      by kimo on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:23:21 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (none / 0)

      gee theo, you're swell to be thinking of this poor guy's moral fall.  that's why us dems are so much better than the republicons, who would lead him astray into the dark underworld of "moral relativism".

      if anyone knows this guy's (or girl's!) home email or phone number, i think it would be terrific of us to email or fax or call in a few copies of said commandments, pronto!  i've got some other inspirational passages i think will lift his (or her!) soul right up!  s/he'll thank us later.

      maybe that nice mr rove could use a few hundred copies too.  i know his soul must be troubled after the naughty things he did to mrs wilson, and her going to the same episcopal church and all.  maybe some nice italian poetry to cheer him up too, like cantos 32-34 of the divina commedia...

      l'audace! l'audace! toujours l'audace!

      by zeke L on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:01:01 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (none / 0)

    Pedant alert: Shouldn't that be "Republicans are thieves"? Dirty, rotten, scum-sucking ones, in fact.

    by WendellGee on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:17:37 AM PDT

  •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (none / 0)

    "thieves"

    Sounds like the Dems need to hire some of those out of work IT peeps who lost a job to India and assign them to a security detail.

    The ...Bushies... don't make policies to deal with problems. ...It's all about how can we spin what's happening out there to do what we want to do. Krugman

    by mikepridmore on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:17:59 AM PDT

  •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (none / 0)

    Bad news day.  Likely not over too is my feeling.
    That, or there is a humdinger due to morrow.

    by Marisacat on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:19:07 AM PDT

  •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (none / 1)

    Let's get something straight.  If these assholes had broken into Democratic offices and stolen the memos off of staffers' desks we would be talking about Watergate redux.  I fail to see how e-theft should be taken any less seriously.

    by space on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:20:27 AM PDT

    •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (none / 1)

      You're right, it is theft.  It's horrible.  They should be punished (but won't -- paid leave, for heaven's sake!)

      But if we're posting the stuff on a bulletin board (and it is just that easy to read, if you have the access), can we really expect people to turn their heads?

      And with the way Republicans hire, it is possible that Democrats don't have any say in those IT positions.

      I'm flabergasted, I cannot believe this.

      It's no wonder they can get Democrats to change their votes, they know exactly what to say to who.

      by katiebird on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:27:13 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (none / 0)

        Does anyone know anyone in Washington DC who could give us an IT picture on The Hill?

        There's a good House web developer who used to come around here, what the hell was his name?  Dern!  I'll think of it in a moment.

        It's very strange but I have never thought of this as a potential problem before.  This is extremely serious.

        No Democratic document or file of any type should be on any government machine.  Time for the party to get the hell out of there.  The GOP is not be trusted in any sense, in any scenario.

        by paradox on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:49:50 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  Re: Republicans are thiefs (none / 0)

        i don't know who controls the IT infrastructure on the hill, but it is a national security issue. let's leave aside for a moment the classified information that moves through the intelligence/armed forces etc. committees... are we willing to give everyone access to internal congressional data?

        we don't just e-mail the speaker and president pro tem's daily movements to al quedia...

        by mbc on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:51:37 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

  •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

    "Ya see, if we had the 10 Commandements posted in more public places, people would know that they aren't supposed to steal. How else was ths staffer supposed"

    No hyperbole--- I really almost wet myself over that one. I've long said, those who need to have the 10 Commandments posted nearby, are those who don't keep them in their hearts.

    PeskyFly

    by Pesky Fly on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:32:27 AM PDT

    •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

      Hatch is free to place the 10 commandments in his office, Hatch being a religious man probably has them posted some where in his congressional offices.

      People like Hatch do, however, prove morality and religion have little connection.

      by dreww on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:53:57 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  SOME Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

    Kos, you're not using the new weasel language: SOME Republicans are thieves.

    Personally, I can't wait for the 527 TV spots:

    "Criminals"

    Voice over: Did you know that some Republicans are criminals?

    [show some famous Republicans doing the frog march]

    "In fact, some Republicans are even child molestors."

    [Show photo of that guy who got caught with the 16 year old prostitute]

    "Call Congress today to demand swift justice for these criminals."

    by LFinMN on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:36:05 AM PDT

    •  Re: SOME Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

      that would be a good one.  to turn it around to a positive educational opportunity, i'd close that one with:

      SOME.
      that's really a pesky weasel word isn't it?
      it's time to start thinking again, people.
      it's time to demand answers and accountability.
      no excuses.

      l'audace! l'audace! toujours l'audace!

      by zeke L on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:48:26 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Re: Republicans are thieves (1.00 / 3)

    I'm glad Senator Hatch placed this rogue staffer on leave.

    I also hope this staffer is proesecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

    As a Republican, I am pleased that Hatch refused to engage in a cover up, and will force one of his dirty staffers to face the music. Music that could include firing and a criminal record.

    I think we should all be ashamed at Kos - Republicans are not thieves. This Republican was and will now face the consequences.

    How would Kos like it if he, as a Democrat, were tarnished because of the sins of Edwin Edwards, Bill Clinton, Webb Hubbell, Jim Guy Tucker, David Walters, Mario Biaggi, Bob Toricelli and a phalanx of Democratic lawbreakers.

    That would not be fair, and it's not fair for Kos to engage in a sweeping indictment of all Republicans.

    by tellthetruth on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:45:42 AM PDT

    •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

      Bush stole the election.  He's a thief too.

      by paradox on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:52:10 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

      i thought for a moment this was sarcasm. then i saw the 'by' line. i'm getting sick of answering your trolls. this very well may be the last time i do it.

      if you are ashamed to be here, then please, by all means, leave.

      otherwise please tell me where in the post Kos issues a "sweeping indictment of all Republicans." quote for me the part of the post where Kos says all

      you cant. because he didn't. this site is a public service provided by Markos. it offers its readers good news, good analysis, and good intelligent debate. you want to slander him? please, take your shame and get the fuck out.

      by mbc on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:03:19 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

      Well, tellthetruth, if you're so glad that Hatch put this staffer on leave, paid leave (as opposed to fired), then why not go to your favorite "R" blog and spread the news? And while you're at it why don't you tell them how upset you are at the Plame cover-up?  Maybe you could show a little outrage at that, or at the 9/ll stonewalling, or the secret energy meetings, or, dare I say it, all the lies told during the run up to the war?

      And I'll make you a deal...I'll recommend Kos retract his "thieves" comment as soon as you get the wingnuts to stop calling Democrats Saddam lovers and terrorists.

      Please, go away.  

      by kimo on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:11:49 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 1)

        I cannot believe it, but I agree with all of your points.

        I am a conservative and I believe conservatives should follow the rules.

        I do hope the Plame affair, secret energy meetings and even Iraq war statements should be investigated with the most severe of punishment handed to those reponsible for breaking the law. Bush's stonewalling on 9/11 documents concerns me greatly.

        I just hope you would hold the same standard to Democrats as you do to Republicans.

        by tellthetruth on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:17:35 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

        Or as Adlai Stevenson once said
        "If the Republicans promise to stop telling lies about the Democrats, I promise to stop telling the truth about Republicans"

        Or something like that.

        The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing George W. Bush that he was Jesus

        by Darth Cheney on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 02:38:26 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

      Fair? What is this, a dinner party?

      We're trying to take our country back from you people, not be your bestest friend ever.

      How would Kos like it if he, as a Democrat, were tarnished because of the sins of Edwin Edwards, Bill Clinton, Webb Hubbell, Jim Guy Tucker, David Walters, Mario Biaggi, Bob Toricelli and a phalanx of Democratic lawbreakers.

      Are you really that clueless? This is EXACTLY what you people do, all the freaking time.

      Please.

      by Monkey on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:12:18 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

      So what your saying is that George Bush is a big scumbag for not doing as the "honorable" Orrin Hatch did by disciplining his staffer for BREAKING THE LAW. Just checking. Nice to finally meet an honest Republican. May all Republicans follow the "honorable" Orrin Hatch's lead. Maybe you should send an email to Tom Delay while you're at it.

      Now, people had lost their fear. From that moment I knew we would win. - Oscar Olivera

      by Josh Prophet on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:39:51 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

      tellthetruth,
      Republicans are fucking thieves and you are a liar. so SHUT UP (/channelOLielly)

      by Hubris Sonic on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:58:34 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

    I wonder when CNN will report on this one?  

    Nevermind, there's some videotape of Michael Jackson talking to his lawyer--which is non-news because we'll never see it--taking up all their time.

    Front page of the NY Times?  Pigs flying yet?

    Maybe the Washington Post.  Yeah.  Maybe buried in the 10th graph of the article about "Democrats in Disarray After Medicare."

    It's criminal behavior, guys.  Criminal.  Theft.

    Staffer should be prosecuted.  I'm sure there's a few federal laws broken.  Who's going to press charges?

    by Manhattan Dan on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:47:54 AM PDT

  •  Re: Republicans are thieves (4.00 / 3)

    Revealed here for the first time in public, the dastardly means by which these Republican staffers broke in to the Democrat's computers:

    login: pleasesir
    password: can1havesomemore

    login: justLet
    password: UsKeep0urPark1ngSp4c3s

    login: rollover
    password: &pl4yD34D

    login: filibuster?
    password: thatsjust4judgessilly

    by Issa on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:55:13 AM PDT

  •  What Hatch failed to mention... (none / 0)

    ...is that those actions are not merely "improper, unethical and simply unacceptable" - they are also a violation of federal law.  

    Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?

    by johnny rotten on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:03:45 AM PDT

    •  Re: What Hatch failed to mention... (none / 0)

      which part of 1030 did the staffer violate?

      by mbc on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:11:25 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Re: What Hatch failed to mention... (3.66 / 3)

        (a)(2)(B):

        Whoever...intentionally accesses a computer without authorization or exceeds authorized access, and thereby obtains...information from any department or agency of the United States...shall be punished as provided in subsection (c) of this section.

        Subsection (e)(7) states:

        the term "department of the United States" means the legislative or judicial branch of the Government or one of the executive departments enumerated in section 101 of title 5.
         

        Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?

        by johnny rotten on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:19:18 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  Re: What Hatch failed to mention... (none / 0)

          thanks. after i read it a couple of times i thought thats the bit that might apply. the thing is though, were they exceeding their authorized access? leaving aside for a moment how this 'justice' department would define 'exceed', if the server configuration was really screwed up could the staffer plead something like 'oops, mistake'?

          by mbc on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:36:40 AM PDT

          [ Parent ]

        •  Re: What Hatch failed to mention... (none / 0)

          good one, johnny.  

          mbc, the point here is that it doesn't matter if the security sucked or not.  the law has been applied to "unauthorized" people who peeked at government data, even if the door was left wide open.  it was written that way on purpose, so they could go after hackers even if gummint incompetence made the hacker's life really easy.  wouldn't be surprised if as$croft used this statute or something like it to go after the memory hole guy who embarassed him so publicly...

          but of course, if it might put a republicon in jeopardy, i'm sure that would call for a whole different reading of the law, now wouldn't it?

          l'audace! l'audace! toujours l'audace!

          by zeke L on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 02:11:45 AM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          •  Re: What Hatch failed to mention... (none / 0)

            what i'm asking is this: the staffer was authorized to use that server. what's the standard for determining what part(s) of the server he or she was authorized to access. if there was good security then i think the answer would be clear, but if the security sucked i think it would be less clear. the dems need to lock everything down in order to 1) keep info out of repub hands 2) make sure that if they get info it is clearly and without question acquired illegally.

            by mbc on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 02:35:32 AM PDT

            [ Parent ]

  •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

    They stoles it from us!  Those tricksy little thieves!  I hates them!

    by Sorklin on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:04:18 AM PDT

  •  Re: Republicans are thieves (4.00 / 5)

    I just finished reading the Time magazine story with Bush on the cover, "Love Him, Hate Him." Reading the "Love Him" comments put me into such a depression that I didn't think I could feel worse. Little did I know.

    The Rethugs are just vile beyond belief. They will stoop to nothing, and this is just the latest example. The fact that they KNOW they can resort to the lowest degree, commit criminal acts, distort, spin, lie and just plain get away with it, knowing that it will be reported but that it will all pass unnoticed by our now over-communicated and utterly saturated society, is depressing beyond belief. We live in a Rovian world now. Witness the Hatch remarks, scripted right out of a screenplay. The impeccably attired senator from Utah has a stain on that crisply starched shirt that is a scarlet letter.

    I'm old enough to have lived through Watergate and watched the testimony daily. This spin makes Watergate and Iran-Contra look like child's play. My 20-year-old daughter is like I was as a 20-year-old ... how can they get away with this shit? Isn't anybody listening? Can't you see what they're doing, the lies? It's hard to find words to tell her how the Rethugs are destroying democracy, this country, and our place in the world.

    I shudder to think of my kids living in this neocon nightmare in the future. If I had the fortune that George Soros had, I'd answer the same way he did about using his fortune to oust Bush & Co -- yes, if it were guaranteed.

    "It's the Supreme Court, Stupid!"

    by Kestrel on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:04:21 AM PDT

  •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

    Katherine Harris is thinking of running for US Senate. Does anyone know if they're going to fix the scrub list used in 2000, and then again in 2002 (after everyone told Florida that they were a bunch of racist election stealers)? Or will Harris be fucking stealing another election, this time as US Senator. I spit in her general direction.

    "Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is." - George W Bush

    by jfern on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:15:15 AM PDT

  •  Re: Republicans are thieves (3.50 / 2)

    Orrin better hope none of those materials stolen were copyrighted. If they were then he has no alternative but to  blow up his computers. Otherwise people will call him a hypocrite... yet again.

    Now, people had lost their fear. From that moment I knew we would win. - Oscar Olivera

    by Josh Prophet on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:23:31 AM PDT

  •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

    Wow...republic lying, thieving scum? I mean, who'd a thunk it? It's not like Urine Hatch has a record of shamefaced duplicity.

    No reason to keep computers secure...none at all.

    by jdw on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:37:24 AM PDT

  •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

    Democrats under Dashole have been a complete bunch of idiots and assholes.

    You think Jim Wright or George Mitchell, let alone Lyndon Johnson or Bob Kennedy, would have allowed something like this to have occured.

    This caucus has no Leadership.

    McCain: He's Constipated and Ready to GO

    by Al Rodgers on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 02:11:28 AM PDT

  •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

    Here's what Hatch's people found when they looked at Feinstein's e-mail account:


    11-24-03
    FROM: Bill Frist
    TO: Dianne Feinstein
    RE: Medicare bill, your 2003 Jaguar XKR

    Dianne,

    Received your note late last night regarding your Jaguar XKR for sale.

    Yes, I'll buy it!  And, no, $170,000 is not "too much money!"  In fact, if you do, indeed, leave the Yanni and "Three Tenor" CD collections in the multi-disc CD changer, I will add $30,000 to the offer making it an even $200,000!

    Looking forward to your vote on the Medicare bill tomorrow!

    All the best,

    Bill

    by Bob Johnson on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 02:27:50 AM PDT

    •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

      Well you hit the model right.  That is her preferred car, at least when she still drove her self. Usually a deep red or dark green Jag.

      Unpleasant day today.  Sell outs and thieves.

      O yes, adn trolls.  A pack of them, my take: a threesome.  One managed to hijack, pretty much, but it had two back ups who entered the thread as well, but weren't really needed.  
      Looks familiar to me from the days before the power of the 0.

      by Marisacat on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 02:36:52 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Example of Dem Theft / Computer Tricksterism (none / 1)

    After the botched and upsetting "election" of Shrub, on their final night in the White House, Clinton staffers removed the "W" keys in WH computers.

    "When I see an adult on a bicycle, I have hope for the human race." - H G Wells

    by Bicycle Antelope on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 03:28:21 AM PDT

    •  Re: Example of Dem Theft / Computer Tricksterism (none / 0)

      Personally I would have removed the keys F, U, C and K.  

      Don't like XOM and OPEC? What have YOU done to reduce your oil consumption? Hot air does NOT constitute a renewable resource!

      by Asak on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 08:39:26 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Re: Example of Dem Theft / Computer Tricksterism (none / 0)

      Nope.. didn't happen.  That's an urban legend perpetuated by the GOP.  Check your facts.

      later

      by Randomtask on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 10:57:50 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Re: Example of Dem Theft / Computer Tricksterism (none / 1)

        Randomtask, where's your source?

        Here's a source that says it did happen: missing Ws .

        Many aides in the new administration assigned to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, adjacent to the White House, discovered Monday that their computer keyboards were missing the "W" key ....

        Some keyboards did have W keys, but they lacked a working spring beneath them or were otherwise broken. In what was clearly a prank, some W keys were located atop extremely high door frames.

        When asked his reaction, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer replied, "It would have been 'Wow.' But the W was removed, so now it's just, 'Oh.'"

        Fleischer noted from a glance at his own keyboard that the prank did not extend to the West Wing, where the key members of the administration work. "I have my W," he said.

        Randomtask, sources helps assertions, especially when telling others to check their facts; I would love to see yours, if this incident really isn't true.  

        Thanks.

        "When I see an adult on a bicycle, I have hope for the human race." - H G Wells

        by Bicycle Antelope on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:57:29 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  Re: Example of Dem Theft / Computer Tricksterism (none / 0)

          How about the Congress' General Accounting Office?  Credible enough for ya?

          http://dir.salon.com/politics/feature/2001/05/23/vandals/index.html

          May 23, 2001 | WASHINGTON -- The "scandal" broke benignly enough, with an item in Lloyd Grove's dishy Reliable Source column in the Jan. 23 Washington Post, three days after the inauguration of George W. Bush.

          "Incoming staffers of the Bush White House," Grove wrote, were "apparently victims of a practical joke." Bush aides in the Old Executive Office Building (EOB), adjacent to the White House, discovered that "many computer keyboards in their work spaces are missing the W key -- as in President Bush's middle initial."

          Some W keys were discovered "taped on top of the doorways," while others were broken.

          The report was more cute than cutting, with Grove quoting former Al Gore spokesman Chris Lehane, who quipped: "I think the missing W's can be explained by the vast left-wing conspiracy now at work."

          But within two days, Grove's playful item had morphed into one more full-blown Clinton scandal. Suddenly newspapers and TV news shows were featuring extensive reports of Clinton administration "vandalism," stretching from the EOB offices of former Vice President Gore to the West Wing. Reports alleged expletive-ridden graffiti, sliced computer and telephone wires, file cabinets glued shut, presidential seals steamed off doors, stolen pictures and so-called porn bombs, which were never exactly described.

          The technological problems the vandals wrought were so severe that, according to a report in the New York Daily News, "a telecommunications staffer with more than a quarter-century of service was seen sobbing."

          "Phone lines cut, drawers filled with glue, door locks jimmied so that arriving Bush staff got locked inside their new offices," a disapproving Andrea Mitchell reported on NBC News. The message seemed clear: The trailer-trash Clintons and their staff had enjoyed one last bacchanal at taxpayer expense.

          Now it seems those closely detailed stories were largely bunk. Last week it was revealed that a formal review by the General Accounting Office, Congress' investigative agency, "had found no damage to the offices of the White House's East or West Wings or EOB" and that Bush's own representatives had reported "there is no record of damage that may have been deliberately caused by the employees of the Clinton administration."

          later

          by Randomtask on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 02:43:06 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          •  Re: Example of Dem Theft / Computer Tricksterism (none / 0)

            Don't bother apologizing, just make a donation here and all will be forgiven.

            later

            by Randomtask on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 02:51:06 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

            •  Re: Example of Dem Theft / Computer Tricksterism (none / 0)

              Thanks for the Salon link.  You make a strong case. I appreciate being better informed on this small but (I think) fun issue.

              In addition to the W keys, the Salon article mentions a lot of wild claims that I didn't make.

              Note that your Salon source says "Now it seems those closely detailed stories were largely bunk."  

              That qualification "largely" seems to leave some wiggle room that something small may have happened.

              Removal of some W keys could be that something small.  But I don't know if it happened or not.

              If so, I speculate that the high echelon Bush people may not have wanted to make complaints about minor things official, as an utterly unimportant concession, in order to smugly smooth over the horrible election theft.

              Or, it might have seemed to the Bush administration that the very low cost of the prank would have made complaining about it politically clumsy, given the screaming wound felt by the majority that didn't vote for Shrub.

              Further speculating: Given the tendancy of the Bushies to politicize everything, the GAO report would reflect a politicized investigation, not necessarly "the facts" if they are different.

              But I certainly don't know.

              The whole issue is a small curiosity made more interesting to me by the (alleged) angry humor of the staffers, which I appreciated.

              Giving it a "troll" rating seems pretty mean-spirited; the ACLU would certainly support my good faith posting, whether I was right or wrong or somewhere in between.

              "When I see an adult on a bicycle, I have hope for the human race." - H G Wells

              by Bicycle Antelope on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 03:53:41 PM PDT

              [ Parent ]

              •  Re: Example of Dem Theft / Computer Tricksterism (none / 0)

                alright, alright.  I had you pegged for a black helicopter vince foster beamed up to the mothership kinda guy.  I will amend my rating.

                later

                by Randomtask on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 06:10:47 PM PDT

                [ Parent ]

                •  I've Been Booted as a Result of This Thread (none / 0)

                  Sheesh... This thread (on a trivial topic not even interesting to me except for the humor of it) granted me two Troll ratings, which seems to be the only reason I now have a Poor rating in this community and can't post any more diary ratings.

                  I think from the beginning, my comments on this thread shows outrage at the stolen election, so it seems a really paranoid or mean reading would lead to interpreting this as pro-republican meddling.

                  Look at my dairy--nothing stellar, but certainly nothing troll-like or even remotely pro-Republican.  There's nothing out of line with the KOS community.

                  I feel that this punishment shows real intolerance for honest discusion.  I have an idea I want to post in a dairy now, but I can't.

                  So I feel a boot on my face.  Congratulations on the censorship.  My ID is toasted, so RIP.

                  "When I see an adult on a bicycle, I have hope for the human race." - H G Wells

                  by Bicycle Antelope on Wed Dec 10, 2003 at 10:12:01 PM PDT

                  [ Parent ]

                •  I've Been Booted as a Result of This Thread (none / 0)

                  Sheesh... This thread (on a trivial topic not even interesting to me except for the humor of it) granted me two Troll ratings, which seems to be the only reason I now have a Poor rating in this community and can't post any more diary ratings.

                  I think from the beginning, my comments on this thread shows outrage at the stolen election, so it seems a really paranoid or mean reading would lead to interpreting this as pro-republican meddling.

                  Look at my diary--nothing stellar, but certainly nothing troll-like or even remotely pro-Republican.  There's nothing out of line with the KOS community.

                  I feel that this punishment shows real intolerance for honest discusion.  I have an idea I want to post in a dairy now, but I can't.

                  So I feel a boot on my face.  Congratulations on the censorship.  My ID is toasted, so RIP.

                                                 Down with Bush.

                  "When I see an adult on a bicycle, I have hope for the human race." - H G Wells

                  by Bicycle Antelope on Wed Dec 10, 2003 at 10:12:44 PM PDT

                  [ Parent ]

  •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

    Ironically, it is Hatch's Judiciary Committee that is responsible for the FBI's rotten computer system -- remember, one with a search engine that does not permit two word search strings.  It was also under Hatch's leadership that Judiciary allowed Freeh to reprogram all the "improved Computer Systems" money Clinton requested for the Counterintelligence center into Executive promotions and special financial awards as well as Freeh's travel budget. Time to start asking the question about his fitness to lead decisions about critical IT in the Congress.  

    by Sara on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 10:10:18 AM PDT

  •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 1)

    Some Republicans do other things too.  Here in Columbus, for instance, a lawyer for the Ohio House Republican Caucus was busted last week for being the "Naked Photographer" who has been terrorizing women for the last year and a half.  When he wasn't busy helping the Republican Caucus, Stephen Linnen liked to strip down to a knit cap and sunglasses, accost unsuspecting women (occasionally groping them), and take their photograph.  Police had more than two dozen separate reports on him.  Like Hatch's aide, Linnen is currently on paid leave from his $42,348-a-year job.

    Oh, and his girlfriend is shocked.

    by JBLIII on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 12:52:58 PM PDT

  •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

    Did that a**hole Hatch apologize directly to the people whose allegations he initially ridiculed? I didn't think so .......

    by Mal Hoenig on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 01:38:34 PM PDT

  •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

    Insert cheap, gratuitous references to Juanita Broaddrick and blue Gap dresses here.

    by Bobo62 on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 02:18:49 PM PDT

  •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

    I noticed that things seemed to be out of control and came back to post a note saying who exactly I was complementing, because it wasn't clear.

    But, by the time I got around to it, the whole string of comments had been removed.

    Does that happen often?

    by katiebird on Wed Nov 26, 2003 at 08:40:59 PM PDT

  •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

    Internal investigation into what?  They didn't just stumble on this.  `They' (i.e. Hatch and his bunch of neo-con bananas) set this whole thing up from the get-go, then `they' pulled in a network hack when it came time to actually break in.  I say, `them,' mostly because ordinary staff members don't generally take it upon themselves to initiate such things.

    And, although I wonder why there haven't been any investigations where the more blatantly breaches of ethics, security, or the law are concerned, I also understand that the answer to that question is, "the Republicans are in charge."  

    As long as the Republicans occupy just about every stinkin' seat there is, we'll have right-wing insiders taking extreme advantage of their current positions and blocking any attempts to investigate all activities in which they or their pals are involved.  If I'm not mistaken, however, pilfering information from a secured location was what got Nixon's shorts in a legal turkey trot, so there might be hope after all.

    While the President is elected by the Electoral College, the rest of the jerks are elected by all of us in Palookaville.  If fate takes a giant dump on us and Bush gets reelected, there is another way to slow him way down until he's evicted altogether in 2008.  

    Give George a Democratic Congress, House, and Senate -that oughta' goo up his shoes for a good four years.  At the very least, they'd open investigations into so many things, George would have to go back to school for remedial math and to learn how to pronounce all their names.

    SJ Savage

    by ladewipx on Sun Jan 04, 2004 at 10:00:06 PM PDT

  •  Re: Republicans are thieves (none / 0)

    Internal investigation into what?  They didn't just stumble on this.  `They' (i.e. Hatch and his bunch of neo-con bananas) set this whole thing up from the get-go, then `they' pulled in a network hack when it came time to actually break in.  I say, `them,' mostly because ordinary staff members don't generally take it upon themselves to initiate such things.

    And, although I wonder why there haven't been any investigations where the more blatantly breaches of ethics, security, or the law are concerned, I also understand that the answer to that question is, "the Republicans are in charge."  

    As long as the Republicans occupy just about every stinkin' seat there is, we'll have right-wing insiders taking extreme advantage of their current positions and blocking any attempts to investigate all activities in which they or their pals are involved.  If I'm not mistaken, however, pilfering information from a secured location was what got Nixon's shorts in a legal turkey trot, so there might be hope after all.

    While the President is elected by the Electoral College, the rest of the jerks are elected by all of us in Palookaville.  If fate takes a giant dump on us and Bush gets reelected, there is another way to slow him way down until he's evicted altogether in 2008.  

    Give George a Democratic Congress, House, and Senate -that oughta' goo up his shoes for a good four years.  At the very least, they'd open investigations into so many things, George would have to go back to school for remedial math and to learn how to pronounce all their names.

    SJ Savage

    by ladewipx on Sun Jan 04, 2004 at 10:05:29 PM PDT

Permalink | 121 comments