... zero chance that Hillary Clinton was involved. Call me wrong if it turns out otherwise.

"...cunning, baffling, powerful."

It was just a bunch of people eagerly jumping on the "Blame everything on Clinton" bandwagon.

...behind this. I did not accuse her of anything. Without a shred of evidence.

However, Ms. Clinton has generated enough negative attacks on Obama to sour me without any of this. Enough that she was the first to come to mind.

I did inhale.

:)

that Clinton has stooped to in recent time are you referring to?

or our government would have outed (not just fired) them and gotten points for virtue by now.

_{1."George Washington did not cross the Delaware for Capitalism," -Shmuley Boteach.
2.The Dems haven't punished the GOP enough, so you're going to reward the Republicans?}

that on March 12th, the Clinton campaign used this as an attack:

As voters evaluate you as a potential Commander-in-Chief, do you think it's legitimate for people to be concerned that you have traveled to only one NATO country, on a brief stopover trip in 2005, and have never traveled to Latin America?

Now how did they know that with such certainty?

That is suspicious...

you know, if somebody broke into my house while I was away, I'd anticipate that a) the burglar alarm would go off and b) that the coppers would come screeching over to my place in jig time, ready to bag the crook. I suppose the nasty could try to explain his presence by explaining, "Oh no, officer. I wasn't going to steal anything. But being a curious fellow, I just wanted to break in here and sort of snoop around." Hmmm. I wonder how the cop would respond.

I think the facts of what these persons were doing, and the degree to which it may or may not have been important, should be a decision made by a judge after a thorough airing of available evidence.

As to how come an "alarm" may have first been tripped in January and not reported until yesterday, is another question entirely and potentially the most essential one to have a satisfactory answer.

"The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That's easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country." Hermann Goering - Nuremberg Trial

brings up the issue of identity theft, as well as all the other private documentation required.

While the fiscal aspect of identity theft is bad enough for the ordinary person, it's the least of a visible person's worries. For one obvious example, let's say someone wants to create and plant a series of fake and damning backstories on someone to tie them up with denials...

He's bought property in a state that makes all information for title filing publicly available.

Or he's one of the unfortunates who did business with a bankrupt mortgage broker who simply dumpstered their records.

Or unless he's a client of one of the many state programs that have had security breaches.

SSN seemingly doesn't mean very much any more.

that McCain's passport file was snooped at the same time, according to the news on the Beeb.

Probably just a bunch of noseys. Fire 'em and be done with it.

What better job on behalf of either evil doers or foreign government's intelligence agencies than that of a computer "contractor" who has free access to snoop in the personal files of US government officials and leaders.

I don't even think you need to be paranoid to consider that strong possibility.

Moreover, if this happened elsewhere, say Russia or China or even Canada, I feel quite certain that if somebody working for the CIA or some other shadowy US intelligence gathering outfit was caught with his hand in the information cookie jar, it's highly unlikely that he'd say, "Ah, screw it. You caught me. Now I'll probably be late with my routine filing this week for the American government."

why might somebody or some entity out to cause harm want to obtain information that would allow them to create a perfectly credible copy of an individual's passport?

Hmmm.

...is that it's the usual dirty-tricks-tempest-in-a-teapot campaign garbage, meant to take your eyes off the really important things--the issues.

Personally, I don't care if any of the candidates slept with Brezhnev while on a fact-finding mission to the USSR.

If McCain slept with Brezhnev I bet you'd at least check out the news report. LOL.

The look at Sen. Clinton's file was done by a trainee during a training session after an instructor asked a class to practice with random names.

Not at all in the same category.

"...cunning, baffling, powerful."

I just pulled my application file and apart from the SS#, I can't for the life of me figure out how anybody could use the info for nefarious purposes. Unless they think the candidates have lied about their dates and places of birth or that Hillary at one point had Vince Foster as her emergency contact, what's in there they might be damaging?

BTW - They don't particularly give you high expectations of privacy:

ROUTINE USES: The information solicited on this form may be made available as a routine use to other government agencies to assist the U.S. Department of State in adjudicating passport applications and requests for related services, and for law enforcement and administrative purposes. The information may be made available to foreign government agencies to fulfill passport control and immigration duties.

The information may also be provided to foreign government agencies, international organizations and, in limited cases, private persons and organizations to investigate, prosecute, or otherwise address potential violations of law or to further the Secretary’s responsibility for the protection of U.S. citizens and non–citizen nationals abroad. The information may be made available to private U.S. citizen ‘wardens’designated by the U.S. embassies and consulates. For a more detailed listing of the routine uses to which this information may be put, see the Prefatory Statement of Routine Uses and the listing of routine users set forth in the system descriptions for Overseas Citizen Services Records (State–05) and Passport Records (State–26) published in the Federal Register.

including traveling companions and apparently anything Customs agents, embassies or consulates might want to add.

I have been looking around and found this:

What exactly is a passport record? A passport record typically consists of applications made by a person for a U.S. passport, together with supporting evidence of U.S. citizenship. The records include details such as date and place of birth, naturalization details, family status, occupation and physical characteristics. Passport records do not include evidence of travel, such as exit and entrance stamps, visas or residence permits. Passport records are protected by the Privacy Act of 1974.

Which would indicate otherwise. They don't see your passport when you leave the country and generally just stamp it upon return. How would that information be gathered? I am not aware that foreign coutries advise the US when its citizens are granted Visas, for example. I did once advise the local US consulate that I was in-country, but that program was voluntary.

but that's what a lawyer said about it on MSNBC. Maybe computerworld is talking about a different thing. The State Dept does own all that info about your travels (and don't most high-volume crossing points now scan your passport instead of just stamping it?).

but that just means they know you are back. The airlines provide manifests of passengers on arriving international flights but they wouldn't tell where all you have been, just where you last departed from.

saying his "passport record" was accessed is a gross oversimplification. They are apparently all linked now.

I have heard MSNBC has been hyperventilating about this, but the last I saw on that channel was all about the fact that the files also included the applicants' mothers' maiden names, which together with the SS# could result in identity theft. As if no one knows their mothers' maiden names and they are really at risk of identity theft.

nobody needs a perfect copy of your passport in order, say, to impersonate you, or place it to be "found" at the scene of some crime.

... snoop all for cover. Effective too. What makes me pause is that anybody with real juice would be aware of the tripwire. Perhaps hubris plays a part. But with the firings, those dudes are out of reach of any investigation unless and until it becomes criminal. All too pat for my comfort.

"...cunning, baffling, powerful."

... to the point of alarms going off. That's a breach. They were not authorized to view the data, that's the whole point.

The State Dept isn't a library, or Amazon.com. Amazing that someone would want to be so casual about it, really. If they were bold enough to snoop at the State Dept, its reasonable to wonder what else they were willing to do or snoop for. It wasn't without risk, even with a wink and a nod.

"...cunning, baffling, powerful."

Following is a transcript of the press briefing provided at the close of the day today by the State Department related to "PassportGate."

Question Taken at the March 21, 2008 Daily Press Briefing
Unauthorized Access to Passport Records

Question: What are the names of the two companies whose employees gained unauthorized access to Senator Obama's passport files?

Answer

Stanley Corporation and The Analysis Corporation.

Question: What kind of information is contained in the Passport system? What is the range of information that one might find in a passport file?

Answer

Generally, after the State Department issues a passport, all personal documents are returned to the applicant – the only document kept in the Department’s passport file is the passport application package. Passport files do not contain travel information, such as visa and entry stamps, from previous passports. Almost all passport files contain only a passport application form as submitted by the applicant.

The application form asks for the biographic information needed to determine if the applicant qualifies for a U.S. Passport, including:

-- the applicant’s name, sex, date of birth, place of birth, social security number, marital status and mailing address and previous passport number if applicable.

-- the applicant’s physical descriptors like height, hair color and eye color.

-- the names and place of birth of the applicant’s parents’.

The application form also asks for optional information that helps us to deliver applications on time, and to contact a citizen in case of an emergency:

-- the occupation and employer of the applicant and contact information for the applicant as well as his or her emergency contact. (these have proved invaluable in contacting next of kin when a US citizen dies or needs assistance abroad).

-- Travel plans as completed by an applicant on the form would be in the record. (This is valuable in getting the passport to the applicant on time.)

In complex circumstances, for instance if there are grounds to suspect possible fraud or if a person born overseas claims citizenship by virtue of having an American citizen parent, we may need additional evidence to review the applications, and we keep this information in the passport file with the applications.

Question: How many total passport files are in the system?

Answer

There are approximately 180-200 million records in this system.

Question: Can you provide a copy of the language that appears on the computer regarding warning on accessing passport information?

Answer

“PIERS USERS

You are permitted access to passport and consular personal records on a need to know basis. Whether viewed or printed via PIERS, these are privileged records and are subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974. They are not public records and may be released for use outside of the Department of State only in accordance with applicable Department regulations. As a user of PIERS you are responsible for the protection of the record subject’s privacy. PIERS users needing full copies of this passport record should request the record through PIERS.

DO NOT REPRODUCE OR PROVIDE COPIES of documents viewed or printed via PIERS for use outside of the Department of State. Unauthorized release of these documents to non-Department staff, including to law enforcement agencies, must be made through the Research and Liaison Branch, CA/PPT/IML/R/RR, 1111 19th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20524-1705. Non-Department requesters should be referred directly to that office. I have read the aforementioned Privacy warning and understand my responsibilities regarding the protection of passport and consular records.

YES NO

Question: Does using the passport records system this way give one access to or links to other databases?

Answer

No. Access to each passports systems application which an employee needs to conduct passport business is authorized separately.

Question: Were any laws broken?

Answer

We must await a final determination of the facts to determine what precise laws may have been violated. The passport records at issue here are protected by the Privacy Act of 1974. That Act generally prohibits non-consensual disclosures of personal information about U.S. citizens from a Privacy Act system of records, unless an exception applies. One exception permits officers and employees of the agency who have a need for the record in the performance of their duties to review and use the record. Likewise, Department regulations permit contractors who have a need to review a record the same access as employees. However, access to passport records by contractors who do not have a need to know the information would violate the Privacy Act. In this case, Department policies make clear that passport records can be reviewed only for official reasons.

Question: When was the current database established?

Answer

The Passport Information Electronic Retrieval System (PIERS) was established in 2000 and contains digitally scanned applications. PIERS incorporated the previous database, Passport File Miniaturization, that began in 1978. From 1978 – 1999, passport applications were microfilmed. In 1999, digital scanning began.

Question: Does the Inspector General have authority or ability to talk to or interview employees that have been fired?

Answer

The OIG can request interviews of former employees or contractors but would not have the authority to compel their cooperation under the Inspector General Act. They could, however, be served with a grand jury subpoena compelling them to testify before a Grand Jury.

--
Bill Conroy
http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2008/3/21/154415/575

So, if we are to believe the SD people, only data pertaining to an actual passport application are in these files (presumably, all travel info is in the Heimat Sicherdienst - aka, DHS - databases), but a contractor specialising in "watchlist maintenance"(TAC) handling passport info invariably raises issues about "cross-posting" of extracted materials for potential punitive or harassment purposes, i.e., "no-fly" list inclusion.

.... and diffuses much of the concern about nefarious motivations.

"...cunning, baffling, powerful."