Keith Olbermann added some additional details to the story tonight that have prompted me to sit down and do a bit of speculating. This is not just about "passport applications," as far too many people seem to be suggesting. It is about much, much more.
First off, Olbermann reported that the story first broke because of a leak by someone in the Dept of State to The Washington Times. The WaTi then called officials at State for comment, and that then and only then was Sen. Obama told about the breach. This makes me think seriously for the first time that this may end up being a very serious scandal. Three keys:
The first is that this is the work of a subcontractor hired by a contractor, and not the work of career civil servants. The first two accesses of Obama's records were the actions of someone who worked for Stanley, Inc. The final one was someone who worked for Analysis Corp. of McLean. It was that final incident that apparently prompted a civil servant at State leaker to reach out to the WaT. Thus, it was someone within the executive branch acting as a good guy, and the subcontracted employees of two private sector firms acting as the bad guys. There were background checks of these contractors, but no direct supervision by people within the Dept of State. It was only the leaker who worked for the government.
Questions: Was the leaker merely trying to blow the whistle on lax management, or was it something more? Why did they choose the conservative Washington Times as the newspaper to receive the leak? Why did they wait until the third incident to act? What did they know?
The second key here is that it was Obama who was primarily targeted by workers employed by the contractors. Unlike all three incidents with Obama, where the inappropriate access was detected after the fact by an automated system, Clinton's incident was the result of a training mistake by a DOS employee, not a contractor, and it was handled immediately. Moreover, McCain's incident was the work of the same person who was responsible for the third Obama incident. Only Obama's file was accessed multiple times, and only Obama's file was a primary target. McCain's file may have been targeted for information, but Clinton's most certainly was not. Her incident is unrelated to this scandal.
Questions: Why would someone want to look in Obama's passport file? What would be in there that's worth examining?
The final key here is to remember that Obama lived in Indonesia while he was young. According to a former NSA staffer on Olbermann tonight, US citizens who have lived outside of the US for any length of time often have extensive information in their files, because in addition to passport info they also contain consular personal records. One piece of information that is almost always stored in the files of minors living overseas relates to their education.
Education... Madrasas... Do you see where this is going?
Not convinced? One more bit of info, this time from TPM:
...the breaches occurred Jan. 9th, Feb. 21st and March 14th.That would be the day after the New Hampshire primary, the day of the Democratic debate in Texas and the day the Wright story really hit.
The question is motive. Was it money, or was it something more? The more I learn, the less I'm buying State's "imprudent curiosity" line.
UPDATE: It turns out even passport records can contain a whole lot of info about a person.
From Computerworld:
The passport records system stores information about people who have applied for or have been issued a passport, or who have asked for an amendment to or renewal of a passport. It contains information on individuals whose passports have been denied, revoked or limited in some way, as well as data on individuals born outside of the country to U.S. citizens, or those who have applied for registration or were registered at U.S diplomatic or consular posts abroad. In addition to those categories of records, the system includes certificates of loss of U.S. nationality and records of death of American citizens abroad.
In addition to passport applications and the related material, the system stores investigative reports that might have been compiled in connection with granting or denying a passport, or in connection with any violation of passport criminal statutes. It also stores court documents and administrative determinations related to passports and citizenship, as well as copies of birth and baptismal certificates, medical, personal and financial reports and details on arrest warrants of the person applying for, extending or renewing a passport and a person's Social Security number.
Dig deeper and it gets even worse. From the Federal Register (January 9, 2008):
Passport Services maintains U.S. passport records for passports issued from 1925 to the present, as well as vital records related to births abroad, deaths, and witnesses to marriages overseas. The passport records system does not maintain evidence of travel such as entrance/exit stamps, visas, or residence permits, since this information is entered into the passport book after it is issued.
The passport records system includes the following categories of records:
Passport books and passport cards, applications for passport books and passport cards, and applications for additional visa pages, amendments, extensions, replacements, and/or renewals of passport books or cards (including all information and materials submitted as part of or with all such applications);
Applications for registration at American Diplomatic and Consular Posts as U.S. citizens or for issuance of Cards of Identity and Registration as U.S. Citizens;
Consular Reports of Birth Abroad of United States citizens;
Certificates of Witness to Marriage;
Certificates of Loss of United States Nationality;
Oaths of Repatriation;
Consular Certificates of Repatriation;
Reports of Death of an American Citizen Abroad;
Cards of Identity and Registration as U.S. citizens;
Lookout files which identify those persons whose applications for a consular or related service require other than routine examination or action; and
Miscellaneous materials, which are documents and/or records maintained separately, if not in the application, including but not limited to the following types of documents:
[cir] Investigatory reports compiled in connection with granting or denying passport and related services or prosecuting violations of passport criminal statutes;
[cir] Transcripts and opinions on administrative hearings, appeals and civil actions in federal courts;
[cir] Legal briefs, memoranda, judicial orders and opinions arising from administrative determinations relating to passports and citizenship;
[cir] Birth and baptismal certificates;
[cir] Court orders;
[cir] Arrest warrants;
[cir] Medical, personal and financial reports;
[cir] Affidavits;
[cir] Inter-agency and intra-agency memoranda, telegrams, letters, and other miscellaneous correspondence;
[cir] An electronic index of all passport application records created since 1978, and some passport application records created between 1962 and 1978;
[cir] An electronic index of Department of State Reports of Birth of American Citizens abroad; and/or
[cir] Records of lost and stolen passports.
Pure speculation: That would be a treasure trove of opposition research, no?
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