Text copied from / source: http://nv1962.forclark.com/story/2004/1/25/184312/076
(Originally posted on Sun Jan 25th, 2004 at 03:43:12 PM PST)
Infiltration of files seen as extensive
Senate panel's GOP staff pried on DemocratsBy Charlie Savage, Globe Staff, 1/22/2004
WASHINGTON -- Republican staff members of the US Senate Judiciary Commitee infiltrated opposition computer files for a year, monitoring secret strategy memos and periodically passing on copies to the media, Senate officials told The Globe.
From the spring of 2002 until at least April 2003, members of the GOP committee staff exploited a computer glitch that allowed them to access restricted Democratic communications without a password. Trolling through hundreds of memos, they were able to read talking points and accounts of private meetings discussing which judicial nominees Democrats would fight -- and with what tactics.
The office of Senate Sergeant-at-Arms William Pickle has already launched an investigation into how excerpts from 15 Democratic memos showed up in the pages of the conservative-leaning newspapers and were posted to a website last November.
With the help of forensic computer experts from General Dynamics and the US Secret Service, his office has interviewed about 120 people to date and seized more than half a dozen computers -- including four Judiciary servers, one server from the office of Senate majority leader Bill Frist of Tennessee, and several desktop hard drives.
But the scope of both the intrusions and the likely disclosures is now known to have been far more extensive than the November incident, staffers and others familiar with the investigation say.
Pacifica Radio also did a special on this stunning case, that involves (drum roll please) Robert Novak -- the right-wing press guerrilla of PlameGate fame -- as the GOP's outlet of choice for their campaign sludge. You can listen to the Pacifica Radio special via this page.
It is really time to flush out the garbage - starting this year with the White House and with Congress next in line. This is why Wes Clark's leadership by example is desperately necessary: time for the "professional politicians" to pack their suitcases and go home. They're no credible alternative to the Bush junta - in fact, they're a major part of the problem.
Wes for Pres!