There's some confusing pronoun issues going on in this headline.

When Jefferson beat Adams in the 1800 election, there were bonfires all over Washington as various Federalist papers were burned. It's actually harder with emails, due to the ease of replicating them.

whatever was on those hard drives was bad

Oops.

oldebayer: When Jefferson beat Adams in the 1800 election, there were bonfires all over Washington as various Federalist papers were burned. It's actually harder with emails, due to the ease of replicating them.

The Freedom of Information Act didn't exist then. In my view, everyone in the entire chain of command from the computer operator to Bush is subject to arrest because of this.

Pocket Ninja: There's some confusing pronoun issues going on in this headline.

Subby got a stutter, too.

JC

Not only the FOIA, but the actual records of this farked up presidency. They know goddam well there was incriminating stuff on those email. Apparently, appointing unqualified people extended all the way down to the IT department. Unreal.

oldebayer: When Jefferson beat Adams in the 1800 election, there were bonfires all over Washington as various Federalist papers were burned. It's actually harder with emails, due to the ease of replicating them.

B-b-b-but...Adams?

FTFA: It would be costly and time-consuming for the White House to institute an e-mail retrieval program that entails pulling data off each individual workstation, the White House said in a sworn declaration filed with U.S. Magistrate Judge John Facciola.

On the other hand, it's nice to finally see "costly" and "time consuming" be concerns for the Bush White House.

Remember, this is the same "leader" whose records as governor of Texas are sealed. The governor of Texas doesn't really do anything or have any real powers, so why seal the records?

Litterbox: Apparently, appointing unqualified people extended all the way down to the IT department. Unreal.

Sounds like they fulfilled their responsibilities perfectly.

ArbitraryConstant: Litterbox: Apparently, appointing unqualified people extended all the way down to the IT department. Unreal.

Sounds like they fulfilled their responsibilities perfectly.

Exactly. Unqualified people don't know how to scrub data properly. That's one reason the backups are meant to be there, in the first place.

I blame Bush.

Sometime on tuesday, the sysadmin is going to have a tragic accident on the way home from work.

And that'll be that!

Damn it, will we ever get to watch these cocksuckers doing the perp walk?

DrBenway: Damn it, will we ever get to watch these cocksuckers doing the perp walk?

Probably not.

Wait 'till Hillary starts abusing all the authority that Bush has had over the past 8 years. Then you'll see some interest in accountability!

thurilok: oldebayer: When Jefferson beat Adams in the 1800 election, there were bonfires all over Washington as various Federalist papers were burned. It's actually harder with emails, due to the ease of replicating them.

The Freedom of Information Act didn't exist then. In my view, everyone in the entire chain of command from the computer operator to Bush is subject to arrest because of this.

Well, I'm sure the completely nonpartisan and apolitical Attorney General will get RIGHT ON THAT!!!!!

thurilok: oldebayer: When Jefferson beat Adams in the 1800 election, there were bonfires all over Washington as various Federalist papers were burned. It's actually harder with emails, due to the ease of replicating them.

The Freedom of Information Act didn't exist then. In my view, everyone in the entire chain of command from the computer operator to Bush is subject to arrest because of this.

that's not going to happen tho. we don't want accountability from our leaders. we want to feel safe, have a big screen TV and live in a huge mansion. Accountability? Responsiblity? Bah!

Wow! I must be getting psychic. I predicted this days ago!

Can someone please suck Bush's cawk so we can impeach him?

Oh yeah, and an intern can give a Hot Karl to Cheney so we can throw him in the deal.

SphericalTime: Wow! I must be getting psychic. I predicted this days ago!

OMG!!! You scare me!!!! Do you predict Barack Obama will die in a mysterious accident/assassination, giving the Democratic nomination to Hillary and the Presidential election to the McCain?

Naw, that would NEVER happen!!!!

Oops..."the" McCain?

"Accidentally" my farking ass. Somebody needs to go to jail for this.

Bah.. When Rove was around, he'd at least do something clever like "accidently" ship all the White House computers to a magnet factory.

AntiNorm: "Accidentally" my farking ass. Somebody needs to go to jail for this.

Go back to sleep. Nothing to see here.

If a private company did something like this, there would be fines, jailtime, and attention-whoring congressional inquiries. Since the government was the perpetrator, it is instead "oops, my bad".

Why in the hell do we keep giving our government a free pass? We pass laws to require more truthful accounting, and yet the government has some of the shadiest accounting practices around. We hear people going off on "irresponsible" consumers, yet our government is running up debt like it is going out of style (and without much accountability, I might add). Our government has decided it is cool to invade our privacy at will, and yet has itself become less and less transparent.

Government should be held to a higher standard, not a considerably lower one.

The reason not to charge anyone yet: Anyone charged now could simply plead guilty, and get an automatic pardon from Dubya. Wait until a real leader is in office, and then throw the book at these people.

AntiNorm: "Accidentally" my farking ass. Somebody needs to go to jail for this.

Oh, really? Good thing there isn't anyone who will commute/pardon such individuals!!!

Oh, wait...

SingletonFactory: Government should be held to a higher standard, not a considerably lower one.

Yeah, but not even corporations are held to a rigid standard when it comes to computer crimes. Sony corp deliberately infected MILLIONS of people with a rootkit hack, and they paid a piddling fine. If I had done that, I'd be looking at hard time in a federal jail cell. But i'm an individual, without power or connections. In political terms, I am nothing. In political terms - YOU are nothing.

Sooner or later we'll all realize that we've lost control over our government. Left, Right, Republican, Democrat....we'll all wake up and recognize that there ARE no real political divisions in this country any more. And then we shall see what happens next....

DrBenway: Damn it, will we ever get to watch these cocksuckers doing the perp walk?

This. Where in the hell is the accountability?? Where? Are we willing to continually allow commutation & pardon if it springs from the oval office??

Rain-Monkey: DrBenway: Damn it, will we ever get to watch these cocksuckers doing the perp walk?

This. Where in the hell is the accountability?? Where? Are we willing to continually allow commutation & pardon if it springs from the oval office??

We let Bill Clinton get away with it, and nobody said anything at the time. Bush will get away with it this time and nobody will say anything about it either. And the next president will commit even more violations of the law, our rights and whatnot and we'll let THAT slide too.

Today's politics isn't about accountability, it's about 'my guy, right or wrong'. It isn't even a secret anymore. If you are a Republican, you support the prez. Even when he admits to breaking the law on live, national television. Because he's your guy. And if the other guy does the exact same thing, then you go after him. Not because he broke the law, but because he's the 'other guy'.

it's all very primitive. I just wish none of these idiots had access to nuclear weapons.

ComicBookGuy: Do you predict Barack Obama will die in a mysterious accident/assassination, giving the Democratic nomination to Hillary and the Presidential election to the McCain?



I wonder if anyone's bothered to tell him to stay off of small planes in "bad" weather.

Honest, Judge, they were just clutterin' up the place.

/ and the dog ate our homework again

It would be costly and time-consuming for the White House to institute an e-mail retrieval program that entails pulling data off each individual workstation, the White House said in a sworn declaration filed with U.S. Magistrate Judge John Facciola.

Yeah, and we all know how much Bush & Co. HATE to spend money.

I wonder if this Judge Facciola is a True American or an America-hating judicial activist.

*sighs*

i'm not shocked. disappointed, but not shocked.

Weaver95:
Yeah, but not even corporations are held to a rigid standard when it comes to computer crimes. Sony corp deliberately infected MILLIONS of people with a rootkit hack, and they paid a piddling fine. If I had done that, I'd be looking at hard time in a federal jail cell.


Yeah. Imagine if those e-mails had been, oh, say... IRS-mandated tax records. We simpletons would be expected to provide every record asked, or be threatened with jail or huge fines. However, someone with an IT division, records-retention policies and procedures, etc.... all they have to do is say, "My dawg ate it."

eqtworld: I wonder; exactly what would this administration have to do in order to experience negative consequences for their actions?

Nuke China.

everything else is excuseable.

Nestea Plunge: My little brother got his arm stuck in the microwave. So my mom had to take him to the hospital. My grandma dropped acid this morning, and she freaked out. She hijacked a busload of penguins. So it's sort of a family crisis. Bye!

Great...so what you're saying is that my penguins are going to be late?

I continue to be baffled by the 28% of America that still support this administration.

Lord_Baull: I continue to be baffled by the 28% of America that still support this administration.

you ain't the only one...

This whole thing is a political stunt by the dems. The Pres can fire or hire Asst US Attorneys at will (see Clinton, William J.). So the WH is having fun jerking them around for jerking the American taxpayer around. Glad to see it.

What does that sign say?



I guess Bush 'redecorated'

Rockdrummer: This whole thing is a political stunt by the dems. The Pres can fire or hire Asst US Attorneys at will (see Clinton, William J.). So the WH is having fun jerking them around for jerking the American taxpayer around. Glad to see it.

You can't fire them for doing their job when it conflicts with your political party's interest. That is the difference.

This makes me proud to be an american.

Rockdrummer: This whole thing is a political stunt by the dems. The Pres can fire or hire Asst US Attorneys at will (see Clinton, William J.). So the WH is having fun jerking them around for jerking the American taxpayer around. Glad to see it.

HA!!

/hope that was a joke...

Just for my own curiosity- is there any statutory requirement that they preserve these e-mails? I understand (and disagree with) the legal reasoning used to demand that the documents be provided, but is there any statutory requirement that the documents be preserved in the first place?

damn, i swear i've had this guy as a student. they go to great lengths to misplace their work as well...

SingletonFactory: If a private company did something like this, there would be fines, jailtime, and attention-whoring congressional inquiries. Since the government was the perpetrator, it is instead "oops, my bad".

This is not true. Legally how long must you keep old e-mails? In most cases "as long as our policy defines" is the answer. What does this mean? If your corporate policy requires that all e-mail be kept 1 year, you better be able to recover a years worth of e-mail if asked for it in discovery.

This creates quite a conundrum. How long do you keep e-mail? If it is too short you look like you are hiding something, if it is too long it is expensive to store the data and do frequent tests to ensure you are able to recover.

Since I work for a company involved in fibre storage and data transmission I am hoping for more legislation that requires long term archival of all corporate data.

I'm amazed that we've allowed these criminals to run our country for the last 7+ years.

Rockdrummer: This whole thing is a political stunt by the dems. The Pres can fire or hire Asst US Attorneys at will (see Clinton, William J.). So the WH is having fun jerking them around for jerking the American taxpayer around. Glad to see it.

Are you retarded, or in the wrong thread, or both?

Know who I blame?

You idiotic f*ckers that voted for the "Honesty and Integrity in the White House" ticket back in 2000. Then, didn't have to common sense to kick him out in 2004.

F*ck you and f*ck your feigned sense of outrage at this administration.