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Electronic Burglary in the Senate

Posted by michael on from the breaking-and-entering dept.

earthworm2 writes "The Boston Globe is reporting that Republicans on the Senate judiciary committee have spied on confidential Democratic files for a year, studying their strategies and passing on the juicy bits to the media."

20 of 1,391 comments (clear)

  1. The goods by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Microsoft backs the Republicans.

    Microsoft shares exploit with the Republicans.

    Democrats get sodomized.

    Fuhrer Bush and Reichstag Security Head Ashcroft smile.

    You KNOW it's true because it's on slashdot!

    1. Re:The goods by DonK · · Score: 3, Funny

      Will this year's Darwin Award go to the American Voter?

  2. Damn Republicans by arodland · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's why I'm a... damn!

  3. W@tergate ?? by supersnail · · Score: 3, Funny

    W@tergate ??

    --
    Old COBOL programmers never die. They just code in C.
  4. I haven't had my caffeine this morning... by gekkotron · · Score: 3, Funny

    So I misread that as "Electronic Buggery in the Senate".

    1. Re:I haven't had my caffeine this morning... by phorm · · Score: 3, Funny

      Not that likely. After all we have this seperation of church and state...

      Twisted with grains of truth it is, but let the mods judge its worthiness we shall

  5. Confidential files by stanmann · · Score: 4, Funny

    If the files were supposed to be confidential, shouldn't they have been protected?

    And if the Republicans are hackers doesn't that mean we should be supporting them??

    Since information wants to be free and all.

    --
    Food not Bombs is a nice platitude but it breaks down when you notice that the Bombees are usually well fed
    1. Re:Confidential files by mikerich · · Score: 4, Funny
      If the files were supposed to be confidential, shouldn't they have been protected?

      Perhaps they employ the same security consultants as Valve software?

      Best wishes,
      Mike.

  6. But the Patriot Act says that it's legal! by Trigun · · Score: 5, Funny

    After all, the Democrats were against the war, and thusly terrorist sympathizers!

    We are exactly 20 years off on our calendar.

  7. It's the Dem's fault by L.+VeGas · · Score: 4, Funny

    Further investigation reveals that the Democrats were using Usenet for their correspondence.

    --
    Best Windows Freeware
  8. Should have used DRM! by ewg · · Score: 4, Funny

    They should have used Digital Rights Management:

    Ideological opponents: ( ) Allow (+) Deny

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    org.slashdot.post.SignatureNotFoundException: ewg
  9. Grr! by CaptainAlbert · · Score: 4, Funny

    Stop spoiling my well-ingrained stereotype of republicans as slack-jawed rednecks who couldn't crack into a nut, let alone a computer! How can this be? :)

    --
    These sigs are more interesting tha
  10. Digital Commandments by Bighph · · Score: 4, Funny

    Thou Shalt not be suprised when the documents saved in a public share show up the the Wall Street Journal.

  11. Old News by pyite69 · · Score: 3, Funny


    This story is appalling, but also ancient. Let's
    bring it back out closer to election time, though,
    when it is again relevant.

  12. Power Corrupts, and... by DesScorp · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Green? Libertarian? Reform? Independent?

    Power corrupts."

    And PowerPoint corrupts absolutely.

    --
    Life is hard, and the world is cruel
  13. You're forgetting: by burgburgburg · · Score: 3, Funny
    Microsofties are usually the last ones to know about exploits. They find out about exploits even after kids hanging around Radio Shack in hopes of being considered 1337 have already grown tired of them.

  14. Bad choice of passwords by scumdamn · · Score: 3, Funny

    Maybe the "technician" set the password to "liberal" for the Democrats and "conservative" for the Republicans?

  15. What's the big deal? by EriDay · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's not like anybody got a BJ or anything.

  16. well then by geekoid · · Score: 4, Funny

    here's hoping he goes to the theater to see a play.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  17. Expected consequences by Buschman · · Score: 4, Funny

    Since it will take months to sort out whether a crime was committed, I've drafted a summary of expected consequences for people who do this sort of thing:

    • Elected representative: Forced to appear on Meet the Press and explain yourself. Typical raise the following year. Possible book deal.
    • Staff for elected representative: Fired. Possibly murdered.
    • Journalist: Pulizer/Peabody
    • Administrative staff (e.g., janitors, security guards): 3-5 years in prison
    • Twentysomething hacker/cracker (USA): Legal action. Some jail time, but steet cred
    • Twentysomething hacker/cracker (non-US): Legal action. Possible visit to Camp X-Ray.

    Please note that the RIAA may seek additional punishment if the material was copyrighted. So kids, think before you act