David Kernell should be given a scholarship. He is a genius.

I agree, Deborah. But I think I would have been trying to hack into Warren Buffet's bank account. Palin dosen't have that much money. He had to be after information.

Personally I don't think he would find much info in Sarah Palins e-mails. This is just a bored kid. He just happened to be a democrat. He would have more fun hacking into Obamas emails with ayers, acron, Bin Laden etc.

Funny how liberals have varing views on privacy. If it is a suspected terrorist then we can't intercept their email or the liberals will howl in protest and and criticise the CIA. Is there a double standard here?

"The Justice Department seems to be setting one of its amazing new rules. When a Republican political figure is damaged in her expectation of being elected to office, it is telling us, that’s a felony."

Do you actually believe if it was Obama nothing would have been done? Thats Lunacy! Actually if it were Senator Obama the guy would probably be charged with a hate crime. That seems to be the way it goes in this country!

Responding to Lakerat - actually the young man did find info in Sarah Palin's personal email account. He identified that she was using her personal email account to bypass the rules on saving government email communications. The interesting thing to me is that even before he hacked into her email that it was well known that Mrs. Palin not only was using her personal email account to do government business but that she also directed her government employees to do the same.

Resonding to tennesseeeagle - we liberals are kinda funny when it comes to privacy - we like it and we would prefer that the government stays out of our business. What KCTschida seems to be saying is that we don't hear about all of the other work that the CIA is doing. Only when it affects politicians. The double standard is that when someone hacks into a pedophile's email to help bring light to evil doing, the hacker is applauded. When someone hacks into a politicians email to shed light on evil doing, the hacker is arrested and the politician is pitied.

Bullochguy - you are correct. If it had happended to Obama, we would have heard about it, too. The point is that Senator Obama is not trying to bypass government rules, Mrs. Palin is.

pucamom,
If you go back and look, she indeed did send an email to the lt. gov. but it was of a personal nature and not business related.

My dear Scargo,

Please do a little research. According to an article in the Washington Post:

An Anchorage judge has ordered Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to preserve e-mails from private accounts she has used to conduct state business . . .
The judge issued the orders at the request of Andree McLeod, an Anchorage activist whose pursuit of Palin's e-mails revealed that the governor did considerable state business from a Yahoo e-mail address -- an arrangement that avoided the safeguards and accountability of the state's secure e-mail system . . .
Yet another private address outside the Yahoo system came to light earlier this month, when The Washington Post reported that Palin, her husband and close aides established last spring e-mail accounts that were apparently known only to one another. The accounts were nested within an Internet domain maintained by a Wasilla computer company. The company and the McCain campaign confirmed the existence of the accounts, although it was denied by Frank Bailey, the Palin aide who company officials said set up the accounts and had the authority to administer them.

Here's the link:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-tra...

Thanks for your comments, Scargo. It's been a pleasure bringing reality to light.

Well is there any evidence that she did not preserve these e-mails from private accounts? I haven't been keeping up with this particular story. If the e-mails were preserved then is there any problem with using these accounts? There are some things that the Governor doesn't want IT peole to be able to look at, I am sure. The person in charge of the Capitol IT department could get into everyones official email account, including the Governors.

That's not quite how gov't IT departments work. For one thing, passwords and accounts are encrypted, and IT people do not have everyone's passwords. Anyone who had the ability to access such a high level account would have the proper security clearance, and even so this would not be easy to do without permission or without following various security procedures. Attempts to access accounts, data, and servers are logged on multiple levels, so any threats to security can be traced. Secure network firewalls are in place to protect the perimeter of the gov't network. Backups of data are made either continually or daily, to protect both the gov't official from losing information and also to preserve the records.

Not that this is 100% fool-proof, but it is light years more secure than a yahoo account.

In my humble opinion, using a commercial account like yahoo or a local ISP for government business is reckless and irresponsible at best. Any tech savvy high school kid could hack one - as we saw was easily done.

The person in charge of IT systems has access to all parts of it. They may have the highest clearance, but still there may be things noone needs to access. They shouldn't look but then again people do stuff they shouldn't everyday. If a private account is set up and only a handfull of people know about it, it is pretty safe until someone opens there mouth which must have happened.

I know professional people who use private accounts just like that. There not doing anything wrong, they just don't like the idea of the IT people in there company having access to all there information.

Yeah... and it's okay for Obama to pay ACORN $800,000 to round up new registered Democrats by the October deadline.
Palins' issue is so insignificant.
There is also the "innocent until proven guilty" motto that we are supposed to live by in this country?

It was stated weeks ago that Officials at her level of office are supposed to use their private email for much of that communication. And nothing has yet been proven that she was out of line in releasing the man.

Wow! Her biggest mistake might be that she fired someone! Oh my gosh! Foprvie me.. but I"m farmore concerned tha a person can now "Buy" the white house!

Wow, pukemon..you're really worried about this more than the REAL issues that are at hand. This is scary...really scary.

SusanS-

I read your comment and just couldn't believe it. I know that ACORN has been accused of sending in fraudulent voter registrations. I don't think that Obama was simply trying to buy votes but . . . you were certainly correct about Obama's campaign sending funds in ACORN's direction. I still haven't found actual annual reports that detail it but according to data published by the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Obama's campaign has paid Citizen's Services, Inc. (an ACORN related group) over $832,000 between February and May of this year. Obama's campaign is having to refile some of their FEC reports to reflect exactly what the company did to receive the funds.

Here's the link:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbur...

And to mommy2nana - I am concerned about how the candidates are being portrayed and I especially do not like it when lies are spread. But, as I stated above - SusanS was right, but that won't stop me from voting for Obama.

Again, I love this country - how does the saying go? - "I disagree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it." God Bless America!

Great last paragraph of your comment, pucamom. We are all human, and I sincerely think the majority want what is best for this country. I have already voted for McCain/Palin, so I'm just practicing my reading skills now. Notice, I didn't say spelling skills. I think a lot of people would have different opinion of Obama if he didn't have all that excess baggage. Ayers, ACORN, and Rezko. Maybe it can all be explained away, but with so much corruption already in Washington every one is being a little cautious.

Could you explain why after admission of IBM's support of a very bad organization, you would still support him? Those are questions I ask over and over again with no response other than hate filled rhetoric.

He supports ACORN, he supports a terrorist, Farrakhan, hateful "Christianity", and lies about all of it. He never wrote any real laws, most of what he introduced at the state level was actually written by the President of the Senate.

There just seems to be no real reason to support this man, other than race and party affiliation.

Under the Obama Tax plan, my taxes would go down. How's that for a reason to support him?

That was before the 700 billion bailout.

Did Obama change his tax proposal since then? If so, I missed it. Got a link?

I just heard him say he may not be able to follow through on all his plans. Nothing precise.

Well if that single issue were true then I can see some folks voting for him because of a tax decrease. If you believe that either of the candidates can decrease taxes at this point in time then I have a surprise for you. Decreasing taxes would be great, especially for the percentage of people that carry the largest burdens but there are several more pressing issues. One would be our total Economy, creating jobs, national security, many moral and ethical issues, becoming less of a global society. Using our resources in this country instead of relying on other countries.

Like I said Obama is not going to decrease your taxes. Please dig deep and become informed. You as well as the rest of us will be paying for many, many more entitlement programs than we presently have. That means tax increase.

Lakerat, is the Tax Policy Center a good source for info? (trying to take your advice and dig deeper)

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/

Clinton also promised a tax increase on those he actually raised taxs on! So do you blieve a promise with no record to stand on is a good reason to support someone?

I'm assuming you meant Clinton "promised a tax decrease," and to your larger point, if we go with the "no record to stand on" than you can say that about any of Obama's proposals.

How about I'd like to have a beer with Obama more than McCain, so there's a reason to support him. (Wasn't that an argument for supporting Bush?)

Because my husband and I are small business owners and the health care issues alone is why I can't afford to vote Obama. And, I sincerely, do believe he has much to hide...maybe not, but I am skeptical. Also, I can't imagine a person in their right mind setting up email accounts thinking they are hidden. It is no secret that those can be traced. As for email accounts that no one knows about, I have those. I have 3 different email accounts. One email account only my family has . One of them is specifically for use when I order something online so that my personal email doesn't get filled with junk mail. I didn't even know this issue was still ongoing, but then again there were quite a few dems in Alaska that had it in for Governor Palin..and even Reps. that she took on.

Even if the e-mail and abuse of power are true, In my opinion they are minor in comparison to all that is know about Obama. Oh! I forgot, we are only to believe what we hear about Palin and none of what is said about Obama. Obama is up to his neck in this whole financial collapse. I'm not the one saying it. I'm just repeating what all the smart people on TV are saying. He may not have been swinging on the rope when it snapped, but he certainly benefited from the snap. I guess the $800,000 he paid ACORN to obtain fradulant votes for him is the same money paid to him by Fannie nd Freddie to help secure low interest mortages. That's all the political commenting from me. Over and out.

I did mean decrease, guess I was just thinking about himraising them so hard I said increase. My point is people seem so ready to take his words as gold, but there is absolutely no reason to trust him. If you look at his judgement and choices throughout his short career, there is even less.

Anybody, and I mean ANYBODY who would use a Yahoo email account for anything more serious than personal communication has a few screws loose between the headsets. Yahoo to hacking is like, "Run Jack run, see Jack run", to reading. Script Kiddies CUT THEIR TEETH on Yahoo email accounts.

Not HACKERS. SCRIPT KIDDIES. Its. Just. Too. Easy.

Kctshida..is that a native american name? You are a handsome rascal.However,there is more to that story on Palin. I do not believe that she is dishonest and she does answer questions without changing the subject.

Why thank you, Ibdaisy. No my name isn't Native American, it is Austrian, but I'm a heavy mix of several European nations.

I don't believe she is overly dishonest, though she has gone through steps to conceal her government, in violation of open-government laws. During the debate several times she avoided answering questions asked of her, preferring to answer questions she had ready made answers to. I would like to see her answer from more questions from reporters so we could get to know her better, though from what I do know about her policies I don't like her, but I could see why the far right does.

Is this any worse than the question Obama has dodged or the outright lies he has told? You call her dishonest, but look at the crooks Obama has funneled money to. You can not point to her as dishonest or untrustworthy, while supporting Obama.

BG, yes they can, and do. But it makes no sense, does it?
Obama is the King of Evasion. Last night McCain point blank asked him about Bill Ayers and Acorn. He gave evasive answers.

OK, the Ayers thing is reaching, but ACORN? Come on Obama! Fess up!
While you're at it tell us why you do not help your starving brother and why you have not produced that birth certificate. If people are wrong about it, show them and shut them up! By ignoring these issues you look guilty.

Question about ACORN turning in bogus registration forms. What exactly is the theory on how fraudulent votes would be cast in the election in significant numbers? Who would cast them and how? How many of these votes could be cast without detection of the activity? Give me a sense of what would theoretically be happening on election day...

When I voted they did not ask for ID. That is probably the case everywhere. They ask my name, looked in a notebook about 6 inches thick and told me to vote. I know for a fact there is four people in town with the same name as mine. There may ne more than that. I certainly see how there could be voter fraud. NWM, you are not that naive, are you? There is identity theft every day of the week, how could you possibly think voter fraud could not happen?

How is the Ayers thing reaching? Obama solicited Ayers support when he wanted to get into Polatics. His career was launched in Ayers home.

He got plenty of money to Ayers anti-American school he was running. One where kids weren't allowed to say the pledge.

He served on boards and gave speeches with Ayers, and also promoted and wrote a blurb for a very radical book he wrote.

Obama was 40 years old when Ayers was stating that he wished he had done more, and regreated nothing he did.

Ok on the voter thing. Many places don't ask for ID, and other take almost anything with your name on it. Guess which party promotes that. Most places someone can fish a utility bill out of your garbage and vote in your name.

By the way did we ever get a law to protect our elections here in GA? I gave up keeping tract, because the left wanted to assure voter fraud was easy to commit, and kept challenging any law to protect our elections.

All the while knowing this friend of his attacked this country. Obama wants to run a country that a friend of his attacked.

Washington would become a ghost town if they went after ever governmental official who has used their personal correspondences for official business.

Are the same lawyers and advocacy groups going to fight for Sarah Palin for the invasion of her privacy the same way they fought against the governmental agencies who have been accused of wiretapping and email watching to deter terrorists? Probably not.

Is it okay now to do illegal things if something good comes out of it? Can someone rob a bank to send their kid to college?

This is not a Republican/Democrat issue. What the kid did was illegal. If you remember, he publicly shared pictures and e-mails from her account, which were published on the internet. He brought the attention to himself!

If someone broke into Obama's house and began sharing things that were stolen, don't you think that authorities would go after them? Most hackers go undetected, but when they begin shining the light on themselves, then trouble comes along.

Are there any bloggers on here that have secrets? Would you want them posted on the internet? Would you get upset and contact the authorities if someone publicly shared your information with the world?