Oh Shirley, we know that Bush didn't even HAVE a passport before he became president. Laughable...

Jules, Tokyo, Japan

Oh dear Obamanites there goes your little conspiracy theory - all the candidates files were looked at. Oh well lets wait for tomorrow for another conspiracy theory from the Obama camp. Poor Senator Obama, the persecuted.

Glen, Toronto,

I'm just curious why the third individual was not fired? Favortism?

J, Alexandria, USA

Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rice, Clinton & the list goes on. Corruption, grab for power, lies, stealing, cheating, torture, spying & THEY ARE THE UNTOUCHABLES. China owning over a third of our debt? The war costing the taxpayers $200,000 per minute or more? Where are you people? Not wanting to pay taxes for healthcare yet willing to pay taxes to support a Bush war or a Bush S & L financial bailout along with all the other Wall Street bailouts?

Nixon was impeached for spying - I wonder what it will take to get this whole corrupt administration impeached? Maybe we can also take back the profit made by Haliburton, Cheney, Bush's, Clintons & put it towards the national debt.

Do THEY really think that the people don't realize who appointed the department heads? Temp contract workers curiosity? Right. It's time we take back our country. The Bill of Rights, the Constitution - our democracy is at stake.

Obama has given a few of us hope. Will we let the Bush administration off the hook?

June Yarger, Circle, MT

must have a skeleton in the closet!!!

josiah p , hampton, va.

What is all the fuss about? I am now in my sixties and have been applying for and renewing my passport since my twenties. That application form won't reveal anything about Obama that we don't already know, other than his social security #. Some nosy employees snuck a peek at his application and were fired. That was the proper response. Obama is getting his supporters fired up to divert attention from his disastrous judgment and association with the Rev. Wright. At one time I thought I could vote for this guy....no more.

Josie, seattle, usa

This sort of incident only hilites the need to have Obama for President. Only someone desparate enough would take such measures in order to use something negative agianst him at a calculated time.

LaRoice Turner, Ann Arbor, Michigan

As a former Passport Specialist with the State Department, my bet is that these workers were just being inappropriately nosy about a well known candidate. There is actually no information in a passport application file that could be damaging to anyone. Nevertheless, these files are considered private and should be accessed only by people who have a need-to-know, not by someone who is merely curious. This has absolutely nothing to do with any accusation of spying on the American public but I fully expect the conspirasist roaches will come out from underneath their rocks.

Gerry, Philadelphia, PA

And the Obama groupies get themselves into another lather. The most negative campaign being run, is by the Obama bloggers. I don't think I've seen more vindictive and spiteful entries then those who support Senator Obama. I wonder if they all sit at Obama headquarters and have a song sheet they all sing from.

Glen, Toronto,

I totally agree with you John! & Jules & Derek and many others. I also believe that whatever happens to Senator Obama's campaign for the highest office in this great land, most if not all have the greatest admiration for him, his speeches, his candor and demeanor. Whatever happens, if he is denied the nomination, and the Presidency, we will all be responsible, collectively.

But America is a great nation, let’s not ever forget that! Now i hear the Clintons are using the Senator's association to Rev Wright to move ahead, behind the scenes at DNC. Yet they call themselves fair! I wait for the American people to make their choices and take responsibility for whatever choice!

Saraha, Carney, USA

So much for the land of the free!

leila , manchester, uk

Please... Isn't it obvious? They are trying to find something dirty about Obama, but they won't. Obama's record is clean. They've tried the same with Bill Clinton before, and then he went to win the presidency.

Jules78, Washington D.C.,

I think where people are being drawn in, is that Obama's not concerned with the passport being looked at, but what could have happened. Touching on the issue, that if no one found out, someone could have potentially altered his passport. If your not an Obama supporter you should be more outraged, than those who support him. Actions such as now only give the public examples of the secretive government actions. Just as those who were happy when Obama was linked to Rev. Wright. Those people should be mad that the curent office, one who McCain and Hillary would support, that they are proving to do the injust practices that Obama has been talking about. He is doing for a distraction, but who wouldn't, you'd have to be a fool not to. Politics is about capitalization.

Derrick Durroh, wilmington, DE, USA

We have caught three individuals snooping. Without investigating, we have decided that it was simple curiosity. That's the state department's assertion.
It shows how far spying on American citizens has gone. After checking the kindergarden in Indonesia, the Illinois senate records, the department of motor vehicles and countless of sources without finding anything incriminating against Obama, they moved to the State Department.
Next, let's bring in the Pentagon, the Justice Department may be we will finally realize that Obama has no hidden skeletons in a closet once for all.
Small minded people never cease to amaze me

John, CHICAGO, USA

"Passportgate"
I am not surprised.

Gaynell Adams, Marrero, Louisiana

The Republicans were behind this I bet you anything. They have got to go!

Kim Righetti, Upland, Calif. USA

Welcome to the real world Mr Obama. The civil rights of ordinary citizens are being eroded all in the name of national security. We have to fight terrorism, but let's not make it an excuse to do away with civil liberties and due process.

Hamad Lone, London, England

I believe most of you are missing the point, I am a military member who works at an embassy; where we process passports all day. The passport file isn't just for viewing, the state department can actually change the information on your passport. This is where the anger comes from. How would you feel if you heard that Senator Obama has been to Iran 3 times in the last 5 Years, Just has i thought.

sam, pittsburgh,

So, all you smug, ostrich-like citizens - you stiil feel confident about national ID, and national DNA databases because you have nothing to fear? Aren't you confinced yet? However naive and well-intentioned its advocates are, this kind of abuse WILL occur.

Ed, Cardiff,

Several things should be noted: 1) High-ranking State Dept officials only learned of the breach when someone leaked the information to the press; 2) the leak came only after the third breach in as many months, indicating a pattern; 3) the State Dept. has only the word of the supervisor(s) who did the firing that there was simply "curiosity" and not political motivation;
4) while the breach of Senator Obama's private files is a relatively minor offense against the Privacy Act, if ANY information was transmitted to other persons, that constitutes a felony; 5) the fact that the information was not released until some 70 days after the initial breach may well indicate a cover up; 6) because the employees were fired, they cannot be questioned by the State Dept. unless and until the Justice Dept. institutes an official investigation; and 7) late-breaking news indicates that one of the supervisors involved appears
to have been appointed by the Clinton administration!

Paula von Loewenfeldt, Evansville, USA/Indiana

Well this one blows Rev Wright right out of the water!

Vidya Maharaj, Chaguanas, Trinidad

Well, I think that if he has nothing to hide then he shouldn't mind. The government looks at everyone elses' why not his! Is he illegal, or did he commit a crime sometimes in his early life? We the people have the right to know all the facts about those we are considering a Political Figure and representative for our Nation. He should be proud to let others see his file, IF he has nothing to hide. I'm sure we all know Hillary's and Bill's, and President Bush's also. So, he isn't any different than any of the others. I say reinstate those workers who are only looking out for our behalf. We don't want anyone who is going to later turn on us, or change to make us a worse life here in the USA! Come on, grow up and do things right and legal.

Shirley , Eustace, Texas,USA

@Larry: what planet are you from? In the Cheney - Bush nightmare world we are stuck in over here, the world is all about surveillance, wiretapping, tasering, and dirty tricks. For God's sake, Bush wants to fingerprint you, as a "foreigner", if you choose to cross the pond and come to the "Land of the Free", or haven't you heard?

Yes, if I similarly protested, no one would do a thing. Obviously Obama, who is being called everything from a Muslim terrorist to a Christian cultist depending on which right wingnut hate peddler you tune in to, having concerns about VERY possibly politically-motivated privacy violations is very appropriate. Avoiding the appearance of this is why Rice was informed.

Barack ain't getting any special treatment that any other person in his shoes wouldn't get. If you were that person, I'm pretty sure you'd make a stink. The dirty tricks haven't even begun. Expect Obama to be fired at with everything in Karl Rove's playbook in the coming months. It will be ugly.

Rant over, time for bed.

Adrian, Seattle, USA

Is this a joke?? Do any of us peons imagine that we could raise a fuss over anyone looking at our passport records? I think the world of Obama, but this smells a bit like those guys who fly first class. Welcome to economy Barack.

Larry, Stratford,

This was a couple of temp workers at the State Dept doing something stupid.....hardly a Bush conspiracy. The civil servants at the State Dept are probably more hostile to Bush than they are to anyone else out there.

The real story is that Obama is grasping for anything he can to divert attention away from the political nightmare he is currently going through. How funny that the press' golden boy is discovering that US politics is a bare knuckle brawl and isn't quite the love fest he thought it would be. Is it possible that spouting platitudes just isn't enough to win the #1 position?

McCain's going to shelack Obama in the general election. He's already up by 8% points and isn't even in the spotlight yet.

M Joseph, Atlanta, US

And he should be outraged. This country is pathetic sometimes.

Evan, Lansing, MI