Obama’s computer chief once shoplifted 4 shirts

AP via MSNBC ^ | March 18, 2009 | MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN

[keepitreal]

roanoke,va - WASHINGTON (AP) - Now it can be told: The mysterious petty theft that President Barack Obama’s new computer chief committed at age 21 was shoplifting four dress shirts worth $134 from J.C. Penney. A 1996 Montgomery County, Md., police report obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday under a public records law shows Vivek Kundra was observed by a security guard putting the men’s shirts into a shopping bag and leaving the store without paying. Sgt. Tom Stanton wrote that Kundra was arrested after a brief foot chase and the property was recovered

[Lancey Howard]

Wow. I figured any rat president would have trouble finding normal decent people to man his administration, but this is ridiculous. Can’t Dumbo find anybody honest?

[GatorGirl]

Here's another winner for the Obama Cabinet; credit to Michelle Malkin:

Checks to Locke’s campaign poured in from prominent Huang and Sioeng associates across the country, including: Maeley Tom, a Sacramento lobbyist who worked as a Lippo consultant; Hoyt Zia, a Commerce Department counsel, who stated in a sworn deposition that Huang had access to virtually any classified document through him; Melinda Yee, another Commerce Department official, who made routine phone calls to Lippo and is under investigation by the Justice Department for destroying notes she took on a China trade mission; Ginger Lew, who allegedly helped pilfer classified intelligence documents when she left Commerce last summer; Praitun Kanchanalak, mother of indicted Thai influence-peddler Pauline; Kent La, exclusive distributor of Sioeng’s Chinese cigarettes in the U.S.; and Sioeng’s wife and son-in-law.

Most of these individuals are targets of federal investigations. None of their contributions has been returned by Locke. Ostensibly, Locke doesn’t want to offend his donors. But what about the embarrassment his indiscriminate fund raising has caused the citizens of Washington state?

The guy in charge of trading with China involved in a Chinese fundraising scandal? Nah! This is the most transparent, ethical administration since....Clintoon.....

[Rembrandt]

“There are a few things I did at the age of 21 that I am thankful I never got caught doing. I would like to think that 20 years later I have learned a thing or two.

Do we really want to play this game of gocha for stuff done years ago.....especially when the here and now is far, far, far, far worse?”

Typically, a statement like yours would be from a Dimocrat who is uncomfortable that their own ox just got gored.

[Rembrandt]

“Well said and quite right.”

And just how well are Republicans doing playing by the rules that Dimocratz write which we are supposed to follow but which they ignore?

[Golden Eagle]

Since you defended the selection of Kundra when I posted a thread questioning it:

Federal Computer Week: Kundra’s job is now in question

http://fcw.com/articles/2009/03/13/analysis-kundra-now-in-question.aspx?page=1

Kundra, former chief technology officer for Washington, D.C., had been appointed to the post March 5, but took a leave of absence last week, after the FBI arrested a D.C. information security officer and a contractor as part of a bribery investigation.

The FBI on March 12 arrested Yusuf Acar, an information security specialist who worked for Kundra, and charged him with bribery, conspiracy, money laundering and conflict of interest. The FBI also arrested Sushil Bansal, president and chief executive officer of Advanced Integrated Technologies Corp., on charges of bribery and money laundering.

http://fcw.com/articles/2009/03/17/kundra-reinstated.aspx

[Doctor Raoul]

Shop lifting from J. C. Penny. Not even Geihtner could survive that embarassment!

[zeestephen]

Did he wear one of the shirts for his job interview?

[RJL]

Obama’s computer chief once shoplifted 4 shirts

He'll be right at home in the Obama administration.

In his early or maybe even mid teens, I can look past something like this, but at 21 you're an adult making adult decisions.

He should not be working in the White House.

[N3WBI3]

So this to you is defending?

“if Obama picked him he is probably screw up regardless of what software he pushes. I would think a 34yo is hardly old enough to qualify for such a position.” and “Obviously a guy with little serious security background. *anything* with personal information of *any* American citizen needs to be private by default” — n3wbi3

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2200383/posts?page=29#29

—

Its the height of hilarity that you consider this is me ‘defending’ the pick when in reality I am as against it as anyone else. Maybe this should get tacked onto the giant list of Golden Eagle Lies that others have kept track of..

[erman]

I give him a pass on stolen shirts at age 21....I hate this process of dirt digging for past sins....

that's a crock.

If you get caught stealing, think of all the times he DIDN'T get caught. Same guy that will cheat on taxes, little white lie about resume, maybe just a little plagiarism, fudge a little data on his reports... and on and on.

Small things matter when a big crisis comes. The ability to give a man a task and know for a fact that if the country depends on it, this man will do it and won't lie about it.

Attention to details and trust. If you depend on someone that has shoplifted something as meaningless as a couple of dress shirts, what is this clown going to do when seriously tempted by someone with lots of cash, girls, shirts whatever.... he'd sell us out in a second. Cause that's the weak link in his character. That's why it matters. Especially in positions that are at risk for espionage or state secrets. Look at what one FBI agent named Robert Hansen did because of a character deficit.

[christx30]

Hmmm... Taking something that doesn’t belong to him?
Sounds like a good head start on being a Democrat to me

[spetznaz]

In his early or maybe even mid teens, I can look past something like this, but at 21 you're an adult making adult decisions. He should not be working in the White House.

Oh please, that's plain ridiculous! Yeah, a pox on Obama and his administration, but a guy should not be in the white house because 23 years ago he shoplifted some shirts! That's ludicrous, particularly if you consider what people tend to do when they are young. For instance, Reagan is the best modern president the US has ever had, but I wonder what he was doing when he was TWENTY ONE years of age!!!!

There is more than enough solid material to take down the Obama administration ...all of them. Actually so much cogent information that, were the media not covering for him, would have sunk his administration many times over. However, throwing barbs based on what 21 year olds were doing twenty something years ago is not only silly, but it dilutes the real meat that can be used against the administration. It would be a good excuse for the old argumentative jujitsu trick where, when someone is trying to make a very coherent point, the other person picks on a small issue that has no pertinence, and uses it to paint the bigger cogent argument as flawed. Basically a strawman.

There is enough ammo on Obama's pack of rats to take them down ....there is no need to start having a party over some shoplifted shirts by a then 21 year old, particularly when the average American will simply think of some of the STUPID STUFF they themselves did when they were 21, and decide that maybe we are just locos baying at the moon.

Let's focus our resources on the real stuff (and there is a lot of that), rather than focus on who was shoplifting shirts at age 21, when the vast majority of Americans also did a lot of stupid stuff at and around that age (remember that is college age, and the things I saw in college ......).

[Golden Eagle]

“if Obama picked him he is probably screw up...

"Probably" was clearly your qualifier before you went on to endlessly attack me for questioning the pick, accusing me of being xenophobic. Looks like his partners in crime up there that led to his sudden leave of absence are all of foreign descent as well, as I said repeatedly on that thread it's why we should check the background as part of a security check of nationalized citizens before giving them a security clearance, and very possibly how this info about his shoplifting past came to light. Cue for you to claim how unfair it is that info has come out now as well.

[Golden Eagle]

Oh please, that's plain ridiculous!...he was TWENTY ONE years of age!!!!...Let's focus our resources on the real stuff

There is "real stuff" about this guy if you'd read the links I provided instead of giving a half page defense of why crimes of youth are irrelevant.

[Canedawg]

“Do we really want to play this game of gocha for stuff done years ago”

It’s a dlimma.

That’s how libtards play the game, and it seems to work when they perform character assasination on a Conservative.

Politics is dirtier than ever, and if libtards want to examine the lives and quotes of Conservatives, then they too must be held up to the light.

[Dante3]

Two men Kundra supervised were arrested, face charges of bribery. The question remains how much Kundra knew and was he involved. This is far more serious that Kundra shoplifting shirts from J.C. Penney - caught after a brief foot chase.

[texan75010]

Typically, a statement like yours would be from a Dimocrat who is uncomfortable that their own ox just got gored. I thought responding with an Ad Hominem attack was reserved for Dimocrats, but clearly it isn't. I didn't enjoy how President Bush's past DUI was used against him. You, however, seem to think that's just fine since you seem so hell bent on nailing this guy for 4 stolen shirts. You can't have one standard for our guys and another for Dims. It's hypocritical and it leaves the door open for anything to be used against any future candidate. If that is what pleases you so be it. But for me to prefer appointees and candidates to be held accountable for present actions as opposed to 20 year old ones (unless they involve serious crimes) does not make me a Democrat. Telling someone as much only makes you look weak, foolish and desparate.

[texan75010]

Erman, do you want to hold our guys to this same standard? If four shirts disqualifies you from public service, what does a DUI do? Do you REALLY want to go there?

[N3WBI3]

‘”Probably” was clearly your qualifier before you went on to endlessly attack me for questioning the pick, accusing me of being xenophobic’

Probability means 99.99% of the people Obama picks are going to be screw-ups and there was no qualifier on *any* other criticism I had

FWIW I did not attack you for being xenophobic until you started acting like a xenophobe. And I was not the only one who called you out on that

“Vivek Kundra was born in India in the city of New Delhi. He grew up in Tanzania and speaks Swahili as his first language.” — Golden Eagle

“so he can pick some guy who may not even be a US citizen and give him complete control over the Federal government’s entire IT operation without having to ask anyone it doesn’t look like.” — Golden Eagle (BTW the guy is a citizen just not native born)

“this 30 year old Indian will apparently have full control over all Federal IT systems” — Golden Eagle

“Obama’s brash young Indian geek” — Golden Eagle

—

That’s all before I said this:

“The guy has lived in the US for about 75% of his life (came her legally at the age of 11. I as the grandson of an immigrant who came much later in life and love this nation deeply have to say... Stop with the place of birth crap. It may very well be this guy is anti American but I can go to most metro ares in the US and not throw a stick without hitting a home grown anti-American.” — n3wbi3

And you went on

—

“you seriously expect that to be the case with Obama’s 30 year old Indian selectee?” — golden eagle

“Legal Immigrants who go through the citizenship process are *not* Indians, they are Americans! quit it with the race baiting..” — n3wbi3

—

The rest of your pitiful off target rants on this guy (including accusing him of growing up and speaking Somali can be seen here if anyone is interested.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2200383/posts

At *no* point did I defend him, just because I don’t litter my language with anti-immigrant drivel does not mean I support this guy.

[erman]

do you want to hold our guys to this same standard? If four shirts disqualifies you from public service, what does a DUI do? Do you REALLY want to go there?

Go where? Are you talking about Bush's DUI.

Yeah, I'll go there.

Stealing versus drinking. I'll take a guy that was a drunk and is now a non-drinker. Versus a thief. But that's just me.

I just think stealing is basically a need to get something that you want without working for it. It seems to show a need for material things and how important the external signs of wealth/status/whatever are to a person that is a thief.

A DUI can come from drinking and celebrating with bad luck on the drive home... but most DUI's I've seen at work and heard about from friends and acquaintances are from alcoholics. They either admit they have a problem or are pathologic and can't be trusted with anything because of the lies that they have to live in order to prove that alcohol or drugs don't rule their lives.

So yeah, I guess I'll go there. Character matters.

So if my choice is between a thief or an alcoholic, I'll chose neither. If it's between a thief and an alcoholic that is on the wagon and has admitted his inability to cope with drinking and takes responsibility for his character flaw... Then I'll take the honest guy.

Is that what you mean?