WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2008
Did Son Of Dem Rep. Hack Palin E-Mail?
FBI Searches Apartment For Evidence Linking Tenn. Lawmaker's Son To E-Mail Breach
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David Kernell, 20, has not returned repeated phone calls or e-mails from the AP since last week. He is the son of state Rep. Mike Kernell, a Memphis Democrat and chairman of Tennessee's House Government Operations Committee. The father declined last week to discuss the possibility his son might be involved in the case.
"I had nothing to do with it, I had no knowledge or anything," Mike Kernell told the AP.
"I was not a party to anything of this nature at all," he added. "I wasn't in on this — and I wouldn't know how to do anything like that."
The apartment the FBI searched is in a complex about five blocks from the University of Tennessee campus in a neighborhood popular with students. No one around the complex Monday knew David Kernell or saw the FBI agents over the weekend.
A hacker last week broke into one of the Yahoo Inc. e-mail accounts that Palin uses, revealing as evidence a few inconsequential personal messages she has received since John McCain selected her as his running mate. The McCain campaign confirmed the break-in and called it a "shocking invasion of the governor's privacy and a violation of law."
Palin used "gov.sarah" in one of her Yahoo e-mail addresses she sometimes uses to conduct state business. The hacker targeted her separate "gov.palin" account.
After the break-in, a person claiming responsibility published a detailed chronology of the hacking on the Web site where the break-in was first revealed. That person identified his e-mail address as one that has been linked publicly to David Kernell.
Mike Kernell, 56, is known for his liberal stance on state issues in the Legislature. He was among a handful of Democrats to vote against the Tennessee governor's health plan because he said it wasn't expansive enough. He also opposed a recent increase in the cigarette tax because he felt the proceeds should have been directed toward health care instead of education.
Kernell was also among five House members who voted against a sweeping overhaul of state ethics laws in 2006. He said the new law's limits on cash contributions hurts candidates seeking smaller donations.
Kernell has a straight-laced reputation among his colleagues.
"Mike Kernell is your quintessential Boy Scout," said state Rep. John Deberry, another Democrat. "Mike follows the rules. He will almost get on your nerve as far as making sure things are done by the book."
"If Mike had known anything about this, he would have had a fit on his son," Deberry said. "When I saw his reaction when he first heard about it, the absolute fear and shock that was on his face, I realized then he had absolutely nothing to do with it."
Experts said the hacker apparently left an easy trail for investigators.
"He might as well have taken a picture of his house and uploaded it," said Ken Pfeil, an Internet security expert. "He should have just set up a big beacon that said, 'Here's my house,' or confessed. If they can't catch this guy based on all the information posted on the Web then all bets are off."
The hacker described guessing correctly that Alaska's governor had met her husband in high school, and knew Palin's date of birth and home Zip code. Using those details, the hacker tricked Yahoo's service into assigning a new password, "popcorn," for Palin's e-mail account. What started as a prank was cut short because of panic over the possibility the FBI might investigate, the hacker wrote.
The FBI and Secret Service are now investigating.
The law enforcement officials confirming the search spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the investigation.
In Washington, Justice Department spokeswoman Laura Sweeney confirmed Monday only that the FBI conducted "investigative activity" late Saturday and early Sunday in Knoxville related to the case.
David Kernell is an economics major at the University of Tennessee there.
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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See all 132 CommentsThen to find out there was nothing of interest in it, is freakin awesome.
Of course, this is the same followers of uhbama who created a website called retardedbabydotcom....
HillaryDems are disgusted at this group of far left nutters!
It would have been much more refreshing and ethically positive if the father would have taken responsibility for his son''s actions and stood by his son. What an incredible statement that would have made.
But McClone''s OK with the FBI hacking thousands of people''s email without a warrant, channeling all email communications through their locked room in San Francisco!
Guess only important people like McClone and Bush Baby Palin deserve rights.
The rest of you peasants--bend over for a body cavity inspection! Great Leader McClone wants to see where the sun don''t shine!
he''s hardly a hacker if he, in fact, left this type of trail.
a true hacker is kinda like a modern day republican ... they''re likely to do damage ... but are never in a position to take any responsibility for it ... and let others take the fall instead.
Zero.
The Republicans have been illegally spying on us and hacking our email for years. Now that it happens to them it''s all whining and carrying on.
Sorry, you''re crooks. Why should I care if you get victimized yourselves?
By some twisted logic, Dems believe that illegal actions on their part are not really illegal just because they disagree with the republicans.
Put him in jail and give him the boot from college. Maybe then he will figure out that there are consequences for his actions.
And for the idiot who claims Palin used her government account for private emails gee, one lib was PO''d because she used a private account that he/she claimed she did that so her emails couldn''t be used in court against her. Make up your collective one mind, for God''s sake.
That''s what happens when you destroy the Constitution, Neocon Scum.
How many times do they have to report that nothing but private email was found in the account before you catch on? The biggest problem with liberal voters is they can''t read print smaller than 1 1/2", therefore they never go beyond the headlines and pictures. (Something the media is obviously banking on)
By the way, the possibility that there might be something illegal in her email doesn''t make it legal for someone to hack into it. There''s always the possibility you are up to no good, that doesn''t give me the right to get into your private email.
It is not unethical to read other people''s email in the 3rd person, (THEIR email).
It is only when the stolen email is in the first person, (OUR email) that is wrong.
[Posted by OneAmerican6 at 04:07 PM : Sep 22, 2008]
your characterization succinctly describes the conspiricy to out valerie plame after joe wilson criticized the bush admins policy in waging war in iraq.
the only difference is ... the hack of palin''s email came from some kid in middle america who holds no power over anyone ... and the plame incident involved roughly twenty individuals sitting in the highest seats of power in the world.
Your going to compare someone breaking into the email account of a presidential candidate to an agency looking for terrorist activity? BTW, I dont know if any person who actually KNOWS any of their calls were listened to.
Another reason why the general public does not really trust liberals to keep us safe.
Funny how people get their pants all up in a bunch over a Republican governor''''s e-mail being hacked when the Republican administration illegaly listened in on thousands and thousands of phone calls made by private citizens. Once again, they want it both ways - I can do whatever I choose to you, but you can''''t do it to me.
And by the way, whatever happened to all those White House e-mails that "mysteriously disappeared" not too long ago???
[Posted by OneAmerican6 at 04:11 PM : Sep 22, 2008]
you make it sound like this hasn''t already been tried. i''d guess there''s a team of republican operatives working on this now ... or maybe just one fbi agent w/ a national security letter signed by david addington.
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Posted by XmanBorg at 04:10 PM : Sep 22, 2008
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If you are saying that you have first hand knowledge of this then the FBI might want to have a chat with you...
[Posted by lilvinnyb at 04:20 PM : Sep 22, 2008]
that wouldn''t be a very good wiretap ... now would it?
Zero.
The Republicans have been illegally spying on us and hacking our email for years. Now that it happens to them it''''s all whining and carrying on.
Sorry, you''''re crooks. Why should I care if you get victimized yourselves?
Posted by jumkey at 02:45 PM : Sep 22, 2008
So you & Bush have the same views on privacy. That sucks big time. Dems have been claiming to be more moral & trustworthy than Repubs. Apparently, you are advocating that Dems should be just as sleazy as Repubs.
You call that change??
That just proves that there is no difference between Dems & Repubs. You may as well flip a coin this election.
Maybe the FBI should be looking for Osama bin Laden''s friends instead of torturing a college student.
[Posted by Questionnews at 04:48 PM : Sep 22, 2008]
this proves that there is no difference between democrats and republicans? roughly fifty million voted in 2004 on each side ... and one poster''s comment is proof of the mindset of 50 million people?
Posted by OneAmerican6
Well except there''s not proof that Foster was murdered and in fact that''s been widely debunked as a moronic right wing liars talking point.
There is no dispute at all that George Bush has killed at least 800,000 people.
You''re an idiot and an apologist for murder. But then that''s not an insult to you, is it?
You call that change??
That just proves that there is no difference between Dems & Repubs. You may as well flip a coin this election.
Posted by Questionnews
You''re the Republican, not me pal.
The rule of law was killed by Bush. It is meaningless. You''ve made the law pointless.
Now live with the consequences of the anarchy you''ve created.
Posted by littlebuddyd
So it''s an equivalence equation to you? He killed zero.
You lose again you fatheaded fascist.
Like you care how many people have died.
Posted by bobnjersey at 05:18 PM : Sep 22, 2008
Hi Bob!
I''m not sure how many sites you have been to about this subject, but there seems to be an underlining theme of "Well the Repubs do low down dirty tricks so nobody should object when Dems do them." I''m looking for positive change in politics while others seem bent on revenge on the other party no matter the tactics and who is hurt to get it.
I don''t hold Dems in any higher esteem than Repubs. Watching Dems & Repubs argue about which party is better for America is no different than watching The Bloods & The Crips argue about which gang is better for the neighborhood.
The rule of law was killed by Bush. It is meaningless. You''''ve made the law pointless.
Now live with the consequences of the anarchy you''''ve created.
Posted by jumkey at 05:27 PM : Sep 22, 2008
Swing & a miss. If I never see another Repub or Dem in the White House again I would die happy. Unfortunately, the system is rigged so that it has to be one or the other. Being Independent allows me to call BS on both sides. I would sooner join a street gang than join either party. At least gangs have a code, which is more than either party can claim.
And isn''t it against the law to conduct government business using a "private" Yahoo account instead of a official government account?
Please go on, if you know anything about that law, tell me.
Is it illegal to use a "private" Yahoo account for government business, especially the your intent is to circumvent the "official" government accounts and leave NO public record?
Oh and by the way, BUSH, your buddy has caused the deaths of over a half million people and that, I call murder. Maybe if you don''t, you should go slap yourself, neo-con.
[Posted by littlebuddyd at 06:01 PM : Sep 22, 2008]
would you say no if it was a democrat doing this?
i think not!
Finally, if this guy did do it, we can expect the GOP to conduct a blitzkrieg campaign of phony indignation and outrage about it!
But where was the outrage when Mark Foley stalked teenage boys? None-coverup. Or the outrage when we learned Dave Vitter''s home away from home, was a ********$e?! None-coverup. Or when Larry Craig was playing footsy with an undercover cop in the toilets in the Minneapolis Airport?! None-coverup. Or---hey,
I could go on with this, but I only have 1500 words!
The point is, he''s not an elected politician and the scales of lawlessness are STILL mightily weighed on the side of RepubliCONS!
Posted by sexistnbc"
i''m sure you would, but i''m thinking about the country rather than my ***.
The real story should be how the Republican Party wants to limit the time for discussion during the Vice Presidential debate. Apparently they don''t trust their pick''s experience, knowledge, or intelligence to have an actual debate. They''re not going to participate unless the press changes the format to short answer time limits so she all she has to do is regurgitate all of the sound bytes(ahem...LIES) they have feed her.
He''s definitely more informed about the Economy than either McCain or Palin. He''s more diplomatic in his dealing with foreign leaders. He''s more aware of the middle class'' struggles during the last 8 years than McCain who''s so far removed from middle class America that he''s been quoted as saying that he feels disconnected from real America because he''s been in Washington D.C for so long.
I think with McCain''s lack of understanding of our current problems, and Palin''s lack of experience or knowledge about anything outside of small town Alaska, I would much rather vote for a Harvard Graduate and Senator who has a grasp of the issues of the day.
http://www.helpobamasbrother.org/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/barackobama/2590614/Barack-Obamas-lost-brother-found-in-Kenya.html
Will you help him?
http://www.helpobamasbrother.org/
Posted by littlebuddyd
Your comments give us a lot of context for your reasoning behind your support for the Republican party. I believe you''re the one is frothing, and apparently rabid because your lack of logic or reasoning gives away your ignorance.
If you want to participate in a discussion it would probably be better if you(like Palin or McCain) would stick to short answers.
oh and ladybldri is right. the issues we face are more complicated than what can be summed in soundbites. a soundbite debate doesn''t help america.
Your screenname says it all - lies about Obama.
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