Congressional aide (R)admits trying to hire hackers -- to boost his college GPA

[Oilwellian]

Lovely.

According to Network World's Paul McNamara, the communications director for U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT), Todd Shriber, hired two 'hackers' to break into the computer of his alma mater, Texas Christian University, and change his college grades.

He went trolling for the law-breaking 'hackers' on a computer security website. But instead of finding anyone to do his dirty work he came across a couple non-criminally minded techies who proceeded to chat him up about his scheme, draw out in explicit detail that what he was asking them to do involved mulitple felonies and then posted their complete email correspondence on the site, attrition.org.

This all happened back in September. But it was apparently only this week that McNamara, who has a blog at the Network World site, figured out who Todd Shriber was and started trying to get the guy on the record about what the hell he was thinking.

After what was apparently a good deal of prodding, Shriber told McNamara: "I did something that's greatly out of character for me and it's a mistake that I regret." Asked why he attempted this criminal enterprise: ""I would rather not get into that at all. I just got a little too far ahead of myself thinking about things down the road."

I'm tempted to stop there. But the correspondence is just too good in comedy terms and shows that not only does Shriber probably lack the ethical fiber to serve in Congress (I guess that can mean more than one thing) but may also be the stupidest person on the planet.

Here's Shriber's first solicitation ...


I came across Attrition.org for the first time. I enjoyed the site though I am not an expert
with computers. That brings me to my next point: I need to urgently make contact with a hacker that would be interested in doing a one-time job for me. The pay would be good. I'm not sure what exactly the job would entail with respect to computer jargon, but I can go into rough detail upon making contact with a candidate. Thanks for your help.

After he gets the first nibble he assures the 'hacker' he's talking to that ...


the job wouldn't be anything like invading a government mainframe for classified documents or stealing money from a bank. Rather it'd be a modification of some personal data.

Then he puts his cards on the table ...


OK here it is: I need an adjustment to my college GPA. Is this an absurd request?

It pretty much goes down hill from there, with the highlight probably being the request for pictures. The 'hackers' ask for pictures of the campus with squirrels and pigeons to make sure he's 'legit'. He says he doesn't live near campus anymore. Remember, he lives in DC, not Texas. So they tell him any picture of a pigeon or squirrel will do. Don't ask. You've got to read it to believe it.

Here's the picture of a squirrel (looks like near the Capitol) that this imbecile Shriber sent in ...



http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/011674.php

[MountainLaurel]

1. Wow, a Repuke trying to cheat

There's a surprise.

:sarcasm:

[Oilwellian]

2. Don't you love the squirrel picture?

Best.Punk.Ever! :rofl:

[MidwestTransplant]

3. Maybe he could also get a personal file with the DoD to show he served

meritoriously in Iraq.

[BOSSHOG]

4. Its part of his training to be an abramoff scholar

[KittyWampus]

14. they figured it worked for harriet meyers screwing with Bush's college GPA

[Lone_Star_Dem]

5. I'd love to have been a fly on the wall when he got the last email

In the final e-mail on Sunday, Aug. 27, Lyger tells Shriber that his hacking attempts had been detected and "we are SO busted." He urges him to "duck and run if you can" in an exaggerated, obscenity-filled -- and completely fictional -- missive that put an end to their working relationship.

That must have been a "priceless" moment. :rofl:

[IndyOp]

6. I just got a little too far ahead of myself thinking about things down the road.

There is no such thing as morality - right/wrong - in the GOP. It is all strategy. Do anything you can get away with. He just got a little too far ahead of himself - didn't have the right strategy. Oops.

[Cronus Protagonist]

7. He could simply have "donated" some money and had it done "legally"

It is, after all, a Christian school. Perhaps a BJ for the principal might have greased the poop chute for him.

:evilgrin:

[angry_chuck]

8. TCU is a good school

Though I am not myself a Christian I have known a few people who have attended TCU and they all enjoyed it, seemed to learn a lot, etc. Hopefully there are only a few Haggards out there, an exception and not the rule (God I hope so, haha)?.?!

[nashville_brook]

9. this is farkin' bee-you-tee-full! hats off to the techies and thanks for sharing this gem!

[Aviation Pro]

18. ROTFLOLSTD!

I am spitting effluvia over that picture of Little Monkey and the squirrel......

[Sherman A1]

10. When do we hear the announcement that

we are off to rehab for a few weeks?

[progressoid]

11. A squirrel!?!?!

:wtf:

My guess is that his grades at TCU were generous already.

A squirrel? Really?

[Rex]

12. Maybe he should have worried about his GPA during his senior year.

:eyes:

Such non-stories about pathetic people doing stupid things really makes me wonder.

[Vinca]

13. This guy has a bright future in the Republican party.

He's got all their values.

[Morgana LaFey]

16. Im sure there are bunches of Congresspeople trying to recruit

him for their offices right now, as we speak. Maybe even DeLay himself, the EX-Congressman.

[Higans]

19. Did you mention Delay??

[Morgana LaFey]

24. Heheh. Cute. nt

[Debi]

15. Ha Ha guess who's NOT running for Congress any time in the near

future?! :rofl:

This guy should be busted just for TRYING this stupid stunt!

[Higans]

20. maby he would if sex with a minor were his request...

[TankLV]

17. No Denny, it's COMPLETELY "in character for you - you're a REPUKE after all!

And all repukes are lying, cheating, stealing, hypocritical scumbags.

That's a given.

You're just acting naturally...

[ChairmanAgnostic]

21. hey, he's just a result-oriented guy. We should be applauding this

idiot.


This is incredible. Cheating, lying, faking grades - THIS is how they get ahead?

[Boomer]

22. It's beyond belief

Why would anyone take that kind of risk to change their grades *after* they graduated?

Faking a degree, I can understand (not condone, mind you, but at least understand). But if you graduate, and then manage to land a job of any kind for a year or two, then your grades are a thing of the past. And the farther "down the road" you get, the less those grades matter to anyone. Whether you had a C+ or an A+ average will be, at most, a footnote for commentary and maybe a wisecrack of two if you've risen high enough to warrant that level of attention.

But hell, if you're POTOS, do you really care if anyone makes fun of your grades?

[nealmhughes]

23. "...a little too far ahead of myself thinking about things down the road."

This is an apology? For a felony? Confession and saying that he was "a little too far ahead"? "Thing down the road"?!?

This rather reminds me of the girl who turned in a beautifully written essay to me. It was perfect in its citations and used all the appropriate source texts I had indicated for its use. The only problem: it was the same class's assignment a semester previous. She had just copied her name on an old A paper. I changed the essay assignments randomly this time around. It wasn't the previous two semester's assignment!

I gave her an F and a 0 and said, "Some nerve, trying to cheat on me. I am smarter than you and you couldn't fool me if you tried." I made sure hers was the last to get back to the students.

She stood up as I was leaving for them to mull over their grades and to go to lunch and as I picked up the leftover tests, she stood up, raised her hand and lunged at me with her hand raised, ready to slap me. I stood back, ordered her to get in her seat immediately and get her belongings and leave my classroom and not to come back until I told her she could not come back to my building until I said she could and that I had better not see her in the library or on my street or to make contact to me until 8:45 Monday morning.

I made her wait until 9:30, sending someone in my office to tell her I wasn't ready yet, that we were discussing the situation with the higher ups. In reality I was drinking coffee and playing a video game. I wanted her to stew...

Finally I sent for her. She came in in tears and I had 3 witnesses, "for my protection" as I told her. Her excuse: She had been busy with rush and rolled her eyes and said, "It's not like you have any power or anything..." I then asked her what she meant, and she said, "Dr. M. is the professor, it's his class, isn't it, it's his grade, let him talk to me." I simply said, "Dr. M. doesn't grade you, I do. I am in control of the day to day workings of the class. He will not be pleased. If you wish, I will make you an appt., but he will not be happy of what you did and may have you expelled as he makes everyone write out and sign the honor pledge and read it aloud before every test. Do you really want that? I will call him at home right now. He will be on his way in to his office in an hour. We can go to the dean together then."

She burst into tears at that point. I said, "Take your F and go play with your kiddie club and tell all your frat rats what a dick I am and for them to kick my ass. I'll put every one of you punks in jail and have you kicked off campus. Rush comes over my classroom decorum and your honesty? What kind of freaking person are you?" Turned my back and walked out, leaving her crying. One by one my friends walked out, muttering naughty words under their breath...

I know this guy, in other words: I think I had his sister in HY-101 at Alabama...

[Sarah Ibarruri]

25. Very interesting.

Good for you. I'm happy to hear you didn't let her get away with this at all. She sounds like a typical Repugnican freak. These people commit crime, then feel victimized when they're caught. What a bunch of scum. It's this Republican-like culture that is so pervasive now. Makes me sick. Hope she learned her lessons: 1) She really is a rat, 2) She needs to learn to stop being a rat and start being a human being.