Obama asks gun questions on his application for employment.

[damien]

CNN: "Want to work for Obama? Get ready to spill all . If you want to work for President-elect Barack Obama's administration, be prepared to spill almost everything there is to know about yourself. The Obama transition team is sending a seven-page, 63-item questionnaire to job candidates, with questions on everything from family members to gifts and loans"

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/11/13/obamaquestionnaire.pdf.pdf

This is a doosey and it's interesting to read. It would take a day or more to fill this out properly and make all the necessary attachments. Once the attachments are made, it would probably run 100 pages. But only one question concerns us.

59. Do you or any members of your family own a gun? If so, provide complete ownership and registration information. Has the registration ever lapsed? Please also describe how and by whom it is used and whether it has been the cause of any personal injuries or property damage.

What do you think? Really, compared to the other questions, it isn't all that intrusive. For me, it would require another two-page attachment, though.

 

[No Fear]

If so, provide complete ownership and registration information. Has the registration ever lapsed?

Now I want to apply for a job in the obama admin JUST so I cay say my guns aren't registered and watch the response. I WANT to be told I can't be hired because I didn't register my guns even though registration doesn't exist in most states.

 

[esq_stu]

59. Do you or any members of your family own a gun? If so, provide complete ownership and registration information. Has the registration ever lapsed? Please also describe how and by whom it is used and whether it has been the cause of any personal injuries or property damage.

sick sick sick

I know who I'm never working for. Anyway, why does anyone need a job any more?

 

[Dain Bramage]

Yes, No, Not Applicable, No.

 

[Micropterus]

I know who I'm never working for. Anyway, why does anyone need a job any more?

Hahah, so true - just look him in the face and ask for a handout

 

[highlander 5]

I call BS on this.

 

[armoredman]

I don't own anything illegal, end of story. Actually, I divested from firearms into fuzzy pink bunnies.

 

[TeamPrecisionIT]

I know that this injection of logic might be a hindrance to the purpose of this thread, but honestly, that's par the course for any federal job, especially ones that require a security clearance (as I'm guessing this one will).

Damian

 

[raz-0]

Some of the questions seem downright odd, some of them seem within the realm of sane for a job with a security clearance.

Most of the stupid seems to be the idea that they can insulate themselves from anything that might be able to be percieved as questionable or scnadalous. It's a waste of time.

 

[damien]

I call BS on this.

OK, you call BS and even news outlets make mistakes (Palin, Africa, just a country) but it is still the top story on CNN. I think that if if it wasn't true, Obama would have instructed his minions at CNN to take it down by now. I mean that only half sarcastically..

 

[jakemccoy]

I doubt Obama knows, or wants to know, anything about this document. This document and associated procedure falls within the "delegated and don't bother me" category. This doc is probably 5 degrees of separation away from being on Obama's radar. Obama won't be instructing anything about this document.

 

[damien]

Of course not, he would delegate someone to delegate someone to tell his minions at CNN to take down the document...

 

[GRIZ22]

This doc is probably 5 degrees of separation away from being on Obama's radar.


True but it shows the thinking of the people he trusted to draft it.

 

[expvideo]

...even though registration doesn't exist in most states.

Yet. Obama just doesn't want to have to re-make the application once there is.

 

[ggarfield965]

I say this is all Dick's fault. Now politicians are afraid other politicians will shoot them. I guess I know one guy that won't be working for Obama

 

[RPCVYemen]

t would take a day or more to fill this out properly and make all the necessary attachments. Once the attachments are made, it would probably run 100 pages. But only one question concerns us.

If you read the whole questionnaire, the folks doing the screening are looking for any information that might come out later and embarrass the administration. They ask 11 questions about child support and alimony, 4 about immigration status of domestic help. In addition, they ask about former live in lovers, health personal enemies.

It looks to me like that particular question is to avoid a headline in the future about an appointee who neglected to maintain registration of a firearm in a state that requires registration. I can imagine a lapsed registration causing an embarrassing headline.

Mike

 

[rbernie]

honestly, that's par the course for any federal job, especially ones that require a security clearance (as I'm guessing this one will).

I have had a US Government clearance for almost twenty five years, and I have never been asked to disclose whether I owned firearms.

It looks to me like that particular question is to avoid a headline in the future about an appointee who neglected to maintain registration of a firearm in a state that requires registration. I can imagine a lapsed registration causing an embarrassing headline.

Absolutely true. The point is that this incoming administration appears to consider firearms ownership to be a potential embarrassment.

 

[Czar]

I know that this injection of logic might be a hindrance to the purpose of this thread, but honestly, that's par the course for any federal job, especially ones that require a security clearance (as I'm guessing this one will).

Firearms ownership NEVER came up on my background investigation until we got to talking about hobbies. My investigator was a very pro-gun and apparantly it didn't adversly affect any job opportunities

 

[jakemccoy]

Of course not, he would delegate someone to delegate someone to tell his minions at CNN to take down the document...

Just as all the 43 other Presidents would have done hopefully.

Actually, this document and procedure would never reach the delegation table hopefully.

 

[RPCVYemen]

The point is that this incoming administration appears to consider firearms ownership to be a potential embarrassment.

The question actually asks about lapsed registration in a state (or city?) that requires registration and personal injury or property damage. I can see that the incoming administration would not want to wake up to a headline that some member had a technically illegal weapon - or a headline that a member of the administration had unintentionally injured someone with a weapon.

Would I give you too big a hint as to why they might want know about personal injury if I called it the "Dick Cheney" question?

It looks to me like questionnaire is a litany of recent scandals or embarrassing incidents from previous administrations. Nannies without paying taxes, sexual scandals, etc.

You are of course free to layer any paranoia you want to on top of the question.

Mike

 

[RPCVYemen]

I have had a US Government clearance for almost twenty five years, and I have never been asked to disclose whether I owned firearms.

But you did have to answer all of the other questions on the form being discussed provide details of child support and alimony agreements, etc.?

This form is not about a security clearance - it's about people who may potentially be in the public eye under intense media scrutiny.

Can you imagine Rush or O'Reilly or any of that crew if turned out that someone in the Obama administration had broken the law by neglecting to register a handgun 10 years ago? You know they'd go hog wild with a story like that. Rush would demand a Special Prosecutor at the very least!

Can you tell me with a straight face that every right wing wacko on radio or on Fox wouldn't be on that story like that like stink on poop?

And you and I both know that THR itself if a member of Obama's cabinet were found to have violated a firearms regulation at some point in the past, right?

Mike

 

[jakemccoy]

I agree with RPCYemen. Nowadays, most folks are into some pretty wild things. Hiring somebody who "looks" like their past is scandal-free is fine if you're running a construction company. However, these questions are par for this particular course and are necessary.

 

[RPCVYemen]

However, these questions are par for this particular course and are necessary.

Yep. I know darn few people who could face 4 years of intense media scrutiny and not have at least one embarrassing incident come up. I sure I couldn't, and I don't know many people who could.

To tell the truth, I am more creeped out by people who have never done anything embarrassing while drunk or people who never went to a college party where someone was smoking pot than I am by someone who has outgrown a fairly colorful past. I have a hard time trusting people who have been squeaky clean since they were 5 years old. Maybe that's just me.

Mike

 

[GEM]

For my curiousity - I've seen versions of this form floating around - where did they come from?

The change.gov site doesn't have such and speaks to a process later.

 

[RPCVYemen]

For my curiousity - I've seen versions of this form floating around - where did they come from?

Here's the CNN story on the forms. My guess is that if you are the kind of person they are looking for, you have already arranged to get one of these forms. These are political appointment jobs.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/13/transition.questionnaire/index.html



Mike