# Schumer's Plumbers **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 29, 2005, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schumers-plumbers/333147 "2005-11-29T01:13:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schumers-plumbers/333147/1 "2005-11-29T01:13:18Z")
What’s the board’s take on this? > **[Newsmax.com - Breaking news from around the globe](https://www.newsmax.com)** > > Newsmax.com reports today’s news headlines, live news stream, news videos from Americans and global readers > seeking the latest in current events, politics, U.S., world news, health, finance, and more. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schumers-plumbers/333147/2 "2005-11-29T01:28:35Z")
newsmax reporting that Rush Limbaugh is claiming that the liberal media is covering up a democrat conspiracy … I couldn’t get any further, sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schumers-plumbers/333147/3 "2005-11-29T01:31:21Z")
I would like to know what dirt they dug up on Steele. It must be pretty bad to crank up the the right wing smear machine. ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schumers-plumbers/333147/4 "2005-11-29T01:44:21Z")
meh. My take on this is that it’s a quick-and-dirty diversionary tactic in response to Cunningham’s self-destruction. Obviously, in your case, it worked. I reckon this is the best they could dig up on such short notice. BTW, This is the place for debates. What is your debate? ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schumers-plumbers/333147/5 "2005-11-29T01:46:38Z")
It’s pretty funny that they would allege a coordinated Democratic conspiracy based on the sambo posting by a blogger that from what I can tell HATES the Democratic establishment and was basically blacklisted for the Sambo stunt (for instance, Kaine campaign pulled all its ads from their site). It was Democrats that pelted Steele with Oreos? Pray tell: which Democrats? Were any of them official members acting with the knowledge or sanction of the party? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schumers-plumbers/333147/6 "2005-11-29T01:49:21Z")
Well, my take on this is that The Media, whatever that is, is clearly and deliberately covering this up and that we shouldn’t trust any news sources except right-wing blogs, and that the Democrats are evil and we should all vote Republican in any election because they’re nowhere near as evil and duplicitous as the Democrats. I mean, that’s what I’m supposed to think, right? Actually, I think I’ll wait and see whether the ex-staffers in question are indicted. If they are, and if they are eventually convicted for a violation of the FCRA, I’ll say"Well, they shouldn’t have done that, should they?" I don’t think I’ll say, “Well, guess that absolves Nixon and his merry crew crew for Watergate”. Actually again, if one wants to argue that “the media” are covering this up, one need merely point out a single editor or reporter who has been specifically told to ignore this story. I’ll wait patiently for the OP or someone else to provide that information. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schumers-plumbers/333147/7 "2005-11-29T02:15:23Z")
Newsmax isn’t exactly the most unbiased source, and considering that this is being reported on some right-wing blog makes it even less interesting. At worst, it’s most likely some overzealous Congressional staffers, of which I don’t think there’s any shortage in DC. When and if Schumer gets indicted, we can have a debate about it. Until then… meh. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schumers-plumbers/333147/8 "2005-11-29T02:17:16Z")
Here’s a Newsday article from almost two months ago. > **[Newsday | Long Island's & NYC's News Source](https://www.newsday.com)** > > Breaking News, data & opinions in business, sports, entertainment, travel, lifestyle, plus much more. Newsday.com is the leading news source for Long Island & NYC. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schumers-plumbers/333147/9 "2005-11-29T02:22:32Z")
From the second linked article: > [@](#): > > In July, DSCC research director Katie Barge, 26, and researcher Lauren Weiner, 25, allegedly accessed Steele’s report using his Social Security number in preparation for a possible Senate bid by Steele. > > Schumer, chairman of the campaign committee, reported their actions to the U.S. attorney in Washington within hours of the alleged violation, say officials familiar with the case. Somewhat embarrassing for Schumer, given his concern about identity theft, but hardly the scandal of the century, and barely worth discussing. Isn’t there a war on? ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schumers-plumbers/333147/10 "2005-11-29T02:23:37Z")
> [@What the .... ?!?!](#): > > Here’s a Newsday article from almost two months ago. > > [http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-usschu024451742oct02,0,2622724.story?coll=ny-nationalnews-headlines](http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-usschu024451742oct02,0,2622724.story?coll=ny-nationalnews-headlines) Besides dragging up yesterday’s news, **OP** , perhaps you could tell us what this means to you, and posssibly respond to some of the comments others have posted? You know…like a…debate? ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schumers-plumbers/333147/11 "2005-11-29T02:24:31Z")
At least in Watergate, there was a coverup and a lot more to the story beyond the burglary. These kids did something wrong, got caught, and as far as we can tell that’s the end of the story. They were digging for dirt on the opposition, and violated the law when they went too far and they got caught. What does this story neglect to tell us? Well, first of all, no one would ever have found out about this unless the DSCC itself reported it. Yep, that’s right. Remember how the plumbers were turned in by an outraged Nixon? Oh, wait, no. Again: the DSCC found out about what they did, asked them to resign, and reported it to the authorities themselves. Pretty hard to imagine that the DSCC and Schumer would order them to do this and then immediately expose their own conspiracy. But, of course, NewsMax goes out of its way to avoid letting anyone know that. Also there’s the little issue of how this story is months old. That might be why the mainstream media isn’t putting it on the front page today. It WAS reported on when it was actually a story though. Of course, since NewsMax carefully refuses to credit othre new agencies with their reporting, we wouldn’t know that, but the story was run by the AP and their story was rerun on both local and national media. Again, not as front page news, but given that there seems to have been the opposite of a coverup and that nothing much came of it, that’s not exactly hard to explain either.