The Thirteen Scariest People in America

[deminks]

http://www.alternet.org/story/43586/

From the scariest presidential candidate to the scariest billionaire to the scariest cop, these truly are the worst America has to offer.

Scariest Presidential Candidate: Sam Brownback / Senator (R-Kansas)

by Mary Reinholz

Once a moderate in the Bob Dole mold, Sen. Sam Brownback has morphed into a zealous man of God intent on protecting millions of fetuses from what he calls the yearly "holocaust" of abortion. Brownback actually considers fetuses to be full-blown American citizens.

(snip)

Scariest Snoop: Derek V. Smith / CEO, ChoicePoint

by Annalee Newitz

Derek V. Smith, CEO of the information broker ChoicePoint, spends plenty of time at the Golf Club of Georgia not far from his home in the Atlanta suburb of Roswell, where he lives with his wife Lisa and their three kids. When Smith isn't being a regular suburban family guy he's doing his bit to keep the whole country safe. How? By selling your private data.

ChoicePoint makes its money by compiling, buying, and selling personal information, including Social Security numbers, arrest records, credit reports, purchase histories and DNA samples. Though the government and law enforcement are big clients, they aren't the only customers responsible for pushing ChoicePoint's revenue above $1 billion last year. Smith sells your data to insurance companies and potential employers doing background checks as well. Also, in a big "oops" moment last year, he sold the personal data of 163,000 people to an alleged crime ring. (The Federal Trade Commission subsequently fined the company $15 million). You can't pay attention to things like background checks on customers when you're stopping terrorism, OK?

(end snip)

Much more at the link. Just in time for Halloween.

[atommom]

1. Now THAT'S scary. I think I'd rather deal with brain-eating zombies.

:scared: