Here’s part of what I wrote about the suspicions, scandals, and investigations surrounding Hillary’s e-mails in “E-mailgate: FBI Gives Hillary Tongue Lashing but Recommends No Charges,” July 5, 2016.
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I wagered in my July 1 commentary that Hillary would be indicted. And, sure enough, as Director Comey outlined the findings of her extreme carelessness, I felt vindicated. But then he said she betrayed no criminal intent. I lost.…
Hillary set up her personal e-mail server to avoid oversight by the Obama Administration. Evidently, she wanted to maintain contact with people of dubious reputation (like Sidney Blumenthal). This, despite the fact that they are the very people who brought her husband’s administration, as well as her family’s ‘charitable’ foundation into disrepute; and, more to the point, that Barack Obama made her promise to keep them at arm’s length if he appointed her secretary of state.
In doing this, she not only betrayed Obama’s trust, but also violated State Department rules and regulations. But her sense of entitlement is clearly such that she couldn’t care less.
In any event, FBI agents recommending no criminal charges and DOJ prosecutors declaring their intent to oblige will provide fodder for endless partisan debate. But I see no point in participating. Except I feel constrained to note that there’s a big difference between escaping criminal charges and defying karma. Especially given that karma is often a bitch that slaps when you least expect.
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Well, here’s comes karma:
FBI Director James Comey told lawmakers Friday the bureau is reviewing new information related to Hillary Clinton’s personal email server, a political bombshell that comes 11 days ahead of the election.
After recommending earlier this year that the Department of Justice not press charges against the former secretary of state, Comey said in a letter to eight congressional committee chairmen that investigators are examining newly discovered emails that ‘appear to be pertinent’ to the email probe.
(CNN, October 28, 2016)
Based on media reaction to this eleventh-hour bombshell, you’d think Director Comey announced a federal indictment against Hillary — with Donald Trump leading heretofore-despairing Republicans in dancing on her political grave.
But this does not mean the FBI will ‘lock her up’—as Trump has been stumping for. Nor does it amount to a get-into-the-White-House-easy pass, which he clearly wishes were the case.
What it means is that Trump and the Republicans now have more fodder to propagate their “crooked Hillary” campaign slogan. Further, that Hillary’s presidency is now bound to be dogged by the same kinds of Republican congressional witch hunts that dogged her husband’s 20 years ago. In fact, Republicans are already telegraphing their intent to not only block every judge she nominates but investigate every scandal she attracts – the welfare of the country be damned.
Alas, the more things change….
This constrains me to note that Hillary was only half right. After all, one could fairly cast ALL Trump supporters as a basket of deplorables — namely, of bullies, racists, xenophobes, and ignoramuses. But the most troubling thing is not how deplorable they are; it’s how willing they are to elect an even more deplorable man as president of the United States. The latter is what I find incomprehensible… unforgivable.
Les Misérables comes to mind when I think of the dystopian groupthink galvanizing Republicans these days. And the congressmen hell-bent on investigating Hillary are like the ruthless bounty hunter, Inspector Javert, hell-bent on capturing the reformed convict, Jean Valjean.
All that’s left is for Hillary to not only win this presidential election in a landslide, but help Democrats wrest control of Congress from Republicans, leaving them to emulate Javert by wallowing in suicidal ideations (i.e., about their viability as a political party).
Incidentally, Republicans decry Washington gridlock and dysfunction as an article of faith. Therefore, it would be oxymoronic for any sensible Republican to vote for Republican congressmen and senators. Because nearly every one of them has vowed to do even more to “check” (i.e., obstruct) a President Hillary at every turn than Republicans did over the past eight years to block President Obama.
If ever there were a time for Republican voters to take a leap of faith and vote Democratic, it is now — to give Hillary a Democratic-controlled Congress to implement policies for the general welfare of all Americans.
Meanwhile, Republicans accused Comey in July of politicizing the FBI for closing the investigation into Hillary’s e-mails without charging her. Democrats are accusing him today of the same for “reopening” that investigation, especially because voting in this presidential election has already begun.
Of course both accusers are equally motivated by unbridled partisan politics. But, frankly, in making this latest announcement, Comey could not have made the FBI more liable to accusations of political machinations if he wanted to. What’s more, he will now experience Washington’s crucifying version of being damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
Related commentaries:
E-mailgate…
* This commentary was originally published on Friday, October 28, at 3:17 p.m.
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