Despite the determination of investigators at the State Department and intelligence agencies that Hillary Clinton did use her personal email system to handle confirmed classified information (and potentially compromised “hundreds of classified emails”), Clinton dismissed such allegations and assured the public that it is “pretty clear” that there was no classified information on her personal email system — a system that she used rather than the secure State Department system.
Clinton portrayed the recent bombshell report of the allegations of the Inspector General as simply some bureaucratic infighting: “What I think you’re seeing here is a very typical kind of discussion, to some extent disagreement among various parts of the government, over what should or should not be publicly released.” (Notably, the State Department itself confirmed specific classified emails on the system).
I think that it is much more than that, though the Obama Administration has been quick to downplay any suggestion of a criminal investigation and has stressed that the letter from the Inspector General was not technically a criminal referral.
Again, Clinton is stressing that she did not send or receive any material marked classified. I have previously discussed why that explanation is less than compelling, particularly for anyone who has handled sensitive or classified material. As I discussed earlier, virtually anything coming out of the office of the Secretary of State would be considered classified as a matter of course. I have had a TS/SCI clearance since Reagan due to my national security work and have lived under the restrictions imposed on email and other systems. The defense is that this material was not technically classified at the time that it was sent. Thus it was not “classified” information. The problem is that it was not reviewed and classified because it was kept out of the State Department system. Moreover, most high-level communications are treated as classified and only individually marked as classified when there is a request for disclosure. You do not generate material as the Secretary of State and assume that it is unclassified. You are supposed to assume and treat it as presumptively classified. Otherwise, there would be massive exposure of classified material and willful blindness as to the implications of the actions of persons disregarding precautions. For example, there is not a person standing next to the President with a classification stamp in the Oval Office. However, those communications are deemed as presumptively classified and are not disclosed absent review. Under the same logic, the President could use a personal email system because his text messages by definition are not marked as classified. This is the whole reason that Clinton and others were told to use the protected email system run by the State Department. We have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to secure such systems.
Clinton portrayed the dispute as entirely removed from her controversial decision to use a personal server — a move that gave her total control of the server and ultimately allowed her staff to delete thousands of emails before turning over emails to the State Department: “They can fight over it or argue over it. That’s up to them. I can tell you what the facts are.”
Clinton continues to struggle with her spin that she wanted to use her own server to avoid multiple devices (which has been widely ridiculed) as well as her insistence that she never received a subpoena. Her repeatedly claim that she was never subject to a subpoena has been described as false by media like CNN after it was disclosed that she had indeed been given a subpoena for the emails.
I would be surprised if the Administration opened a criminal investigation into the matter given the treatment of other high-ranking officials in such cases by the Justice Department in the past. However, to kill any investigation after this letter would be viewed as unusual and biased by many in the intelligence area. First and foremost, Clinton may have to yield to long-standing demands for access to this server. For the moment, she is clearly maintaining the original position that there was no problem so long as her communications were not marked as classified at the time — a rather preposterous suggestion since no one sits next to a Secretary of State and stamps every line as classified in communications. The use of private server obviously placed these communications at greater risk of interception, which is the whole reason we have spent hundreds of millions on the secure system for communications. I do not see how Clinton will be able to maintain her conduct as justified or responsible in the face of the overwhelming view of experts as well as prior internal memoranda on the subject.
Obama is another Zionist
Sheriff Joe Arpaio: Obama’s birth certificate is fraudulent
http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2015/07/24/sheriff-joe-arpaio-trump-obama-birth-certificate-tapper-wolf.cnn
We know Israel and American Traitors did 9/11
Maybe with this litmus test we can see the real allegiance of Bernie Sanders or anyone else
A politician’s position on the official 9/11 story is a litmus test
If he or she states that they believe the official story they are stupid and corrupt
Patriot, I’M confused, could you please unwind the following:
Meantime while Obama takes holiday visit in Kenya and pushes for more gay rights, Turkey, a NATO allay bombs Kurdish forces
with F-16 jets and attack helicopters in Iraq who are front line fighters against ISIS strong holds.
Why would someone have a “Private Server IN THEIR HOME?” Knowing Hillary, it is because SHE did NOT want the government(thus, the public) TO KNOW WHAT SHE WAS UP TO. She and Bill had this idea ALL PLANNED OUT-as they KEEP things close to their vests’….Then, act like it’s “Some Right Wing Conspiracy”….that OLD, TRIED AND TRUE EXCUSE THEY HAVE “OVERUSED.” These two Elitists have gotten away with MUCH over the years, and THIS EMAIL SCAM, is Just their latest. Both are Liars, Power, Control Freaks, AND Money Mongers.
“THE CLINTON LAUNDROMAT” is where they Wash, Rinse, then SPIN(lie) about the money that pours into their so called global charity/library from ANY Nation, ANY Person- it has been shown in papers, that a Very low percentage Actually GOES TO CHARITY, AS COMPARED TO THE VAST AMOUNTS THEY KEEP IN THEIR GREEDY LITTLE HANDS.
Hillary, had Saul Alinsky as her Mentor, and wrote her thesis on the 60’s Marxist, who wrote:
“Rules For Radicals”……He wanted Hillary to work for him, but she opted instead, to join the team to ‘take down Nixon’ but Even the Supervisor FIRED HER FOR LYING, AND ‘NOT FOLLOWING THE CONSTITUTION.’
This woman feels “entitled to become POTUS” and claims to be “a champion For women”….she is NO Champion at all. When her serial abusing husband assaulted women, Hillary was in charge of “Bimbo Eruptions”(as she referred to them) and Hillary actually hired detectives to ‘try to get Dirt on these women” to SILENCE THEM, AND ATTACK THEM A “SECOND TIME.” Nothing in Hillary’s mind, was going to STOP her from her Own Political Career…..Nothing.
The Clinton’s had Sandy Berger go to Our National Archives to STEAL PAPERS THAT WOULD HAVE SHOWN THEIR INEPTNESS IN HANDLING TERRORISM IN AMERICA, WHEN THEY TREATED THE FIRST WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBING AS A “POLICE MATTER, RATHER THAN TERRORISM”-
They had Berger REMOVE these papers, that would have been Very Incriminating…..ISN’T THAT JUST ABOUT THE SAME THING HILLARY(and Bill) DID WITH HAVING THE PRIVATE SERVER-REMOVE ALL INCRIMINATING INFORMATION? YES, IT IS….AND SHE THINKS PEOPLE ARE BUYING ‘HER VERSION OF LIES, WHICH SHE DOES CONSTANTLY…..LIE, AND PEOPLE DO NOT ‘TRUST THIS PATHOLOGICAL LIAR, SHE’S BEEN ALL HER SORDID LIFE.’
Annie
Unfortunately it is the lesser of two evils or perhaps weasels. Hillary is a weasel, but she is the Democratic choice thus far and is positioned to beat any of the weasels the Republicans can muster. Case in point, Trump. The entire Republican stance is go backwards coupled with attack and destroy the opposition. The US under the Republican party has been on a war footing which is defensive in nature and does nothing for the quality and/or standard of life in this country. During WW2 many countries, the US included put all rankering or almost all rankering on the back burner in order to fight the enemy.
For half of Americans there seems to be a need for an enemy and since the USSR dissolved, for the Republicans it has become the Democrats. The Democrats have their share of these faults but seem to spend most of their time trying to move forward. Both sides kowtow to the fat cats.
Personally, I look for the right direction and even if it is sometimes only a little beyond treading water, the Republican direction is to sink. It may be a ‘bronze’ but it is ‘sinking a bronze’ never the less. (For a deeper understanding translate ‘Couler un bronze’.)
The most important aspects of the US condition that need to be addressed are: creating a single payer health care insurance system administered by the government(s) with an optional private supplement, removing all private funding from politics beyond a maximum amount per person based on a formula that equates to the average per voter-example $100 per candidate, funding political campaigns based on voter support, elimination of all tax loopholes, increase to complete transparency of the banking system, initiation of stronger government involvement in a tripartite system of government-labor-administration in business over a hundred thousand employees, final and inside control over the base of operations of US corporations of any size, centralized control over the levels of education and teaching along with local administration, government oversight of the entire medical industry, elimination of advertising of pharmaceuticals, complete transparency of the marketing of pharmaceuticals, stricter penalties for deviating from rules, regulations, laws, etc., etc, etc, etc. In other words reduce corruption, increase efficiency, and make an informed decision the qualifying factor in elections and not money. If other countries can do it, why can’t the US?
Regarding Olly’s post: “The people we elect MUST be held to a higher standard than everyone else”, I would be happy if the people we elected were simply held to the SAME standard as proles like myself. They routinely get a pass on matters that would send John Q. Public to prison.
Regarding Rusty’s post: “Bernie will go after Hillary in a way she didn’t see coming.” More likely the opposite will happen. The Clinton Dirty Tricks machine will rev up and Bernie will suddenly be embroiled in a scandal no one saw coming. Hillary believes she is owed the Presidency and no one will be allowed to stand in her way.
We have lost our government and media, not by war but by stealth, betrayers, traitors in our country.
Many are dual citizens, committed to Israel not America. They have mainly been the cause of all the illegal wars.
America has surreptitiously been taken over by the Zionist Jews / Israel. Congress is a Zionist Jew puppet agency. Those who can’t be bribed are blackmailed, threatened or prosecuted
The Zionist Jew U.S. Government / U.S. Media and Israel are America’s Enemies. They are War Criminals, Mass Murderers, Liars and Thieves. They did 9/11. We need to realize this now
The Zionist Jew Local and National Media are complicit in the U.S. Government / Israeli crimes by omitting the Truth and telling us lies. They also have blood on their hands
Zionists Use Donald Trump to Fix Another Election
by Henry Makow Ph.D.
“Like a turd that won’t flush, Donald Trump is back again to serve his Illuminati Jewish masters
This time around, his role is to win the GOP nomination and throw the election to Hillary Clinton, the Illuminati bankers’ preferred candidate.”
Donald Trump is an Israeli Zionist Stooge. He and Hillary Clinton are a large part of the evil political system that has taken over America
http://henrymakow.com/donald_trump_is_masonic_false.html
Veterans Today:
Until such time as American voters wake up from their deep sleep and coma, rise and stand up for America, all presidential candidates and all candidates for Senate and House will always be Israeli candidates and never American candidates
Hillary Clinton – The Israeli Candidate for U.S. Presidency
“When one’s hears Hillary Clinton over the years, one should not have any doubt that she is the leading Israeli candidate for the White House;
She is a War Mongering Zionist and Wall Street prostitute”
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2014/12/09/hillary-clinton-the-israeli-candidate-for-us-presidency
Did anyone watch NBC Meet the Press? Bernie Sanders shouts down host Chuck Todd.
Bernie made Trump look like a pussy cat. It’s just a matter of time, but Bernie will go after Hillary in a way she didn’t see coming.
“(I hereby apologize to Shadow and all the other readers if this comment, past comments or future comments, did/do not meet this blog’s high standards of wit and insight)”
Accepted. Just try to keep it to a minimum.
Joan and Isaac, I will vote for her if she gets the Democratic nomination, but ONLY because the alternative is far worse. There isn’t ONE current Republican candidate that is worthy of the highest office in the land in the most powerful country in the world.
Is this an ex post facto scenario? Depends on the facts and the law. Hope we determine both before the election.
(I hereby apologize to Shadow and all the other readers if this comment, past comments or future comments, did/do not meet this blog’s high standards of wit and insight)
“The only thing that matters is the results.”
The ends justify the means?
“If a Republican gets in the country will unravel and it will lose another generation.”
translation: Ignore her ethics. This is too important to insist she follow rules like everyone else.
That’s the democrats fault for coronating next in line instead of holding a competition.
Screw the thousands of State employees who would never think of doing such a thing because it would be careless and disrespectful of the idea of good government. She is the embodiment of the double standard.
But you are lucky. It’s not too late. Plenty of time for other Dems to join in.
Maybe you’ll even find one who won’t apologize for saying all lives matter.
Republicans are sore losers. Unable to find any scandals by Obama or his administration, they have stonewalled all his nominations and continue ad nauseam and ad absurdum to try to repeal the ACA. So much more could have been accomplished if they had just sucked it up and did their jobs. Of course the same can be said about Clinton’s eight years. To think of the absurd amount of tax payer money spent on investigating a suicide, a spouse’s law firm charges and several unfortunate but irrelevant sexual encounters is tragic and overwhelming. Yes, using her personal cell phone as Secretary of State was a stupid move on Hillary’s part. But not a move that should disqualify her from the presidency. But Republicans, now so busy on their sixth congressional investigation of the “Benghazi” non-entity are setting themselves up to spend the next eight years (no matter who becomes president) investigating these trivial occurrences and ignoring the business that is needed to further the progress of the nation. If they can spend our money on six ridiculous Benghazi investigations, none of which have turned up anything of substance, why can’t they pass a clean bill to repair our crumbling infrastructure?
Synchronicity strikes! Garrison Keillor just now cracked a “vast right wing conspiracy” joke on A Prairie Home Companion rerun. He said it about New Age Music making liberals stupid. The Universe is connected.
It’s all sausage making. The only thing that matters is the results. To move forward and take America into the 21st Century Clinton is the best choice. If a Republican gets in the country will unravel and it will lose another generation. Just look at what happened last time a Republican was in the White House. The sad thing is that there are only two choices: backwards with deceit and corruption or forwards with deceit and corruption.
Hillary should step down. Most politicians have a trust issue, but hers is over the top. We on the left have much better candidates than Hillary.
Petraeus did less. And he got zonked.