Hillary Blows Her Chance at Redemption: Fails to Fly Into Dallas

Tweet

Hillary, who cancelled all campaign events scheduled for Friday, has just blown her chance at redemption. Do you remember how she flew into Bosnia under sniper fire? Well, Hillary had the chance to put paid to this lie (and perhaps all her other lies) by flying into Dallas. On the other hand, this might have entailed infinitesimal danger.

Or maybe she'll only do it when all the other candidates do it.

Charles Krauthammer, "Comey: A Theory": Welcome "Banana Republic Day," America's Newest National Holiday

Tweet

July 7, falling a mere three days after Independence Day, has become a US national holiday.

Yesterday, on July 7, 2016, FBI Director James Comey continued to claim before the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee that no reasonable prosecutor would file charges against Hillary Clinton for mishandling classified information, owing to a lack of intent on Clinton's part. However as noted by Charles Krauthammer in a Washington Post opinion piece entitled "Comey: A theory," "it’s a felony to mishandle classified information either intentionally or 'through gross negligence'" pursuant to 18 U.S.C. section 793(f). Krauthammer goes on to say regarding Comey's refusal to recommend prosecution because of a lack of intent:

"Just last year, the Justice Department successfully prosecuted naval reservist Bryan Nishimura, who improperly downloaded classified material to his personal, unclassified electronic devices.

The government admitted that there was no evidence that Nishimura intended to distribute the material to others. Nonetheless, he was sentenced to two years of probation, fined and forever prohibited from seeking a security clearance, which effectively kills any chance of working in national security."

More to the point, however, is Comey's acknowledgement yesterday, under questioning by Rep. Jason Chaffetz, Chairman of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, that Hillary provided access to her home server and government emails to between 2 and 10 people without security clearances. As reported by Alana Goodman in a Washington Free Beacon article entitled "FBI Director: Clinton Gave Non-Cleared People Access to Classified Information":

"The FBI director hedged when Chaffetz asked whether Clinton’s non-cleared attorneys ever read her classified emails.

'I don’t know the answer to that,' said Comey. 'I don’t know whether they read them at the time.' [Hillary's campaign has claimed that the attorneys read all of her emails.]

Chaffetz pressed the FBI director on the question of access.

'Did Hillary Clinton give non-cleared people access to classified information?' asked Chaffetz.

'Yes,' said Comey, before adding that he did not see evidence of criminal intent.

'Her intent was to get good legal representation and to make the production to the State Department,' added Comey. 'I don’t see the evidence there to make the case that she was acting with criminal intent in her engagement with her lawyers.'

Chaffetz appeared confounded by Comey’s response, arguing that the act of giving an unsecured person access to classified information was a crime on its own.

'I read criminal intent as the idea that you allow someone without a security clearance access to classified information,' said Chaffetz. 'Everybody knows that, director. Everybody knows that.'"

Equally awful as previously admitted by Comey, Hillary's attorneys, who lacked security clearances, "deleted all emails they did not return to State, and the lawyers cleaned their devices in such a way as to preclude complete forensic recovery.” This is not indicative of intent to mishandle classified information?

Will Nishimura now appeal his conviction?

Welcome "Banana Republic Day," celebrating yet another instance in which Hillary Clinton made a monkey of 323 million Americans.

[Do you have six minutes to spare? Watch Rep. Trey Gowdy destroy Comey's claim of "no intent" before the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee.]

Gail Collins, "Hillary, Beyond Email": Beyond Redemption

Tweet

Gail Collins declares in her latest New York Times op-ed entitled "Hillary, Beyond Email":

"But nobody wants to be remembering 2016 as the year America elected its first woman president by default. Since at least she didn’t get indicted.

Clinton can spend the next four months listing all the ways Trump would be worse. Or she can use her intelligence, experience and fortitude to turn her story around."

Yup, disregard everything the State Department IG had to say. Ignore Comey. Hillary's now an honest human being!

Yeah, right. Collins's brain has obviously been addled by Candy Crush Saga.

New York Times Editorial, "Legal, but Not Political, Clarity on the Clinton Emails": Hillary Only Damaged Her "Reputation"?

Tweet

In an editorial entitled "Legal, but Not Political, Clarity on the Clinton Emails," The New York Times concludes (my emphasis in red):

"As Mrs. Clinton said in the past, and her campaign reiterated on Tuesday, her decision to use private email was a mistake. She remains, far and away, the most experienced and knowledgeable candidate for the presidency, particularly when compared with Mr. Trump. But she has done damage to her reputation by failing to conform to the established security policies of the department she ran and by giving evasive or misleading answers about her actions and motivations. If there was ever a time that Mrs. Clinton needed to demonstrate that she understands the forthrightness demanded of those who hold the nation’s highest office, this is that moment."

Hillary only damaged her "reputation"? Heck, FBI Director Comey acknowledged (my emphasis in red):

"With respect to potential computer intrusion by hostile actors, we did not find direct evidence that Secretary Clinton’s personal e-mail domain, in its various configurations since 2009, was successfully hacked. But, given the nature of the system and of the actors potentially involved, we assess that we would be unlikely to see such direct evidence. We do assess that hostile actors gained access to the private commercial e-mail accounts of people with whom Secretary Clinton was in regular contact from her personal account. We also assess that Secretary Clinton’s use of a personal e-mail domain was both known by a large number of people and readily apparent. She also used her personal e-mail extensively while outside the United States, including sending and receiving work-related e-mails in the territory of sophisticated adversaries. Given that combination of factors, we assess it is possible that hostile actors gained access to Secretary Clinton’s personal e-mail account."

In fact, Hillary damaged her country.

Now it's time for Hillary to be "forthright"? After lying to Americans about her home server and communication practices at every available opportunity over the past year? Isn't it a tad late?

America is in desperate need of a viable third party candidate.

David Brooks, "Choosing Leaders: Clueless or Crazy": One Set of Laws for the Clintons, Another for the Hoi Polloi

Tweet

Hands off Hillary!

In his latest New York Times op-ed entitled "Choosing Leaders: Clueless or Crazy," David Brooks points an accusing finger at Donald Trump and Jeremy Corbyn, and tells us of the rise of "crazy incompetence" in the US and the UK. Primarily concerning himself with Brexit, Boris Johnson and Michael Gove in the UK, Brooks goes on to say in his opinion piece:

"The big historical context is this: Something fundamental is shifting in our politics. The insiders can’t see it. Outsiders get thrown up amid the tumult, but they are too marginal, eccentric and inexperienced to lead effectively.

Without much enthusiasm, many voters seem to be flocking to tough, no-nonsense women who at least seem sensible: Angela Merkel, Hillary Clinton and, now, the Conservative Party front-runner, Theresa May."

Hillary Clinton is a "no-nonsense" woman who seems "sensible"? Grant it, I don't view Hillary as dangerous. (Donald's little fingers should not be allowed anywhere near the launch buttons of America's nuclear arsenal.) On the other hand, don't go telling me that Hillary's home email server was sensible. Rather, it stands as further stark evidence of her willingness to contravene governing rules of conduct that apply to all other Americans.

Bill's "chance" meeting with Loretta Lynch on a Phoenix tarmac? Yet another Clintonian scandal and further destruction of the rule of law in the US.

Commentary from Brooks regarding the charade in Phoenix? I'm still waiting, David.

Maureen Dowd, "In Paris With Boris, Donald and Lemon Tarts": Is Washington Burning?

Tweet

Maureen Dowd is eating "avocado and yuzu mousse, braised turbot with aniseed fragrance and maritime aster leaf," and "Italian lemon meringue," while writing tripe in Paris.

Bill Clinton is meeting with Loretta Lynch to discuss ... golf on a Phoenix tarmac. Did you happen to read the Times editorial concerning this tryst? Oh, that's right, there wasn't one.

And Hillary is conducting a "voluntary interview" with the FBI in Washington concerning her home server.

Yup, all is right in the world. It couldn't be finer.

David Brooks, "The Coming Political Realignment": Lynch Prepared to Meet With the Spouses of All Persons Under FBI Investigation?

Tweet

In his latest New York Times op-ed entitled "The Coming Political Realignment," David Brooks discusses Donald Trump's chances of winning the presidential election. Brooks writes:

"Trump’s only hope is to change the debate from size of government to open/closed. His only hope is to cast his opponents as the right-left establishment that supports open borders, free trade, cosmopolitan culture and global intervention. He would stand as a right-left populist who supports closed borders, trade barriers, local and nationalistic culture and an America First foreign policy."

"Open/closed"? I'm no fan of Trump, but a more important issue arose when US Attorney General Loretta Lynch met privately with Bill Clinton on Monday. No discussion by the two of the email server in Hillary and Bill's Chappaqua home? Talk only of grandchildren, travel and golf? Why do I have my doubts?

Care to undergo a polygraph test, Loretta?

But even if they only spoke about grandchildren, this would be inappropriate given the investigation of the email server that Lynch is supervising and the decision faced by her concerning a possible indictment of Hillary.

I would contend that Lynch is now obligated to meet with the spouses of all persons whom the FBI is investigating to talk about grandchildren, travel and golf. Fair is fair.

That, or she should resign.

But she won't resign. Indeed, the rule of law has collapsed in the United States. There is one set of rules for the Clintons and another for the hoi polloi.

The coming political realignment? It's bigger than you think, David. In fact, it's all about how the United States became a banana republic on a Phoenix tarmac.