Turmoil mounts surrounding Clinton emails

[uhnope]

Source: The Hill

Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign on Wednesday sought to dismiss criticism that her decision to give the FBI her private email server suggested any admission of wrongdoing.

The vigorous pushback came as the server’s handover dominated the news cycle and the State Department’s inspector general vowed to “follow the facts wherever they lead.”

Polls suggest that the fallout from Clinton’s email practices could be a vulnerability for her position as front-runner, amid new surveys suggesting weaknesses in the general election — and even in the New Hampshire primary, where Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) surpassed her in one poll.
In an email to supporters, campaign Director of Communications Jennifer Palmieri blasted the GOP criticism as “nonsense” and “misinformation,” but spent more than 700 words aiming to debunk them.

Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/250991-turmoil-mounts-surrounding-clinton-emails

[cosmicone]

1. Despite RWingers and some here jumping with joy over this...

Here are the basics: Like other Secretaries of State who served before her, Hillary used a personal email address, and the rules of the State Department permitted it. She’s already acknowledged that, in hindsight, it would have been better just to use separate work and personal email accounts. No one disputes that.

The State Department’s request: Last year, as part of a review of their records, the State Department asked the last four former Secretaries of State to provide any work-related emails they had. Hillary was the only former Secretary of State to provide any materials — more than 30,000 emails. In fact, she handed over too many — the Department said it will be returning over 1,200 messages to her because, in their and the National Archives’ judgment, these messages were completely personal in nature.

Hillary didn’t send any classified materials over email: Hillary only used her personal account for unclassified email. No information in her emails was marked classified at the time she sent or received them. She viewed classified materials in hard copy in her office or via other secure means while traveling, not on email.

What makes it complicated: It’s common for information previously considered unclassified to be upgraded to classified before being publicly released. Some emails that weren’t secret at the time she sent or received them might be secret now. And sometimes government agencies disagree about what should be classified, so it isn’t surprising that another agency might want to conduct its own review, even though the State Department has repeatedly confirmed that Hillary’s emails contained no classified information at the time she sent or received them.

To be clear: There is absolutely no criminal inquiry into Hillary’s email or email server. Any and all reports to that effect have been widely debunked. Hillary directed her team to provide her email server and a thumb drive in order to cooperate with the review process and to ensure these materials were stored in a safe and secure manner.

What about the Benghazi committee? While you may hear from the Republican-led Benghazi committee about Hillary’s emails, it is important to remember that the committee was formed to focus on learning lessons from Benghazi to help prevent future tragedies at our embassies and consulates around the globe. Instead, the committee, led by Republican Representative Trey Gowdy, is spending nearly $6 million in taxpayer money to conduct a partisan witch-hunt designed to do political damage to Hillary in the run-up to the election.

Hillary has remained absolutely committed to cooperating. That’s why, just as she gave her email server to the government, she’s also testifying before the Benghazi committee in October and is actively working with the Justice Department to make sure they have what they need. She hopes that her emails will continue to be released in a timely fashion.

It’s worth noting: Many of the Republican candidates for president have done the same things for which they’re now criticizing Hillary. As governor, Jeb Bush owned his own private server and his staff decided which emails he turned over as work-related from his private account. Bobby Jindal went a step further, using private email to communicate with his immediate staff but refusing to release his work-related emails. Scott Walker and Rick Perry had email issues themselves.

The bottom line: This kind of nonsense comes with the territory of running for president. We know it, Hillary knows it, and we expect it to continue from now until Election Day.

[roguevalley]

5. I think the 'everyone else did it so I did too' a weak defense. I hate it when people

use it.

[840high]

51. I hate it, too.

[RBInMaine]

69. This whole email "scandal" is a load of corporate media BULLSHIT. Pure CRAP.

[handmade34]

78. ^

pure bullshit!

[CTyankee]

6. I thought the Benghazi committee found no "there there."

Am I mistaken?

[giftedgirl77]

7. The Benghazi committee didn't find shit.

[spin]

63. The highly classified email found by the IG may not have had anything to do with ...

Benghazi. We may never know exactly what subject these emails involved because they are highly classified. However there is an excellent chance that the Russians, the Chinese, the Iranians and the Israelis have read all of Hillary's email including the highly classified ones.

I understand that Hillary had her server professionally wiped clean before she "gave" it to the FBI. If the FBI can't recover the data, perhaps they could pay another nation to get everything that was on the server. I'm sure the Israelis might be glad to help as it would embarrass the Obama administration.

I suspect you are a Hillary supporter. If I am right and I were you, I wouldn't get too worried about Hillary losing another chance to become our first female president. It is beginning to look like some underling will get thrown under the bus and Hillary will walk away scot-free. The Bushes and the Clintons are totally above the law.

[CTyankee]

65. I am a Bernie supporter so you are wrong. But if Hillary wins our nomination I will

vote for her against the republican. Of course I would, but I support Bernie now. And I hope you will too. It is ridiculous to vote in the General Election against our own best interests.

[spin]

67. I intend to vote for Bernie in the Democratic primary. ...

If the general election turns out to be Hillary vs Bush, I may write in Bernie's name even though it would be a wasted vote. No more Clintons and no more Bushes!!!! I am sick and tired of our American royalty that not only believes they are above the law but actually are above the law.

[CTyankee]

89. well, we pretty much know what HRC would do in office. She would protect a woman's

right to choose. That means she would appoint the next Supreme Court justice who would not attempt to rescind Roe v. Wade. If we let a republican win, either by staying home or writing in Bernie's name, we are finishing off Roe. I have 3 granddaughters in their teens whose lives would be greatly impacted, perhaps tragically so, as it would for all the other American women similarly affected. As yourself: would you still not support Hillary in the general, knowing the terrible outcome of your decision?

[Kelvin Mace]

8. Here's the problem

I don't believe she did anything hinky that she is covering up, but to address this point:

She’s already acknowledged that, in hindsight, it would have been better just to use separate work and personal email accounts. No one disputes that.

This isn't 1993 where the Internet is a new thing and folks are befuddled as to how it works. It is 2015 and email has been in use regularly by government officials for at least 15 years. Mixing your work and personal mail is right up there with mixing your personal money with the company petty cash and then not understanding why people would see this as questionable.

I am prepared to cut her some slack and just accept that she has extremely poor judgement rather than she was deliberately hiding something like the GOP and the press desperately wish to find. Unfortunately, this type of poor judgement is definitely not what you want in a president. This is the kind of thing that can lead you to believing people like George W. Bush when he lies you into a war, and then voting to let him do it.

[giftedgirl77]

14. Ok, but she used the exact same email system DoD uses

& the classification as well as the entire email thing is complete bullshit. I linked to another thread below that has more information on it to explain the discrepancies in the allegations.

[Kelvin Mace]

17. Again, I don't think she did anything illegal

But there is just no way I can accept that a person as allegedly politically sophisticated and intelligent would mix work and personal email and not see a problem except "in hindsight". We don't need someone that clueless in the White House. George Bush already filled that role.

[LuvLoogie]

34. Your equating Hillary Clinton to George Bush tells me all I need to know about your perspective.

[Kelvin Mace]

73. Well, let me see...

If you actually BELIEVED Bush when he said there were NBC weapons in Iraq and you voted to allow him to launch a war that got half a million people killed and sank a trillion dollars in taxpayer money in the longest military fiasco since Vietnam, raise your hand.

Who is the bigger fool, George W. Bush, or someone who believed a fool?

[CanadaexPat]

58. People have gone to jail for that bs.

I'm not saying she should, just saying pretending this is overblown won't fly. It's all a tempest in a teapot to me but being dismissive of it will backfire.

[giftedgirl77]

60. It depends on the actual allegation which as of right now

appears to still being decided.

[LuvLoogie]

35. You don't care about this as a judgement issue. That is clear.

[Kelvin Mace]

72. Yes, I do.

It IS a judgement issue. What kind of person doesn't see a problem mixing their personal and work emails, ESPECIALLY when the work emails can contain classified material? You are always one mouse click away from disaster.

"Gosh, I sure didn't mean to send THAT email to USA Today."

[former9thward]

36. The FBI is investigating this.

The FBI ONLY does criminal inquiries. So you are wrong there. Also you speak authoritatively about her emails and whether they were classified or not. Have you seen them?

[840high]

52. I read that 2 were highly classified.

[former9thward]

61. The Inspector General sampled 40 emails.

Out of 30,000. Of the 40 four were found to be classified. So that is 10% of the sample. How many of the rest of the 30,000 is yet to be determined.

[840high]

82. ty

[tularetom]

37. She'll never get elected but if she did, do you believe this stuff would go away after election day?

Of course it wouldn't, they'll keep doing it because they can see it gets under her skin.

They've spent the last seven years trying to find a scandal that would stick to Obama, with absolutely zilch success. Clinton is no Obama, she lacks the poise and dignity to ignore it.

The reason stuff like this always stuck to the Clintons is that there was always that question that couldn't be answered, that sliver of doubt that they were being truthful, that carefully worded denial that contained miles of wiggle room.

Many Americans don't even remember the Clinton scandals where much was alleged and little was proven, they believe the Clintons left the white house one step ahead of the cops.

[cosmicone]

39. You think she won't get elected?

Who then? BS? rofl:

[tularetom]

42. She may be able to buy the nomination but she'll never be president

You can rofl all you want but Sanders at least has a slim chance. Clinton has none.

And you can take that to the bank.

[cosmicone]

43. Please send me a little of what you're smoking. n/t

[840high]

53. They know it. That's why Biden will enter race.

[L0oniX]

54. ...and now possibly Gore.

[djg21]

59. I love Bernie!

I lived in Burlington when he was the mayor and think he's awesome. I also know he doesn't stand a chance, and all he's doing is making Hillary tact far left to win the nomination. All this will do in the long term is give the Right ammunition to attack her with when she's is Running in the general come November.

[restorefreedom]

74. yup. nt

[Picking Dem]

2. I find that the email issue is all bullshit, but.....

If they continue to hammer Clinton with it and stays in the front with it, how is Clinton going to be able to get people to trust her to vote for her?

Disclosure: I am undecided.

[LuvLoogie]

41. Make up your own mind. Do your own research.

Don't be ascared. She won't turn you into a newt.

[spin]

64. Have you ever held a government security clearance. ...

If you have, it should be obvious to you that mishandling classified data is considered an extremely serious matter.

[jberryhill]

3. Mounting turmoil... oooooo

It has reached the critical "turmoil" phase, having gone beyond a "tizzy" and a "kerfuffle".

By next week, it may be an imbroglio.

[tularetom]

4. Vote for Hillary: she isn't under FBI investigation!

That should make an effective bumper sticker.

[candelista]

70. Catchy slogan.

After that comes, Hillary For President: She Hasn't Been Indicted

[giftedgirl77]

9. Your OP is bullshit just like this one was....

But the one I linked to already has all the evidence to show why your’s is bullshit as well.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=1176448

[uhnope]

11. You're hallucinating. OP is an article about Clinton camp still doing damage-control

and I was not in the thread you linked to.

(And not to be a grammar nazi, but please learn about why your's is not a word.)

[giftedgirl77]

12. Well that explains why my stupid phone wouldn't pick it up.

But I'm ESL & use my phone to type in Spanish & English so it will do what it wants.

I know you weren't in that OP, that OP already has all the links to show why your OP is nonsense.

Next time you want to jump on someone about grammar please remember that you can always just yell this is America we speak English here.

[uhnope]

16. so you're saying that it's nonsense that Clinton is still doing damage control? Tell her that

The article isn't "nonsense," it's about the fact that the Clinton camp itself is still trying to calm their supporters. Do you understand the different between your opinion that the email scandal is "nonsense" and an article about the Clinton campaign's response to it? I can't really explain it much more clearly so good luck.

[LuvLoogie]

44. What damage, really?

Damage to her reputation in your eyes?

Burnish that pebble. Gnaw that bone.

[jalan48]

10. Extremely poor judgement for someone who wants to be President.

[cosmicone]

13. She had a private email just like Colin Powell, Madeline Albright and Condi Rice

She is being singled out because she is the front runner. Period.

Bernie supporters are fueling it because they think that is the only way they can have their socialist revolution.

[jalan48]

15. I don't think they are running for President. Socialist revolution? I like it.

Down with the capitalist pigs!

[cosmicone]

18. Keep repeating that because 85% of Americans

despise socialism, revolution and anti-capitalism.

Americans give a pass to billionaires because they hope to be a billionaire some day.

Remember, 99% of southerners fought the civil war even though only 3% actually owned slaves. Why? Because the other 96% wanted to own slaves some day.

This is also why OWS didn't have much support.

[jalan48]

20. Yes, we can all become billionaires someday. Must be why Hillary loves Wall St. so much.

I think it's a message that's already past it's pull date. That's why so many people are going to Sanders' rallies-they get it.

[cosmicone]

22. In a country with over 170 million voters

Bernie's rallies are not even mentionable. Ron Paul had bigger rallies -- how many times did he win?

[jalan48]

23. Hillary has the name, the machine and the money. She's definitely the favorite.

Plus, Wall St. wants her which is a major plus. Perhaps, might we say, "Hillary is too big to fail"?

[cosmicone]

24. How do you know wall street wants her?

Did you talk to the CEOs of BofA, Citibank, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley?

Stop parroting a meme that is untrue.

[jalan48]

25. Well, Hillary or the Socialist Revolution? What do you think?

[cosmicone]

33. You didn't answer my question.

As in ... what evidence you have that "Wall Street loves her" ... don't evade the question. You made the charge now prove it.

[jalan48]

38. Well, given Bernie's position and her's who do you think Wall St. loves?

Isn't she one of your, "We can all be billionaires" candidates? Or perhaps, the Wall St. billionaire hedge fund managers secretly support Bernie because.....? You don't have to be a weatherman to know which way the wind blows....

[cosmicone]

40. So you just parrot memes without any evidence to back them up.

The BS supporters are becoming like the Faux News audience .. just throw memes whether there is any evidence or not.

[jalan48]

45. Think about it.

Bernie is for breaking up the big banks, re-instituting Glass Steagall, and generally causing this "Socialist revolution" you are referring to. Now, who do you think Wall St is giving money to, Bernie or Hillary?

[cosmicone]

48. I don't want guesses, conjectures, speculations and fantasies

I am looking for HARD EVIDENCE that supports your contention that "Wall Street loves Hillary"

You have none and your series of wiggling and evasiveness gave me that answer.

[jalan48]

49. Here's something to look at. Looks like the Bushes and Clintons have something in common.

http://www.businessinsider.com/wall-street-jeb-hillary-2015-7

[cosmicone]

79. So she raised $46 million from 250,000 donors

of which $300,000 came from Wall Street. So Wall Street accounted for about 0.07% of her donations.

WHERE IS THE LOVE?

You proved my point .... and since it took you three hours of searching on google to find that one non-article, you still have no evidence!!

[jalan48]

91. You're right-Bernie must be Wall St.'s candidate-there can be no other explanation.

[progree]

21. Then they are fucking idiots. Is that the caliber of Hillary supporters

that they all reasonably hope to be billionaires one day? I don't, because I'm not a literal fucking idiot.

That book "What's the Matter With Kansas" discusses the phenomenon of stupid people voting Republican, because, like a 2000 poll indicated, 20% think they are in the top 1% and another 19% expect to be some day (I might have the order of the 20% and 19% reversed). I didn't realize the same phenomenon applied to voting for 3rd Way Wall Street - loving say-what-the-polls-say-they-want-to-hear-at-the-moment triangulating conservadems. But I suppose that it does. {{Sigh}}

Americans give a pass to billionaires because they hope to be a billionaire some day.

[progree]

19. "Down with the capitalist pigs!" Shshhh! That's bad for business

[spin]

66. The difference is that no classified email was ever discovered in the private email ...

of Colin Powell, Madeline Albright and Condi Rice. They may have done exactly the same thing that Hillary did but they were not caught red handed.

My father told me that the eleventh commandment was ...

Thou shat not get caught.

[cosmicone]

80. They never turned over anything to the state department either.

By the way, Hillary hasn't been "caught" at anything. Your "red handed" comment is very Reich Wing by the way.

[spin]

83. Nope, not "Reich Wing" as I am a Bernie supporter. ...

Hillary may not be charged, but since above Top Secret email was found without classification markings in a random sample reviewed by the Inspector General, someone will most likely get indicted.

If it is true that the server was professionally wiped clean, it makes Hillary look deceitful at the best. The polls are showing that a growing number of citizens believe she may not be honest.

I feel it's time to realize that Hillary may not end up being the Democratic candidate for president in 2016. We need several good candidates as a back up or we may well end up with another Bush in the White House.

Bernie seems at this point to have charisma as well as a message. I would also like to see Joe Biden enter the race. Most people like and trust Joe. He's a good man that I admire. I can't imagine the pain he must be going through due to the death of his son Beau, but I understand Beau wanted him to run for president. I hope he decides to.

[cosmicone]

85. As far as Hillary animosity goes, I see no difference

between the Reich-Wing and BS supporters.

They both create non-points and regurgitate them over and over thinking that it would somehow weaken Hillary and their fledgling candidate/s would somehow look good.

In the interim, the email news is sucking the oxygen out of all the other campaigns and there is no one except the hardcore clown aficionados and hardcore socialists left to chew the same cud over and over and over.

[spin]

87. The fact that I support Bernie or Biden rather than Hillary is a personal decision ...

based on my feelings that this email scandal will only get worse and will seriously hurt any chance that Hillary has to win as the Democratic presidential candidate in 2016.

Of course I could be totally wrong and it will blow over like all the other "scandals."

Still most people have no idea how serious it is to be involved in an investigation involving the mishandling of classified information. Most people have never held a government security clearance.

I feel it would be wise for our party to have several good back up candidates just in case. Either Bernie or Biden should be able to grab the baton and run to a win in 2016.

[cosmicone]

90. When was the last time a 75 year old became POTUS for the first time

:::::::::: shaking head in disbelief ::::::::::::::

[spin]

93. Hillary would be 70 when she takes office. ...

She would not only be the first woman president, she would also be the oldest president when taking office. Ronald Regan was 69 when he took over the Oval Office. J

Joe Biden is now 72. Al Gore is 67 and John Kerry is 72.

[riversedge]

29. yah--fox news keeps repeating this vile comment also

[jalan48]

31. Vile? Interesting. So questioning her judgement is now considered vile? Wow, where's the crown?

Let's just do this thing.

[restorefreedom]

75. here ya go

[840high]

55. Not just Fox - all over the net.

[PoliticAverse]

30. "Extremely poor judgement" = Iraq War vote. n/t

[L0oniX]

57. +1

[restorefreedom]

76. ba bam! nt

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

92. Extermely!

[JoePhilly]

26. My kids and I watch Ancient Aliens on TV.

Its about how Aliens might have helped early humans.

And on that show ... some one says always says ... "Aliens could have ... " ... and then some one else says "if that's true" ... and they say something silly .... and then some one else says ... "and that might enable ... ", and they add something else that is silly .... and then some one else says ... "which is why some (unnamed) are very concerned."

And so I love an OP with a sentence that says ... "polls suggest" and then .... "could be", and then ... "suggesting weakness" ...

The current email scandal has nothing on Ancient Aliens for connected non-existent dots.

[jberryhill]

32. And, if so...

I love the way they pile that on and then say, "Ancient alien theorists say "yes"!"

I take a shot when that happens.

[JoePhilly]

46. "Ancient alien theorists say ... " ... and my kids explode into laughter.

"And if so..."

"Some say ... "

"If that is true ... "

There are a bunch of phrases that set us off.

If they were older ... we'd assign a phrase to each of us ... do shots ... and see who lives.

[PoliticAverse]

62. I'm not saying...

[JoePhilly]

77. My kids are pretty sure Aliens do that guys hair ...

... and if true ... Aliens dig a HUGE forehead.

[spin]

84. Perhaps the aliens planted above Top Secret email on Hillary's unsecured private ...

server. Some Ancient Alien theorists say aliens from another planet are still watching us and influencing our civilization.

[JoePhilly]

88. If true, its possible that Vince Foster was an alien.

[riversedge]

27. and the HILL continous with its planting of rumors-and or inventing them

about Hillary and emails.

[LuvLoogie]

50. I'm afraid to support Hillary because I'm afraid

that the media will make people afraid to support her.

And that scares me.

[fredamae]

28. Honestly, I don't believe

there is a "there-there". I don't believe Hillary broke any laws nor conducted herself any differently than her predecessors, frankly.

Another hunt for something, imo-that does not exist.

[JoePhilly]

47. See IRS and Ebola scandals ...

... scandals in which ... nothing actually happened.

[4139]

56. It is August, sloow news month, the Trump&Company Clown show is over...

... Not a lot left to talk about.

[Depaysement]

68. What crap

Red herring. I hate this email issue. I know what bullshit this is for most "highly classified" information.

[candelista]

71. Of course handing over the server was not an admission of wrongdoing.

She did it because the FBI offered her the courtesy of turning it over voluntarily. It was clear to her that otherwise the FBI would get a subpoena and seize it. That would not look so good.

[cosmicone]

81. Or, what is more likely is that

Clinton is a law-abiding citizen who wants to cooperate with the FBI for the FBI to do its job.

Why does it have to be a nefarious intent on the part of Hillary?

[ericson00]

86. Clinton haters did a terrible job of bringing down the Clintons in the 1990s, and they'll fail again

They won twice back then, remade the electoral map and built the blue wall (compare CA, IL, MI, MD, DE, CT, NJ, ME, PA, VT [!!], NM, and NH from 1992-present vs. 1968-1988), and will not be brought down this time either. Clinton beat Dole by 8.5 points, a margin of victory not surpassed since, even tho the Whitewater bullshit was in full gear.

Some of the postings here would make Ken Starr proud.