Obama On Clinton’s Emails: ‘There’s Classified, And Then There’s Classified’

[Purveyor]

WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/AP) — President Barack Obama is guaranteeing that evidence, not politics, will dictate the outcome of the FBI’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s handling of emails as secretary of state.

Obama’s comments came during an appearance on Fox News Sunday, his first as president. Obama said he continues to believe Clinton didn’t jeopardize America’s national security with her private email server, but he added that “there’s a carelessness in terms of managing emails” that she has recognized.

“What I also know, because I handle a lot of classified information, is that there are — there’s classified, and then there’s classified,” Obama told Fox News. “There’s stuff that is really top-secret, top-secret, and there’s stuff that is being presented to the president or the secretary of state, that you might not want on the transom, or going out over the wire, but is basically stuff that you could get in open-source.”

Obama said no one has suggested that Clinton’s handling of government emails detracted in any way “from her excellent ability to carry out her duties.” When asked specifically whether he can guarantee that Clinton will “not be in any way protected” during the course of the investigation, Obama said he maintains a strict line about not talking to FBI directors about pending investigations.

“I guarantee that there is no political influence in any investigation conducted by the Justice Department, or the FBI, not just in this case, but in any case,” Obama said during an interview that was taped during his visit to the University of Chicago School of Law, where he taught.

more...

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/04/10/obama-clinton-emails/

[bjo59]

1. I guess he's not likely to go public with the fact that Hillary Clinton was

taking advice from Sidney Blumenthal, someone that Obama had said should not be brought on board in an advisory capacity. Yet, there he was, being paid 120,000 a year by the Clinton Foundation and giving advice to Hillary Clinton "off the books" by way of that off-site computer. Obama appointed a rogue agent as Secretary of State but heaven forbid Clinton loses the nomination to a non-corporatist candidate who's intervening where he's not wanted.

[speaktruthtopower]

3. Didn't know he was being paid by the Clinton Foundation...

that does sound like a slush fund use, depending on his full responsibilities.

[anigbrowl]

6. 'a rogue agent'? LOL

Some days I think I'm reading WND instead of DU

[Adrahil]

16. No kidding. And it's getting worse. NT

[Skwmom]

9. Maybe he just went on record saying no Blumenthal because people were against him but Obama didn't

care that he was unofficially brought on board.

[winter is coming]

10. Approved or not, I was under the impression that Blumenthal didn't have a clearance. n/t

[Autumn]

2. There's the known and then the unknown

Or some such crap, I can't remember who said it and I'm too lazy to look for it.

[Purveyor]

11. Rumsfeld said something to that affect during the Iraq debacle. eom

[DCBob]

4. That sounds to me he's giving her an "all clear" sign.

As I suspected all along.

[Politicalboi]

5. So he's read them all?

He's just getting ready to cover his own ass. The Clinton's have a way of fucking peoples lives up. And Hillary Coattails is going down over this shit.

[MisterP]

7. "it depends upon what the meaning of the word 'is' is"

this sort of nonsense is just fuel to the GOP--"and you gave US crap for Tricky Dick and Senile Ron?!"

[EndElectoral]

8. The whole Blumenthal connection is disturbing

[thesquanderer]

12. I wonder if the FBI agrees that there's classified and there's classified.

Even if there is some legal distinction to be made, the fact that, what, 22 were classified as top secret would seem to make it a moot point.

[corbettkroehler]

13. Black-Letter Law?

I'm no attorney but I am aware of the concept of black-letter law. Yes, there are degrees of secrecy but even the loosest standard calls for felony prosecution when material is mishandled.

POTUS' statement reminds me of Former Attorney General Gonzalez' testimony to Congress when he stated that his opinion was that Dubya could declassify a document simply by stating, "It's declassified".

Due process be damned!

[senz]

14. I think he's trying to be as noncomittal as possible

particularly when talking to Fox News.

[PATRICK]

15. Then there's

investigated and "investigated", prosecuted and...not. There are a lot of actually more burning issues that the president has not set the DOJ on the trail. So this is indulging the House GOP again but not anyone else? he probably shouldn't have said anything as it also smacks of a primary election concern.

So the e-mails have not jeopardized the nation nor has my DOJ investigation been jeopardized by me calling it out as void or is it meant in any way to help candidate Clinton. OK, I believe it! Even if most people do though, is this making any kind of sense on any of those issues at all?

[Splinter Cell]

17. I guess it depends on what the definition of "is" is.