Democrats need to be worried about Hillary’s FBI problem

[berni_mccoy]

http://www.salon.com/2016/03/28/democrats_need_to_be_worried_about_hillarys_fbi_problem_the_looming_political_fight_could_cause_real_damage_in_november/

Democrats need to be worried about Hillary’s FBI problem: The looming political fight could cause real damage in November

Clinton’s FBI problem became a little more concrete over the weekend. The Los Angeles Times reports that “Federal prosecutors investigating the possible mishandling of classified materials on Hillary Clinton’s private email server have begun the process of setting up formal interviews with some of her longtime and closest aides, according to two people familiar with the probe, an indication that the inquiry is moving into its final phases.”

Notifying aides that interviews are imminent means the Feds have collected all the relevant data. The background work is done. “They are likely nearing the end of the investigation and the agents need to interview these people to put the information in context,” said James McJunkin, former FBI official. “They will then spend time aligning these statements with other information, emails, classified documents, etc., to determine whether there is a prosecutable case.”

snip

Legal concerns aside, you can be sure that Clinton’s use of the private server will be continuous fodder for Republicans in a general election. The GOP will lie and exaggerate and smear, as they always do, particularly if an indictment is handed down. Even in the more likely event that Clinton escapes legal trouble, this won’t go away. And that’s what makes Clinton’s decision so maddening: a non-scandal scandal like this is perfectly avoidable.

Clinton brought this on herself. She knew this would be a problem. Of the 30,500 emails she turned over to the feds, 22 were identified as “top secret” and hundreds of others were identified as “secret” or “confidential.” This isn’t as bad as it sounds, considering how over-classified intelligence documents are, but the optics are terrible and Republicans will exploit that to no end. The facts won’t matter one bit. Gen. David Petraeus’s mishandling of classified information, for example, was far worse than anything Clinton appears to have done. Politically, though, the damage might be considerable.

[charlespercydemocrat]

1. I been thinking about this.

For the sake of the party she should step aside but she is very ambitous.This is a problem and many are ignoring this.It cant be ignored forever.

[Baobab]

4. I think a number of other issues will be much more damaging

to people's health and futures if she stays in. But the FBI case would give her a way of bowing out, while saving face,

[sharp_stick]

2. Lets see, total new information - zero

Good Reads my ass...

[berni_mccoy]

3. New Information: Interviewing Staffers and Clinton herself. This is a real issue.

And the political damage it does to her and the party should she be the nominee is serious.

[Gamecock Lefty]

5. This concerns me as much as . . .

Benghazi.

In other words - not at all.

Stay strong and focused, Hillary!

[saturnsring]

6. oh no you mean the gop might use it to attack hillary - do you mean more than at d.u.?

While it's unlikely Clinton will be prosecuted, what is certain is the GOP's getting more fodder to attack Hillary.

[saturnsring]

7. concerned bernie bros are very concerned

[LiberalElite]

10. Oblivious hilbots are oblivious

[yourpaljoey]

8. This author is either naive or wildly optimistic

"Gen. David Petraeus’s mishandling of classified information, for example, was far worse than anything Clinton appears to have done."

It appears to me that what Hill has done is 1000 times more felonious.

[vinny9698]

9. The RW and GOP have admitted that this whole email thing is a made up scandal to persuade voters

The GOP has cried scandal over scandal just like the boy who cried wolf, travelgate, Foster murder, White Water, the list is just endless. Another phony scandal. If there was any substance, there would be indictments by now. Some of those classified emails at the time they were written were NOT classified. So how can you persecute some one for a crime before a law was passed to make it illegal. At one time cocaine was legal, you would buy at every corner store by the name of Coca Cola.