Well, this report is a f'ing disaster.
I know you guys know I love to fret but I usually fret about future outcomes. I often defend Clinton on substantive matters.
First of all, this isn't a case of "everybody else does it." No one else does it. Secretary Powell used a personal e-mail address exclusively yes, but that was installed for him by the Department staff, so it has the imprimatur of bureaucratic approval. Also, the relevant rule in the Department Manual was not promulgated until 2005. The rule clearly distinguishes Clinton's situation from the "300+ other high-level government officials" who use personal e-mail for government business. It states that normal day-to-day operations are to be conducted on an approved electronic platform. Clinton's platform was not approved.
Yes, it is true that Department IT staff, including senior bureaucratic staff, were involved in discussions of her e-mail system and sent e-mails to her private e-mail. And some IT staff, including senior bureaucratic staff, were aware that she used a private e-mail server.
However, this appears to be a matter of bureaucratic staff not having the will to stand up to the Secretary and say, "No, this is against the rules." Complicating this is the fact that there was no precedent of any Secretary using a government e-mail address. So who is going to say, well there's this obscure rule in the Department Manual that prohibits a private e-mail server, to the Secretary? Apparently no one. Granted, many Manual rules (such as those requiring e-mails be printed and filed) were widely flaunted, but the report highlights that the Ambassador to Kenya was disciplined in part over this particular rule.
But worst of all is the part where there's an e-mail from the Executive Secretariat mentioning FOIA requests as a factor in whether to set up a government e-mail addresses for Clinton. This suggests he believed that she was using a private e-mail in part to skirt FOIA requests. There's a reason why the probability of an indictment is up 6 percentage points on PredictIt today.
Needless to say I am furious at the Secretary. This election is about us, not her, and I supported her because I thought she was the best candidate for us. Now I am not so sure. John Edwards proves that sometimes people who others invest a lot in, have a reckless disregard for the hopes of their own supporters.
So congrats, Clinton haters, you win. When/if Clinton is indicted then I would support her delegates to draft Warren, but the Sanders folks would make a strong pitch to take over the party. In any case I am probably out of discussing politics on forums for the cycle. I have a personal life, and this just exacerbates my neurotic tendencies.
Who needs PredictIt when you have Beet? I am now 100% confident she will not be indicted.
