The Email Investigation With New Petraeus Spin

The WaPo reports on the email investigation into everybody but Hillary:

In Clinton email investigation, Justice Department grants immunity to former State Department staffer

The Justice Department has granted immunity to the former State Department staffer who worked on Hillary Rodham Clinton’s private email server, a sign the FBI investigation into possible criminal wrongdoing is progressing.

A senior U.S. law enforcement official said the FBI had secured the cooperation of Bryan Pagliano who worked on Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign before setting up the server in her New York home in 2009.

As the FBI looks to wrap up its investigation in the coming months, agents will likely want to interview Clinton and her senior aides about the decision to use a private server, how it was set up, and whether any of the participants knew they were sending classified information in emails, current and former officials said.

The inquiry comes against a sensitive political backdrop in which Clinton is the favorite to secure the Democratic nomination for the presidency.

"Sensitive"? Really? Does anyone imagine for a moment that Barack Obama and Loretta Lynch will simply let the chips fall where they may?

Please - I am more likely to be indicted for Hillary's emails than she is. However, normally the example of Gen. Petraeus (court factual basis) is cited as an example of the Feds taking their security rules seriously, at least when the target is a possible Republican.

But we get new-to-me spin here (although I could have seen it a week ago):

Current and former officials said the conviction of retired four-star general and CIA director David H. Petraeus for mishandling classified information is casting a shadow over the email investigation.

The officials said they believe that Petraeus’ actions were more egregious than those of Clinton and her aides since he lied to the FBI, and classified information he shared with his biographer contained top secret code words, identities of covert officers, war strategy and intelligence capabilities. Prosecutors initially threatened to charge him with three felonies, including conspiracy, violating the Espionage Act and lying to the FBI. But after negotiations, Petraeus pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of mishandling classified information.

He was fined $100,000 and sentenced to two-years probation. FBI officials were angered by the deal and predicted it would affect the outcome of other cases involving classified information.

Petraeus “was handled so lightly for his offence there isn’t a whole lot you can do,” said a former U.S. law enforcement official who oversaw counterintelligence investigations and described the email controversy as “a lesser set of circumstances.”

Since Petraeus merely resigned, paid a fine and took a wrist slap Hillary is all good. Away we go.

 

 

Comments

[boris]

Then again the general is not running for president.

[henry]

Nor did the general sell access to policy for cash.

[narciso]

Both Petraeus and broadwell were tci level cleared, just the manner of the disclosure wasn't ahem authorized.

[Buckeye]

just the manner of the disclosure wasn't ahem authorized.

I bet his wife thought so too ;)

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--A senior U.S. law enforcement official said the FBI had secured the cooperation of Bryan Pagliano who worked on Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign before setting up the server in her New York home in 2009.--

Yeah, in perfect Clinton fashion, with immunity he'll fall on his sword and take all the blame, just as Susan McDougal denied immunity fell on her own sword as well.
The Clintons are nothing if not professional enough to get you coming or going.

[James D]

New thread, reposting the poll:

http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=56d261bae4b01668ec061dbf

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

The idea of Trump as threatening strongman is preposterous.
If he attempted to be one from the right, the institutions he would have to dominate are so leftwardly tilted he couldn't budge them and there are far too few elected Reps with those inclinations [are there any?] to make it happen.

If he tried it from the left he would be in the wrong party to do it from and would be so untrusted by his putative Dem allies and detested by his Rep ones he'd end up a strongman without a country.

Can we please stay semi serious?

[James D]

The officials said they believe that Petraeus’ actions were more egregious than those of Clinton and her aides since he lied to the FBI, and classified information he shared with his biographer contained top secret code words, identities of covert officers, war strategy and intelligence capabilities.

Petraeus shared information with one individual, who (whatever else she was) was not an enemy of the United States.

Hillary made information available to hackers and enemy governments across the world for several years.

Yeah, I can see where his conduct is so much more egregious.

[clarice]

I believe the investigation is into more than the emails and includes corruption via the Clinton foundation.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--...Petraeus’ actions were more egregious than those of Clinton and her aides since he lied to the FBI...--

Yeah, he lied. THAT'S the big difference between him and Hillary.

[clarice]

James d the person with whom the general shared the info , in fact, did have a security clearance--perhaps not at the level of the info shared.

[Appalled]

The idea of Trump as threatening strongman is preposterous.

While that may be, the idea of Trump trying to remake the system to make him a threatening strongman is not.

At best, under your scenario, he wastes a lot of time, and probably drags a bunch of the stupider GOPe into defending him. At worst -- he doesn't get everything he wants, but hhe gets to unwind a few more civil liberties, and continue Obama's fine work in that direction.

[rse]

Happy birthday Jane!

Glad you now get to celebrate with much better weather.

[Captain Hate]

I bet his wife thought so too ;)

Mrs Petraeus has been a model of grace throughout this entire guilt by innuendo garbage; no blaming any vast left wing conspiracy or similar nonsense. Knowing what complete [Redacted for Lent] trash his accusers are, I don't believe anything scummy happened on his part and anybody is welcome to prove otherwise.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--New thread, reposting the poll:--

Wouldn't it have been quicker to go in together and buy James a $900 gift certificate for a book trailer [One of which I wouldn't recognize if it bit me. What's a book trailer?]

I'll check back after I vote. :)

[Old Lurker]

Hope you are right, Clarice, but they'd best be about it.

While Obama can bury her anytime he wants, he can also save her anytime he wants. All he has to do is say "As I have said before. She never placed the country at risk and the country must not be denied her great leadership because of a trumped up attack by right wing extremists. So the surest way to put this behind us and allow this great country to go forward is for me to, today, pardon her and hers from any and all sins related to..."

Poof. Magic.

[narciso]

Yes they slow jammed with deutsch and them Obama pardoned him.

[boris]

"and continue Obama's fine work in that direction"

Hey you voted for Obama.

[Truthbetold]

Iggy

Soros is laughing his ass off watching what Trump is doing to the Republican Party

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

It's not my scenario. I'm pointing out that others' scenarios are poppycock.

I beleive there's a much greater chance he'll talk loudly and do far too much negotiating over the size of the stick.

[Captain Hate]

Once an Article V convention starts, Presidential pardons will exist only in history books.

[henry]

vote # 6666. lol

[Buckeye]

OL

I get quite a bit of satisfaction thinking about how Zero has to hang his legacy hat on the performance of a nasty old hag alcoholic.

[Appalled]

boris:

Yeah, and you'll have your own set of regrets, soon enough...

[boris]

Hello? Voting for Cruz.

[NK]

Petraeus lied, so he was worse? What a bunch of Bezos Bullshit. Hillary has sent out surrogates and lawyers to lie and deny investigators access to her phony baloney server. THEN SHE DESTROYED EVIDENCE, 32,000 emails. Plus the evidence seen in public implies that she sold classified info for $$$ to her phony baloney 'foundation" and gave it to partners like Sid Vicious who used it to make $$$. What a bunch of WaPo bullshit. Petraeus is precedent? fine indict her and have her disgorge all $$$ she got for the 'Foundation' and give her probation. Fine IF IT IS DONE BEFORE JULY 4th.

[Buckeye]

One long-shot idea rumbling through power corridors in Washington was the prospect of a late third-party candidate to represent more mainstream conservatives. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry has been approached by "a mixture of people" about being part of a third-party bid, according to Jeff Miller, who managed Perry's failed GOP presidential campaign. But Miller said Perry found the idea "ludicrous."

Somebody needs to put the GOPe on suicide watch.

[Appalled]

boris:

I'm talking about the general....

[henry]

Buckeye... as far as the Jeff Miller types, we may want to hand out instructional materials.

[Jeff Dobbs]

It's out on a limb time.....I'm guessing Appalled did not vote for Obama in the 2008 primaries.

::crosses fingers::

[sbw]

Jane, Wendy and I wish you all the best on your birthday!

[sbw]

What a lousy candidate Abraham Lincoln seemed to be at the time.

Poor record. Bad press. Poorly educated. Awkward. Not photogenic. So many better candidates available.

[sbw]

Immigration ought to be a chance to succeed based upon personal grit and initiative, not an opportunity to coast on the backs of others.

[Jeff Dobbs]

James now out to about a ~1000 vote lead.

NOT NEARLY ENOUGH!

http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=56d261bae4b01668ec061dbf

[James D]

Ig @ 10:57

A book trailer is a 2 minute or so promo video for the book (think a movie trailer, except with more stock photography)

[boris]

You picked Obama over McCain, probably dint care much for Palin.

If I have to vote for Trump over Hillary there will be no regrets. Nightmare speculation Trump could ever be worse than equivalently nightmarish speculation about Hillary ??? GMAFB.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Dread Pirate Roberts strikes again; refusing to stay an onerous EPA regulation, the basis of which SCOTUS already struck down.
Souter smiles posthumously.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Where does it play, James?
Amazon?

[Buckeye]

OT a bit

Am I the only cynic who thinks "running for office" has become a racket?

What restrictions are put on the use of campaign funds, particularly as it relates to "personal" expenses?

[boris]

"I'm guessing Appalled did not vote for Obama in the 2008 primaries"

Guessing he did, unless he wasn't registered to vote in dimorat primary.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--..I'm guessing Appalled did not vote for Obama in the 2008 primaries.--

Oh God. You mean the poor guy has to suffer the ignominy of having voted for both Hillary AND Barry?

[GUS]

apparently Rodham has shared a whole lot of info with her lover too.

[James D]

Ig, it'll go on my Amazon page, yes. And also on Youtube and wherever else I promote it (FB, my website, Goodreads, etC). And also the folks that make it do some promotion of it themselves.

[James D]

Am I the only cynic who thinks "running for office" has become a racket?

Who was it who came up with the quip that running for office was the Clinton family "means of production" ?

[GUS]

Cmon Sbw, that's crazy talk. That's now "WHO WE ARE!"

[Appalled]

Georgia is an open primary (meaning I vote Dem in some years, GOP others. It depends on down-ticket races more than the presidential.)

I am actually drawing a blank on primary. If I did Dem, I voted for Obama (IDVH) for president.

[NK]

Ignatz-- based on the very short summary of the facts, no basis for a stay. Roberts decided correctly.

[Captain Hate]

What a lousy candidate Abraham Lincoln seemed to be at the time.

Poor record. Bad press. Poorly educated. Awkward. Not photogenic.

Never went to Europe...

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

#Oscarssoeffedup alert;

J.J. Abrams' production company Bad Robot has teamed with its agency, CAA, and studio partners to require that women and people of color are submitted for writing, directing and acting jobs in proportion to their representation in the U.S. population.

NBA, NFL, NHL, PGA, Professional snowboarding and skiing organizations and MLB all following suit; expect their products to improve dramatically.

[GUS]

Capn!! Hannity didn't go to Kollege!!!!!!

ELEVENTY!!!11

[Jeff Dobbs]

Well, I could have written a bot to help James in the voting, but - being the ardent Cruz fan that I am, I went in another direction, emulating his dirty tricks tactics.

I wrote a program that automatically tracks something else...

VOTER VIOLATION!
Public Record

Further Action Needed

You are receiving this notice because your voting totals are not matching up with your expected output.

VOTE NOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SCORE and please encourage your fellow JOMers to vote as well. A follow-up notice may be issued after the closing of the vote Saturday night.

IGNATZ: F 55%
HENRY: F 55%
PORCHLIGHT F 55%
GUS: F 55%
JIMMYK F 55%
JAMES F 55%
JEFF DOBBS A 100%

Ok, I'm still working out the kinks in the scoring.

[GUS]

Who goes to EUREKA COLLEGE?????

[Jeff Dobbs]

James:
Ig, it'll go on my Amazon page, yes. And also on Youtube and wherever else I promote it (FB, my website, Goodreads, etC). And also the folks that make it do some promotion of it themselves.

And it will end up on Instapundit as well.....

[Captain Hate]

Never has the Bad Robot moniker been more appropriate.

[henry]

somebody wants all the whiskey for himself.

[GUS]

JEFF, I'm at 155%.

[Buckeye]

Note to self.

Tweek gmail to shitcan anything coming from a jeffdobbs.

Bribe the mailman also.

[Buckeye]

somebody wants all the whiskey for himself.

not that there is anything wrong with that.

[Miss Marple]

CBS radio interviewing some gal who runs an anti-Trump PAC 11:00 AM news hour, who says "Romney hopes to shake some sense into Republican voters" and "hopes to be the adult in the room."

Then Laura Ingraham interviewed the guy who wrote "Reagan's Last Days" who was outraged that he would bring up Reagan's "Time for Choosing" speech.

Here is Romney, and already he quotes WARREN BUFFET as proof that things are pretty good here.

This is a terrible speech already. And he smacks his lips all the time at the end of every sentence.

[henry]

What is the Hinckley Institute? Sounds like a mental health warehouse facility.

[Miss Marple]

PDinDetroit,

I just got home and saw your sad news. Prayers for all of you and your mother-in-law.

[boris]

"Georgia is an open primary"

PittCon is in Atlanta this year.
I won't be going (unless there's a problem) but some of my electronics will be.

[MR GUS'S LAWYER]

Buckeye the term @#$%can is the sole property of Mr Gus. Cease and desist.

[Miss Marple]

Oh, who are the hooters there. Very juvenile.

[GUS]

JOHN HINCKLEY INSTITUTE FOR NRA STUDIE

[henry]

Oh, it has Rove on it's website homepage "Hinkley Institute led me to my first job at 19"

New targeting coordinates for SMOD...

[GUS]

Man, Romney is hitting on all cylinders.

Just like when he went after Obama.

Too late Mitt.

[GUS]

No Romney, we also have,,, THE Jug eared.....

[boris]

"Romney hopes to shake some sense into Republican voters" and "hopes to be the adult in the room"

They don't seem to realize they are destroying their own credibility. What good does it do to call Trump a charlatan while cheating at their own game?

[Miss Marple]

Well, no bombshells here. Just a bunch of re-telling of his past statements and name calling.

Plus the KKK thing and asking for taxes and the NYT interview.

And he is name-calling.

Also talking like we are all morons.

[GUS]

Excuse me Mr Romney, we trusted you once, and you didn't fight for us. You are part of the GOPe.
You and your friends in the establishment didn't fight for us.
I don't remember you demanding the Khalidi info from Obama and the LA. TIMES.

[Marlene]

Well,I guess we know what Trump will be talking about in Portland this afternoon.

[squaredance]

Watch as these "proportional AA hires" screw up these "firms" bottom line. Watch them actually wonder why.

One wonders: 1) are these people so supine as to let the SJW mob have so much effect on them, or 2) are they in cahoots with them all along and this is just part of the political front? (After all, no one is calling for more (non Jewish) white males (or women for that matter) owning studios.

Either way, it hardly matters to me. Let them blow themselves up. Same for the Silicon Valley crowd. Let them discover that the world is not merely what one would decide it should be.

Sooner or later these people are going to out themselves to even the most dull witted American.

But the main point: the West needs to free itself from the media/entertainment complex--free itself spiritually from all these illusions. Free itself form this parody of Civilization these people push.

What did Nietzsche say? The 20th Century will be the age of the Actor? Something like that.

This nonsense of substituting such fake "culture", moral and otherwise, for real Culture, for reality itself, must end.

I do, believe it or not, think it well may happen one day, but certainly not in this generation. If and when it does, historians of the future will marvel at our obsession with "show business".

[GUS]

Who trotted Mitt Romney out today??

[Miss Marple]

Now he is saying Trump is scapegoating Muslims and Mexican immigrants.

Yeah, stand up for those illegal immigrants, Mitt. That will change my mind.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

It takes a special kind of fool to get up on a stage and denounce a guy running for the nomination you had and couldn't close the deal with, in terms and with a vehemence and passion you never once could muster toward the man from the other party who trounced you.

Does he really lack sufficient perspective to see the dynamic at play here and how others will view it?

His patty cake with Barry and his claws out for Trump is EXACTLY the kind of obsequious, submissive and self regulating bullshit that has inflamed the anger of so many Republicans.

Fight your allies and accommodate your enemies!
Maybe someone can fit that on a hat for Romney. Or his tombstone.

[Old Lurker]

Lately, I just avoid things that are likely to raise my blood pressure for no purpose.

So watching Romney is near the bottom of the list of things I have any interest in doing.

[GUS]

Miss Marple, at least someone is smacking Romney's lips.

It's too late. We trusted the GOP.

Remember Eric Strattons quote from Animal House.

[Old Lurker]

No snark required to this UK headline:

"Migrants in Greece to be handed cash in envelopes to 'maintain their dignity' "

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--Ignatz-- based on the very short summary of the facts, no basis for a stay. Roberts decided correctly.--

Not really. The EPA is an unconstitutional infringement on the 10th amendment and vastly overreaches the powers granted by the interstate commerce clause, and so any judge with the constitution in mind would use any chance to strike a blow for the document they took an oath to uphold.
Don't recall them taking an oath to defend or rely on illegal and bad precedent.

[Miss Marple]

Ha! Fox just played that video of Romney praising Trump.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

This sounds like it would have made a much better movie;
The Real Story of Hugh Glass, the Revenant.

I guess we should just be happy the main theme wasn't climate change.

[squaredance]

If the GOPe wheeled out Romney to some how "save the elections", or "talk sense into the rubes", they have made a huge mistake. If they are trying to throw the election to Hillary, then perhaps it is a good approach.

Either way it is extraordinary Stupid.

I do not give them much credit for the later case--I think that they really think that this will somehow steer the election back to their muppet candidate(s). They are doing much harm to themselves and the country in this.

It is becoming clearer by the day that they are fighting Trump harder than they have fought the Democrats. Much harder.
(and note it is not just "fighting Obama" in recent years; they have not fought this hard against Democrats since Newt was in office.

This is not wasted on the rest of it.

They are becoming unhinged and reckless; they let the mask slip.

Watch them screw up this election and lose the Senate too.

What irresponsible, mindless baboons (or should I say "poltroons"?).

[Old Lurker]

I hope Catherine Herridge cleared her latest with Brit Hume:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/03/03/fbi-investigating-if-clinton-aides-shared-passwords-to-access-classified-info.html?intcmp=hpbt2

[Marlene]

McCain just endorsed what Romney said.

[GUS]

You know what? I would have been glad to have Mitt Romney as President, and I voted for him. Unfortunately, we have found out FO-SHIZ, that Romney is just another GOPe playa. Shilling for McCain today. What the heck?? Yes, McCain suffered as a POW, and we have suffered because McCain apparently left his balls in N.V.. Romney talks about Trumps womanizing. McCain left his wife for a MILLIONAIRE, just like Kerry.
Romney DID NOT ATTACK OBAMA LIKE THIS??? WHY??
Because the ESTABLISHMENT ITSELF will....CEASE TO BE if TRUMP wins.
This is EXACTLY what Chris Krispie is counting on. Krispie is counting on being part of the NEW GOP ORDER.

[James D]

Excuse me Mr Romney, we trusted you once, and you didn't fight for us.

He didn't even fight for himself, or his wife's honor, in 2012.

[NK]

Ignatz-- pls. Roberts is Chief Justice, not Chief Philosopher King. He is fulfilling his duty, with reasonable restraint and sober appreciation of his limited constitutional powers and his duty not to infringe on the separation of powers, in short he is not being a fascist in robes dictating public policy. There's a lot of selective respect for 'liberty' these days around here. Roberts is no one's 'boy'. He's not like the craven 4 Leftists on the SCOTUS.

[GUS]

Now we have MEGHAN McCAIN on OUTNUMBERED on FOX.

Why?
Why would this untalented woman be on a major FOX news show?

WHY??

[Threadkiller]

Just like when he went after Obama.

Too late Mitt.

Yep.

[NK]

Mitt has embarrassed himself and validated the #s which show why he lost. He had no interest in going after working class votes in '12. Millions were there, he left them on the table... deliberately.

[GUS]

Romney went personal. He's taking orders from TOP MEN.

[Threadkiller]

Where did Mitt do his monolog?

[Theo]

I do not think that Romney's effort here is aimed at the die hard Trumpsters. Obviously, there is a contingent for whom Willard is anathema and he knows it. The point of the exercise I think is to try to keep more sensible folks from sliding into the "he's not that bad" or "time to rally around the presumptive nominee" or "I, for one, welcome my new egomaniacal overlord" kind of thinking.

He is not going to cause the people who hate the GOPe more than they hate Hillary or Obama to smack their foreheads and vote for Rubio or Kasich. He knows that.

This is just one part of what is shaping up to be a massive and more than a little desperate campaign to shave a few points off of Trump's votes in the upcoming primaries.

That may be enough. He came close to losing Virginia and a couple other places. If they can move the needle a few points, they can keep him from gaining any more traction.

Most of all, I think, they want to stop the notion that he is inevitable and we all need to get on the Trump express.

[narciso]

I was expecting an earth shattering kaboom, not really.

[DublinDaveForever]

Excellent,excellent speech from Gov.Romney.

[GUS]

Meghan McCain just called herself ESTABLISHMENT SPAWN.

WHOLE LOTTA SPAWN.

She also called herself REPUBLICAN.
I have NEVER called myself REPUBLICAN

[Marlene]

Ig @ 11:58... a writer for one of the Maine papers who writes about Franco-American culture said that the French-Canadian trappers were portrayed unfairly in the movie.
The British treated the Indians much worse than the French. The French and the Indians were the ones who burned down the British settlements in New England.
Of course,daddy's great granny the witch was blamed for the Indian raids. :)

[Threadkiller]

https://malialitman.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/romney-laughing.jpg?w=490

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[Threadkiller]

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