The new meme du jour regarding the emails is that it was all to circumvent FOIA requests, which is kind of laughable, because FOIA requests are so backlogged because of our archaic archiving system, our ridiculous classification system, the fact that so many FOIA are just basic fishing expeditions requesting vast amounts of data, and that the State Department (and every other agency) simply does not have the manpower to fulfill them all that Hillary could serve four terms and we could be well within the second Malia Obama administration before they would all be fulfilled. From 2011:
Forty-five years after President Johnson signed the U.S. Freedom of Information Act into law in 1966, federal agency backlogs of FOIA requests are growing, with the oldest requests at eight agencies dating back over a decade and the single oldest request now 20 years old, according to the Knight Open Government Survey by the National Security Archive at George Washington University (www.nsarchive.org).
The Knight Survey of the oldest requests utilized the FOIA to examine the actual copies of the oldest requests from the 35 federal agencies and components that process more than 90 percent of all FOIAs. It shows that the oldest requests in the U.S. government were submitted before the fall of the Soviet Union. These unfulfilled requests – some are for documents that are themselves more than 50 years old – are victims of an endless referral process in which any agency that claims “equity” can censor their release.
The Freedom of Information Act requires agencies to process and respond to a request within 20 business days, with the possibility of a ten-day extension under “unusual circumstances.” In his March 19, 2009 government-wide memo on FOIA, Attorney General Eric Holder declared that “long delays should not be viewed as an inevitable and insurmountable consequence of high demand.” Despite this, the Knight Survey shows that some FOIAs remain marooned for decades.
The two previous Knight Open government surveys conducted during the Obama administration have also shown that, despite a clear message from the President, government agencies have been slow to improve their Freedom of Information processes. The 2010 Knight Survey, “Sunshine and Shadows,” showed that only 13 of 90 agencies implemented concrete changes in response to President Obama and Attorney General Holder’s early memoranda calling for FOIA reforms. The March 2011 Knight Survey, “Glass Half Full,” showed improvement but still revealed that just 49 of 90 agencies had followed specific tasks mandated by the White House to improve their FOIA performance. As Eric Newton, senior adviser to the president at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, put it, “At this rate, the president’s first term in office will be over by the time federal agencies do what he asked them to do on his first day in office.”
And while the Obama administration has in general been pretty bad on the requests, this did just happen the other day:
On Thursday—a few days before July 4, the Freedom of Information Act’s 50th birthday—President Barack Obama signed one of the most hard-fought FOIA-reform bills in decades. In doing so, he’ll make permanent the presumption that all government records are public unless proven otherwise, a central tenet of his administration’s efforts, and one currently vulnerable to revocation by, say, President Trump. This alone is cause for high-fives among open-government groups, who convinced many states to enshrine that common-sense provision in their laws. Until now, the United States Congress never has.
At first glance, the bill doesn’t necessarily do much for people like Finkelstein. There’s nothing to speed up the turnaround for a request, which can stretch into weeks for routine records. It doesn’t force the government to pay the legal fees of a requestor if a judge takes the requestor’s side in court. And crucially, it does little to challenge security and intelligence agencies, which try to avoid disclosing documents almost by default, sometimes before they’ve even looked for the requested files. This bill took almost a decade to get to the president’s desk, dying a dozen deaths along the way. A cynic could be forgiven for flipping through the text and wondering, is this it?
But while it’s not revolutionary, the bill lays a foundation for how open government should operate in America, experts say. And it is the necessary predecessor, its authors argue, to something far greater.
“One could say, looking at the glass, that it is half empty,” said U.S. Representative Darrell Issa, who sponsored the House version of the bill. “But government has to move in a direction and be judged based on that direction. Congress passing FOIA [reform] moved us in the correct direction.”
This isn’t going to help anything looking backwards, but will certainly help in the future. Regardless, the idea that HRC used her own server to avoid FOIA requests is not the case. The reason she did it is posted proudly on the Judicial Watch server:
Newly released emails show a 2009 request to issue a secure government smartphone to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was denied by the National Security Agency.
A month later, she began using private email accounts accessed through her BlackBerry to exchange messages with her top aides.
The messages made public Wednesday were obtained by Judicial Watch, a conservative legal advocacy group that has filed numerous lawsuits seeking the release of federal documents related to Clinton’s tenure as the nation’s top diplomat.
The Democratic presidential front-runner has come under intense scrutiny for her decision to use a private email server located in the basement of her New York home to route messages, including some containing sensitive information. Security experts have raised concern the arrangement could have left the messages vulnerable to attack by hackers, including those working for foreign intelligence agencies.
Clinton’s desire for a secure “BlackBerry-like” device, like that provided to President Barack Obama, is recounted in a series of February 2009 exchanges between high-level officials at the State Department and NSA. Clinton was sworn in as secretary the prior month, and had become “hooked” on reading and answering emails on a BlackBerry she used during the 2008 presidential race.
“We began examining options for (Secretary Clinton) with respect to secure ‘BlackBerry-like’ communications,” wrote Donald R. Reid, the department’s assistant director for security infrastructure. “The current state of the art is not too user friendly, has no infrastructure at State, and is very expensive.”
Reid wrote that each time they asked the NSA what solution they had worked up to provide a mobile device to Obama, “we were politely told to shut up and color.”
Resolving the issue was given such priority as to result in a face-to-face meeting between Clinton chief of staff Cheryl Mills, seven senior State Department staffers with five NSA security experts. According to a summary of the meeting, the request was driven by Clinton’s reliance on her BlackBerry for email and keeping track of her calendar. Clinton chose not to use a laptop or desktop computer that could have provided her access to email in her office, according to the summary.
In other words, she wanted to be able to do her job, tried to get the technology to fit her needs, was told to go fuck herself, so she did and made the technology work for her. I still think the “I didn’t want to carry two phones” nonsense was a stupid response, but the point of productivity technology is to make your job easier, not harder.
And, given the volume of emails she received, it appears that a few were classified either post hoc or at the time she received them. The world didn’t end. This isn’t unique to government- everyone everywhere uses the tools they need to do their job, and when their company or organization doesn’t provide them, they work around it.
This is all so fucking stupid. It’s an attempt to use outdated rules and laws to prosecute someone for just trying to do their job. There is literally no evidence of perfidy or intentional misconduct. But that won’t stop the idiots and an irresponsible press who does things like this (started at the NY Post, but repeated everywhere in the wingnuttosphere and appearing in the Hill:
Hillary Clinton’s top aide said during a deposition that the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee destroyed her schedules as the head of the State Department, according to a new report.
Huma Abedin revealed the information last week during a deposition over Clinton’s use of a private email server while secretary of State, The New York Post reported Monday.
“If there was a schedule that was created that was her secretary of State daily schedule, and a copy of that was then put in the burn bag, that … that certainly happened on … on more than one occasion,” Abedin reportedly said while she was being deposed by Judicial Watch, which is seeking access to Clinton’s emails.
Abedin’s comments came in response to a question from a Judicial Watch lawyer: “And during your tenure at the State Department, were you aware of your obligation not to delete federal records or destroy federal records?”
Clinton has previously said she destroyed “personal emails,” but this is the first time her aides have said she got rid of official State documents that are considered public records, according to the Post.
They burned a copy of her schedule. A copy. On paper. The schedule is generated electronically and will be part of the record. They burned a fucking inconsequential copy, one of probably dozens. But when you are someone who does nothing to investigate things and know what you are talking about, this is fucking great for clicks and to fool the rubes.
Patricia Kayden
Another Clinton “scandal” laid to rest. Glad we can move on now.
WarMunchkin
@Patricia Kayden:
To the next “scandal”, then. What are we betting on? Wikileaks has some dirt on Clinton? Clinton Foundation donations? State Department intern in a blue tux?
LesBonnesFemmes
Thanks, John. You have been more right about this nothingburger (yeh, I think it is a nothingburger–sue me) than anyone else out here in the blogosphere.
Iowa Old Lady
@Patricia Kayden: You’re so funny!
JPL
@Patricia Kayden: Not according to CNN.
Mike J
Let’s not forget that Hillary’s server was never hacked and State’s were. Perhaps if Republicans funded government agencies at the level they need individuals wouldn’t have to protect our nation’s secrets by themselves. Adequate funding would also allow faster turnaround for FOIA requests.
Omnes Omnibus
@Patricia Kayden:
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha (Gasp, gasp) hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
James E Powell
@Patricia Kayden:
Silly rabbit, don’t you know that Clinton scandals never die?
The RWers in congress are already calling for an investigation of this investigation.
rikyrah
see, Brexit was all fun and games, until the money got funny.
Financial Times
Breaking: A second UK real estate fund has halted investors from withdrawing their money
raven
Fuck LBJ.
Luthe
@WarMunchkin: The speeches! /BernieBro
gene108
With a little Google-fu you can get the State Department link, where many thousands of her e-mails are available to the public.
I find pointing this out gives people pause as to some of their worst beliefs about how shady the whole thing is.
Edit: How big of cover-up is going on when any idiot, anywhere in the world, with an Internet connection can read the e-mails?
rikyrah
This is absolutely the funniest thing I’ve seen all day.
Not politically related, but hilarious.
Mary G
@rikyrah: Thanks, I needed that.
gene108
@James E Powell:
Yup. How can the FBI be impartial, when they ultimately report to Loretta Lynxh and Barack Obama?
What we need is a real independent impartial investigation.
The sentiment is already making the rounds on social media, as people download right-wing memes, videos and other content.
Quinerly
Comey was an underling in Whitewater Investigation 20 years ago.
raven
@efgoldman: Will they put it on one in a military cemetery?
WarMunchkin
@gene108:
GIVE ME AN S! *clap clap* *clap clap*
GIVE ME A T! *clap clap* *clap clap*
AND THEN AN A!
R!
R!
schrodinger's cat
I couldn’t care less about this non story.
JPL
@schrodinger’s cat: Listening to Comey this morning caused me great distress, and the repubs will use his words to attack her.
She has to address it and say what Cole said. imo
Emma
@rikyrah: That was fantastic! All the hospital people getting into it made it just perfect!
raven
@efgoldman: I buried my dad in the National Cemetery in Phoenix and mixed his Black Lab Molly’s ashes with his.
Emma
@JPL: Nothing, NOTHING, she says will be acceptable to the Village or believed by her detractors.
Mike E
@raven: fuckin A
schrodinger's cat
@JPL: One candidate wants to round up people based on their ethnicity and one uses a non kosher email server. There is simply no comparison.
germy
Saw a great protest sign at a (you know who) rally:
Starfish
Not wanting to carry two phones is legitimate. Have you seen ladies clothes? We have to fight for our right to have pockets. I am wearing shorts with fake pockets, right now. I can’t even carry one phone. ?
Patricia Kayden
@schrodinger’s cat: Thank you. That’s why our side has to focus on defeating Trumo and stop entertaining these silly Clinton “scandals”.
MikeBoyScout
Or you know, Saddam Hussein would have just killed her.
Who the fk cares what the puke funnel puts out?
Aleta
Show me someone intelligent who’s honestly bothered by Clinton’s emails but fine with Trump coming within a mile of classified info, and I’ll show you a monster neither dead nor alive.
Mike J
@efgoldman: He’s been here telling us how very, very concerned he is about the email nonsense for months.
Miss Bianca
@gene108: Must stay off FB. It’s bad enough seeing my RWNJ relatives spewing this garbage, but I basically just cussed out an old friend for doing so.
D58826
The Judicial Watch business model can be summed up in three words – sue the Clintons’.
THey never much cared for what wqas going in the W’s administration.
Ella in New Mexico
Like I said in earlier threads, I blame years of Republicans doing everything they could to perpetrate “starving the beast” leading to a totally outdated internet/computer/communications system government-wide. They’ve done a pretty good job of it, too. Just because Clinton and others like her are trying to function in a 21st century tech world doesn’t make them criminals.
Don’t properly fund these agencies, delegate them with superhuman tasks that eventually produce “failures”, then say “See, government doesn’t solve your problems. It’s too big. So, lets just privatize it. Business does EVERYTHING better!!!”
If Republicans get a hold of all three branches, it’s all gonna be one big fire sale of a takeover.
Halliburton’s Navy, Koch’s Land Management Bureau, United Healthcare Veterans Health Department, Wells Fargo Mortgage and Student Loan Guarantee Service…
hovercraft
@Patricia Kayden:
Apparently you’ve never heard of Fox News, Rush, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Hugh Hewitt………………………………
Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (Formerly Mumphrey, et al.)
So, what will it be next? No, no, no. Scratch that. I already know what it’ll be! Turns out Hillary Clinton bribed the attorney general not to indict her! How ’bout that? Donald Trump says so! I’m thinking we’ll need about 38 Congressional investigations into this.
RandomMonster
@WarMunchkin:
Oh, you mean like Trump stating that AG Lynch accepted a bribe from Hillary Clinton — and then CNN asking whether this could be true? It. will. never. stop.
RandomMonster
@Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (Formerly Mumphrey, et al.): Aw dang, you beat me to it.
Patricia Kayden
@hovercraft: If any of those guys was important, we’d have President Palin by now (yes, she would have knocked off McCain). Rightwing partisans don’t count.
dr. luba
@Ella in New Mexico:
MIchigan used to have great public schools, now we’re ranked 34th in the nation. Thanks, GOP. Thanks, charter schools. (The four-year graduation rate for charter schools averaged 59 percent; that compares to 82 percent for traditional school districts.)
SFAW
@WarMunchkin:
I don’t exactly know, but Chuck Todd was just interviewing some guy he called “Chief Editor Korir,” and salivating while doing the interview.
ETA: And “salivating” was a euphemism for “rubbing his (own) crotch and moaning,” because this is a family show.
The Lodger
@Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (Formerly Mumphrey, et al.): Sure, because all the AGs are just dyin’ for another four years in one of the federal government’s most stressful jobs.
redshirt
@efgoldman: Sweet DS9 reference!
gratuitous
And if the printed copy of Clinton’s calendar hadn’t been burned bagged, the right wingers would lose their collective shit over the fact that it wasn’t properly disposed of. The classic damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t scenario.
schrodinger's cat
@efgoldman: Cardassians were the best part of DS9. Garak was my personal favorite, followed by Damar and then Dukat.
redshirt
@schrodinger’s cat: Poor Damar. So much Kanar.
Adam L Silverman
@efgoldman: @raven: Doesn’t say anything about acceptable versus unacceptable inscriptions:
http://www.military.com/benefits/burial-and-memorial/headstones-and-markers.html
I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet
@rikyrah: :-)
Thanks.
Cheers,
Scott.
Adam L Silverman
@D58826: Also, sue Larry Klayman’s mother.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/strange_bedfellow/1998/06/nut_watch.html
redshirt
@redshirt: Drinking Kanar with Damar
MomSense
@Starfish:
Ha! I’ve been faked out so many times by pants that appear to have pockets only to discover they are just two seams to nowhere.
Adam L Silverman
@MomSense: Two Seams to Nowhere sounds like it could be a good band name. Or a really bad country and western song.
Major Major Major Major
When did liberals start uncritically believing what the intelligence community in general and the FBI in particular have to say?
Miss Bianca
@Aleta: What about the Bernie Bro friend of mine who is now “Johnson curious” because of the Hillary emailz? This is the guy who recruited me to run as a Democrat for town council, back in the day when we both lived in Paonia. A man I considered a committed Democrat. Now I just think he ought to be committed, period – he’s got full-blown Clinton Derangement Syndrome.
Mnemosyne
I came close to crashing my car this afternoon because Larry fucking Mantle from KPCC had some Judicial Watch asshole on and was credulously treating him as if he knew what the fuck he was talking about. The actual law professor on the phone (from USC) was getting really pissed that some Judicial Watch asshole was claiming to know the law better than he did.
Omnes Omnibus
@Miss Bianca:
Recent blunt force trauma? Mini-stroke? Blackmail due to goat-sexting?
MomSense
@Adam L Silverman:
It could be the greatest country song. Guy picks up his girl in his pick em up truck and takes her out on the town. Tries to put his hand in her back pocket. Two seams to nowhere.
If you’re lurking Brad Paisley this could be a yuuge hit.
redshirt
@Miss Bianca: Fuck him? I mean that in a figurative sense.
Adam L Silverman
@MomSense: Do you know the difference between a pick um up truck and a pick me up truck?
Attitude.
Adam L Silverman
@redshirt: well she did say he was johnson curious…
Mnemosyne
@Miss Bianca:
We’re about to find out how many people who appeared normal on the outside can’t stand the idea of a woman being in a position of authority over them. It will be a similar group as the ones who couldn’t stand the idea of a black man in authority over them, but there will be some newcomers, too, because it is possible to be only racist or sexist, but not both. Sadly, I think a fair number of white men who were able to support a (black) man for president are going to crack at the idea of a woman president.
redshirt
@Adam L Silverman: LOL. That’s the joke!
Miss Bianca
@Omnes Omnibus: I dunno, man, I dunno – but it’s discouraging to me how many of my white liberal/lefty cohort seems to swing between Sanders worship and HRC hate. I mean he was going full-bore “thanks Hillary for handing Trump your email scandal, oh IF ONLY Bernie Sanders were the candidate because he’s the only one who can beat Trump!”
I basically yelled at him and then pointed out that his man Bernie Sanders hadn’t even managed to win the Democratic nomination. And that’s when I said, “forget it, MB. It’s Facebook” and renewed my vow of No More Facebook, Not Now, Possibly Not Ever.
redshirt
@Miss Bianca: There’s definitely a level of sexism at play even with dedicated Lefties. The only question is how it will play out in November. I bet it’s not an issue at all when it comes down to voting.
Miss Bianca
@Adam L Silverman: I did find myself wondering if you’d take a swing at that one…!
MomSense
@Adam L Silverman:
Nice! I bet Mainers could hold their own with Floridians when it comes to truck stories.
Omnes Omnibus
@Miss Bianca: I spent the weekend with family and, politically, it was nice. I have one aunt who needs constant talking off the ledge because she is a panicky type. My dad is the one who was most likely to be Bernie-curious and he decided long ago that, while some of Bernie’s ideas were good, Bernie, himself, was a nonstarter.
MomSense
@Miss Bianca:
it can be pretty awful. If you say you can’t vote for the “blond bitch” about Secretsry Clinton, you are not a progressive.
Adam L Silverman
@redshirt: Not that there would be anything wrong with that.
Miss Bianca
@Omnes Omnibus: your family sounds like a bastion of restful sanity. My family’s political conversations, between troglodyte Trumpism and die-hard Berners, would be horrorshow, dearly as I love ’em.
Adam L Silverman
@Miss Bianca: You’re going to compound this by adding swing to johnson and curious? Did you get into the kittens catnip again?
Omnes Omnibus
@Miss Bianca: My family has, as all do, weird shit going on but, until one gets to second cousins in Arizona and shit, retrograde politics is not an issue.
MomSense
@Adam L Silverman:
It’s like watching tv with a 12 year old. There is a certain commercial for caulk and another for gospel songs that can send my kid into laughing fits.
Miss Bianca
@redshirt: I came damn close to saying “Fuck You.” But what I really wanted to say, of course, is “unfuck you”. But I remembered my nymsake, who would consider that vulgar – and worse than that – impolite!
Major Major Major Major
Have we all speculated on the DNC keynote yet?
That guy from 2004 was pretty good. They should invite him.
SFAW
@schrodinger’s cat:
What, no love for Kim, or Khloe, or Khorir?
And I kept waiting for Worf or Sisko to ask Garak if he felt lucky.
SFAW
@Miss Bianca:
George Carlin?
Miss Bianca
@Adam L Silverman: Dr. Silverman!!
There’s nowhere to go from here but down, you know. Straight down.
Adam L Silverman
@Miss Bianca: You really want to tempt fate here?
SFAW
@Miss Bianca:
I don’t know how you stand it.
When my family gets together — usually Thanksgiving — we ALL hate Republicans. All ages, both sexes, different parts of the country.
MomSense
@Major Major Major Major:
All the pointing and mocking opportunity is on the RNC side of things. I thought Eastwood’s empty chair thing was a disaster but he would be the highlight this time. Paul LePage and Mike Tyson have both turned down appearing at the convention.
I hope DNC highlights some of the next generation of potential governors and presidents. Otherwise I’m hoping for a conflict free convention.
SFAW
@efgoldman:
Wow. That was good.
Omnes Omnibus
@Adam L Silverman: Of course she does.
MomSense
@efgoldman:
Very clever Mr. EFG.
Miss Bianca
@Adam L Silverman: Depends. Do I get a prize?
Adam L Silverman
@Omnes Omnibus: I’ll just send her a clown video. Usually puts a stop to this sort of thing right quick!
eclare
@Major Major Major Major: There was an article in the New York Times recently about 12 or so Democrats under 45 to watch. Of course the Castros were on there, and I think Booker, but most of the others I had never heard of, and they all had very impressive resumes. But yeah, that guy from 2004, if he’s still around.
ETA: at least we shouldn’t have any problem getting speakers to show up
SFAW
@Major Major Major Major:
I heard he’s having some problems with la Migra — something about not having valid proof of having been born in the U S of A
Major Major Major Major
@eclare: oh yeah, Booker would be good. They had a Castro last time tho.
@MomSense: well I wasn’t asking to point and laugh ?
Adam L Silverman
@Miss Bianca: Clown videos!
Miss Bianca
@Adam L Silverman: Damn. That is cold. Just cold.
ETA: Still waiting for my clown panda!
Omnes Omnibus
@Adam L Silverman: Bastard.
redshirt
@Miss Bianca: I’m sorry if I offended. It was not my intent.
MomSense
@Major Major Major Major:
I know. It’s just so hard to resist the train wreck aspect of the RNC convention. They are having trouble raising money, securing sponsors, finding speakers, and convincing delegates to leave their guns at home.
Adam L Silverman
@Miss Bianca: @Omnes Omnibus: Always leave the audience wanting more…
And its been a long day. I hadn’t planned on doing three posts, but events occurred, decisions were made, no one was spared.
I had actually intended to do a post on the IS bombings around the Middle East over the past several days. Probably do it tomorrow or Thursday.
Miss Bianca
@redshirt: Are you kidding me? There was no offense taken.
Major Major Major Major
@Adam L Silverman: Good ‘ol Adam, always posting with extreme prejudice.
Omnes Omnibus
@Adam L Silverman: WE DON’T WANT CLOWNS! ‘kay?
MomSense
@Adam L Silverman:
Will definitely look for your take on this. The Medina bombing really surprised me. There seem to be some shifts taking place.
Miss Bianca
@Adam L Silverman: You know I was kidding, right? I mean *seriously* – NO RUSH on the clown videos.
Major Major Major Major
@Miss Bianca: So you’re saying you don’t want a supercut from It.
Miss Bianca
@Major Major Major Major: GAAAHHH – et tu, M4?? Then fall, MB!
redshirt
@Miss Bianca: Cool! We all float down here anyways, right? :)
Adam L Silverman
@Major Major Major Major: I’m not sure how to take that.
Adam L Silverman
@Omnes Omnibus: What if I can find clowns shooting artillery?
Miss Bianca
@redshirt: That’s right, I – saaaaayyy. Don’t YOU start with that funny stuff, Mister!
@Adam L Silverman: OK, I would *totally* watch that.
Omnes Omnibus
@shomi: You continue to be an idiot. Well done.
redshirt
@Miss Bianca: Scary Clown asks:
Major Major Major Major
@Adam L Silverman: @Miss Bianca: The Last Circus has something like that, as I recall.
Omnes Omnibus
@Adam L Silverman: Not going to happen. I could see clowns managing Armor, but there are limits.
Adam L Silverman
@MomSense: Honestly this isn’t surprising. So here’s a bit of a teaser. The doctrine of IS, Abdul Wahhab’s radical tawheed (unitary understanding of the Deity), has long been used to assert that tombs, ostentatious mosques, art, etc get between the believer and the Deity. This creates unbelief and apostasy, which is to be stamped out. In the late 19th Century the Saudi Ikhwan (brotherhood), who were/are not the same as the Muslim Brotherhood, attempted to destroy the Prophet’s tomb and mosque in Medina and crack down on what they believed was apostasy and unbelief in the Hijaz in general and the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina in specific. The Saudi Ikhwan, who were desert tribesman from the Eastern portion of Saudi Arabia, had been heavily proselytized by Abdul Wahhab and his descendants and basically functioned as the shock troops of the muwaheedun (the followers/adherents to radical tawheed). Ibn Saud put his foot down and reigned them in making it clear they were to stay out of the Hijaz. So what we saw in Saudi over the past several days is not surprising.
The attacks in Turkey and Baghdad are a bit different. The latter is an attempt by IS in Iraq to demonstrate they are still operationally viable and effective as they are driven out of Fallujah and Mosul. In Turkey I think it was a reprisal for Erdogan’s diplomatic efforts of rapprochement over the past several weeks.
Adam L Silverman
@Major Major Major Major: @Miss Bianca: We all float down here!
Also, the new It! has started filming.
Omnes Omnibus
@Major Major Major Major: Okay, I won’t sleep tonight.
MomSense
@Adam L Silverman:
That’s a good teaser, Adam.
Adam L Silverman
@Major Major Major Major: Well that was certainly different.
Miss Bianca
@Adam L Silverman: I prefer this take on the theme, myself…
Adam L Silverman
@Omnes Omnibus: I couldn’t find one video so you’re right.
Omnes Omnibus
@Adam L Silverman: Gunners have their issues. Trying to rule France and expanding the Revolution throughout Europe and stuff.
Adam L Silverman
@Omnes Omnibus: True. Perhaps, given France, mime artillery?
Miss Bianca
@Adam L Silverman: Now I’m wondering what *does* come up when you Google “clowns + artillery”…but I’m not wondering enough to actually do it myself! I think I’ll crash with some fairy tales…not clowns…
Omnes Omnibus
@Adam L Silverman: No. Honestly, Napoleon’s grand battery thing makes less sense to me today than Gustav Adolf’s mobile batteries. I suppose things work in cycles – OTOH, I’ve read Mercer’s memoir of the Waterloo campaign.
divF
@Miss Bianca: I did it – it is a brand of fireworks.
Original Lee
I’m getting a lot of “If I had done what she did when I was working with classified information, I would have been fired and prosecuted” on my FB feed. I’m leaving it alone because I only ever worked with trade secrets, which are a whole ‘nother ball of wax, so they would just sneer that I don’t know what I’m talking about. I find it quite annoying that these folks are relying on the media headlines instead of reading the statement for themselves. One local radio station has the equivalent of “FBI wimps out of sending Hillary to jail,” which to me is the biggest tell for where their advertising dollars are coming from, but it’s taken as gospel truth because back in the day the station tried to be neutral.
Edited to correct typo.
Marcolin
The one constant to these ‘Clinton scandals’ that keep getting rolled out is that they require some second, conspiratorial step in order to be truly problematic. The email saga is a bureaucratic screw-up; Bill’s meeting with Loretta Lynch was an optics problem. Benghazi was tragedy born of terrorism; the Clinton Foundation is just plain milquetoast.
She would have to have been mailing and then deleting some heinous data in order to really be worthy of outrage; Bill would have to have been propositioning/intimidating Loretta for that to be more than generally distasteful. For Benghazi to be political malfeasance would require literal coordination with terrorists; and any attempt to claim paid speeches or the Clinton Foundation rises to criminality lacks even the thinnest veneer of plausibility.
I mean there are legitimate criticisms of these actions/events but they are nothingburgers without further substantiations and absolutely nothing has surfaced that makes these more than temporary political tantrums driven by an opposition party’s desperation for equivalence after major malfeasance.
sherparick
@WarMunchkin: Neither Judicial Watch, the Republicans, or the NY Times will ever give up on this. It will be wash, rinse, and repeat for the next 8 years. But in the meantime, we win so they can all GFT.
P.S. We destroy paper copies all the time. That is what burn bags are for.
PIGL
@Aleta: most of the front pagers and commenters at Naked Capitalism, a site apparently sane in most other respects.
Ian
@MomSense:
I’ve said before and will say again, I want the empty chair to have it’s own slottime.
Andy
That thought about Malia Obama was. not. funny. Holy Christ.