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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDemocrats Aren’t Rushing To Defend Hillary Clinton (National Journal)
3/4/2015
Everyone in Washington is talking about Hillary Clinton's use of a personal e-mail account during her four years as secretary of State and her homebrew computer server. Everyone, that is, except for many Senate Democrats.
As operatives, strategists and opposition research groups rush to her defense, some Washington Senate Democrats are remaining silent for the moment, saying they've been too busy with the week's packed schedule to be fully briefed on the crisis du jour.
Democrats have a difficult line to walk. They don't want to be seen hitting their strongest contender to keep the White House, but that does not mean they are rushing to shield her from criticism either. For more than a dozen senators, the easiest thing to do was to shrug off questions about Clinton's private e-mail or the fact she was running them through her own server.
"[I've] been busy with other things around here, like Prime Minister Netanyahu and ISIL and things like that," Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland said on the way to a midday floor vote. "So I haven't looked at it yet."
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusettswho has built a reputation of rarely taking press questions in the hallwaykept her head down as she bristled through corridors of the Capitol basement with a crowd of reporters moving briskly to keep up.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York asked "can we talk about it later? I have to go to my vote," she said before offering up a press staffer's name. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota also said she was in a rush to get to votes.
A fewincluding Sens. Barbara Boxer, Chris Murphy and Tom Carpercame to Clinton's defense. It's not unusual for a secretary of State to use a personal email address, they said, and a law that only allows government officials to use private email accounts if they adhere to specified stipulations went into effect after Clinton left her cabinet post.
"I'd be surprised if a number of secretaries of State hadn't done that for as long as we've had email," Carper, of Delaware, said. "That's all I'm going to say."
...But most Senate Democrats who stopped to answer reporters' questions outside the Senate on Wednesday pleaded ignorance on the issue.
...And as Sen. Ron Wydena strong advocate for government transparencyheaded toward the Senate office buildings, he said he was busy at the Supreme Court all Wednesday morning.
"I haven't had a chance to go through that. I'm going to have to go onto health," as other reporters waited to ask their questions. "I just don't have time for that one," Wyden said, indicating the question could be revisited after he'd had more time to read the latest Clinton news....
http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/democrats-aren-t-rushing-to-defend-hillary-clinton-20150304
leftofcool
(19,460 posts)As though a non existent email scandal was more important that some serious global affairs.
RiverLover
(7,830 posts)DemocratSinceBirth
(99,710 posts)The National Journal is a inside the beltway rag that self appointed members of the elite use to communicate with one another. It hardly is a periodical for the masses.
leftofcool
(19,460 posts)ChairmanAgnostic
(28,017 posts)For another, she better get ready to handle far more heat and flames if she really wants to run. Which I begin to doubt.
Finally, if she does run, dealing with such attacks will only make her stronger. If she runs.
Capt. Obvious
(9,002 posts)HappyMe
(20,277 posts)They have enough to do.
spanone
(135,844 posts)DemocratSinceBirth
(99,710 posts)It got to the point where Skinner interjected that there were a lot worse Republicans and he wasn't deserving of such treatment.
RiverLover
(7,830 posts)with MoveOn.org
You guys crack me up. Conspiracies everywhere!
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,710 posts)RiverLover
(7,830 posts)Today, 4 MILLION Americans & 2 Great Dems demanded THIS from the EPA & the WH
http://www.democraticunderground.com/112781921
2 MILLION Facebook Views in a Week! How Elizabeth Warren Turns Boilerplate Viral (TIME)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12652917
Bobbie Jo
(14,341 posts)"Enough is enough."
Seems appropriate here.
Cha
(297,323 posts)spanone
Romeo.lima333
(1,127 posts)Cha
(297,323 posts)NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)And hosting it yourself at a private residence on private servers???
Well, that's just a whole different dimension.
leftofcool
(19,460 posts)We have had ours for 10 years and it has never been hacked and my husband is in the computer security biz so hackers would love to get to him and read his emails.
NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)There are two sides to every email conversation and security at one end doesn't insure total security.
Ask your husband about that.
leftofcool
(19,460 posts)Honey pots.
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)I think that might be why you've never been hacked.
Many of the people who set up home servers aren't in the computer security biz, and don't know how to really button everything up tightly.
leftofcool
(19,460 posts)There are companies that do just that...............not the Geek Squad.
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)Here in flyover country, my home setup is more secure than those of most of the small businesses in town, and I'm not even a security guy. Sure, I had a masters in systems, but I spent my paid career in IT mostly doing coding and database, with only self-taught knowledge on security, mainly because I was the one making sure our servers met the standards for doing credit card work and passed the quarterly tests. Most people around here, for home or actual small businesses are just getting things set up by 'Geek Squad' equivalents. They're 'pros' only in that they get paid for their work, not because they're security specialists.
DesMoinesDem
(1,569 posts)No? Your anecdote is irrelevant and in no way proves your claim that 'a private server is more secure'.
We've never been hacked therefore private servers are more secure than the State Department!
BlueCaliDem
(15,438 posts)Why would I, as a Democrat, take anything these Republican shills have to "report" seriously again?
RiverLover
(7,830 posts)Clinton's Greatest Political Strength May Be Hiding in Plain Sight
Early polls find Clinton improving substantially over Obama's lackluster 2012 performance among a key voting demographic.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/next-america/newsdesk/clinton-s-greatest-political-strength-may-be-hiding-in-plain-sight-20150209
BlueCaliDem
(15,438 posts)Again, National Journal is as reliably Republican as Breitbart - just not as in-your-face. Liberals know this. Why is it news to you?
randome
(34,845 posts)[hr][font color="blue"][center]The truth doesnt always set you free.
Sometimes it builds a bigger cage around the one youre already in.[/center][/font][hr]
giftedgirl77
(4,713 posts)What is this your third fucking post of the morning on this shit? We get it you're not a Hillary fan & no matter what occurs you will ensure that it appears to be the most horrible despicable thing ever to occur.
still_one
(92,220 posts)themselves for government correspondence perhaps.
I wonder if any Congress person used their smart phone to send personal email related to government business
If they want a witch hunt for Hillary, I suggest we do a witch hunt for everyone in government, and expose anyone who used a personal email account for government work.
I know that there a Congressional critters who use twitter accounts when they are working on their jobs, and frankly if a twitter account is allowed on a government computer wouldn't be a security breech?
oldandhappy
(6,719 posts)1. The media is taking care of the story. Until the next so called scandal comes along. In a few days other information will surface -- predictable pattern.
2. Kerry is the first secretary of state to use a gov. email. So the 'shock' should include ALL previous SOS folk.
3. yawn.
RiverLover
(7,830 posts)http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/hillary-clintons-personal-email-use-differed-other-top-officials-n316611
randome
(34,845 posts)[hr][font color="blue"][center]Treat your body like a machine. Your mind like a castle.[/center][/font][hr]
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)shocking that might explain this silence.
Members of Congress are not covered by any of this - they are free to simply DESTROY any and all of their correspondence while in office. They don't have to archive anything.
I think a major reform in 'transparency' and allowing sunshine into governmental actions would be to extend requirements similar to current requirements to all of Congress and their staffs. Maybe put a one year delay in allowing that info to be accessed by the public by FOIA.
sendero
(28,552 posts).. that the broad details of the allegations made are true (which I believe they are and I also believe that is why no one approached wants to talk about it).
If a Republican did this you'd all be screaming bloody murder. But since it was "your" guy it's all smears, not important, government transparency is not possible, etc, etc, etc.
See why I don't trust the judgment of many people here? I want ACTUAL INTEGRITY in government not presumed integrity because it was someone on my team.
If you cheerleaders want to do some good, come up with a rationale that excuses this, stop trying to act like everything is lies only when its against your guy.
RiverLover
(7,830 posts)This isn't some made up smear by the RW, this is something that looks really bad because it is really bad.
Our party needs better. Our country needs better.
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)No one is bothered by this except the Hillary haters.