Ed Morrissey:
The toughest question yesterday about Hillary Clinton’s e-mail scandal didn’t come at the Democratic debate, but in the White House briefing room. After Barack Obama categorically stated that the secret, unsecured, unauthorized, and wide-open server at Hillary’s Chappaqua residence didn’t pose a national-security risk despite having been used to transmit highly classified material, both Byron Tau and Michelle Kosinski pressed Josh Earnest for how Obama reached that conclusion. Was this a directive to the FBI on which conclusion they should reach in their investigation, and why did the normally reluctant Obama discuss this particular ongoing probe?
Earnest doesn’t say it explicitly, but the implied message is … Obama acted stupidly on 60 Minutes:
[youtube]https://youtu.be/XG2pkAcegbE[/youtube]
[WSJ reporter Byron Tau] Thanks, Josh. In the interview that the President gave to 60 Minutes, he was asked about Secretary Clinton’s email server. And he said — and I quote — “I can tell you this is not a situation in which America’s national security was in danger.” How does he know that? Because there’s two inspector generals that disagree, and the FBI is investigating.
MR. EARNEST: Well, the President was making an observation about what we know so far, which is that Secretary Clinton herself has turned over a bunch of email to the State Department. And the review that email has garnered some differing assessments about what’s included in there, but she made clear that nothing that was stamped “Classified” was sent to her from that email account. And we know that to be true based on what has been collected so far.
So I think what the President was observing is that Secretary Clinton has acknowledged that this was a mistake. But she is cooperating with the inspectors general who are taking a look at this, and even with a partisan investigation on Capitol Hill — the eighth one — to take a look at this. That’s obviously the right thing for her to do.
Q But we’ve heard you many times, for a variety of different topics, say, I cannot comment on an ongoing investigation. There is an ongoing counterintelligence investigation on this. Why did the President decide to comment, given that the FBI is looking at this?
MR. EARNEST: Well, he made that observation based on what is publicly known now, and what we publicly know now is that no information that was stamped “Classified” was sent to or sent from that particular email server.
Q Should his comments be read as an attempt to steer the direction of that FBI investigation?
MR. EARNEST: Of course not. The President certainly respects the independence and integrity of independent investigations, including those that are conducted by the FBI.
That wasn’t quite good enough for CNN’s Kosinski, which is where the video picks up:
[Kosinski] And going back to that 60 Minutes interview, I know you just said that the President made those comments on whether or not Hillary Clinton’s email issue was a national security issue based on what is publicly known. But given that the investigation is still going on, was he trying to preclude the results of that investigation? Or —
MR. EARNEST: Absolutely not. The President has a healthy respect for the kinds of independent investigations that are conducted by inspectors general and, where necessary, by the FBI.
Q Yeah, but that’s the question then. So if he has a healthy respect for an investigation that’s ongoing, to the point that you guys almost never want to say anything about that subject, then why would he say so confidently that it is not — or was not a national security issue? Why would he say that as a statement of fact?
MR. EARNEST: Well, I think because that was the question — I don’t have the transcript right in front of me. I think that was directly the question that he was asked, and so he was trying to answer the question based on what we all know right now publicly about this particular case. But that certainly was not an attempt in any way to undermine the importance or independence of the ongoing FBI investigation.
Q So does he, in fact, not know until the results of the investigation whether or not this could have had an impact on national security?
MR. EARNEST: Again, I think that’s —
Q Is that what you’re saying?
MR. EARNEST: I think what I’m saying is that what the President — based on what the President knows now, and that’s what all of us know now, the President wasn’t speaking based on any information that has not yet been made public. But based on what has been made public and based on the public pronouncements of Secretary Clinton herself, that’s how the President arrived at the conclusion that this has not and does not pose a threat to national security. But obviously the FBI will take their own independent look at this. And for questions about the status of that investigation, I’d refer you to them.
That’s what Obama should have done with Steve Kroft. The Washington Free Beacon’s Alyssa Canobbio picked up the exchange late last night:
Obama and Obama alone (well, and Jarrett) pulls the strings on these investigations. He is breaking his own rules and commenting on it to cover his tracks and try to erase his fingerprints on the assault, but it is all Obama trying to crush Hillary and keep her (and Bill) out of the White House.
One small problem; the DNC threw up protective shields around Hillary, threatening the other debaters that they had better not tear into Hillary and CNN, being a member in good standing in the corrupt left wing media, avoided any and all follow-ups to questions that would have put Hillary on the spot, resulting in her coming out the big winner. Now, if Biden was waiting for Hillary to falter before he made his decision, the groveling MSM just shot his chances full of holes.
Giggle.
If Obama corresponded with Clinton on the private email account and discussed classified subjects, then he too is complicit.