March 11, 2015
By: Linda Case Gibbons
Classified or not classified? That is the question.
It could be called Political Tunnel Vision, politicians whose sight is turned inward. All that is important to them is, "What will this do to me? What will this do for me?”
This week Hillary Clinton did her usual Democratic song and dance. There was no apology for her e-mail debacle. She tried a reprise of her Hug- It-Out routine.
"I did more than I was required,” she said officiously, and implied she was doing the government and us a favor by winnowing through her State Department e-mails herself, destroying a lot, then magnanimously turning over the 55,000 e-mails that were left.
We were supposed to trust her.
It’s not the first time in her career that Hillary Clinton has become testy in public, and she did it again, this time during the "E-Mail Interview.”
Although she was there to explain herself, at one point she clearly was done with explaining herself, and finally told reporters to read the law.
We did. She should have.
The Federal Records Act requires the preservation of any official record, which is defined as "whatever record relates to the performance of a federal official’s duties.”
That’s just about everything. That would include even Hillary’s "personal” e-mails, the ones she decided to delete.
As an attorney she well knows "personal” e-mails can contain "classified” information. That’s what "discovery” is in a lawsuit. Opposing attorneys are granted access to everything related to that lawsuit from both sides. It’s the law.
Amazing what you can tell about a person’s life by reading their "personal” e-mails.
That’s probably what Hillary is worried about.
Let’s say you are the secretary of state. You simply tell a friend you’re going to lunch with a certain person after your yoga class -- or after planning your mother’s funeral -- or your daughter’s wedding. You are tipping off anyone who might be interested where you are and where your companion is.
A casual mention of someone in your personal e-mails could put their lives in jeopardy. Why? Because we live in dangerous times.
When you’re a Top Dog, you tend to run with other Top Dogs and there are people watching, some of whom might wish you or your companion ill.
Why? Because you’re a top U.S. government official. Because you’re a member of the president’s cabinet.
It’s not easy when you are a top dog, but the people who put you in office expect you to use common sense. And that old saw, "Loose lips sink ships,” is as true now as it was during World War II.
Keeping important information secure, that’s what "classified” is all about.
Remember Navy SEAL Team Six? The film industry was given carte blanche access to Obama’s War Room information about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Information about their methods, but most importantly, their identities.
In August 2011, seventeen members of SEAL Team 6 were killed in Afghanistan when their helicopter was shot down by insurgents.
Some, such as the parents of the deceased SEALs, tied it back to the leak about the Team and the bin Laden raid.
Whether it is sheerly a coincidence or stupidity on the part of the administration about how the military works, is up for grabs. In any event, classified information is a big deal and yes, this is about more than Hillary.
But then again, so was Benghazi. It’s not the first time this woman has placed others in danger.
As custodian of official government records, Hillary violated a federal law if she "willfully and unlawfully concealed, removed, mutilated, obliterated, falsified or destroyed” official government records.
The law makes that a felony and states the perpetrator shall "forfeit his office and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States.”
Makes 2016 look a little grim for her, doesn’t it? But, no matter what she and Bill think, they are not above the law just because they say so.
Predictably there was much discussion after her interview about her interview.
After she completed an appearance before the United Nations, she pushed her agenda for women, again. She attacked the senators who wrote a letter to Iran and was righteously indignant for placing the president in an embarrassing position.
But the glaring issue that should have stood out in everyone’s mind was one most people missed.
Looking at Hillary Clinton, do you really believe she does yoga?
Hold the line, America.