What FBI Director James Comey did on Friday in releasing a statement that the agency is reopening the investigation into Sec. Clinton's emails because more have been found that may be pertinent was irresponsible and stupid, given that he doesn't even know what is the emails. To reopen the investigation, you need to have evidence of which he has none.
Mr. Comey, so protective of his own independence and seeming incorruptibility should resign immediately after the election as he has not served the American people in good faith - and let's be clear he has not done a valuable service to Democrats or Republicans. All he's done is set bad precedents and unduly undermined American democracy. He didn't follow proper procedure or precedent and hence put the FBI into the middle of a presidential election.
If not for anything, Mr. Comey gave a rhetorical, know-nothing bomb thrower, which Andrea Mitchell reported, more ammunition in a moment where clarity, and not ambiguity, is at a premium.
Republican vice-presidential candidate Mike Pence from what he said in his interview today thinks that Director Comey was pressured in July to not seek an indictment of Mrs. Clinton, but now is doing the right thing reopening the investigation. Again, our question is how do you reopen an investigation if you're not sure you have evidence to support that action? Dir. Comey doesn't know at this point what is contained in these emails. To opine, there are probably official emails on the laptop associated with Sec. Clinton's aide Huma Abedin that shouldn't be there but at the same time the FBI is already familiar with their contents. If they aren't then they didn't do a good enough job in the first place.
CNBC's Larry Kudlow said that the letter could have been more artfully done, to which Andrea Mitchell answered, "Ya think?" Great insight there Larry - you should just stick with your supply-side economics.
The panel also discussed that at this moment the reputation of the FBI is on the line. Larry Kudlow said that because of Comey's decision in July, the Bureau has been in large revolt, and so if Dir. Comey didn't send the letter to Congress that the information about the existence of new emails would have been leaked. Mr. Comey may have taken this step in an attempt to not appear political given this turmoil brewing internally at the FBI, 'correcting a mistake,' or something. In fact, the reputation of the FBI because of Mr. Comey's misguided statements from July until now has severely damaged its reputation, politicizing the agency.
As NPR's Audie Cornish explained, Mr. Comey created more smoke around Mrs. Clinton once again prompting the question of why there is always smoke around her and her husband, though there is never evidence of fire?
Republican politicians are happy that there is still an angle which they can exploit in the attempt to retake the White House and slay their white whale, Mrs. Clinton. And in the unfortunate event, for them, that she is elected president they'll take consolation in the fact that hearings will start immediately and the American people will go another full presidential term seeing one party completely obstruct the other, hence nothing will get done.
To give you an idea on what the effect a Trump presidency would have on the country, think about the fact that on Friday when Mr. Comey's statement was released the stock market dropped 50 points, because of the chances of Trump winning became better. For those who would say "good" because they some notion that the whole system should be taken down to better their lot in life are so misinformed that it's simply sad.
The candidates are who they are - good and bad respectively - so you have to judge. However, what Mr. Comey did as outlined at the top of today's program is that he gave Republicans down ballot a lifeline. We would add that the lifeline has also extended to the Trump campaign. With that, today's panel seemed to all agree that no matter what happens, who wins, gridlock in government will remain and perhaps get worse. Case in point:: Andrea Mitchell outlining how Republicans, hard right and moderate alike, are gunning to get House Speaker Paul Ryan to either bend to their will or get out.
In the presidential race, Americans have pretty much decided which candidate they're going to vote for - pick your poison with each and avoid accordingly - so Mr. Comey's actions won't ultimately have an effect on that contest. At least that's our read on it. Where his actions will truly be felt are down ballot, especially in House races. Basically, in an attempt to save his own reputation, even if inadvertently, he tipped the scale. It's just not the scale everyone thinks it is.
On the other hand, At least if Mrs. Clinton does win the presidency, Mr. Comey will have some friendlies around because you'd have to imagine that that working relationship will be somewhere very distant from one made in heaven.
And speaking of heaven - thank God - hopefully, this is almost over.
Panel: Mike Murphy, Republican Strategist; Andrea Mitchell, NBC News; Audie Conrish, NPR; Larry Kudlow, CNBC
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