In this Oct. 28, 2016, photo, President Barack Obama speaks during a campaign event for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Orlando, Fla. The latest clamor over Clinton鈥檚 emails has put Obama in a spot where no president wants to be: caught between his attorney general, his FBI director and his preferred White House successor. AP
WASHINGTON 鈥� The latest clamor over Hillary Clinton鈥檚 emails has put Barack Obama in a spot where no president wants to be: caught between his attorney general, his FBI director and his preferred White House successor.
With accusations of political interference flying, Obama is trying to keep his distance as an internal government spat bursts into public view. In a bit of unwelcome irony, Obama鈥檚 strict adherence to the notion of judicial independence, preached throughout his years in office, has hamstrung his efforts to defend Clinton against a GOP onslaught.
Democrats hope Obama鈥檚 hands-off approach to the FBI forms a powerful contrast to Trump, whose insistence that Clinton should be in prison seems to skip a few steps of due process. But on Monday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest was left to explain how Obama could be silent about an explosive issue.
鈥淚鈥檒l neither defend nor criticize what Director Comey has decided to communicate to the public about this investigation,鈥� Earnest said, referring to FBI Director James Comey. During an hour-plus-long briefing that focused almost exclusively on Comey鈥檚 decision, Earnest used some version of that formulation 鈥� 鈥渘either defend nor criticize鈥� 鈥� 10 times.
Criticism of Comey has mushroomed since his Friday bombshell, announced in a letter to Congress: The FBI is investigating more emails related to Clinton to see whether they contain classified information.
In a stunning airing of internal disagreement, some Justice Department officials blamed the FBI by making clear to reporters that they had cautioned Comey against notifying Congress just before next Tuesday鈥檚 election, and he鈥檇 ignored their advice.
Hillary Clinton, senior lawmakers and dozens of former prosecutors from both parties have all assailed Comey鈥檚 decision.
The emails were found during an unrelated investigation involving former Rep. Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of a close Clinton aide. But Comey鈥檚 letter said it was unclear what the emails would show or whether they鈥檇 be significant, leaving voters at a loss to know whether they should rethink their choice for president. Though investigators are rushing to review the emails, it鈥檚 uncertain if the investigation will wrap up before Election Day.
搁贰础顿:听Clinton challenges FBI, declaring, 鈥楾here鈥檚 no case here鈥�
Deploying rhetorical gymnastics, Earnest said Obama believed strongly in centuries-old FBI and Justice Department traditions 鈥渢hat limit public discussion of investigations.鈥� Yet Earnest declined to connect the dots by faulting Comey鈥檚 decision to pursue the opposite approach. Earnest argued he couldn鈥檛 second-guess the FBI director without knowing all the circumstances behind his decision.
Commenting any further on the unseemly clash would put Obama in the position of siding either with the FBI or with his Justice Department. And criticizing Comey for informing Congress about the new emails could elicit accusations that Obama was trying to put the thumb on the scale to help Clinton.
So the White House opted to praise both Comey 鈥� 鈥渉e鈥檚 a man of good character,鈥� Earnest said 鈥� and Lynch, while glossing over the difficult question voters now face about what and whom to believe. Obama was not expected to mention the issue during any of the half-dozen campaign stops he鈥檒l make for Clinton between now and Election Day.
But Earnest did concede at least one point: Comey鈥檚 letter, intended to keep Congress in the loop, had backfired.
鈥淐learly it had the opposite of the intended effect,鈥� Earnest said. 鈥淚 think we can all agree on that.鈥�/rga