MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell clearly has the latest Hillary Clinton talking points. On Wednesday, she discussed the New York Times revelation that the former Secretary of State was pressed two years ago on her private e-mail server. That congressional inquiry, headed by Republican Darrell Issa, received no response.
On Andrea Mitchell Reports, the journalist regurgitated, "The answer I'm getting from the campaign is that was not directed at her. It was directed at every member of the cabinet." The anchor added, "So, it automatically went to the Legislative Affairs Office, which is sort of the dead letter office." Mitchell and Washington Post reporter Anne Gearan started giggling as the MSNBC host added, "Not to defend that, but that's where it basically went."
Gearan also had her Clinton talking points ready:
ANNE GEARAN: I mean, the campaign is saying, "Nothing new here. Nothing to see, folks." This was a query that went out to every cabinet head and it was in the waning weeks of Hillary Clinton's tenure at the State Department. So why is it only being released or leaked now at the start of her campaign? Fair question.
The best the Post writer could do was to allow, "...It's also a fair question to ask why it wasn't -- why we didn't know two years ago that, in fact, she had used a personal E-mail system if that query was sent directly to her at the end of 2012."
On the networks, Wednesday, ABC and CBS skimped on the latest e-mail revelation. Good Morning America allowed a scant 42 seconds to the news. CBS This Morning did even worse, allowing a mere 14 seconds. NBC's Today offered a full report.
A transcript of the April 15 exchange is below:
12:10
ANDREA MITCHELL: The Republicans have not been silent. One other Republican, clearly, Darrell Issa, this is the latest E-mail controversy, Ann Gearan, the New York Times reporting today there was a letter back in 2012 asking her when she was still secretary for another four weeks about whether she used personal E-mails. It wasn't answered. The answer I'm getting from the campaign is that was not directed at her. It was directed at every member of the cabinet as part of Darrell Issa's then-investigation into the EPA head Lisa Jackson and her E-mails. So, it automatically went to the Legislative Affairs Office, which is sort of the dead letter office [Mitchell and Gearan start laughing] at the State Department. You know, not to defend that, but that's where it basically went.
ANNE GEARAN (Washington Post): Right. I mean, the campaign is saying, "Nothing new here. Nothing to see, folks." This was a query that went out to every cabinet head and it was in the waning weeks of Hillary Clinton's tenure at the State Department. So why is it only being released or leaked now at the start of her campaign? Fair question. But it's also a fair question to ask why it wasn't -- why we didn't know two years ago that, in fact, she had used a personal E-mail system if that query was sent directly to her at the end of 2012.
