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Hillary's "Yeah But" Defense
Townhall.com ^ | February 7, 2016 | D.W. Wilber

Posted on 02/07/2016 8:57:49 AM PST by Kaslin

Long ago when I was a youth I remember my father telling me that a person with real character admitted to his mistakes and took his lumps. The thought of lying about or denying something I was responsible for should never even cross my mind. It was just the way most kids were raised back then. If you screwed up and you were caught you stepped forward to admit the wrong-doing, even if it meant there would be some "lumps" involved.

Trying to limit or deflect any punishment by comparing your actions to another's was something that just never worked. Telling your dad, "But little Jimmy also did it", wasn't an argument that dad wanted to hear. In fact, trying that tactic would usually result in worse punishment than just admitting to something up front. My dad called it the "Yeah But" defense. And it was unacceptable.

Nowadays the "Yeah But" defense is alive and well within the Democrat Party. Democrat political pundits and apologists resort to it often when trying to explain away another member of their party's transgressions. It seems that in their minds pointing out that "little Jimmy did it too" serves as some sort of legitimate excuse for a Democrat's misdeeds.

Just recently, former Secretary of State and Democrat Party front-runner for the party's nomination for president in 2016, Hillary Clinton has resorted to the "Yeah But" defense. Apparently trying justify her and her senior staff's activities in the on-going e-mail scandal plaguing her campaign.

As if the fact, as has been recently reported alleging that former Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice also had a couple of low level classified messages sent to a private e-mail address, serves as a reasonable explanation for Hillary's use of her own private, and unsecured e-mail 'server' to transmit and receive highly classified information. Arguing that it serves as some sort of 'get out of jail free card' for Ms. Clinton.

Supposedly Powell and Rice's reported transgressions are somehow comparable to what Hillary Clinton and members of her senior staff are currently under scrutiny for. All subjects of an FBI investigation for having more than a thousand classified e-mails sent and received over her private e-mail 'server'.

Some of which were classified at the highest levels, including Special Access Program information considered higher than Top Secret. Hardly the same thing as what may have been done by those serving before her.

Just the other day after a question from a news reporter, Hillary was quick to assert that she isn't the only former Secretary of State to have transgressed. Quickly resorting to the "Yeah But" defense in pointing out that her recent predecessors also had done the same thing. As if two wrongs make a right. Apparently only to a Democrat.

Hillary and her defenders have also been trying to create doubt about the classification of documents at all, claiming that "over-classification" is a problem in government. Apparently the 'smartest woman in the world' and her sycophants aren't aware of the fact that out of bits and pieces of so-called harmless information, our enemy's intelligence services are able to construct an entire puzzle. A puzzle which may reveal some of our most closely held secrets and place the nation at extreme risk.

Which is the reason why no one can just unilaterally decide that something really isn't classified after all. That falls to the originator of the document or the sensitive information to decide.

Almost before the ink dried in the newspapers Hillary's defenders were on as many television news and interview programs as they could manage, in order to leap to her defense and point out the transgressions of Hillary's predecessors, or trying to claim over-classification.

The "Yeah But" defense has long been a staple of the Democrat Party, also known as the 'Party of Non-Responsibility'. Whenever confronted with the misdeeds of any of its members the typical response has been to go on the offensive. Admit nothing, deny everything, and make counteraccusations.

Instead of owning up to any shortcomings they'll simply look to blame others. "Oh, it's Bush's fault". Or, "Oh, it's Cheney's fault". Anything but admit to any responsibility for themselves.

It simply doesn't matter to them that real crimes may have been committed. All that matters is party loyalty at all costs. Regardless of what is best for America. That has always been the main concern of the Democrat Party, protecting the party over all else, including the American people.

Well it's become pretty obvious that Hillary's father never had the same conversation with his daughter that my father, and many other fathers had with their kids way back when. He obviously never told her when she was growing up that resorting to the "yeah but" defense to justify one's own misdeeds is rather cowardly at the least, and unseemly at best. And certainly not an acceptable argument to the FBI investigators looking into her placing America's national security at risk.

And it shouldn't be acceptable to the American people.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
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1 posted on 02/07/2016 8:57:49 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Isn’t she cuuuuute? My, oh my.


2 posted on 02/07/2016 9:09:24 AM PST by cloudmountain
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To: Kaslin

Hilary doesn’t care if the American people accept her behavior or not. It’s why she lies.


3 posted on 02/07/2016 9:10:21 AM PST by poobear (Socialism in the minds of the elites is a con-game for the serfs, nothing more.)
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To: Kaslin
hillary telling the truth for dummies hillary clinton truth serum
4 posted on 02/07/2016 9:17:10 AM PST by Bon mots
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To: poobear

Sadly, many just don’t care. Bring back the fire & brimstone!


5 posted on 02/07/2016 9:18:08 AM PST by FES0844
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To: Kaslin
How in the world can anyone with a clear conscience stoop so low and support this jackal?
6 posted on 02/07/2016 9:20:04 AM PST by immadashell (Save Innocent Lives - ban gun free zones)
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To: Kaslin

Hillary cannot admit she was wrong to use a private email system since such admission would only lead to questions about why she did that which would lead to admission of guilt of violating various laws.


7 posted on 02/07/2016 9:20:11 AM PST by DugwayDuke
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To: Kaslin

John Bolton weighs in .... some great points, including this one:

The situation is different, and much worse for Clinton, regarding intelligence gathered through sensitive sources and methods. While the significance of the content itself likely diminishes over time, the sensitivity of sources and methods can last decades or longer. Compromising these sources could put lives at risk and ruin billion-dollar collection systems. This is certainly true for “Special Access Program” (SAP) reports, recently prominent because even the State Department withheld 22 Clinton emails in their entirety because they contained SAP material.

LINK:

The Email Saga
The more you know about the State Department, the worse Hillary’s actions look. (John Bolton)
http://www.weeklystandard.com/the-email-saga/article/2000941


8 posted on 02/07/2016 9:24:54 AM PST by Qiviut (In Islam you have to die for Allah. The God I worship died for me. [Franklin Graham])
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To: Kaslin
The big question is whether the FBI is open to the 'yeah but' defense.

I suspect they are not... The law is the law, at least for little people.

Or as Orwell put it: 'All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.'

9 posted on 02/07/2016 9:28:35 AM PST by Senator_Blutarski
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To: Kaslin

“Hey! Everybody does it!” No Clinton, EVERYBODY doesn’t do it.


10 posted on 02/07/2016 9:28:56 AM PST by FlingWingFlyer (Viruses and diseases must be DemocRATS. They love open borders.)
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To: Mhoskers

I know I’m in the minority here at FR, but Hillary will be indicted, and here’s why.

We know how much the Clintons hate Obama for “stealing” the WH from Hillary eight years ago. We know how much Obama (Jarret) hates the Clintons for their treatment of him during the campaign and because HE wants control of the party after he leaves office.

This fight has been going on for 8 years. Obama knows that if Hillary is elected, he is out, and the Clintons are back in at the top of the party.

Low and behold, Clinton scumbag Eric Holder is out, and NY AG Lynch comes in with a reputation for prosecuting corruption cases.

Everyone seems to think that the Obama admin is leaking info to needle Hillary, but more likely it is Clinton people on the inside leaking (like they did during the Star investigation) to create the “Vast-Right-Wing-Conspiracy” smokescreen because they see the FBI, Intelligence community and Lynch putting together a rock-solid case against Hill, Bill, and maybe even Web’s daughter.

Obama gets control of the party, the ability to hand-pick his successor, a legacy of “Ethical Administration” (cough, cough) for prosecuting a top Dem, and Lynch gets the big white scalp(s) she’s always wanted.

I think they need to spring the trap just before the convention, after she has enough delegates, so they can “broker” in the nominee (Biden or the White Squaw) they want. They create last-minute momentum and avoid in-depth nominee exposure.


11 posted on 02/07/2016 10:00:43 AM PST by Henchster (Free Republic - the BEST site on the web!)
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To: Henchster

Good analysis.


12 posted on 02/07/2016 10:09:35 AM PST by surrey
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To: FES0844

Very sad!


13 posted on 02/07/2016 10:43:54 AM PST by poobear (Socialism in the minds of the elites is a con-game for the serfs, nothing more.)
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To: Kaslin

Yeah but defense is only appropriate if they are subjectivly handing out punishments. For example,if they let their friends skate but crucify their enemies for the same or similar thing, that is not following the law or being impartial and administering justice.


14 posted on 02/07/2016 10:52:49 AM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Kaslin

The elcetion choices so far

Socialist 1, Socialist 2, Socialist 3

Rino Goper Establishment 1-8

Unpredictable Populist Independent


15 posted on 02/07/2016 10:56:01 AM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Henchster
I think they need to spring the trap just before the convention, after she has enough delegates, so they can "broker" in the nominee (Biden or the White Squaw) they want. They create last-minute momentum and avoid in-depth nominee exposure.

Outstanding analysis. I make this out to be the winning prediction!

16 posted on 02/07/2016 11:04:20 AM PST by glorgau
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To: glorgau; surrey

I have to admit, a lot of that is wishful thinking. I backed into it by picking the desired destination, (indictment) and then created the pathway by including a few facts and fabricating the rest.

Kind of like how Global Warming got to be “Proven Science.”


17 posted on 02/07/2016 11:31:34 AM PST by Henchster (Free Republic - the BEST site on the web!)
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To: Kaslin

Hillary’s defense will be that it’s the server’s fault.


18 posted on 02/07/2016 11:36:35 AM PST by OrangeHoof (Obama - the AIDS virus for the American body politic.)
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To: DugwayDuke

I was sitting next to a 50 something black woman on the beach the other day. She was wearing a Hillary ‘16 hat. I just asked “Hillary hmm. Why do you support Hillary?” in a non confrontational way.

The reply,”You don’t support republicans do you?”
That’s it. There’s no “D”


19 posted on 02/07/2016 11:39:17 AM PST by Organic Panic
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To: Henchster

They’re well beyond what is needed for that. If they wanted her scalp, they’d have had it.


20 posted on 02/07/2016 10:37:19 PM PST by lepton ("It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into"--Jonathan Swift)
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