SILLY! – AT 11:58 A.M. ET:   The Dems are out claiming, in tones approaching hysteria, that FBI Director James Comey should be drawn and quartered because he broke Justice Department protocol Friday by commenting on an ongoing investigation, and sending a letter to Congress revealing that new e-mails had been found that might relate to Clinton World, which is not a vacation getaway in Florida.  But wait.  Did Comey actually break protocol?  No, says John Hinderaker at Powerline:

More to the point, however, Comey did not, in the first instance, make public comment on a pending investigation. While the investigation was going on, the FBI remained silent. It was when the investigation was over and the decision had been made not to charge Mrs. Clinton that Comey publicly explained, and then was called before a Congressional committee to testify about, his rationale.

That action, which was publicly applauded by the Democrats, led directly to Thursday’s communication with Congressional committee chairmen. Comey wrote to tell them that his testimony, under oath, that the Clinton investigation had been concluded was no longer accurate, in view of the newly-discovered emails.

One can agree or disagree with Comey’s course of action, but to denounce it as unprecedented meddling in politics, in violation of DOJ policy, is, in my view, silly.

COMMENT:   Yes, it is silly.  The director acted appropriately.   Just as important, he acted independently.  We now see the value in the statute that gives the FBI director a ten-year term, not subject to political interference.

The story is still developing.  This will be a fascinating nine days, culminating in a presidential election.

October 30, 2016