All of a Sudden the Media is Talking About Colin Powell's Emails

For 20 months that's been off limits. We've talked some about the Clinton Rules in the last few days.

http://www.vox.com/2015/7/6/8900143/hillary-clinton-reporting-rules

"The New York Times Screws Up Its Clinton Coverage, Part Infinity"

"Hey, look, there goes the plot."

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a48298/clinton-passport-scandal-new-york-times/

But that the media has chosen to suddenly highlight what Colin Powell has said underscores one very important Clinton Rule. 

The Clintons can never be compared with other politicians but only with the Almighty Himself. 

A lot has been made of her using private email while at the State Department. The media simply refuses to even admit that other SOS's have used private email extensively, or that many government officials at the federal and state level have used it. 

What is interesting is that even after the whole furor over Hillary's email practices-for six months this was the only story cable news cared about nonstop, every day, every program in 2015 and int continues to be a story that is covered every single day-it emerged late 2015 that Defense Secretary Ash Carter had also been using private email. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/17/us/politics/defense-secretary-ashton-carter-conducted-some-official-business-on-a-personal-email-account.html?_r=0

It was a one day story and it was over. Of course. Carter isn't running for President. 

Often when you point out how many others have used private email, the press response is: but they aren't running for President. Good to know, you don't have to follow any rules unless you are running for President. 

But then this maxim isn't true either. While Jeb Bush was running for POTUS he often castigated Hillary's email practices and no one in the press every thought to point out that when he was Florida Governor he also used private email. 

Of course, the media can't allow this to in anyway be relativized by adding context. Is using private email unforgivable? Not unless you're Hillary Clinton. Media Matters' Eric Boehlert:

"press categorically refused to put Clinton email use in context w/ previous SoS's; refuses to acknowledge facts that dent 'scandal'

https://twitter.com/EricBoehlert/status/772050847941349376

Yes, and why not? Because providing context relativizes what the media is trying to make a damning personal indictment of her alone.

If you want to argue for branding a scarlet A on someone's forehead you have to clamp down on any suggestion that anyone else has ever been in anything approximating her position.

So every other use of private email was alright. Powell's use was fine. Even though, he unlike her, was actually hacked by Guccifer.

Even though he actually has been found to be lying.

"Did you notice how Media has decided to ignore Colin Powell's falsehoods on his discussions with Hillary on use of private email?"

https://twitter.com/armandodkos/status/772045081469648896

"press has been adamant for 18 mos not to involve Powell in email story, now he gets a pass on the facts."

https://twitter.com/EricBoehlert/status/772049946803474432

Remember after the media accused her of lying when she stated that Powell had given her advice on the email setup? Now it's confirmed. But the media doesn't reflect on the fact that this shows he lied.

"Colin Powell seems to have given People magazine a questionable timeline about when he talked emails with Clinton."

https://twitter.com/Sam_Frizell/status/771825205257789440

But the Clinton Rules mean: a lie is only really a lie if a Clinton lies. Other people can be given a break.

"Powell told People he advised "a year" after Clinton began using a private server. According to the FBI, it was in early 2009..."

https://twitter.com/Sam_Frizell/status/771825628433698816

At the time, the media assumed that if her story and Powell's were in contradiction it must be she who was lying.