So CNN came up with an exclusive report that the exhaustive—and exhausting—FBI inquiry into Hillary Rodham Clinton's handling of her emails, and of the material therein, is reaching its expected end. To the great dismay of both Republican candidates and of what we may call the Salon COINTELPRO wing of progressive politics, the nothingburger will apparently forever lack sizzle. From CNN:

The investigation is still ongoing, but so far investigators haven't found evidence to prove that Clinton willfully violated the law the U.S. officials say.

However, we should all probably heed the wisdom of Winston Wolf on these revelations, for the following reasons:

- Obviously, the phrase "so far" is doing a lot of work there.

- The people who are hungry for more nothingburger have a story that contains both the phrases, "Huma Abedin" and "FBI." That's more than enough to keep direct-mail ratfcking enterprises in business.

- The Judicial Watch nuisance suit is still out there, and judges are taking it seriously. This means that we will have more stories containing the words "Clinton" and "depositions." That also is enough to keep the talk-show banshees wailing. Remember—Ken Starr's investigation of Bill Clinton was dead in the water until the gnomes convinced Paula Jones not to settle her lawsuit.

- And, as should have been obvious the last time around, the political potential of the dark Clinton mythology is immune to logic, facts, and empirical reality, as this gentleman at Town Hall demonstrates.

Trump will disrupt what are normally calm, sit-down presidential debates with a shock factor Clinton can't match. When Trump is hit, he'll strike back with a history lesson: Monica Lewinsky, Juanita Broaderick, Kathleen Willie, Vince Foster, Whitewater, Rose Law Firm, defending rapists and dozens of other seedy manifestations of the lacking Clinton-character. It will be brutal.

This is not an argument. This is an incantation. (He also misspells the names of both Juanita Broaddrick and Kathleen Willey, the latter of whom was dismissed as not being credible by Ken Starr's prosecutors.) The presence of "Vince Foster" in there is the tell. Simple innocence is powerless against the conjuring words. Career ratfcker Roger Stone, an ally of He, Trump, is making a buck off that very thing. From MediaMatters:

STONE: Well because we go into the Jerry Parks case and examine it. Parks is someone who had the goods on Bill Clinton, who dies mysteriously, and we lay out the facts for people. Vince Foster I don't believe—my conclusion after studying this for the book and I do address the Vince Foster thing, although not in detail. I think he killed himself, but Hillary's goons moved the body. They get the body out of the—out of the, the Executive Office Building because they didn't want it to be a crime scene where the Clintons' financial records would be available to the investigators. How do I know this? Hillary says it in her book, "Hard Choices." That was her first thought when she learned that Foster was dead. Her words.

HANNITY: That's her first thought about her lifelong friend, great.

[...]

STONE: Well and Sean I named the two guys who moved the body. I have confirmed who moves the body on Hillary's orders, but let me just say this: Foster's found 30 yards down a muddy trail. There's no dirt or mud on his shoes. Case closed. His body was dumped. He has carpet fibers all over his body. Not Roger Stone saying that, the FBI toxicology report. That's because they rolled him in a carpet. And I name the Clintonites, the Clinton goons who moved him.

HANNITY: Who are they?

STONE: Let's wait until we get to book publication week because you'll have the exclusive on that.

Sean Hannity—radio tough guy.

You just watch how it happens, and listen to Mr. Wolf.

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Charles P. Pierce Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976.

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