CNN Panel Slams Congress For Focusing On Clinton Emails Instead Of Police Shootings

CNN's Laura Coates: Congress' Focus On Emails “Shows An Absolute Insensitivity”

From the July 7 edition of CNN's New Day:

Video file

JACKIE KUCINICH: Comey's whole statement completely destroyed a lot of the things Clinton has said over and over and over again throughout this campaign. But it can be particularly politically damaging because you have a Congress that is more than willing to spend lots and lots of time having hearings. And we're already seeing the beginning of it. There's every indication that old Benghazi and the e-mails could become her new Benghazi in this Congress. 

ALISYN CAMEROTA (CO-HOST): So what's going to happen today on Capitol Hill when Jim Comey goes up there and the lawmakers ask him questions? 

ALEX BURNS: Alisyn, I think the big question is just how far Republicans think they can push it in an adversarial way with Comey. There are a lot of people in the party outside of the sort of hard core Trump base and outside of the people who are focused overwhelmingly on defeating Clinton who think that a showdown with an FBI director who has been really harshly critical of Hillary Clinton is actually not a great look for the party. The why would you move the focus off of her and on to a guy, of really, at least so far, just unquestioned integrity?

CHRIS CUOMO (CO-HOST): People are going to get to know Comey now, and he has a 10-year appointment, so that kind of insulates him from politics, and he's not the guy to go toe-to-toe with about why he makes decisions. We'll see that today. Let me ask you something, Counsel. Does it seem a little odd or tone deaf that they're going to be talking to the FBI director today about this e-mail investigation and there's no action on Capitol Hill with the police shootings, again, at least to ask questions, at least to get some kind of board together. You know, that's all these congressional hearings are about, to just hear what the issues are. Do you think it's going to play badly for Washington that they're focusing on that when we're dealing with more shootings? 

LAURA COATES: Absolutely. It shows a tone deafness that the Capitol Hill Congressmen, Senate -- their focus is entirely on not what the people care about. On the day-to-day routine, the day-to-day life of Americans in this country, we have an issue of police using excessive force. We have people who are dying, as you saw in the videos that surfaced this morning, at the whim of police officers who are being judges on the street. And, frankly, that is the focus people care about right now, not whether or not there was classification at birth of an e-mail that may or may not have been released outside of who was entitled to receive it. It shows an absolute insensitivity and a focus that will probably unnerve to the benefit of people who are running on a campaign that says, “Look, we're disenfranchised intellectually, politically, and there is a complete disconnect with our seated Congressman over issues like this.”

Previously:

Fox News And The GOP Descend Into Email Madness: Investigate The Investigators!

Conservatives Lose Their Excuse To Question The Results Of The Clinton Email Investigation

CNN Says “Take A Breath” On Clinton Aide Immunity While Fox Cries Indictment