Ya know, at some point House Republicans risk looking insincere.
Congressional Republicans are largely brushing off the news Defense Secretary Ash Carter used his personal email to conduct business at the Pentagon, with most giving him the benefit of the doubt.
“This more or less results in a simple slap on the wrist for him and a scolding,” said Joe Kasper, chief of staff for House Armed Services Committee member Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.). “I think that’s as far as this goes.”
No special select committee? No concern over whether Carter improperly mixed emails from work friends with emails from home friends? No Trey Gowdy melting into a puddle of self-righteousness while the click, click, click of cameras documents his journey from man to soup?
“In this new age of communication, is this so unrelatable to so many Americans?” asked Kasper, Hunter’s chief of staff. “I don’t think so. This type of thing, we can see how it happens, more or less.” [...]
“As Mr. Hunter is concerned, at least right now, he takes the secretary at his word that this was a simple mistake and won’t happen again,” Kasper said. “He also takes him at his word that there was no secure information that was transmitted.
Do you think Joe Kasper knows how he sounds right now, or do you think he's unaware? No—don't answer. Let's just enjoy the mystery for a little while.