Hillary Clinton ( AFP PHOTO\/NICHOLAS KAMM) and Julian Assange (John Stillwell\/Pool Photo via AP) <\/p>\n
Hillary Clinton, embattled by the ongoing questions around her e-mailing practices, has received a little compassion from an unlikely source. <\/p>\n
Julian Assange, the man who has made it his lifes mission to expose government secrets, suggested Wednesday that Clintons e-mail scandal wouldnt be much of a scandal if the U.S. government wasnt so classify-happy. <\/p>\n
Speaking from his room (described to us a converted storage area with a makeshift shower) in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has political asylum over fears hed otherwise be extradited to the U.S, the Wikileaks founder sort of defended Clinton during an interview with New York Public Radio. <\/p>\n
People just get into the habit of [classifying things]. Thats something thats happened to a degree with this Hillary Clinton e-mail scandal. Im more or less with Hillary on that.Theres obsessive overclassification, Assange said, according to an early transcript. Its basically because you can get into real trouble as Hillary is seeing for under-classifying. So everyone thinks: Well what trouble can I get in for overclassifying? And if I write top secret on something or secret then maybe people will bother to read it because the classification level means the material is important. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Clinton, who cant seem to strike the right tone of contrition over her use of a private e-mail for her work-related correspondence as secretary of state and the exchange of classified materials, could use a few more defenders though its doubtfulshell rush to tout Assanges support. <\/p>\n
Remember, of course, that it was while Clinton was secretary of state that Assange released confidential diplomatic cables. At the time, in 2010, she called his actions an attack on the international community. <\/p>\n
Well, Clinton, whose polls numbers are weakening, cant be too choosy about where she finds new support. <\/p>\n
Colby Itkowitz is a national reporter for In The Loop. <\/p>\n
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