Symptomatic of Republican feebleness, two men: Rep. Jim Jordan (Conservative, OH) and former Bush Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson (GOPe).  Both came out in recent days to scold James Comey.  The FBI director, declared the two, is just plain wrong for announcing his agency’s renewed investigation of Hillary Clinton.

Claims Thompson, in a Washington Post (establishment propaganda organ) commentary, Jim Comey is “damaging our democracy” by interjecting news of the FBI inquiry so close to the election.  Get this: Thompson co-wrote his commentary with Jamie Gorelick, one of Bill Clinton’s deputy attorney generals.  Bill Clinton: perjurer, and along with his wife, serially corrupt since the 1980s.  Admittedly, Gorelick possesses a lot of insider knowledge about hurting our democracy.

Jim Jordan, on the other hand, chairs the U.S. House Freedom Caucus.  The Caucus is reputed to be the cream of the crop among House conservatives.  Jordan, too, as reported via USA Today, questions Comey’s judgment.  He did it on Fox & Friends the other morning.

Let me get biblical on you for an instant.  Jordan and Thompson are reminiscent of the Pharisees. You remember those guys.  They followed the letter of the law down to its minutest detail while ignoring its spirit.  Small-minded and blinkered, preoccupied with safeguarding the temple and its culture, the Pharisees were incapable of grasping a serious larger reality and overriding truths.  Their sanctimony blinded them all the more.

For the record, none other than Jordan’s colleague, Trey Gowdy, defended Comey’s disclosure.  This video of Gowdy from Fox & Friends, and a quote of his from a Western Journalism report:

“Well, to the best of my recollection, Director Comey did not tell her to set up her own private email server, he did not tell her to lie about almost every aspect of the email, he didn’t tell Huma Abedin not to turn over all of her devices, and he didn’t tell Anthony Weiner to sext with underage girls,” Gowdy said”…

But let’s return to Thompson’s contention that our democracy is damaged with Comey’s announcement.

Let’s suppose that Comey said nothing.  Hillary wins the White House on Tuesday.  The nation then faces a president-elect under federal criminal investigation that will – not just could – metastasize into multiple criminal investigations.  The primary investigation revolves around Hillary transmitting highly classified information on her private servers.

Leaks from the FBI indicate that there’s near certainty that Hillary’s private servers were hacked by no less than five foreign governments or entities.  No one knows the extent of the damage done to the nation’s security yet.  National security officials are prohibited from saying, anyway.  Hillary’s violated the Espionage Act and more.  That’s serious jail time, if convicted.  FBI and Congressional investigations of President Hillary would consume most of the nation’s time and energies – indefinitely.  

What do we know about Richard Nixon and Watergate?  Nixon stonewalled, fighting tenaciously investigations of his wrongdoing.  He resisted calls for his resignation for many months.  The federal government suffered protracted paralysis.

Now, what do we know about the scandal-ridden Clintons?  When do Hillary and Bill ever concede a fight, which invariably centers on threats to them?  Why would we assume that President Hillary and her consigliore, Bill, wouldn’t fight furiously to save themselves?  The Clintons going quietly into the good night when everything they’ve lived for is at stake?  We can’t imagine a vindictive Hillary scorching the earth – Hillary and Bill, who’ve left wreckage in their wakes for decades?  

With the formidable powers of the executive branch at their disposal, what lengths would the Clintons go to preserve, protect, and defend… themselves?  No serious damage to our democracy under the circumstances?    

Or consider this alternative.  If Hillary’s elected, what will be the spin on November 9 from the mainstream media, Democrats, and, yes, Republican enablers?  Maybe something like this: “The nation faces significant challenges at home and growing dangers abroad.  For the nation’s sake, we need to put aside concerns about the Clintons.  The nation needs healing, not more division and strife.  Let’s get about the business of bringing America together.”

If that spin came to pass – if the establishment managed to stymie investigations and grind to a halt the wheels justice – wouldn’t that blow a hole in the rule of law the size of the Grand Canyon?  Would giving the Clintons a “Get Out of Jail Free” card promote or undermine citizens’ trust in the law?  

A farfetched scenario?  There are powerful interests in the nation – and abroad – that are all-in with the Clintons.  If Hillary and Bill come to ruin, so may they.  Certainly, their interests won’t advance.  Power, money, status – you name it – are riding on a Hillary victory and presidency.  Hillary’s Department of Justice will make the Obama Justice Department look nonpartisan and taint-free.  “Obstruction of Justice” might become the DOJ’s motto with Hillary in the Oval Office.

One other possibility: Hillary is elected and Barack Obama issues a pardon to Hillary, ostensibly for the reasons stated above.  He could wrap in Bill and other key members of the Clintons’ inner circle.  It would be a cynical, highly political move (in large part to spare Obama from investigation).  But if pardons came to pass, beyond the eruptions of outrage across the land, imagine the gross corrosive effect on our democracy.           

But perhaps we shouldn’t bother now with post-election consequences.  We’ll just deal with a Hillary presidency if it comes.  Our duty, as it is with Jordan and Thompson, is to be punctilious, to make sure that the I’s are dotted and T’s crossed.  Form over substance.  Voters – those who haven’t cast early ballots – needn’t be informed about so weighty a matter as the Democratic nominee being under investigation for felony acts.

Comey’s principal intent wasn’t to educate the public; it was to inform Republican and Democratic congressional leaders of the new Hillary investigation, per his pledge.  Comey’s indirect education of voters is collateral.  But that’s a very, very good thing… for our democracy.   

If better informed voters steer the nation away from a Hillary disaster in-the-making next Tuesday, Comey’s disclosure will deserve a Medal of Honor.