It is hilarious watching the N.Y. Times tiptoe around Obama's knowledge of Hillary's private email address:

Besides the implication that the Clinton team had worked to protect Mr. Obama, the messages about Mrs. Clinton’s private email server, like others recently released by WikiLeaks, revealed the kind of stagecraft and damage control that go on behind the scenes of a modern political campaign.

"Implication" is lovely.  That Cheryl Mills, John Podesta, and Neera Tanden were working overtime to insulate the White House from the Clinton campaign is a conclusion a sixth-grader could draw.  And "protect" is choice.  Cover up criminal activity?  No, no, no – they were just trying to "protect."

"Stagecraft" conjures images of Hollywood, the Dream Factory, really talented people making illusions appear real, and reality seems an illusion.  "Damage control" brings in the tawdry whiff of political manipulators, made explicit by "a modern political campaign."  The Clintonites were just doing what "they all" do, they’re just up to date, "modern," running a with-it campaign.  Who would expect anything else?

Ah, the cheerleaders in the media, working tirelessly for their gal.  The slogan that has graced A1 since 1896, "All the News That's Fit to Print," is looking so – so old-fashioned.  Time to roll with the twenty-first century, Mr. Sulzberger.  Time for transparency, for the truth.  How about "I'm with Her!"?

Henry Percy is the nom de guerre of a writer in Arizona.  He may be reached at saler.50d[at]gmail.com.