It’s depressingly easy to see how this could come to grief. A rich businessman donates millions to the foundation. He wants to build a pipeline across the Caucasus. Suddenly unrest erupts in Azerbaijan, and it becomes a global flash point. A Clinton administration has to make some policy decisions under a harsh international glare—with Putin looming large, since this is his corner of the world.

Then Judicial Watch obtains some emails or other documents showing that the businessman wanted to talk to a White House official. Not even that he did. Just that he wanted to. And what if he actually did talk to a White House official? There might well be nothing wrong with that—the businessman might simply have some knowledge to impart. But nearly all of Washington would instantly assume corruption.

Yes, it all might be unfair. But it would happen. And it would be hell on her poll numbers. It would reduce public support for her agenda (remember, Rush Limbaugh once said, “Whitewater is health care,” meaning that if the Clintons could be dirtied up, their agenda could be blocked). And she surely doesn’t want to give the opposition an excuse to do to her the kinds of things they did to her husband.

I cannot understand how the Clintons can’t see this.