"Fair enough???"

No... not fair enough, because you and Songwronger have, embedded in your posts, the premise that there IS "...a trail of lies and cover-ups..." that forever NEEDS further investigation. It is very much a "have you stopped beating your wife, yet, and if not, when will you?"

I can type endless explanations of 'why' most of these things are over-blown, hyped by the press who thinks hypothetical questions about a good scandal is more fun... and easier... than serious research.

Did you GfS, or SW, happen to watch Lawrence O'Donnell's expose of the IRS 'targeting of the Tea Party'? HE went and read the original law, and now faces are red and squirming is rampant because 501-c4 groups have been getting tax relief in illegal ways since 1959!! THAT is the scandal... not a few awkward attempts by amateur IRS flunkies in Cincinnati to take some silly shortcuts. But that isn't nearly so scandalous, hmmm? It sells more papers to take quotes out of context and use buzzwords in headlines.

Then, the ultimate response to those like me is to reply with MORE demands to 'defend' and 'explain' MORE innuendoes and ambiguous assertions about those scandals which may actually not BE very scandalous.

I'll quit beating my wife when you start asking her if she has ever BEEN beaten!