Barack Obama: “We were not -- I was not aware of what was happening.”

The full weight of the federal government is being brought down on a law-abiding elected official because she has dared to criticize the president.

Because if this becomes the new normal, there’s no reason to believe it will stop with her — or that future presidents, in either party, won’t do the same.

I’m going to insist that we can do better than we’re doing right now.

I think when we act on that basis, it doesn't always work out, but over time things do get better.