The investigations and the scrutiny will have their effect.  A resignation here, a candidate choosing not to run there.  But no one will go to jail or be punished in the legal sense for the violations of law in Hillary Clinton’s use of a private server for official State Department business.

Washington, D.C., just like Wall Street, seems immune to punishment for the violation of law.  Once a perpetrator has been nailed to the political wall, the issue decided, the political power shifts, and the political maneuvers result.  Political capital is acquired by one group, lost by another.  But do not hold your breath for punishment in the legal sense.  No one will go to jail.

From the “Fast and Furious” scandal to Benghazi to the Lois Lerner stonewall to the Eric Holder contempt of Congress, they all seem to terminate or be delayed in perpetuity and stuffed into a political limbo.  A “never-never land,” if you will.  Sandy Berger stuffed his pants and stole archived materials.  Pay the fine and go away, Sandy is the penalty.

It is much like touch football.  Gotcha, our ball. 

It has been said that everyone has something on everyone in Washington, D.C.  And that is the “touch” in the game.  We’ve got you; now go away.  But our system of laws requires, indeed, demands, that it not end with a settlement of “gotchas” and political advantage.  There must be a penalty beyond the political punishment in the Washington system, something past a fine on Wall Street.

Some say that it will not matter who gets punished, as the presidential pardon machine will be in full swing at the end of Obama’s term.  But just as to send a bill to the president’s desk that is sure to be vetoed is said to be a fruitless effort, it will leave a lasting mark for historical consideration.  So will a little prison time for the miscreants.  If getting fired from a government job is impossible, how do we describe the possibility of a little jail time?

Delay, deny, deflect, and wait for the next news alert to knock the story from the front page.  That is the game, and it works well.  Then comes the “it was two years ago, dude” and “we can’t look back, but move forward” gimmickry. 

I think there is enough “horsepower” in Washington, D.C. to look back and also move forward.  So, I call…

Eric Holder to the stand (Fast and Furious, who approved?)

Lois Lerner to the stand (IRS)

Ben Bernanke to the stand (Who got the money?)

Hillary Clinton, Cheryl Mills, and Huma Abedin to the stand…

(any more?)

For the record, for posterity, crystallize the moment and establish the legal instance where truth had a chance.  Let us then record the responses.

Most assuredly, none of this will happen.  And when we, and they, expect no punishment, a guarantee of “more of same” is instilled into Washington and Wall Street.  Hillary might be forced from the race; she might be embarrassed a touch, and she might be angry.  It will all soon be stuffed into the bone yard of Washington and Wall Street unsettled indignities.