Republicans Are Prepared to Take a Close Look at This 'Hillary' Person

GOP Chair Reince Priebus confirms that, yes, the GOP has begun doing research for a possible race against Hillary. According to our mysterious sources, that effort began in, like, 1991.

Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus confirms that, yes, the GOP has begun doing research for a possible race against Hillary Clinton, Politico reports. We can add to that scoop: According to our sources, that effort actually is already underway, having begun in 1991 when Bill Clinton announced his presidential candidacy.

This is what Priebus told radio host Hugh Hewitt:

"[O]ur research shop, along with [opposition research firm] America Rising, has been focusing in on Hillary Clinton. But I agree with you that there needs to be a more of a focus. … I think that we have to be very aggressive on what she’s done or hasn’t done."

First of all, the idea that the Republican Party needs to put more of a focus on the Clintons and Hillary in particular is a bit strange. Both because she isn't (officially) a candidate for anything, but also because there are already almost 100 mentions of Hillary on the GOP's website this year alone. That seems pretty aggressive?

But this idea that they need to do more research is really something. The Clintons are to the GOP what Fidel Castro was to the United States: a foe that outlasted leader after leader after leader. The idea that Reince Priebus must now convene a group of experts to try and come up with attacks on Hillary is an amusing one. Just as Barack Obama could be handed a 19-inch-thick manila folder with the CIA's analysis of the former Cuban dictator, Priebus can simply open the folder on the GOP's server labelled "H. Clinton" and peruse Word documents pre-dating the internet.

Priebus wonders what she has / hasn't done? Come on, man. The Republican Party was almost certainly doing opposition research on Hillary Clinton in 1991. And of course, 1992. Also: 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 (for her Senate position), 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 (for her presidential bid), 2009 (State Department nomination), 2012 (Benghazi Benghazi Benghazi), and 2013.

So, maybe not 2010 or 2011? Earlier this year, we put together a documentation of the scandals, both serious and idiotic, that emerged during the Clinton presidency. We did this by searching our own files, stored at a site called "Google.com." Could help fill in those mysterious two years.

This is basically Priebus trying to rally the troops, get funders stoked about the upcoming  battle with the party's long-term nemesis. Or so we assume. Either way, we're looking forward to the result of Priebus et al's deep dive into this mysterious "Hillary" person. Should be illuminating.