It was the best of lies, it was the worst of lies. The GOP has released a new video mashup detailing the unprecedented FBI fact-check delivered by James Comey yesterday morning. This offers a stark look at the lies Hillary Clinton has repeatedly told about her e-mail server since its first exposure in early 2015. And it includes a brief but cutting cameo from Barack Obama, too:

If this looks somewhat familiar, it should. Reason TV beat the GOP to the punch yesterday with an almost-identical mashup, only with far less ominous music playing in the background. It’s a good start for Republicans nonetheless, with a sharp focus on Hillary’s biggest negatives and letting those drive the message of the day — and perhaps much longer. The big challenge will be getting this down to a 60-second spot to play in key swing-state markets, because … there are literally too many lies to squeeze into a TV ad.

Team Trump also offered up its own video attack, and they did get it down to a 60-second limit. As you can see, they also manage to make smart use of repetition to emphasize her dishonesty, even if they don’t necessarily offer the full breadth of it as the GOP’s video does (via Jeff Dunetz):

Perhaps the campaign envisages a series of TV spots featuring Comey and Hillary. If so, they can’t go on the air fast enough.

By the way, not every federal prosecutor sees an 18 USC 793 case against Hillary as a lost cause. Former Assistant US Attorney Matthew Whitaker served from 2004-9 and now serves as executive director for the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust. He asks a reasonable question:

Director Comey’s judgment was that “no reasonable prosecutor” would bring the case. I disagree. I believe myself to have been a reasonable prosecutor, and when the facts and evidence show a criminal violation has been committed, the individuals involved should not dictate whether the case is prosecuted. …

The facts also show it was gross negligence when she removed the information from State Department security. Secretary Clinton made the decision to use a personal email system, one that had inferior security to the State Department’s or even another commercial vendor’s email service.

A reasonable prosecutor may ask, if on numerous occasions, an unknown State Department employee had taken top secret information from a secured system, emailed that information on a Gmail account, and stored the information on a personal server for years, would that individual be prosecuted? I believe they would.

One Dickens quote seems particularly apt. Comey argues in essence that the law allows Hillary to skate scot-free on her elaborate system of evasion of Congressional and court oversight, and her serial mishandling of classified information through its deliberate use. “If the law supposes that,” Dickens had Mr. Bumble declare in Oliver Twist, “the law is a ass — an idiot.” Either that, or it’s being served by such.