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whispers of <u+201c>payback<u+201d> are being directed at hillary clinton after she decried as <u+201c>unprecedented<u+201d> the surprise fbi revival of its probe of her email scandal. 




that<u+2019>s because 24 years ago, as former president george h.w. bush was surging back against challenger bill clinton, a special prosecutor raised new charges against bush in the iran-contra probe, prompting clinton to claim he was running against a <u+201c>culture of corruption.<u+201d> 




many republicans claimed that the indictment made by special prosecutor lawrence walsh against former reagan-era defense secretary caspar weinberger the weekend before the 1992 election cost bush a second term. the indictment, later thrown out, challenged bush<u+2019>s claim that he did not know about a controversial arms-for-hostages deal that dogged the reagan-bush administration. 




when it came, clinton seized on it, saying for example, <u+201c>secretary weinberger<u+2019>s note clearly shows that president bush has not been telling the truth when he says he was out of the loop.<u+201d> clinton added, <u+201c>it demonstrates that president bush knew and approved of president reagan<u+2019>s secret deal to swap arms for hostages.<u+201d>
flashback: clinton cheered 11th-hour indictment that doomed bush re-election
howard portnoy