The Republican of Springfield (Mass.), Jan. 28:

When Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders had an opportunity to fan the flames of controversy around former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server during her tenure at the State Department, he took a pass. It was a bit more than three months ago, during a televised debate, when the Vermont senator, after Clinton sought to downplay a probe of her emails as a partisan matter, said:

“Let me say – let me say something that may not be great politics. But I think the secretary is right, and that is that the American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails.”

The Democratic partisans in the crowd loved it. As did Clinton. And the issue was put to rest, right? Not at all. In the eyes of many Democrats, perhaps, but the American people will have ample opportunity to grow even sicker and more tired of hearing about Clinton’s emails. Especially if she emerges as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.

But even earlier, there’ll be another spate of news stories about the former secretary’s home-brew email server and the security of the arrangement.

After a federal judge ruled that the Clinton emails needed to be made public by the end of this month, they’ve been being released, in batches. But the final group won’t be made public on schedule, as officials have said they need more time to sort through them completely.

Here comes that controversy again.

We continue to believe that Sanders’ challenge to Clinton remains more quixotic than not. The Bernie boomlet, even should he prevail in both Iowa and New Hampshire, is not likely destined to last.

So, fast forward to the summer. Imagine that Clinton has secured the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. Think her Republican opponent and GOP-allied groups won’t be talking about her emails? They’ll be talking about them non-stop.

And Clinton, of course, will endeavor to wave away the attacks as rank partisanship, as old news that’s already been covered, as just more of the same.

Will Sanders (and other Democrats) continue to come to her defense? Absolutely. But there’ll be an awful lot of noise. Of that there can be little doubt.