By now you know that James Comey has been fired by Donald Trump. It was the right thing to do. I had been waiting for this day since last July when I wrote a couple of posts about Comey. First, Comey established a two tiered system of law– one for the Clinton’s and one for the rest of us. Second, Comey destroyed the integrity of the Justice system. He boggled the minds of everyone when he publicly recommended against the prosecution of Hillary Clinton. That was not his call. He made a clear-cut case for why Hillary Clinton should be prosecuted and then demurred. Brett Stephens, then of the WSJ:
“In any normal political season this would destroy her candidacy,” Stephens declared, “because the evidence that James Comey laid out shows that she has been telling untruths consistently for fifteen months. This ought to play into Trump’s sweet spot, his view that the system is rigged, except that in a week when he should be gaining strength he’s talking about Saddam Hussein being terrific in the war on terror.” Stephens also accused James Comey of being less than principled, saying, “This was a purely political decision.”
Yes it was.
But there’s more to remember about Comey. He’s presided over a number of scandals.
1. Before he bombed the Boston Marathon, the FBI interviewed Tamerlan Tsarnaev but let him go. Russia sent the Obama Administration a second warning, but the FBI opted against investigating him again.
2. Shortly after the NSA scandal exploded in 2013, the FBI was exposed conducting its own data mining on innocent Americans; the agency, Bloomberg reported, retains that material for decades (even if no wrongdoing is found).
3. The FBI had possession of emails sent by Nidal Hasan saying he wanted to kill his fellow soldiers to protect the Taliban — but didn’t intervene, leading many critics to argue the tragedy that resulted in the death of 31 Americans at Fort Hood could have been prevented.
4. During the Obama Administration, the FBI claimed that two private jets were being used primarily for counterterrorism, when in fact they were mostly being used for Eric Holder and Robert Mueller’s business and personal travel.
5. When the FBI demanded Apple create a “backdoor” that would allow law enforcement agencies to unlock the cell phones of various suspects, the company refused, sparking a battle between the feds and America’s biggest tech company. What makes this incident indicative of Comey’s questionable management of the agency is that a) The FBI jumped the gun, as they were indeed ultimately able to crack the San Bernardino terrorist’s phone, and b) Almost every other major national security figure sided with Apple (from former CIA Director General Petraeus to former CIA Director James Woolsey to former director of the NSA, General Michael Hayden), warning that such a “crack” would inevitably wind up in the wrong hands.
There are five more at the link. And he never put hillary clinton under oath.
A nano-second is a billionth of second. That’s the amount of time it took for democrats to blow the dog whistle and they all have come running.
Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., a Senate Intelligence Committee member, made a more direct connection. “President Trump’s dismissal of FBI Director Comey smacks of President Nixon’s Saturday Night Massacre. If this is an effort to stop the investigations into Russian collusion with the Trump campaign, it won’t succeed,” he said.
But it was Senate Minority Whip Richard Durbin, D-Ill., who made the biggest impression, going to the Senate floor about an hour after the announcement to clearly outline the stakes..
“Any attempt to stop or undermine this FBI investigation would raise grave constitutional issues,” he told colleagues.
Trump’s sudden action “raises the question as to whether Russian interference in the last presidential campaign by the Trump campaign will also be investigated by the FBI,” Durbin said.
He demanded “clarification by the White House as soon as possible as to whether this investigation will continue.”
“Emergency hearings!” screams Elijah Cummings.
Nixonian! Constitutional crisis! the left wails.
The friable Robbie Mook is “terrified.”
Sorry to burst the balloon, but there are a couple of things to remember.
1. Who at DOJ is running the Trump-Russian investigation?
That would be one Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstine. Rosentine penned the letter recommending that Comey be fired.
The first count against Comey, according to Rosenstein, was his July 5, 2016 announcement during which he alleged Clinton and her colleagues were “extremely careless” in handling classified material on her personal email and server but also said the FBI would not recommend charges.
The memo said Comey was “wrong to usurp” then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s authority.
“It is not the function of the Director to make such an announcement,” Rosenstein wrote, adding that Comey “at most” should have said the FBI had finished its investigation and presented findings to prosecutors.
The memo said Comey compounded “the error” by holding a press conference to “release derogatory information about the subject of a declined criminal investigation,” suggesting he did so “gratuitously.”
The memo said: “The Director laid out his version of the facts for the news media as if it were a closing argument, but without a trial.” Rosenstein called it a “textbook example” of what prosecutors and agents are “taught not to do.”
The second count against Comey concerned his Oct. 28, 2016 notification to Congress that the bureau was taking another look at the Clinton case in light of newly discovered emails. While Comey has said he did not want to conceal information, Rosenstein said simply refraining from publicizing “non-public information” would not have been concealment.
Comey’s firing was not abrupt. He has been under study for some time. And…
Sally Yates, the current poster girl heroine for the left, has expressed full confidence in Rod Rosenstine:
Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates expressed confidence in the Justice Department official overseeing the investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russian government, undercutting calls from some Democrats for the appointment of a special prosecutor.
“The current deputy attorney general, Mrs. Yates, do you have confidence in him?” South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham asked Yates at the tail end of a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on Monday.
“Yes, I do,” replied Yates.
2. To whom does the FBI fall right now? Wayne McCabe
Wayne McCabe is the Deputy Director of the FBI. You might remember him. I wrote about McCabe in October:
By now you know that long time Clinton confidant and Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe used $467,500 of his PAC money to “help” Jill McCabe, the wife of FBI agent Andrew McCabe in her bid for Congress. The Virginia Democratic Party, virtually controlled by McAuliffe, tossed in another $200,000. The money began flowing into the McCabe campaign coffers, in another one of those galactic coincidences, at the same time the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton was initiated in July 2015.
Right around the same time, FBI Agent McCabe was “unexpectedly” promoted from heading the Washington DC office to the number 3 position at the FBI. Within a year McCabe was Deputy Director of the FBI.
So to summarize:
So let’s recap with my untrained eye. Hillary Clinton does a fundraiser for Common Good VA to raise money that is given to the campaign of the wife of the head of the FBI Washington DC field office who is unexpectedly promoted to Number 3 person at the FBI who after his wife’s loss in the election is promoted to Number 2 at the FBI and placed in charge of the Hillary Clinton investigation who then finds no reason to prosecute her.
Does anyone think the investigation into Trump is going to get shelved? Who’s going to cover up anything? A Clinton BFF?
For all the whining democrats have done since July one would think they would be grateful that Donald Trump fired the guy they all blame for hillary clinton losing the Presidency. Nothing seems to make them happy.
DrJohn has been a health care professional for more than 30 years. In addition to clinical practice he has done extensive research and has published widely with over 70 original articles and abstracts in the peer-reviewed literature. DrJohn is well known in his field and has lectured on every continent except for Antarctica. He has been married to the same wonderful lady for over 30 years and has three kids- two sons, both of whom are attorneys and one daughter on her way into the field of education.
DrJohn was brought up with the concept that one can do well if one is prepared to work hard but nothing in life is guaranteed.
Except for liberals being foolish.
Leftist headlines are already claiming it’s because Comey was investigating Trump – Russia stuff, as always.
Gotta hit that one…over and over and over again.
Dems and Russia: kind of like Reps and Birtherism, but with more stupidity and less facts.
Hope they keep it up, though. They’re only ensuring a 2020 re-election of Trump.
The “Constitutional crisis” occurred when Obama and company let Hillary off the hook for her crimes. The left is now claiming fascism etc. Funny how whenever they make accusations, those accusations are actually an accurate portrayal of themselves. And “Nixonian”? Actually it is Clintononian given that Nixon never fired an FBI Director but Clinton did. But revisionist history is another thing the left is good at (or so they think). As for Comey, don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. You were a moral coward who did serious damage to the reputation and credibility of the FBI.
@Nathan Blue: Let the left keep harping about their Trump-Russia conspiracy claims. Everything that has come out has disproven those claims (Yates’ and Clapper’s testimonies being the most recent) while at the same time exposing more and more evidence to support the accusation that Team Obama used national security assets to spy on not just Team Trump, but lots of other political “enemies” as well. Now that is a good example of fascism.
@another vet: I’m rather sure the last Administration did most of that, but my real interest in the institution of the Left, and how they’ve doubled-down on their b.s. after being rejected by the American people.
The use of propaganda is shunned by any critically-minded adult in a free democracy, yet the Dems just keep going down that road. Baldwin, Cobert…they’re not a hedge against anything, yet they are starting to think themselves “Patriots”.
Spinning out of control, they don’t know what they actually think.
Elijah Cumminings a pin-head just like most all liberals are totaly without any signs of ever have a brain or using it right
@Spurwing Plover:
Elijah Cummings can not appear to have a brain. He doesn’t have one.
So wait…dems threw a fit for Corey’s reopening the Clinton email investigation, and were partially blaming him for Clinton’s loss…but now after he is fired for his incompetence he is a hero/victim?
This whiplash is beyond outrageous. Every time you think the left has hit bottom they find another way to dig even lower.
@Redteam:
agree, elijah cummings is so far left his dead ass lies in the Baltimore harbor. it is time to clear the garbage and fecal matter out of this new administration. the slut clinton should have been jailed.
Remember the FBI investigation into the IRS? Neither does anyone else. The FBI ran a smoke and mirrors “investigation” which didn’t even interview the harassed parties.
Where are our liberal parrots? Have they not received their official talking points yet?
Say hello to the new boss same as the old boss. It will be interesting to see who gets the job.
No way they could have found any evidence of a Russian /Trump connection or NBC would be reporting what their sources have said.
Good to see Trump is back to making liberal heads explode.
@Bill: Fire the guy that’s investigating you.
Yeah that’s the ticket.
I called for Comey to be fired months ago–Trump said no–he was doing great. Bad timing to say the least.
@Richard Wheeler: Except Trump wasn’t under investigation. That entire fantasy only exists in the musty recesses of warped liberal minds.
@Bill: Trump calls the investigation a “hoax”. Only far right wing Trumpeteers buy that Bill. Trump is trying to make it go away. It won’t Too many Repubs back it’s continuation.
Trump didn’t have the decency to call Comey. One thing is certain. For better or worse Trump is one nasty, vindictive SOB and so are a majority of his Trumpeteers.
Semper Fi
@Richard Wheeler: Really? Where is the FIRST shred of evidence of Trump’s involvement or collusion? Who is the first person from the intelligence community to verify some substance to any of the accusations?
It should have been investigated (since all the liberal crybabies insisted it existed) and it has been. It’s over… DONE. Your last straw to grasp at has swirled down the vortex.
Sorry. You lost.
Why now?
Remember the Dems dragged their feet as to filling Trump’s Cabinet (and other)slots where confirmation was required.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstine, for example, was only confirmed (96-to-4) 2 weeks ago.
Who would have filled the replacement slot had Pres Trump fired Comey before then?
Another Obama holdover, that’s who!
Dems wanted him gone as long as his clone, another Obama holdover, would take his spot.
So, naturally, “the timing is wrong.”
@Y:
Okay Y, why are you overlooking the fact that Comey has told Trump on 3 occasions that all investigations into him and Russia had been completed and nothing found.
I guess you’ve seen the story about Colbert telling his audience of Comey’s firing and they all cheered. Then he had to tell them they were supposed to boo, so they changed their cheering to booing. Sheep.
@Y:
Y don’t you leave Trump’s ancestors out of the discussion. There are enough self descriptive words that you don’t have to include his ancestors in your complaining.
Wonder how someone was able to write about Obozo’s early days and include events before Occidental, during Occidental, Harvard Law and never mention Columbia. His problem is that he can’t talk about any event occurring at Columbia without naming someone and putting them on the spot. Nope, still no one has ever seen him inside a classroom at Columbia.
@Redteam: You continue to be a purveyor of fake news RT—Not only was Comey continuing the Russian investigation he was looking for additional funding to do so.
Trumpeteers like you and Bill don’t seem to get it–continuing to get your alternative facts from faux news-WORTHLESS WITHOUT O’REILLY– and Ms.Conway.
Comey is testifying next week—must see TV–
So, you count down my comment’s ability to be edited WHILE it sits all day in moderation?
That seems unfair.
@Nanny G: Sorry, wasn’t on since yesterday and just saw it. I’ve increased the time to edit comments so you can edit it.
@Richard Wheeler: Can you explain how the election was altered by the Russians, how Trump and his team assisted that effort.
Comey is under investigation by inspector general on his handling of Clinton matter. The allegations are the same as we have been questioning. Including colluding with her campaign.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/01/12/justice-department-inspector-general
We just need to see who turns up with a sudden case of suicide.
As usual, DrJohn misses the forest while looking at seedlings.
I’m reminded of DrJohn’s S&M PICTURE OF Putin and Obama, then his mock outrage at Colbert, and come up with the picture of MedicalMalpractice (as he is affectionately known around the Marlowe estate) being Don’s bitch.
Keep it classy, Nathan.
@kitt: There is no question that Comey’s 10/28 fiasco helped Trump.
No question Russia interfered with election–how much it helped DT? Can’t be quantified but certainly did damage to Clinton rather than Trump. HRC deserved to lose—sad part ,as you know, was she elected Trump rather than Kasich or Rubio.
@Richard Wheeler:
Actually, YOU don’t get it. Comey wasn’t investigating ANYTHING; the FBI was… and still are. Also, you conflate the investigations into Russian activity with the imaginary fantasy of Trump collusion; there was NONE. All that noise is merely salve for your bruised egos and eyes sore from crying and whining.
If the Russians were trying to sow doubts in the electoral system of the United States, you whining, sore-loser liberals are certainly making them a success. Since I never block or un-friend anyone on Facebook, I can see all the blubbering liberals (that haven’t un-friended me due to their close-minded ignorance) fits and conniptions over the firing of Comey. You people are simply pitiful. Someone should offer adult lessons.
So, Comey was a Russian stooge? Wouldn’t that make it a necessity for him to be fired? Consider that if Hillary had followed the rules and laws, Comey would probably still have his job and she MIGHT be President. Despite all the obvious and blatant infractions, the Democrats broke all the rules to make her the candidate. This is ALL her sole responsibility, the Democrats brought all this upon themselves and it is refreshing to see the proper people suffer for a change.
@kitt:
Forget it, kitt; no liberal has yet offered a single plausible explanation of how all the Russian “interference” had any affect at all. They also don’t explain why if they believe the US had 9/11 coming because of our own actions why Hillary didn’t bring the Russian interference upon herself because of the interference she AND Obama committed in the elections in other countries.
Hypocrisy, crybaby-ism and ignorance is not a pretty combination.
The language of a lunatic, or some demon-eyed apostate.
Notice all who gather around, that MM, kitty, Reddy and Bill -D are silent on the cowardly way Donald Trump fired Comey- unable to say it to him in person, to his face.
And you all worship at the feet of this man who is worse than the steward who buried his master’s 1,000 in the sand.
@Richard Wheeler:
So now you’re claiming Comey is a Russian?
Exactly what did the Russians do that hurt Clinton? Did they send out squads to kidnap voters? I don’t believe you can answer that question.
What did she do that made me vote for Trump rather than Kasich? Rubio, he’s not a natural born citizen, so he’s not eligible. Maybe lot of people, like me, wouldn’t vote for someone that’s not eligible.
@Bill… Deplorable Me: I just like to see them squirm for a logical answer, Comey would have been fired even if Hill had of pulled off her election scam. They all wanted him fired, until he was fired, I think Don should re-hire him just to see the dems spin again. It wont matter who Don chooses as a replacement the Dems will not be happy. not arresting Huma was his biggest mistake.
GOP resists calls for special prosecutor after Comey firing
Excellent. Trump just set them up for a 2018 midterm catastrophe, and they’re too dumb to figure it out.
Inside Trump’s anger and impatience — and his sudden decision to fire Comey
@Redteam: @kitt: The answer is simple but the liberals can’t admit it. If the Russians did it, the effect was to reveal some truths about Hillary and the DNC… always harmful to the left.
@Redteam:
So the investigation was over? And to top that off, it was all a nothingburger from the start? Much like many of the realities dismissed by the delusional and denying trump lickers in their gaslighting mission, this really isn’t the case at all. The WSJ among other sources explains otherwise, that instead of dying on the wine it was actually ramping up. We’ve learned that in the past 3 weeks, at the insistence of lawmakers from both parties, that Comey had gone from weekly updates on the matter to daily and that he was becoming increasingly concerned over the evidence. And his request for additional funding and manpower, according to several sources and lawmakers wasn’t because he was looking for something but rather because he had found something.
I have no idea of the mindset of a trump licker but it would seem that you either believe the WSJ and other right leaning sources and lawmakers to some extent, not at all, or just prefer they don’t exist if it doesn’t suit your agenda. Perhaps you want to cling to the notion that the investigation was a dead horse? Or like @Bill: , still struggling for “the FIRST shred of evidence of Trump’s involvement or collusion” in order to even consider the argument?
But in a non trump bowel bubbled world, many saw this investigation coming to a head, a man who trump and sessions previously viewed as highly favorable asking for more resources to lay out his case, and then trump and sessions doing a 360 and firing him on the spot. And firing him over something that happened long ago in which they approved of.
It’s really something that should make the most avid trump licker pause for air.
Pretty clear that Trump lied when he said Comey told him 3 times that he was not under investigation.
QuinnipIac approval rating at 36%–he’s gonna bring the Repub. Party down with him-nearly-2/3 of American people believe Trump involved in cover-up–looking similar to what brought Nixon down.
@Richard Wheeler:
Besides wanting to believe that so badly you can taste it, how is that “pretty clear”?
Liberals are TRYING to destroy the nation.
Jim is correct.
The president didn’t need to iterate a reason at all.
Jim’s not going to dwell on it.
Neither should we.
@Richard Wheeler:
So you’re predicting something along the lines of how Obozo destroyed the Dumbocraps? And then Hillary put the nail into that.
So where is your proof of what Comey did or did not tell Trump? Has Comey made that public? If he did, he should be fired. You’re still just making it up as you go along.
You still haven’t told us what the ‘Y’ is for.
@Richard Wheeler:
Is your memory really that short? Just for the hell of it, :RW or is that ‘y’, tell us what ‘crime’ Trump has committed. I didn’t know there were so many loser crybabies in this country. Now it’s even getting to former Marines. Whining and Sniveling doesn’t become you. Put on your big girl panties and grow up.
@Richard Wheeler:
Rasmussen has him at 48% approval as of this morning.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/trump_administration/prez_track_may11
The poll you chose to quote used a D+10 polling sample. Hardly reflective of reality. According to the latest Gallup breakdown of party affiliation, it is D+3.
That is why you and all the other “experts” were so far off in your claims that Hillary was an easy winner.
https://poll.qu.edu/images/polling/us/us05102017_demos_U392prfb.pdf/
http://www.gallup.com/poll/15370/Party-Affiliation.aspx
This might be fun:
President Trump could re-hire Director Comey again, just to watch everyone switch sides again.
Political correctness has been eating its own so fast that it’s too hard for simple folk to keep up.
We saw that when Colbert announced the firing of Comey by Trump only to watch the crowd CHEER!
He expected Boos.
If Hillary had done it cheers would have been appropriate.
But when Trump did it, it could never be appropriate!
How do lefties keep their heads from exploding?
By keeping them empty, I suppose.
@Redteam: Just speaking the truth and enjoying a beautiful day in So Cal
Seems you’re the guy always whining, sniveling and referring to feminine garments
Semper Fi Once a Marine Always A Marine.
Y moniker from Curt for Yes You are right again RW
@another vet: Your Ras poll–28% STRONGLY APPROVE 43% STRONGLY DISSAPROVE
Comey firing–3 primary surrogates said DT fired Comey on Rosenstein rec.
Trump told Holt at CBS he was gonna fire Comey no matter the rec.
Do you really think Comey told DT 3 times he was not being investigated?
Nice big slice of hypocrisy pie.
The left is full of lemmings. Many show up here.
@Mully: The lemmings are you Trumpeteers that blindly follow your ego maniacal self proclaimed emperor.
The firing of Comey will not make the investigation go away. It will shine more light on it. Striking similarities to Watergate.
The total liberal hypocrisy over the firing of a guy they all deemed incompetent is not that surprising; in fact, it is WHAT’S WRONG with the government. No matter how obviously incompetent or corrupt a government official may be, liberals never consider termination. After all, who is more incompetent than your typical liberal?
Of course, the metric changes when judging a conservative, but holding people accountable for their actions is not in their DNA; just attacking for political purposes.
Liberals are trying their best to finish the job of destroying the country Obama started.
@Richard Wheeler: I don’t know what Comey told Trump. I wasn’t there. What I do know is that Hillary broke the law and should have been indicted and prosecuted just like you and I would have been. Until the elitists are held to the same standards as the rest of us, we will have an oligarchy as opposed to a republican form of government That is how dictatorships come about. Is that what you want? Comey had his chance to show moral courage and uphold the law. He chose to cave to political pressure from Obama and company. He probably figured Hillary was going to win. He guessed wrong. Hopefully they go full bore and indict her. Perhaps once the elitist politicians in this country realize the statute of limitations for their lawbreaking and wrongdoing don’t end with their administration, they’ll be less likely to abuse their powers and that applies to everyone from both parties, Trump included.
@BS:
Well then, You misuderstood. He meant BS for the normal message you deliver.
So why have you been unable to maintain that standard and tradition? Few Marines march in gay pride marches with people flying rainbow flags.
So your grown up response is “mommy, he’s talking bad about me again. You could (well, maybe not) be a little more adult. So all the libs wanted Comey to be fired until Trump fired him, so now he(Comey) was their hero?
@Redteam: You wanna talk about a baby vs. an adult? Look no further than your typically infantile #46 vs AV’s adult response in #45.
You continue to talk about gays–accusing Megyn Kelly of being gay. You’re the guy who talks endlessly about chaps, gay parades and ypur gaydar. You preparing to come out of the closet RT?
Semper Fi swabbie..You’re making the Army-AV- look good.
Perhaps it would be wise of those in the service of the People to realize that that can and will be fired for incompetence. The time of the government just hiring more people to compensate for incompetence and allowing corrupt individuals to retire with full benefits is over.
Another Vet and Bill If Trump can outright lie to Pence re Comey firing is there any doubt he can lie to the American people.?
I don’t see how you men of good will can support this serial liar.
Was Comey under oath when he allegedly told Don the Con that he wasn’t under investigation?