Yep. Hasn’t yet been proven to actually BE bad, just glaringly obvious that it LOOKS really bad.
I don’t see how this ends. Can’t imagine what will be bad enough for impeachment. And Trump seems to be increasingly feeling his oats. “I’m the President, so I can do what I want.” Meanwhile, he offloads his decision-making to subordinates, and enjoys the travel and hobnobbing with the powerful, increasing his family’s fortunes. And today’s paper reports a poll that if the election were held today, Trump would win again.
I’m increasingly convinced that we’ve got the government we want and deserve.
Even knowing objectively how stupid and petty Trump is, it’s hard to remember that in the moment. We’ve got several possible explanations for Comey’s firing:
He was too mean to Clinton. This is what Trump says, and it’s a transparent lie. Does anyone–ANYONE–actually believe the cover story? I think we can dismiss it.
He’s worried about the FBI Russia investigation. Sure, firing Comey stirs up outrage, but he worries that if he doesn’t do it, the investigation will tear down his house of cards. Better to weather the outrage than to go to prison. Risky move, but understandable.
He’s super mad that Comey won’t back his “OBAMA SPIED ON ME!” play, and he wants to get someone in the FBI who won’t make him look stupid when he tells lies. This would be an idiotic move–who would do something like this, when it makes him look way stupider?
The answer to that last question, of course, is Trump. It’s hard to credit him with that level of political naivete, megalomania, and pettiness, and so it’s tempting to go to another explanation. But there’s a pretty good chance that #3 is right, because he really is that naive, petty, and megalomaniac.
It’s important to first understand why Comey was fired. It had nothing to do with the Clinton emails, or even the investigation into the Trump campaign’s dealings with the Russians. It all came down to two little words: mildly nauseous. Ever since Comey made that seemingly innocuous utterance, Trump has been burning with rage. Trump cares more about how is is perceived than anything else.
Comey should have resigned after his campaign shenanigans. If Trump wanted him gone for performance reasons, he should have been canned on day one. No, Comey isn’t some liberal hero now. The very idea is just fucking stupid.
If Trump nominates Giuliani for the position I will schedule my vacation for the week of the Senate confirmation hearings. There’s no way I’m missing that comedy gold.
Comey should have been fired for his erratic actions in investigating Clinton emails. Fired last year by Obama, but that would have been a political problem for the Democrats before the election, and a legacy problem for Obama after the election. So Trump should have done it as soon as he was inaugurated, except there were signs of the Russia problem already making it a sticky issue, but he could have requested a review by Justice and done it based on their recommendation but he didn’t do that.
What Trump did was fire Comey to stop the Russia investigation. It doesn’t matter if Comey should have been fired or not. It doesn’t matter if Trump is somehow tied to Russia or not. It doesn’t matter if Trump has the authority to fire the FBI Director. It’s obstruction of justice if Trump fired Comey to stop an FBI investigation. That’s what he did. If Congress wasn’t corrupt (if the sky wasn’t blue, if rain fell up, if the sun rotated around the earth…) then Trump would be removed by the end of the week. Now we have to play the game.
How about ‘hold their breath until they DIE and then you’ll be sorry!!’ :mad::mad:
Of course, if they hold their breath they won’t be able to explain how they wanted Comey fired for how he handled the Hillary email scandal and then when he got fired for the way he handled the Hillary email scandal that sent them over the edge. Or they could stall on the confirmation of the next FBI director, because not having an FBI director interferes with the investigations, which Trump needs to be impeached for, because not having an FBI director interferes with the investigations.
Just out of curiosity, how many Democratic Senators are on record saying that Comey should be fired for the way he handled the Clinton emails issue back in Oct?
Point the first, The Director of the FBI serves at the pleasure of the president. The POTUS can fire the Director at any time, for any (or no) reason. All Congress can do about it is challenge the rule, but that cuts both ways.
Point the second, Comey was not investigating the Russia issues, the FBI was (and is). Firing the Director does not end the investigation. Some may say that this firing is meant to chill the investigation, and it could well have been. In my experience, though, if the rank and file respected Comey and felt he was doing a good job the opposite may occur - they may very well intensify the investigation in order to vindicate Comey.
Given that, it seems to me that for Trump to fire Comey to stanch any Russia investigation would be a very risky play with a high possibility of backfire. Personally, I think Trump didn’t
like or respect Comey and that was the basis for his dismissal.
It’s a long article but it makes its case thoroughly. I quoted the argument that I think is most telling above. We know that the Whitehouse is lying when it claims that it disapproves of Comey’s actions last October. We have have Trump’s own words saying so.
OTOH, we also know some of the things Comey has been doing since Trump made the decision to keep him on that relate to the Russian investigation. It’s absurd (but on brand for Donald) that we’re expected to ignore the events right before our eyes in favor of a blatant lie about Trump’s approval of Comey.
You know, I can see a lot of wisdom in that post. Trump does seem to act more often out of petty vindictiveness then out of some well thought-out strategic plan. Keep in mind, though, that even if Comey is not personally involved in the investigation, the Director can, well, direct things. He can put more or less resources on an effort, and he can quash efforts he considers not to be a good use of resources. Trump may very well be reacting on an emotional level and just wanting to get rid of an irritant, but the whole Russia investigation can be part of that irritation, too.
As to what Congress should do, they should appoint a Special Prosecutor and be doe with it. But I don’t see the Republican allowing that unless popular sentiment gets a lot worse than it is right now. A lot worse.
The sensible way to protect your Congressional power is to impeach Trump, oust him and put Pence on a short leash. Announce a proper, clear, good-for-America, good-for-American 99%'rs agenda to be enacted during 2018. Admit that polarized politics is a mistake, one you swear not to engage in again. Apologize to Obama, to Michelle, to the kids, and to Merrick Garland.
Appoint Garland to head the FBI.
Hold town meetings where you promise to save the ACA, to improve it and properly finance it, as a first step toward universal health care.
Sit back and watch the Democrats fume and fuss and fight among themselves while your votes roll in.
I can give this advice to R’s, knowing full well they don’t have a lick of sense, not enough to even consider changing their stupid, greedy, merciless, corrupt ways.
The Washington Post and New York Times are reporting that dozens (!) of White House aides have confirmed that the decision was based on Comey’s handling of the Russia investigation, his seeming lack of interest in pursuing anti-Trump leaks, and Comey’s perceived disloyalty over the wiretapping claim.
Is there some reason not to believe the 30 White House aides cited by the Washington Post?
They could also pass immigration reform, a guest-worker program with a procedure for gaining citizenship. They might show Russia the door and tell them to come begging again after they stop interfering in Ukraine and in other folk’s elections…
Maybe he said “will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?” and Sessions took that as his cue to slay Comey. But they settled on firing him instead. I think what he wants to do is put a toady in there (Christie) and instruct him to slow things down for the next 3 1/2 years.
Of note is that Rod Rosenstein threatened to quit after being made to be the one with fingerprints on the knife. We all knew that Dumb Donald made the order and Rosenstein wrote the justification (actually, copied it from Clinton campaign literature) after the decision was made.