Comey's pregame statement

[Wishbone]

Like the man said it's all a kabuki act anyway.

Kabuki?!?

Isn't that some kind of Tijuana stage show with a Donkey?

 

[PsyOps]

Anyone watching the testimony?
http://live.reuters.com/Event/Live_US_Politics

I watched what I could. It seems there may be a problem with the loyalty question. Comey felt awkward and also feels that's why he got fired; that Trump couldn't get an affirmed answer on Comey's loyalty. And - and this is the big one - that Comey feels Trump was trying to change how the Flynn investigation was going by firing Comey. He didn't say Trump was trying to change the outcome, but "how" the investigation was going. Given the president can fire someone for any reason, I don't see how this becomes illegal; it requires someone to prove Trump's motives.

 

[Midnightrider]

I watched what I could. It seems there may be a problem with the loyalty question. Comey felt awkward and also feels that's why he got fired; that Trump couldn't get an affirmed answer on Comey's loyalty. And - and this is the big one - that Comey feels Trump was trying to change how the Flynn investigation was going by firing Comey. He didn't say Trump was trying to change the outcome, but "how" the investigation was going. Given the president can fire someone for any reason, I don't see how this becomes illegal; it requires someone to prove Trump's motives.

Yep, Comey came across as very credible, and not spinning things up. it was clear he felt pressured BY HIS BOSS to end the investigation into Flynn. Comey also explained pretty clearly why he didn't pass this on to justice.

However, the two best parts were when Mccain was so confused he couldn't ask a cogent question and comey's explanation of how he felt about Lynch and the Clintons. Like I said, comey came off as very credible. he even admitted he had a friend leak the one memo after trump made his "he better hope I don't have tapes' comment.

And on that....Trump better hope that he doesn't really have the whitehouse wired. His words are likely to be his own worst enemy. But you are right, there was nothing in comey's testimony that rises to illegal, at least not by itself.

 

[PsyOps]

it was clear he felt pressured BY HIS BOSS to end the investigation into Flynn.

I didn't get to watch the whole thing, so I might have missed it; but did Comey actually say he felt pressured?

 

[Bird Dog]

I didn't get to watch the whole thing, so I might have missed it; but did Comey actually say he felt pressured?

i have been watching off and did not hear that. I also believe Comey has big enough stones, not to be intimidated by anyone.

 

[Bird Dog]

For some fun...watch CNN...Trump has been tried and convicted and needs to start walking to gallows......

They do not even quote Comey correctly. When they misquote him they add "or whatever he said". I heard that three times.

 

[WooterBird]

No proof of obstruction, no proof of pressure, and more self preservation. CNN coverage is shameful on this, I agree. This is coming from a guy that loathes Trump!

 

[glhs837]

Odd, I never expected that from the network who yesterday in my Google newsfeed said "COMEY GOES NUCLEAR ON TRUMP IN WRITTEN STATEMENT!!!!"

 

[Midnightrider]

I didn't get to watch the whole thing, so I might have missed it; but did Comey actually say he felt pressured?

some highlights:

I think they were as shocked and troubled by it as I was. Some said things that led me to believe that, I don't remember exactly, but the reaction was similar to mine, all experienced people who had never experienced such a thing. So they were very concerned. And then the conversation turned to about so what should we do with this information? and that was a struggle for us. Because we are the leaders of the FBI, so it has been reported to us and that I heard it and now I shared it with the leaders of the FBI, our conversation was should we share this with any senior officials of the justice department. Absolute primary concern was we can't infect the investigative team. Don't want the agents and analysts working on this to know the President of the United States as asked, and when it comes to the President, I took it as a direction, to get rid of this investigation because we're not going to follow that. That request. And so we decided we got to keep it way from our troops, but is there anybody else we ought to tell the justice department. As I laid out in my statement, we considered whether to tell the attorney general decided that didn't make sense because we believed, rightly, he was shortly going to recuse, there were no other senate confirmed leaders in the justice department at that point. The deputy attorney general was Mr. Benty, who was acting, going to be shortly in that seat, and we decided the best move would be to hold it, keep it In a box, document it, as we had already done, and in this investigation is going to go on, figure out what to do with it down the road. Is there a way to corroborate this. At the time, It is was your word against the President, no way to corroborate this. My view of that changed when the prospect of tapes was raised, but that's how we thought about it then

Marco Rubio - Florida:
And in that meeting as you understood it, that was -- he was asking not about the general Russia investigation, he was asking very specifically about the jeopardy that Flynn was in himself.

James Comey:
That's how I understood it, yes, sir.

Marco Rubio - Florida:
As you perceived it, while he was a request that you hoped you would do away with it, you perceived it as an order?

James Comey:
Yes.

 

[Toxick]

Hm.

Trump and his supporters feel vindicated after Comey's testimony.
Anti-Trump folks are now more convinced than ever that there is obstruction afoot.




Wow.

What an unexpected turn of events.

 

[Hijinx]

Kabuki?!?

Isn't that some kind of Tijuana stage show with a Donkey?

No: That's Kanooki

 

[glhs837]

No: That's Kanooki

I will bow to your superior, one might even say intimate, knowledge of Tijuana donkey shows, Sir.

 

[Restitution]

This whole anti-Trump, pro-Trump, congressional hearings BS belongs as the opening act to a Tijuana donkey show!

JFC..... the man was elected fairly and IS the President! Now, just let him do his damn job and STFU!!!

 

[Hijinx]

I will bow to your superior, one might even say intimate, knowledge of Tijuana donkey shows, Sir.

You could say it---doesn't make it so
Mostly it was wishbone and I making a little joke.

I have never been to Tijuana, but I did visit Nueva Laredo once.
Bull fights there .

 

[Hijinx]

You could say it---doesn't make it so
Mostly it was wishbone and I making a little joke.

I have never been to Tijuana, but I did visit Nueva Laredo once.
Bull fights there .

This Comey firing reminds me a little bit of when Truman fired MacArthur.
It was a big stink for a while, but he had the right to fire MacArthur, and he was right in doing it.
Congress met and listened to MacArthurs Old soldiers fading away speech and it was all over.

Old harry wasn't so well liked, but he had balls. Something sorely lacking in our last President.
Democrats aren't used to Presidents with balls.

 

[Midnightrider]

This Comey firing reminds me a little bit of when Truman fired MacArthur.
It was a big stink for a while, but he had the right to fire MacArthur, and he was right in doing it.
Congress met and listened to MacArthurs Old soldiers fading away speech and it was all over.

Old harry wasn't so well liked, but he had balls. Something sorely lacking in our last President.
Democrats aren't used to Presidents with balls.

and I am sure you would feel the same way if it were Hillary firing comey during an investigation into here team.

 

[SamSpade]

and I am sure you would feel the same way if it were Hillary firing comey during an investigation into here team.

As I understand it - he has complete right and authority to do exactly that - and there is substantial precedent for it for many years and many times.
He has the constitutional right to say "stop investigating (someone)". Period. For ANY reason.

Dems will be hard pressed to squeeze out anything resembling obstruction of justice.

I do have to say, I thought the stuff about Lynch was pretty damning.

 

[Midnightrider]

As I understand it - he has complete right and authority to do exactly that - and there is substantial precedent for it for many years and many times.
He has the constitutional right to say "stop investigating (someone)". Period. For ANY reason.

Dems will be hard pressed to squeeze out anything resembling obstruction of justice.

I do have to say, I thought the stuff about Lynch was pretty damning.

yep, might not be illegal, but you would be up in arms if Hillary were the one who did it.


Not only was the lynch testimony damning to her, it showed Comey's credibility.

 

[SamSpade]

yep, might not be illegal, but you would be up in arms if Hillary were the one who did it.


Not only was the lynch testimony damning to her, it showed Comey's credibility.

I have to say, despite his explanations - he comes across as a real weenie.
He caves in a little too easily.
Maybe he IS a Boy Scout, but he's a little too weak to be running the FBI.

 

[Midnightrider]

I have to say, despite his explanations - he comes across as a real weenie.
He caves in a little too easily.
Maybe he IS a Boy Scout, but he's a little too weak to be running the FBI.

what did he cave on?
He didn't agree to calling the email investigation a matter, and he didn't agree to drop the Flynn investigation.