Feeling so torn about this. Hoping for eleventy dimensional chess by James Comey, but then I think of that damn leaked letter he sent to Chaffetz last fall. And the way the press pounced on that. So yeah, torn.
But I hear from the internet rumor millsā¢ that heās very good about keeping his own paper trail. Between that and the need to lawyer up, heās got some things to do to line up his ducks in a row.
Being hot the trail of an investigation into DJT, then fired in obstruction of justice, then threatened, I find myself rooting for him. Mostly Iām rooting for US. The nation, the republic, for democracy.
āI have enormous respect for Jim Comey
I donāt.
What I wouldnāt give for that particular power, you have no idea.
From what movie is that still? It looks familiar, but I canāt place it.
Absence of Malice
Amenā¦ very well put. I am rooting for us, but with the spineless republicans willing to send us all down the river we are pretty much screwed. Until they get some spine, or are elected out.
Comey has information that is germaine to the investigation. One can invite someone and the invitee has the alternative to turn down the invitation, as Comey has done. The next step would be a subpoena, which carries a penalty for turning down or failing to show. It is within the scope of someone in this investigation to make this happen. The question is, who will have the nerve to do it and when will Comey become a denizen of the Witness Protection program?
I wonder whose briefcase Trumpās ass will end up in?
I may be having a blank moment, why would Comey need to lawyer up at this point?
I think Comey has pretty much told his story to the press. I donāt see the value of him going in close session. He should be in an open session to skewer Trump. Bigger issue is FBI acting on subpoenas, arrest warrants, and for Rosenstein to testify before Congress and appoint a special prosecutor.
If FBI is able to arrest a big name (like Jeff Sessions as Iāve heard as rumored), then that would speed up the process of removing Trump from office. Getting Sessions probably sparks an exodus from the WH. Getting Page/Manafort/Rudy/Stone quickens the drip, drip, drip and puts them in a higher vice grip. FBI needs a big name to get on the board.
Hmmm
Getting ducks in a row to destroy Trump, or doesnāt have any good answers to what he thinks is coming?
Just waiting for the frantic heat of the last few days events subside more than a week will allow?
What gives?
He canāt just ātestifyā. He is a private citizen BUT still bound by the rules and/or oath of the FBI. He canāt testify as to any ongoing investigations. Itās always good to have a lawyer with you.
I suspect this is just Comey being Comey. No ulterior motive or twisty scheme. No eleventy-dimensional chess. Heās made some determination about the right(eous) way to proceed and thatās how heās going to proceed and nothing can change his mind about that.
This is the right move. Comey should wait and testify when thereās more tangible evidence of the collusion and/or when Flynn is facing charges (which are probably inevitable). Waiting until the investigations are more mature and when Trump is in an even more precarious position maximizes the impact of the testimony. Comey testifying now may be construed as sour grapes. Comey testifying later looks much more reasonable.
If youāre going to testify before congress as a private citizen thatās a former government official, itās important he has his own advocate to help prepare him and guide him during testimony.
Congressional members grandstand, bait, and ask questions to draw certain things out. Given the way that most of the GOP has submitted to Trumpās narcissistic influence and fun-house-mirror version of āDemocracy,ā thereās scant likelihood that their time questioning Comey will be 100% devoted to discovering truth. Naw. Instead, itāll be all about scoring political points, engaging in power grabs. A lawyer can be helpfulā yea, vitalā navigating conditions like that.
So you are going with waiting for the heat to subside type of thing?
What next?
Subpoena him to testify at either this or a later hearing?
I think Comey, and in fact democracy itself, needs to strike when the iron is still hot. But what my real concern is that this might be another example of why Trump is president, the insistence by his opponents to play by the Marques of Queensbury rules while Trump and his allies are kicking them in the groin. I mean Hillary lost the election because the FBI discussed her e-mails and failed to discuss Trump collaborating with the Russians. This may be one of those times where the rules do not apply and we need to take immediate action without following the same playbook.
I sure donāt know but a couple things that seem meaningful are that heās shown a willingness to say and do things Trump doesnāt like. He presumably has no greater inclination to make Trump happy now than he did then. But now heās a private citizen, and a fired employee, so what he says and how it will be heard are affected by all that. Iād want some time to think it through, run it past trusted friends and advisers. I doubt heās got any interest in helping Trump.
āI have enormous respect for Jim Comey and I believe at the appropriate time and place, he will tell his side of the story,ā Warner continued. āAnd my hope is that will be in front of our committee.ā
I hope that it will be in front of a grand jury.