Maybe not the devil. The internet is currently having a mad because FBI Director James Comey made some wrong claims about Hillary Clinton BFF Huma Abedin's evil email practices during last week's hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Because it was the committee's annual oversight hearing on the FBI, all the stuff about Comey's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation came up
Well, of course we now know that Comey was fired. But the thing that blows your whereases out of the water is that Comey never came clean on the basis of writing the letter. The GOP and the media took off with it and made it appear the FBI had some new and almost certainly incriminating evidence that would surely result in charges being brought. Comey had several days to come out and say that all the buzz was pure speculation and at that point in time, there was no evidence these emails contained any new information. And that the FBI had only speculation, but no evidence of new information, as a reason to review the emails in the first place. In other words, Comey carefully crafted a letter that said nothing but could imply whatever you wanted it to. And did nothing to clarify the matter. And it is that lack of effort in explaining the letter and defusing the rumors that makes me think this was intentional. He basically hid out for 9 days and did not say a word. And he knew what was being said. I would like to see Comey in jail, but I agree that whoever Trump replaces him with will probably be worse.
Comey knew his letter would be released immediately on receipt by congress. If he didn't, then he is a fool. I think most people would have done better. All they needed to do was follow decades old agency policy. And if leaks occurred, straighten them out through press releases, on air press conferences, and a prior letter to the staff that anyone leaking anything about this would be immediately fired.
Actually there is one other thing he might have done with regard the the Weiner emails, but it would have made him look bad and Not In Charge: he could have gone public with the fact that the NYC FBI office had gone rogue, was illegally leaking classified information and trying to influence the election, and then fired their asses and prosecuted them to the full extent of the law - including Giuliani and Prince who are not official government actors and had no right to the information they were disseminating. Instead, he took the coward's way out, much good that it did him.
You may be right, but ever since Comey said he was acting to prevent appearing to influence politics by hiding the information, I've felt the same as Evan. The important thing now is that the Russia probe carries on honestly.
That's like saying he had to destroy the village in order to save it, and I'm not buying it. The moment the NYC FBI Hillary Haters Club and Sprinkler Appreciation Society decided to start leaking because they wanted to torpedo Clinton, it didn't just "appear" to be interfering politics, it was interfering with politics. That was the whole point of it.
To claim to be avoiding the appearance of something which actually is happening doesn't make any sense. If he wanted to stop the agency from interfering in politics, appearance or otherwise, then the thing to to was to fire the people who were, in fact, politicizing it illegally. You especially don't drop your bomb and then disappear and remain silent for weeks until you quietly let it be known that "oops, nothing new here, too bad (for Hillary)", as that really, really 'gives the appearance' of meddling in the election. And, of course, when you know that a much more consequential investigation is going on of Clinton's opponent, but you say not a word about it, you aren't helping the notion that the agency has one set of rules for one candidate, and an entirely different set of rules for the other.
In other words, he fucked up royally attempting to cover his own ass, and was an epic fail at that too, as well as at his stated purpose. That he was attempting to rescue his reputation when he got fired may or may not have anything to do with why the investigation is so crucial. Those "rogue" agents are still in the NYC office, and there has been no investigation into how Rudy Giuliani or Erik Prince ended up in possession of information which should never have been known outside of FBI offices by unauthorized persons. The self-serving explanation, rather than the 'saving our democracy from hostile foreign intervention' explanation, looks very plausible in that light.
The truth is that Comey was tainted by the mess with the emails, and his credibility concerning the outcome of the Russian investigation would have been under fire no matter its conclusion. We'll never know the truth, in part because Trump and minions have had plenty of time to destroy anything incriminating, and in part because the Republicans will tolerate any calumny as long as they get to keep holding on to power. An independent prosecutor is our only hope, Obi Wan, but we know how likely that is with the Empire in control.
Hmm, yeah, I do agree. It just makes no sense, so it feels like there should be some motivation behind it that would make sense. I wish we could know the truth.
Lot of whereas there, Evan. I like Occam's razor, cause it cuts like a knife.Whereas: Comey tried to swing the election, did so, got caught at it, and is now covering his ass because his new boss, who he helped instill, turns out to be a fucking foreign agent.
He can be professional and even cordial unless the name Clinton comes up. He becomes agitated and animated during (any given) hearing when he's asked about Hillary. His whole face reacts - he can't even contain it.
Fucking right? The whole thing was like "Omg there are THOUSANDS of emails, oh wait I guess there are only a handful of new ones, oh wait it's a nothingburger," and now it's thousands again. If the dude can't keep this straight, how can he keep the Trump mess straight even if he means to try?
Well, of course we now know that Comey was fired. But the thing that blows your whereases out of the water is that Comey never came clean on the basis of writing the letter. The GOP and the media took off with it and made it appear the FBI had some new and almost certainly incriminating evidence that would surely result in charges being brought. Comey had several days to come out and say that all the buzz was pure speculation and at that point in time, there was no evidence these emails contained any new information. And that the FBI had only speculation, but no evidence of new information, as a reason to review the emails in the first place. In other words, Comey carefully crafted a letter that said nothing but could imply whatever you wanted it to. And did nothing to clarify the matter. And it is that lack of effort in explaining the letter and defusing the rumors that makes me think this was intentional. He basically hid out for 9 days and did not say a word. And he knew what was being said. I would like to see Comey in jail, but I agree that whoever Trump replaces him with will probably be worse.
Comey knew his letter would be released immediately on receipt by congress. If he didn't, then he is a fool. I think most people would have done better. All they needed to do was follow decades old agency policy. And if leaks occurred, straighten them out through press releases, on air press conferences, and a prior letter to the staff that anyone leaking anything about this would be immediately fired.
Actually there is one other thing he might have done with regard the the Weiner emails, but it would have made him look bad and Not In Charge: he could have gone public with the fact that the NYC FBI office had gone rogue, was illegally leaking classified information and trying to influence the election, and then fired their asses and prosecuted them to the full extent of the law - including Giuliani and Prince who are not official government actors and had no right to the information they were disseminating. Instead, he took the coward's way out, much good that it did him.
Does Lord Dampnut "read" (Have read to him) Wonkette? Are you the real reason Comey got shitcanned yesterday?
Anything would have been better than what he actually did.
You may be right, but ever since Comey said he was acting to prevent appearing to influence politics by hiding the information, I've felt the same as Evan. The important thing now is that the Russia probe carries on honestly.
That's like saying he had to destroy the village in order to save it, and I'm not buying it. The moment the NYC FBI Hillary Haters Club and Sprinkler Appreciation Society decided to start leaking because they wanted to torpedo Clinton, it didn't just "appear" to be interfering politics, it was interfering with politics. That was the whole point of it.
To claim to be avoiding the appearance of something which actually is happening doesn't make any sense. If he wanted to stop the agency from interfering in politics, appearance or otherwise, then the thing to to was to fire the people who were, in fact, politicizing it illegally. You especially don't drop your bomb and then disappear and remain silent for weeks until you quietly let it be known that "oops, nothing new here, too bad (for Hillary)", as that really, really 'gives the appearance' of meddling in the election. And, of course, when you know that a much more consequential investigation is going on of Clinton's opponent, but you say not a word about it, you aren't helping the notion that the agency has one set of rules for one candidate, and an entirely different set of rules for the other.
In other words, he fucked up royally attempting to cover his own ass, and was an epic fail at that too, as well as at his stated purpose. That he was attempting to rescue his reputation when he got fired may or may not have anything to do with why the investigation is so crucial. Those "rogue" agents are still in the NYC office, and there has been no investigation into how Rudy Giuliani or Erik Prince ended up in possession of information which should never have been known outside of FBI offices by unauthorized persons. The self-serving explanation, rather than the 'saving our democracy from hostile foreign intervention' explanation, looks very plausible in that light.
The truth is that Comey was tainted by the mess with the emails, and his credibility concerning the outcome of the Russian investigation would have been under fire no matter its conclusion. We'll never know the truth, in part because Trump and minions have had plenty of time to destroy anything incriminating, and in part because the Republicans will tolerate any calumny as long as they get to keep holding on to power. An independent prosecutor is our only hope, Obi Wan, but we know how likely that is with the Empire in control.
Hmm, yeah, I do agree. It just makes no sense, so it feels like there should be some motivation behind it that would make sense. I wish we could know the truth.
yes.
Lot of whereas there, Evan. I like Occam's razor, cause it cuts like a knife.Whereas: Comey tried to swing the election, did so, got caught at it, and is now covering his ass because his new boss, who he helped instill, turns out to be a fucking foreign agent.
He can be professional and even cordial unless the name Clinton comes up. He becomes agitated and animated during (any given) hearing when he's asked about Hillary. His whole face reacts - he can't even contain it.
"I see the six feet. Where's the eight inches?"~ Mae West
You haven't seen the voting figures for Brexit, I take it.
Fucking right? The whole thing was like "Omg there are THOUSANDS of emails, oh wait I guess there are only a handful of new ones, oh wait it's a nothingburger," and now it's thousands again. If the dude can't keep this straight, how can he keep the Trump mess straight even if he means to try?
I've always suspected Comey was one of the good guys, ever since the Comey/Gonzales/Ashcroft kerfuffle.
Ayup.