A QUICK POST COMEY COMMENT

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DAY 140 or so:  Trump has still not released his tax returns.   Yesterday, I predicted that Trump would lose political capital after the Comey hearing.  I was wrong.  Or, at least, there are no signs of it as of 8:30 a.m. today.

Comey basically said two things yesterday: 

1. During a meeting with the president, Trump ordered Vice President and co-conspirator Mike Pence, Attorney General and co-conspirator Jeff Sessions, and house rigger and chief of staff, Reince Priebus, to leave the room.  Then he told Comey that he hoped he could make the Flynn thing go away.

When it didn't go away, Trump fired him.  

2.  The reason Comey felt compelled to go public with the Clinton E-mail investigation was largely due to Bill Clinton's meeting with then Attorney General, Loretta Lynch.  And that Loretta had previously asked Comey to refer to the investigation as a beautiful sunrise, or something like that.

Obviously, the hearing was more complicated than that.  Comey came out and called the president a liar, confirmed that Trump defamed Comey and the FBI, and that, based on the president's own words, he believed he was fired because Trump didn't like the way he was handling the Russian investigation.

But, the real import of yesterday's testimony had less to do with facts, and more with reaction.  Did Comey's testimony push any republicans to finally admit the president is a danger to our country and that it's time to take a serious look at impeachment.  

The answer is no.

Paul Ryan explained that the President is a poor babe in the woods, who didn't understand the clear lines of division and protocol between the DOJ, the FBI and the White House, and almost all Republicans agreed with him.

The GOP is betting that the American people's stupidity is only surpassed by their capacity to forgive.  

I'm not a president.  I love Pauly Shore  movies and my favorite comedian is Carrot Top.  The last book I read was "The Beginner's Guide to Sex in the Afterlife." (There are no shortage of crappy books out there.  Don't believe me?  THEN CLICK HERE )

Still, even I know that sending your attorney general out of the room and telling the director of the FBI you hope he can drop an investigation, crosses every fucking line of protocol you can think of.

Paul Ryan and his party have decided that, unless someone gives Trump a box of matches and the president literally burns the White House down to the ground, they are going to ignore his behavior, actions and words, and try to pass some legislation.  Then they'll worry about the PR.

It's a terrible bet.

So, they'll start shouting about Loretta Lynch and Comey's credibility.  It will sound laughable to anyone who's paying attention. (I don't remember Loretta firing Comey when he didn't stop calling the investigation and investigation).  And Trump will continue to be plagued by leaks and his foot and mouth.   

That's not exactly all true, however.  There are a few major tipping points that started to tip yesterday.  

First, it is now crystal clear that the investigation has expanded from candidate Trump 2016 to Transition AND president Trump 2017.  In light of this, it is hysterical that Trump and his hired mouthpiece are claiming vindication.

Yes, Comey confirmed that the president was not personally under investigation at the time of their meetings.  But it was also made clear that, given the type of counter-intelligence investigation the FBI was conducting, that was likely to change.  And it obviously has.  

The investigation into Russia's interference in the election, and possible collusion with the Trump campaign, is now an investigation into Trump's attempt to obstruct justice, and actions he has taken as President, including his reasons for firing Comey.  

And there is the issue of the special counsel and why we have Twitter to thank for it.  When Trump fired Comey, he explained, in writing that it was because of how Comey handled the Clinton investigation.  Take a second to LOL on that one.  He also said he appreciated being told by Comey that he was not under investigation - three times.  

Then, apparently fearing Comey's response, the president tweeted that Comey better hope he didn't have "tapes" of their conversations.

Yesterday, Comey testified that when he heard of that tweet, he remembered the contemporaneous memos he had of their nine conversations.  Thinking Trump might have evidence (the "tapes") that would back up the facts in his own memos, Comey arranged to have some of them released to the press.  

And that information was the basis of the the Deputy AG appointing a special counsel.

So, thank's Don!

That's it!
It's 8:58 A.M.