Unless you spent the afternoon and evening in a sauna or on a remote mountaintop, you probably know that Trump fired Comey today. The Times reminded its readers that "Comey was supervising an investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to steer the outcome of the 2016 presidential campaign. His firing is a stunning development in Mr. Trump’s nascent presidency."
The abrupt firing raised questions over whether Mr. Trump was trying to influence the Russia investigation. But he said he was following recommendations from the Justice Department, which criticized how Mr. Comey concluded the investigation into Mrs. Clinton.“While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the bureau,” Mr. Trump said in a letter to Mr. Comey dated Tuesday....The firing puts Democrats in a difficult position. Many had hoped that Mrs. Clinton would fire Mr. Comey soon after taking office, and blamed him as costing her the election. But under Mr. Trump, the outspoken and independent-minded Mr. Comey was seen as an important check on the new administration.“Any attempt to stop or undermine this F.B.I. investigation would raise grave constitutional issues,” said Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois. “We await clarification by the White House as soon as possible as to whether this investigation will continue and whether it will have a credible lead so that we know that it’ll have a just outcome.” Senator Roy Blunt, Republican of Missouri, praised Mr. Comey’s service but said new leadership at the F.B.I. “will restore confidence in the organization.”“Many, including myself, have questioned his actions more than once over the last year,” Mr. Blunt, who also sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement.Mr. Trump’s decision to fire Mr. Comey marks the second time since taking office that the president has fired a top law enforcement official. In early February, Mr. Trump fired Sally Q. Yates, who had worked in the Obama administration but was serving as acting attorney general.But the president’s firing of Mr. Comey was far more consequential. Ms. Yates was a holdover, and would only have served in the Trump administration for a matter of days or weeks. By contrast, Mr. Comey was in the midst of his term as director of the bureau.
Unlike lackey Democrats like Feinstein at least John McCain's statement mentioned that he had "long called for a special congressional committee to investigate Russia's interference in the 2016 election. The president's decision to remove the FBI Director only confirms the need and the urgency of such a committee." That would have to be put in place by these two clownsso... probably not going to happen. Besides an independent Special Prosecutor is ultimately the only way to get to the bottom of this whole Putin-Gate mess.Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) both termed the Comey firing a full fledged constitutional crisis and Chuck Schumer correctly said it will be seen as "part of a cover up." It should be because it certainly is.Michael Keegan, president of People For the American Way said that "Trump’s decision to fire the FBI director in the midst of investigations into Trump’s own campaign is gravely disturbing. Again and again, Donald Trump has shown that he believes himself to be above the law; today’s decision by the president is as flagrant an abuse of power as anything we’ve seen since the darkest days of the Watergate crisis. Without question, Donald Trump’s actions today make clear that we need a special counsel to provide a through, independent investigation of the Trump campaign’s ties to the Russian government during the election. We also need a strong, independent FBI director. Any senator who takes his or her constitutional oath seriously should refuse to confirm any nominee who doesn’t meet that standard."Bernie's tweet-- that "Trump’s decision to fire FBI Director James Comey raises serious questions about what his administration is hiding"-- was what everyone in Washington is or should be asking. Remember, Comey was scheduled to testify before the Senate Intel license Committee on Thursday, something Trump couldn't have been looking forward to. As Eric Swalwell (D-CA) mentioned on twitter this afternoon, "This is not what an innocent person would do; this is an abuse of power, and shows a consciousness of guilt."Even Joe Manchin (D-WV) seemed pretty amazed and said that the Senate Intelligence Committe will call Comey to testify over his firing and what he was investigating. I'll give Ted Lieu (D-CA) the last word:
I find Donald Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey to be deeply shocking. As a former prosecutor, I believe his action suggests consciousness of guilt and is similar to what former President Richard Nixon did when faced with investigations against his own associates.Under the leadership of Director Comey, the FBI Counterintelligence Division is currently investigating associates of Donald Trump and perhaps Trump himself. The FBI may also be investigating Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The recommendation by Attorney General Sessions to fire Comey and the President's action of firing Comey suggest evidence of a massive cover up.In addition, Attorney General Sessions violated his own recusal terms by taking part in removing the head of the FBI who was leading a counterintelligence investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.I again call for a Special Prosecutor to investigate this grave matter. I also call for the House Judiciary Committee to subpoena Attorney General Sessions and FBI Director Comey to testify in an open hearing as soon as possible.
