Comey testimony

[pbrower2a]

Thread for the discussion of the testimony of former FBI Director James Comey. The public testimony is on Thursday morning (June 8); the closed testimony, likely to involve classified data. will be held this afternoon.

[pbrower2a]

Senator Marco Rubio proved himself a suck-up to President Trump.

[pbrower2a]

Senator Kamala Harris has asked questions that can only be answered with classified information , probably telescoping issues that will be answered in the closed session.

[Eric the Green]

(06-08-2017, 12:33 PM)X_4AD_84 Wrote:

(06-08-2017, 11:15 AM)pbrower2a Wrote: Senator Kamala Harris has asked questions that can only be answered with classified information , probably telescoping issues that will be answered in the closed session.

Having been top cop in SF then later at our state level, she's certainly positioning herself for bigger and better things. She'd make a good DCIA or DDoJ. Too early to tell if she is PotUS material. We'll see.

Not too early to tell for me, unfortunately. Yes, she'd be a good USA attorney general.

But for POTUS? Horoscope score: 4-14. Plus, a Saturn Return problem for 2020 and 2024.

http://philosopherswheel.com/presidentialelections.html (see who scored what)

[Eric the Green]

McCain appeared senile. Mumbling and bumbling along, he couldn't tell the difference between the Hillary Clinton and the Trump/Russia cases, wondering why they weren't both still open, and he even referred to the Trump case as "the Comey case." Hey John, the Hillary investigation, which was closed, had nothing to do with the 2016 election.

[Eric the Green]

I'm not sure why the important questions have to be kept secret. Doesn't the public need to know what's been going on?

[pbrower2a]

(06-08-2017, 01:15 PM)Eric the Green Wrote: I'm not sure why the important questions have to be kept secret. Doesn't the public need to know what's been going on?

1. Prejudice against persons who might be subject to prosecution. The FBI and federal prosecutors are extremely secretive about their investigations. Even their apparent lapses are often ruses ('tickling the wire') to trip up potential defendants who might try to make preparations for flight or destroy evidence. 

2. Names or agents or targets in espionage or counter-espionage operations are typically kept hidden. The typical declassified information has names redacted for the protection of agents.

I expect the FBI and CIA to do their jobs and do them well. These, the military, and the judiciary may be the last parts of the federal government to not be transformed into sick jokes under Donald Judas Trump.

[Odin]

(06-08-2017, 01:15 PM)Eric the Green Wrote: I'm not sure why the important questions have to be kept secret. Doesn't the public need to know what's been going on?

Probably because talking about it publicly would expose our spies and let Russia know what we know and how we know it.

[Odin]

The testimony makes it very clear that Comey was fired because of the Russia investigation. There is clearly obstruction of justice going on.

[pbrower2a]

This would be like the mayor going to the police chief and telling him to stop the raid on the meth lab of a second cousin.

If I am the mayor and I have a second cousin involved in a local meth lab, then I sacrifice my second cousin in the name of justice.

[Warren Dew]

(06-09-2017, 06:10 AM)Odin Wrote: The testimony makes it very clear that Comey was fired because of the Russia investigation. There is clearly obstruction of justice going on.

Not according to those who still believe in civil liberties, like Alan Dershowitz:

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/06/0...wrong.html

Heck, Comey himself said that Trump would have been completely within his rights to shut down the Russia investigation.

[Warren Dew]

Excellent discussion here:

http://althouse.blogspot.com/2017/06/let...cript.html

(06-08-2017, 10:33 AM)pbrower2a Wrote: Senator Marco Rubio proved himself a suck-up to President Trump.

Rubio made an exceptionally good point.  How come the FBI leaked everything that cast Trump in a negative light, but never leaked anything positive, like the fact that Trump was not a target of the investigation?  Considering Comey admitted to Collins that he was the source of at least one leak, and for all we know, all of the leaks, the decision to fire him looks better and better.

[Eric the Green]

Everyone knows Comey said that Trump was not a target (yet); Trump leaked it.

[Eric the Green]

Relentless defense of Trump and Republicans, despite all facts and anything they do; that's an attitude that seems strong in the country. Very sad. Self-destructive.

[Odin]

(06-09-2017, 09:22 PM)Warren Dew Wrote:

(06-09-2017, 06:10 AM)Odin Wrote: The testimony makes it very clear that Comey was fired because of the Russia investigation. There is clearly obstruction of justice going on.

Not according to those who still believe in civil liberties, like Alan Dershowitz:

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/06/0...wrong.html

Heck, Comey himself said that Trump would have been completely within his rights to shut down the Russia investigation.

You're a fucking tool.

[Bob Butler 54]

My feeling is that both sides are trying to spin ambiguous testimony to achieve partisan ends.

From both media accounts and what is being said on this forum, both sides are succeeding. The ability to hear what one wants to hear is thus far triumphing.

[pbrower2a]

(06-09-2017, 09:22 PM)Warren Dew Wrote:

(06-09-2017, 06:10 AM)Odin Wrote: The testimony makes it very clear that Comey was fired because of the Russia investigation. There is clearly obstruction of justice going on.

Not according to those who still believe in civil liberties, like Alan Dershowitz:

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/06/0...wrong.html

Heck, Comey himself said that Trump would have been completely within his rights to shut down the Russia investigation.

... but only in the interest of national security, as when Senator Harry Truman started investigating the Manhattan Project for waste, fraud, and inefficiency. The President has no inherent right to squelch an investigation of criminal acts of the President or other elected or appointed officials.

Of course if the President is above the law, then we have a huge problem to solve.

[Galen]

(06-10-2017, 12:32 PM)Bob Butler 54 Wrote: My feeling is that both sides are trying to spin ambiguous testimony to achieve partisan ends.

From both media accounts and what is being said on this forum, both sides are succeeding.  The ability to hear what one wants to hear is thus far triumphing.

The comic book author would agree with you.  My read on what was said is that Trump expressed support for Flynn.  So far as I can tell he did not order Comey to stop the investigation.  On the other hand Comey did admit he was a leaker even Bezo's blog agrees on this point.  I wouldn't consider Bezo's blog to be particularly reliable.

[David Horn]

(06-08-2017, 01:15 PM)Eric the Green Wrote: I'm not sure why the important questions have to be kept secret. Doesn't the public need to know what's been going on?

This is a preventative for the mistakes made during Iran-Contra.  Ollie North got a free pass by testifying under oath with a grant of immunity.  That happened because the evidence against him was leaked to the committee and the press, giving him a clear shot to demand his right to defend himself.  No, this time the evidence stays under wraps until a grand jury sees it first.