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You are here: Home / Politics / Trumpery / Dolt 45 / Russiagate Open Thread: Waiting for the OIG Report to Drop

Russiagate Open Thread: Waiting for the OIG Report to Drop

by Anne Laurie|  June 14, 20189:43 am| 167 Comments

This post is in: Dolt 45, Election 2016, Open Threads, Republican Venality, Russiagate, Ever Get The Feeling You've Been Cheated?

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Whether POTUS is pleased or angered by the findings presented to him today in his private briefing on the DOJ IG report, it will be interesting to see whether he is disciplined enough to hold his fire, or if he scoops the IG’s public release by impulsively tweeting his reactions.

— Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) June 14, 2018

1/ Gird your loins. There's a buzz growing in the Nunes Treason Caucus circles (and in their pet media outlet) in an attempt to blow the IG report sky high.

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) June 14, 2018

3/ It won't matter what the IG report says; like the original Midnight Run play, the unmasking play, the FISA play, the House Intel report play, and the rest of the Nunes/Harvey plays, it'll be fodder for the Trump media and one more line of defense that will fall apart quickly.

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) June 14, 2018

The OIG report is coming out today. It will yield a media frenzy, frantic digging out of small pieces of new information, certain presidential gaslighting and use of the matter to attack the unrelated Russia probe, and equally certain howls of vindication from Team Hillary. /1/

— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) June 14, 2018

Does the IG offer any reason to believe that the investigation’s judgements were influenced in any direction by politics? /4/

— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) June 14, 2018

Does the IG offer any reason to believe that any senior official in the FBI engaged in any misconduct or abuse? /6/

— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) June 14, 2018

Does he find any misconduct by Peter Strzok and Lisa Page? Or have the names of these two career officials been dragged through the fever swamp mud for months for nothing more than bad judgment in expressing private views to one another? /8/

— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) June 14, 2018

Please do not be Hoodwinked.

If Trump's Inspector General adds anything to the Clinton email story it was created / added later.

There is NOTHING that the Benghazi Committee, led by people who wanted to take Clinton down more than feed their own children, wouldn't have found.

— Robert #Resist Sandy (@frodofied) June 14, 2018

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Reader Interactions

167Comments

  1. 1.

    Elizabelle

    June 14, 2018 at 9:46 am

    Looks like a good day to stay off the internet.

  2. 2.

    schrodingers_cat

    June 14, 2018 at 9:49 am

    Why is Wittes taking a gratuitous swipe at Hillary?

  3. 3.

    JTL

    June 14, 2018 at 9:52 am

    @schrodingers_cat: Isn’t that just what people do? I’m not sure it’s even a conscious decision they make after all these years.

  4. 4.

    Major Major Major Major

    June 14, 2018 at 9:53 am

    @Elizabelle: That was the feeling I got halfway through the second Rick Wilson tweet. To be fair, that’s how I feel halfway through most Rick Wilson tweets.

  5. 5.

    Baud

    June 14, 2018 at 9:55 am

    @schrodingers_cat: My reaction too.

  6. 6.

    schrodingers_cat

    June 14, 2018 at 9:58 am

    @Baud: I don’t trust these never T Republicans. Wittes, Rangappa, Nichols, Wilson and others who are quoted approvingly over here and other lefty blogs never lose a chance to say something nasty about HRC and/or the Ds

  7. 7.

    Baud

    June 14, 2018 at 9:59 am

    @schrodingers_cat: You are right not to.

  8. 8.

    Kay

    June 14, 2018 at 10:01 am

    Does the IG provide any reason to believe that the Clinton email investigation was not conducted in good faith?

    I have reason to believe the media coverage of the Clinton email investigation was not conducted in good faith.

    Comey, on the other hand, is just a hugely egotistical and sanctimonious jerk who didn’t follow process, instead using his own (poor) judgment. He introduced a subjective element that he didn’t have to. All he had to do was follow the rules. We were then stuck with his judgment calls, which were bad over and over and over.

    There was no reason to tie himself up in knots. The process exists to avoid that. Follow the rules and it will BE fair, whether or not it APPEARS fair. “Appear” isn’t the thing. For Comey not to know this is just fucking astonishing. Process, process, process. That’s all he needs to know and do. The facts will take care of themselves.

  9. 9.

    Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.)

    June 14, 2018 at 10:01 am

    I feel confident that this report will confirm that Hillary Clinton shot Lincoln, betrayed Jesus to the Romans and set the Reichstag fire. Also that Donald Trump was sent by God to usher in a time of endless paradise on Earth.

    Or rather, I guess I should say that I’m confident that that’s what we’re going to hear from Trump, Hannity, Nunes, et al., whatever the report itself might say…

  10. 10.

    feebog

    June 14, 2018 at 10:01 am

    The report is supposedly about 500 pages. I hope Rachel Maddow has her speed reading skills up to date.

  11. 11.

    Major Major Major Major

    June 14, 2018 at 10:02 am

    @schrodingers_cat: Also, re: Wilson, “Look for Trump to lie and the right-wing media (which I have clever, opaque nicknames for) to abet him” is not an insight we have to farm out to right-wingers.

  12. 12.

    Amir Khalid

    June 14, 2018 at 10:02 am

    @schrodingers_cat:
    Sorry, but I don’t see a swipe at Hillary in any of Wittes’ tweets on this topic.

  13. 13.

    schrodingers_cat

    June 14, 2018 at 10:05 am

    @Amir Khalid:

    The OIG report is coming out today. It will yield a media frenzy, frantic digging out of small pieces of new information, certain presidential gaslighting and use of the matter to attack the unrelated Russia probe, and equally certain howls of vindication from Team Hillary

    Hysterical woman’s team howls.

  14. 14.

    rp

    June 14, 2018 at 10:05 am

    Where’s the swipe at HRC?

  15. 15.

    M4

    June 14, 2018 at 10:06 am

    @Amir Khalid: the paralleling of Trump’s gaslighting with Hillary supporters’ shrill, harpy-like “howls of vindication”. Why don’t they just take up knitting instead of constantly saying they told us so?

    ETA was a typo

  16. 16.

    ruemara

    June 14, 2018 at 10:06 am

    @Amir Khalid: It felt like her being mentioned in Wittes’ thread was a bit of a swipe. It seemed jarring to me.

  17. 17.

    Kay

    June 14, 2018 at 10:07 am

    Comey substituted his own (poor) judgment for the regular process. It’s disqualifying. He violated the cardinal rule. It was wholly unnecessary. Comey’s invented process was MUCH MUCH worse than the rules he was handed, and chose not to use.

  18. 18.

    LAO

    June 14, 2018 at 10:07 am

    @Major Major Major Major: The only thing I enjoy about Wilson, et. al., is watching them turn their venom on Republicans. I’m sure they return to focus on democrats soon enough.

  19. 19.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    June 14, 2018 at 10:07 am

    Comey put trump in the White House. Any Dem talking head should start every answer to every question that way. “First let me remind everybody, Jake, James Comey’s unprecedented intervention two weeks before election day… But once again, Jake, all the accusations against Comey, against McCabe, against the NY FBI office, all concern irregular activity that damaged the Clinton campaign to the benefit of Donald Trump….”
    Most people don’t know who Loretta Lynch or Sally Yates or McCabe are– I’m a political junkie and I’m blanking on McCabe’s first name. “Strozk” and “Page” are shibboleths to Dittoheads and Hannitoids. Stay with the big picture. James Comey and the FBI swung the election to trump.

  20. 20.

    rp

    June 14, 2018 at 10:08 am

    Eh. That’s pretty mild.

  21. 21.

    hueyplong

    June 14, 2018 at 10:09 am

    @Major Major Major Major: It is our version of “even the liberal NYT…”

  22. 22.

    Baud

    June 14, 2018 at 10:10 am

    @rp: So what? Ignore the mild and the serious will follow.

  23. 23.

    schrodingers_cat

    June 14, 2018 at 10:11 am

    @rp: And unnecessary.

  24. 24.

    MomSense

    June 14, 2018 at 10:11 am

    @schrodingers_cat:

    He’s anti trump and that’s it.

  25. 25.

    Yarrow

    June 14, 2018 at 10:13 am

    @LAO: Me too. They can be hilarious and vicious. They may get some things right, but unless and until they do a John Cole and truly change they are not to be trusted.

  26. 26.

    waysel

    June 14, 2018 at 10:14 am

    @Kay: I will always believe Comey torpedoed Hillary quite consciously and intentionally. As a republican, it is always party before country.The constitution, and the rules, be damned. It pisses me off the he has sold this whole “struggling with my conscience to do the rightest thing” line on his book tour. He was never a Boy Scout, and is not a ‘good man’.

  27. 27.

    LAO

    June 14, 2018 at 10:14 am

    Well, this made me laugh. West Wing Job Fair — nobody wants to work at the WH.

  28. 28.

    LAO

    June 14, 2018 at 10:14 am

    @Yarrow: Agreed. But I will admit to enjoying it at the moment.

  29. 29.

    MomSense

    June 14, 2018 at 10:15 am

    @ruemara:

    It was a swipe and it was also another both sides jab. They just cannot help themselves. They have to find a way to inject something bad about Democrats.

  30. 30.

    Baud

    June 14, 2018 at 10:15 am

    @Yarrow: I don’t trust John Cole.

  31. 31.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    June 14, 2018 at 10:16 am

    MSNBC just said they– “they”, I guess the Justice Dept or IG office– have pushed the release up by an hour, I’m guessing because a certain giant toddler is screaming at Nanny Kellyanne to give him his phone so he can tweet about it

  32. 32.

    Betty Cracker

    June 14, 2018 at 10:17 am

    I’ve been watching the Fox & Friends Twitter feed this morning to marvel at the preemptive spinning, and their strategy is crystal clear. The report will almost surely chide Comey for doing exactly what Kay says above — substituting his own shitty judgment for the process that was in place to prevent the FBI from swinging elections.

    Fox & Friends and the political operatives who appear on the show, including Trump, are preparing to use the report as evidence of a deep state plot against Trump. The cult will find that believable. They find everything believable.

    ETA: They’ve pulled this exact gaslighting move before with the memo Rosenstein wrote that Trump used as post-hoc justification for firing Comey. Again, the victim of the very real misconduct was Clinton, and the “Lock Her Up” crowd expects us to believe they give a shit about that. It’s absurd.

  33. 33.

    waysel

    June 14, 2018 at 10:17 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: This.

  34. 34.

    schrodingers_cat

    June 14, 2018 at 10:18 am

    @MomSense: Most MSM journalists and opinion writers operate exactly the same way.

  35. 35.

    Amir Khalid

    June 14, 2018 at 10:19 am

    @schrodingers_cat:
    Hillary’s not one to howl, and as far as I know neither is anyone on her team. I too found the description jarring, given that he is only predicting that an innocent party is going to point out that its innocence has again been confirmed. But it looked to me more like a clumsy turn of phrase than a swipe.

  36. 36.

    MomSense

    June 14, 2018 at 10:20 am

    @LAO:

    I don’t trust any of the never trumpers. Where have they been through all these years of dog whistling? Where were they before trump with their small government anti tyranny ideology when black bodies were being gunned down and black communities were being harassed through fees and taxes far more than neighboring white communities?

    Rick Wilson is not a dummy. I’m sure he’s familiar with Lee Atwater. I’m sure he knows what the fuck his party has been doing for decades. The never trumpers are making a big show of their disgust with trump, and he is certainly disgusting, but they want to reconstitute the Republican party with the same cruel, unjust policies and the same civilly stated racism as soon as trump is gone.

  37. 37.

    Dev Null

    June 14, 2018 at 10:22 am

    @LAO: It’s a family dispute over when to send liberals to the gas chambers, not whether.

  38. 38.

    rp

    June 14, 2018 at 10:22 am

    @Amir Khalid: That was my reaction. I thought it was more of a silly attempt at balance than a swipe at HRC.

  39. 39.

    Jeffro

    June 14, 2018 at 10:22 am

    @LAO: nobody wants to work there, and it’s hopelessly contaminated at this point. Let’s just wall Trumpov up in the Oval Office, and make the place a museum.

  40. 40.

    Kay

    June 14, 2018 at 10:22 am

    @waysel:

    I actually don’t believe that, which makes it worse. he just doesn’t understand his job. he forgot what his job is- his job is not saving the Republic. His job is to follow the process in investigations. The Republic will crash or survive- not his call. He doesn’t like that job because it’s smaller than the one he invented for himself, so he chose a MUCH bigger one, and then fucked it all up.

    We would have been MUCH better off with a competent drone who doesn’t have all these delusions about hios own “honor” and “integrity”. Process doesn’t depend on the person. That’s the point.

    To miss this much of the point after a whole career in law and law enforcement? Jesus Christ. It’s unforgivable.

    Why are there rules at all if it’s up to Jim Comey? I don’t want to rely on him. I want the process I was promised and am entitled to. I don’t care what he thinks.

  41. 41.

    Mike J

    June 14, 2018 at 10:23 am

    Mark Murray @mmurraypolitics 43s
    So it appears the early conclusion of the IG report — via Bloomberg — is that Comey/FBI took actions that negatively impacted Hillary Clinton in 2016

  42. 42.

    schrodingers_cat

    June 14, 2018 at 10:23 am

    @MomSense: These R enablers are the problem, their actions enabled the rise of the person who now occupies the most powerful position in our government. Dollhands is but a symptom of what ails us.

    Who among these never T Republicans is on record against Palin’s VP nomination?

  43. 43.

    Baud

    June 14, 2018 at 10:24 am

    @Mike J: I AM HOWLING IN VINDICTION!!!

  44. 44.

    Mnemosyne

    June 14, 2018 at 10:25 am

    @schrodingers_cat:

    Yup. Basically saying that Republican claims and Democratic claims about the report will be equally ridiculous and false even though Hillary is the injured party.

  45. 45.

    Mai naem mobile

    June 14, 2018 at 10:25 am

    @schrodingers_cat: I didn’t know Rangappa was a GOPr. Kind of disappointed. Answer to your question – Wittes is a good pal of Comey and it sounds like Comey is not going to look good in this report in regards to Comey.

  46. 46.

    waysel

    June 14, 2018 at 10:25 am

    If we survive this whole mess, I would love to see Comey convicted on a charge of interfering with a federal election. And, of course, a unicorn.

  47. 47.

    schrodingers_cat

    June 14, 2018 at 10:26 am

    @Mnemosyne: And this from a “good” Republican.

  48. 48.

    M4

    June 14, 2018 at 10:26 am

    @MomSense: I honestly doubt Wittes even noticed he was doing it. I also found it jarring but only really worthy of an eye roll—the thing is, it made me not care about the rest of his tweets.

  49. 49.

    LAO

    June 14, 2018 at 10:26 am

    BREAKING: Comey “deviated” from FBI and DOJ procedures in handling the probe into Hillary Clinton, damaging the law enforcement agencies’ image of impartiality even though he wasn’t motivated by political bias, new IG report says. @cstrohm— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 14, 2018

  50. 50.

    LAO

    June 14, 2018 at 10:28 am

    BREAKING: IG finds anti-Trump bias in texts by Peter Strzok & Lisa Page, BUT “we did not find documentary or testimonial evidence that improper considerations, including political bias, directly affected the specific investigative actions we reviewed" https://t.co/XDpM9bSPfV— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) June 14, 2018

  51. 51.

    schrodingers_cat

    June 14, 2018 at 10:28 am

    @Mai naem mobile: I don’t know for sure but I have read a couple of her op-eds and she goes out of her way to be bothsidery and gratuitously insulting Ds. She is another Comey fan.

  52. 52.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    June 14, 2018 at 10:28 am

    @Mike J: BREAKING NEWS
    we still know what we’ve known for a year and a half!

    David S. Joachim@ davidjoachim
    ? Breaking —>>>
    *DOJ WATCHDOG SAYS COMEY DEVIATED FROM FBI NORMS, BUT NOT BIASED
    *REPORT FINDS COMEY DECISIONS USURPED ATTORNEY GENERAL AUTHORITY
    *DOJ WATCHDOG REPORT CONCLUSIONS OBTAINED BY BLOOMBERG NEWS

    James Comey put trump in the White House, and trump fired him for investigating foreign intervention in the presidential election.

    Keep it simple.

  53. 53.

    Mike J

    June 14, 2018 at 10:29 am

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-14/comey-broke-from-fbi-procedures-in-clinton-probe-watchdog-finds

    “While we did not find that these decisions were the result of political bias on Comey’s part, we nevertheless concluded that by departing so clearly and dramatically from FBI and department norms, the decisions negatively impacted the perception of the FBI and the department as fair administrators of justice,” Inspector General Michael Horowitz said in the report’s conclusions, which were obtained Thursday by Bloomberg News.

  54. 54.

    schrodingers_cat

    June 14, 2018 at 10:29 am

    @M4: Same here. It jumped out at me. I have never sought his tweets out before. Only read them when he is quoted here, for the most part.

  55. 55.

    Mnemosyne

    June 14, 2018 at 10:29 am

    @LAO:

    Unconscious bias is still bias, dickweeds.

    Ugh. Good thing I’m going to be busy at work today, because I can’t even.

  56. 56.

    LAO

    June 14, 2018 at 10:29 am

    So, moving forward, America, it's become obvious that our honor system of norms and traditions is about as effective a way to ensure the stability of a country as a wet paper towel. Let's change some of the norms to laws.— John Hornor (@johnhornor) June 14, 2018

  57. 57.

    Josie

    June 14, 2018 at 10:30 am

    @Mike J: Wow! This is my shocked face. Who coulda known, etc.

  58. 58.

    scav

    June 14, 2018 at 10:31 am

    @Amir Khalid: Somehow the phase bank error in your favor springs to mind. It’s a little odd how the clumsy phrasing always seems to fall favoring certain directions. There may be some actual ingenues in there, but they’re in with a pseudo crowd.

  59. 59.

    schrodingers_cat

    June 14, 2018 at 10:31 am

    Who needs fucking Putin when you have Treason Times and FBI in your back pocket.

  60. 60.

    Mary G

    June 14, 2018 at 10:31 am

    @LAO: OMG! There has never been a time in the entire history of this country that a president could not find staff and had to hold open auditions like this. They are too dumb to be as embarrassed as they should be. And just imagine the flotsam and jepsam that will turn up!

  61. 61.

    LAO

    June 14, 2018 at 10:32 am

    Clearly, the report isn’t what Trump wanted but it will be interesting (ie. horrifying) to see how the right twists the findings into an anti-Hillary, pro-Trump narrative. ugh.

  62. 62.

    Kay

    June 14, 2018 at 10:33 am

    @LAO:

    It’s true. They was always based on the individual character of people in power, “norms”. To have “norms” people in power have to be pretty good. Not perfect but pretty good. They’re not so we need rules. They discredited themselves.

  63. 63.

    Jeffro

    June 14, 2018 at 10:33 am

    Btw folks, for those of you so inclined, here’s the WaPo’s instructions for sending in letters to the editor and op-eds. (I just sent one in about Bob Corker’s “cult” comments re: Trumpov, and how spot-on they were. I tried to be funny about it, pretending to be offended by such ‘shrill’ remarks and then letting it dawn on me that the knucklehead’s got a point. )

    Anyway: send to [email protected]

    Thank you for sending a letter to the editor. We review every letter we receive, and we value the views of all who send us comments. Because of the large volume of submissions, however, we do not respond to letters we do not plan to publish. If we are considering your letter for publication, we will contact you, probably by e-mail, in advance of publication.

    You can now follow Washington Post letters to the editor on Twitter at @PostLetters

    Here are some tips on how to increase the chances of having your letter published in The Post:

    1. Letters should be fewer than 200 words and exclusive to The Washington Post.
    2. The letter should not have been submitted to or previously published by any other media or Internet outlet, including online comments or feedback posted to Web sites. If you have posted similar comments to a Web site, your letter cannot be considered.
    3. The letter should include the writer’s full name, home address, e-mail address and home, business and cellphone numbers. Anonymous letters will not be considered. The Post does not publish letters under pseudonyms.
    4. Writers must disclose any present or past personal or professional involvement with the subject matter of their letters.
    5. All letters are subject to editing and abridgment.
    6. Do not send attachments; they will not be read.
    7. We prefer letters that cite an article or item that has appeared in the print edition of The Post within the past three weeks. We do not publish letters in response to articles or other items that appeared only on The Post’s Web site.
    8. To make your e-mailed letter as easy to read as possible, do not send any graphics or digital letterhead, put the text of your letter in the body of the e-mail andcite the article or item about which you are writing in the body or subject line.

    Again, thank you for sending us a letter.

    Sincerely,
    The Washington Post letters staff

  64. 64.

    Gin & Tonic

    June 14, 2018 at 10:34 am

    Sorta Russia-related. I’ve posted a couple of times about Andriy Yermolenko’s World Cup posters, which are (IMO) brilliant (do an image search on Google if you’re interested). So apparently in the Netherlands you can order/buy/use (I’m a little unclear) postage stamps with any image on them. Now Dutch postage stamps are appearing with Yermolenko’s image of a football crashing into an airliner. Reportedly FIFA are not amused.

  65. 65.

    M4

    June 14, 2018 at 10:35 am

    @Jeffro: no repeating balloon juice comments?‽ There goes my career as a wapo letter writer.

  66. 66.

    Mike J

    June 14, 2018 at 10:37 am

    @LAO:

    Clearly, the report isn’t what Trump wanted but it will be interesting (ie. horrifying) to see how the right twists the findings into an anti-Hillary, pro-Trump narrative. ugh.

    Without a doubt, Trump will tweet that this proves he was right to fire Comey.

  67. 67.

    waysel

    June 14, 2018 at 10:37 am

    @Kay: It’s abhorrent.

  68. 68.

    Mary G

    June 14, 2018 at 10:38 am

    North Korea TV just put out a picture of Twitler saluting a NK general. But not the same as bowing to our enemies, no siree. What a doofus he is.

  69. 69.

    germy

    June 14, 2018 at 10:39 am

    With the IG report due today, a reminder that Hillary Clinton had a choice in March 2015. She chose wrong https://t.co/9W2Qkds863— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) June 14, 2018

    this is why Trump is president

    how many weirdly personal and pointless Clinton Email columns did you write Ron?

    https://t.co/lPtjiAvQUb— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) June 14, 2018

  70. 70.

    No Drought No More

    June 14, 2018 at 10:39 am

    If the pudgy killer that leads North Korea has a sense of humor (as most pudgy killers do),this afternoon he’ll announce that in the event America’s deep state is successful in overthrowing Trump, he would be welcomed in North Korea with open arms.

  71. 71.

    germy

    June 14, 2018 at 10:40 am

    Greenwald — who is on Fox News to conspiracy-monger about the Hillary Clinton IG report — attacks the media for having "very little interest" in the Hillary Clinton IG report. #InsightfulAnalysis pic.twitter.com/cS3hEVPZj0— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 14, 2018

  72. 72.

    Jeffro

    June 14, 2018 at 10:41 am

    @LAO: Retweeting the SHIT out of that for the next two years…

  73. 73.

    hedgehog the occasional commenter

    June 14, 2018 at 10:41 am

    Open thread?
    On the topic of internment camps:
    Sent a Resistbot email to Cory Gardner (spit) using the talking points shared by Cheryl and Adam last night. Called Bennet’s office to thank him for being a co-sponsor of the Keep Families Together Act. The staffer was very pleased and said they’d gotten a ton of calls in support of Bennet. If your Senator is doing the right thing, let them know you’ve got their backs!

  74. 74.

    LAO

    June 14, 2018 at 10:42 am

    NEW: NY AG announces lawsuit against Trump Foundation and its board for violations of state and federal law. Lawsuit Seeks Restitution of $2.8 Million Plus Penalties— Sam Stein (@samstein) June 14, 2018

  75. 75.

    M4

    June 14, 2018 at 10:42 am

    @germy: if only he were in a position to do something about that.

  76. 76.

    Frankensteinbeck

    June 14, 2018 at 10:42 am

    @Mike J:

    While we did not find that these decisions were the result of political bias on Comey’s part

    Merely personal bias. He specifically hated Hillary, and wanted to teach that bitch who dared think she could order him and his men around a lesson. I doubt seriously he was thinking that at the time, but it’s amazing what other thoughts seem reasonable when that’s how you feel.

  77. 77.

    Jeffro

    June 14, 2018 at 10:42 am

    @M4: Just don’t repeat them to the letter! ;)

  78. 78.

    rikyrah

    June 14, 2018 at 10:43 am

    @Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.):

    I feel confident that this report will confirm that Hillary Clinton shot Lincoln, betrayed Jesus to the Romans and set the Reichstag fire

    LOL

  79. 79.

    different-church-lady

    June 14, 2018 at 10:43 am

    Meanwhile Trump is saluting North Korean generals.

  80. 80.

    rikyrah

    June 14, 2018 at 10:43 am

    OT:

    I don’t watch soccer, but just want to know this, as general knowledge..

    Who now, is considered the best soccer player in the world today?

  81. 81.

    rikyrah

    June 14, 2018 at 10:44 am

    Tom Barrack draws Mueller’s eye to UAE, Saudi Arabia: NYT

    David Kirkpatrick, international correspondent for The New York Times, talks with Rachel Maddow about Donald Trump friend and inauguration chair Tom Barrack serving as a bridge between Trump and princes from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates and drawing the attention of Robert Mueller.

  82. 82.

    Jeffro

    June 14, 2018 at 10:44 am

    Breaking: New York State files suit against Trumpov, claiming his “charity” was engaged in illegal activity.

    BUTTHECLINTONFOUNDATION!!!1!

    Still, good news!

  83. 83.

    Frankensteinbeck

    June 14, 2018 at 10:44 am

    @germy:
    ‘You made me do it’ is the second favorite argument of domestic abusers, right behind ‘I’m hurting you for your own good.’

  84. 84.

    different-church-lady

    June 14, 2018 at 10:45 am

    @Jeffro:

    1. Letters should be fewer than 200 words…

    I’m out.

  85. 85.

    D58826

    June 14, 2018 at 10:46 am

    @Kay: If IIRC Comey was part of the Starr inquisition of the Clintons and then conducted a separate investigation when he was part of the SDNY in 2001. He has never been an honest actor when it comes to the Clintons.

  86. 86.

    germy

    June 14, 2018 at 10:47 am

    When you see a Vox pundit and an Intercept pundit argue on Twitter, you're looking at around $750,000 a year.
    — Charles Davis (@charliearchy) June 13, 2018

  87. 87.

    But her emails!!!

    June 14, 2018 at 10:47 am

    @Mike J:

    So it appears the early conclusion of the IG report — via Bloomberg — is that Comey/FBI took actions that negatively impacted Hillary Clinton in 2016

    Sweet. So do we get to hold a new Presidential Election during the midterms?

  88. 88.

    Frankensteinbeck

    June 14, 2018 at 10:48 am

    @D58826:
    Yep. This was about a personal grudge.

  89. 89.

    Amir Khalid

    June 14, 2018 at 10:48 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:
    Maybe Comey didn’t start out thinking, “Okay, I’m going to mess with Hillary’s campaign and hand the election to Trump”, but some subconscious motivation must have led him to miscalculate his ethical duty and disregard orders from the USAG and President.

  90. 90.

    schrodingers_cat

    June 14, 2018 at 10:49 am

    Let Comey be a lesson to all future D presidents, don’t appoint Rs to head the FBI.

  91. 91.

    lamh36

    June 14, 2018 at 10:49 am

    just in time for chumps bday!

    NYC AG suing chump and kids!!

    from Fahrenhold:

    “NY Atty General sure @realDonaldTrump and 3 Trump kids, alleging “persistent illegal conduct” at Donald J Trump Fdn. ”

    https://twitter.com/fahrenthold/status/1007273712977104897?s=21

  92. 92.

    SiubhanDuinne

    June 14, 2018 at 10:50 am

    What a lovely birthday present for Trump!

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/new-york-files-suit-against-president-trump-alleging-his-charity-engaged-in-illegal-conduct/2018/06/14/c3cbf71e-6fc9-11e8-bd50-b80389a4e569_story.html?utm_term=.bacfaf246d3c

  93. 93.

    M4

    June 14, 2018 at 10:50 am

    @Frankensteinbeck: this is, alas, why both are so popular with republicans.

    ETA see, Schneiderman wasn’t some sort of savior or lynchpin of the whole NYAG investigation.

  94. 94.

    D58826

    June 14, 2018 at 10:51 am

    @Amir Khalid: refer to my comment 85 above/ Comey has been after the Clintons since the Ken Starr days. Even if, in general, he is an honorable man even honorable men can have blind spots. And the Clintons are Comey’s BLIND spot

  95. 95.

    different-church-lady

    June 14, 2018 at 10:52 am

    …broke clearly and dramatically…

    TRUMPOF PLAY: “He was right to fire Comey!”

  96. 96.

    rikyrah

    June 14, 2018 at 10:54 am

    World Cup announcement comes at awkward time for U.S. under Trump

    Rachel Maddow notes that while FIFA was hoping to send a “nice message” by holding the 2026 in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, that message is also a little awkward given Donald Trump’s steady stream of insults directed at both neighbors of the United States.

  97. 97.

    different-church-lady

    June 14, 2018 at 10:54 am

    @Amir Khalid: That ‘subconscious motivation’ was probably his ego – “I shall do something big and dramatic in this big and dramatic situation.”

  98. 98.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    June 14, 2018 at 10:55 am

    @Amir Khalid: no question, he’s both a Republican and a self-righteous prig. He wanted to publicly scold that careless and arrogant woman

    One of the few aspects of Comey that I don’t think is discussed enough is one people were mentioning at the time was his fear of then House Oversight Cmtee chair Chaffetz. He was afraid if he hadn’t spilled the beans he’d be financially ruined by the endless hearings under President HRC

  99. 99.

    Teddys Person

    June 14, 2018 at 10:55 am

    Comey, like a lot of people, assumed Clinton was going to win, and he couldn’t wait to announce that he would investigate the shit out of her as she presidented while Democrat.

  100. 100.

    rikyrah

    June 14, 2018 at 10:56 am

    PLEASE contact your Senator if there name is not here:

    So far…

    Feinstein
    Schumer
    Harris
    Leahy
    Murray
    Wyden
    Durbin
    Reed
    Nelson
    Carper
    Menendez
    Sanders
    Casey
    Klobuchar
    Shaheen
    Warner
    Merkley
    Bennet
    Blumenthal
    Schatz
    Murphy
    Hirono
    King
    Kaine
    Warren
    Markey
    Booker
    Cortez
    Baldwin
    Heinrich
    Udall
    Gillibrand
    Cantwell
    Whitehouse
    Van Hollen

    — Tamara (@thoude) June 13, 2018

  101. 101.

    different-church-lady

    June 14, 2018 at 10:56 am

    @rikyrah: If they really want to stick it to Trump, they’ll hold the final match in Ottawa.

  102. 102.

    Chyron HR

    June 14, 2018 at 10:59 am

    @germy:

    Aw, that’s bush league punditry. How about “Hillary Clinton’s mother had a choice to terminate her pregnancy. SHE CHOSE WRONG.” Now there’s some Pulitzer material.

  103. 103.

    Jeffro

    June 14, 2018 at 10:59 am

    @different-church-lady: just ignore that part, I did ?

  104. 104.

    Amir Khalid

    June 14, 2018 at 10:59 am

    @rikyrah:
    I don’t even think the question is all that meaningful. I think Mohamed Salah is the world’s best striker right now, but how would I compare him with, say, the world’s best defensive midfielder? Players in different positions do different, and not directly comparable, things for the team.

  105. 105.

    Mnemosyne

    June 14, 2018 at 11:00 am

    @rikyrah:

    It’s my senior senator’s bill, and my junior senator supports it, but I need to contact both of them to let them know I’m 100 percent behind them.

  106. 106.

    Gin & Tonic

    June 14, 2018 at 11:00 am

    @rikyrah: Great way to start an argument.

  107. 107.

    Mary G

    June 14, 2018 at 11:00 am

    Lucretia, Uday and Qusay all named defendants in the NY state lawsuit over the Trump Foundation. More lawyer bills for all!

  108. 108.

    rikyrah

    June 14, 2018 at 11:01 am

    House Republican retweets Nazi sympathizer, faces no punishment
    06/14/18 08:40 AM
    By Steve Benen

    Rep. Steve King’s (R-Iowa) ugly history on matters related to race, alas, is not new. And yet, new King controversies keep coming up. The Washington Post reported:

    Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa is drawing scrutiny after sharing a social media post from a British white nationalist who has described himself in the past as an admirer of Hitler’s Germany and a “Nazi sympathizer.”

    King, whose racially inflected comments on subjects such as immigration and Western culture have drawn headlines for years, retweeted the British white nationalist Mark Collett, who had shared a statistic from Breitbart News on Tuesday morning about opinions of “mass immigration” in Italy.

    “Europe is waking up,” King wrote, above Collett’s tweet. “Will America … in time?”

  109. 109.

    M4

    June 14, 2018 at 11:02 am

    @Teddys Person:

    investigate the shit out of her as she presidented while Democrat.

    Ah yes, the ultimate crime. Far worse than conspiring with a foreign power to win an election.

  110. 110.

    germy

    June 14, 2018 at 11:02 am

    Open Thread?

    .
    Aetna on twitter: “This ripple of water represents how we affect everything around us. Observe the drop below and check in with yourself without judgment. What thoughts and feelings are present right now?” [accompanied by a “drop of water” representing “self care”.]

    The replies they got were heartwarming:

    The thought that is present is healthcare for profit is immoral. The feeling is anger.

    Your CEO skimmed $41M from what should have gone to medical care http://www.courant.com/business/connecticut-insurance/hc-aetna-ceo-pay-20170411-story,amp.html …
    Where is the karmic flow on that one??

    thoughts: your company should not exist
    feelings: almost lustful desire to resurrect the guillotine industry

    i dream of a day in which your business model is outdated

    https://twitter.com/Aetna/status/1006597030742028289

  111. 111.

    Mary G

    June 14, 2018 at 11:03 am

    @Mnemosyne: DiFi may be old, but she’s been all over this. Very proud of both of them. Woman senators FTW!

  112. 112.

    clay

    June 14, 2018 at 11:03 am

    @rikyrah: Context?

  113. 113.

    waysel

    June 14, 2018 at 11:05 am

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    While we did not find that these decisions were the result of political bias on Comey’s part

    How did they reach this finding? Did they read Cs mind? Did they ask him point blank, and he replied, “No,certainly not”? Was it simply that they found no notes stating, “I plan to torpedo HC for political reasons”?

  114. 114.

    Turgidson

    June 14, 2018 at 11:07 am

    @MomSense: This eleventy billion times.

    I’m grateful for any and all voices of disgust over the current catastrophe, but these people – Wilson, Frum, Schmidt, Jennifer Rubin, Nicolle Wallace, etc. – are going to go right back to being insufferable apologists for a less aggressively awful GOP as soon as they think Trump fever has passed. Bank it.

  115. 115.

    Teddys Person

    June 14, 2018 at 11:08 am

    @germy: I am always throughly amused when amatuers tweet, and the twitterazzi is merciless. Tweets may be short, but they’re full of terrors.

  116. 116.

    Amir Khalid

    June 14, 2018 at 11:10 am

    @different-church-lady:
    Whether Trump leaves the White House in a Marine helicopter or in handcuffs, and I hope it is the latter, he will be gone well before they announce the venue for the 2026 World Cup final.

  117. 117.

    catclub

    June 14, 2018 at 11:11 am

    @Kay:

    was MUCH MUCH worse than the rules he was handed, and chose not to use.

    Obama A) should never have appointed him – own goal #1 B) should have fired him for those refusals to follow the rules.

  118. 118.

    Mary G

    June 14, 2018 at 11:13 am

    @Turgidson: Yep. Jennifer Rubin’s attacks on Twitler are great, but once he’s gone, she’ll be shilling for Kasich or Romney or Flake as hard as she can.

  119. 119.

    Chyron HR

    June 14, 2018 at 11:14 am

    @rikyrah:

    “Some people think the people who voted for Trump are racists. I don’t agree, because I’ve been there.” – Bernard S., Burlington VT

  120. 120.

    Teddys Person

    June 14, 2018 at 11:14 am

    @waysel: Didn’t some wise sage once say something about looking into a man’s eyes and seeing his soul? Maybe the DOJ IG has some of that going on.

  121. 121.

    Teddys Person

    June 14, 2018 at 11:15 am

    @Teddys Person: oops typo – should be thoroughly

  122. 122.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    June 14, 2018 at 11:15 am

    @Mary G: she may start shilling for Flake or Kasich before he’s gone

    I’m not confused about who she is, but she may be useful if Kasich gets his messianic on

  123. 123.

    Tilda Swintons Bald Cap

    June 14, 2018 at 11:16 am

    NYAG sues Trump and 3 eldest children over Trump Foundation.

  124. 124.

    Teddys Person

    June 14, 2018 at 11:18 am

    @Mary G: Wasn’t she recently singing Bolton’s praises?

  125. 125.

    waysel

    June 14, 2018 at 11:18 am

    @Chyron HR: What in the hell is this supposed to even mean?

    “Some people think the people who voted for Trump are racists. I don’t agree, because I’ve been there.” – Bernard S., Burlington VT

  126. 126.

    Roger Moore

    June 14, 2018 at 11:20 am

    @MomSense:
    The only never-Trumpers I trust at all are the neocons, and them I don’t trust much. Most of the never-Trumpers are mostly angry over matters of style; they’d be perfectly happy with a Republican who wore a well tailored suit, spoke in a measured voice, and advocated the same policies using less inflammatory rhetoric. The neocons are a little more trustworthy because their disagreement with Trump is based on substantive policy, and the policy they consider most important. They aren’t going to accept Trump’s foreign policy no matter who presents it. I hold out a glimmer of hope that some of them will decide they can’t support the Republicans at all, but I won’t trust them on that until I hear a real admission they were mistaken to support the Republicans on other important issues.

  127. 127.

    Tony Jay

    June 14, 2018 at 11:20 am

    @rikyrah:

    Amir is right that it really depends what position you’re talking about, but as a general rule, given that the ‘best’ is usually defined as “He who does amazing things with the ball on a regular basis and creates scoring chances for himself and other on a very regular basis”, then you’re probably talking about either Leo Messi (Barcelona and Argentina) or Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid and Portugal).

    Messi is a divinely gifted natural footballer who had been considered the natural heir to Pele and Maradona for about a decade, while Ronaldo is the poster boy (quite literally) for how hard-work and ferocious dedication can take you to the top and keep you there even if you’re not – quite – as good as the other guy. It’s a testament to how very, very good Messi is that Ronaldo’s team-mate, the unforgivably cynical and scummy Sergio Ramos, has been trying to cripple him in every game they’ve played against each other but he just can’t catch the little wizard.

    OTOH, Messi has a reputation for not really turning it on in these big tournaments for Argentina, while two years ago a 70% fit Ronaldo basically carried the rest of the Portuguese team to victory in the European Championship.

  128. 128.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    June 14, 2018 at 11:21 am

    @Tilda Swintons Bald Cap: I’m gonna wait for a write up until the dust has settled, but from what I’ve seen around twitter this looks (to this non-lawyer) like a substantive case. They used the foundation to grease wheels in Iowa, among other things.

    And the stuck pig is already squealing on twitter

  129. 129.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    June 14, 2018 at 11:22 am

    @waysel: the commune he was kicked out of for not doing any work was next door to a town where a lot of white people lost their jobs when the textile mill shut down?

  130. 130.

    Mai naem mobile

    June 14, 2018 at 11:23 am

    @MomSense: Rick Wilson worked for Cruz in the primary so he probably knows about the Cambridge Analytica and the NRA Russian commection.

  131. 131.

    D58826

    June 14, 2018 at 11:24 am

    @Mary G: Well she is a conservative after all. Just because she is temporarily anti-trump doesn’t change that fact. I don’t mean that as a pot shot, just she is what she is. Just like EJ Dionne is a liberal., You can put Nicolle Wallace in same category. It was Nicholle and Steve Schmidt that gave us Sarah Palin after all.

  132. 132.

    Betty Cracker

    June 14, 2018 at 11:26 am

    @Kay: A thousand amens. During Comey’s media tour, it was gratifying on the one hand that he was out there skewering Trump, but on the other hand, he wrote a book about leadership, and was swanning around pretending he’s a great leader. If your judgment call ended up installing an erratic authoritarian in the Oval Office, shouldn’t you at least sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up about your great leadership skills? So galling!

    Another irritant from my prospective as a plebe in the cheap seats is that these people get away with their self-delusions, and that drives me nuts. I’m still fuming that GWB gets to retire to Texas and paint while deluding himself that he was a good president or at least deserves a gentlemen’s C whereas in reality, he presided over the costliest foreign policy blunder in American history and presided over the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

    Comey is clearly deluding himself in a similar way. He did say in one interview that his wife and daughters attended the Women’s March and said his wife called him out when Clinton lost the election. So, that’s the only justice we’ll get with Mr. Comey — his wife and kids’ derision. It’s not enough. There should at least be a social price to pay.

  133. 133.

    Frankensteinbeck

    June 14, 2018 at 11:27 am

    @Roger Moore:

    I hold out a glimmer of hope that some of them will decide they can’t support the Republicans at all

    Naah. Standard Republican foreign policy – be a gigantic bullying asshole, treat all your enemies as existential evil threats, and generally attack anything that moves – is that policy neocons are loyal to. The base loves it, too. They just don’t care enough to change their feelings about a white supremacy president. I will cross my fingers they sit out an election or two out of pique, but they’ll never abandon the party.

  134. 134.

    different-church-lady

    June 14, 2018 at 11:29 am

    @waysel: It means the Saint of Vermont is more into racism than even I cared to recognize before.

  135. 135.

    Gentex

    June 14, 2018 at 11:29 am

    @rikyrah:
    Messi or Ronaldo. I tend toward Messi

  136. 136.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    June 14, 2018 at 11:30 am

    @Betty Cracker: but on the other hand, he wrote a book about leadership, and was swanning around pretending he’s a great leader.
    reminds me of the way Colin Powell is treated in the media, as if he resigned in noble protest over the war he called “bullshit”, and then spent three years and one presidential campaign defending. He wanted to stay on in the second term, but his usefulness as a campaign prop* was no longer needed, so Bush put him out to pasture.

    * as with 2016, there were a lot of reasons large and small that got Bush each of his two terms, but I think in 2000 and ’04, Powell’s support for Bush was a significant boost

    (not really surprised, but it sounds like the Pentagon is making excuses for trump saluting a North Korean general. /sigh/)

  137. 137.

    waysel

    June 14, 2018 at 11:31 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Oh, right. The old “economic insecurity” trope. I believe he’s a paid Russian asset.

  138. 138.

    different-church-lady

    June 14, 2018 at 11:31 am

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    …but they’ll never abandon the party

    .

    As long at the GOP keeps throwing it, they’ll keep voting for it.

  139. 139.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    June 14, 2018 at 11:36 am

    Natasha Bertrand @ NatashaBertrand
    “In violation of state and federal law, senior Trump campaign staff, including Campaign Manager Corey Lewandowski, dictated the timing, amounts, and recipients of grants by the Foundation to non-profits.” Holy wow.

  140. 140.

    trollhattan

    June 14, 2018 at 11:37 am

    @rikyrah:
    Lucy Bronze?

  141. 141.

    Teddys Person

    June 14, 2018 at 11:37 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    (not really surprised, but it sounds like the Pentagon is making excuses for trump saluting a North Korean general. /sigh/)

    They could go with the “monkey see, monkey do” excuse.

  142. 142.

    Juju

    June 14, 2018 at 11:38 am

    @Kay: @Kay: @Kay: @Kay: I saw an interview that Comey did when his book came out, I think it was part of the interview done with Stephanopoulos. Actually, his first thought wasn’t about saving the republic, it was all about protecting the FBI. I thought his first duty was to protect and defend the constitution. In any case he was wrong in his choices and he ruined the country for decades.

  143. 143.

    trollhattan

    June 14, 2018 at 11:43 am

    @Juju:
    Exactly. Company Man forgets who owns the company and who the customers are.

  144. 144.

    waysel

    June 14, 2018 at 11:44 am

    @different-church-lady: I saw him give two different campaign speeches on TV wherein he stated essentially that there is no such thing as racism- only ‘economic inequality.’ I was onboard with HRC already but wanted to give him a consideration. Put me right off hearing him spout that horrendous bullshit.

  145. 145.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    June 14, 2018 at 11:46 am

    @Betty Cracker: I don’t think this is gaslighting, I think most of these people are Conspiracy theorists loons. Any evidence that doesn’t support the Conspiracy Theory is proof that the Conspiracy exists. How else does one get to “The FBI is in league with Hilary Clinton and Soros”?

  146. 146.

    Kay

    June 14, 2018 at 11:50 am

    @Juju:

    he failed at that, too. Did he protect the FBI? No. Democrats think they threw an election and Republicans think they’re part of the Obama Deep State.

    How did he get this so twisted? His duty isn’t to protect the reputation of the FBI. His duty is to do a good job. Then the reputation of the FBI will take care of itself.

    It’s like they;ve lost the plot. The point isn’t to protect these institutions. The point is to protect THE WORK of the institutions. Why is he worrying about what other people say at all? Investigators can’t worry about what people say. It skews their work, like it did here.

  147. 147.

    Kay

    June 14, 2018 at 11:55 am

    @Juju:

    Maybe it’s good. It’s like your car breaking down on a short ride instead of cross country.

    This wasn’t that big a deal- Clinton used an email server she wasn’t supposed to. If that made the FBI COLLAPSE they weren’t worth much and it’s good we found out.

    “OMG, LYNCH TALKED TO CLINTON ON THE PLANE!” The whole fucking agency collapses? They’re running around in circles and having nervous breakdowns about how to handle that?

  148. 148.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    June 14, 2018 at 11:55 am

    @MomSense:

    I don’t trust any of the never trumpers. Where have they been through all these years of dog whistling? Where were they before trump with their small government anti tyranny ideology when black bodies were being gunned down and black communities were being harassed through fees and taxes far more than neighboring white communities?

    I think the Never Trumpers are like Woman’s Resistance. The Never Trumpers don’t support the Media’s Narrative therefor they don’t exist. But if the Right is Trump, they why is Trump’s administration unable to get enough applicants?

  149. 149.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    June 14, 2018 at 11:57 am

    @Kay:

    His duty isn’t to protect the reputation of the FBI. His duty is to do a good job. Then the reputation of the FBI will take care of itself.

    Comey is just following the example Hoover.

  150. 150.

    GregB

    June 14, 2018 at 11:58 am

    Comey’s announcement is what destroyed Clinton’s election. Her polling was drooping ad the the Fox media axis began the chatter about a pending Hillary indictment. It would be fascinating to see how much social media was pushing this story. The amount would, I assume, be staggering.

    Then the Comey shiv in the kidney press conference and the non tecoverable polling plunge. Throw in some strategically disenfranchised voters and voila….America now deems Canada an enemy, the President is saluting generals of THE most repressive regime on the planet and little children are being stuffed into veal pens.

    This is going to end badly for one group or another.

    Right now my faith in justice snd humanity is lost.

  151. 151.

    Mary G

    June 14, 2018 at 12:00 pm

    There’s already a letter from three of the looniest of the loons in the Republican house saying that the IG report doesn’t say what they want it to, so it must’ve been watered down (presumably by the “Deep State” ) and they demand that the IG produce every draft of the document NOW.

  152. 152.

    Juju

    June 14, 2018 at 12:02 pm

    Also, sorry about the multiple Kay’s. It’s not a Sheldon sort of thing, it’s an overheated iPad sort of thing and I couldn’t correct it.

  153. 153.

    waysel

    June 14, 2018 at 12:12 pm

    @GregB: I empathize with you. This is a good place to come to be reminded that there are still decent humans, and they are fighting this darkness.

  154. 154.

    Juju

    June 14, 2018 at 12:16 pm

    @Kay: Tie FBI didn’t seem to care about private account email use when Colin Powell was SoS, or when Condolezza Rice’s underlings used them, but for HRC it was the worst thing ever and the end of things as we know them. I’m sick of the Clinton rules, and specifically the Hillary Clinton rules. I also think that Comey not only had an issue with HRC because Clinton, but also with Lynch because woman. Who knew the DOJ was a Jenga tower? I agree with everything you said, and I’m glad to see you have returned.

  155. 155.

    MomSense

    June 14, 2018 at 12:19 pm

    @But her emails!!!:

    So it appears the early conclusion of the IG report — via Bloomberg — is that Comey/FBI took actions that negatively impacted Hillary Clinton in 2016

    Golly, I hope this doesn’t make poor Comey too nauseous.

  156. 156.

    Frankensteinbeck

    June 14, 2018 at 12:19 pm

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques:

    But if the Right is Trump, they why is Trump’s administration unable to get enough applicants?

    Because the Right is Trump, and most of them are barely able to pick their own nose. The ones who are merely dumb and venial see a dumpster fire that will damage their future job prospects, and fuck doing anything for anyone but themselves. Toss in Trump’s loyalty obsession, and not a lot of people get in the door. Most who do, get kicked out. All because the Right is Trump.

  157. 157.

    Teddys Person

    June 14, 2018 at 12:20 pm

    @Juju: I kinda liked it and pictured an eager student in the back of the room waving thier hand and whispering “please pick me, please pick me.”

  158. 158.

    Frankensteinbeck

    June 14, 2018 at 12:23 pm

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques:
    Oh, and did I mention gatekeeping? Because the Right is Trump, the people who should be recommending applicants have no interest in passing along anyone for approval except their personal toadies and relatives.

  159. 159.

    charon

    June 14, 2018 at 12:30 pm

    @Mary G:

    Maybe. She keeps saying the GOP is irredeemable, that does not sound much like future shilling.

  160. 160.

    Juju

    June 14, 2018 at 12:30 pm

    @Teddys Person: I’ve mellowed out a bit and no longer feel the need to do that when I raise my hand to ask a question.

  161. 161.

    sukabi

    June 14, 2018 at 1:21 pm

    @Amir Khalid: I think Clinton is his “white whale”…he just KNOWS they’ve done something and he has to find it, and he’s pissed that EVERY time he gets thisclose they slip away like smoke.

  162. 162.

    Miss Bianca

    June 14, 2018 at 1:40 pm

    @hedgehog the occasional commenter: I need to get on the stick again with communicating with our Congress critters. Thanks for the (virtual) kick in the butt!

  163. 163.

    JaneSays

    June 14, 2018 at 2:52 pm

    @waysel: I would love to win a judgment against Donald Trump for a billion dollars. Which is about as likely to happen as James Comey ever facing criminal charges for his indefensible, incompetent, history-altering behavior in late 2016.

  164. 164.

    hedgehog mobile

    June 14, 2018 at 2:56 pm

    @Miss Bianca: Glad to help ? Hope all is well. How is the pup?

  165. 165.

    JaneSays

    June 14, 2018 at 3:29 pm

    @waysel: I think saying “we did not find” is comparable to a “not guilty” verdict. Such a verdict is sometimes confused as an absolute declaration of the innocence of the accused, but it is nothing of the sort. It’s simply a declaration that there was insufficient evidence available to ascertain the guilt of the accused beyond a reasonable doubt. It’s because of that concept that OJ Simpson was able to be found not guilty of his ex-wife’s murder but still subsequently found to be liable for her death in a civil trial despite that verdict in the criminal case.

    Similarly, the IG did not say “James Comey wasn’t motivated by political bias”, they effectively said, “we were not able to find evidence of political bias being a motivator for James Comey”. The difference may seem trifling, but it’s not. It’s entirely possible that Comey was motivated by political bias, and nothing in the IG report refutes. It simply states that they were unable to find specific evidence that he was motivated by political bias.

  166. 166.

    waysel

    June 14, 2018 at 6:50 pm

    @JaneSays: I appreciate your explanation. I think the general public would read the statement as a proclamation of Comeys innocence. I wonder if they investigated the possibility of personal bias?

  167. 167.

    J R in WV

    June 14, 2018 at 7:13 pm

    @Mary G:

    North Korea TV just put out a picture of Twitler saluting a NK general. But not the same as bowing to our enemies, no siree. What a doofus he is.

    When I heard that, I was appalled, but when I saw the video, the general saluted Trump when Trump reached for a handshake. So then Trump returned the salute… probably a reflex from military school? Anyway, not as bad as it sounded.

    I hate to give Trump a break, but this is too much like the RWNJs hating on Obama for “bowing” to foreign leaders in cultures with a bowing to one another tradition. I REALLY hate giving his a break, but there it is. a break.

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