BREAKING: Trump Fires Comey

[Virginiá]

It is perfectly possible Trump fired Comey for some other reason than to impede the Russia investigation (I don't think it's likely, but possible, sure. Trump does stupid things all the time). However, the idea that Trump fired Comey because of the Clinton stuff, that is a ridiculous idea. Trump was happy that Comey did all that, and gave Comey praise for it. He also seemed just dandy about it after taking office.

If Trump did this for less sinister reasons, it certainly won't be due to the Clinton investigation.

[ApatheticAustrian]

priebus and bannon advised trump against sacking comey now, cause of optics.



https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/us/politics/how-trump-decided-to-fire-james-comey.html

[pbrower2a]

There will simply never be anything to cause Trump supporters to stop blindly supporting him.

Trump dissolves congress and installs himself as president for life? They would have a million and one reasons why it was necessary.

He issues an executive order declaring the media as enemies of the state? It's all fake news anyway.

All political rivals are prosecuted? They deserve it, lock em up!

I realize these are extreme examples but we all know these fascists wouldn't even think of opposing Trump if he attempted to do anything remotely dictator-ish.

The military would stop that.

We do not have a parliamentary system in which a monarch, prime minister, or president can dissolve Congress. On the other side, there is no such thing as a vote of no confidence that that can oust an incompetent or unpopular President. Impeachment is for gross misconduct -- literally criminal behavior. Removal is possible for diminished capacity, and it was not used in the case of Ronald Reagan, who had advanced Alzheimer's disease.  

[I Won - Get Over It]

https://twitter.com/KatyTurNBC/status/862385363209265152

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Do you goddamned job and stop leaking, d**kheads, or this will happen to you. // Unpredictable Donald J Trump

[SteveRogers]

Just watched Sarah Huckabee Sanders give rambling non-answers to questions of "Ummm, wasnt Trump praising Comey's actions in late October?" The best they've been able to come up with is "Well, he was a candidate then and now he's president."

Can any Trump drones here do better?

Soooo... no takers?

I've seen a lot of posters on here doing the sarcastic "Gee, I thought democrats wanted him fired" shtick, but I don't know that I've seen any blue avatars actually defend or explain Trump's (supposed) flip-flop on this. Nobody wants to try?

[GeorgiaModerate]

From Mark Salter, John McCain's speechwriter:

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https://twitter.com/MarkSalter55/status/862370152553349123

[I Won - Get Over It]

Just watched Sarah Huckabee Sanders give rambling non-answers to questions of "Ummm, wasnt Trump praising Comey's actions in late October?" The best they've been able to come up with is "Well, he was a candidate then and now he's president."

Can any Trump drones here do better?

Soooo... no takers?

I've seen a lot of posters on here doing the sarcastic "Gee, I thought democrats wanted him fired" shtick, but I don't know that I've seen any blue avatars actually defend or explain Trump's (supposed) flip-flop on this. Nobody wants to try?

Easy. He lied. It's like 'defending or explaining' him calling 'Lyin Ted' a great guy or that he might consider 'Little Marco' to be his VP.

It just doesn't mean much.


And right now it seems like he's trolling. And those pictures with Lavrov and Kislyak!! If it is not trolling, what is?

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

From Mark Salter, John McCain's speechwriter:

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https://twitter.com/MarkSalter55/status/862370152553349123

While Congress is vitally important, we also need more state legislatures OUT of Republican hands. They are perilously close to being able to implement their frequently floated fringe fantasy of calling a Constitutional Convention and re-writing the Constitution to do away with all the pesky bits they dislike: preventing the establishment of a state religion, freedom to criticize the President, etc.

[This account no longer in use.]

From Mark Salter, John McCain's speechwriter:

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https://twitter.com/MarkSalter55/status/862370152553349123

While Congress is vitally important, we also need more state legislatures OUT of Republican hands. They are perilously close to being able to implement their frequently floated fringe fantasy of calling a Constitutional Convention and re-writing the Constitution to do away with all the pesky bits they dislike: preventing the establishment of a state religion, freedom to criticize the President, etc.

This seems more than a little paranoia-based, to be honest. That would send approval of Republicans way down, and they know it.

[The Other Castro]

NYT tracker page on the statements of every single member of Congress on this:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/05/10/us/politics/congress-statements-comey.html?_r=0

[Associate Justice PiT]

From Mark Salter, John McCain's speechwriter:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

https://twitter.com/MarkSalter55/status/862370152553349123

While Congress is vitally important, we also need more state legislatures OUT of Republican hands. They are perilously close to being able to implement their frequently floated fringe fantasy of calling a Constitutional Convention and re-writing the Constitution to do away with all the pesky bits they dislike: preventing the establishment of a state religion, freedom to criticize the President, etc.

This seems more than a little paranoia-based, to be honest. That would send approval of Republicans way down, and they know it.

     The odds of Republicans using a Convention to gut the Constitution are tiny, but the Democrats should be desperate to claim state legislatures anyway; the next Census isn't far off and gerrymandering could put the House effectively out of reach for Democrats for the next decade. That is a factor that can't be ignored.

[Nyvin]

EnglishPete, may I ask who you think is controlling the fake news?

What a curious question. News journal editors, News journal proprietors, TV editors and producers, Directors of the companies that own TV companies, lobbyists, political party bosses, politicians etc etc. All kinds of people.

Its a bit like any other industry. Food production is controlled by all the people who play a role in running the various parts of the food industry, washing machine production is controlled by all the people who run companies involved in washing machine manufacturing and distribution and likewise fake news is controlled by all the people who run organisations involved in the fake news industry (AKA the mass media).

So anytime "evidence" comes up against Trump you just yell "FAKE NEWS!" and then proclaim that no evidence against Trump has ever come up!!

Brilliant Strategy!  It's completely unbeatable!!!

[Inmate Trump]

I'm glad to see that most people are starting to open their eyes to the truth regarding this clown we elected president.

Most people already knew it.

Trump lost by about 3 million votes; he only won the presidency on a technicality--not by the actual will of the people.

[Inmate Trump]

I'm reading so many responses here from Trump voters who are trying to defend the firing with an argument about Hillary Clinton.

Stop it.

Hillary is not president.

You can't keep using her to defend the actions of your guy.  His actions are now your ideals; defend them with intellect or don't post anything at all.

[GeorgiaModerate]

I'm reading so many responses here from Trump voters who are trying to defend the firing with an argument about Hillary Clinton.

Stop it.

Hillary is not president.

You can't keep using her to defend the actions of your guy.  His actions are now your ideals; defend them with intellect or don't post anything at all.

Well said.  To extend this further (and this is addressed to both sides):

You can't condemn the other side for something that they did, let alone something you think that they MIGHT have done -- and then say it's OK for your side to do it because the other side did it or would have done it.  If something is wrong for one side, then it's wrong for both sides; if it's acceptable for one side, then it's acceptable for both. 

If you're not sure whether some behavior X is OK, then answer these two questions:

1. It's acceptable for Trump/Republicans to do X.

2. It's acceptable for Clinton/Democrats to do X.

If you answer Yes to both, you're OK with that behavior.

If you answer No to both, you're not OK with that behavior.

If you answer the two questions differently, you're choosing partisanship over principle.  If that's your choice, fine; it's a free country.  But if you do choose partisanship, at least have the intellectual honesty to admit it.

[Gass3268]

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[Yank2133]

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This is obvious to anyone and yet McConnell, Ryan, and the rest of the GOP just seat there and do nothing.

This isn't about politics or policy anymore, the man is not mentally fit to hold office.

[ProudModerate2]

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I would like to see more verification on this, before reacting to it.
But if true, it could be big !

[Nyvin]

So if the trend continues and anyone "caught" investigating the Russia Scandal gets fired....will any of the blue avatars on here EVER start to get suspicious of the Trump Administration or is Trump forever holy in all your eyes?

[The_Doctor]

Good Lord I can't keep up with the fire hydrant of information coming out of this situation.

[Matty]

Over/under on how many copies comey's autobiography is going to sell?

[Devout Centrist]

Over/under on how many copies comey's autobiography is going to sell?

All depends on the title:

Federal Bureau of Irritation: How I Fought the Tangelo and Lived

[Beet]

Just watched Sarah Huckabee Sanders give rambling non-answers to questions of "Ummm, wasnt Trump praising Comey's actions in late October?" The best they've been able to come up with is "Well, he was a candidate then and now he's president."

Can any Trump drones here do better?

Soooo... no takers?

I've seen a lot of posters on here doing the sarcastic "Gee, I thought democrats wanted him fired" shtick, but I don't know that I've seen any blue avatars actually defend or explain Trump's (supposed) flip-flop on this. Nobody wants to try?

Easy. He lied. It's like 'defending or explaining' him calling 'Lyin Ted' a great guy or that he might consider 'Little Marco' to be his VP.

It just doesn't mean much.

And right now it seems like he's trolling. And those pictures with Lavrov and Kislyak!! If it is not trolling, what is?

So why did he fire Comey then, if he lied about his reasons for doing so? And it doesn't bother you that the president would lie about firing the FBI director?

[Nyvin]

Either way you put the "Fired Comey cause of Hillary Clinton" excuse it still makes NO sense.

1.  Comey needed to be fired because he didn't convict Hillary

How is this justification for firing someone?   They couldn't built a case against the person so they need to be fired from their job?   Trump knows more about the email investigation than Comey so Trump made the call that Hillary should've went to prison and Comey failed?   Is this a new standard we'll hold all prosecuter's/investigators now???    Does no one realize how insane this is?

2.  Comey needed to be fired because he mistreated Hillary

Why in the world would Trump suddenly change his mind after countless praises and encouragements last year about investigating Hillary?   He got angry anytime Comey wasn't going after Hillary Clinton hardcore.    Please, this excuse is so ridiculous I honestly don't believe any Conservatives really believe it.

And then Trump releases a letter thanking Comey for personally telling him that he's not under investigation....why would an investigator ever tell you you aren't under investigation?    And didn't Comey publicly tell Congress there was an investigation with Trump and Russia?

The Trump Administration's explanation of all this makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

[JA]

Deputy Attorney General threatened to quit after being cast as impetus of Comey's firing, which was already decided, source says - Washington Post