Trump is the result of the Republicans practice of intellectual nihilism.

The contrast between James Comey's candid statements under oath, and those from P. Trump's various paid mouthpieces, is stark.

To no one's surprise.

As always, Caveat Trumptor.

Comey has implicated himself. We learned he leaked privileged information in an effort to criminalize an intelligence investigation. We know he lied about the timing of it. He kept his superior in the dark and his excuse was lame. How did he know Sessions was going to recuse himself? Was he leaking other information to make it happen? We also learned he succumbed to pressure from Loretta Lynch to influence the election. He admitted to being "cowardly", why did he even have the job?

It's amazing how quickly and completely your kind has turned on Comey.

Now THAT is funny!

The United States government cannot be trusted so long as Donald Trump runs it.

That is the simple, chilling takeaway of James Comey’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee. It is separate from the legal question of whether Trump obstructed justice, or the political question of whether congressional Republicans care even if he did.

The picture Comey paints of Trump is also, importantly, the picture Trump paints of himself: He is a man who lies constantly, who values loyalty over integrity, who has little understanding of nor respect for the values and restraints that people in power impose on themselves to keep from misusing their positions, and who intends to use both his powers of hiring and firing to stock the government with people who will serve him first and the country second.

And this man is the president of the United States of America.

https://www.vox.com/policy-...

This is some interesting background into Comey and the FBI in the Clinton email mess.

The Problems With the FBI’s Email Investigation Went Well Beyond Comey
Previously unreported judgments and misjudgments by FBI agents played a crucial role in the FBI director’s fateful decisions.

https://www.propublica.org/...

And possible collusion of the New York office and Rudi Giuliani --- who bragged about his having "inside information" on FOXNews...

CNN has issued a correction in regards to their fake news reporting that Comey would deny telling Trump he was not a target. Has ABC followed suit? They should apologize for misleading the gullible. O well, at least the collusion meme has been blown out of the water according to none other than Chris Matthews. That's progress.

Talk about your red herrings. Sheesh.

People actually believed CNN (and ABC) which is never a good idea.

Trump attorney Marc Kasowitz just proved Comey lied about his orchestrated unauthorized leak. Comey testified Trump's tweet instigated his cowardly action but Kasowitz claims the NYT reported on the conversation before the tweet. Comey has admitted he wanted to motivate the appointment of a Special Counsel which appears to be retaliatory.

The statement by Trump’s lawyer that the president feels “completely and totally vindicated” by Comey’s testimony was particularly bizarre given that Trump and the White House had both flatly denied the president ever made such a request.

James Comey’s Testimony: ‘Comey Was Playing Chess’

https://www.nytimes.com/201...

Bizarre is one word I would use, the other is alternative universe. Trump and company just make stuff up and then act as if facts don't mean a thing.

This is actually a typical Trump move that he learned decades ago from Roy Cohn (a man who was born without a soul). Trump always declares his defeats to be victories.

Yep, but he's not a private citizen anymore. The question is how much more the Republicans are going to take of this mess. I'm curious how the Flynn case will play into all of this.

And now Comey has confirmed it.

Comey has confirmed without a doubt that Trump is a liar.
(The man has been one for most of his life, so no new revelations there.)
The other thing is Trumps contempt and lack of respect for the rule of law.
Of course you don't see that. But that's not my problem.

You left out Trump's disregard for ethical guidelines.

Much of what Comey details (like the private lunch) is legal but clearly unethical, in ways that would have been covered in a business ethics course when he attended Wharton.

That's true, but that's my fault for taking the fact that Trump has no ethics as a given and thinking that most people know that. I grew up in New York and Trumpy's and mendacious stench was something New Yorker's were well aware of for decades.

The question remains, how will this play out? Trump wont resign. The Republicans wont impeach. Trump is more or less getting away thrashing the Constitution on a daily basis. What is the end game?

Actually Comey is the proven liar, see my comment below. Trump did NOT request that Comey drop the case and again Comey confirmed it. He also testified that Loretta Lynch DID pressure him about the Hillary investigation that WAS dropped. So there's that.

Well, I'm done with your inanity. Good day.

I can only handle so many of HD's lies in a day.

He's only repeating the "analysis" from Fox News and syndicated talk radio.

He's always been like this as long as I've been on this forum.
I find it kind of sad and comic. Somewhat akin to a poor-mans Falstaff...

I don't blame you.

jefe68 -- WaPo's Philip Bump's piece, Team Trump’s official response to the Comey testimony — now, with context, provides some cogent analysis, here:

https://www.washingtonpost....

Lots of blurring, conflation, misdirection, and obfuscation from a paid mouthpiece. Surprise!

The next few weeks are going to be interesting. Trump's administration is more or less going to be taking to the trenches. I suspect full scale trench warfare by the end of the summer or early fall.

jefe68 -- one sincerely hopes the cries from the trenches will be "Release the tapes!" rather than "Release the gas!"

Maybe it will be, “Bannon, release the hounds...”

Wow. The reactions to Sen. McCain's "Sad!" appearance during today's hearing seem to've touched a defensive nerve, triggering this reflexive response:

STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN ON SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE HEARING QUESTIONS

Washington, D.C. ­– U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) released the following statement today on his questions at today’s Senate Intelligence Committee hearing with former FBI Director James Comey:

“I get the sense from Twitter that my line of questioning today went over people’s heads. Maybe going forward I shouldn’t stay up late watching the Diamondbacks night games.

“What I was trying to get at was whether Mr. Comey believes that any of his interactions with the President rise to the level of obstruction of justice. In the case of Secretary Clinton’s emails, Mr. Comey was willing to step beyond his role as an investigator and state his belief about what ‘no reasonable prosecutor’ would conclude about the evidence. I wanted Mr. Comey to apply the same approach to the key question surrounding his interactions with President Trump—whether or not the President’s conduct constitutes obstruction of justice. While I missed an opportunity in today’s hearing, I still believe this question is important, and I intend to submit it in writing to Mr. Comey for the record.”

https://www.mccain.senate.g...

That wasn't what McCain's crazy questions were about at all.

Well that clears things up...?

45 may or may not have BEEN the "focus" of the investigation - but it is now, in all likelihood.

For what? Seriously, can you say what and why?

45's lawyer is splitting hairs.

I wonder if 45 will pay him?

http://www.pbs.org/newshour...

Apparently Trump is wowing them over at the "Faith and Freedom Forum" (FFF = KKK?)

J2P29910 -- an irrelevant attempt at distraction, playing to his most base supporter-cultists.

"Sad!"

There is not a bit of intellectual honesty in slandering sincere Christians . Would you prefer those not quite invisible now Ayn Rand Republicans ? How many anti-Catholic Democrats secretly admire this militant atheist and ideological pillar of MONEY & CAPITALISM and Zionist Apartheid Israel ?

The Democrats are completely out of touch with working class America.

Ron Ruggieri -- thanks for the multiple demonstrations of your clear biases.

Cheers!

He's an accelerationist. He fights for the GOP against the Dems because he hopes that the GOP will make working people's lives so miserable that the people will all suddenly develop class consciousness and join the working class revolution.

I've been ignoring this guy, he's pretty wacky.

"This is mano-a-mano," says FNC talking head, not knowing what the phrase actually means.

Oh man that'd be sweet if it was. Comey would mop the floor with him.

"I've heard reports that [P. Trump's personal attorney] Marc Kasowitz was so confident he was handing out cigars last night at the Trump Hotel."

- FNC's John Roberts, doing a standup report outside the White House.

His statement will be very interesting.

Showing video of Comey saying "Lordy, I hope there're tapes" just elicted another chuckle from Chris Wallace.

"All it did was increase his credibility."

When the White House mouthpiece's words, "I can say definitively that the president is not a liar" were repeated on "Fox News," both Chris Wallace and Chris Stirewalt were heard laughing off-camera.

Stirewalt then spoke up, saying "Chris Wallace chortled first," then added something like,

"When you have to say 'I can say definitively the president is not a liar and I would refer all other questions to his attorney,' you know you're having a tough day in that job."

Chris Wallace may really want that job at CBS...

Wow. Even Fox is not fooled ...