Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Trump has fired FBI director Comey

Via Drudge: President Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, shortly after he provided misleading testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee about classified emails from Huma Abedin found on Anthony Weiner's computer.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer confirmed to reporters that 'the president has accepted the recommendation of the deputy attorney general and the attorney general regarding the dismissal of the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.'

A written statement from Spicer, sent minutes later, confirmed that Trump 'acted based on the clear recommendations of both Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.'

Trump said: 'The FBI is one of our nation's most cherished and respected institutions and today will mark a new beginning for our crown jewel of law enforcement.'

Testifying about the Clinton email controversy last week, Comey said his agents uncovered 'hundreds of thousands' of emails on the laptop of disgraced ex-Rep. Weiner that Abedin has forwarded her now-estranged husband so he could print them out for her.

Now it appears Comey misspoke.

Gregory A. Brower, the FBI's assistant director in the Office of Congressional Affairs, wrote to the Judiciary Committee Tuesday afternoon to 'clarify' Comey's testimony about Abedin's role in allowing classified material to find its way to her husband's computer.

Most of the 'hundreds and thousands' of emails, Brower wrote, were there as a result of backups of other devices – and not manually sent by Abedin.

Only 'two e-mail chains containing classified information were manually forwarded to Mr. Weiner's account,' he wrote.

Ten additional chains contained classified material – all part of device backups – and 'all twelve' had already been reviewed by the FBI.

The president personally called Senator Dianne Feinstein on Tuesday to tell her he was firing his FBI director, according to the senator, who is the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee.

44 comments:

Trooper York said...

It was about time.

He has screwed up time and again.

Now what is important is who they pick to replace him. I would pick someone of impeccable credentials. Non-partisan. A cop who will follow the truth wherever it might lead.

So my top picks:

Kojack.
Magnum PI
Cannon
Peter Gunn
Mannix
Steve McGarret (The original)

Trooper York said...

Rudi?

Trooper York said...

I know!

Pizza man.

Trooper York said...

Ten extra points if you can identify who that is!

Chip Ahoy said...

Pizza. Who would that be?

Either the guy associated with Comet Ping Pong, Podesta, and he doesn't make sense as suggestion here, or perhaps someone with a pizza face, and honestly, I cannot think of a pockmarked American politician. And thinking about that now it seems pockmarked faces and successful careers as American politician don't go together.

Trey Gowdy made capitol hill pizza-cost related comments one time.

Chris Cristy could probably eat an impressively large pizza by himself

Bill Braton has a deeply lined face.

David Clark can fling a pizza like Chuck Norris splattering assailants and covering them with disabling bubbling molten pizza sauce.

Rabel said...

Does he have the Blues, Trooper?

Rabel said...

And now all the Democrats who called for Comey's firing will denounce Trump for doing what they demanded.

Amartel said...

The swamp is in an uproar.
Unprecedented!
Terrifying!!
Cruel!!!
All of which is code for: What if I'm next??!??!!
NICELY DONE, TRUMP! Next.

The Dude said...

Two words - Ted Nugent.

Amartel said...

Comey Yesterday: The Man Who Brought Down Our Democracy.
Comey Today: Reasonable and measured, brilliant even; a true professional public servant.

Methadras said...

and it's about fucking time.

ndspinelli said...

How 'bout the first black FBI Director, Sheriff David Clarke.

ricpic said...

Clarke would put the Dems in a bind.

I've got one that is way out there but I think she'd make a terrific FBI chief -- Michelle Malkin. She's tireless and more important absolutely fearless.

The thing is Trump needs Senate confirmation of his pick so I don't know how creative he can get.

Rabel said...

I want my ten points, damnit.

edutcher said...

I do love that guy.

Trump let him shoot off his mouth and hang himself.

PS No c in Kojak, but there's one not on the list, Chief Inspector Lewis Erskine; the only FBI guy to make it through the Saturday Night Massacre with honour intact.

PPS I think Clarke would be a great choice.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I ripped off Armatel @8:03.

The tweet is doing fabulous.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Trump should hire someone from the FBI. Promote from within.

rcocean said...

First choice, Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

But if we can't get him back from the grave:

Bill O' Reilly

Tall, Irish, needs a job.

rcocean said...

Glad Comey is gone. Too much of a drama queen.

As someone stated, he liked the spotlight too much. Suspect he was leaker too.

rcocean said...

Its the usual circus in the US Senate.

McCrazy wants a special prosecutor.

Mitch McConnell is AWOL or asleep.

Schumer is hysterical, but hasn't broken into tears yet. That'll come later.

Clowns.

red 3215 said...

My vote is for LT Furillo,but I think he has retired.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Judge Judy would make a great... lasagna

ampersand said...

"Judge Judy would make a great... lasagna

As the sausage or the cheese?

Chip Ahoy said...

Drudge headlines are making me giddy. And it's just ridiculous feeling this gleeful.

This is much better than Kids in the Hall video of the two designers eliminating everything in eyesight that doesn't suit their immediate fanciful whim. [Maybe I was wrong about them saying, "Hated it!" Maybe they said something like, "Hate the patio swing." and *poof* the patio swing disappears.]

This is why the vast unserved conservative voters out there *dramatic arm sweep* chose Trump in the primaries over all those other candidates. You have to admit that's still very bizarre. To them he was famous for saying, "You're fired." His supporters were waiting to hear him say this and do this. And my heart is with them. That Dem political activists say they are terrified after inflicting the thing that they fear through Obama with intentions on ratcheting the dictator torque even further through H. Clinton, and all that being just fine with them so long as it's Democrats calling the dictator shots, just flat cheers my heart giddily. I LOVE seeing power seekers denied. I LOVE hearing people say they're scared about their own career trajectories. Back then, nothing felt better than seeing Kerry denied what he felt was his due until seeing Hillary Clinton denied her expectation. Schadenfreude is too weak a word to describe this incomprehensible lightness of being.

Evi L. Bloggerlady said...

Chip, you reminded me of "I crush your head"

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I do feel some delight seeing Comey canned.

Michael Haz said...

The swamp seems less swampy this morning.

David Clarke won't make the final cut. He's currently under investigation for several prisoners having died while in the jail he supervises. Not his fault, but still, there's an investigation.

Rudy Guiliani happened to be in DC last night. And will be in the WH this morning. Coincidence or no?

DJT's next step with the FBI should be to fire or isolate Acting Director McCabe, whose wife accepted some $700,000 from VA Governor McAuliffe for her failed Congressional campaign. That's basically a bribe from the Friends of Hillary to protect Hillary from criminal investigation.

ndspinelli said...

Well, with Kushner in the West Wing we know it won't be Christie.

Some Seppo said...

Milo would be a fabulous choice.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Haz - thank you for that.

chickelit said...

It may be obvious, but the reason that only Beltway insiders are upset about Comey's firing is that Comey was a consummate deep stater -- a high-level rice bowler of the first order. Lesser trough feeders are thinking "if Trump can fire him, what about me?"

Trooper York said...

I would promote an FBI agent who handled the Mob or Terrorists. A cop's cop. Not a politician.

Hire him and tell him to investigate and let the chips fall where they may.

Of course he needs to investigate everything. Russia. The unmasking and leaking. The tapping of American Citizens. Hillary's abuse of classified material. It is all on the table.

The Dude said...

Was any taping going on during that tapping?

ndspinelli said...

One has to understand the FBI. Before being an investigative agency it is a bureaucracy. So, anyone who has worked their way up to a supervisory position is a politician. Now, if you are talking field agent, well then you could easily find an apolitical pit bull. I know a couple field agents who had opportunities to move up the ladder but said "FUCK YOU" to the politics and just kept arresting bad guys. There are plenty of those field agents, but I don't see that out of the box thinking from Trump. I hope I'm wrong.

ndspinelli said...

Speaking of pit bulls, Ann Coulter said this firing was just to distract from the fact that Trump has not begun on building the wall. A blonde, anorexic; but a pit bull nonetheless.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Lifted.

The left deleting their Fire Comey posts.

ndspinelli said...

Rene, LOL! Good to see you, girl.

Leland said...

I agree about the lack of gaining confirmation, but I would love for Trump to invite Sheriffs Clarke and Arpiao to the White House. It would be a great play. The papers will howl at the thought. Then you bring in someone like Gorsuch. You shift the Overton Window and then give them someone that has already received a smooth confirmation for a lower position and would be a great fit for director.

Trooper York said...

You are right on the money nick. A lower level agent. If Trump had balls that is what he would do.

The Special Agent in Charge. A bridge and tunnel guy.

It would blow it up big time.

Trooper York said...

My perfect pick would be someone like John O'Neil who was killed on 911.

His chief of security Keith Schiller is ex-NYPD and I am sure he knows the right guy.

Evi L. Bloggerlady said...

It could have been worse for Comey...

Trooper York said...

Special Agent in charge Carlos Fernandez would be a good pick.

Trooper York said...

Graduate of Purchase College. Blue collar guy. Several important terrorist postings.

I hear he is the real deal. A cop's cop. The guy we need to follow the trail and let the chips fall where they may.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

ND - Likewise