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DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Sat May 13, 2017, 08:28 AM May 2017

The Week that Could Make -- Or Break -- America

FAT LADY SINGS

The Week that Could Make—Or Break—America

I truly do believe that good will prevail, but this week proved what many of us had long predicted and feared—that Trump is a threat to the Constitution.

MICHAEL TOMASKY
05.12.17 10:35 PM ET

Remember the week of May 7. Remember that this was the week our constitutional crisis began. Remember that it took Donald Trump just 110 days to commit a high crime or misdemeanor (well, as far as we know; he might well have done sooner). Because that is what he did, in firing James Comey, even though Republicans won’t say so.

Remember, if and when the day comes that we see Donald Trump issue that last salute and clamber aboard Marine One for his last, albeit ahead of schedule, helicopter flight as president, that it all started this week.

Bells may have started ringing in your head when you read those words above, high crime or misdemeanor. Bah. Alarmist. I say: no. The firing of Comey was almost undeniably obstruction of justice. Comey was pursuing, however you want to parse it, justice—trying to get to the bottom of a question that is obviously one of legitimate public and legal interest. Trump, in firing him, obstructed that pursuit. Case closed. But oh, there’s more. As the Beast’s Justin Miller reported Friday, Trump’s January dinner with Comey may have broken the law. Bill Clinton implored then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch to meet him on a tarmac. That was considered scandalous, and reasonably so; it looked like Clinton was trying to influence the course of a federal investigation into his wife. So if that was scandalous, what is inviting the FBI director over for dinner while he’s investigating not your spouse, but you?

But oh, there’s more. Then Trump asked Comey point blank if he, Trump, was the target of an investigation. The mere asking of that question, as Lawrence Tribe told Lawrence O’Donnell Thursday night, was a high crime or misdemeanor. Then Trump went on national TV (the Lester Holt interview) and not only admitted that he asked this question, but boasted about it! Then, in all likelihood, he lied about it—it seems impossible to imagine that Comey would have said anything other than something like, “Mr. President, respectfully, I believe we shouldn’t be discussing this.”

more
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/05/12/the-week-that-could-make-or-break-america

7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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The Week that Could Make -- Or Break -- America (Original Post) DonViejo May 2017 OP
What I don't understand is why Comey accepted the invitation to dinner with Trump. Nay May 2017 #1
IDK. Perhaps Comey... WePurrsevere May 2017 #2
2ND ATTENDEE bresue May 2017 #3
Wired and or a second person. If I were Comey I would def been wired. nt WePurrsevere May 2017 #6
From what I heard yesterday... 2naSalit May 2017 #4
Maybe I'm wrong, but if you are the investigator and your target summons you, Nay May 2017 #5
AGREED! bresue May 2017 #7

Nay

(12,051 posts)
1. What I don't understand is why Comey accepted the invitation to dinner with Trump.
Sat May 13, 2017, 08:56 AM
May 2017

Sure, Trump shouldn't have invited Comey, but why did Comey go? Shouldn't he have said something like "Sir, I cannot dine with a person under investigation"?

WePurrsevere

(24,259 posts)
2. IDK. Perhaps Comey...
Sat May 13, 2017, 09:31 AM
May 2017

wanted to hear what Trump had to say for a reason to do with the investigation?

Although I can see a few reasons to tell a person under investigation that they are, most of the time why would they reveal their hand before they're ready to lay it on the table for a win? Isn't a suspect more likely to give away some info if they don't know or aren't sure?

bresue

(1,007 posts)
3. 2ND ATTENDEE
Sat May 13, 2017, 09:54 AM
May 2017

So far no one has ruled out Comey bringing staff or someone with him to the dinner. Leaving himself vulnerable, doesn't relate to a senior official making a rookie play. And as Dump's reputation was already known to Comey, I can not visualize Comey leaving himself open for a discretion.

2naSalit

(86,323 posts)
4. From what I heard yesterday...
Sat May 13, 2017, 11:07 AM
May 2017

in an interview on NPR, Comey was "summoned" to the WH and he was reluctant to go. Maybe we was "wired" and has recordings of the conversation too.

Nay

(12,051 posts)
5. Maybe I'm wrong, but if you are the investigator and your target summons you,
Sat May 13, 2017, 11:14 AM
May 2017

YOU have the upper hand and can do whatever proper procedure requires with no thought to whatever the target wants, even if the target is the President. In fact, ESPECIALLY if the target is the President.

bresue

(1,007 posts)
7. AGREED!
Sat May 13, 2017, 11:54 AM
May 2017

And maybe Comey is waiting to disclose anything he knows or has; making Dump stew in his own fear and worry as punishment. I imagine the US government is going to be owning a new Margo gulf club before this is over.

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