NEWSMAN #1: Trump fired Comey.
NEWSMAN #2: Biggest thing since the great Chicago fire of 1871.
NEWSMAN #1: Bigger. How do we play this? The Democrats wanted Comey’s head for what he did to Hillary. Trump just fired Comey. I’m confused.
NEWSMAN #2: Doesn’t matter. Say Trump just burned up the Constitution. Say he hates dogs and little children. Say his hair is actually a wig made of Russian sable.
NEWSMAN #1: What about the truth?
NEWSMAN #2: The what? You poor sap. Truth is relative to agenda. Did you miss that lesson in journalism school?
NEWSMAN #1: I didn’t go to journalism school. I got my PhD in philosophy at Yale. I wrote my thesis on a comparison of “an” and “the” in ancient Babylonia.
Fired FBI Director Comey is obviously in trouble. Cry for him. He’ll have to go on food stamps and welfare now, won’t he? Will he be able to collect Social Security? He’s too young! He needs crowdfunding. Send canned food.
The media are portraying Trump firing Comey as “breathtaking,” “stunning,” “shocking.” They’re saying this is how Washington is reacting.
If you live in Washington, try to find somebody who is really sucking air and trying to breathe. Find somebody who is leaning against a wall because he’s stunned. Find somebody whose eyes are rolling up inside his head from the shock.
Washington politicians may be pretending shock and amazement for the cameras, but that’s about it.
And if you travel outside Washington, most people don’t care about Comey. People are fired from their jobs all the time. People are let go for many reasons. People who can’t afford to be unemployed. Comey, on the other hand, is thinking about a book deal. He might be planning a vacation. He might be talking to Obama about doing some elite “community organizing.” He’ll be fielding offers to sit on corporate boards. His biggest worry: “Do I go on the talk shows right away or do I wait?”
Washington insiders aren’t shocked by anything. They just play that role on television.
When an interesting event occurs, like Trump firing Comey, Washington pols meet with their staffs and plan their public response. They look for a personal advantage. “How can I play this?” “Can I use this to get ahead?” “Let’s go for the Trump impeachment angle.”
Comey himself knew he was on the verge of getting fired. There wasn’t any mystery about it. He kept pushing the fantastical Trump-Russia investigation. He didn’t bother looking into Trump-team leaks that were the result of domestic hacking. His initial reaction to getting fired—he thought it was a joke, a prank—was nonsensical. He knew. He knew he was on the edge.
Right now, Comey is wondering how far he can move from his former job and maintain credibility as a non-partisan figure. Or: can he go the other way and sign on with Obama? Can he approach Hillary and mend fences? Can he lobby? How can he successfully position himself for the “next chapter of his life?”
I once interviewed a troubled Washington politician who had jumped the wrong way on an important decision involving his Party. He was toast. With me, he mouthed all sorts of gumble-jumble about “sticking to his guns,” but I could see his wheels were turning. He was contemplating his future. Where could he go? What could he do to make hay after public office? These people don’t waste time. They move on. Nobody cares. It’s politics.
Comey rolled the dice and lost. He knew he could lose. As he was rolling those dice, he was already thinking about his image and whether he could emerge as a hero or a martyr. Or whether he had already played out all his political capital. If so, his next gig would land him in the private sector, or with a prestigious foundation.
Washington is a mix of musical chairs and checkers. Doors open, doors close, the players scramble for a spot.
Nobody is shocked.
In the swamp, nobody is amazed.
The media pretend shock, awe, and amazement, because when they do, their ratings go up.
Right now, in that vein, they’re all jockeying for a chance to interview Comey. He’s the next big “get.”
“Tell Mr. Comey we can do this anywhere he wants to. In his living room, his study, or we’ll put him in a quiet studio. And we’ll walk along a riverbank, stroll through a forest. It’ll be dignified. Absolutely no gossip. He’s a major figure. We’ll accord him all the respect he deserves. We’ll track his career from the early days. He’s a…statesman. We hold him in the highest regard. We’d like to do this long-form, as a two-parter, on consecutive nights. An hour each night. Only one commercial per half-hour. We want to give him the widest possible exposure. All of America wants to hear what he has to say at this crucial moment. As a token of our appreciation and an expression of concern, we’re prepared to FedEx him a dozen cans of baked beans and several flank steaks from Safeway, because we know he’s currently unemployed…”
And then there was the Comey farewell letter to his FBI people.
As you read it, try to hold back the tears.
“I have said to you before that, in times of turbulence, the American people should see the FBI as a rock of competence, honesty, and independence. What makes leaving the FBI hard is the nature and quality of its people, who together make it that rock for America.”
“It is very hard to leave a group of people who are committed only to doing the right thing. My hope is that you will continue to live our values and the mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution. If you do that, you too will be sad when you leave, and the American people will be safer.”
Competence? Committed to doing the right thing? Upholding the Constitution and the law?
Comey was obviously excluding himself from that reference.
Recall his surreal press conference during the presidential campaign, during which he acted as FBI director, Attorney General, and grand jury, when he recited a list of felonies Hillary Clinton had committed in the handling of her private email server…and then said he was not recommending prosecution, because Hillary showed no intent to deceive or do harm. Comey obviously knew intent was no part of the law, which was written to make sure negligence alone, in the handling of classified materials, was sufficient to prosecute and convict a perpetrator.
A number of FBI agents weren’t happy with Comey then. Not at all. The new Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe belatedly confirmed it in testimony before Congress on Thursday: “…there were folks within our agency that were frustrated with the outcome of the Hillary Clinton case and some of those folks were very vocal about those concerns.”
You bet.
As for the unparalleled honesty of the FBI Comey referred to in his farewell letter, where does one begin?
Let’s take a peek at just one area: the vaunted FBI lab, where evidence in crime investigations is analyzed.
April 20, 2015, The Atlantic: “…the Washington Post made clear Saturday in an article that begins with a punch to the gut… ‘Nearly every examiner in an elite FBI forensic unit gave flawed testimony in almost all trials in which they offered evidence against criminal defendants over more than a two-decade period before 2000,’ the newspaper reported, adding that ‘the cases include those of 32 defendants sentenced to death’.”
August 12, 2014, New Scientist: “…the initial results were released of an ongoing review of thousands of criminal cases in which FBI scientists’ testimony may have led to wrongful convictions – including for some people now on death row…’we teach these people [lab techs in training] for two weeks, and they would go back to their laboratories with a certificate of completion and be told: “Great you’re qualified to do this [analysis of evidence] – here’s your caseload”’.”
Buckle up for this one. March 22, 1997, CNN: “The Justice Department inspector general’s office has determined that the FBI crime laboratory working on the Oklahoma City bombing case made ‘scientifically unsound’ conclusions that were ‘biased in favor of the prosecution,’ The Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.”
“…[FBI] supervisors approved lab reports that they ‘cannot support’ and…FBI lab officials may have erred about the size of the blast, the amount of explosives involved and the type of explosives used in the bombing[!].”
“…harshest criticism was of David Williams, a supervisory agent in the explosives unit, the paper [LA Times] said. Those flaws reportedly include the basis of his determination that the main charge of the explosion was ammonium nitrate. The inspector general called such a determination ‘inappropriate,’ the Times said.”
“…FBI officials found a receipt for ammonium nitrate at defendant [Terry] Nichols’ home and, because of that discovery, Williams slanted his conclusion to match the evidence.”
If you’re thinking the FBI’s fake investigation of the Oklahoma bombing evidence opens the door to a whole new direction in the case, you’re right. (I wrote a book about false evidence in the OKC bombing in 1995.)
Yes, there are honest and honorable agents at the FBI, but let’s not go overboard with Comey and his sop of a farewell letter.
Comey postures. He works the “honor” angle. He tap dances. He puts out pure jive.
In 2013, before his appointment as FBI director, Comey was brought in by the scandal-ridden HSBC Bank, to oversee efforts to clean up its act—in particular, money laundering for drug cartels.
Comey was positioned as the face of honesty and competence for HSBC.
How well did he do, before he exited his position? How much crime and how many criminals did he leave behind?
Three years later, after Comey had departed, The NY Times wrote: “HSBC Bank Executives Face Charges in $3.5 Billion Currency [Fraud] Case … Traders Use Front-Running to Profit From Client Orders…”
I guess Comey didn’t clean up the HSBC mess. There were a few things he didn’t notice while he was there. A few thing he left behind. A few billion things.
And now, far more interesting than “why was Comey really fired from the FBI”: what corruption he did he leave behind at the FBI that we don’t know about?
The old saying, fake it ‘til you make it, applies. Comey faked it until he made it. And then he faked it again.
Now he’ll move into a new role. Who knows, some day, as history is rewritten, people may be saying he was the only honest man in Washington.
FUTURE NEWSMAN #1: I’m writing a book about Comey, comparing him to Gandhi.
FUTURE NEWSMAN #2: Who wins?
FUTURE NEWSMAN #1: Comey, in a landslide. He stood up against the titanic forces of evil in Washington.
FUTURE NEWSMAN #2: You have a publisher?
FUTURE NEWSMAN #1: The US Printing Office. My uncle owns it.
FUTURE NEWSMAN #2: I thought that was a government department.
FUTURE NEWSMAN #1: The New York Times bought it.
FUTURE NEWSMAN #2: Your uncle owns the New York Times?
FUTURE NEWSMAN #1: He owns the company that owns Facebook and Google. They own the New York Times.
FUTURE NEWSMAN #2: Wow. What’s the name of the company your uncle owns?
FUTURE NEWSMAN #1: Clinton and Comey. It’s a law firm and a foundation. Their headquarters are in Jerusalem, Riyadh, and the Vatican.
(To read about Jon’s mega-collection, Power Outside The Matrix, click here.)
The author of three explosive collections, THE MATRIX REVEALED, EXIT FROM THE MATRIX, and POWER OUTSIDE THE MATRIX, Jon was a candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29th District of California. He maintains a consulting practice for private clients, the purpose of which is the expansion of personal creative power. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years, writing articles on politics, medicine, and health for CBS Healthwatch, LA Weekly, Spin Magazine, Stern, and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe. Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics, health, logic, and creative power to audiences around the world. You can sign up for his free NoMoreFakeNews emails here or his free OutsideTheRealityMachine emails here.
For decades many of us have been addressing this “Kabuki theater” attempting to wake people up to the charade but it was always some excuse not to…we are “theorists” or hippies or crazy, etc. But we were right and still are.
The advent of the Internet has been the curse/blessing conundrum. An incredible resource of information and a readily available mind control weapon. It is sooo important to understand that these days we must work together and locally. Don’t get caught up all this diversionary tactics of worry about this and worry about that.
I try to suggest often out here in virtual land that IMHO we need to act locally. Attend ANY meeting that makes decisions about your life. From PTA, city and county council meetings to anything on land and water use and especially Agenda 21. We need to be like the white blood cells of our bodies. They go and fight infection at the site to the benefit of the whole body.
Very well said. Bravo. If only the sheeple would listen and respond we could be on our way to real CHANGE. Please Joe, don’t give up the fight ever because eventually we will be heard.
There is absolutely no aspect, department, or agency of the U.S. Government that operates with “honor,” “integrity,” “honesty,” or even “competence.” It is a cluster-f*** from top to bottom. The people at the top almost uniformly use it to gain power and prestige. (Those who don’t are either quickly smeared and marginalized, run off, or possibly threatened, blackmailed or killed). The power-brokers intentionally surround themselves with idiots and sycophants who will rah-rah and defend them no matter what, because to do otherwise would be to admit that they’ve been party to the corruption and evil. And most of the public stares with glazed eyes at the continual bull-droppings show on the idiot box, picks an R or a D on election day with no more knowledge than that letter, and goes back to Dancing With the Stars. Some days, meeting a brick wall at 110 miles an hour doesn’t sound half bad.
Please Amor, never give up the fight.
These people are like cows…keep chewing their cud over and over again. It’s like a bad soap opera…talking about the same incident over and over again. The fact that Comey was an Obama appointee is enough for me to have him fired.
Time to bring back the Articles of Confederation! Enough of WDC Let the several states fend for ourselves. We can still call ourselves USA… UNbound States of America
it is all the same guiding evil hate America to destruction collectivist hand, re the following replyto
Laissez Faire Today [email protected] save trump from impeachment
trump has done nothing he can factually = legitimately be impeached for AND only the republicans can actually impeach him anyway.
LF might report actual news related to this matter – apparently the Americi’Kan Political class = republican : democrat : liberal : libertarian : socialist : crony capitalist : conservative ‘travelers all’ plan to have the democrats elected to a majority in 2018 as the means to stop Trump.
Trump needs to carry-out the campaign points that got him elected.
The same points that the republican congress refuse to carry out or campaign on… the solution is for Trump to ask for a completely new Federal house and senate buttressed with new State house – senate – executive government offices.
That, on the basis of the terms of his campaign… of course, he needs to fire Sessions and appoint a usag who will enforce the law involving every elected – appointed – administrator government employee who is using their government office and government $$$, time, stuff to aid and abet the illegal alien criminal soft invasion of America.
Too many Fools at the top demand loyalty from those they employ, but hardly ever give loyalty to those they are paid to serve. All of their crimes are expected to be hidden, and are ready to punish the people that expose them to public ridicule. They demand laws to keep all people in check, so that they and their fellow conspirators can cheat the Nation. Can cheat the World. Can cheat the Taxpayers and send the children to Wars in order to make profits and tell the Media to lie on their behalf. These are the ones that are looked to for answers. For leadership. For justice… But What Is Justice? Justice is a Law that puts these Fools in Prison for every Crime they Commit along with their Cohorts. However, the Fools will never pass such a Law. So it is up to the People to change the System.
We have seen Further Evidence of why it was the Proper that the former Director of the FBI be replaced with an other Person.
This Evidence is provided by the Alleged Memo of the former Director of the FBI, if the memo is accurate and if it took place as is claimed by the Bribed and Corrupt American Puppet Mainstream Media.
We can see that the former Director of the FBI used what he thought was the insinuation of that Memo, as a Pay to Play Scheme, because while I am Not a Lawyer, yet I have Read that if the former Director of the FBI had thought that such a remark was improper, than he Should have by Law mentioned it to others to take appropriate measures, or he Should have informed President Donald immediately or as soon as practical, as to what the proper standards are, because President Donald is Not a Lawyer, as is the former Director of the FBI.
Perhaps Criminal Charges should be considered on the former Director of the FBI for failing in his Lawful Responsibility, and let a Jury determine if he had any intent to be John Edgar Hoover who had his own version of Pay to Play.
This is because it appears that for as long as the former Director of the FBI could keep his job, then this Memo whether true or false or if it is a variant of what was said, would remain Private.
This is Proof to Many People of another example of the Obstruction of Justice and of the Obstruction of the Proper Governing of the Country by the former Director of the FBI.
We All Know that the Hillary Clinton Espionage Cover Up, is probably the best Known example of the Obstruction of Justice and the Proper Governing of the Country.
President Donald Trump spoke of Recordings on Tape, and that can be used to Parse exactly like the word Wiretapping was Parsed, because these days Recording are done electronically, and we Should assume that it is probable that the former Director of the FBI has made his own Secret Recordings of the conversations between himself and the President.
The former Director of the FBI will Not go to jail for his Crimes, because the American Shadow Regime will Reward him, if it can be Proven that President Donald Trump lied, and the Sensible thing to do is to be Honest.
We Know that all of the things that were said in that such Lengthy conversations Cannot be remembered, and so it is best Not to say anything, except that there was Never any attempt to intentionally do anything Illegal.
The reason why it is best to say nothing, is Not because there is something to conceal, but because there will be a lot of Lies said on this by the Mainstream Media, and whether it is done intentionally or unintentionally, then the Result is the same, and Voters want their Elected Representatives to do some work for the Country, because the Unemployed Need jobs, and the Homeless Need housing, and the Puppets of the American Shadow Regime in the Congress and the Senate and the Puppet Mainstream Media have Enough Money, and they want even More by being Better Puppets to the Unelected and Unconstitutional American Shadow Regime.
We Know that General Michael Flynn has Served his Country with Distinction, and that he did Not do anything that was Treasonous like Hillary Clinton, for whom the former Director of the FBI Covered Up for her Crimes.
The Mainstream Bribed and Corrupt Puppet Media is saying that President Donald Trump said the following with regards to General Michael Flynn: “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go,” Mr. Trump told Mr. Comey, according to the memo. “He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.”
There is a saying that says that we see what you do, and we hear what you say, but what is the motive behind it.
We do Not know if these things were said all in one sentence, or if they are bits that were said at different times and with different contexts, and we do Not know the tone of the words as to whether they were said Sarcastically, while pretending to be Caring, and what was the Motive for saying that, because President Donald Trump Knew that Comey was a Puppet, and so if he could deceive Comey, then he might deceive the American Shadow Regime, who are Not the Servants of the American People.
This is because the Transition from the Puppet Obama and Clinton Administration to the Trump was a difficult transition because the American Shadow Regime does Not like anyone Honest, and perhaps President Donald Trump may have had to engage in some questioning of Comey to better understand the Shadow American Regime Evil Schemes, because General Michael Flynn was Definitely a Liability to his Presidency after he was Spied upon by the Obama and Clinton Administration, and so we may never know what the motives were, but I think that anyone who has observed the American Shadow Regime Knows the difficulties any Honest Person will experience, only because they do Not want to be Puppets of the American Shadow Regime, but Want to be the Servants of the American People.
There are People who think that the former Director of the FBI may have Recorded the conversations with President Donald Trump, either with his Mobile Phone, and the FBI Knows how an FBI Agent can have a Secret Concealed listening device, and that Recording may be Falsely claimed to have been made by President Donald Trump, to make it appear like Watergate, and this may be a matter of the word of President Donald Trump and that that of the former Director of the FBI, and it would be difficult for President Donald Trump to remember All of that distant conversation, because the President has many things to think of every day, and unless that conversation was Accurately recorded, then it is best to Not comment on it until there is certainty as to what was really said, because writing an account is Not as certain as Recording an account, and these days even electronic Recordings can be changed, as to what the real account is, and we may Not be able to Know that, and there are People who think that the former Director of the FBI is less honest on these matters what that the President is, and I do Not think that President Donald Trump made a recording of that conversation, but only said those things regarding recording of conversations, to encourage the former Director of the FBI to Not leak Lies to the Lying Media.
It has been said that there will be a Subpoena for the Alleged correct version of that text of that memo, which may or may not match what has been published in the Puppet Mainstream Media, and which is Government Property, because they were created as a result of the Salary that was Paid to the former Director of the FBI, and there are People who think that the Congress Should Demand by means of a Subpoena All of the memos and other works of the former Director of the FBI, with regard to the former Attorney General and Hillary Clinton, and who ever else was involved with the Entire Clinton Servergate Scandal.
This is because the Comey memos and all of his other work can Investigated for matters of Consistency and Integrity and Impartiality in dealing with People of different Political Parties, and these are Federal Records under the Federal Records Act.
If the wording of that Comey memo is different to what the Media Alleges, then this Proves that there is No need to talk too much to the Media, and if it sounds worse than what has been Alleged, then it reflects worse on Comey for Concealing this, and if the wording is idle chatter than what has been Alleged, then it Proves that Comey allowed all of this Fuss on this matter to occur by Not Promptly giving that memo and all All other works of his with regards to the private conversations that he had with President Donald Trump.
This is because the Voters want Congress and the Senate to do some work for the Country, rather than Scheming a subtle and soft coup on President Donald Trump.
There are Many Americans who Know that there is Much Evidence that President Donald Trump is the Legitimately Elected President of America.