Comey a shifty political operative

Whatever else James Comey may be, the one thing that has become evident after all the testimony he provided various congressional committees is that he is the consummate political operative.

Any testimony he gave should be viewed with that in mind.

I base this analysis on several things.

Comey began his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee by characterizing the president’s comments about a demoralized FBI as a “lie.”

At best the demoralized characterization must be viewed as a difference of opinion. During the timeframe from July of last year through the election in November, news outlets were rife with stories about unhappiness and discontent in the rank and file of the FBI organization. Comey’s claim to be defending the honor of the FBI rather than preserving his own reputation is disingenuous at best.

Comey has described himself during one appearance before Congress as feeling “mildly nauseous” to think that he might have had some impact on the presidential election. In last Thursday’s testimony, he stated that he got “confused and concerned” after being directed by Attorney General Loretta Lynch to refer to the Hillary Clinton email probe as a “matter” not an investigation.

He called the campaign’s account of FBI investigations “inaccurate.”

Comey also felt “uneasy” when dealing with President Trump, and that led him to take detailed notes after any meeting he had with the president.

Of the nauseous, confused and concerned or uneasy feelings experienced by Comey during these various meetings, only that “uneasy” twinge gouged him enough for him to take action. That action was to claim under oath that he thought the president of the United States was a liar.

Notice that while Lynch “directed” him to provide an inaccurate description of what he was doing on the Clinton campaign, President Trump, according to Comey, said, “I ‘hope’ you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I ‘hope’ you can let this go.”

Comey has repeatedly stated he thought Trump was ordering him to stop the Flynn investigation. He fails to understand the difference between “directed” and “hope.”

I believe that Comey acquiesced to Lynch’s demand because he was certain Clinton would win the election, and he ignored Trump’s request because he felt his job was secure.

Comey inadvertently made the case that if anyone should be investigated, it’s Loretta Lynch.

When Trump requested loyalty from Comey, the latter had to look that word up in the dictionary. The major mistake made by our president was in forgetting Harry Truman’s admonition: “You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog.”

Next week: why Comey got fired.

Rube Render is the Curry County Republican chairman. Contact him at:

[email protected]