The FBI Has Been Freed from James Comey's Hand-wringing Political Biases

President Trump has fired FBI Director James Comey. • • • FINALLY. We can all breathe a sigh of relief that the most respected law enforcement agency in the world has now been freed from the shackles of a Hollywood B-film leader who didn't understand anything about his duties. Comey should have been fired by President Obama last July after his live-TV indictment of Hillary Clinton followed by his pardon of her. That usurpation of the Attorney General's prerogative -- even that of AG Loretta Lynch, or her Deputy, after she colluded with Bill Clinton on a tarmac in Phoenix -- and his unprecedented on-the-air revelation of the details of what he called a closed investigation should have triggered his firing. But, of course, at that point Obama and his Democrat cronies were happy that their girl Hillary had been saved to run for President -- probably through the conniving actions of Slick Willie and Loretta -- and to continue the Progressive destruction of America and its Constitution. President Trump could have fired Comey on January 20, but he didn't -- perhaps because he lacked, thanks to Democrat efforts to delay his Cabinet confirmations, an Attorney General in place to advise him on the matter. The AG is the FBI Director's boss. Or, perhaps Trump still had the non-insider political notion that reaching out to the opposition was a reasonable thing to do. The last three months have surely taught President Trump that reason and fair play do not exist in Washington, where it is a perpetual Night of the Long Knives. • • • TRUMP DID THE RIGHT THING. Joel Pollak of Breitbart got it absolutely right on Wednesday morning when he wrote : "The case for firing former FBI Director James Comey has been made at length by both Democrats and Republicans. Last July, Republicans were angry that he failed to indict Hillary Clinton, and Democrats were angry that he made a case for doing so. In October, Democrats were furious that Comey revealed that he had re-opened the investigation into Clinton, and in March, Republicans were angry that he disputed President Donald Trump’s wiretapping claims." Pollak asks in his article, why fire Comey now? His response : "The answer is simple. The day before, President Barack Obama’s former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper repeated, under oath, what he told NBC News’ Chuck Todd on Meet the Press on March 5 -- that he had seen no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government [In March, Comey announced with the authorization of the DOJ that the FBI was investigating alleged coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential election.]...That [the Clapper statement on Monday under oath] gave the Trump administration the breathing room to dismiss Comey -- which it simply did not have before....Put simply, if Trump had fired Comey while there were still serious questions about Russia, then it would have been more plausible to accuse him of trying to interfere in the investigation or cover up whatever happened. It is now clear that nothing, in fact, happened. Monday’s hearing with Clapper and former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates was meant to reveal a “smoking gun,” and produced nothing but viral videos of Senator Ted Cruz taking Clapper and Yates apart -- if you want to see Cruz use a hypothetical to force Clapper to admit that Hillary broke the law in using her unsecured server, go to You Tube < https://youtu.be/w8vkNLY1I_M >. • • • DOJ GAVE TRUMP THE GREEN LIGHT TO FIRE COMEY. Justice Department Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein recommended that FBI Director James Comey be fired for damaging information he revealed about then-Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at the height of the presidential campaign. The assessment from DAG Rosenstein was circulated by the Trump administration as a justification for Comey's firing Tuesday evening. Here is the reasoning used by Rosenstein in his recommendation : In July 2016, Comey held a dramatic press conference in which he announced he FBI would not recommend charges be brought against Clinton for keeping sensitive information on a private computer server while she was Secretary of State. Then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch had said she would honor Comey’s recommendation on whether to pursue charges against Clinton because she had become embroiled in controversy for meeting privately with former President Bill Clinton on a tarmac in Arizona. At the July press conference, Comey infuriated Democrats by laying out a detailed case about how Clinton had mishandled classified information. But Clinton could not be prosecuted, Comey said, because there was no precedent in doing so and because he could not prove she acted with intent to break the law. Republicans were angry that Comey didn't recommend an indictment, but used his testimony about Clinton’s carelessness to cudgel the Democratic candidate throughout the campaign. Rosenstein made the critical point of showing that Comey had violated FBI and DOJ policy : “The Director ignored another longstanding principle; we do not hold press conferences to release derogatory information about the subject of a declined criminal investigation. Derogatory information sometimes is disclosed in the course of a criminal investigation and prosecution but we never release it gratuitously. The Director laid out his version of the facts for the news media as if it were a closing argument but without a trial. It is a textbook example of what federal prosecutors and agents are taught not to do...the goal of a federal criminal investigation is not to announce our thoughts at a press conference.” In a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions arguing for the firing, Rosenstein argued that Comey had no right to “usurp” Lynch’s authority : “It is not the function of the Director to make such an announcement. At most the Director should have said the FBI had completed its investigation and presented its findings to federal prosecutors. The Director now defends his decision by asserting that he believed Attorney General Loretta Lynch had a conflict. But the FBI Director is never empowered to supplant federal prosecutors and assume command of the Justice Department.” Finally, Rosenstein said Comey should not have notified Congress just days before the election that the FBI had reopened its investigation into Clinton’s email arrangement. Many in the Clinton campaign blame that episode by the serial-out-of-control Comey, which didn't result in any developments in the investigation itself, for their candidate’s loss. Comey argued that he had to do it because he had testified under oath that he would keep Congress updated on the status of the investigation. Rosenstein told Sessions in his recommendation letter : “The Director cast his decision as a choice between whether he would ‘speak’ about the FBI’s decision to investigate the newly discovered email messages or ‘conceal’ it. 'Conceal' is a loaded term that misstates the issue. When federal agents and prosecutors quietly open a criminal investigation, we are not concealing anything. We are simply following the longstanding policy that we refrain from publicizing non-public information. In that context, silence is not concealment.” • • • THE DEMOCRAT FRENZY. The best example of the Progressive panic comes from Senator Angus King, the Independent Maine Senator who caucuses with the Democrats. In an interview early Wednesday, Senator King suggested to CNN that ousted FBI Director James Comey could lead the Senate's investigation into Russian meddling in the presidential election : “I had a fun idea in the middle of the night. The Intelligence Committee ought to hire James Comey to direct our investigation. He's already got his clearances, knows the subject, man of integrity. I’m going to float that today and see what kind of reaction I get.” King is a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee -- there you have today's oxymoron -- I will forbear commenting on King's proposal, out of respect for the feebleminded. • Democrat Senator Dick Durbin tweeted : "This is not what an innocent person would do. Firing the guy investigating #RussianHacking -- without cause -- is consciousness of guilt." • Democrat Representative Eric Swalwell tweeted : "Now it's even more important that an independent special counsel is appointed to investigate the Russian interference in our elections." • Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that Trump called her at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday indicating that he was removing Comey and that the FBI "needed a change." Feinstein said after the public announcement of Comey's firing : "The next FBI Director must be strong and independent and will receive a fair hearing in the Judiciary Committee." • • • MOST REPUBLICANS SUPPORT TRUMP. Senator Chuck Grassley, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, threw his support behind Trump's decision while casting doubt on "the trust and political independence of the FBI" under Comey. Grassley said that Comey had "lost" the public's trust and confidence : “Over the course of the last several months, Director Comey's decisions on controversial matters have prompted concern from across the political spectrum and from career law enforcement experts. The handling of the Clinton email investigation is a clear example of how Comey's decisions have called into question the trust and political independence of the FBI. In my efforts to get answers, the FBI, under Comey's leadership, has been slow or failed to provide information that Comey himself pledged to provide. The FBI Director serves at the pleasure of the President. Under these circumstances, President Trump accepted the recommendation of the Justice Department that the Director lacked the confidence needed to carry out his important duties.” • Senator Lindsey Graham, who has often disagreed with Trump, also voiced support for the decision : "Given the recent controversies surrounding the Director, I believe a fresh start will serve the FBI and the nation well," Graham said in one of the first statements released after Trump's announcement. Graham appeared to get a heads-up on the decision. His spokesman told a reporter for the Charleston Post and Courier that Trump called the GOP Senator "literally minutes before" the announcement. • Senator John Cornyn, the No. 2 Senate Republican, said he was "surprised" by the decision but that Comey serves at the "pleasure of the President." Cronyn told reporters : "Obviously he's been the center of controversy both among Democrats and Republicans at different times....It sounds to me from reading the President's letter that he lost confidence in him...it's important that we have independent Director, and that's the President's prerogative." • • • THE HEAVYWEIGHTS WEIGH IN. These people are long-time observers and players in the inner workings of Washington and have shown their independence of thought. • Harvard Law Professor Emeritus Alan Derschowitz told CNN's Don Lemon, who had no choice but to listen to a superior intellect, that FBI Director James Comey should have been fired because he "lost his credibility" not only with President Donald Trump, but also with Democrats and Republicans. Derschowitz was blunt : "He should have resigned. He lost his credibility. A lot of this is his fault. He should have looked in the mirror and said to himself, 'I am not trusted by Democrats, Republicans, by the American public' and should have resigned." But, Dershowitz added that Trump should not have made the decision "while he's under an investigation" on possible Russian ties by his campaign aides and that it was critical that Comey's successor is "a man or woman of great integrity." • James Kallstrom, former FBI Assistant Director and 27-year FBI veteran, said Comey 'Danced With the Devil,' and threw the FBI under the bus. Kallstrom told Fox News Comey had to go because he had ruined the reputation of the bureau : "I'm glad it happened. I think Jim Comey way back almost a year ago kind of forgot he was the FBI Director." Kallstrom said Comey's actions were an improper usurpation of the attorney general's role, and the action might have affected the election. Had Comey kept silent, Democrats might have decided on a different candidate, adding : "Jim Comey danced with the devil, and later on down the road talked about this great investigation the FBI conducted. Of course, they had no subpoena power, they couldn't compel any investigation or search warrants. They had to beg people to look at things. The interview of Hillary Clinton, in my view, was a sham. He was lacking common sense, and it's time for new leadership in the FBI." Kallstrom led the investigation into the 1996 explosion of TWA Flight 800 and was a supervising agent in the New York investigation of the Cosa Nostra criminal network that resulted in the Mafia Commission Trial of 1985–1986. Kallstrom has been described as an expert in wiretapping. He is a former Marine captain and Vietnam veteran. He left the FBI in 1998, but after the 9/11 attacks, Kallstrom returned to the public sector to lead New York state's public safety office. • Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says President Trump had no choice but to fire FBI Director James Comey after receiving the letter from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rubenstein, a career professional with no political ax to grind. Gingrich pointed out to Hannity on Fox News that Rubenstein was confirmed by a 94-6 bipartisan Senate vote. Rosenstein listed a series of mistakes made by Comey, and talked to several former attorneys general who concurred, Gingrich said. Attorney General Jeff Sessions concurred with Rosenstein and forwarded the letter to Trump. Gingrich said : "What I would say to Democrats is, if the President of the United States gets a letter like that from a career professional who you just voted for, how could he do anything else except accept the letter? He cites attorney general after attorney general from both parties saying this is exactly wrong, and Comey in fact violated the rules of the Justice Department, the principles of the FBI, and he is not capable of rebuilding the FBI. I think President Trump frankly had no choice at that point." • • • DEAR READERS, in his recommendation to AG Sessions, Rosenstein cited Comey's handling of the investigation into Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's private email server as part of the reasoning for firing him. Clinton's use of a private email server as Secretary of State was investigated, as was her handling of classified information. Comey brought no charges against Clinton, but Hillary blamed his actions for costing her the race against Trump. The FBI is now investigating possible ties between Trump's team and Russia, which the Obama-tainted intelligence community concluded had meddled in the presidential election to hurt Clinton and help Trump. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, Obama's head of national security, said under oath on Monday that he has seen "no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government." • Democrats are now having a collective tantrum, screaming for a special prosecutor to investigate the question whether Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. Sorry, Democrats -- THERE IS NO EVIDENCE TO JUSTIFY A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR. The more Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and his mainstream media lapdogs try to paint the Comey firing as the new Watergate, trying to revive the Russia conspiracy theory by continuing to demand a special prosecutor, the more they help Trump by making fools -- or FBI targets -- of themselves. • But, unfortunately, there are three Republican Senators, chairmen of important Senate committees, who are falling for the Democrat trap. Are these Republican Senators still part of the #NeverTrump GOP? Remember their names and positions -- Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, and Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr. Their endorsement of a special prosecutor puts pressure on other Republicans to endorse such an appointment or to agree to the creation of an independent committee to examine Russia’s influence on domestic politics. And, in their #Never Trump stupidity, they jeopardize their own political futures by bucking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has a lot to say about whether they keep their chairmanships. McConnell has for months steadfastly refused to endorse the appointment of a special prosecutor or independent commission to investigate Russia’s interference in the 2016 election or Russia’s ties to senior advisors to President Trump. But -- John McCain is not Trump's friend in any sense -- he is the Republican most often called on by CNN to be the voice of GOP "reason" when anything the Progressive Democrat left doesn't like comes out of the Trump White House -- Corker said last summer he didn't want to be Trump's VP choice, undoubtedly because he knew he would not be chosen because of his dithering ambivalence over the Obama Iran nuclear deal when he agreed to Obama's debate terms rather than defending the Senate obligation to "assent" to all foreign treaties -- Burr just came through a bruising campaign in North Carolina, where the polls had him tied with his Democrat oppponent until the last days of the campaign, although he finally won by 6% on the coattails of Trump in a state that Trump swept into his column. • Just why are the Democrats yelling like stuck pigs??? Because for the first time, it has dawned on them that Hillary Clinton is not out of the FBI frying pan yet -- her unsecured server and misuse of classified documents will be revisited by the new FBI Director, in what we can expect will be a thorough review by FBI law enforcement professionals without the hand-wringing political biases of James Comey holding them back. There is no assurance what the outcome of that review will be, but it will be done correctly, of that we can be sure, and the cards will fall as they may -- with no hidden agendas. And, has it occurred to some of the Democrats now demanding a special procecutor that thay could also become targets of an FBI expanded investigation of the Hillary-Barack trickery and lies over not only the email scandal but also Benghazi, the IRS harassment scheme, Fast & Furious, sending Iran cash for hostages, and pay-for-play, including the sale of 20% of America's uranium resources to Russian interests. • The ProgDems and the Democrat Party have a lot to answer for -- answers they never expected to have to give because they were so sure Hillary's election was "in the bag" -- to coin a gangland phrase. And, in pumping for a special prosecutor, these politicians should be careful. They may be opening a process that they will not control and they may get results they would never have wished for. Defending Jim Comey's pathetic record may be the Achilles Heel that America has been searching for in these Democrats of doubtful patriotism but absolute allegiance to a renegade President Barack Obama and a "Crooked" Hillary Clinton who may yet be indicted.