It shoud be clear to all now why Trump flew into such a rage when Sessions recused himself

[Tom Rinaldo]

Sometimes it really is simple. As head of the Justice Department Trump trusted Sessions, as his total loyalist, to be his failsafe firewall against a FBI investigation concluding that any crimes were committed by Team Trump. Had Lynch not recused herself after that meeting with Bill Clinton likely Comey would have been held in check regarding Hillary. History can turn on things like that. Trump was counting on his man Sessions to save him. He lost his ace in the hole, get out of jail free card.

[NCTraveler]

1. Some of them are acting a little to above-board for my taste.

Don't trust any of them. Comey is no better than Sessions and is right in the thick of it. Comey very well might be Trumps get out of jail card. He is a snake.

[Tom Rinaldo]

2. I don't trust Comey either.

But Sessions was literally a part of the Trump campaign. He might be able to avoid jail if Trump goes down, but he will be ruined regardless. Trump probably had good reason to trust him (and install him as AG).

Comey on the other hand can still come out of this relatively intact even if Trump goes down. Given the fact that there no doubt are a lot of career FBI agents working on this investigation, Comey can not safely assume that none of them will blow the case sky high through leaks if he should try to quash the findings in any heavy handed way.

[NCTraveler]

4. "But Sessions was literally a part of the Trump campaign."

Comey was a more influential part of the Trump campaign than Sessions.

[Tom Rinaldo]

7. In impact, yes

But he already has taken hits on that and remains in office. If the evidence exists to indict Trump or his team, and if that evidence is known by a number of agents within the FBI, Comey could still come out of this looking pretty good to most casual observers if he doesn't stand in the way of an indictment recommendation. At that point, given those charges, many Republicans will be cutting ties with Trump, and most Democrats would be relieved to actually get indictments and would let Comey slide.

[NCTraveler]

10. "But he already has taken hits on that and remains in office."

Really making my case. He literally went rogue as the head of the FBI, in the last week of an election, and remains in office.

"In impact, yes"

We agree he had more of an impact than session during the campaign, clearly was in support of Trump, and still holds his position.

"doesn't stand in the way of an indictment recommendation."

They will be coming directly from his office.

[Tom Rinaldo]

14. He will go with what saves his skin first and foremost

I have no doubt he had it in for Clinton. I don't know how deeply he is committed pro Trump. Like I said in another post, the fact that Trump really lost it over Sessions agreeing to recuse himself to me indicates both guilt and some uncertainty that he can still count on remaining protected. If Comey moves against Trump with evidence, the chance that anyone will ever come after him for aiding the Russians is quite slim. If instead he pursues a Trump coverup and the truth about what happened comes out from internal leeks, suddenly Comey becomes much more personally culpable.

It wouldn't surprise me if he is still weighing his options to see how the wind blows. I don't hold it past him to put his thumb on the scale, but I doubt he will sacrifice himself for Trump if he's not sure he can get away with it. There are a lot of very angry agents in the intelligence community who could decide to blow Comey's cover rather than allow Trump to get away with "treason" if that is what it comes down to.

[NCTraveler]

15. Power and numbers will save his skin. Democrats have neither. nt.

[Tom Rinaldo]

18. If the lid can't be kept on this and it blows sky high...

Republicans will lose the numbers in 2018 and 2020. This is a very high stakes game we are all ensnared in.

[NCTraveler]

24. "This is a very high stakes game we are all ensnared in."

Absolutely.

[emulatorloo]

21. Chaffetz leaked Comey's email, not Comey

Senior Dem aide: Chaffetz tweeted Comey’s letter before Democrats even saw it

http://shareblue.com/jason-chaffetz-tweeted-comeys-letter-before-democrats-even-saw-it/


I suspect Comey was trying to manage Guilani's NYC FBI goon squad, who were threatening to start leaking bullshit

Do I trust Comey completely? No. But Chaffetz leaked the email Comey sent to Congress

[NCTraveler]

23. "Comey sent to Congress "

[SummerSnow]

3. I agree. Comey will say he is investigating the situation, in the end he will say nothing was there.

He'll send out a letter that will say...After months of detailed investigations and interviews, we have concluded that POTUS Donald Trump and his cabinet /staff was not involved in any wrongdoing regarding Russia before or after the election.

[enough]

6. I'd bet on this. NT

[Tom Rinaldo]

9. Sure this is a very real possibility

My point though was that Trump felt he had maximum control with Sessions riding shotgun over the investigation as AG. The fact that he went into a fury when Sessions recused himself indicates 1) that Trump has something significant to worry about (e.g. guilt) and that 2) He feels less secure about getting away unscathed with Sessions legally out of the loop.

[Freethinker65]

11. Ugh. And that letter will come out just prior to the 2018 elections for maximum impact

And there will be a new "investigation" into the DNC for nothing that he can comment on at the time.

[Mr.Bill]

19. He will never finalize it either way.

As long as there is an ongoing investigation, it gives the subject of the investigation reason to fear him and increases his power.

[uponit7771]

20. +1

[msanthrope]

5. Sessions, snake that he is.....wants to survive Trump. nt

[GliderGuider]

8. Sessions is definitely going down with the ship.

Still think Comey is a white hat with an untold backstory around Clinton that forced his hand.

[tblue37]

12. One thing that seems to be sliding under the radar is that although the Russians

didn't put out any damaging information bout Republicans, we can be pretty sure that they hacked the GOP honchos and foot soldiers,a s well.

Considering that the GOP honchos must prefer Pence to Trump, it seems that there are only two reasons why they would still be protecting Trump: (1) they fear his rabid base, and (2) they fear disclosure of damaging information the Russians have on them.

My guess is that both reasons are in play.

[Cosmocat]

13. There is so much going on, but this is one of those obvious things NO ONE is talking about

Russia hacked Ds and released all kinds of stuff to damage them.

Literally have released nothing from the RS, and you KNOW those deluded assholes have MUCH worse that got hacked.

SO ... why would the Russians hack them and not release it PUBLICLY?

[Tom Rinaldo]

17. Agree

The Republicans have seen vivid proof of exactly how effective the release of damaging information can be, and the Russians have shown that they have the tools needed to weaponize it when they are ready. And of course, as you said, they also don't want to face the wrath of a Trump loving base in a primary. Plus since Trump doesn't have the attention span needed to have his own legislative agenda, he signs off on theirs and then takes credit for it - kind of like slapping his name onto a tower someone else built. If anything goes wrong they hope to stick him with all of the blame.

[GeorgeGist]

16. Loyalty is job One ...

in Trumpco.

[briv1016]

22. Donald wouldn't have nominated Rosenstein if he didn't trust his loyalty.

He already said in his confirmation hearing that he would not nominate a special prosecutor.