James Comey Senate testimony: America braces for a historic political moment

[malaise]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/04/james-comey-senate-testimony-donald-trump-russia-flynn
<snip>

What the former FBI director tells a committee on Thursday could decide whether Trump survives his first term. The stakes have never been higher

The stakes will be as high as they have ever been at a congressional hearing. The questions Comey will be asked by the Senate intelligence committee include whether Donald Trump tried to persuade him to stop an investigation into improper contacts between a top adviser and Russian officials, whether Trump sought to extract a vow of personal loyalty, and whether Comey was fired because he did not comply.

Trump has denied trying to make Comey drop the case, but if Comey contradicts him and is supported by other evidence, it would represent potential obstruction of justice by the president and mark a long leap down the road towards impeachment.

Even in the Teapot Dome scandal that shook Warren Harding’s administration in the early 1920s, and in the Watergate affair half a century later, it was not alleged that the president himself tried to intimidate an investigator.

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Shame and disgrace are heading your way Groper Don the Con!

[Little Star]

1. I hope Comey has the goods & spills the beans but....

maybe we'll have to wait for Robert Mueller. I hope we don't have to wait that long because we may not have our country by then if Putin gets his wish.

[Egnever]

2. I think people are expecting

Comey to come out and scream FUCK TRUMP HE IS A CRIMINAL!


I expect the damage from Comeys testimony will be much more subtle. I think many will be mad after it is over because he does not directly come out and accuse Trump of crimes.

[malaise]

3. I think his memos will scream that for me

and that would be subtle enough for me.

[L. Coyote]

6. No, they are expecting Comey to act like the former head of the FBI. To lay out the evidence.

It is the role of others to make criminal indictments.

[NastyRiffraff]

4. Anyone know what time the testimony will be?

I can't wait!

[malaise]

16. Not sure but I'll be home all day

[canetoad]

20. I've made a note

Thurs. 8 June 10am Eastern.

[NastyRiffraff]

31. Thanks!

I'll tune into CSpan at 10am sharp!

[L. Coyote]

5. As if we don't already know most of this. What will be the surprises?

How many times did Trump obstruct justice? That is the real question, not whether or not he did. How many co-conspirators are there? How many people committed perjury to hide their Russian meetings? How many failed to disclose Russian meetings on their security clearance questions? How many meetings?

Trump's New Impeachable Offenses: Obstruction of Justice, Conspiracy, Abuse of Power

[malaise]

7. Hopefully

memos

[L. Coyote]

12. I expect several memos, not just the one already in the news. Also, what happened to your files?

Did Trump have someone seize Comey's computer and all his files? Did Comey have his files with him on a secure device? Was everything encrypted? That sort of questioning.

What specifically would you ask Comey to elicit a yuuuge surprise?

[malaise]

13. Did Sessions summon you toany meetings about Russia-gate

I like yours about the files. I almost hope they broke in. I expect Comey had several backups.

[L. Coyote]

23. Wouldn't ibe a surprise if Comey has memos on Sessions committing obstruction too.

And who else in the Trump administration contacted you Mr. Comey?

[Thinkingabout]

8. Trumpy will be responsible for trumpy not surviving his first term.

[spanone]

9. there are three days between now and when he appears before the senate and trump is in charge....

[wishstar]

10. I expect Repubs to distract, asking about his handling of Hillary probe w/ the fake Russian info

In order to try to discredit him and waste time Repubs will probably ask him why he didn't previously mention the fake Russian email falsely stating that Dems were in cahoots with Loretta Lynch and how that influenced his actions. The new info probably got leaked by Repubs in order to divert from Trump scandal.

[malaise]

14. Won't matter - Dems are waiting to pounce

I expect ReTHUG obfuscation

[Boomerproud]

11. I am expecting to be disappointed.

Sorry.

[roamer65]

15. NSA director may be bringing a bombshell at the Senate Intel committee on Wed.

If the report from Steve Clemons on MSNBC is true, Dump is gonna have an awful week.

[malaise]

17. I'm arranging healthy snacks

and fruit

[roamer65]

18. Good on 'ya, mate!

[SHRED]

19. Bracing?

I'm looking forward to it!

[blueinredohio]

21. I'm hoping but I don't think there's gonna be

any bombshells b/c most stuff is classified but Ihope he shows proof that Trump tried to shut down the investigation. (ROCK SOLID PROOF)

[malaise]

22. That is a bombshell - a major crime

obstruction of justice

[moonscape]

24. Agree. I think he will give information about more meetings and

phone calls where 45 was, um, trying to be persuasive, which will put another nail in the obstruction coffin. But, when asked if T ordered him to stop investigation re Flynn, he will say no. Republicans will make much of this.

While I'm prepared for his testimony not to live up to my fantasies, I also will be surprised if there isn't an oh-wow! moment - Comey likes those.

[Zorro]

25. There's a strong possibility that Comey's testimony will be a dud

and not the fireworks a lot of people are hoping for.

No bombshells, just the facts that will only corroborate what's already been reported.

[bucolic_frolic]

26. I'm expecting an ambiguous dodge

just like he tried to dance around HRC emails midsummer, October, or at
least he appeared to be.

I think he'll leave the evidence for Mueller.

Who would want to have two former FBI Directors investigating them?
I know, Comey's not active in it, but he has testimony and evidence
gathered.

[George II]

27. After Comey testifies under oath it may force trump to testify under oath (but that'll never happen)

[peggysue2]

28. At the very least

And I mean 'the very least," the Trumpster can join Nixon on obstruction of justice charges. Nixon, however, did not get cozy with the then, Soviet Union. As one former Bush appointee remarked, "Nixon was a crook but at least he was our crook." Also, Nixon was intelligent and politically astute about most things. He shaved the edges during the Watergate debacle but he was never in bed with a hostile government nor guilty of blabbing American/Israeli intelligence to save his own neck.

The Trumpster is in a class of his own: the ultimate Loser.

[BigBearJohn]

29. Nice week to start a war

[ProudLib72]

30. Can't I just be cryogenically frozen

and thawed when it's all over? It's like new presents every week, and there is always that big one over in the corner that you just want so badly to get to.