Manchin: Comey Firing 'Not Going To Impede' Senate Intel Investigation

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo



By MATT SHUHAM Published MAY 9, 2017 7:12 PM

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s abrupt firing of FBI Director James Comey would not impede that committee’s investigation into potential collusion between Trump associates and Russia.

“I just heard about it walking to the interview with you,” Manchin told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.

“At first blush I will just tell you, it is not going to impede our investigation in finding out where the Intel Committee basically is going to get its information,” he continued. “We still look forward to Mr. Comey coming before us the same as we do Sally Yates coming before us, so that will not change our investigation, and basically we’ve always said this: We will follow the intel and intel will take us with the facts and that will lead us to the truth.”

Blitzer asked Manchin if Comey’s firing recalled a “Saturday Night Massacre,” a reference to the night then-President Richard Nixon fired the special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who was investigating the Watergate Scandal. “To call it massacre, I don’t think you can do that,” Manchin said. “To say it was unexpected, absolutely. To say it’s shocking, you betcha.”

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/joe-manchin-comey-firing-impede-investigation

[bucolic_frolic]

1. If Senator Manchin

is coming around, there must be something serious to it.

But expect obstruction and confusion every step of the way from the miscreants

[Honeycombe8]

3. He sounded like he was okay with the firing. A big "meh," trying to make it appear as though it

doesn't mean anything. When of course it means a lot.

Trump has fired the FBI Director in charge of a criminal investigation of whom one target was Trump. You don't have to be a brain surgeon to figure that one out.

For Manchin to simply say it won't affect his committee's investigation is to avoid the topic altogether. That wasn't the question.

I fear a rising up of the people, if something isn't done about Trump and what he's doing to the country and its democracy. We expect and need our Congress people to DO something. We can no longer rely on the Supreme Court to be unbiased. It has to be Congress.

[Honeycombe8]

2. Of course it won't. Because Comey's not in charge of the Senate Intel Comm. DUH.

But it DIRECTLY affects the information that the Intel Committee gets, the quality and thoroughness of it, and the FBI investigation going forward.

[yallerdawg]

4. Comey apparently has always been a wealth of misinformation.

Trump and Russia - "It's secret."

Hillary -"Blah, blah, blah, lie, lie lie."

Fuck that bastard Comey.

[Honeycombe8]

5. HRC is irrelevant. Comey reports the FBI report information.

It doesn't matter WHO reports it to the intel committee. Comey or whoever. What matters is that there was an impartial FBI Director who was following the raw information, "no matter where it leads," as Comey put it.

Comey has made mistakes. Who hasn't? But he does seem to be a true, nonpartisan investigator, which is a rare thing these days.

[yallerdawg]

6. Comey was just fired for reporting and commenting on FBI investigations...

regarding the "irrelevant HRC."

Comey is not released from confidentiality laws. He will again say nothing about Trump - and never shut up about Hillary.

Comey made a mistake NO FBI director made - usurping the AG's job.

The new AG and assistant AG just got his ass - and that's a good thing!

[Honeycombe8]

9. He wasn't fired for HRC email handling. He was fired because of the Russian investigation.

We all know that. Everyone knows that.

He'll be replaced with a Trump puppet. It will impede the investigation because of the disruption in the investigation, and with a new Director who will steer the investigation in favor of his boss, Trump.

HRC's emails are irrelevant to the Comey firing. That's just the excuse they found. If the AG had a problem with Comey's actions, they would have fired him long ago.

Comey said the one thing with solemnity and force at his recent testimony before Congress: I will follow the investigation through, no....matter...where...it....leads. That one sentence sealed his fate.

[regnaD kciN]

7. What a load of horseshit...

It will only "not impede" the investigation if Senate Republicans decide it shouldn't impede it. Anyone want to take odds on them siding with Democrats over a President from their own party who has shown he'll be a reliable rubber-stamp for their policies? Please.

[Honeycombe8]

10. That the Senator didn't know his intel committee doesn't conduct real investigations...

is concerning.

The FBI is conducting an investigation. The Intel Committee is reviewing investigation materials and hearing testimony. They are not actually conducting an investigation like the intel agencies. They rely on the intel agencies to provide them with the information.

So replacing the head of the FBI investigation with a new puppet placed there by Trump won't affect what the Senate Intel Committee is doing. It affects the information they get.

[Abu Pepe]

8. The Senate Intel Committee is full of hacks who serve no purpose but to impede justice

Not all of them. But enough to make it a body not capable of the work that is needed to be done.