'Shaken' Rosenstein Felt Used by White House in Comey Firing

[DonViejo]

Source: The New York Times



By Michael S. Schmidt and Adam Goldman
June 29, 2018

WASHINGTON — In the days after the F.B.I. director James B. Comey was fired last year, the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, repeatedly expressed anger about how the White House used him to rationalize the firing, saying the experience damaged his reputation, according to four people familiar with his outbursts.

In public, Mr. Rosenstein has shown no hint that he had second thoughts about his role — writing a memo about Mr. Comey’s performance that the White House used to justify firing him. “I wrote it. I believe it. I stand by it,” Mr. Rosenstein said to Congress last year.

But in meetings with law enforcement officials in the chaotic days immediately after Mr. Comey’s dismissal, and in subsequent conversations with colleagues and friends, Mr. Rosenstein appeared conflicted, according to the four people.

He alternately defended his involvement, expressed remorse at the tumult it unleashed, said the White House had manipulated him, fumed how the news media had portrayed the events and said the full story would vindicate him, said the people, who in recent weeks described the previously undisclosed episodes.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/29/us/politics/rod-rosenstein-comey-firing.html

[deurbano]

1. On an earlier thread, I wrote: I sure hope this all works out, but how can Rosenstein, a Republican

be trusted after falling for that obvious manipulation? And why would he be fuming at the press when he himself supposedly felt remorse about his actions? Plus, there's this (gag):

http://www.jewishaz.com/us_worldnews/rosenstein-praises-lincolnesque-trump/article_bd428478-53b6-11e8-88db-fba784f207f5.html

Rosenstein praises ‘Lincolnesque’ Trump
Wednesday, May 9, 2018

<<Embattled Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein told a Washington audience Sunday that President Donald Trump’s words after last year’s deadly white supremacist march in Charlottesville represented a message of unity that needed to be heard during a divisive period in American history.

Following the murder of a counterprotester by a white nationalist, Trump said, “You had many people in that group other than neo-Nazis and white nationalists. … You also had some very fine people on both sides.”

“President Trump recognized last August that no matter the color of our skin, we all live under the same laws, we all salute the same great flag and we are all made by the same almighty God,” Rosenstein said at the Anti-Defamation League’s annual leadership summit...

Rosenstein said Trump’s call for more tolerance after the Charlottesville rally resembled President Abraham Lincoln’s 1861 inaugural address. In that speech, the 16th president urged unity despite bitter divisions between the North and the South over slavery.

“Lincoln insisted his opponents were not enemies, because we were all Americans,” Rosenstein said. “He concluded his inaugural address by appealing to the better angels of our nature. President Trump echoed that statement with his remarks last summer of ‘we must rediscover the bonds of love and loyalty that bring us together as Americans.’”...


“When victims are attacked because of their race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, there are laws that empower [the Justice Department] to respond,” he said. “Enforcing those laws is important to President Trump and Attorney General Sessions.”>>



Is he kissing up so he can continue the investigation without getting fired.... or?

[emulatorloo]

4. Smart people learn from their mistakes. His R affiliation is irrelevant as he cares about the law

As he cares about the rule of law.

[deurbano]

7. I feel Rosenstein has said things (like in the fawning speech I quoted) and done things (like

being "manipulated" ) that make him less trustworthy than Mueller (also a Republican), for example. Unless it's part of a calculated plan to keep from getting fired so he can continue the investigation... as opposed to keep from getting fired so he can advance at the Justice Dept. (or whatever).

I think Comey was also suspect in this way. After all, he did agree to a private (and planned) dinner with Trump after deciding Bill Clinton's (unplanned and briefer) meeting with Lynch was so inappropriate and egregious as to force the straight arrow Comey to hold the unprecedented July press conference and to later reveal the "reopening" of an obviously dead investigation. If Comey had not been fired, how would this have played out? (Why did he agree to a much more inappropriate private meeting than the one he condemned?)

[dhol82]

8. Good point I never thought of.

[emulatorloo]

9. Are you sure you are comfortable aligning w Jim Jordan

and Trey Gowdy, et al in smearing and and attempting to discredit Rosenstein?

I’m not accusing you of anything, just suggesting you think this through. Look at the bigger picture.

So far everything I have seen from Rosenstein indicates he is protecting this investigation from Trump’s partisan henchmen.

He may be a Republican but there are a few Republicans who put the rule of law and the country before fealty to Donald Trump.

Jordan and Gowdy’s hysteria indicate to me at least that Rosenstein and Mueller are on the right track.

Best regards and have a great night.

[deurbano]

10. Seriously?! You call it aligning with those despicable assholes because I find it disturbing that

Rosenstein would compare that vile thing to Lincoln? (While managing to sound just like all the other sycophants who have helped normalize his completely unacceptable behavior...) I'm wondering aloud (in a Democratic forum) whether he is entirely trustworthy... while fully aware he and Mueller are just about all the hope we have at the moment. (I have much more confidence in Mueller.)

[emulatorloo]

11. I told you I am not accusing you of anything other than not looking at the big picture.

You say Rosenstein isn’t trustworthy.

So do Gowdy and Jordan.

That’s a fact.

You may dislike them but you apparently agree with them on some level, since you are here on a Democratic forum attempting to argue that Rosenstein is untrustworthy.

With not a lot of basis in fact as far as I can tell.

You ignore Rosenstein’s actions since he appointed Mueller as special prosecutor. You’ve latched on to some statement he made, which is completely irrelevant to the investigation and Rosenstein’s actions related to protecting the investigation to prevent the likes of Jordan and Gowdy from shutting it down to protect Trump

If you want to try to discredit Rosenstein on DU that is totally your decision and I respect that. We’re all entitled to our opinions here.

I just think it is wrong headed, so it is certainly my right to push back against your opinion.

[sandensea]

2. Shaken - but not stirred.

Under that genteel exterior, I know there's a real James Bond in there.

[nycbos]

6. James bond is ordering a weak martini and being snooty about it

[BigmanPigman]

3. Swalwell just told Chris Matthews

that if Rosenstein is fired it will be treated the same as if he fired Mueller. The GOP is focusing on this crap instead of the crisis at the borders. If the GOP impeaches/fires Rosenstein because he refuses to hand over all the documents that they are demanding about the investigation and the hold him in contempt of court there will be over 350,000 people in over 900 US cities within hours.
***********
MARCH FOR TRUTH—an organization that is working with dozens of advocacy groups to organize rapid response protests has partnered with MoveOn.org, Public Citizen, Indivisible and many others to prepare emergency ‘Nobody is Above the Law‘ rallies that will happen directly following the firing of the special counsel should it occur. There are already events in 900+ cities and communities scheduled across the country—more than 300,000 people are prepared to take to the streets within hours of an announcement.

By firing Mueller or Rosenstein, the president would trigger a full-fledged constitutional crisis by asserting that he is above the law. The hours following the firing will determine whether he is proved right.
NOBODY IS ABOVE THE LAW! We must save our country from the W House.

https://act.moveon.org/event/mueller-firing-rapid-response-events/search/

[riversedge]

15. Trump's Ego may be stupid enough to fire Rosenstein.

[yallerdawg]

5. If you'll read the Rosenstein memo...

and the recent IG report on the matter, these are merely reflections of facts regarding Comey, the FBI and the DOJ.

There is nothing in the memo that that could be considered "manipulated."

In fact, if the Dotard had not opened his big ignorant stupid mouth and said "the Rusher thing" declaring his intent of 'obstruction of justice,' Rosenstein would be revered today as having articulated exactly how Comey swung the election against Hillary Clinton.

This may be a kind of "media license" - anyone having any involvement with the Dotard and his minions has to be feeling dirty and corrupted.

But probably not on this particular subject.

[marble falls]

12. Gotta say, I did not have much sympathy for Rosenstein after firing Comey. BUT he may ...

end up being a major hero in all this Trumpshit. I think after Sessions had the only good decision he made in his entire life by recusing himself, Rosenstein has been sometimes the only reason cheetolini didn't fire Mueller before Manaford and Cohen got indicted and arrested. If these two are the only ones besides the two Flynns who get serious jail, Rosenstein may have saved us from no more than four years of Trump.

[LiberalLovinLug]

14. Maybe a stupid question

But could Sessions re-recuse himself? After consulting with his lawyers and coming to conclusion that he is not in conflict afterall?

[Julian Englis]

13. "Man lies down with lying pack of feral dogs, complains of getting fleas." n/t