Joe Conason: What The Republican Assault On James Comey Reveals About Today’s GOP

[DonViejo]

The confrontation between FBI director James Comey and his would-be tormentors on the House Government Oversight Committee revealed something far more fundamental about politics in America today than the reasons why Hillary Clinton will not be prosecuted over her “damned emails.”

The calm, intelligent, upright Comey, focused on facts and fair play, represents what the Republican Party once was at its best. The dim, ultra-partisan, conspiracy-obsessed Republicans who interrogated him on Thursday represent the sad condition of the Grand Old Party today.

That dismal contrast between sanity and lunacy is why such Congressional show trials repeatedly flop. The interrogation of Comey ordered by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), the committee chair, provided a perfect example of the syndrome that afflicts them, which now appears to be incurable.

House Republicans blew a perfectly good opportunity to embarrass Clinton over the highly critical remarks made by Comey in announcing his decision not to prosecute — remarks that were unusual, since most investigations are just thumbs up or down, with no public explanation.

The Republicans could have invited Comey up to Capitol Hill to enumerate the problems his investigators found in Clinton’s email system. They could have asked him to explain why he described her handling of classified and sensitive information as “extremely careless.” They could have displayed those findings in a way that emphasized the distrust too many Americans feel toward her.

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http://www.nationalmemo.com/what-the-republican-assault-on-james-comey-reveals-about-todays-gop/

[tonyt53]

1. What we saw yesterday was a display of outrage from people that didn't get their way.

They acted like spoiled brats.

[patricia92243]

2. Exactly!!

[JHB]

4. The Salome Caucus

They demand a head on a plate, and if they can't get the one they want most, they'll then demand the one that failed to deliver.

It's how Newt lost his Speakership.

[underpants]

3. Investigating using their own talking points as evidence

only to find out that THEY had been had once again.

[UCmeNdc]

5. The Republicans do not feel like the law and justice matter. Only what they want matters.

They feel that what they want as high ranking Republicans is what the law should reflect. They are the law.

[Cosmocat]

6. Not for nothing

but, what Conason also does here is part of why it has gotten this bad.

While he calls them out for being the complete partisan deranged lunatics they are.

He does what what the media often does - bemoans their inability to play a better political game.

This is playing into the narrative.

Dems always bad on all levels. But, Rs get this thing where it is acceptable for them to play politics. This piece plays to that,it is they didn't play politics well.