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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Trump/Russia connection
We really have no idea WHY James Comey did what he did.
However:
Within the context of his past actions, and considering the public observations of others regarding the strength of his moral compass, the conclusion that he suddenly performed a partisan volte-face and did something so egregious as fuck with a presidential election - because Hillary ... strikes me as a little too facile.
Keep your eyes on the Trump/Russia connection. The whole clusterfuck pivots on that axis. Everything else is a distraction.
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brush
(53,933 posts)Guess that's a cloud with a silver lining to some.
Hope there's enough of the country left when Comey gets through with his alleged, and seemingly interminable, investigation into trump's Russian connections.
The contention that he delivered the presidency to trump in order to save the country, IMO, is laughable, as if he couldn't save the country without putting it in the hands of a mentally unstable narcissist.
GliderGuider
(21,088 posts)My theory of what happened (at the moment, subject to revision, terms may change without notice, no warranty express or implied) goes like this :
1. Comey was fully aware of the depth of Russian penetration into American security and governance institutions. He was also aware that the DNC hacks had already probably tipped the election.
2. He knew that the CIA, NSA and other counterintelligence groups (including FBI counterintel) were still relatively secure, but that the FBI law enforcement side (NYC Field Office) was not.
3. The FBI NYC Field Office was given a pretext to grab Weiner's computer and "discover" the huge number of emails previously placed on it - too many to investigate in the time remaining before the election.
4. The next bit of my theory is paraphrased from Louise Mensch's insightful article on the subject:
They illegally spoke to friendly press and the Trump campaign about putative ongoing criminal investigations into the Clinton Foundation and the matter of her email server.
They told Fox News’s Brett Baier that Hillary Clinton “Would soon be indicted” and this was reported on TV, and then retracted after the damage was done.
They told their "friendlies" - Rudy Giuliani and James Kallstrom - that ‘a group of active FBI agents’ had demanded Comey release his letter. Both of them stated as much, Mr. Giuliani specifying ‘active’ FBI agents.
They also prompted General Flynn to say on live television that active FBI agents were talking to him about an going ‘criminal investigation’.
They told the New York Times that the FBI ’Saw No Clear Ties to Russia’ in the matter of the Russian bank servers. And the New York Times printed it, even though they, the Times, knew it was false.
5. So basically, the FBI Field Office boxed Comey in and leaned on him hard.
6. Comey knew that the hacks had already done their job. He also knew that he could not, under any circumstances, address the ongoing Trump/Russia investigation publicly. He's not stupid, so he was also well aware that the violent outcry over his action would divert all public attention away from the investigation, allowing it to proceed.
7. The investigation is now virtually complete, so we're beginning to see some leaks about it.
As I said, this is just my theory. It has the advantage of not being quite as facile as "Comey partisan treason!" Its disadvantage is that it doesn't tar Comey heavily enough for some people's tastes.
LisaL
(44,974 posts)You seem to be confusing hacked emails with emails on Weiner's computer. Those weren't hacked. You have to twist this theory into a pretzel and still it doesn't make sense.
GliderGuider
(21,088 posts)As far as I can tell, the purpose of the discovery of the emails on Weiner's computer was to force comey to throw un-counterable last-minute shade on Hillary. This conclusion is based largely on Mensch's research outlined in her article The Carolina Conspiracy.
Demsrule86
(68,735 posts)Consider the email shit...he destroyed Hillary...he hugged Trump and should be wearing an orange suit soon in my opinion.
GliderGuider
(21,088 posts)If you don't buy them, that's fine - it's still a free country for now.
I'm being vocal about it because I think he's been given a bad rap in the absence of any information about his motive for doing something so obviously egregious.
Demsrule86
(68,735 posts)He hugged Trump... a job well done Comey...I read you explanation and disagree completely...he should be fired....it looks like he was leaking info to Trump and his minions.
boston bean
(36,224 posts)to refute....
They have obviously been telling trump what he wants to hear. Someone who is not biased doesn't do that shit.
.99center
(1,237 posts)The FBI has the tools and resources to conduct a search in under 2 hrs.
https://www.wired.com/2016/11/yes-donald-trump-fbi-can-vet-650000-emails-eight-days/?mbid=social_twitter
"The FBI declined WIRED’s request for more information about how it performed its week-long search. But the cybersecurity and forensics community described the task as almost trivial. Asked by City University of New York journalism professor Jeff Jarvis how the NSA would handle the email collection, NSA leaker Edward Snowden summed up his suggested method in a tweet:"
Within the context of his past action, it appears Comey intentionally violated the Hatch act to help a campaign that was compromised by Putin.
GliderGuider
(21,088 posts)A "search" is only the first step, to find keywords and keyphrases. That's generates raw information, and is the only part of the process that can be done completely by a computer. Once they have that information, its context must be identified, the meaning of each passage in context must be developed, and those pieces assembled into a coherent whole that is then analyzed for significance. That all takes some degree of human analysis and judgement - even if it's the NSA doing it.
That's not a two hour job. The initial keyword extraction from the raw data files might only take two hours, but not the analysis. And without analysis it isn't an investigation.
The people who say "it would only take 2 hours" are either unknowledgeable about analysis, or are simply trying to discredit Comey's statement that a full investigation would take longer than was available before the election. I happen to think he was telling the truth about that.
brush
(53,933 posts)substantially in the polls so to say Comey was aware the Russian hacks had tipped the election to trump is BS.
We all know Clinton was well on her way to winning the election before Comey's letter came out, and so did Comey.
No need to go any further.
WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)GliderGuider
(21,088 posts)brush
(53,933 posts)obvious to everyone else.
The letter was the visual part of the larger plan to trip up Clinton's campaign — not rocket science.
GliderGuider
(21,088 posts)It's just a theory.
NewRedDawn
(790 posts)Him & the NY office. He has been leaking shit to comrade Trumpski. I hate this smug arrogant SOB with a white hot passion!
triron
(22,028 posts)
butdiduvote
(284 posts)why not let time reveal the truth instead of hammering people with your Comey is a hero message?
I don't get why Mensch's supporters are so insistent that everyone must love Comey RIGHT NOW. It's bordering on cultish. I don't have to like Comey.
ananda
(28,889 posts)simply because Comey's act was distinctly
and egregiously partisan.
