Lordy Jim Comey

The amusement that gripped this hearing centered around how President Trump would respond to the testimony of elongated Boy Scout, former FBI Director Jim Comey. There was a threat made that he might live-Tweet this thing, which he mercifully did not, thus sparing the livers of pub-going politics-watchers who might have been fixing to make drinking games of Trump's assorted "go-to" defenses: "fake news", "Lying Jim Comey", "failing Senate Democrats" or whatever his busy thumbs wanted to brand on our eyeballs.  Somehow, POTUS' minders managed to  jingle keys or whatever they do to pacify his easily offended amour-propre and kept him above flinging his shit ex post Twitto.

Which is not to say Comey never landed a glove--he did.  He stopped short of saying there definitely was a case for obstruction of justice with Trump, but he laid it out nice and neat and implied that if there wasn't such a case when he was Director of the FBI, there sure was one now. He presented a view of his interactions with President-elect and President Trump that was suspicious of his motives based on multiple factors (Trump is not a truthful person and apparently had a pressing interest) which motivated him to keep notes. He understood that AG Sessions was potentially a compromised official, so he used his wherewithal to engineer a leak of his fully understandable note-taking (which is not classified, sensitive, or otherwise embargoed against being revealed by him as a private citizen to the best of my knowledge) to the press to prompt the appointment of a special counsel.

That is some adept stuff on his part, coming from a great understanding of the stakes and leverage of the various parties. And as a Clinton supporter, there is a part of me that wants to roar:

"Which would have been so blindingly great if you did all that before the election you long-ass galoot!"

And he didn't. Because despite putting his biggie-ole thumb on the scales prompted by Bill Clinton's tarmac escapade with Loretta Lynch(or, for all we know, attempt to just say howdy like folks do), Comey never said boo about the Russian hack into the DNC or the inquiry into whether the Trump Campaign was aware of it--even though this seemed obvious.

But that's Our Jim, isn't it? He is trying not to be partial. Emphasis on trying. I think he's trying to do the right thing, bless his heart. He isn't going to hang Trump by himself. But he very carefully lets on how it could be done.

I don't know where his "between opportunities" self goes from here. But based on his carefulness, he could go anywhere. And I surely hope his careful rigor hasn't somehow screwed himself. ("Hope", we learned just now, has a plethora of meanings. I don't think that plethora means what Trump supporters think it means.) Failing to be heroic at the first opportunity can backfire. But Comey deferred throwing himself on a grenade to deliver receipts. I respect his corner. It may prove more effective and more in line with our Constitution in the long run.

For me, the moment of truth was when he replied to idea of tapes of his interactions with Trump with something to the effect of "Lordy I hope there are". Which is as near to "Wish a mofo would" as a Boy Scout gets. I sensed that Trump's lying and weirdness made Comey mad, because Comey takes this seriously, and Trump doesn't. Comey seemed choked up talking about his FBI folks, like love was there. Trump doesn't have that.

I believe Comey. He doesn't have any reason to lie. Trump doesn't even need reasons, but likely has them.