Bars in Washington, D.C., may be putting out a special drink menu for customers to choose their favorite James Comey testimony player — no lie, they’re actually doing that. But the excitement is largely fabricated.
Sorry, Democrats. Comey’s remarks, already released for viewing, reveal nothing that would merit prosecution or impeachment of President of Donald Trump.
And yet, wait for it. The left is no doubt going to try.
A likely contender for the left to use to slam Trump as an obstructionist bent on saving his White House from demise? Comey’s remarks about Trump’s call for loyalty.
In Comey’s memory is this exchange, according to an early release of his opening remarks: “Near the end of our dinner, the president returned to the subject of my job, saying he was very glad I wanted to stay, adding that he had heard great things about me from Jim Mattis, Jeff Sessions, and many others. He then said, ‘I need loyalty.’ I replied, ‘You will always get honesty from me.’ He paused and then said, ‘That’s what I want, honest loyalty.’ I paused, and then said, ‘You will get that from me.’ As I wrote in the memo I created immediately after the dinner, it is possible we understood the phrase ‘honest loyalty’ differently, but I decided it wouldn’t be productive to push it further.”
Except, apparently, he is pushing it further — now. But why?
A Trump hater would read that portion of Comey’s testimony and conclude the president demanded loyalty to him and him alone — as if it’s untoward for a White House chief to want those in his circle to be aligned with his cause. As if Trump were making some sort of mafia-like pitch for loyalty above all else.
But another reading of that same portion of testimony would see that even Comey didn’t think Trump’s remark was that big of a deal. That even he concluded the two were likely interpreting the term “honest loyalty” differently and that, in the end, Trump’s interpretation was nothing with which to be concerned.
The left won’t care about Comey’s admission, though. The “resistance” movement, as the Democratic Party has become, will take that bit and fog it with as much smoke and deflect it with as many mirrors as possible in order to sell the idea Trump was using his bully-pit presidency to try and pressure Comey to toe the White House line.
Still, there’s a bigger takeaway from Comey’s pre-released remarks — one that lets all the air out of the leftists’ bag: The fact he assured Trump he was not under investigation.
Not only is that exactly what the White House has said on numerous occasions. But it’s also a road block in the Democrats’ attempt to paint Trump as a revengeful boss who fired Comey to save his own presidential skin.
Didn’t happen.
What may be happening, though, is that Comey is something of a disgruntled employee. He’s admitted he liked his job. He’s admitted he was surprised by his firing. And now here we are, all eyes on Washington, as Comey takes the stage during the most politically charged atmosphere of recent times — before some of the most vicious anti-Republicans of the era.
Fireworks will fall. But they won’t be shedding light on any new truths. They’ll simply be used by the left to launch new attacks on the right. They’ll simply be used as fresh fodder to try and take down a president the Democrats — and even some Republicans — never wanted in the White House in the first place.
First appeared at the Washington Times:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jun/8/james-comeys-testimony-prepare-smoke-set-mirrors/
