Controversial topic here I am about to start, but I want the discussion open...

[GetRidOfThem]

One of the most important assets we have as human beings is the ability to listen.

I am finishing Comey's book. I urge everybody to drop their anger and maybe even their prejudices and read the d*mned thing.

The man is highly articulate, and is able to account for his own actions in a way that is credible and shows integrity.

And he cannot stand Agent Orange. Right from the start.

He may be (or has been) a Republican, but his wife and daughters are heavily in our camp, and he talks about it and accepts them.

I think part of the issue with moderate Republicans is that they chose their party partially out of cultural adherence from their families, and were in denial about how their party has really changed.

Anyhow, I open the floor to a meaningful discussion about Comey's book.

[guillaumeb]

1. I confess to not having read the book, however,

Comey did influence voters with his pronouncement about the Clinton investigation right before the election.

[GetRidOfThem]

9. The question is why, and did he even know he was going to influence the election..

I recommend you pick up the book, either electronically or physically. It is truly revealing, and he does not hold back.

Cheers!

[sprinkleeninow]

59. Incoming-»»

💙

[elleng]

2. I agree, listening is critical,

and many don't; some 'can't,' I suppose, but we MUST.

It's also true in personal relations; notice how many arguments occur due to misunderstandings.

Thanks

[GetRidOfThem]

14. Thank you!

[oberliner]

3. What is it about the book that you want to discuss?

[GetRidOfThem]

16. A Higher Loyalty n/t

[oberliner]

22. What part?

[unblock]

4. Haven't read it, but the problem people here have with him is

trying to square his sanctimonious attitude with his throwing the election to Donnie by violation at least two basic official policies.

That's old news and we're not getting a do-over and maybe he regrets it now. I'll take any ally I can get in the fight against dictatorship, but I could do without the ethical airs he puts on after what he did.

[GetRidOfThem]

26. I think he made mistakes because he could not see the consequences..

... but his ethics are in order. That is why I keep saying, we have to be able to listen...

[SharonAnn]

34. I agree.

[unblock]

42. No no no no no.

If you're sticking with policy, mistakes can be excused.

If you're knowingly violating two policies, you have an ethical duty to be damn sure you're getting it damn right and that there are compelling reasons to violate those policies.

In this case there really was near zero argument for violating the policies and plenty of reason to think it would be a bad thing.

Think it wouldn't change the outcome isn't nearly a good enough reason to ignore the effect on the election because even the margin of victory has a political impact.

His weak explanation that he was trying to help Hillary out because the getting the news out after the election is a complete bs argument.

At a minimum, If he was an ethical person he would admit that it was a screw up of epic proportions. AFAIK, he hasn't even don't that.

[brush]

43. Oh please. The man served in two admins and was a US Attorney...

in New York before that so don't be fooled by thinking he could not see the consequences of his actions against Clinton while hiding the investigation against trump.

He's no Washington rookie. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Such claptrap doesn't work here.

[dawg day]

53. I think he believes he is ethical and cares about that-

But he really needs to explain better than he has why he was willing to harm Clinton's chances while remaining silent about what he had to know was a far more serious charge against Trump.
He hasn't been candid about that. (And the whole "Loretta Lynch talked to Bill on the tarmac" kerfluffle goes with this too-- he profoundly overreacted, especially considering at that point he knew that Trump's people had talked not to a former president but Putin's people.)
I suspect Clinton antagonized him for some reason (the XX chromosome might be part of this-- yeah, really-- angry at Clinton and Lynch, but not Trump and Sessions....), and the NY FBI office had too much influence on him. And he thought she was going to win, but like a low-rent J Edgar, he could get some power over her that he figured he'd use when she was president.

Now he really can't admit what a huge mistake he made back then-- that he behaved unethically, unfairly, and stupidly. He tries to explain it, says he doesn't regret it, but his discomfort is clear. He can't make it make sense, because it was something he did for bad reasons, and I think if he let himself think about it, he'd be ashamed.

Props to him, at least, for having the capacity to FEEL shame.

[brush]

63. Great analysis. I still don't think he feels shame at his humongous...

blunders though as he's yet to express remorse.

He continues trying to justify his actions in tilting the election to the orange pustule in the WH,

[uponit7771]

57. Which isn't ethical at all, it's thoughtless at best

[Arkansas Granny]

5. I read the book. I don't agree with Comey's actions regarding his Oct. statement,

but I don't believe it was political on his part.

[GetRidOfThem]

7. Bingo. That's a start to listening. n/t

[Fullduplexxx]

44. Lol

[DURHAM D]

10. May not be "political" BUT

his inability to examine his own motives causes him to come to the wrong conclusions.

That trait in and of itself makes him political.

[GetRidOfThem]

13. No, it is much more complicated.... n/t

[DURHAM D]

15. No thanks.

I have heard enough mansplainin' in my lifetime to last me twenty more life times.

F him.

[GeorgeHayduke]

38. Until you can

effectively articulate what "mansplaining" is please defer its use.

Because plenty of us men who are replete wilth the skill of "explaining" things take exception to your inarticulate idiom and its unintelligible usage.


Let me prognosticate: "yeah, I was expecting that response".

[brush]

50. Come on. Everybody here knows what mansplaining means.

And btw, fuck Comey.

[GeorgeHayduke]

51. It's a pathetic platitude.

Stop using it in lieu of possessing an effective argument.

Fuck him if you like. I don't roll that way.

[brush]

52. Ahhh, newsflash: You can't control peoples' word usage.

[Yupster]

60. That's true

Bigots are gonna bigot. Sexists are going to sexist. Can't stop them.

[Blue_true]

32. From the stuff that I read.

Looks like he was expecting Hillary to win and tried to tamp down attempts to delegitimize her Presidency, and ended up kneecapping her. I would love to see him admit that he screwed up in a way that he did not intend to.

[brush]

37. It's not complicated and it's not rocket science.

He's no Washington rookie who didn't realize what the Oct. 28 letter would do.

He knew exactly what would happen.

He served in two administrations and before that was a US Attorney in NY—again, he was no inexperienced rookie.

He is a life-long repug who intended to tilt the election to trump and he did.

Don't fall for the seeking redemption hype.

Fuck Comey.

[Arkansas Granny]

25. In all honesty, I listened to the book on audible, which he narrated.

There was real sincerity in his voice or his acting talents were wasted in law enforcement.

I think he made a bad decision, but I don't think he intended to help Trump or hurt Hillary. Given the other things that were going on at the time, if Comey had stayed silent, it might not have changed the outcome anyway.

[DURHAM D]

31. Even Rod Rosenstein agreed that

Last edited Sun May 20, 2018, 08:56 PM - Edit history (1)

Comey handled it wrong, went against practice and regulations.

They could have run a check on the "newly found" emails and found out they were duplicates of everything they already had in just a few hours. Instead Comey breathlessly ran to the cameras to wag his weenie because he wanted to be involved in the election. He did not want to help Trump, he wanted to hurt Hillary. He is an A number one asshole imo.

[brush]

39. AGREED 100%

[sprinkleeninow]

58. I concur. He wasn't 'careless'. I feel his actions helped put the

kabosh on the final days of HRC's campaign.

[brush]

6. Fuck Comey. He hid he was investigating trump but couldn't...

wait to just look into the alleged "new emails" before releasing his Oct. 28, 2016 letter reopening the email investigation, which of course gave the election to the orange asshole we have in the WH now.

If he had just investigated the so-called new emails he would've found they were just duplicates. What a humongous, unprofessional, hasty, history changing MISTAKE THAT HAS SCREWED THE COUNSTRY—BY THE FBI DIRECTOR NO LESS.

Again, fuck Comey.

[GetRidOfThem]

11. Read the book... n/t

[brush]

30. I will not put a penny in that partisan hack's pocket who now...

realizes that his favoring of trump makes him despised by millions.

This posture of humility and his seeking of redemption may pull the wool over some eyes but not mine.

He is no Washington rookie. He knew that Oct. 28 letter would doom Clinton's campaign, which IMO is what he, a life-long repug, intended.

Don't fall for the rationalizations.

He stuck us with the vile, orange pustule—there's no getting around it.

[Glorfindel]

41. I agree completely, brush.

Comey is filth, scum, detritus, and will never get one cent of my money or one second of my attention.

[Fullduplexxx]

47. Read the book in which he had lots of time to rationalize his actions

Lots of time to weave a nice story about how he didnt fuck over america ? No thanks ...

[mythology]

18. If we are looking at history changing mistakes, go to the root

If Clinton never had the email server, there wouldn't have been an investigation. She knew she was almost certain to run again in 2016. Given the level of hatred Republicans have for her, why did she not make sure everything was 100% squeaky clean?

[GetRidOfThem]

23. Comey admits overall she was clean....

I don't blame Hillary for her email server.

[brush]

24. Rice and Powell did much the same thing. It was a bullshit investigation...

and we all know that.

Comey even found that out. So again, fuck Comey who hid the trump investigation but publicly opened a new investigation into Clinton 11 days before the election.

Comey gave the election to trump and he knew of the many Russian connections in the trump camp.

[Fullduplexxx]

48. It was common practice . Something her predecessor did

[loyalsister]

67. If I remember correctly

DU members were legitimately outraged by the discovery of Rice's and Powell's email habits. Neither was running for president, and we demanded maximum transparency. I am mystified that she didn't operate in a manner that would avoid any appearance of secrecy much less invite investigation.

[cwydro]

55. Ditto. nt

[Hoyt]

8. Yet, he screwed Clinton's campaign and he had to know it. His version is he felt it was necessary,

apparently, to announce 11 days before the election a reopening of the "email" investigation . . . . . . . to protect himself.

[GetRidOfThem]

12. Read the book... n/t

[Hoyt]

29. I've heard his explanation straight from his mouth. Don't need the sanitized version

from his editors and attorneys.

But, you do have a point that I have not read the book. Maybe there is something in it that might change my mind. He was in a tough spot, but should have handled it differently.

[left-of-center2012]

17. Some already have formed preconceived opinions

[GetRidOfThem]

20. It seems to me you are one of the listeners...

[left-of-center2012]

28. I've seen him interviewed in C-SPAN

While I don't accept everything he said,
I found it interesting.

[Fullduplexxx]

49. Right because the only people who are "listeners" are those who agree with you

[GetRidOfThem]

61. Nope. i just don't agree with ghe angry yellers... n/t

[janx]

19. I reserved a copy at the library.

My city has over 50 copies but more than 200 people have reserved it.

[GetRidOfThem]

21. Wow! n/t

[janx]

27. Comey is not a Republican.

He hasn't been a Republican since (I think) the 1980s.

[DURHAM D]

33. Where did this come from? He admits to being a Republican. nt

[brush]

40. WRONG. Misinformation doesn't work here.

[janx]

56. 56:48

in this video.

The whole video is worth watching.

[brush]

62. What does that have to do with whether or not he's a repug?

You said he hadn't been a repug since the 80s.

[janx]

65. 56:48

A student assumes Comey is a Republican. Listen to Comey's answer.

[brush]

66. His answer was he hasn't voted for a while. That doesn't mean he's not a repug.

His actions in 2016 clearly demonstrate he favored trump the repug.

He's a partisan hack who tipped the election to the orange asshole repug.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

35. In the Reading & Writing Topic, there's a Non-Fiction group

You might get some book discussion going there.

[MuseRider]

36. We were going to go see him

but hemmed and hawed too long. I will be listening to his book as soon as I can get it, there is a long wait list at the library. I may just go ahead and use my credit on Audible next month for it.

I agree with you. Once we shut our minds even if what needs thinking about is horrible we may as well stop doing everything. I do not have any need to listen to or be around closed minded people who cannot look at anything in a different way. We were not there, we do not know, yet "fuck him" is the response you get from those you are trying to reach. We used to laugh at another website that did much the same.

[mnhtnbb]

64. I just checked my library and a VERY long wait list, too.

I put a hold on the large print copy which is on order and didn't have so many holds.

[Fullduplexxx]

45. He opened his yap when he didnt have too , fkd the elction for hillary

And gave us president disaster who is now aligning us with commu ist dictoators destroying what we spent 150 years making now he's scrambling to justify his actions to a nation who should be calling for his head on a platter.

Save it for your headstone comey .

[FakeNoose]

46. Now that I have read Comey's book

... I admit to being slightly more sympathetic than I was before. I still believe he knowingly tried to sink Hillary's campaign. However I now no longer believe that Comey helped Cheeto, based on what he says in the book. According to the book, Comey says that he hasn't voted in the last several elections but his wife and daughter were definitely pro-Hillary.

I found Comey's views on leadership and government service to be quite refreshing and frankly liberal-sounding. He never claims to be a Republican in this book, however he does say that many professionals in law-enforcement tend to be conservative politically. Well, OK. I'm still not giving this guy a pass, but I guess now I can say I've walked a mile in his shoes. (So to speak.)

I do recommend his book, BTW.

[Upthevibe]

54. Thank you for your candid review...

I've been wanting to read it. I've seen several of his interviews and my gut is that he's sincere. Based on your post, I'm now more motivated to read/listen to it. Thanks!

[Dem_4_Life]

68. I have his book and just have not had a chance to read it yet.

I do think that Comey made some mistakes for sure however overall I do believe that he did what he thought was right at the time and I do not think he had an ulterior motive.

He is not perfect and really no one is. I look forward to reading his book when I get a chance.