June 2, 2017

"If they claim executive privilege, politically it gives the appearance that there’s something to hide, which just amplifies all the criticism."

Said lawprof Mark J. Rozell, quoted in "Comey Expected to Testify Before Senate, if He Isn’t Blocked" (NYT).

41 comments:

David Begley said...

Expect Comey to be crucified on cross.

"Mr. Comey, you testified under oath here a few short weeks ago that you didn't feel pressured by the President. Would you like to see the transcript? But now you tell us different. Were you lying then or are you lying now?"

Kevin said...
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Kevin said...

The President has to protect the office, including exerting privilege where it is necesssry to do so.

Cheney was very good at helping GWB understand that.

Unknown said...

If Trump pulls the executive privilege card before the Senate hearing, Comey will be able to testify later at Mueller's hearings. Trump is on a lose-lose train to jail.



Tommy Duncan said...

The article is full of conjecture being sold as fact.

Mike makes right said...

I'll look for a similar article by Rozell about the people who wouldn't talk or answer subpoenas during the last administration. Can someone guide me?

Unknown said...

Michael Flynn is turning King's evidence on Kushner and Trump.

Trump is pissed with Angela Merkel because most of the intelligence about Trump and Russia has been received from the German intelligence service who have material going back years.

Money laundering, espionage and treason. Watch this space.

As for Trumpski's - when Trump is gone, who you gonna call.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Trump cannot win. The big lie has legs.
The pro-D hack press runs a new headline for it every day.


meanwhile:
Conspiracy theories and the death of a Democratic National Committee staffer

Our country has become a Banana Republic. Anything minor Trump does is leaked (a crime), taken out of context, hyped through the roof, and then turned into hysterical headlines by the media.

But if Democrats conspire to fix an election and a Democratic National Committee staffer winds up killed, you hear nothing about it in the mainstream media. We’re not talking about a conversation here. We’re talking about a real-life murder.

It may be an ordinary street murder by thugs, but just the idea that it could be attached in any way to the DNC makes it off limits to discuss. It’s verboten. We see a total mainstream media blackout. But let’s put the shoe on the other foot and see what the media would say.

What if a Republican National Committee staffer was murdered in the streets of Washington, D.C., on July 10, 2016?

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

The pro-D hack Drudge has the following headline:

MAY JOBS +138,000
TRADE DEFICIT WIDENS

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Rene Saunce quoted...

Anything minor Trump does is leaked (a crime),...

The vast majority of the leaks are not criminal. It is only a crime if there is a law prohibiting the information's release. Leaking Micheal Flynn's identity related to intercepted Russian communications was certainly a crime.

Matt Sablan said...

That's not how the media and people were encouraged to view the use of executive privilege regarding Obama's use of it.

traditionalguy said...
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Birkel said...

Heads, Dems win.
Tails, Reps lose.

W.O.P.R.
Strange game. The only winning move is not to play.

traditionalguy said...

The media are doing an Impeachment of Nixon War reenactment complete with a staged fight about Executive Privilege claims made by Nixon/Trump and empaneling expert commenters to discuss the illegality of Trump's imaginary claim.

Russia collusion is all imaginary theater. And the Media all agree on one thing: DJT's Tweeting is cheating.

Fritz said...

How can you amplify anything when the volume is already set to 11?

Matt Sablan said...

So... it is shady and illegal looking to use executive privilege to hide private communications when the investigation is into something that everyone who has looked at it, from Democrat intelligence operatives and senators like Feinstein, to right-leaning ones and said there's no evidence of collusion -- but using executive privilege to stop an investigation into how the government fouled up gun running operations that left dozens of people dead and enabled narco terrorism is... fine?

It's like these people expect us to have a memory span of a few days, at best. Insulting, really.

madAsHell said...

In my mind, the writer isn't making sense. This is nothing more than a talking points memo.

rehajm said...

The country is no better informed about exactly how Russia interfered in the election than it was in October, when intelligence agencies issued a statement expressing their belief that Moscow had helped hack emails. Not a single useful fact has since been added, nor a single investigation completed, nor a single official report produced.

mockturtle said...

Off-topic, but where is buwaya? Did he go back to the Philippines to fight the mujahideen?

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

"Amplifies all the criticism"

At this point, each new wave of hysteria becomes, effectively, another coat of Teflon for Trump. In a short six months the Democrats have locked themselves into repeatedly trying The Same Old Thing and somehow expecting a different outcome this time. Fascinating to see what the political costs may be and how/if they can work themselves out of the asylum they've built for themselves.

Drago said...

A majority of Democrat sheep now dutifully accept as an article of faith that the Russians literally hacked voting machines and changed votes to install Trump.

Many of our resident lefties also accept this article of faith as well.

#"Reality"BasedCommunity

Sebastian said...

"which just amplifies all the criticism." Since the criticism is daily dialed up to 11, it can't be amplified. Since the reaction is the same regardless, it liberates Trump to do what he thinks best.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

As for Trumpski's - when Trump is gone, who you gonna call.

You don't want to know. The alternative may be much worse than you can possibly imagine.

You might consider this when you all foolishly 'persist' in your quest to delegitimize a President who was elected by a lot of very pissed off people.

exhelodrvr1 said...

"How can you amplify anything when the volume is already set to 11?"

The real question is who is going to be the Demos next drummer?

tcrosse said...

The real question is who is going to be the Demos next drummer?

The old band is getting back together for 2020. It's all about H>er.

David said...

"The President has to protect the office, including exerting privilege where it is necesssry to do so."

The necessity here is to get the facts out. Comey possesses many of the crucial facts. Indeed he is one of the crucial facts. Their interest is not served by silencing him, which they can not do anyway. He will just leak what he chooses without cross examination.

Anonymous said...


"A majority of Democrat sheep now dutifully accept as an article of faith that the Russians literally hacked voting machines and changed votes to install Trump.

Many of our resident lefties also accept this article of faith as well."

Why lie about this? No leftie here ever said "voting machines were hacked and votes were changed to install Trump". Not one, not ever. The truth of the Trump Russia scandal is bad enough. That you feel the need to lie about this shows you're getting nervous.

Anonymous said...

"The old band is getting back together for 2020. It's all about H>er."

No, not gonna happen.

stever said...

All the people thinking Trump is headed to impeachment thought Hillary was going to win, Wishful thinking with Fake News links

rcocean said...
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rcocean said...

Comey wont' say anything new. He'll insinuate Trump pressured him, but when asked any tough questions. he'll say he can't talk about it because of the Special Counsel.

And yes, Trump was elected 7 months ago, and we're learned absolutely nothing that points to Trump being guilty of anything. Expect this circus to continue till the 2018 mid-terms.

tcrosse said...

No, not gonna happen.

What's going to stop H>er ?

Darcy said...

Wishful thinking on the writer's part. Comey is the one in a very precarious position here. Brennan already fell into Troy Gowdy's trap with his testimony. I loved the look on Brennan's face when Gowdy asked if any ambassadors (Hello, Samantha Power!) requested unmasking. Priceless.

There are way more pitfalls for Comey than the liberal media have contemplated. If he even hints that he felt Trump was obstructing justice, he is admitting he is guilty of the crime himself.

Pop the popcorn.

Matt Sablan said...

I wonder if anyone WOULD pursue perjury charges against Comey and McCabe if Comey changes his earlier testimony and says the White House DID obstruct the investigation, since BOTH testified that the White House had not.

Darcy said...

Matthew Sablan, he will not testify to such. He would be testifying to his own guilt. It's not going to happen.

mockturtle said...

There are way more pitfalls for Comey than the liberal media have contemplated. If he even hints that he felt Trump was obstructing justice, he is admitting he is guilty of the crime himself.

Indeed, Darcy!

John henry said...

How about asking why he didn't report the obstruction of justice ig that is how Comey saw it.?

As he was required to do by law?

John Henry

John henry said...

What indication do we have that Comey didn't agree to hobble ghe Flynn investigation?

Did he tell President Trump no?

On the contrary he told President Trump "Flynn is a good guy."

That sounds like he did agree to hobble the investigation, doesn't it?

That's according to the 4th hand NYTreport that reported the alleged obstruction

John Henry

Yancey Ward said...

I think one of the things that let Trump finally fire Comey was the testimony he gave about a week before the event.

Comey is stuck with that testimony, and I don't think he will contradict it in any major way because it is almost 100% sure to be the truth since the investigation has continued after he got canned. I realize logic isn't the strong point for many on the Left, but it still matters in the real world.

Achilles said...

Inga said...

Why lie about this? No leftie here ever said "voting machines were hacked and votes were changed to install Trump". Not one, not ever. The truth of the Trump Russia scandal is bad enough. That you feel the need to lie about this shows you're getting nervous.

I would like to hear this truth. What exactly is Trump going to be impeached for?

Achilles said...

Matthew Sablan said...
I wonder if anyone WOULD pursue perjury charges against Comey and McCabe if Comey changes his earlier testimony and says the White House DID obstruct the investigation, since BOTH testified that the White House had not.

The question would be which event was the perjury. If they change to they thought Trump obstructed as the leftists all want they also obstructed justice in addition to perjury.

The leftists are drooling over this idea. But it would be patently stupid for Comey or McCabe to do it as they would be guaranteed jail time if they did.

You just have to accept the idea that the people who believe this Russia hacking story don't believe it, or are very stupid.