The McCabe Firing...

[Lord Jim]

It's precisely because the FBI (understandably, for the reason I mentioned earlier) has such a stringent standard and low bar for tolerating deceptive behavior among it's agents that it's really important for the IG report to be made public. (I understand that it's going to be)

It's entirely possible that the IG did the proper thing in recommending McCabe's firing and pension delay punishment based on the Bureau's agent conduct rules, and that what McCabe did was not particularly significant in terms in the larger investigatory picture. Both can be true.

I'm not excusing that: they should be punished but it is hardly 'lack of integrity in the upper echelons'.

This "lack of integrity in the upper echelons" of the FBI charge has been leveled repeatedly by Trump, his Shills On The Hill, and his tools in the press (particularly against Comey and Mueller) and they have amounted to nothing but a pile of baseless smears with zero credible evidence. Empty insinuations and innuendo that never bear even cursory scrutiny.

On the other hand, we know for a proven, iron-clad fact of one place where 'lack of integrity in the upper echelons' is rampant, blatant, and constant. In fact, it's so common place that it could be called standard operating procedure...

That place of course, is the White House...

The very idea of Donald Trump impugning anyone elses integrity is beyond hilarious; it's like having your dietary choices impugned by Hannibal Lecter...

Not only does he himself day-in-and-day-out demonstrate a complete and total contempt for any standards of integrity, he has made lack of integrity a condition for employment and regularly excoriates and/or fires people who work for him who dare to exhibit any...

[Econoline]

From a good analysis over on Vox.com:

[...] Sessions’ explanation of the firing boils down to this line: “Integrity is our brand.” The Department of Justice cannot afford even the perception of malfeasance or improper behavior.

But this is coming from an attorney general who appears to be crossing ethical lines himself in making this decision. Sessions recused himself, in no uncertain terms, from any questions related to the investigations into the Clinton campaign or Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election. [...] But now Sessions is firing McCabe for activities undeniably related to the Clinton investigation, and after public pressure from Trump, who is explicitly angry at McCabe for activities relating to the Russia investigation, which Sessions is also recused from.

Indeed, Trump has carried out this vendetta with McCabe for months, and done so in public, in harshly personal terms [...]

Now Sessions is making a decision that not only conflicts with his promise to recuse, but is exactly what his boss want from him — an olive branch to a man who might fire him, and that comes at a time when Trump is known to be looking for administration appointees to fire. Whatever damage McCabe did to the FBI’s brand is nothing compared to the damage Sessions is doing to the Department of Justice’s brand. Who could possibly look at this episode and believe Sessions acted independent of Trump’s pressure?

McCabe acted improperly enough that it is possible to justify his termination. But Trump and Sessions have acted improperly enough that it is hard to trust the process that led to McCabe’s termination, or to believe that this is anything but what it looks like: an effort to punish and humiliate a perceived political enemy, and to send a message to others who might investigate Trump that they do so at their peril.

This is the problem with a White House occupied by a vengeful chief executive who has little respect for institutional independence, rule of law, or government transparency. Trump cannot be trusted to carry out decisions like this one fairly or impartially, and so the decisions themselves cannot be trusted. Integrity is not their brand.

This was not in any way a decision based on FBI personnel policy. McCabe was already out the door, gone, off the twig: an ex-parrot. This was just a petty act of political revenge, pure and simple.

[Lord Jim]

John O. Brennan
✔
@JohnBrennan

When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history. You may scapegoat Andy McCabe, but you will not destroy America...America will triumph over you. https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/sta ... 1827258369 …
5:00 AM - Mar 17, 2018

Okay John, quit sugar coating it; how do you really feel?

[ex-khobar Andy]

Sessions, who during his confirmation hearings thought it best not to mention his conversations with Sergey Kislyak, accusing someone else of being economical with the truth . . . is beyond belief.

NYT is reporting that the FBI investigated Sessions for his apparent perjury in his congressional testimony. Congress members requested an investigation in early 2017 during Comey's tenure (he was fired in May - doesn't it seem like several years ago?) and it was McCabe who authorized the investigation.

The Times is saying that

A person close to Mr. Sessions said the attorney general was not aware of the investigation into his congressional statements when he fired Mr. McCabe. The investigation never came up during the negotiations over whether Mr. Sessions would fire Mr. McCabe, according to two people with knowledge of those discussions.

I just find that hard to believe. But there's a lot of that about these days.

[RayThom]

For anyone who cares, Comey makes his nighttime talk show debut on CBS on April 17th.

I'm hoping he'll be the only guest that evening.

https://www.cbs.com/shows/the-late-show ... n-colbert/

[Econoline]

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No comment necessary...








...except to say JOHN FUCKING BOLTON????? WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCKITY FUCKIN FUCK?!?!?!?!

[Sue U]

Come on, Econo, SHS's tweet was a whole week ago. That is a political lifetime in Trumpworld.

[RayThom]

Who saw this coming?
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video ... where.html