Firing Comey: A View from Inside the Swamp

The political equivalent of fifty-seven Tomahawk missiles was launched in Washington, D.C. last night with the firing of FBI Director James Comey. And today in the nation’s capital, swamp-dwellers are fast and furiously sifting through the wreckage.

In his letter dismissing the director, President Trump wrote, "While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the bureau."

Trump, who has proven himself a master chess player, issued an important shot across the bow by referencing Comey’s assurance that the president was not under investigation. This accomplished two goals: one - everyone who has ears should hear that the director was not being fired “Archibald Cox-style.”   And two – anticipating Comey’s fury, Trump wanted to remind the director that should he choose to go nuclear on the president in his abrupt retirement, Comey would be indicting himself through his own words. If he goes after Trump now, he not only smells like sour grapes but looks like a Tawana Brawley-styled liar of the first order.

With all the hysteria surrounding President Trump’s firing of the controversial director, a few slivers of stellar reporting and commentary are begging to be heard above the din of partisan rancor.

First, is the report from Catherine Herridge, who consistently sights sources that seem to make sense amid the madness. Last night Ms. Herridge reported that the timing of Comey’s firing had little to do with an ongoing investigation of Trump and much to do with the recent confirmation of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

It should be noted that Rosenstein, who hails from Maryland (not exactly a citadel of Republicans), was just confirmed by the U.S. Senate by a vote of ninety-four to six. Thus, we should note that Rosenstein was and is not a severe partisan player.  The Deputy Attorney General hit the ground running by diving into James Comey’s actions regarding Hillary Clinton’s email nightmare and came up for air with nothing but scathing remarks about the director’s performance.

As reported by Liberty Nation’s Sarah Cowgill, Rosenstein wrote, “I cannot defend the director’s handling of the conclusion of the investigation of Secretary Clinton’s emails, and I do not understand his refusal to accept the nearly universal judgment that he was mistaken. Almost everyone agrees that the director made serious mistakes; it is one of the few issues that unites people of diverse perspectives.”  Based on these and other statements, it became clear that firing Comey was an easy call for Rosenstein.

For those who dwell in the swamp, Rosenstein’s recommendation came not a moment too soon. In his opening monologue, Tucker Carlson delineated how Comey grew into the Behemoth in the wetland that everyone feared:

Comey was too eccentric to run the FBI and too powerful for any of us to breathe easily while he was there. Just how powerful was James Comey? Let’s put it this way, he was feared in a way that no appointed bureaucrat should ever be feared in a free society. Time and again elected lawmakers on both sides came on this show and expressed worry and concern about his behavior – but they did so only during commercial breaks with the cameras off.  Why? Because they were terrified at the prospect of criticizing him in public. They certainly don’t have that same fear about the President of the United States, and that tells you everything you need to know about Jim Comey.

The position of FBI Director is as close as one gets to absolute power in the United States. Thus, the phrase most closely associated with British politician Lord Acton – that absolute power corrupts absolutely – was best embodied in America today by Comey. So, the Creepy Clown (aka Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and all the other Democrats who are crying foul today may squawk as long and loud as they want in public – but quietly they, too, are breathing a sigh of relief.

Ultimately, the only person responsible for the firing of James Comey is the man himself. Known to proclaim loudly and often of his deep personal faith, perhaps this is a teachable moment for Mr. Comey, and he would do well to spend some time searching the Scriptures.  For it is there he will find the biblical law of harvests.

We reap what we sow.