I'll take Bad Optics for $400, Alex:

Tom Namako (@TomNamako) | Twitter

In Soviet Russia, America laughing stock.


Oh.. wait, that's not a joke anymore.

Precisely friend.

That's ol' Duck Hunter for ya.

Still only the second dumbest thing a member of that family said yesterday.

White House spokesperson: 'Time to move on' from Russia probes | TheHill

Shut down? No. Being able to stall and get it put on the back burner? Quite possibly and that's almost as good as shutting it down.

No matter what excuse was used to fire Comey it came down to the Russian investigation. Every time it picks up any steam Trump goes on a twitter tantrum trying to point fingers elsewhere and his latest was a couple days before firing Comey.

Until Republicans grow a spine and start calling Trump on his bullshit he's just going to continue doing what he wants.

This is the UK's general take on it TBH

What do you think Trump's phone call to Roger Stone was like this morning when he asked Stone to deny they speak on the phone?

Oh shit...

Cookies are Not Accepted - New York Times

I'm torn. Comey is clearly an idiot. But this is a historically bad time for him to get fired.

They need a special prosecutor for this. But someone who can bring the full investigative power and weight of all of our investigative agencies to bear.

I have no idea how this happens, but it doesn't surprise me that Trump did this.

Meanwhile

West Virginia journalist arrested after asking HHS Secretary Tom Price a question - The Washington Post

Remember the good old days when an argument against electing Hillary was that we didn't want to have to deal with months of congressional hearings and special investigations.

And of course

Woman faces up to a year in prison for laughing during Jeff Sessions hearing

The Deputy White House Press Secretary said today that James Comey committed atrocities so it sounds like Trump may have managed to crack the case of The Bowling Green Massacre.

Oh, and the Deputy Press Secretary did the press briefing today because Sean Spicer didn't come in today after hiding behind bushes yesterday to avoid the press.

Well, since the Holocaust didn't actually happen, its clear that Comey's actions are the worst in human history.

Imagine what our government could do if they put as much energuy in helping people as they do trying to win

I definitely agree that if the Trump Administration was full of people with good hearts and good will instead of people who constantly lie about their involvement with a foreign government that spent large amounts of resources interfering in our election process (the trying to win part) that we would all be better off, even if we had some disagreements in how to accomplish things.

He's a great lawyer, but an awful politician. It doesn't play well for FBI Director...but when he was acting Attorney General, he was fantastic.

(I don't say that because of my namesake.)

Russian State Media allowed into the White House with all their equipmemt. US press not allowed.

America first!

McConnell already said no to that, and Paul Ryan didn't find anything about special prosecutors under Ayn Rand's books, so he probably doesn't know how it would be done.

I laughed hard at the bushes thing yesterday too, but in seriousness, I think it is great and admirable that Spicer still serves in the Navy Reserves and has regular duties.

We're just getting trolled at this point right?

I read that and thought I was reading satire. I had to double check the article because I couldn't believe that hiding in the bushes was an actual thing.

Trump invents the phrase "priming the pump."

Yeah, I was actually talking about you.

BOOM, ROASTED, etc. etc. :p

That cut deep. ;)

We're relatives on different branches. I guess I just wanted to be clear in my fefejse of him. A repirt said he has been considered as someone who tried to do what he felt was right, without regard to the consequences for himself. That's pretty accurate, and why he's out.

As an aside, my rarely used Twitter handle @jcomey has been mistaken, on several occasions, as the account of the former director. I was told I gut-checked America, and many called for my resignation...from the FBI. I have also been tweeted at with Hillary. And Trump. Recently, people tweeted at me, Trump, Preet Bharara and Sally Yates. And Putin.

I'm looking forward to getting back to the twitter private life, and using it just to get more entries to win a Best Buy gift card.

Even if there was stuff about special prosecutors in Ayn Rand's books, he'd just look past that like he does with her anti-religious views.

Hard to come up with a worse day for the Trump presidency than yesterday at this point. At least three different stories regarding the reasoning for the Comey firing (1. at the behest of the DAG, 2. Trump lost confidence over several months, 3. Russia investigation expanding), the Russians in the White House, and being either duped or intentionally allowing Russian press coverage, and Trump hiring outside counsel to respond to Lindsay Graham's business inquiries. But hey, he thrives in chaos and not letting others know what he is thinking, right?

There's this little nugget on that:


Inside Trump’s anger and impatience — and his sudden decision to fire Comey - The Washington Post

I know, anonymous sources and all that.

Trump is pledging to release a "certified letter" that will prove their are no Russian connections.

So that's that, I guess.

Can't link the twitters from here, but Trump is apparently preparing to hang a giant county by county election results map in the West Wing. So his response to all of this is simply: Scoreboard.

I love that people can keep pounding on the Russia thing and he just keeps going and going and going. I keep waiting for him to revive the Lock Her Up chant and start screaming Bengahzi at the press.

He knows how to play the hits. Rick Dees would be proud.

A few caveats. I don't know what qualifications this dude has to make this assessment. I'm not vouching for him. And he is undoubtedly vulnerable to the standard ad hominem "Brooklyn hipster" attack, which we have seen here before. But, with that in mind...

David Roberts on Twitter: "OK, y'all, time for some game theory. Ha ha, jk. It's actually time for some theory of mind! Gigantic tweetstorm to follow. Brace thyself."

Reading the full tweet storm (which is what passes for writing these days I guess) I confess I find this to be basically the most compelling assessment of what Trump really is/thinks. I am guilty of being one of those who have been trying to glean insight into his tactics, and trying to sort out the whole stupid/savvy thing. But reading this, I find it the most persuasive summary of him -- he's basically a goldfish.

Why is this unmasking thing a big deal? If you are talking with a known spy about things that are relevant to our country/government, shouldn't the requisite agencies know who you are? I mean, everything from the R's seems to be about the unmasking, nothing about the actual stuff going on with Russia.

Its not often that people hang things in their office that show how they lost.

It would make more sense to hang an electoral college map.

The bright red county-by-county map is always visually appealing to the red team, regardless of what it "means." If we voted by acre, we could just cancel elections.

Which goes hand in hand with a diagnosis of Narcissism that he's been given. As it relates to ToM and his opinion that he only goes on instinct in the moment and what feels good to him and his desire to dominate:

Of course, from an optics standpoint it looks prettier, but its a lie if you actually look into what its counting... which, I guess doesn't really matter to him.

How is it that the "master negotiator" was "tricked" by the Russians over the whole photog incident? I mean, it's arguably one of the more embarrassing incidents of this Presidency. If it was Hillary that this happened to, Trump would be all over Twitter talking how she was weak and just gave in on everything and that she is a joke of a President.

Well, at least his voters can take solice in the fact that their plan to piss off libtards by voting him into office worked.

Totally worth it.

I haven't heard of it, I mean I just came up with it...

Shortly after the White House says Trump fired Comey because of the recommendations of the AG and Deputy AG...



Rosenstein Pressed White House to Correct the Record on Comey Firing

The deputy press secretary said she heard from countless people in the FBI that they were grateful for Comey's firing. She then ends that thought by saying she doesn't know that many people in the FBI.

Do they just grow them stupid or did they actively seek these people out?

There are some priceless quotes in this Time article:

http://time.com/4775040/donald-trump...ing-president/








This one is just the best.

And then there was this part.

White House: Removing Comey will help bring Russia investigation to end

Gonna nominate this one too:



Yeah, let's turn a question about China into a two paragraph ad for my private club.

I wish I had a job with access to this board in the WH just so I could surreptitiously put a post-it note on the map pointing to Wyoming or someplace with the caption "Nobody lives here." Every damn day.