Washington can't have it both ways

One of the few politicians, political operatives, reporters or pundits in Washington, D.C., who has a firm grasp on what it means to serve at the pleasure of the president is former director of the FBI James Comey.

In a letter to selected FBI staff, Comey writes: “I have long believed that a President can fire an FBI Director for any reason, or for no reason at all. I’m not going to spend time on the decision or the way it was executed. I hope you won’t either. It is done, and I will be fine, although I will miss you and the mission deeply.”

Last summer after his press conference in which Comey asserted that “no responsible prosecutor would bring this case” against Hillary Clinton, he was hailed as a hero by Democrats in both houses of Congress and despised by Republicans as a sellout to the White House.

In October, when he reopened the case with what he claimed was new information, Democrats despised him and Republicans hailed this latest man of the people.

What we have here is a case where everyone in Washington called for the head of James Comey and yet when the president decided to fire him it has created a constitutional crisis.

When President Truman fired Gen. Douglas MacArthur in April 1951 during the Korean War he stated, “I fired him because he wouldn’t respect the authority of the president … I didn’t fire him because he was a dumb SOB, although he was, but that’s not against the laws for generals.”

This firing of a commanding general and Medal of Honor winner during time of war did not create a constitutional crisis, quite possibly because MacArthur served at the pleasure of the president.

Democrat leaders who in the not-too-distant past called for Comey’s firing now claim they have some concern as to why the president decided to fire him.

Most hilarious of all is Congresswoman Maxine Waters who stated it would have been all right for Hillary Clinton to fire Comey, but not all right for Trump to do the same.

Waters has been leading the charge to impeach Trump since before his inauguration.

As usual there is a cadre of elected Republicans who are expressing doubt as to why Trump fired Comey “at this time.” The president overestimates his support from Congress.

There are two parties in the Congress as Editor Matthew Continetti notes, with tongue firmly in cheek. “One of them is leaderless, divided, focused only on stopping the president. The other is the Democrats.”

Rube Render is the Curry County Republican chairman. Contact him at: [email protected]