Honesty is not always the best policy. Dishonesty is almost never better (except when asked about someone’s physical attributes by a partner or spouse; if “no comment” is not allowed, lie away or lie alone). Jim Comey is a modern Irish-American Greek tragedy, and the answer to the question of what happens when an immovable giant object comes up against an immutable small-handed boss; the heavy-handed henchman drops his tiny gloves, types up a letter, hands it to another guy, and through a few more safe steps, fires the big guy while he’s out of town.
Cassandra was cursed with being able to foresee the future, but never being believed. Comey likewise has been cursed with excessive honesty, yet (seemingly) no one believes his motives. His latest adversary is universally recognized as a liar, yet (unseemingly) no one in position to challenge him cares to do much about it. The former is likely telling the truth, but he’s a leaker (when did whistleblowing become a four letter word? Probably when the people adding up the letters ran past their two hands; America is falling behind in math skills, so all bets are off when we get to using our toes.). The latter is surely stretching the truth as often as he stretches his mouth, but his supporters justify his alternative facts as acceptable answers anyway.
Is big Jim a good guy in his own tale? He was lambasted by the right last summer for declaring Hillary’s email transgressions as no reason to “lock her up.” He was later lambasted by the left for letting loose that the closed investigation was open again right before the ballot boxes, only to then reverse course days later. He was praised by the previous President[1] (Obama – remember him?), as a man of “fierce independence and… deep integrity.” B.O. also ironically said that “long after I’ve left office, our nation’s security will be in good hands with public servants like Jim Comey.” Pretty sure by long after, he meant more than a few months.
J.C. was praised by the Republican nominee for his guts, and how he restored his reputation by doing the right thing when a lot of people wanted him to do the wrong thing. Then he was fired by Trump, and called a grandstander, showboat, and possibly “a real nutjob”, (if his Russian sources are to be believed), and labeled incompetent for his handling of the Hillary investigation or matter, or whatever you want to call it (depending on your preferred source of news), by the same guy who had praised him for the same thing. Hillary surely has some choice words for Comey too, but they’re not likely fit for printing. Was Trump obstructing justice, or just trying to undo one more thing that African guy did to screw up our country? If only Barack had tried some reverse psychology, maybe Donald wouldn’t do so much damage (to his constituents, to himself, to our planet), in reversing things (healthcare, Comey, Paris, but who’s counting?). Was Trump chicken for not terminating Jim face to face? Probably, but at the same time, when is the last time you went toe to toe to tell a 6’-8” guy that he was fired?
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. The road to the White House was paved with bad tweets. All roads lead to Rome, where the Pope will tell us to take the highway to Hell, since we’re not listening to his sage advice anyway. It is getting hot in here.
Is Comey a bad guy? He felt mildly nauseous to think he might have had some influence on the election. Most people feel much more strongly about it (for better or worse). He made some very questionable moves that influenced people’s opinions and excited the media. Later, he recounted another time when he didn’t “move, speak, or change… facial expression in any way” which elicited further strong responses from people on both sides of the aisle and across the political spectrum, and it also served to establish a “thing, you know” with the guy sitting next to him at the time. (Why didn’t he stand up or say something? Why didn’t he do what he was told?) What would you have done in his shoes? Probably tripped trying to walk in those clown slippers.
Comey clearly took matters into his own big hands (no wonder DJT didn’t like him) and broke protocols at many stages of his lengthy career. But he had some complicated reasons for doing what he did, each time he made headlines. In another ironic twist, his predecessor was recognized by the President’s predecessor for “trademark humility that most Americans probably wouldn’t recognize him on the street, but all of us are better because of his service.” Could anyone argue any of these same points for Jim Comey? Humility – no; most Americans wouldn’t recognize – not anymore (he was once jokingly described as more famous than Trump, praise from Caesar!); all of us are better because of his service – hell no! And who was this giant humble man preceding the giant, nauseous J.C.? Bobby Mueller, yes, the same Mueller now handling the Russian / obstruction investigations / witch hunts. We’ve come full circle.
Has there ever been such a dichotomous former attorney outside of DC Comics? That would be Two-Face Harvey Dent, if you’re not a nerd. Is it that black and white? Good and bad? Red and blue? Surely it’s more complicated, but in these partisan times, doesn’t everyone and everything have to fall squarely into one category or the other? Where’s the beauty of gray, that Live sung about so many years ago? Is Comey like Barney, a purple dinosaur? (A combo of red and blue, really big, honest and outdated). Do you feel like Val Kilmer’s Doc Holliday considering Comey, “What do you think darling, should I hate him?” There have been plenty of people showing restrained respect, and plenty more showering refrains of revulsion. Is this man of integrity the same guy making “so many false statements and lies”?
Cyrano de Bergerac proudly died with his white plume still intact. Such honor. But didn’t he also deceive Roxanne? Where’s the honor in that, Will? Did Comey (career-wise) die honorably? Was he, as Obama hoped, “prepared to give up a job he loved rather than be part of something he felt was fundamentally wrong”? Or was he willing to mutely go along with a nutjob President, offering honest loyalty, however the hell you define that?
It’s been quite a RollerComey, up (prosecuted Martha Stewart!), up (stood up to GWB to prevent wiretapping), down (defended waterboarding), up (named by Obama to head the FBI), up / down (overstepped his role in announcing no grounds for Hillary prosecution / “gave her a free pass for many bad deeds”), down (acted on an email he knew to be faked by Russians), down / up (new emails / no new emails), up (not down with loyalty pledge), up (wrote down the conversations Trump made up tapes about), down (and out – fired), up / down (acted to ensure a special counsel / leaked), up (gave convincing testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee, offering more honest responses than saying answering would be inappropriate (Coats / Rogers) or that he didn’t recall (Sessions), down (called a liar by the President; pot / kettle).
Sorry that this long stream of consciousness has more questions than answers. Not really sure where I was going with it. But it stemmed from a random conversation with someone I encountered at work, who mentioned in passing that he had hosted Jim Comey at his house on more than one occasion. At the time, I was at first impressed (celebrity!), then stumped (controversial figure, must avoid politics at work!). So I just let it pass without comment, (I didn’t move, speak, or… you know the rest), until putting more thought into it later, wondering whether Comey is a hero or villain.
It’s way too early to guess how history will ultimately judge this character, but if there is to be further history, his story and his character will surely be part of it.
[If you need closure, I’ll provide my current answers to the questions above (excepting of course the ones where I already provided an answer in the body of the text): Is Big Jim a good guy in his own tale? – Yes. We’re all good guys in our own tales. Obama – Remember him? – Yes. And I miss him. Was Trump obstructing justice? – Yes. But it probably won’t matter. Who’s counting? – Probably HuffPo. I ran past fingers and toes long ago and gave up. Last time you went toe to toe with a 6’-8”…? – Never, unless you work in the NBA, and then you probably still don’t confront the big guys directly, but work through agents. Is Comey a bad guy? – No, but I can still hate him for indirectly helping Trump get elected. Why didn’t he stand up or say something? – “Maybe other people would be stronger in that circumstance,” he answered that one himself. Why didn’t he do what he was told? – Because he’s not a Nazi (much to the disappointment of Donald Jr.). DC Comics attorney? – No. It’s Comey and the Batman villain, that’s it. Black and white? – Comey’s white. Good and bad? – Comey’s both. Red and blue? – Next to orange Trump with his red cronies, we’re all feeling blue. Partisan times? – Yes. Partisan end of times. Live’s Beauty of Gray? – Still on their Mental Jewelry album. Comey = Barney? – No, at least not yet. If Barney is resurrected in the next few years, J.C. is out of work and could amply fill the dino-suit. Should I hate him? – No, I’m sure of it. I hate him. But then again, I hate most people. Same guy making so many false statements and lies? – No, the author of that tweet is the one making so many false statements and lies. Did Cyrano deceive Roxanne? – Yes, but all is fair in love and war. Where’s the honor in that, Will? – Matt Damon should’ve become a shepherd. Did Comey (career-wise) die honorably? – No, because he’s not dead yet. This shit never ends. Was he prepared to give up the job? – Clearly, because he didn’t chase away the clouds for his boss. How the hell you define honest loyalty? – No idea. It’s like covfefe.]
[1] https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/06/21/remarks-president-nomination-james-comey-director-fbi
Traipse Reports - Trips and Races 