Should President Obama fire James Comey?

[mtnsnake]

50 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Yes, President Obama should fire James Comey.
	39 (78%)
	No, President Obama should not fire James Comey.
	11 (22%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[unblock]

1. on the one hand, he certainly deserves to get fired, but

omg, think of who donnie would replace him with!

(the republican senate would stonewall any obama replacement nominee...)

[Mike Nelson]

2. Considering the people...

...con-man Trump is picking, I say no. What good would it do now? Let Trump have him. A replacement might be less likely to investigate "The Donald" and his crimes.

[Nancyswidower]

3. What would be "cause"? It's a 10 yr appointment.

POTUS can't just fire the hack without good "cause"...and the optics would Suck....

[mtnsnake]

8. You honestly don't know what the "cause" would be? Maybe this wll refresh you...

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/oct/31/harry-reid-james-comey-might-have-broken-federal-l/

[Nancyswidower]

11. I know well what Minority Leader Reid said...

"... might have broken federal law..."
His "might have.." is not a legal reason for President Obama to fire the FBI Director.
If it were Mr. Obama would have done it don't you think?

There needs to be ACTUAL "cause" with this...not supposition.

[mtnsnake]

12. You are wrong. Obama can fire Comey, period, just as Bill Clinton fired William Sessions.

[Nancyswidower]

18. Except....

Sessions had used a Govt plane for private flights, had used govt funds for his home security...there was cause.

[LaydeeBug]

20. Comey interfered with a national election for his personal vendetta purposes. nt

[Nancyswidower]

54. You can source that right..."vendetta purposes"....this should be interesting.

[LaydeeBug]

55. Wow. I can...I just need Trump' 1040's. You can source THAT right?

This ought to be interesting.

[mtnsnake]

22. He needs no cause, but since you persist, please read this:

"But according to a 2014 report by the Congressional Research Service, there are no statutory conditions on the President’s authority to remove the FBI Director." In other words, the President can indeed fire the FBI director without having to put a condition (or cause as you refer to it) on it. It's explained here:
http://heavy.com/news/2016/10/james-comey-fired-fbi-director-hillary-clinton-email-private-server-influence-election/


Same thing from the Congressional Research Document:

"There are no statutory conditions on the President’s authority to remove the FBI Director. Since 1972, one Director has been removed by the President." Translation: The president does NOT need any conditions (or "causes" as you refer to them) to fire the FBI Director, as already explained in the article above. Here is the Congressional Research Document:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41850.pdf

[Nancyswidower]

32. From you link you leave out this...

"From 1973 through 2013, Sessions was the only FBI Director removed from office. President
William J. Clinton removed Sessions from office on July 19, 1993, citing “serious questions ...
about the conduct and the leadership of the Director,” and a report on “certain conduct” issued by
the Office of Professional Responsibility at the Department of Justice.
Some Members of Congress questioned the dismissal, but they did not prevent the immediate confirmation of Sessions’s successor. "

President Obama....being a really good authority on the topic of Law and the Constitution would know BEST if there was cause to dismiss the Director......I'm telling you he knows 2 things....legality and the horrific political optics of forcing Comey out.... and as in the case of Sessions...there has been NO "..report on “certain conduct” issued by
the Office of Professional Responsibility at the Department of Justice."

Comey is there until Dumpster does something....that's the facts.

[mtnsnake]

36. Are you serious? After seeing it in black & white, you still don't believe Obama can remove Comey?

Please don't waste anymore of my time over nothing but your refusal to admit that you don't know what you're talking about.

[Nancyswidower]

37. What's to "get"....I know what I'm talking about and as of now

I fully agree with President Obama....or Comey would be gone.

I saw what you wanted to show....POTUS has seen more....I tend to side with him on legal issues....you.... not so much.

Who has POTUS sided with? Your version.....or mine?

[mtnsnake]

38. Let's face it, Rip, you are here to pull people's chains. Nothing more.

Enjoy your brief stay.

[Nancyswidower]

39. If that were the case...".. you are here to pull people's chains..."

I would have started that when I joined...last yr.
I'm not pulling chains...I'm standing with POTUS....until hes NOT POTUS...then I may question some decisions...until then I stand by the guy I've supported from the '08 cycle

[mtnsnake]

40. Please read the words in LaydeeBug's post #20 & try to concentrate on those words

If you really think President Obama needs "cause," despite the law saying he does not, then read LaydeeBug's post and hopefully you will be happy.

BTW, thank you so much for all of your drivel which has kept my poll at the top of the page for so long.

[Nancyswidower]

42. I've read everything LB has posted....nothing is of concern to me...emotional actions...

or will change crap....Sec Clinton lost the EC, Dumpster will be sworn in in Jan'17, and Comey is still Director of the FBI...i don't do emotional crap....I do factual....
Your "poll" is irrelevant as POTUS isn't going to make a decision based on your poll........you have a 100+ "fire"...a few not fire...President Obama agrees with those of us that voted no...
THAT is a fact.....not a wish.
Your poll isn't going to change that.

[Coyotl]

33. Good morning Rip van Winkle.

Hope you enjoyed your long sleep.

[Nancyswidower]

35. Is there supposed to be some significance in that post?

Or just a shot at me because you don't like Obama's choice...you've made 2 posts here...the above and this....."Star Member Coyotl (14,846 posts)
34. Not good enough. Fire his for cause."........a c&p of your other well thought out post.

[bdamomma]

4. you have to remember

if comey goes don con will have to appoint someone which everyone can see now who would he replace him with????? another white supremacist?

[mtnsnake]

6. but you also have to remember

if Comey doesn't go, it sends the message that what he did was just fine.

[Nay]

28. Yep. It sends the message that they can fuck with elections with no consequences.

It's as much a message for future appointments as it is for Comey.

[frankieallen]

44. Comey is a white supremacist ? Wow, I guess I missed that one.

[dawg]

5. Comey should resign.

I think it would be appropriate for the President to ask for his resignation.

The man has disgraced himself, his office, and his bureau.

[Coyotl]

34. Not good enough. Fire his for cause.

[ZX86]

7. The horses are gone.

Closing the barn door now is pointless.

[Txbluedog]

9. Why?

So Trump can replace him with Palin? At least with all the backlash we can hope that Comey will be diligent in investigating Trump and his nefarious activities

[mtnsnake]

10. Uhhmm because he interfered in an election when he wasn't supposed to

and arguably cost us the election?

[LisaL]

13. What would be the point?

What kind of hideous creature would Trump replace Comey with?

[Vogon_Glory]

14. Fire Comey. Sessions Looks Like He'll Fire Him Anyway

I think President Obama should fire Director Comey anyway. Comey meddled in the elections and should be fired on general priciples.

For those worrying about God Emperor Palpa-Trump appointing someone worse, there's probably somebody worse coming anyway. Alabama Senator Sessions and Comey don't get along anyway, and Comey would get canned anyway.

Why not fire Comey early?


Merry Christmas, you ######-######. You're fired!

[SickOfTheOnePct]

15. If he had broken a law, I would say yes

For being an asshole? Not a firing offense, IMO.

**edited misspellings in title

[mtnsnake]

16. Not that Comey didn't break a law, but he doesn't have to break a law to be fired by the president

but I respect your opinion!

[SickOfTheOnePct]

17. Totally understand and thanks! n/t

[jalan48]

19. The horse is already out of the barn.

[LaydeeBug]

21. He already didn't fire him. Queen Trump's replacement would be worse nt

[Apex812]

23. As crazy as this sound. My answer is no.

The reason why I think Comey should stay is because Trump will appoint someone 100x times worst. We would be forced with this Trump hard right Republican appointment until 2027.

[mtnsnake]

24. I don't agree with you, but your answer doesn't sound crazy, it sounds reasonable and

there are others who feel as you do.

The thing is, Comey arguably cost Hillary the election, and according to people who know a lot more about it than me, Comey violated DOJ rules when he released his announcement to investigate Hillary Clinton just prior to an election in a clear effort to influence the outcome, which is just what happened.

[jmowreader]

48. FBI Directors serve at the pleasure of the president

There is absolutely nothing preventing Trump from removing Comey and installing someone 100x worse anyway.

[SMC22307]

25. Didn't Obama say he didn't believe it was politically motivated?

Why in the world would he fire Comey?

[frankieallen]

45. Hmm, you make a good point.

[Initech]

26. Fired, arrested, and tried for treason.

What he did is not just election tampering, it was an act of treason.

[frankieallen]

46. you forgot drawn and quartered

[flamingdem]

27. Trump would pick someone even worse

[budkin]

29. Without a doubt

[LeftInTX]

30. Trump would probably pick Arpaio or David Duke

[moonscape]

31. An argument for keeping Comey:

https://www.lawfareblog.com/we-need-comey-fbi-now-more-ever

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

41. I'm willing to accept he did it for his personal safety

If it leaked out or was announced after the election he would have been a dead man.

[LisaL]

43. What would have been announced after the election?

They didn't find anything in the emails.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

47. Comey had to go back to Congress eventually

He said he would advise them if circumstances changed, they changed when email was found on Wiener's laptop. That was going to come out. There is also the issue of Abedin herself, she may have committed perjury - although I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out Wiener had appropriated the data himself as "insurance".

[LisaL]

49. FBI knew about these emails way before Comey send his first letter.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

50. Comey claimed he was briefed on it the day prior

I suspect (provided Abedin really didn't know about the laptop) the real villain here will turn out to be Anthony Wiener.

I don't think it made a huge difference, nobody was on the fence after the Billy Bush tape.

[LisaL]

51. He might have been briefed on it in the day prior. It doesn't mean that was the first time he was

informed about it.

"The officials said that Comey was told that there were new emails before he received a formal briefing last Thursday, although the precise timing is unclear."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/senior-fbi-officials-were-told-of-new-emails-in-early-october-but-wanted-more-information-before-renewing-clinton-probe/2016/11/02/7884dede-a134-11e6-8832-23a007c77bb4_story.html

[rwheeler31]

52. Not quite yet, let's get the agents who talked to Guliani identified

and questioned then go up the chain.

[Rstrstx]

53. Maybe he should PARDON him

What better way to send the subtle yet firm message that what he did was illegal? Throwing elections go way beyond "extremely careless" behavior. Obama might even want to pardon those rogue agents as a way of outing them to the public.

I still think there's another shoe that's going to drop in this election saga, something about Nov. 8 and the weeks preceding it just doesn't pass the smell test. I'm still wondering what to make of Biden's comments in October about embarrassing a certain country at a time and place of our choosing?