Reports from Politico cast revealing new light on the unfolding battle between James Comey and the President of the United States. That battle began on the weekend just past when FBI director Comey tried without success to speak with the Justice Department about President Trump's unseemly tirade against President Obama, charging his predecessor with having wiretapped him during the 2016 election campaign.
Comey spoke by acting
The Justice Department was apparently in no mood to talk with Director Comey so he did what he has often done in the past and went public.
On Saturday Comey unleashed what seemed, at least to the New York Times, a preemptive strike at the President, asking the Justice Department to issue a public denial of Trump's charges.
This was more or less like Comey telling Justice to call the president a bald-faced liar. The White House probably already sensed that Trump had overstepped whatever the boundary to disaster is on any particular day. Mr. Spicer professed to have no knowledge of Comey's action.
The drama continues
But now there is stirring. GOP members of the House Judiciary Committee have asked Comey to brief them on Trump's claim about Obama. They also requested any information he might offer regarding the leaking of matters related to government investigations and surveillance to the press.
And yesterday Comey, speaking at an event in Massachusetts, refused to tip his hand regarding his forthcoming moves in the conflict with Trump but he dropped clues.
Comey said he fully intended to serve out his term which has more than six years to run. And speaking of privacy, the FBI director commended the Obama administration for its "clarity".
Faced with a barrage of questions from reporters, Comey remained silent save for characterizing himself as "slippery". One can only conclude he was telegraphing to Donald Trump that he does not intend to be driven into a corner of any sort.
Breitbart and Talk Radio ID'd As Source Of Trump's Phone-Tapping Conspiracy Theory https://t.co/JcJW8hxbM0#TrumpsAmerica#Resist pic.twitter.com/2OZw2s7y1J
— McSpocky™ 👽 (@mcspocky) March 8, 2017
Meanwhile, the usually combative President has not tweeted a word to suggest that his original tirade against Obama has legs. This silence seems to signify that the three days of stonewalling by the White House have turned into a prayer that the whole thing will be forgotten. Mr. Comey gives no sign of forgetting.
