It was a long but informative morning. If you take things at face value, it will be hard for President Trump to deny the misgivings former Director of the FBI, James Comey experienced in dealing with him.
Having had experience with the corporate world, I am well aware of the parsing of words and the rigid mindset middle management people gain in dealing with upper management. This mindset is a protective instinct with set rules and set words that do not allow them to think on their feet because they must protect those above them and those below them.
One must remember that Comey served at the behest of the President.
People like Comey do not see the gray area. He is a victim of middle-management that is supposed to be separate from politics, but in reality is the dumping ground for all things political. People like this can be difficult to deal with if their protective instincts are brought to the fore. Middle-management types develop this style because they have to deal with pressure from above as well as the pressure below.
President Trump, on the other hand, is used to dancing on his feet, looking out for what is best for him and cutting deals.
He makes millisecond decisions and throws out a truth or a lie, checks to see if it sticks then backtracks if it doesn't. He's a real estate magnate and he does not realize the power of his words on someone like James Comey who has had to walk a tightrope most of his adult life. Comey's life experience does not understand the freedom of a man with no boundaries. In fact, in my opinion, a force like Trump inspires fear and mistrust in someone like Comey.
The hearings
Ignorance will no doubt be Trump's defense, however this is no excuse. He ran for POTUS and was elected. He should have spent those months cramming for the possibility that he might win. Instead, he reveled in the crowds, the hats and the ego polishing instead of getting into the nitty-gritty of what politics is really like and it is a dirty game that corrupts good people and makes bad people worse.
Aside from the fact that the Trump affair with Russia didn't bear fruit, the major concern is that President Trump asked Comey in private, to "let go" of the Flynn investigation. Comey was concerned enough to take comprehensive notes on their conversation in the event the context of the conversation came to light and Comey needed proof on what was said. Comey was intimidated by Trump. He called himself a 'coward' and said that he felt he might have taken 'cowardly actions" in reaction to President Trump's request.
Comey passed the notes he took on the conversation to a 'friend' who then released those notes to the newspapers in defense of a tweet President Trump sent. The notes on the conversation were privileged while President Trump's tweet was general in nature.
While I do not condone the tweet, it was far less harmless and would not be considered 'leaking' in any event. Comey's notes however, were all about leaking privileged information in order to protect Comey's ego. That may constitute a criminal offense.
This is typical of middle-management types and to be fair to Comey, President Trump was his boss and had repeatedly told him his job did not hang in the balance, yet Comey did not trust him and so he protected himself, perhaps to his peril.
Did President Trump obstruct justice? That is up to the Congress to decide. There is a closed hearing taking place that the public will not be part of, though as time goes on, I am not so sure those closed door meetings are doing anyone any good.
As our government continues to fall apart I think it is important we have all the facts.
After all, we should be listening to them just as much as they are listening to us.
What netizens say
I asked my Facebook friends their thoughts on the hearings and thought I'd share them with you.
Here's what they have to say:
Louanne D: Our democracy continues to be tested by human weaknesses.
LouAnn P: I feel the whole administration is in bed with Trump. Very happy things are coming to light. Our democracy and constitution are at risk.
Jenn N: I'm glad he did his job and well. I'm glad he's willing to say he's not perfect. And I'm SO glad he called Drumpf a liar.
Jane L: As Comey, and so many others have said in recent weeks, this goes way beyond political posturing.
The fabric of the America the world has known is being challenged by the actions of this administration and it's probably already too late to undo all the damage that's been done.
Grace B: I'm just aware that there's a classified version of what we heard today, so we're judging an iceberg by its tip, and it's a very big, oggly iceberg.
Lastly, it appears to me that the right and the left are at war with one another. I don't know who will ultimately win, but I can guarantee you it will not be the American people.