James Comey seems to be offering the Senate today a series of shrugs over troubling evidence of false evidence and possible Russian disinformation in the Russian investigation. Despite his signing off on secret surveillance, Comey is dismissing questions ...
...on the basis that he never knew of any of the memos indicating that the information in the investigation was false or even Russian misinformation. He was under a duty to confirm such facts. As someone who has billed himself as a strong leader, he is now portraying himself...
...as a passive player in these decisions. However, while he would not answer questions on the new evidence of possible Russian misinformation used by the FBI, he had no problem discussing new evidence on Trump's debt that might suggest Russian control over him.
After saying that he could not comment on the new evidence on possible Russian misinformation used by the FBI, Comey just had no problem is saying that he has read material on the Flynn case and give his conclusions on their meaning.
Comey did say that, knowing what he knows today, that he would not have signed off on the Page surveillance. That makes it unanimous with Yates and Rosenstein. Nobody now supports the surveillance request but no one takes real responsibility.
Comey just said that he was wrong to previously call the abuse of the FISA process as "nonsense." He said that he should not have had confidence in the process. However, he had no problem dismissing these concerns repeatedly and publicly until confronted with the evidence.
...Comey bizarrely just said that he was not sure if it was relevant that he should have been told that the subsource used for the Steele material was a suspected Russian agent even when he was briefed on the Steele material. He just signed the application.
...Comey previously in his book on "ethical leadership" criticized Trump and said “a leader needs the truth, but an emperor does not consistently hear it from his underlings.” That apparently does not apply to being informed that secret surveillance ...
...targeting aides of the opposing presidential candidate might be Russian intelligence disinformation. Even when being briefed on the Steele information, Comey said that he was not sure that he had to be informed of that fact before signing off on the FISA application.
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The Hill just posted my column on the possible need for a 28th amendment on citizenship after the Supreme Court rules in Trump v. Barbara. The combination of open borders and open-ended citizenship is an existential threat to this Republic...thehill.com/opinion/immigr…
...There would be no better time to reaffirm the meaning of citizenship than the 250th anniversary of our Constitution. Chief Justice John Roberts is correct: “It is the same Constitution” that created this republic, but we are the same people vested with the responsibility, as Benjamin Franklin put it, “to keep it.”
...The countries recognizing birthright citizenship remain a small minority and some of the countries that previously followed this rule later rescinded it. The question is whether we should take the same corrective course and whether an amendment will be the only viable avenue.
The news of the departure of Pam Bondi hit with a thunderclap in Washington. There were some recent rumors, but nothing concrete in the prior week. Bondi is the ultimate loyalist who, like Todd Blanche (the new acting AG), earned her bones in the trenches with the President in impeachment and criminal trials...
...The President has certainly removed prior cabinet officers out of obvious displeasure from Bill Barr to most recently Kristi Noem. There is no known "bad blood" with Bondi, who has actually drawn fire for her loyalty to Trump...
...The move to Blanche will be seamless. He has not only been serving with Bondi, but he is an experienced and distinguished lawyer. He has been a partner in a world-class law firm as well as a successful prosecutor in the leading U.S. Attorney's office in the SDNY...
Early on, John Sauer faced a gulp moment when the Chief Justice referred to his examples of different classes to show the narrower meaning are "quirky." Sauer is doing, as usual, an excellent job...
... Another worrisome moment is when Gorsuch said, "I am not sure how much you want to rely on Wong Kim Ark." The Administration, and others, insist that the Court expressly noted in that decision that the parents were "resident aliens."...
...Gorsuch is clearly in play. He is expressing unease with the lines drawn by the Administration in his questioning. ..
The Supreme Court may have put a dent in announced plans of Democratic politicians to arrest ICE officers and unleash sweeping prosecutions once they retake power. The Court just reversed the Second Circuit, holding that a Vermont officer had immunity in a protester's injury...
...In Zorn v. Linton, the Court voted 6-3 that officers are generally shielded from civil liability unless prior case law put the unlawfulness of an action "beyond debate." While a civil case, the Court has shown the same deference in criminal cases...
...The expectation is that civil and criminal cases will be filed against ICE and other federal law enforcement officers. Indeed, some politicians have insisted on barring masks to facilitate such lawsuits or prosecutions.
For a No Kings guy, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey sure seems to have a royal problem. Frey claimed on MS NOW that President Donald Trump could simply hire more TSA agents rather than deploy ICE officers. Yet, that would be done without congressional approval and appropriations...
...The MS NOW host did not correct the disinformation. It is telling that Democrats are opposing the effort to relieve the congestion at airports. Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA) appeared to welcome the chaos and "pain" caused to citizens at the airports as leverage for a deal...
...Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries went as far as to predict that ICE officers may "brutalize or in some instances, kill" people at airports...
NY Gov. Kathy Hochul is asking "high net worth" taxpayers to "go down to Palm Beach and see who you can bring back home" "to support the generous social programs we have in our state." There is another novel approach: change your policies to make people want to come back...
...The reason they are done in Florida is that the state has maintained low taxes as well as high-performing schools and services. Rather than put your hopes on peer pressure, try good policies and see what happens...
...New York Democrats are only the latest example of reaching the point where "you run out of other people's money." Yet, in New York, socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani is demanding tax hikes and a $30 minimum wage. jonathanturley.org/2026/02/19/mam…