{"id":234213,"date":"2017-05-19T12:05:00","date_gmt":"2017-05-19T16:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.rushlimbaugh.com\/?p=234213"},"modified":"2017-05-22T16:07:03","modified_gmt":"2017-05-22T20:07:03","slug":"james-comey-is-embarrassing-himself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/admin.rushlimbaugh.com\/daily\/2017\/05\/19\/james-comey-is-embarrassing-himself\/","title":{"rendered":"James Comey Is Embarrassing Himself"},"content":{"rendered":"

RUSH: You know, folks, it\u2019s just embarrassing. I mean, watching all of this, all these people on the left — including Comey now. This is so embarrassing to have this guy Benjamin Wittes go out there and talk for you, and the New York Times report. Why don\u2019t they just give him a byline, because all of this is coming from Comey? (impression) “Yeah, Benjamin Wittes and I know Comey. Comey is a good friend of mine. He\u2019s been speaking of Comey. Comey hid behind the curtains in the White House so Trump wouldn\u2019t find him one night.” You hear about that? (interruption)<\/p>\n

JOHNNY DONOVAN: And now, from sunny south Florida, it\u2019s Open Line Friday!<\/p>\n

RUSH: (interruption) You didn\u2019t hear about that? They put that out. Comey hid behind the curtains. He wore a blue suit and hid behind the blue curtain! He was so embarrassed of Trump, he didn\u2019t want Trump to spot him in the room, and then Trump did and Trump came up and gave him one of those handshakes where you grabbed someone and pull \u2019em to you and give them an embrace. Comey was embarrassed. He thought it would show that he\u2019s in collusion with Trump.<\/p>\n

\"\"You know all that is? There\u2019s a big-time businessman; he doesn\u2019t know how to do a political handshake, which is one of these limp-wrist things. I tell you, this is the most amazing — and there still isn\u2019t any evidence of anything that is propelling all of this. And I\u2019ve been reading some things that the Trump people, Trump voters are not falling for it at all. In fact, more and more Trumpists are not even watching the news anymore.<\/a><\/p>\n

And in fact, it\u2019s anecdotal, but more and more people that voted for Trump are more supportive of him now than they were even during the election because of all of this that\u2019s arrayed against him. You\u2019re not gonna hear about it, because the Drive-Bys don\u2019t care about it. So the Drive-Bys are never gonna find it — and if they did stumble into that sentiment, they would find a way to characterize it as minimalist and irrelevant.<\/p>\n

Well, greetings, folks. Here we are to wrap up yet another busy broadcast day, and it has been busy — and today is gonna be busy because we are loaded. So we\u2019ve got Comey sending his buddy out to speak for him, and he\u2019s making it clear — the buddy speaking for Comey is making it clear — that Comey was so embarrassed of Trump and so embarrassed of the White House staff and so embarrassed not to be seen as friendly with them for fear of what it might do to Comey\u2019s reputation or his image. I mean, it\u2019s amazing.<\/p>\n

I saw two stories last night and I sent them on to a friend of mine. I said, “This is embarrassing. This is just embarrassing that Trump is supposedly the punk in this relationship, and everybody else in Washington is representative of the high-mindedness of sophistication — and erudition and it\u2019s just the exact opposite. The loony bin is in that group of people scared to death and opposed to Trump.”<\/p>\n

BREAK TRANSCRIPT<\/p>\n

RUSH: Daytona Beach, this is Linda. Great to have you on the EIB Network. Hi.<\/p>\n

CALLER: Oh, thank you so much, Rush, for taking my call and getting me through the last crazy 10 years, anyway.<\/p>\n

RUSH: I\u2019m glad you\u2019re out there and I\u2019m glad you got through today.<\/p>\n

CALLER: Thanks. I think Comey is one of or the biggest leaker this whole time. Look how quickly he released this, quote-unquote, “memo” of his supposed conversation with himself and President Trump, not to mention it\u2019s taken how long to investigate this no-evidence Russian BS?<\/p>\n

RUSH: Yeah.<\/p>\n

CALLER: Either the FBI is incompetent, or Comey is incompetent and corrupt.<\/p>\n

RUSH: I don\u2019t know that there\u2019s a lot of incompetence here. I know what you mean by that, but I think (sigh) this is all being fairly well executed by the people who have a strategy behind it. I mean, you have to have a lot of pieces in place to be able to carry out a story for which there\u2019s no evidence for over a year. You have to have a… You want to talk about a conspiracy? I mean, people love conspiracy theories. How\u2019s this happen?<\/p>\n

How do we get no evidence of anything into five investigations on Capitol Hill, numerous media investigations, and the big investigation by the real pros: The CIA, the NSA, and the FBI? Those are the people that can survival and wiretap, and there\u2019s nothing. There\u2019s not a scintilla. There\u2019s not a whit. There\u2019s no evidence whatsoever. And yet theirs no end is in sight to this. That\u2019s a pretty good trick, and it takes a conspiracy. It takes a lot of people conspiring together to make this happen. All it would take to unravel this is for one of these people on the left to say, “There isn\u2019t any evidence.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>“What are we doing here? We\u2019re wasting our time. We need to look at something else. We\u2019re not gonna find any evidence. There\u2019s no evidence!” All it would take is one person in the media, in the FBI, the CIA, the NSA. All it would take would be one staffer somewhere of one Democrat. All it would take would be one renegade media member. And not a single leak, not a single betrayal of this. So I don\u2019t think this is incompetence. I think it\u2019s much worse.<\/p>\n

I think it has a purposeful, studied effort and outcome, which is a coup. We are watching a silent coup here to oust a duly elected president, and this coup is being mounted by career government people who can traffic anonymously and who are protected by people in the media and within the Democrat Party. Stop and think of it, folks. A year. How many…? Hasn\u2019t the Washington Post at one time admitted that they have over 30 anonymous sources for all of this? That\u2019s just one newspaper, 30 anonymous sources there.<\/p>\n

How many anonymous people are talking New York Times? How much overlap? How many sources are talking to both places? All these deep state career government people, ex-Obama people that are civilians now? We don\u2019t know. But it is a lot of people, and there isn\u2019t any evidence. There\u2019s none! And it\u2019s gonna continue whether or not… Not only is there no evidence, there\u2019s nothing to suggest the need of a special counsel. They can\u2019t even find a cover-up to cover up the fact that there\u2019s no evidence. What is the cover-up?<\/p>\n

When you don\u2019t have a crime, then what the hell is being covered up? But they\u2019ve got people believing that there\u2019s a scandal here, and you know what the scandal is? Firing Comey. That\u2019s not a scandal. Firing Comey? The president can do that any time he wants for whatever reason he wants, and he doesn\u2019t need anybody\u2019s permission. But that is the supposed scandal. Now, about Comey, I mentioned earlier that I was reading some things last night about it and I said, “This is embarrassing. This is really a bit of desperation here.”<\/p>\n

\"\"You have to balance what\u2019s coming up here with another reputation that we\u2019ve been presented with. In the case of James Comey — and this goes back to the Bush presidency when he was a deputy attorney general for John Ashcroft. That\u2019s when I first became aware of the name of James Comey, and from that day forward James Comey has been presented as a lawyer beyond repute. He is a lawyer who exudes integrity. He is flawless. He has never slipped up.<\/p>\n

This man is the epitome of honesty. This man is the epitome of courage. This man is the epitome of independence. This is the reputation of James Comey. This is why the Clinton campaign went through such conniptions when Comey was doing what he was doing, because he was doing all of that with the finest reputation anybody in Washington has ever had. Now that reputation\u2019s beginning to crumble. That\u2019s the dirty little secret.<\/p>\n

That reputation\u2019s starting to take some hits, and not because of anything Trump did. Because of things Comey has done. The July 5th press conference, the October 28th letter to Congress, the listing of charges but there\u2019s not gonna be any prosecution. That just isn\u2019t done. There\u2019s all kinds of things being done. And now this guy with the impeccable reputation all of a sudden some people are whispering he\u2019s got a power complex.<\/p>\n

People are starting to whisper, “This man\u2019s trying to make it all about himself. This man\u2019s trying to figure out where the bright lights are in every story and end up right in them.” Well, those are serious, serious assaults if you have spent your life crafting and building this impeccable reputation for virtue and for honesty and for integrity. So it\u2019s against all that that this now is beginning to happen. So here\u2019s the first thing.<\/p>\n

This is Washington Examiner: “Comey Hid Among White House Curtains to Avoid Trump.<\/a>” I\u2019m sorry. The only reason we know this is because Comey told somebody, and the fact that Comey\u2019s telling people this so that they will then tell the media? I would be embarrassed, is what I\u2019m saying. This is embarrassing. “Former FBI Director James Comey now says he tried to hide among the tall, blue curtains adorning a White House meeting room in an attempt to hide from President Trump at an Inauguration Day event.<\/p>\n

“Comey said the incident was one example of what he believed were times Trump tried to create a public image that showed Comey was on his side.” So we have image protection going on here. (translated) “We have my independence is at stake here! I\u2019ve got to do something! That\u2019s bad. So now I\u2019m gonna tell people I had to hide in the curtains. This guy Trump? This guy Trump was so eager to corrupt me, so eager to make it look like he and I were buds, I had to hide in the curtains!”<\/p>\n

The FBI director is admitting that he hid from the president of the United States in the curtains on Inauguration Day. This is embarrassing! Benjamin Wittes, who runs a blog — Lawfare or some such thing — is said to be a good Comey friend. Quote, “Comey described really not wanting to go to that meeting<\/a>” on Inauguration Day, “for the same reason he later did not want to go to the private dinner with Trump: the FBI director should be always at arm\u2019s length from the president, in his view.<\/p>\n

“There was an additional sensitivity here too,” Benjamin Wittes said, “because many Democrats blamed Comey for Trump\u2019s election, so he didn\u2019t want any shows of closeness between the two that might reinforce a perception that he had put a thumb on the scale in Trump\u2019s favor.” This is so embarrassing. This is a window into the way Comey\u2019s thinking, and all he\u2019s thinking about is himself! He\u2019s making all of this about him!<\/p>\n

Most people do.<\/p>\n

Most people\u2019s egos are such that everything ends up being about them. But this is not about James Comey, and yet he\u2019s trying to make it about him, and this is about trying to save and protect his reputation. And then he goes on to say (paraphrased), “I didn\u2019t want to shape Trump\u2019s hand. You know, Trump when he shakes your hand he pulls you to him and he tries to make it look like you\u2019re buddies and friends.” No, no, no, no. You people, you\u2019ve been in politics so long, you don\u2019t understand how people actually interact with each other in the real world.<\/p>\n

\"\"But Comey thought that Trump was engaging… Everything Trump was doing was designed to create an image that he and Comey were buds. (scoffs) But Benjamin Wittes said, “Mr. Comey also felt he could not refuse a presidential invitation, particularly not one that went to a broad array of law enforcement leadership.” So it wasn\u2019t just Comey? You\u2019ve got all other kinds of law enforcement people there, and yet Comey admits to hiding in the curtains so that Trump will not notice him?<\/p>\n

(scoffs) This is like my cat thinking I can\u2019t see her when her head\u2019s poking around the corner. How in the world do you hide in the curtains and think you\u2019re not going to be seen in more importantly: Why would you then like this story? Because it feeds the lunatic left. (interruption) Why the what? (interruption) Well, that\u2019s a… He didn\u2019t want to go, but since all kinds of law enforcement were there, he had to. He had to go. We haven\u2019t even got to the memo yet.<\/p>\n

All of this is to follow up on this mysterious memo that nobody has yet seen that says Comey wrote Trump tried to exert pressure to get him to let the Flynn thing go. This next story is at The Politico: “Comey Had Concerns About Rosenstein.” Oh! So all of a sudden now we learn that Comey has had deep concerns about the number two guy at the DOJ behind Jeff Sessions, who also has maybe a reputation that\u2019s even better than Comey\u2019s with everybody. “Legal Blog Founder” that\u2019s Wittes again “Details Conversations with FBI Director Trump Fired.”<\/p>\n

They could have put “Comey” in there, but they had to put Trump fired the guy instead of his name. “The intrigue surrounding Donald Trump\u2019s decision to fire director James Comey grew deeper Thursday as a friend said that Comey had expressed concerns about the independence of Rod Rosenstein, who played a controversial role in Comey\u2019s dismissal.” Why doesn\u2019t all of this stuff just show…? Just give Comey an op-ed so that he can put his name to these stories and be done with it.<\/p>\n

BREAK TRANSCRIPT<\/p>\n

RUSH: James Comey is six feet eight inches tall. Did you know that? Six eight. And he\u2019s gonna hide behind a White House curtain. (chuckling) I\u2019m telling you, these guys do not understand how somebody like Trump works. These swamp people? There\u2019s a code of behavior in the swamp. You know, there\u2019s protocol. There\u2019s proper way to shake hands, a proper way to step forward and address someone. There\u2019s a proper way to know who to acknowledge and who to let acknowledge you.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a caste system; everybody knows who ranks above them. You show respect accordingly. Trump comes in; he\u2019s like a bull in china shop. He doesn\u2019t know that stuff. I mean, he\u2019s a businessman sizing people up. He wants to get the measure of Comey. “Who is this guy? This guy investigated someone. Who is this guy?” So he wants to get close to him, get to know him. Comey found that very suspicious, reportedly, according to Mr. Wittes.<\/p>\n

Comey found it very, very odd that Trump wanted to get to know him. It was very weird, especially since he\u2019s the FBI director. There\u2019s supposed to be some distance there. But Trump knows the guy works for him — and he does, folks. It\u2019s not a different branch of government. It\u2019s the executive branch. And you can look it up, you lunatic leftists. There is no mention of the FBI director in the Constitution.<\/p>\n

Here is Marcy in Bethesda, Maryland. I\u2019m glad you waited. Welcome to Open Line Friday.<\/p>\n

\"\"CALLER: Hey, Rush, thanks for taking my call.<\/p>\n

RUSH: Any time. Any time.<\/p>\n

CALLER: Greetings from the People\u2019s Republic of Maryland.<\/p>\n

RUSH: Yes, I know all… (chuckling) I feel for you.<\/p>\n

CALLER: (chuckling) Yeah, I feel for me too. My friend Beverly and I are working here. We\u2019ve been listening to you since, gosh, before the election. Thank you for everything that you do. But we have a question about this whole Rosenstein-Russian probe thing. Does he have to consult with Sessions? I mean, I know Sessions recused himself from the whole investigation —<\/p>\n

RUSH: He cannot consult with Sessions because of that.<\/p>\n

CALLER: Seriously? I mean, technically, he is the guy\u2019s boss.<\/p>\n

RUSH: But not when it comes to the, quote-unquote, “Russian collusion investigation,” Sessions has recused and you cannot be consulted.<\/p>\n

CALLER: Don\u2019t even get me started on that.<\/p>\n

RUSH: Yeah, I know.<\/p>\n

CALLER: (chuckles)<\/p>\n

RUSH: It was a big blunder. It was another one of these efforts that our party always makes to throw Democrats a bone to make \u2019em back down a little.<\/p>\n

CALLER: Right.<\/p>\n

RUSH: It never works. It just is… It\u2019s like blood in the water.<\/p>\n

CALLER: They pitch a fit, and we give in.<\/p>\n

RUSH: Yep.<\/p>\n

CALLER: God, you\u2019re kidding. So basically he can just do what he wants. He doesn\u2019t have to tell him anything about what he was gonna do, he just did it?<\/p>\n

RUSH: In terms of this investigation, yes.<\/p>\n

CALLER: Wow.<\/p>\n

RUSH: But Sessions is still there for everything else at the department. He\u2019s still the attorney general.<\/p>\n

CALLER: Right.<\/p>\n

\"\"RUSH: It\u2019s just in this investigation, he\u2019s recused himself. He did so to Congress. I don\u2019t know if he made it official with a letter, but he\u2019s out. You can\u2019t be involved in it.<\/p>\n

CALLER: So he wouldn\u2019t even just as like a courtesy say, “You know, general I\u2019ve decided to do this and I\u2019m going public with it tomorrow”?<\/p>\n

RUSH: I don\u2019t believe, no.<\/p>\n

CALLER: Wow.<\/p>\n

RUSH: No, no, no. That would be very problematic.<\/p>\n

CALLER: Okay.<\/p>\n

RUSH: Because that… All Sessions would have to do is raise an eyebrow he and somebody could say, “Well, Sessions didn\u2019t look like he cared much for this,” and then you\u2019d know. Recusal is recusal. You\u2019re not even supposed to be physically around.<\/p>\n

CALLER: Wow. That\u2019s a little scary.<\/p>\n

RUSH: Well, maybe. It is what it is. Are you worried about Rosenstein? Do you think Rosenstein\u2019s a snake in the grass?<\/p>\n

CALLER: No, not necessarily. I mean, I kind of like everything that he\u2019s been doing. You know, he\u2019s sticking to his guns with firing Comey. He sent out something, I guess, today that I really like. You know, he\u2019s sticking to his guns. I do like that.<\/p>\n

RUSH: Yeah, he went up to Capitol Hill and briefed the oversight committees on the special counsel, Robert Mueller, who — Hey! — is another guy with an impeccable reputation. Both sides love the guy. Isn\u2019t it interesting how we always end up with these kinds when our people are in the crosshairs?<\/p>\n

BREAK TRANSCRIPT<\/p>\n

RUSH: I have another question about Comey. It is apparent now that Comey, through Benjamin Wittes… We got a couple of sound bites you can hear Benjamin Wittes describe what Comey wants said.<\/p>\n

He was on the Newshour that used to be The Newshour with Jim Lehrer. At any rate, Comey is telling everybody everything now. He hid behind the curtains. He was very worried about Trump\u2019s handshake. He didn\u2019t want Democrats to get mad because they hated him anyway. They think he cost Hillary the election and all that. If Comey… And the memo. Somehow, somebody has told the Drive-Bys with memo that Comey wrote where Trump asked him to kind of just let go of the Flynn investigation. Let me ask you a question, folks.<\/p>\n

If FBI Director Comey was so, so eager to keep Donald Trump as arm\u2019s-length, why did he tell him three times he wasn\u2019t the target of the FBI\u2019s investigation? Remember, Trump has said that Comey told him that three times. Comey has not denied that, in all of this dumping that\u2019s been going elsewhere. He\u2019s talking about the memo, and he\u2019s talked about hiding in the curtains, and he\u2019s talked about being very leery of the Trump handshake.<\/p>\n

But why hasn\u2019t there been any Comey slapdown of Trump\u2019s saying that Comey told him three times he\u2019s not the target of the FBI\u2019s probe? Comey has not denied that. He has not even addressed that even via his surrogates at the New York Times. Wonder why. Here is Benjamin Wittes. He runs a blog or works at a blog called Lawfare. He\u2019s also a Brookings Institution senior fellow. That means he\u2019s a big thinker, \u2019cause Brookings is a think tank.<\/p>\n

And Benjamin Wittes, or Wittes (I think he pronounces it “WIT-iss) was on the Newshour on PBS last night, and they released clips of an interview. The Drive-Bys are playing some clips. But they\u2019re not playing this, these two. I have referenced them already, but I want you to hear them. The host here is correspondent William Brangham at PBS. He said, “Mr. Wittes, you published an essay on your Lawfare blog yesterday about conversations you had with Comey. In that, you write about the famous hug that he was nervous of.”<\/p>\n