Comey: 'The Republican Party has left me and many others'

[MelissaB]

Comey: 'The Republican Party has left me and many others'

Former FBI Director James Comey was a registered Republican for most of his life, but now he believes "the Republican Party has left me and many others."

"I just think they've lost their way and I can't be associated with it," Comey said in an interview on the ABC News podcast “Start Here,” adding that he no longer considers himself a Republican.

He said he believes the Republican Party began to change during the 2016 presidential campaign and has continued to change with President Donald Trump in office. It wasn't until he was fired by Trump that Comey started to focus more on politics and realized, "These people don't represent anything I believe in.”

He noted that the Republican National Committee launched a website dedicated to him: LyinComey.com. He said it served as “no better evidence” that the GOP had left him.

More: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/comey-republican-party-left/story?id=54535829

[smirkymonkey]

1. I am hoping more republicans come to this conclusion.

Because only the worst examples of humanity could possibly embrace what today's republican party represents.

[Siwsan]

2. The Republican Party started changing, back in the 80's

IMHO, Comey is just another frog who suddenly realized that warm bath they were enjoying is now BOILING.

[Nay]

10. Agreed. If he thinks the Pub Party "just started changing in 2016," he's just

as delusional as the rest of these assholes.

Oh, and just because he and his cohorts are 40 years behind the curve, all the rest of us will suffer greatly while they abscond with their dirty money.

[Generic Brad]

15. He was fine with it until he was personally affected

Typical Republican.

[Egnever]

34. Yup

[Demit]

37. Exactly. "I never thought the leopards would eat MY face," said the guy

who helped the Leopard Eating People's Faces Party win a presidential election.

[denvine]

41. Exactly,

It's like they really don't give or have any empathy until they are affected personally. Comey, I think you have been in a coma if you just realized they have changed.

[dajoki]

13. I think it started in the 60's...

with Goldwater and Buckley, they used to call themselves "intellectual conservatives" which is a complete oxymoron.

[Siwsan]

14. It was Goldwater who convinced Nixon to step down. Nobody, now, would ever approach trump*

The advent of the Dick Cheney style of politics is when I sensed the really big shift. Self interest and self enrichment replaced public service.

[dugog55]

17. Goldwater

Barry Goldwater was Mr. Republican in the 50's through 80's. While being overly hawkish, he did fight against what the Republicans have become. He warned everyone about the Christian Right, thought abortion was a choice for each individual woman to make, and said it was no one's business to worry about others sexuality.

[IronLionZion]

21. It shows how far they have fallen when Goldwater seems reasonable

because back in the day he only won Arizona and the deep south. "In your guts, you know he's nuts" was a common slogan about his presidential candidacy.

[dajoki]

25. Yes he was nuts...

and I do believe that is where the modern r party has its roots.

[True Blue American]

31. I think you are right!

The decline of the Republican Party began with Reagan. Ford was an honest man.

I remember having a running Letters To The Editor with a woman who backed Ford. She did not want an Over The Hill Actor. My next Letter,they called to make sure it was mine! It read,” Oh,my, I agree! How about a born again Peanut Farmer?”

Back in those days I knew the Editor!

[shanny]

55. "Ford was an honest man"

except for that whole Nixon-pardon thing, setting a disastrous precedent of letting powerful people off the hook for their crimes and allowing the right to claim forever after that Nixon was guilty of nothing but being hounded by the liberal media.

The word is "complicit." They all are.

[procon]

40. My dad was a life long Republican and he fully believed the GOP was the home

of intellectual elites. He was well educated, a successful professional in his own right, as were all his friends. Those "intellectual conservatives" were the rich and powerful land barons and the wealthy captains of industry that he so admired.

Back in the day when Goldwater was becoming a rising force and I was old enough to register to vote, at the insistence of my dad, I started paying more attention to politics. Democrats were for the great unwashed masses, I was taught, those were the folks who worked with braun rather than brains. They were in large, unworthy, volatile, rapacious and ungrateful, and therefore in need of stern supervision to keep them in line.

I don't think he ever forgave me for registering as a Democrat.

[True Blue American]

45. My Dad was not

Thrilled either.

My Mother was a die hard Democrat in a huge family of Republicans.

[vlyons]

42. Republican party was seduced by the Ayn Randers in the 60s.

Wish they would all just immigrate to Galt's Gulch and live happily ever-after in their selfish utopia.

[not fooled]

61. John Birchers, McCarthyites,

Nazi lovers, FDR haters who plotted to overthrow him,

the crazy has been in the puke party as far back as one cares to go.

I think after the Republican Great Depression it was hidden away for decades (with occasional eruptions, e.g. McCarthyism), to begin resurfacing in earnest in the 60's when they felt it was safe to do so. And that all of those uppity sectors of society were getting too much power--dirty hippies, anti war people, women, African Americans, environmentalists, etc. etc. etc.

Add in their blueprint the Powell Memo and look where we are 50 years later.

[Still In Wisconsin]

48. I think the change really started with Nixon's "Southern Strategy" and continued slowly but surely

to arrive at its present sorry state.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

56. Agree - that was my first memory...

of true Republican win-at-any-cost evil. The speeches of Spiro Agnew were the jaw-droppers for me, as he polluted the South with his vile message. Up until then as a teenager, I just saw Republicans as the rich folk's party with Bob Dole being the standard bearer. We were life-long Democrats raised in Al Gore, Sr. territory but saw the area change as Brock came into power using lies and deception against Gore.

Later, I learned of Nixon's dirty tricks in his '49 Senate run by funding very evil phone calls to the public touting lies on his opponent - supposedly the first time that tactic was every used. The Party has gotten worse ever since and I think Nixon institutionalized the worst of the Party's tactics. Every time I see Newt Gingrich, I think of Tricky Dick, LOL.

.......

[BobTheSubgenius]

51. Right. And so much of it can be laid at the feet of Lee Atwater.

What an incredible effect he's had on a huge nation for someone that didn't live into his 40's.

[Siwsan]

54. Yes - I was digging through brain cells to remember that name!

[BeyondGeography]

3. He obviously had a very high threshold

Their 8-year obstinacy and destruction campaign against Pres. Obama didn't do it for him, or any other number of transgressions starting with the southern strategy five-plus decades ago.

But, hey, I'll take it if the so-called adults in the room are bailing. Both parties are working with narrow margins so every little bit helps.

[BumRushDaShow]

23. THIS

[Pobeka]

26. Yes. We need EVERY bit of support to create a blue wave.

I welcome every last person, no matter how long they supported the GOP, who has finally come to the realization that the GOP is corrupt, morally bankrupt, and is no better than the russian mafia.

[True Blue American]

32. Comeys wife and children

Backed Hillary!

[HootieMcBoob]

29. Thank you

[Botany]

4. So why did you give Trump a boost in the election in 2016 Jim?

My own 2 cents on James Comey


Fuck you asshole. You said you based your actions as per who you
thought was going to win the election. Your actions should have been based
on the rule of law and not who you thought was going to win an election.

BTW HRC broke no laws but Donald Trump did and you Mr. Comey, weighed
in on HRC but then you didn't say shit about Trump and Russia which you
were fully aware of at that time.

Just like Sandra Day O'Conner will always have her vote to make w bush
POTUS in bush v Gore you Mr. Comey will always have the stain on your
being because of what YOU DID to HRC, our country, and the world.

[forgotmylogin]

18. He's said it in interviews:

He did what he thought was the right thing at the time, believed (as everyone did) that Hillary had it in the bag, regrets what happened, but due to his personal convictions wouldn't change his mind if he had it to do over. Like most everyone else on his side, he believed Trump would settle down into a routine and he'd be serving his tenure a "normal" Republican President.

I understand people's anger and desire to pin this mess on somebody specific so they can direct their hatred at them, but that's usually what conservatives do; find a scapegoat.

I'm not saying don't be mad at him, but he's a smart guy, and I'm pretty sure he understands what he did.

[Botany]

19. The law is the law and Comey should not have acted on if or if not HRC was going to win the election

This has nothing to do @ all with liberal vs conservative "stuff" but right vs wrong
and what Comey did was wrong end of story.

[forgotmylogin]

20. As I said: he knows that and has answered your original question in interviews. (n/t)

[Botany]

30. No he didn't answer my questions!

It would have taken Comey and the FBI 2 hours to find out "the new" information
as per Hillary and her emails were duplicates and that this information was from
Russia but instead he gave new life to an old story that was being pushed by the right
in order to hurt Hillary. Fuck him.

[Botany]

50. R you kidding me?

как погода в Ст Петербург?

Troll much?

[onetexan]

46. can you post which interview Comey mentioned he "regrets what happened"?

i've yet to see that, and from the ones i've seen so far he neither is contrite nor remorseful of his actions.
I think he had a thing against Hillary and did what he did, consequences be damned. He paid for it with the DOTUS firing him, and now is seeking to profit off the situation.

[forgotmylogin]

63. Here.

Rolling Stone:
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/comey-clinton-emails-w519249

Comey relates a private meeting with Obama AG, Loretta Lynch, on Halloween:

I'm sure it showed on my face how beaten I felt. And then we sat down and she said, "How are you doing?" Loretta Lynch is a really good person and has known me a long time… And I told her that I felt terrible, that I felt beaten, and — but that I didn't see that I had a choice. And then she said something that floored me. She said, "Would they feel better if it leaked on November the 4th?"

And my reaction was — and I said to her, "Exactly, Loretta."

STEPHANOPOULOS: But do you think that the F.B.I. would be in better shape today, the institution you love, would be in better shape today if you had simply put out that one line statement, “We decline to prosecute”?
COMEY: I don’t know. I’ve asked myself that a million times. It’s hard– hindsight is a wonderful thing. I’m not sure that it would have. And– here’s why I say that. Because we would’ve taken a tremendous amount of criticism for being fixed. The system fixed, no detail. And I still would’ve been dragged up to Capitol Hill all that summer to justify the F.B.I.’s work. And so surely, I would’ve said something about how we did the work. And so I– I’d kinda be in the same place, except I’d be playing defense like a cornerback backpedaling. There’d be this tremendous hit the institution would take. I’d be trying to explain to people, “No, no, we did it in a good way. We did it in a good way.” And none of it, by the way, would change what I faced in late October. Even if we’d just done the one liner, we’d still have the nightmare of late October.

And as much as it sucks, while looking these up I saw that he said one of the reasons they didn't publicize their investigation of Trump is that they weren't yet in a place where they could actually risk tipping him off that they were watching him so closely.

[onetexan]

64. i still don't see where exactly the remorse is. He never apologized.

He expresses hindsight, but said he'd still do it again. There's no excusing that.

[Pope George Ringo II]

5. And they can't say it without thinking about the Reagan quote.

For the younger folks, that's, "I didn't leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me." The march of time has flipped that sentiment on its ear.

[True Blue American]

33. Reagans words!

His Son,Ron does not agree.

[Pope George Ringo II]

62. Indeed not. I think I like Ron.

[Neema]

6. 2016? Oh no, my friend. I would think your powers of observation would be stronger than that

as the former head of the FBI.

[PearliePoo2]

7. More quotes from the article"

"I see the Republican Party, as near as I can tell, reflects now entirely Donald Trump's values," Comey told host Brad Mielke. "It doesn't reflect values at all. It's transactional, it's ego-driven, it's in service to his ego. And it's, I think, consoling itself that we're going to achieve important policy goals -- a tax cut or something."

[kentuck]

8. He was so naive that he had to be kicked to the curb before he could see it.

[eShirl]

9. So he was fine with the GOP all the way up to 2016.

Says a lot.

[TheSmarterDog]

11. By pursuing the Clinton email bullshit, he accepted the path the GOP has been on for 35 yrs

He's just pissed that he got burned by that path after the fact.

[Afromania]

12. Ok, I love how these people are sidesliding away from the Republican party, "now".

Last edited Wed Apr 18, 2018, 11:13 AM - Edit history (2)

Where were they 20 years ago when the 2000 election was stolen.

Where were they 15 years when Bush took us into a 2nd war in Iraq because of "reasons"

Where were they 10 years ago as the country sat upon financial collapse and Republicans fought against Obama's stimulus idea when they were perfectly alright with Bush the deuce literally sending checks to everybody written against an empty bank account just a few years before. As a bonus, where were they while we went from a balanced budget to the entire world facing an economic rift on their watch.

Where were they 2 years ago when the Supreme court seat appointment was being held up because of all "reasons"

Where were they 1 year ago when it was completely clear the current administration was going to be a complete disaster and the republican congress was going to make no move to stop it from happening.

Just in general where were they while their party bankrupted states in the middle part of the country in favor of tax cuts for the wealthy, voter suppression tactics anywhere and everywhere they could get away with it, the open warfare against the education system and so, so much more.

The Republican party has been exactly what they are for the entirety of my lifetime. They haven't changed their goals in 40 years, only become more brazen and reckless about implementing them. This guy and people like him were alright with the things the republican party did. The only reason Comey isn't with him is because the republicans were craven enough to stick with trump on his firing and offer no redressing for smearing Comey.

Everybody else sidesliding away from the Republicans in the last year are just being duplicitous about just what they have been a part of this entire time. They were perfectly fine with all of the stuff I listed but now they don't want to be a part of it??? They just don't want to be a part of the fall out now that it's crystal clear what the platform they backed has been about all along.

These people will run back to the republican party 4-6 months after this trump thing is finally over. They'll reg ail us with thinkpieces about how the party has changed and is going to be more inclusive, more geared towards the poor folks, smaller government(that they want to be a part of for some reason). Basically, the usual spiel of no substance sans the overtly racist overtones(for a while anyway). Comey and the ones like him will sideslide their-selves right on up back beside the gop and trump voting bigots without any sort of meaningful changes made in neither platform or actions.

The side sliders and trump voters will never be "allies" that can be counted on in any meaningful numbers.

[Mad_Mongol]

16. Allies?

No.

Useful cannon fodder? Most definitely !!

So let's use them up, while they're still available.

[Afromania]

22. Well, that's what "some" folks seem to want them to be.

I am not one of those folks

[YessirAtsaFact]

36. This is the same rhetoric Southern Democrats used when they left the party

If history repeats, we are going to hear the “party left me” line a lot as the GOP falls apart.

[yonder]

53. well said and thanks!

[SHRED]

24. Nixon ruined the party decades ago

Eisenhower was the last decent one.

[unblock]

27. harding was corrupt, coolidge's laissez-faire set up the boom-bust, and hoover, well,... hoover.

eisenhower wasn't terrible, but he was overrated.

i'll give them lincoln and teddy roosevelt. the rest were sub-par or worse, including several complete disasters.

[True Blue American]

35. Yes,he was!

Ike could have run for either party. Both wanted him.

He gave us the International Highway. What have Republicans accomplished since then. Wars,tax cuts for the wealthy,high deficits.

[beachbum bob]

28. Unless "republicans" like comey take a stand and say we will support democrats, the GOP has zero

reason to change direction...

we need a flood of moderate republican lawmakers quit the GOP and become democrats. karma is a bitch

[AllaN01Bear]

38. same

started off as american peace and freedom. left when the ultra rws with pat robertson took control. then went republican untill 2000. was declined to state for a few years untill a dear friend who passed away many moons ago convinced me to become democrat, and i shall stay democrat. the tipping point was when the supremes took the election away from al gore. if taking care of the sick and eldery, feeding the homeless and poor make me liberal , so be it . and yes i used a compound scentance .

[hotrod0808]

39. What a crock of shit

This guy lived through Watergate, Iran-Contra, Clinton Impeachment, Bush Torture, Halliburton contracts, privatization of public works, Flint, and many other shitty things that I have forgotten, and he says that 2016 was the turning point? Fuck him and all he stands for.

[mr_lebowski]

58. So, why is it that, when the situation is convenient, we all trumpet Comey as GOP?

But then when he comes out and actually confirms that he is (or 'was until 2016'), people are acting all up-in-arms?

That makes no fucking sense. That goes for many of you on this thread, not just the one I'm responding to.

I believe if you stop and think for one second, this is probably THE BEST ANSWER for 'our side' he could've given, and you're still bent.

Seems some just look for any excuse to piss and moan ...

[hotrod0808]

59. Have you read

any of my posts concerning Comey? I don't consider him heroic at all, and I'm not just pissing and moaning. Thank you for hopping on to belittle my opinion though. I will give your comment the concern that it truly deserves.

[mr_lebowski]

60. It just makes no sense for us on DU to complain when Comey admits to being GOP ...

1) We've all known that forever, and in fact constantly use that fact as a 'shield' against claims him, Mueller, RR, etc are 'Dems on a witch-hunt'
2) All this is ... is confirmation of what we knew (aside from him changing his mind about it with the rise of Dump)
3) This really IS the best answer for our side that he could possibly give in this situation. We WANT the public to NOT see him as a Partisan Democrat.

Thus, to my eyes, people who would complain about him doing so would appear to just hate the guy, and it would seem, are set to attack him for pretty much everything he does.

If my point doesn't make sense to you, sorry, but I don't know how else to spell it out.

[Timmygoat]

43. Anyone know?

Who are the 11 republicans who have sent a letter to the justice department asking for a criminal investigation of Hillary Clinton and James Comey.

[True Blue American]

49. Oh,that blanking

Jim Jordan! He is an,uh,oh, you know. Sessions turned him down! Can you believe it? Sessions!

https://www.vox.com/world/2017/11/14/16650124/sessions-jordan-comey-russia-clinton

[lame54]

44. His party was shit too

[Mike Nelson]

52. I think it startedin the...

...1960s. Both parties had conservatives and liberals... both parties had deplorables... the Dems decided to start throwing the deplorables out of the party... the Repubs took them in...

[tymorial]

57. Sounds like George Will

I dont agree with him but he deregistered for the same reason.