2017 May 19^th

Hugh Hewitt, a conservative radio host and sometime guest on “Morning Joe” tells us of his conversation with Jonah Goldberg. Mr. Goldberg is the senior editor of “The National Review.” His political leanings resemble Anne Coulter’s although he has not her literary fecundity.

 Goldberg seems unhappy with FBI Director Comey’s propensity to take notes after challenging conversations such as his recent tete-a-tete with President Trump. As the story goes, and this part of the story is not contradicted by the president, Trump dismissed his courtiers leaving himself and Director Comey alone for a private conversation. At this point, the recollections diverge. Comey recalls that Trump asked him if he, Trump, was a direct target of any investigation and he asked Comey for a pledge of loyalty. Trump recalls nothing of the sort…although Trump is vague about why there was a need for a private meeting and the content of that discussion. Comey is assumed to have taken notes on this meeting and Trump says that if Comey speaks of its content he should hope that Trump does not have tapes of it.

Comey is known for taking copious notes on most conversations and this one is surely a likely candidate. Jonah Goldberg tells us that he has an informant, unnamed of course, who has told him that Comey’s note taking was confined to conversations with President Trump, few if any notes were taken on conversations with President Obama.

But how often did President Obama get Comey alone to ask him if he was the target of an investigation? Would President Obama want Comey to declare his allegiance to him?  The difference in paranoia between these two presidents is probably not comprehensible to Jonah Goldberg who has speculated that Comey just wanted these notes so he could attack President Trump. Paranoia is apparently infectious.

Trump is now winging his way to Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile back here at the ranch we have some news. Trump told the Russian ambassador to the United States that his abrupt firing of FBI director James Comey was going to remove a “great pressure” on his ability to do his job.

“I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job,” Trump said, according to official meeting notes that were read aloud to the New York Times by an administration source. “I faced great pressure because of Russia. That’s taken off,” the president reportedly said.

This comment makes it hard to pretend that Comey’s firing was not designed to disrupt the investigation of the Trump administration’s ties to Russia. Comey’s firing will disrupt nothing; the investigation of this administration’s ties to Russia will, if anything, now be more vigorous.

Many FBI agents are very upset about the manner in which Comey was fired. He found out about it on television. If there is anything on Trump the FBI agents will find it.