As the Democrats embrace James Comey today, The New York Times reminds us of their long history of contempt for the former FBI director.
Democrats Once Had Only Contempt for James Comey. But That Was Then.
The New York Times
Carl Hulse
June 7, 2017
WASHINGTON — Appalling. Disturbing. Partisan. Completely puzzling.
Those were among the harsh words top Democrats used to toss around about the actions of James B. Comey during his tenure as director of the F.B.I. Their anger and resentment over his handling of the Hillary Clinton email matter and other issues were so pronounced that President Trump expected applause from them when he fired Mr. Comey. That turned out not to be the case.
Now Democrats are embracing Mr. Comey, a man many of them blame for Mr. Trump’s election, as a star witness in the investigation into Russian election meddling and potentially problematic behavior by the president.
…
Democrats have not always been so restrained in their assessment of Mr. Comey. Many were apoplectic over his announcement — just days before November’s election — that he had resumed a federal inquiry into whether Mrs. Clinton mishandled classified information through her use of a private email server as secretary of state. Some Democrats were already fed up with Mr. Comey after he announced in July that he would not recommend charges against Mrs. Clinton while delivering a stinging critique of her conduct. Lawmakers and many in the Justice Department concluded Mr. Comey had acted outside his authority.
Harry Reid, then the Senate Democratic leader, suggested Mr. Comey had broken the law, and Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, then the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, spoke for many of her colleagues when she called his actions shocking and appalling. Others were even more strident.
The difference in tone was not lost on Senator Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky Republican and majority leader, in response to Democratic outrage at the firing of Mr. Comey in early May.
“So what we have now,” Mr. McConnell said at the time, “is our Democratic colleagues complaining about the removal of an F.B.I. director whom they themselves repeatedly and sharply criticized.”
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