memeorandum: Excerpts from James Comey's Opening Statement to the Senate Intelligence Committee or from Kazuo … (Nick Asbury/McSweeney's)

11:45 AM ET, June 8, 2017

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Philip Allen Lacovara / Washington Post:

I helped prosecute Watergate. Comey's statement is sufficient evidence for an obstruction of justice case. — Philip Allen Lacovara, a former U.S. deputy solicitor general in the Justice Department, served as counsel to Watergate special prosecutors Archibald Cox and Leon Jaworski.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Breitbart, Vox, CNBC, The Intercept, Daily Kos, Taylor Marsh, Hullabaloo, New York Times, The Week, Lawfare, The Guardian, Daily Wire, The Federalist, Just Security, Townhall.com, Blazing Cat Fur, ACS Blog and Political Wire

Joe Concha / The Hill:

CNN issues correction after Comey statement contradicts reporting — CNN has corrected a Tuesday report after the release of former FBI Director James Comey's opening statement for his Thursday testimony in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee contradicted the reports' sources.

Discussion: Breitbart, zerohedge.com/fullrss2 …, Daily Wire, Vox Popoli, TheBlaze, Washington Post, Washington Free Beacon, Mediaite, The Week and The Daily Caller

JGoldsmith / Lawfare:

Two Reflections on the Comey Statement — Though I agree with much of what Ben says about James Comey's statement, I find myself in greater agreement with David French's account. As French concludes, “there are some elements that are good for President Trump, but overall it shows …

Discussion: The Week, Mother Jones, Daily Wire, The Federalist, The Guardian, The Atlantic, ThinkProgress and New York Magazine

Wall Street Journal:

RNC to Lead Trump's Offensive Against Comey — President Donald Trump is outsourcing much of the response to ex-FBI Director James Comey's testimony on Thursday to the Republican National Committee.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Week and TMZ.com

Jonathan Turley / USA Today:

James Comey's testimony doesn't make the case for impeachment or obstruction against Donald Trump — The president's actions may have been wildly inappropriate, but they are not enough to establish a strong criminal case. — The release of former FBI director James Comey's testimony …

Discussion: The Federalist, Los Angeles Times, Betsy's Page, New York Times, New York Magazine, CNN and Washington Post

Jordain Carney / The Hill:

GOP senator threatens to subpoena Comey — (R-Iowa) is opening the door to summoning James Comey to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee after the former FBI director declined an invitation. — “Under our rules on our committee, if Sen. [Dianne] Feinstein [D-Calif.] …

New York Times:

‘Must-See TV’: Free Drinks and Canceled Meetings for Comey's Testimony — The schedule has been cleared and the popcorn readied at Evergreen Partners, a strategic communications firm in central New Jersey, where the rule for employees on Thursday morning is simple: No client talk while James B. Comey is speaking.

Discussion: The Week and Althouse

Matthew Boyle / Breitbart:

COVFEFE LIVEWIRE: Comey Crazy Sweeps Washington... Breitbart Live From Union Pub — Former FBI Director James Comey, who was fired by President Donald J. Trump, will testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday morning-and Washington, D.C., elites are gathered …

Discussion: Mother Jones, KOIN-TV and New York Times

Wall Street Journal:

The ‘Independent’ Mr. Comey — His prepared testimony shows why he deserved to be fired. — The Senate Intelligence Committee released James Comey's prepared testimony a day early on Wednesday, and it looks like a test of whether Washington can apprehend reality except as another Watergate.

Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:

Counsel to Watergate prosecutors sees ‘sufficient evidence’ for obstruction of justice case against Trump — A former U.S. deputy solicitor general who helped prosecute Watergate says former FBI Director James Comey's prepared testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee lays …

Discussion: RedState, ABC News, Washington Post and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Bwittes / Lawfare:
Initial Comments on James Comey's Written Testimony

Joshua Campbell / USA Today:
James Comey is no showboat

Discussion: The Atlantic

Alayna Treene / Axios:
Mark Warner: “This is not how a President behaves”

Discussion: Politico, Political Wire, ABC News and The Hill

Jonathan S. Tobin / New York Post: In quest for a Trump crime, Dems refuse to take ‘no’ for an answer

Bloomberg:
Trump Will Be Watching Comey Just Like the Rest of Us

Discussion: CNN, TheStreet and New York Magazine

New York Post:
So far, Jim Comey is disappointing the witch-hunters

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, Business Insider and The Last Tradition

New York Times:
Comey's Political Shrewdness Is on Display in Tussle With Trump

Discussion: Politico

Rich Lowry / Politico:
Comey's fizzle — James Comey has an expectations problem.

Discussion: Axios and ABC News

Kyle Cheney / Politico:
5 things to watch in Comey's testimony on Trump and Russia

Discussion: ABC News, The Hill and IJR

David French / National Review:
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: James Comey's Prepared Testimony, Explained

Discussion: Washington Post and New York Times

James B. Comey / CNN:
READ: James Comey's prepared testimony

Veronica Stracqualursi / ABC News:
The Note: Comey goes under the microscope

Discussion: Politico

John Hinderaker / Power Line:
James Comey, Novelist

Discussion: IJR, AMERICAblog NewsAMERICAblog …, Washington Post and Outside the Beltway

Dan McLaughlin / National Review:
Jim Comey Backs Up Trump's Story, But It's Not All Good News for Trump

Discussion: Take Care Blog, THE WARREN (HENRY) REPORT, Hot Air, Instapundit and Power Line

Tara Palmeri / Politico:
West Wing aides fearful of directly attacking Comey

Discussion: Vox, ABC News, Political Wire, The Verge, New York Magazine, The Week and Talking Points Memo

Julia Carrie Wong / The Guardian:

Gianforte pays $50,000 to press group to settle assault of Guardian reporter — Congressman-elect issues lengthy apology to Ben Jacobs over ‘unprofessional, unacceptable, and unlawful’ actions … Greg Gianforte, the Montana Republican who assaulted a Guardian journalist on the eve …

Discussion: Shareblue, Talking Points Memo, www.bozemandailychronicle.com, Washington Post, KTLA, New York Magazine, NPR, Mediaite, Raw Story and Washington Times, more at Mediagazer »

Hadas Gold / Politico:
Gianforte to give $50,000 to press freedom group after assaulting reporter

Discussion: ABC News, The Daily Caller, Washington Free Beacon and Axios

Michael Grunwald / Politico:

The Scandal Hiding In Plain Sight — “Perhaps the mystery is a little too plain,” said Dupin. — “Oh, good heavens! Who ever heard of such an idea?” — “A little too self-evident.” — “Ha! ha! ha!—ha! ha! ha!—ho! ho! ho!” —Edgar Allan Poe, The Purloined Letter

The Daily Beast:

Are the Feds Treating the White House Like a Mob House? … It's no accident your phone lights up nearly every night with new revelations about Team Trump's connections to Russia. So many different investigators with so many different agendas are looking into so many different parts of that nexus …

Reuters:

North Korea fires suspected land-to-ship missiles as South Korea delays THAAD — North Korea fired what appeared to be several land-to-ship missiles off its east coast on Thursday, South Korea's military said, a day after the South postponed full deployment of a controversial U.S. anti-missile system designed …

Discussion: CNN, The Diplomat, The Daily Caller, Defense One, The Week and The Atlantic

Donna Borak / CNNMoney:

House to vote on killing Dodd-Frank today — Robert Rubin: Much of Dodd-Frank was ‘necessary’ — House lawmakers are poised to pass the “crown jewel” of the GOP-led regulatory reform effort on Thursday, effectively gutting the Dodd-Frank financial regulations that were put in place during the Obama administration.

Discussion: New York Times, The Week and Mother Jones