memeorandum: Comey Bluntly Raises Possibility of Trump Obstruction and Condemns His ‘Lies’ (New York Times)

7:50 AM ET, June 9, 2017

Top Items:

For Trump, the ‘Cloud’ Just Grew That Much Darker — WASHINGTON — Upset about the investigation into Russian interference in last year's election, President Trump sought relief from James B. Comey, then the F.B.I. director. By Mr. Comey's account, Mr. Trump asked him to help “lift the cloud.”

U.S. Department of Justice:

Department of Justice Issues Statement on Testimony of Former FBI Director James Comey — In response to testimony given today by former FBI Director James Comey, Department of Justice Spokesman Ian Prior issued the following statement: — Shortly after being sworn in …

Discussion: his vorpal sword, Lawfare, IJR, The Week and Politico

Brian Beutler / New Republic:

Comey's Trump Testimony Will Haunt Republicans — The former FBI director's damning account before the Senate should be the final straw. Why can't Paul Ryan see that? — In the midst of the most devastating testimony delivered about a sitting president in the living memory …

Discussion: The Guardian, Washington Post, Washington Free Beacon, Al Jazeera English, Common Dreams, Shareblue, Informed Comment, No More Mister Nice Blog, Vox, Daily Wire, Los Angeles Times, Mediaite, Mother Jones, New York Times, CNN, The Slot, CNBC and Eschaton

Fox News:

Dershowitz: Comey confirms that I'm right - and all the Democratic commentators are wrong — In his testimony former FBI director James Comey echoed a view that I alone have been expressing for several weeks, and that has been attacked by nearly every Democratic pundit.

Discussion: Washington Post, American Greatness, Daily Wire, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Lawyers, Guns & Money and The Federalist

Richard Wolffe / The Guardian:

Comey's testimony shows: the impeachment machine is warming up — The Republican reaction to the testimony was as great a curiosity to behold as Trump's infatuation with Putin's Russia - and spoke volumes — ames Comey wants you to know a few things. First and foremost, that Donald Trump is a liar.

Adam Serwer / The Atlantic:

The Incompetence Defense — During former FBI Director James Comey's dramatic testimony before the Senate on Thursday, Republican senators settled on a pair of strange arguments for why President Trump hadn't obstructed justice: He didn't try very hard, or he was really bad at it.

Discussion: Daily Kos, Common Dreams and Above the Law

Eddie Scarry / Washington Examiner:

Chris Matthews: Trump-Russia collusion theory ‘came apart’ with Comey testimony — Liberal MSNBC host Chris Matthews said Thursday the accusation that President Trump directly colluded with Russia to interfere in the U.S. election “came apart” following former FBI Director James Comey's testimony in front of Congress.

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, The Gateway Pundit and RedState

Bloomberg:

Comey Leaves Trump Under a Crippling ‘Cloud’ of Investigations — Distractions, tarnished credibility impede Trump agenda — Ousted FBI chief's testimony a road map for lengthy probes — Donald Trump's White House had feared the worst from former FBI Director James Comey's testimony …

JONATHAN TURLEY:
Did Comey Violate Laws In Leaking The Trump Memo?

Discussion: Washington Post, Newsweek, Daily Wire, Media Matters for America, The Daily Caller, Above the Law, Mediaite and Breitbart, more at Mediagazer »

Mike DeBonis / Washington Post:
Republicans' emerging Trump defense: A naif in the Oval Office

Discussion: Politico

New York Times: Resigned to Trump's Woes, G.O.P. Keeps Working on Legislative Goals

New York Times:
Comey Bluntly Raises Possibility of Trump Obstruction and Condemns His ‘Lies’

Todd S. Purdum / Politico:
Comey's devastating indictment of President Donald Trump

Discussion: New York Times, The Resurgent, Take Care Blog, Althouse and Washington Post

New York Times:
Comey Disputes New York Times Article About Russia Investigation

Discussion: The Last Tradition, Daily Wire, Washington Post, National Review, CNSNews, Hit & Run, Washington Examiner, Townhall.com, The Daily Caller, Power Line, Fox News Insider, Washington Free Beacon, Talking Points Memo, RedState and IJR, more at Mediagazer »

Alex Ward / Vox:
This is the most important moment of the Comey hearing

Discussion: Axios, Politico, Raw Story, ABC News, Simple Justice, New York Times, The Last Tradition, Media Matters for America, Washington Monthly and RedState

Matt Flegenheimer / New York Times:
Comey: Hero, Villain and Shakespearean Character Who Lived Up to Hype

Discussion: CNBC and Mediaite

David Jackson / USA Today:
Trump lawyer says James Comey made ‘unauthorized disclosures’ of privileged talks

Discussion: CANNONFIRE, CNN and Raw Story

Press Association:

Shock result as UK election returns hung parliament - as it happened — Theresa May will go to the palace at 12.30pm believing she can form a government. … Steve Baker, the chair of the influential pro-Brexit European Research Group of backbench MPs, has thrown his weight behind Theresa May.

Discussion: The Guardian, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The FADER, Business Insider, Mother Jones and Balloon Juice

BBC:

UK election 2017: UK set for hung parliament — The Conservatives have failed to win an overall majority, and the UK is now set for a hung parliament, says the latest BBC forecast. — It shows gains for the Labour Party after Thursday's general election.

Discussion: The Sun, FiveThirtyEight, Politico, NPR, Boing Boing, The Moderate Voice and WIRED UK

The Guardian:

May reaches deal with DUP to form government after shock election result — May expected to visit Queen to seek permission to form government after agreeing terms with Northern Ireland party — Theresa May has struck a deal with the Democratic Unionists that will allow her to form a government, sources have confirmed.

Discussion: Bloomberg and The FADER

Daily Mail:
Theresa May to ask Queen to form government after election

Discussion: Telegraph, Vox Popoli and Blazing Cat Fur

Laura Hughes / Telegraph:
Live General Election Results Live: Exit polls point to shock hung Parliament

Discussion: Lawfare, Power Line, Al Jazeera English and The Daily Caller

BBC:
Hung Parliament: Q&A guide to what happens if no-one wins the election

Discussion: New York Magazine, Hong Kong Free Press HKFP, Raw Story, Deadline, The FADER, Axios, Daily Wire, The Atlantic and Obsidian Wings

Washington Post:
Corbyn calls on May to resign as British election results show losses for Conservatives

Discussion: New York Magazine, The Local, The Week, Outside the Beltway, Politico, New York Times and FiveThirtyEight

New York Times:

‘I Was Right’: As Trump Watches Comey on TV, Anxiety Yields to Relief — WASHINGTON — President Trump dipped in and out of the small dining room off the Oval Office on Thursday to monitor a television as James B. Comey, the ousted F.B.I. director, told a tortured tale — and to insist to his huddled legal team, “I was right.”

Discussion: Raw Story

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
Behind Trump's temporary silence: Why the counterpuncher let others do the punching

Discussion: New York Magazine, Reuters, TheBlaze, Axios, NPR, Politicus USA, IJR, Raw Story, CBS New York and DCist

Juliegrace Brufke / The Daily Caller:
EXCLUSIVE: White House Orders House Members To Defend Trump On Cable News Following Comey Hearing

Discussion: IJR

Noor Al-Sibai / Raw Story:
Trump lawyer's statement on Comey littered with typos — including misspelling ‘president’

Discussion: New York Magazine and Vox

CNN:
READ: President Trump's lawyer's statement on Comey hearing

Discussion: CNNMoney, TheBlaze, Raw Story, New York Magazine, The Daily Caller, The Hill, Refinery29 and The Week

CNN:

Comey told senators Sessions may have met Russia's ambassador a third time — Comey: AG may have met ambassador a third time — But the sources said it is possible the Russian ambassador exaggerated the extent of the encounter — Washington (CNN)Former FBI Director James Comey told senators …

Discussion: Raw Story, Lawfare, The Washington Journal, IJR, Political Wire and Axios

Peter W. Stevenson / Washington Post:

Sen. John McCain's bizarre questioning of Comey — This post has been updated with Sen. McCain's statement. — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was the last senator to question former FBI director James B. Comey at Thursday's Senate Intelligence Committee hearing.

Discussion: CBS New York, mccain.senate.gov, The Daily Caller, LewRockwell, New York Times, Fast Company, Bearing Drift, Mediaite, The Last Tradition, Lawyers, Guns & Money and TheBlaze

Bob Fredericks / New York Post:
Does John McCain even know what's going on?

Discussion: Boston Globe, Daily Wire, Townhall.com, Mother Jones and Blazing Cat Fur

Peter Hasson / The Daily Caller: Loretta Lynch Pressured FBI To Downplay Clinton Email Investigation, Comey Says

Richard Elliot / WSB-TV:

NEW POLL: Ossoff support increases after debate with Handel — ATLANTA - The latest exclusive WSB, Landmark Communications Poll shows Democrat Jon Ossoff got a slight bump over Republican Karen Handel after his debate performance Tuesday night on Channel 2.

Discussion: Washington Post

Greg Bluestein / Political Insider blog:
Ossoff raises another $15M in Georgia 6th, setting new fundraising record

Discussion: The Resurgent, Political Insider and RedState

Anna Palmer / Politico:

BREAKING: TRUMP fires back at COMEY: ‘Despite so many false statements and lies, total and complete vindication’ ... and he brands Comey a ‘leaker’ — CHAOS in U.K. election: THERESA MAY likely staying as PM — DRIVING THE DAY — Happy Friday. BREAKING IN LONDON — AP …