slate - fascinating, scary - "Constitutional Crisis of Comedy"

Donald Trump’s defenders say his apparent obstruction of justice was a joke. Comedians don’t get it.

By Dahlia Lithwick

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2017/05/mike_birbiglia_on_how_donald_trump_is_killing_comedy.html

A few weeks ago, President Donald Trump seemed to have triggered a teensy constitutional crisis when he fired FBI Director James Comey. Among the shifting kaleidoscope of reasons for Comey’s termination was his investigation into Russia’s role in Trump’s election victory. The problem for Trump—which could rise to actual obstruction of justice charges—is that he fired Comey after inviting him to the White House, clearing the room of witnesses, and then allegedly telling him, “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go.” In case that message didn’t get through, he also allegedly added, “He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.” (The case for obstruction has since been bolstered by reports of other witnesses and similar incidents.)


The White House of course disputes this account, which Comey has reportedly detailed in careful contemporaneous notes (as FBI agents tend to do). Meanwhile, as New York’s Jonathan Chait has noted, several of Trump’s defenders have argued that while Trump perhaps said these words, he probably didn’t mean them.

Rep. James Comer, a member of the Oversight Committee, says Trump may well have been joking to Comey. "It looks different on paper."

— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) May 17, 2017
A senior WH official tells @PeterAlexander that POTUS wasn't telling Comey to end Flynn investigation and suggest this is the way he speaks

— Marianna Sotomayor (@MariannaNBCNews) May 17, 2017
Heard this last night from some Rs on Hill. "Trump was just spouting off, wasn't serious attempt at obstruction." https://t.co/G8BfUzZ6Xo

— John Bresnahan (@BresPolitico) May 17, 2017
Now this is a bit like arguing that when Richard Nixon was caught on tape in 1972 explaining to his chief of staff Bob Haldeman precisely how to obstruct the FBI’s investigation of Watergate, he was just working up material for a guest appearance on Laugh-In. It may be possible. But it’s not probable. (“They [the CIA] should call the FBI in and say that we wish for the country, don’t go any further into this case.” Hilarious!) Somehow, though, “it was only a joke” has become the GOP and Donald Trump’s equivalent of “the dog ate my homework,” a catch-all defense for genuine gaffes and even for potential criminal obstruction of justice.


Kind of long, but spot on - and depressing...and well worth reading. SNIP. Much more to read.