Readers Write: The Comey firing

To ensure he is not being partial to one candidate over another, FBI Director James Comey eschews bureau norms to comment on presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's e-mails in the days leading up to the election. Maybe her campaign was not hurt, but surely it was not helped. Donald Trump is elected president. Then in the midst of an investigation concerning current administration members' ties to Russia, Comey is fired. If justification for the firing is not soon provided (more compelling justification than has been provided in the hours surrounding the announcement), the message we parents might have to tell our children is this: Don't try too hard to do the right thing.

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Here is the tweet I want to see from President Trump:

"The interference of Russia in our election is a serious threat to our democracy. I, Donald J. Trump, call for a full investigation of this interference, wherever it may lead. To show my commitment to this investigation, I am immediately releasing my tax returns for the past 10 years and my financial records in order to assure the American people that I have no untoward financial connections to Russian interests."

Then we need our president to follow through on this commitment.

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Democrats despise James Comey. President Trump fires Comey. Now Democrats complain Trump is a jerk for firing Comey.

Sound about right?

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Regardless of the FBI rank-and-file's complaints regarding Comey, there is one overarching rule or principle they will all always defend, and that is the utter and complete independence of the FBI from political interference. The firing of Comey smacks of White House interference with the investigation of it, and in fact stinks to high heaven of it. Comey was far from the ideal director. But in nobody's world was it OK for the president to fire the director of the FBI while the president was under active investigation.

Thank heavens, this will not be the end of it. The president does not have the last word, and even in a hyperpartisan world, the two parties will come together to find facts and present them to Congress. We have not heard anything close to the last word on this.

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We often use the phrase "unintended consequences" when discussing a plan or event that went awry. We are now witnessing an example of the phrase's validity, the backlash to Trump's decision to fire Comey. In this case, the "consequences" may serve a positive, but "unintended" result.

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Come on! If there was even a scintilla of evidence that Trump and/or his campaign colluded with the Russians, it would have been leaked long ago. All the intelligence people in the Obama administration have said there was no evidence of collusion. Pushing this notion is making the media and Democrats look like partisan fools.

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The firing of Comey was both inevitable and necessary. He embarked on a path contrary to long-standing law enforcement protocol. He became both the investigator and prosecutor.

This dual role was apparent at his July 5, 2016, news conference. He laid out a solid foundation over Hillary Clinton's actions. After explaining count by count her potential culpability over violation the federal espionage act, he made a startling statement. Because Comey perceived she did not possess "intent," any further consideration for prosecution would not be recommended. That was not his call. It was then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch who should have made that decision. A lack of "intent" is not an affirmative defense according to the federal statute. When Lynch made a statement agreeing with Comey's assessment, that sealed the usurpation of power.

History may determine whether this was a prearranged setup between Lynch and Comey. In either case, it was a significant breach of authority and trust.

Now there will be much chatter over the fate of the Russia/Trump investigation. That is motivated to add fuel to the political rancor. Comey's firing wasn't "stunning"; it was necessary in order to return proper order and confidence to the FBI's mission.

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Trump's firing of Comey is about as subtle as the 18 minutes of "missing audio" in the Nixon tapes. I smell collusion and treason in the air.

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"All you've got to know is this: right now the government of the United States is sitting on top of the Washington Monument, right on the very point, tilting right and left and ready to fall off and break up on the pavement. There are just a handful of men that can prevent it."

From the movie "Seven Days in May"

If Congress fails to call for a special prosecutor/investigator they are abdicating their duty as guardians of our country and its Constitution. To not do so is malfeasance.

This is no longer a partisan/party issue. It is about country.

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Dear President Trump:

I have received information via the Star Tribune, and others, regarding your job performance as president of the United States. I have accepted their recommendations and thus now regard you a "fake" United States president. You may resign as soon as possible.

While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that you won the Electoral College vote, I concur with many that you are yet the loser, vis-à-vis the popular vote, and are not able to effectively lead the country.

It is essential that we find new leadership for the country that restores public trust and confidence in its government.

I wish you luck in your future endeavors.

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Excuse me, but why wasn't Gov. Mark Dayton the top headline on Wednesday? ("Governor: 'I will veto every one of those bills.' ")

Trump firing Comey at this time is a "one line grabbing" play by a president not on solid footing.

For those of us who have supported Hillary Clinton throughout her long career, it is an insult to see these late-stage theatrics by current President Trump.

Clinton won the popular vote. Trump won the electoral votes ­and is still "grasping about" to find anything to define himself as president. If this president folds or is "outed," who wants his VP as president?

Well, we are sovereign states, and actions by our governor could be more long acting and significant for us than (the tabloid-type theatrics) going on in D.C.