2016 elections - because it's never too early

[LaCroix]

[Zanza]

Can Obama fire him on November 9th?

[OttoVonBismarck]

Remember that when we leave NATO in 2019.

There was another rather alarmist article (which didn't claim to represent considerations in government though) about that. It suggested that Germany would have to massively re-arm then and consider own nuclear weapons as a deterrent against Russia.

Eh, doubt it pal. Too many doves in your country to go nuclear, 50/50 on if any Germans would want to push 4-5% GDP which they'd need to be a credible deterrent against Russia with conventional weapons.

[Zanza]

Eh, doubt it pal. Too many doves in your country to go nuclear, 50/50 on if any Germans would want to push 4-5% GDP which they'd need to be a credible deterrent against Russia with conventional weapons.

Germany is not even allowed to own nuclear weapons under both NPT and more specifically the 2+4 Treaty that reunified Germany in 1990. So that's just journalists looking for something alarmist to write about.

The lack of credibility for deterrence is not primarily a question of spending anyway, but a question of political will. And Russia knows perfectly well that Germany is not willing to use any "hard" power.

[Admiral Yi]

Can Obama fire him on November 9th?

I think maybe you misread the letter.  He's saying he found nothing hinky.

[CountDeMoney]

As any agent knows when it comes to their firearms training, you can't unpull the trigger.

[OttoVonBismarck]

Can Obama fire him on November 9th?

Yes--FBI director is "intended to be non-partisan", and for that reason is appointed to a 10-year (typically non-renewable) term, and there's a "history" of letting him operate as the independent "police chief" of the FBI. But unlike some other Federal officeholders like SEC Commissioners or FEC Commissioners or Fed Chairman, who are Presidentially appointed, Senate confirmed and not firable (they can all be impeached or pressured to resign) by the President, the FBI director's office is not so protected by statute, but by "general custom." Legally he serves at the "pleasure of the President", which I suspect he no longer has.

Generally the President will want the "political cover" of the FBI Director having been derelict in his duties or having behaved improperly to take this step. The last time this happened was William Sessions, who Bill Clinton fired in the 90s. There were some improprieties tied to him, he was pressured to resign gracefully and declined, so Clinton fired him. Louis Freeh was also "pushed out" by Bush, but he had the good sense to resign to avoid the embarrassment of being fired.

[Valmy]

LOL so it was nothing.

I figured.

[CountDeMoney]

LOL so it was nothing.

I figured.

Just another FBI-related shooting that, after further investigation by the FBI, the FBI has determined that the FBI was found not to be at fault.   

[Zanza]

Can Obama fire him on November 9th?

I think maybe you misread the letter.  He's saying he found nothing hinky.

He comes out of this looking like a political hack that got cold feet in the last minute.

[FunkMonk]

BREAKING NEWS

Feds drop BOMBSHELL report on eve of election

CLEARS CLINTON of wrongdoing

Trump: Comey paid off by Crooked Hillary

CLINTON: *massive pepe face meme*

[garbon]

I've no words.

[CountDeMoney]

I've no words.

I've got two:  MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

[Admiral Yi]

He comes out of this looking like a political hack that got cold feet in the last minute.

How would a political hack with warm feet have acted?  Fabricated classified emails?  Sat on the results of an already concluded investigation until after the election?

I think there are other signs of Comey's partisanship, particularly his inconsistency regarding the release of conclusions about Putin's hacking and news about reopening the server investigation, but your conclusion seems to in spite of this recent letter, not because of it.

[dps]

There's no reason why she has to.  President-Elect Trump would have defied, discarded and disavowed every political principle, convention and practice on his way to the White House--so I see no reason why Chancellor Merkel--or the leader of any other US ally he has personally insulted--should follow them, either.

A gift basket would suffice.

He would be the democratically elected president of a friend and partner nation, so of course we would extend all courtesy that the office of president commands to him.

Personally, if I were elected President, I'd actually prefer getting gift baskets instead of words of congratulations.