SAN NARCISO, Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- Acting, and most likely interim, FBI Director Andrew McCabe rejected a series of assertions by the White House that his predecessor, James Comey, had compromised the bureau’s integrity, lost the faith of the public and frustrated peers with his insistence on squandering Justice Department resources for a costly crusade to validate Russia’s meddling in the election, which Trump described as a “minor concern” to employees. McCabe boldly contradicted Trump’s allegations and praised Comey. He then vowed that nothing could prevent the FBI from “doing the right thing” and pushing the probe forward. After his testimony on Capitol Hill, McCabe said, “I’m terribly excited to step into this role, and I’m looking forward to the one or maybe two weeks I’ll get to serve America as the director of the FBI.”

Trump Fires Contestant Comey from White House Reality Show

President Donald Trump on Tuesday unceremoniously sacked FBI Director James Comey, just days after the nation’s top law enforcement official requested additional prosecutors from the Justice Department to expedite the bureau’s investigation into Russia’s interference with the presidential election.

Trump’s reasons for firing Comey flew in stark contrast to the sloppy explanations given by his own staff, including Vice President Pence. Press Secretary Spicer dodged reporters’ questions and fled into the darkened bushes outside the White House. Sarah Huckabee Sanders pleaded with the nation to just look the other way. Pence proclaimed that Comey’s termination resulted from the recommendation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who could also be implicated in the scandal.

But the president veered off script again, branding Comey a “showboat” and “grandstander” who had lost the respect of his colleagues. As Salon noted:

“There’s no good time to do it, by the way,” Trump said of firing an FBI director. Comey was only the second FBI director fired in modern history. “The FBI has been in turmoil. You know that. I know that. Everybody knows that,” the president insisted on Thursday.

But the drastic call for Comey’s head cast further doubts on the president’s denials that no ties exist between his White House and the Kremlin. With Department of Justice and intelligence officials convinced that Russia meddled in U.S. affairs, Mr. Trump worsened public perception by hosting a closed-door meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday.

Trump explained that diminishing the influence of Russia can only be achieved by those closest to it, particularly Russians themselves. He justified the meeting as an advisory exercise to select the most suitable replacement for Comey.

“Who understands the deviant, illegal undertakings of former Soviet spies and organized crime families than those same individuals?” Trump asked. “That’s why it’s imperative that we enlist the help of Russians to find an investigator knowledgeable enough to bring down Russia.”

Andrew McCabe: New Apprentice Likely to Be Fired After First Episode

If Mr. Trump’s hasty removal of Comey served to impede the investigation into his ties with Moscow, the testimony delivered by Andrew McCabe on Thursday offered the president no relief.

“I hold Director Comey in the absolute highest regard. I have the highest respect for his considerable abilities and his integrity,” McCabe told members of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

As CNN reported, McCabe said Comey enjoyed “broad support within the FBI and still does to this day.” He added, “The majority, the vast majority of FBI employees enjoyed a deep, positive connection to Director Comey.”

McCabe then disputed Trump’s claims that Comey said the president was not under investigation directly, and he contradicted the White House’s assessment that the probe was widely discounted as a trivial affair. “We consider it to be a highly significant investigation,” McCabe stressed.

McCabe’s most forceful statement came during a powerful exchange with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), when he emphasized that nothing would deter him from leading the FBI’s probe of Russian hacking.

“As you know, senator, the work of the men and women of the FBI continues despite any changes in circumstance, any decisions, so there has been no effort to impede our investigation to date,” McCabe said. “Simply put, sir, you cannot stop the men and women of the FBI from doing the right thing, protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution.” He also threatened to inform the Senate if any attempt was made to thwart the investigation.

Despite the sometimes heated and tense discussions, McCabe emerged from Capitol Hill looking buoyant.

“I feel great about the meeting,” McCabe beamed. “I went in strong, stood by my principles, honored the bureau’s commitment to ensuring that justice prevails for all Americans, and upheld the tenets of our Constitution with the sanctity they deserve. I’m eager to get started. Transitioning to FBI director, if even for a few days, is a major milestone in my career. I’ve already prepared my family for my upcoming unemployment, so that’s covered.”

“But before the axe falls,” he added, “I’m really looking forward to doing important work and making progress in this investigation for the week or two I’ll have in the position. With any luck, we’ll uncover some critical leads over the next seven to ten days, before I get fired and Mr. Trump appoints a business buddy with no legal or intelligence experience to replace me -- like an executive from Macy’s or Walmart or LendingTree. Someone, you understand, who won’t take issue with the president of the United States paying Russia hookers to pee on him.”

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