April 20, 2018

"President Trump spoke in intimate and candid terms to the former F.B.I. director James Comey about some of the most sensitive matters before the agency..."

"... including the salacious dossier detailing Mr. Trump’s ties to Russia and the investigation into Michael T. Flynn, the president’s first national security adviser, according to Mr. Comey’s closely guarded memos. The redacted and declassified memos — running 15 pages in total, and sent to Congress from the Justice Department on Thursday night — detail a series of phone calls and encounters between the two men in the months leading up to Mr. Comey’s firing.... The memos are exacting in their specificity, including details about who was sitting where, the precise times that conversations began and their durations. In some cases, Mr. Comey shared his accounts with others immediately afterward. These details add credibility to Mr. Comey’s account of events. Mr. Trump has disputed some parts, including asking Mr. Comey to shut down an investigation into Mr. Flynn....  The three Republican chairmen... issued a joint statement Thursday night [saying that w]hile Mr. Comey 'went to great lengths to set dining room scenes, discuss height requirements, describe the multiple times he felt complimented and myriad other extraneous facts, he never once mentioned the most relevant fact of all, which was whether he felt obstructed in his investigation'..."

Comey Memos Provide Intimate Look Into Trump Presidency" (NYT). And here's the link to PDFs of the 15 pages of memo.

There's also an interview with Comey on the NYT "Daily" podcast, which begins with Comey openly confessing to egomania (and stressing his conscious efforts to keep it under control). From Michael Barbaro's description of the interview:
I started the interview where Mr. Comey begins his book — actually before he begins his book, in the author’s note, with a strikingly candid observation about his own personality. “All people have flaws and I have many,” he wrote. “Some of mine, as you’ll discover in this book, are that I can be stubborn, prideful, overconfident and driven by ego.”

It seemed like his decision to itemize his own shortcomings before recounting his role in the investigation of Hillary Clinton and Mr. Trump over the past two years might be an acknowledgment that those flaws help explain his conduct. But Mr. Comey quickly rejected the idea that his ego had played a role in how he managed the investigation into Mr. Trump....

Mr. Comey said his ritual of writing memos about conversations with Mr. Trump began after a meeting inside Trump Tower on Jan. 6, 2017 — but not because Mr. Trump, then president-elect, had said something especially alarming. Instead, Mr. Comey said, from the very first moments of their relationship, he believed Mr. Trump could not be trusted.

86 comments:

rhhardin said...

Former Playboy Bunny James Comey.

Fernandinande said...

Mr. "Comey" waits for his facial.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Do you feel obstructed?

Well do you, Mr. Comey?

TreeJoe said...

I read the memos - Comey repeatedly stressed to Trump how reliable and trustworthy Andrew McCabe was despite his actions during the campaign. The same Andrew McCabe that is now under criminal investigation for his behavior while at the FBI and during the same time period.

I read the memos and came away that they treated Trump very well and that, in light of what we currently know, they show Comey to be a rather poisonous head of the FBI who needed to go.

For example, he specifically called out how he told Trump he doesn't leak and isn't political. He's very solid, trustworthy, respect the standards type of guy.

Of course he then leaked like a sieve with the specific mission to destroy Trump.

rehajm said...

Drama queen.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

With the Comey memos released I find it hard to care about anything Hillary and her band of idiots did. She will go down as the biggest whiner in history.

Althouse didn't like this comment on the other thread?

David said...

Trust? It seems to me that the misplaced trust was that which Trump gave to Comey. He was remarkably open and frank. Given that Comey clearly wanted to keep his job, Trump also completely avoided stating or implying that keeping the job required favors with respect to Flynn or anyone else.

David Begley said...

NYT, "These details add credibility to Mr. Comey’s account of events."

No, NYT. These memos totally destroy Comey's credibility.

Look what he left out of his discussions with Trump. He never told him that the Steele dossier was paid for by the Hillary campaign.

And in his leaks to the press, he never told the world that Trump wanted the FBI to find out if his "satellites" has messed with the Russians.

Now watch the rat contest between McCabe and Comey.

I remained convinced that Jim told Andy and Pete to point shave the so-called Hillary investigation. Why didn't the FBI seize Hillary's server? How in the hell did the FBI allow David Kendall destroy 33,000 emails? Point shaving.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

The other night George Clintonopolis(D) and Comey were waxing about how "it's possible" that Trump and the Russians stole the election from poor Hillary.

David Begley said...

In his memos, Comey wrote that he's not a weasel. I hear that the next edition of the OED will have a picture of James Comey next to the word "weasel."

walter said...

Was Comey's "make like a curtain" routine the first time he met Trump?

David said...

Beware all "strikingly candid" self evaluations in the context of a public dispute. They have a purpose which is the opposite of candor.

Curious George said...

Jim Comey's brother is an attorney for a firm that does work for the Clinton Foundation. I'm curoius how many people here know that. I didn't. These incestuous fucking rats need to be lined up against the wall and shot. All of them.

Bob Boyd said...

"...he believed Mr. Trump could not be trusted."

No doubt the feeling was mutual.

rcocean said...

How bizarre that he would record these detailed conversations with Trump - but not with Obama and then cc: McCabe and others.

As for their accuracy. First, good liars know that adding minute details makes you more credible. "It was 8:02 PM, and the moon was 16 degrees over the horizon, when Trump - wearing a blue tie with gold clasp -told me was Hitler's Son".

Second, just because Comey heard it, doesn't mean Trump said it. In addition to the usual communication problems, Comey seems to do a lot of mind-reading.

Third, anyone who documents a 1.5 hour conversation and boils it down to a one-page memo is going to get things wrong.


Dust Bunny Queen said...

Trump, Comey's boss, the President of the United States was interviewing one of his CEO's and a subordinate in the Executive Branch. Of course he would be asking "intimate" and pointed questions of his new employee

As the BOSS, Trump wanted to find out who this person is,
what type of CEO he would be,
where his feelings, loyalties lie,
what projects is he currently working on,
how does he run the agency under his control,
what future projects are in line,
when does he expect to have these projects completed
what are his priorities.......all common interview questions from a BOSS to a SUBORDINATE.


I doubt that the intimate questions were really "intimate". Like what kind of underwear does Comey wear. Is Comey a top or bottom? Hows the sex life Comey? Wifey into BDSM?

Those would be intimate questions. Anything to do with the FBI or other Governmental actions is fair game and within the rights of the BOSS, the President, to ask his EMPLOYEE.

chickelit said...

Particularly disturbing is the way Comey began each entry with “Dear Diary,...”

LilyBart said...


Comey has shown himself to be a rather ridiculous person.

FIDO said...

This is pure CYA advice. Comey is Dwight, from The Office. Not in the flexible, skilled and entrepreneurial way, but in the Weasel Way

Phil 314 said...

“Instead, Mr. Comey said, from the very first moments of their relationship, he believed Mr. Trump could not be trusted.”

Accurate self awareness is such a valuable yet rare commodity.

Mary Martha said...

Clearly one person in that conversation couldn't be trusted.... I don't know that it was President Trump.

donald said...

Comey would absolutely be a bottom.

Sydney said...

He puts footnotes in memos to himself?

Ignorance is Bliss said...

...including the salacious dossier detailing Mr. Trump’s ties to Russia...

Mr. Trump's alleged ties to Russia.

I think the press overuses alleged, but given the source of the dossier, and its lack of corroborability, alleged is needed here.

rcocean said...

Like the FISA warrant, what is so "classified" about these documents?

DoJ should have released in August!

rcocean said...

Its been two years and no one proven anything from the Dossier.

The Doisser itself, is based on heresy and 2nd hand gossip from Anon. Russian sources - or Steele's brain.

At some point Alleged = false.

dreams said...

And this.

"The obvious contradiction inherent in discovering his self-recorded words “I don’t leak” in a memo that he deliberately, and possibly feloniously, leaked makes him a national joke. Where are his media and political defenders going to go to escape derisive laughter?

Comey has made his bed, and now he is going to sleep in it. Forever."

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2018/04/release_of_comeys_leaked_memos_seal_his_fate.html#ixzz5DDlyBKgC

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

It might be time for Trump to fire Comey.

Chuck said...


Once we can review Trump's own detailed notes and memoranda of his conversations with Comey, and others, I am sure that this will all be straightened out.

iowan2 said...

DBQ, nails it again. President Trump comes away as a person that is extremely open and candid. As he no doubt is with is top people. President Trump is not a politician. Why do people insist that because he does not parse every single of his utterances with the proper political filter to assure his next election? The memos validate the theory that the FBI, and DOJ were acively working to take down the properly elected President. Every single American should be marching with pitch forks.

Breezy said...

Trump is right this am... it’s not right that Flynn lost so much to these holier than thou doj and fbi people. He deserves to be released and compensated in full.

rcocean said...

Of course, Trump was "candid and open" - he thought he was talking to a "straight-shooting" "Non-partisan" G-man.

Boy, was he wrong.

iowan2 said...

"Its been two years and no one proven anything from the Dossier."

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

I have been watching MSNBC yesterday and this morning, the facts are, "not a single portion of the dossier has been disprove."

See? You dont even know how wrong you are until the Democrat Party/Media, explain it to you.

traditionalguy said...

Comey is bragging that he was the smooth operator as Clinton's Consiglieri, and thus was just as entitled as Hillary to respect and power. After all, without Comey's Cover Up Everything Bureau she would never have risen to the top. Even his disclosure of the Huma Weiner's Laptop was a calculated damage control.

traditionalguy said...

And Seth Rich lies a mouldering in the grave.

rcocean said...

"I have been watching MSNBC yesterday and this morning, the facts are, "not a single portion of the dossier has been disprove."

Its alleged that Rachel Maddow is a witch AND Chris Matthews a Russian spy.

still waiting for it to be disproved

walter said...

Leave it to Comey to interpret a pause or absence of words any way his sleuthy brain sees fit.
If he wrote things down (and Trump didn't), they MUST be true.
I'm sure Comey's ego prior actions and desire to cover himself had no influence.

rcocean said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Michael K said...


Blogger Breezy said...
Trump is right this am... it’s not right that Flynn lost so much to these holier than thou doj and fbi people. He deserves to be released and compensated in full.


This is why there will be no pardon. A pardon suggests guilt. Flynn will be exonerated.Too bad Mueller cannot be forced to pay his legal bills.

Bay Area Guy said...

Comey's 15 minutes are nearly up until he has to testify against McCabe at McCabe's criminal trial.

Memo to McCabe: it's never too late to start singing.....

Achilles said...

I can’t wait for Comey to be indicted.

Trump highlights the injustice that this slime is out making money selling a book while Flynn was bankrupted by Comey’s corruption.

People who support this investigation are terrible people.

Achilles said...

Bay Area Guy said...
“Comey's 15 minutes are nearly up until he has to testify against McCabe at McCabe's criminal trial.

Memo to McCabe: it's never too late to start singing....“

He is looking at multiple counts of perjury, conspiracy and leaking classified information.

They already have Strzok, Paige, and Priestrap. That will cover everyone in the DOJ fbi.

The only people Comey would get points for selling out are Mueller, obama and Hillary.

Bob Boyd said...

Comey went up there with his "dossier" expecting Trump to piss his pants and beg like any other career politician in that position would have done. It didn't work.

AllenS said...

Never give an interview with the FBI, or any person from MSM unless you are recording the interview. Never.

Drago said...

#CNNStrongDefender Chuck: "Once we can review Trump's own detailed notes and memoranda of his conversations with Comey, and others, I am sure that this will all be straightened out."

# of times LLR Chuck asked for examples of the "magnificent" obama's detailed notes: Zero

# of times LLR Chuck demanded any lefty "journalist" disclose any conflicts of interest when reporting on a subject: Zero

# of times LLR Chuck demanded Clinton campaign personnel be put under oath and deposed regarding clearly established connections with Putin cronies in developing campaign oppo research: Zero

If you are sensing a pattern here with LLR Chuck, its because there is a pattern.

And you should feel free to draw obvious conclusions.

Bruce Hayden said...

"I remained convinced that Jim told Andy and Pete to point shave the so-called Hillary investigation. Why didn't the FBI seize Hillary's server? How in the hell did the FBI allow David Kendall destroy 33,000 emails? Point shaving."

I like your point shaving analogy. But remain unconvinced that Comey was a key player there. From the StrzokPage text messages, it looks more like the point shaving was sua sponte deep state. They feared two things. One was Trump, at some high level of abstraction. The other was crossing Crooked Hillary. They knew her reputation for spite and personal revenge, and very clearly didn't want her remembering them as having inconvenienced her when she became President. They feared her, and did so for good reason. This was, BTW, right before Strzok interviewed her as one of two FBI agents doing so, which is why I find their text messages so persuasive there. I don't think that Trump factored into their decision, rather it all appears to have been fear of being remembered unfondly by a vengeful President Crooked Hillary.

The alternative to Comey being at the top of the conspiracy is that the cabal that gave Clinton a pass, and used the Steele Dossier to surveil Trump was much brighter than Comey, knew it, and ran him around in circles, pushing his buttons as needed. And on the FBI side, it was very clearly (from those text messages) run out of McCade's office. McCade being the highest ranking career employee at the FBI, and responsible for the day to day operation of the agency. For the most part the Deep State is just that, the supergrader civil servants at the top of the agencies, right under the political appointees (like Comey). They stay, Administration to Administration, know where all the bodies are buried, and all the ins and outs of how their agency works. Just think back to the BBC comedy "Yes, Minister" to see this dynamic at work.

MikeD said...

I've said it before and I'll say it again: "I'll take fictional memos written after firing for $1,000 Alex".

Bruce Hayden said...

Memo to McCabe: it's never too late to start singing....“

He is looking at multiple counts of perjury, conspiracy and leaking classified information.

They already have Strzok, Paige, and Priestrap. That will cover everyone in the DOJ fbi.


I don't see that having been offered to McCabe. As has been pointed out elsewhere, you can pretty much identify the cooperators by them still being employed, but, with the exception of Priestrap, in a position where they can't do any more damage. Which suggests to me that Priestap approached the OIG all on his own. McCabe was fired, which means that the OIG no longer has control over him, and would need to get a subpoena via DOJ to interview him further. Which means, to ne, that they don't need his testimony, making him a target, and not potential cooperator. Remember, much of the conniving was done be in his office, and he is the highest ranking obviously dirty FBI employee.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

I'm eargerly awaiting Comey's memos he wrote about Attorney General Lynch ordering him to not call the Hillary investigation an "investigation" but a "matter."

Matt Sablan said...

Whenever someone's level of note taking or document handling radically changes, it is *always* suspicious. Which is why the AP Stylebook tells you to *always* treat your records the same way, and not suddenly change things. Because if you do, people will naturally wonder why.

That Comey thought Trump wasn't trustworthy is... not exactly a good reason to suddenly keep a diary.

Matt Sablan said...

"I read the memos - Comey repeatedly stressed to Trump how reliable and trustworthy Andrew McCabe was despite his actions during the campaign. The same Andrew McCabe that is now under criminal investigation for his behavior while at the FBI and during the same time period."

-- And who lied. Repeatedly. To Comey.

Comey's not the best at reading people, huh.

Matt Sablan said...

"Its been two years and no one proven anything from the Dossier."

-- Carter Page did go to Russia, though!

Michael K said...

The other was crossing Crooked Hillary. They knew her reputation for spite and personal revenge, and very clearly didn't want her remembering them as having inconvenienced her when she became President.

Yes, she has a reputation for bad things happening to those who cross her. She was Bill's "bagman" in Arkansas and she is the one who got the FBI files on 900 people when they got to the White House.

This will not stop at McCabe unless they can get Trump somehow. The GOP Congress is part of the Deep State as allies and beneficiaries. Some of this began with McCain-Feingold which put the onus of fund raising on the Congresspersons and left the staffs to run things. That was a seminal event in the history of the Deep State,. Remember it was McCain who sent his staffer to London to get the "dossier."

Matt Sablan said...

"They knew her reputation for spite and personal revenge, and very clearly didn't want her remembering them as having inconvenienced her when she became President."

-- I wish I had the Stzork text that shows this.

dgstock said...

James Comey writes contemporaneous recollections of his conversations that have footnote citations? Odd, that.

Drago said...

Breaking: "DNC SUES OVER RUSSIA, TRUMP, WIKILEAKS"

LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL

If ever there was a "tell" that the Mueller witch hunt has failed, there it is right there.

Hillary/DNC better get that FusionGPS "pay off reporters to report our stories verbatim" machine cranked up cause Mueller and his team of democrat partisan hacks have come up empty.

Which explains the handoff to the NY state hacks in the Southern District as well as this hilarious lawsuit!

Hey DNC, if you are suing do we finally get to have someone independent examine the servers that only the democrat hack team at CrowdStrike got to see?

LOL

File that one under "Questions LLR Chuck will never ask!"

Amadeus 48 said...

I decided Comey couldn’t be trusted when he took a dive in the Hillary email investigation. If Cheyl Mills, Huma Abeden, and Hillary weren’t sweating, and they weren’t, then Comey wasn’t doing the job right.
He didn’t trust Trump but he begged to serve him. Given Comey’s ego, he probably thought he had to stay on to slay Trump and save the country.
I don’t trust him. I hope the IG drops a piano on him.

Drago said...

Sablan: " I wish I had the Stzork text that shows this"

It was both Strzok AND Lisa Page texts that show this.

For some odd, unknowable, inexplicable reason, everyone in DC seems to have been acutely aware of how corrupt and vindictive Hillary was.

But on the plus side for Hillary, it was only every single person in DC who ever crossed her path.

Tom said...

So he intuitively profiled the duely elected president of the United States and then took action based off this intuition.

Self as intrustrument is a powerful tool. But the intuition is not evidence until it's confirmed by verifiable data. Comey took action based off his gut and his gut alone. Did the president sense the distrust and choose to fire him because he can't have a FBI Director who misjudges who to trust?

FIDO said...

Yeah. How is this evidence of anything at all? Is the ink dry on these things? From what I remember, they found some of Hitler's Diaries too...

Matt Sablan said...

"Hey DNC, if you are suing do we finally get to have someone independent examine the servers that only the democrat hack team at CrowdStrike got to see?"

-- That would be, I think, the first thing I'd ask about in discovery.

Sebastian said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sebastian said...

"Comey's not the best at reading people, huh."

True, but I am also a bit disappointed in Trump (I know, I know) for not reading Comey more accurately, more quickly. Certainly being "candid" with such a person was an avoidable mistake.

It almost makes me think that the talent-sniffing tough-CEO posture on The Apprentice was just an act, for show. Say it ain't so, Donald.

Drago said...

Michael K: "Remember it was McCain who sent his staffer to London to get the "dossier."

Whenever the dems/lefties need a "republican" schmuck for cover, they always turn to Old Reliable.

The dems hung the Keating Scandal around McCain's neck (had to, otherwise it was an all dem scandal and that can't be allowed to happen) via one Harry Reid and all McCain did was sit up Fraternity style and say Thank You Sir May I Have Another.

But then again, McCain, because he hates the republican base so much, was always a willing volunteer in this stuff. Which is why McCain jumped in with both feet when Trump emerged.

It's taken McCain being nearly on his deathbed for Lindsay Graham to finally create some distance between himself and McCain. They were always joined at the hip prior to this time.

Looks like Sasse and Romney will take up the McCain Chair of Perpetual Undermining Republican Causes To Seek Common Ground With The Dems.

It's a long title, I realize.

Matt Sablan said...

"Certainly being "candid" with such a person was an avoidable mistake."

-- I think he had to be. We'll never really know though.

Drago said...

Sebastian: "True, but I am also a bit disappointed in Trump (I know, I know) for not reading Comey more accurately, more quickly. Certainly being "candid" with such a person was an avoidable mistake."

We have no idea what Trump was being told and by whom which might have colored Trump's impressions of some of these guys.

Look at what a schmuck Sessions turns out to be and Sessions recommended Rosenstein, who came highly recommended to Sessions from all the other establishment types.

Matt Sablan said...

I think Trump is regretting trusting a lot of people in his early administration. I'm not a huge Trump fan, but he was ill-served by his staff.

Amadeus 48 said...

I think the characteristics that enabled McCain to get through the Hanoi Hilton so gallantly caused him to be such a jerk within the GOP. No one is able to tell him what to do or not to do. He has made a career out of punching in the nose people who should be his allies and friends. He particularly hates having his honor questioned, and he was in that meeting with Charlie Keating because Keating had been a big donor. He never wanted to be in that position again, and-PRESTO- McCain-Feingold and he was a hero again.
Sad.

Paul Mac said...

I'd be interested in Ann's analysis of the comparison between the account she covered in the book of Comey's #MeToo like dinner moment with his account of it just after the fact in his memo.

Matt Sablan said...

Reading more of these memos, I get now why Trump brought up loyalty when he did. Meeting 1: Comey reveals the pee-sex dossier. Same day: Leaked to media.

Next meeting, Comey jokes about how the government leaks like crazy.

Tommy Duncan said...

So did Comey ever discuss policy and bureau direction with Trump, or were their meetings mostly about hand size and tie length?

Tommy Duncan said...

For what it's worth, one definition of "loyalty" is "don't stab me in the back".

Drago said...

Tommy Duncan: "So did Comey ever discuss policy and bureau direction with Trump, or were their meetings mostly about hand size and tie length?"

Comey, like the rest of LLR Chuck's beloved deep state democrat hacks, was too busy contemplating life after Trump, which was, according to plan, only supposed to take until the Summer of 2017 to come to fruition.

Why bother discussing structural stuff with Trump when the hoax collusion coup was going to ensure his removal?

Yancey Ward said...

We now have a better answer to a question I asked almost a year ago- why, when Comey leaked the memos, did his friend read carefully selected portions of the memos over the phone rather than show them to the reporters? The part about not leaking is the better answer.

Sydney said...

Whenever someone's level of note taking or document handling radically changes, it is *always* suspicious. Which is why the AP Stylebook tells you to *always* treat your records the same way, and not suddenly change things. Because if you do, people will naturally wonder why.

This is true. You see it in medical records, too. Sudden verbosity usually means trying to justify a bad decision

Tommy Duncan said...

Drago said:

"Comey, like the rest of LLR Chuck's beloved deep state democrat hacks, was too busy contemplating life after Trump, which was, according to plan, only supposed to take until the Summer of 2017 to come to fruition."

Along the lines of: "I'll have more flexibility after the impeachment?"

Matt Sablan said...

"We now have a better answer to a question I asked almost a year ago- why, when Comey leaked the memos, did his friend read carefully selected portions of the memos over the phone rather than show them to the reporters?"

-- I had assumed the full memos didn't exist. I never assumed they existed, and were actually kinda-sorta neutral to positive for Trump, if read in full.

Yancey Ward said...

Matthew,

I had also made that assumption at the time- in fact, it was my own answer to the question at at the time, but some of them seem to have been sent to third parties before Comey's firing, which undermines that assumption, right?

And, yes- the memos are not damaging to Trump at all, which now raises the question- was Rosenstein even prompted by them at all in appointing Mueller? After reading them, I have to now assume that Rosenstein appointed Mueller for almost any other reason than the memos.

Yancey Ward said...

If I were the the Congressional committee chairman, though, I would make one more request of the DoJ in matter- I would request that the DoJ either verify the released memos include exact copies of those taken from Comey and his friend, and if they are only those on file the day before Comey's firing, then I would request copies of those seized afterwards. It isn't demonstrated to me, yet, that the ones released yesterday are the same as those Comey leaked.

hombre said...

Re Comey memos: “I had a ghost over for dinner last night. See, here’s his plate.”

mikee said...

Unless there is verifiably real tape of the conversation, I don't believe a word of what Comey wrote, including "a" and "the" of course.

wsw said...

Everybody thought that Stzork was brain damaged.

Gk1 said...

I'm with rcocean why in the fuck sakes were these memos classified and kept under lock and key in the first place? Because they took all of the air out of the russia russia russia nonsense (that would be my bet)

Yancey Ward said...

rhardin wrote:

"Former Playboy Bunny James Comey."

One notes that she doth protest too much.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Declassified? That's unpossible! Comey leaked these documents to a civilian (who then leaked them to the Media, which then caused the creation of the investigation that's still ongoing, just as Comey intended), so they can't have been classified. I mean, if any of them were then Comey would have broken the law! That simply can't be true.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

"I don't leak" he wrote about himself in a memo which he then leaked.

Seriously: beyond parody.

Thanks again to the NeverTrump & TrueCon brigades who INSISTED that guys like Comey & McCabe were consummate professionals (nonpartisan, fair, straight shooters) who should be trusted! Just super instincts from our elites. Have any of them apologized? I think Kristol mumbled some grudging half-apology about supporting McMuffin but I'm not even positive about that.