Like most of you, I watched most of former FBI Director James Comey's testimony this morning. You could kind of understand why Comey had the job as long as he did and why he lost it. He had it because he's really good at speaking guardedly, not allowing questioners to bait him into saying more than he wants to say and then where possible, passing the buck to others. I doubt anyone could function in that environment without that skill.
Comey did great damage to Trump though not as much as he would have if he hadn't repeatedly declined to say whether or not Trump committed an Obstruction of Justice. Since he did say he felt he'd been pushed to drop the investigation of Michael Flynn, we know what he would have said if he'd answered that question…but that, he said over and over, will be left to the Special Counsel to determine. And he has total confidence in that Special Counsel.
After Trump, the person to whom he did the most damage was probably Attorney General Jeff Sessions. And then John McCain embarrassed himself by appearing a bit addled, unable to understand how the FBI could possibly conclude an investigation of a Democrat on one matter without also concluding one of a different matter at a different time involving a Republican. McCain is a man who believes in perpetual wars and perpetual "investigations" of his enemies.
I don't see Comey as a hero. Whatever his reasons, he clearly did something sloppy and contrary to policy with his announcement about reopening the investigation into Clinton's e-mails. He is testifying now so the narrative of his relationship with Trump and his firing are not successfully spun to paint him as sinister or inept. I didn't see a lot on my TV to respect, either from the questioners or the questioned. What I saw was another chapter in a story that's got a long way to go.