NO ONE WOULD EXPECT HIM TO BE EFFECTIVE AT SOMETHING:

The president's Republican defenders act as if the fact that his attempts to quash the Russia probe were unsuccessful somehow exonerates him. But Richard Nixon wasn't successful in obstructing justice, either -- and he was still forced to resign.

Comey has now testified under oath that Trump tried to secure a pledge of "loyalty" from him in return for remaining the FBI director, and that Trump tried to pressure him into "letting Flynn go" while Flynn was under FBI investigation. The cover story of Trump defenders that the president was only offering a nonbinding suggestion won't wash. When the president tells a subordinate he "hopes" that something will occur, that is, in effect, an order -- and Comey interpreted it as such, even if he did not carry it out.

Why wasn't Trump more explicit in ordering Comey to drop the Flynn probe? Because he knew that doing so would be improper. In fact, he knew that even talking to Comey about it was wrong, which is why he cleared the room on Feb. 14 before doing so. Trump clearly hoped that, with a wink and a nudge, he would get the FBI director to drop the investigation into his former national security advisor, who may well have damning information that he could reveal if pressed. (In fact, Flynn has offered to testify in return for immunity.)

Want more evidence of a cover up? The Washington Post reported that Trump asked Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, and Mike Pompeo, the CIA director, to pressure Comey to back off the Flynn probe. This request, which Coats and Pompeo do not deny, is all too reminiscent of one of the articles of impeachment against Nixon, who also tried to use the CIA to stop an FBI investigation of executive branch misconduct.

The final and most convincing evidence of obstruction of justice involves Comey's firing on May 9. The reasons Trump initially gave were, as Comey noted, "lies, plain and simple." Initially Trump claimed that he was firing Comey because the FBI was in "disarray" and the director was a "showboat." But within days, Trump admitted to NBC's Lester Holt that the real reason was because he wanted to end the investigation into the "Russia thing." Trump then told the Russian foreign minister and ambassador that before he fired Comey ("a real nut job"), "I faced great pressure because of Russia." Now, "that's taken off. I'm not under investigation."

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