Tree worker stuck and killed on Chesterfield road
4 killed in Southampton County crash

Pro-wrestling politics over James Comey – wham!


RICHMOND, Va. -- I don't know about you, but I'm reminded of those old pro wrestling clips while watching the current state of political and social media discourse.

Every week there's a new or recurring outrage that hinges wildly on our vast cultural divide. We just jump in the ring and swing our folding chairs at our opponents - wham! Take that you idiots! You traitors!

Here in the center ring - again - is former FBI Director Jim Comey, a Richmond guy at one time.

You remember Republicans came after him last year - wham! - for failing to prosecute Hillary Clinton for violating State Department security protocol.

And then the Democrats really started wailing away at him for reopening the email investigation in the 11th hour, costing them the White House.

Some even believed he could've been working with the Russians! Take that, you commie!

Then along comes Trump and - bam! - you're fired! The ring chatter is maybe because Comey was asking too many questions about the Trump/Russian Bear tag team.

Lawd, how we love to hate the Russian Bear! Gonna pile-drive him, I swear! (Sorry, it's a Ramones song.)

Wow! Talk about a thrashing from all sides.

Does Comey deserve it?

Here's a Jersey guy who has been a registered Republican for most of his life.

And yet Comey was tapped to head the FBI by President Obama.

He's walked a middle line on lots of heavy issues during his long and varied career, from wiretapping to acceptable torture techniques.

Read his involvement in a host of brawls and scandals: his independence has bristled both sides.

He lived here in the mid- to late '90s, when he headed up the US Attorney's office in our district. He also taught law at the University of Richmond.

He's the kind of guy who was supposedly considered for a Supreme Court seat under George W. Bush, but signed a friend of the court brief in favor of same-sex marriage.

Now plenty of Democrats are losing their minds over the firing of the same guy they've been crushing with their folding chairs. All the sudden Comey's the guy to blow the whistle on the Putin/Trump team!

And some Republicans who came around to cheer Comey for taking down Hillary are saying - whack - good riddance!

It's like a pro-wrestling plot where the good guys and bad guys change roles to whip up the crowd.

And there we are, leaping in the ring, smiting vigorously with our social media steel chairs: Idiots! Traitors!

Me, I like a guy like Comey. He could take a beating from both sides. Trump likely deserves a clang on the melon for that one.

But firing him won't stop the investigation, despite the shouts from media announcers whipping up the crowd for the main event.

Any attempted cover up - if that's what it was - always brings on the lust for blood. Comey's testimony will now contend for the heavyweight belt as both sides scream from the stands for the beatings and investigations to continue.

And we have our next outrage waiting to leap into the ring.

Friends, this is what politics and social media has become.

It makes pro wrestling look civilized.

And real.

