I’ve found a couple of things worth reading on the Comey firing. The first is Deputy Attorney General Rod Rubinstein’s memo to AG Jeff Sessions (PDF). Here’s an excerpt from it in reference to Director Comey’s July press conference:
The FBI director is never empowered to supplant federal prosecutors and assume command of the Justice Department. There is a well-established process for other officials to step in when a conflict requires the recusal of the Attorney General.
The other is Charles Lipson’s guide to the issues and the political postures of the Democrats and Republicans:
Donald Trump’s decision to fire James Comey has set off a firestorm, mostly along party lines, but not entirely. Some Republicans have expressed concern, too, and more will wring their hands in the next few days if the Democrats’ narrative takes hold.
How long the fire lasts and how much it consumes depends, crucially, on information that will emerge out over the coming days, as media organizations pump their sources and Comey defends himself.
To summarize the summary the Democrats and to a large extent the media are taking the position that Trump is the new Nixon and should be impeached. The Republicans, without nearly as unified a voice, are saying that Comey should have been fired for cause long since and are trying to tamp down any fires of a major scandal out of self-interest.
The first excerpt is basically the whole story, game set and match. (Others – prosecutors – have pointed out his sham investigative techniques, like granting immunity Willy-hilly and allowing destruction of evidence). His motivations may have been good, bad, love of the limelight. It doesn’t matter. He committed a grossly unprofessional act and unpardonable sin. It fractured the FBI.
The foaming of the mouth impeachment talk, mealy mouthed duck and cover, and forked tongue media talk are just sad reminders of what a circus things have become.