These don't seem to be all that significant in some ways, but yet there's a bigger picture here. It's about how Comey tried to depict Sessions. And how Comey wanted to be seen.
During his testimony, Mr. Comey confirmed that he did not inform the Attorney General of his concerns about the substance of any one-on-one conversation he had with the President. Mr. Comey said, following a morning threat briefing, that he wanted to ensure he and his FBI staff were following proper communications protocol with the White House. The Attorney General was not silent; he responded to this comment by saying that the FBI and Department of Justice needed to be careful about following appropriate policies regarding contacts with the White House.
That moment was one of the key elements in Comey's testimony. There was Comey, a good and loyal public servant, agonizing over his interactions with the president, bringing it to the attention of Sessions who said nothing, indicating his complicity. It was subtle and slimy. Except Sessions' response puts a very different spin on it. He told Comey to be careful how he interacted with Trump. Instead of buying into Comey's victimhood, Sessions told him to grow up and act like a professional. You can see why Comey would not have wanted to include that in his version.
His memos are great dramatically. But Sessions remaining silent is implausible. His response is far more plausible. But Comey took the Liberty Valance approach. And the media is printing his legend.
In his testimony, Mr. Comey stated that he was “not *** aware of” “any kind of memorandum issued from the Attorney General or the Department of Justice to the FBI outlining the parameters of [the Attorney General’s] recusal.” However, on March 2, 2017, the Attorney General’s Chief of Staff sent the attached email specifically informing Mr. Comey and other relevant Department officials of the recusal and its parameters, and advising that each of them instruct their staff “not to brief the Attorney General *** about, or otherwise involve the Attorney General *** in, any such matters described.”
This one is damning in a whole other way because such a claim wouldn't be made if it didn't exist. It's far too easy to disprove. And that means Comey lied about it. Like his previous Sessions lie, it was a lie of omission. Which is a safer bet. Instead of claiming that Trump or Sessions did or said things that never happened, Comey introduces drama and ambiguity. He leaves out responses to paint a different picture. And omission is an easily defensible lie. Comey can always claim that he fotgot,