A Huckabee stands in for Sean Spicer as White House spokesperson and claims that James Comey committed "atrocities." Wait, what?

The White House deputy press secretary just said Comey committed “atrocities.” Atrocities. pic.twitter.com/mVGnavpz49

— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) May 10, 2017

Courtesy of Newsweek: 

Before President Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday, he had wanted to do so “since the day he was elected,” Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said during Wednesday’s press briefing. 

Comey’s firing, which the White House blamed on his supposed mishandling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, dominated Wednesday’s press briefing. Earlier in the day, Trump clarified the reason for Comey’s termination, saying: "He wasn't doing a good job. Very simply. He was not doing a good job." 

Sanders offered few new details about the events that led to Comey’s firing, but at one point described Comey’s handling of the Clinton emails as an example of the “atrocities” he committed as director. “Once you take over leading the department of just, that’s very different from being a candidate in a campaign,” she said. “I think also having a letter like the one he received and having that conversation that outlined the basic, just, atrocities in circumventing the chain of command in the Department of Justice.”

Look I have been just as critical of James Comey as probably anybody, but even I have not labeled anything that he has done as an "atrocity."

And as for Trump wanting to fire Comey "since the day he was elected," how does the Huckabee spawn explain this:

Trump just literally blew a kiss to James Comey at a WH reception for law enforcement pic.twitter.com/HwVq9DNdZd

— Richard Hine (@richardhine) January 22, 2017

You don't typically blow kisses to folks you are planning to get rid of, unless of course you are a Mafioso or something.

So if you are wondering why there was a Huckabee lying to the White House press today instead of the Easter Bunny, well it appears that somebody may have needed a little quiet time after announcing the firing of Comey yesterday.

This is what Newsweek reported took place after Spicer yelled to the press that Comey was kaput: 

Aides said he would speak to press about the termination, which was blamed on Comey's supposed mishandling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while secretary of state, then changed their answers and said he wouldn't. Outside, Spicer appeared on Fox Business with Lou Dobbs, at times stuttering and misspeaking, at one point saying the attorney general had been terminated before quickly correcting himself. Photographers could be seen at the edges of the frame taking pictures of Spicer as he spoke with Dobbs.

"What I can tell you is the president, when given these recommendations, made a decision to accept their conclusions and to remove director Comey and begin that restoration of confidence and leadership that needs to happen there," Spicer said. 

The Post detailed also that "Spicer spent several minutes hidden in the bushes" while his press assistants negotiated the terms of a briefing. He stepped out, and asked for the lights on set to be turned off. They were.

WH Press Secretary Sean Spicer speaks to reporters about the firing of FBI Director Comey as he walks into the West Wing. #FBIDirector pic.twitter.com/c2SNG63lIr

— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) May 10, 2017

I'm sorry, Spicer hiding in the bushes, and then demanding that the lights be turned off before he agrees to talk to the press is just hysterical.

I would try to feel a little empathy, but he took this job knowing who he was working for, so all of this should not be coming as a surprise.

By the way Melissa McCarthy is hosting SNL this weekend, so perhaps it is time to start taking bets as to how long Spicey is going to be punching that time clock.