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San Franciscans went to bars to drink 'Comey-Kazi' and coffee during the Comey testimony — here's what it was like

These photos show what it was like to attend a Comey testimony "watch party" in San Francisco.

Residents of San Francisco watch former FBI Director James Comey's testimony about before the Senate Intelligence Committee on June 8.

San Franciscans poured into bars at 7 AM on June 8, to drink alcoholic coffees and watch f

This is Clooney's Pub. It opens at 6 a.m. seven days a week.

I knew I was in the right place for the Comey watch party when I saw the menu board out front. Drink specials included the "Comey-Kazi," the KGB (a mixed drink made with Kahlua, ginger, and brandy), and the "Im-PEACH-mint (a blend of peach schnapps and mint liquor).

Jim Hutchinson has been the morning bartender at Clooney's Pub for 20 years. His regulars come in for a cup of coffee before starting their days. June 8 was very different.

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"This is almost like New Years!" he said. Dozens surrounded the horseshoe-shaped bar.

Customers started trickling in at 7 and found six TVs playing the Comey testimony.

Unlike on week nights, the bar was almost completely silent as patrons listened to US senators grill Comey on his firing and the ongoing investigation into Russian interference.

At one point, someone knocked into a jukebox machine. A country song started playing and the lyrics "how do you sleep at night" rang out, causing the whole bar to erupt in laughter.

Coffee, served plain or spiked with Baileys liqueur and Jameson whiskey, was the drink of choice that morning. Clooney's brought in a nighttime bartender to help with the crowds.

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Lexie Kirkwood, a student at Tulane University who is working in the city for the summer, said she came to Clooney's before work because she wants to be informed. "This might be happening in DC and we're in a bar, but we're still participating," Kirkwood said.

Bharath Udayshankar, an engineer at a tech company, said recent political events give him the idea that "something big is going on." He wants to stay in-the-know.

A woman named Ruth came with her friend, who declined to give his name for fear of repercussions. They wanted to watch the testimony surrounded by like-minded people.

"I wouldn't say it's less depressing [to watch the testimony among other people]," the friend said, but having company made the "ridiculousness" of the events more tolerable for him.

Plus, he added, "It helps to wash it down with a drink."

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