Frowning heavily, Barr will step up to the bank of microphones in front of the Justice Dept. After a moment of silence he will say, it has been decided that the report will be not released. Then he’ll turn on his heel and re-enter the building trailed by a stench of sulphur.
6 Likes
Creating still another opportunity to frame the narrative to favor Trump, and to try to cover both of their ample asses.
5 Likes
Um, I think that the presser is for an audience of one.
That is, Individual 1.
11 Likes
What Barr wants is desire.
Desire “to move on” and forget about the Full Report…so much of the tenor of what I have seen from Josh’s essays…that we will never have accountability until many moons have passed…even one which lays out how TPM readers think that Trump will prevail in 2020!!
There is every reason to believe that, sans Barr, Trump could be looking to resign this summer. The thing is, it could be that (A+), or a rash of exposure to Trump’s crew (A-) or something almost as productive.
3 Likes
2 Likes
My suggestion would be to grab your copy and head right back out the door. No questions. Just hand it over and you’re off to do some reading. The questions can wait until we see what’s missing. Questions like “Here’s your subpoena–where’s the clean version? Do you think we have all day?” Questions like fun time is over questions.
15 Likes
Barr undertook a big lie for Poppy bush in 1989 having to do with using FBI agents to overthrow Manuel Noriega in Panama. It was more or less “I said it but I didn’t say it.” Maddow, to her credit, did a thorough report on it last night.
9 Likes
Yes, x1000
13 Likes
They gotta explain one ‘more’ (read millionth) time that Trump would never conspire with Russian oligarchs and that’s it’s the previous IC’s fault for entrapping Carter Page and Mike Flynn.
2 Likes
It’s heartening to know that Mueller’s team produced their own summaries. If Barr hides the truth as we assume he’ll do it could spur these men and women who have not said a word in two years to begin to leak their truthful version of the report. I’ll be like the Pentagon Papers redux.
10 Likes
“Attorney General Bill Barr is scheduled to hold a press conference at 9:30 a.m. ET Thursday to discuss special counsel Robert Mueller’s redacted final report, the Justice Department confirmed Wednesday.”
“Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will also attend.”
#TheKingsMen
4 Likes
Perhaps??
He is hiding the Full Report. From Congress. That’s ammunition enough.
6 Likes
Yeah, I sent them e-m this morning. Guess they think otherwise, no idea why.
Until we have confidence (if any) that the thing released on Thu bears resemblance to the unredacted Mueller Report instead of being a pinnacle of misdirection and obfuscation via redaction please don’t call it the “Mueller Report”.
The “Barr/WH interpretation of the Mueller Report” would be more accurate but admittedly a bit wordy so perhaps consider “The Barr Approved Report”, “The Barr Spin Report”, “Barr’s Spin on the Report”, etc.
Cc @raph @m_00_m, @matt_shuham
6 Likes
Mueller will be testifying later. #maybe
1 Like
He’s walking a fine line. His leader doesn’t like to share the spotlight.
Desire “to move on” and forget about the Full Report…
At times I’ve been dumb. And at times I’ve been stoopid. But never together, at the same time.
And I still believe you’re right that Trump won’t make it to 2020 b/c of who he is and b/c or democracy won’t be able to survive if he does.
3 Likes
Who is this Mueller everyone speaks of? Does he even exist? i’ve seen no proof.
2 Likes
Yep, and I tend to think Barr probably screwed up by releasing the Cliff Barr Notes weeks back that basically left the press feeling punked. Other than Conservative Entertainment Complex, just about every news outlet wound up with egg all over their faces. They immediately accepted his version of events as gospel only to find out he was outright lying when he wasn’t sugarcoating. I hope/believe that means they’re going to look at the redacted version with far more skepticism than they ever would have.
10 Likes
Here’s what going to be redacted. And they’re going to be color coded so we’ll know which category of info is being withheld. 
- Information that has been presented to a grand jury, which is subject to secrecy rules. This could conceivably cover a lot of material.
- Material that intelligence officials fear could compromise sensitive sources and methods. This would include information from F.B.I. informants and foreign allies.
- Information that could hamper other current investigations, including spinoffs of the Mueller inquiry. Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn and Manhattan are investigating the finances of the Trump inaugural committee and hush payments intended to cover up a sex scandal that threatened to upend Mr. Trump’s campaign.
- Material that the Justice Department believes would unfairly infringe on the privacy and damage the reputations of “peripheral third parties.”
2 Likes
Think 2016. Think NOW. Think late 2020. Look at things longitudinally.
We will not be the United States by then. The man needs to go. This has ceased to be a Game.
4 Likes