He’s in a weird needle-threading exercise: he has to pretend to democrats and the press that he’s not in the tank for trump, but he has to pretend to at least a few diehard republicans that he’s not merely in the tank but ready to take a bullet.
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Barr has avoided answers and is full of shit when he does provide an answer.
He has bought into the Trump lie of drugs and immigrants massively coming across the border.
He is horribly biased and doesn’t hesitate saying it. He doesn’t care because he knows he is about to be confirmed.
The Dems need to put him through hell to get some commitments.
This is not good!
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“I will seek the advice of the career ethics personnel, but under the regulations, I make the decision as the head of the agency as to my own recusal,”
That’s a “no”.
Its clear that Barr is just another ethics-free hack.
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You’re citing a solid source. My son was on a discussion panel with Katyal a few years ago - said he is very impressive.
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A lot of water has gone under the dam…
Um, water generally doesn’t go under dams.
I fear his metaphor mangling may lead to some mangling of the rules as well.
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I’m very satisfied with these answers and would probably vote for him if I was a Democratic Senator.
Here’s what Josh said about Mueller’s involvement in his 2002 Salon article: “Another tantalizing tidbit in the report is the central role that FBI director Robert Mueller, then assistant attorney general for the criminal division, played in Barr’s fishing expedition. From the facts contained in the report, it’s not clear that Mueller was doing anything more than overseeing the execution of decisions made by others or overseeing meetings of Justice Department and FBI officials in Washington. But he was clearly in the center of the drama and in the position to see almost everything that was going on.”
I’m don’t think that supports your stated implication that Mueller was “deeply imbedded” in Whitewater.
But sure, we’re all fucked. Even though Mueller’s investigation has already resulted in prosecutions and guilty pleas.
And I don’t think “the Democrats” have or are putting all their eggs in Mueller’s basket. But if that confirms your belief that those who voted for a Democratic majority in November are afraid of upsetting “their billionaire, corporate and Wall Street masters…” go with that message.
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He built a wall during one of his previous stints in government. Claimed it would eliminate smuggling.
It didn’t.
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Mazie Hirono is my hero. She has fire in the belly and she ain’t takin’ no guff. She knows a bullshitter and a blowhard when she sees one. She doesn’t take Barr’s answers as truth and is calling out his deflections and pompous attitude head on. I love her.
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Wonder why he was out of public service so long and decides now is the time to jump back in? Nothing to lose, if he gets trashed here no big deal?
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Walls to build, pardons to issue.
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Barr has also said he would jail journalists if the did something that IN HIS OPINION harmed the country. Has this guy actually read the Constitution?
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Does Doofus Kennedy know that the leaks to the NYT came from the FBI? What is his source? The universities? Barr did not seem to know what Kennedy was talking about. Nor did I.
If Kennedy was saying Mueller’s full report should be released, I agree. He makes his points in roundabout language, so he’s difficult to follow.
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My general impression of Barr is that he’s an old dog Cheney friendly hackservative who thinks he’s smarter than he is and is past his prime. His screed memo on the Mueller probe actually provides support for impeaching Trump as Marcy Wheeler has written.
I think he’s saying what he needs to both Trump and to Congress to get the job. I don’t believe he has any idea or clue as to what Mueller is doing, and he’ll likely be overwhelmed by it all and back off doing anything. Whitaker has been cowed in this respect since he started doing whatever the heck a big dick toilet salesman does with AG after his name. On the other hand, Barr’s early 2017 Fox talking point mindset on Russia and his willingness to flex his power as AG over other USAOs and to avoid recusal indicate that he could be a big bureaucratic problem for the other offices that are handling Trump matters. In addition, Barr’s equally antiquated views on immigration are going to land his AG office in a world of hurt as House Dems get into all the abuses that have gone on and the litigation that is in process and is sure to follow.
I have deep reservations about Barr as I do of any Trump lackey. That said, my instinct tells me that he’s an old hack who has no true grasp of the extent of corruption, malevolence and base criminality at the heart of this Trump operation. I think he will be overwhelmed and his self preservation instinct will kick in which will cause him to back away from interfering with Mueller’s investigation.
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Well, every member of Mueller’s team has been silent so far. Waaaaay more so than any White House leaker.
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Most of us at Barr’s age thinks we are smarter than we are. And I am most certainly well past my prime as I am sure Barr is. I have not read his memo on Mueller…does it actually offer support for impeachment or is that an impression you got?
edit
Looked at Wheeler’s bit on Barr and WOW!!! Holy Cats!!
I will hafta keep my eye on her writings from now on.
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I keep remembering the stunned look on Grassley’s face when he and Feinstein left the SCIF that day. 
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Yeah, probably. Trump doesn’t look for talent, he looks for toadies.
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He’ll recuse himself as to ATT and Time/Warner but won’t when it comes to the Mueller investigation. Interesting. Did he consult with himself on this matter? Seems to be all he needs to do in his own estimation.
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I’m going to go in and see what’s being contemplated and what they’ve agreed to and what their interpretation — you know, what game plan they have in mind.”
Then I’m going right to a secret meeting in a secret location with the president and make sure he has all the information and tools available to beat down this witch hunt once and for all…
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