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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBarr's legacy on the line as Mueller team fumes
"Legal experts and lawmakers say the attorney general is mishandling the special counsel's report."
"Some members of Congress are even asking whether Barr himself has broken the law, saying his characterization of the Mueller probe allowed Trump and his allies to build a public narrative clearing the president of any wrongdoing all without actually releasing a full version of the special counsels findings.
If it turns out that he has obstructed justice by how he has handled the Mueller report that will be a deep stain on his legacy, said Rep. Hank Johnson, a Georgia Democrat and member of the House Judiciary Committee, who cautioned that Barrs conduct is difficult to evaluate without seeing the full report."
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.politico.com/amp/story/2019/04/04/barr-legacy-mueller-report-1256871
TruckFump
(5,812 posts)Moving on from Iran-Contra and his hiding of the truth then, let's start with the voluntary 19-page thesis saying the orange asshole could NEVER do anything wrong. Well, that got him the job. Now, he is hiding the Mueller Report.
My question is: Who has his balls in a wringer -- assuming he has balls.
The Russians, Trump, who?
UniteFightBack
(8,231 posts)TruckFump
(5,812 posts)IMO, Barr is best known as a crime fixer for Pubbie Prez's.
50 Shades Of Blue
(10,023 posts)everybody knew it!
Kablooie
(18,635 posts)Anyone who aligns themselves to defend Trump from his own, obvious criminality will certainly go down in history as a fool or a tool and might even be risking prison.
Why would Barr do this?
My guess is that he wants to go down in history.
As a previous AG he would be nothing but a small footnote that no one would notice.
As a the person who was in charge of disseminating the Mueller report and someone who jumped in and inserted his own, biased interpretation, he will be a notable figure in American history and his name will be remembered in future generations.
Perhaps he doesn't care if his legacy is as a hero or villain as long as he is remembered.
UniteFightBack
(8,231 posts)suffragette
(12,232 posts)To the man who led the Iran-Contra investigation, however, the pardons represented a miscarriage of justice.
~~~
"It demonstrates that powerful people with powerful allies can commit serious crimes in high office, deliberately abusing the public trust without consequences," said Lawrence Walsh, the independent prosecutor in the case, at the time of the pardons.
"I favored the broadest pardon authority," Barr said. "There were some people just arguing just for Weinberger. I said, 'No in for a penny, in for a pound.' "
NYT article from back then notes how the pardons shut down the Special Prosecutors investigation.
https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/97/06/29/reviews/iran-pardon.html
Bush Pardons 6 in Iran Affair, Aborting a Weinberger Trial; Prosecutor Assails 'Cover-Up'
Mr. Weinberger was scheduled to stand trial on Jan. 5 on charges that he lied to Congress about his knowledge of the arms sales to Iran and efforts by other countries to help underwrite the Nicaraguan rebels, a case that was expected to focus on Mr. Weinberger's private notes that contain references to Mr. Bush's endorsement of the secret shipments to Iran.
But in a single stroke, Mr. Bush swept away one conviction, three guilty pleas and two pending cases, virtually decapitating what was left of Mr. Walsh's effort, which began in 1986. Mr. Bush's decision was announced by the White House in a printed statement after the President left for Camp David, where he will spend the Christmas holiday.
Mr. Walsh bitterly condemned the President's action, charging that "the Iran-contra cover-up, which has continued for more than six years, has now been completed."
Note that the NYT article also places obstruction and conspiracy as central issues then.
No coincidence that Trump brought him aboard as his fixer now.
orangecrush
(19,581 posts)suffragette
(12,232 posts)Thanks for the OP, orangecrush.
manor321
(3,344 posts)Republicans threatened Rosenstein with impeachment. We can do it to Barr. And we have an actual reason to do it!
Windy City Charlie
(1,178 posts)What I don't understand is Barr should've known Mueller's team would eventually speak out. So, why would he stick his neck out like this? Does he think Mueller's team of people are powerless to do anything now?
Ilsa
(61,695 posts)their ugly, inhumane agendas, they would gladly die upon the sword of temporary ignominy if their plan wins out in the end.
If someone like Barr can lie, cheat, and steal to accomplish drowning govt in a bathtub, they will gladly say the end justifies the means, and believe they will eventually be revered.
barbtries
(28,805 posts)pshah.
i hope he ends up in prison for this coverup.
Lonestarblue
(10,024 posts)He has his job because Trump knew he was willing to ignore the law and allow a president to do anything he wanted, legal or not.
Im glad the media is not letting this go. Too many of them got on the Trump train immediately after Barr released his memo giving Trump an opportunity to crow about total exoneration. They finally realized that the wool was being pulled over their eyes. Now we just need a patriot to leak the entire report, plus any and all attachments.
gilligan
(194 posts)The one of being a cover up specialist for Republican Presidents.
Yep that's the Legacy all right.
WTF?
And so it goes.
question everything
(47,497 posts)To be an AG, I replied. But, responded my spouse, he was an AG once.
To increase his pension? I wondered
kairos12
(12,862 posts)Iran Contra Thugs.
DallasNE
(7,403 posts)6(c) Foreperson and Deputy Foreperson. The court will appoint one juror as the foreperson and another as the deputy foreperson. In the foreperson's absence, the deputy foreperson will act as the foreperson. The foreperson may administer oaths and affirmations and will sign all indictments. The forepersonor another juror designated by the forepersonwill record the number of jurors concurring in every indictment and will file the record with the clerk, but the record may not be made public unless the court so orders.
"Unless the court so orders" - So the precedence in like cases is to request the court to so order the "record" to be released to the Congress, which has happened in every such case. Barr is not acting like his client is the American people. He is acting like his client is Donald J. Trump. There looks to be no way Trump can prevail in court.
Earlier on Facebook I made the following share of a Graham statement and my response is that I "hope" Mueller "organized his report in a manner where the classified stuff is in attachments so that the full report, less the classified attachments, can be released to the Congress and the public".
"March 26 at 3:14 PM
This is coming from Lindsey Graham but it is believable. This is identical to Nixon wanting to pass off edited transcripts of his tape to the Special Prosecutor. It didn't fly then and it can't be allowed to fly now so I hope Nadler is listening intently. I would hope that Mueller has his report organized in a manner where the classified stuff is in attachments so that the full report less the classified attachments can be released to the Congress and the public."
orangecrush
(19,581 posts)Thank you.
Marie Marie
(9,999 posts)Tiggeroshii
(11,088 posts)paleotn
(17,931 posts)if copies of the report and evidence miraculously appeared at the back door of Wapo or the NY Times. Far stranger things have happened.
DallasNE
(7,403 posts)But same, same.