I have a question for William Barr

[intrepidity]

I don't understand why this isn't a huge story. Barr clearly deliberately lied on his Senate Judiciary confirmation questionnaire.

Barr wrote: "I have not served in the U.S. Military. I was born in 1950 and was not required to register for selective service."

He not only registered (links to the original docs in the Twitter thread), but he got 6 deferments, including after he finished undergrad. Something really stinks here. It seems like such a small thing to lie about. Why?? From all the replies in the thread, it's clear that an 18-year-old in 1968 would have been very much affected by the process of registering for the draft! It's apparently not something one would forget. So why lie about this? Why?

Link to tweet

[pfitz59]

1. Just another draft-dodging weasel

Yellow to the bone

[intrepidity]

2. Yeah. Except he lied to Congress

Seems like that should matter.

[Me.]

3. So Why THe Lie?

and he was certainly eligible for the Vietnam War draft

[dchill]

4. Sometimes they lie just for the practice.

I suspect something larger, though.

[intrepidity]

7. I wonder if someone did it for him

There are some strange inconsistencies, such as it listing him as a 6-foot 175-lb blonde. And, not to be sexist or anything, but the signature looks like it belongs to a girl .. (heh)

[Laelth]

5. Very clever, Barr is.

It may not be a lie when he says he wasn’t required to register for selective service. He doesn’t say why he wasn’t required to register, but he registered anyway, and that’s how he got six deferments.

-Laelth

[intrepidity]

6. Are you aware of any reason that an 18-year-old male

would have been exempt from registering?

[Laelth]

8. No, but it could be true.

There are always exceptions.

I merely note that Barr’s statement, quoted in the OP, is sophisticated legalese that, while perhaps truthful, disguises the truth of his six deferments.

-Laelth

[intrepidity]

9. Are there, though?

Always exceptions? I would like to see one, for this case. It doesn't seem like an area with exceptions on the front-end, to me.

[Laelth]

14. I honestly don't know. n/t

-Laelth

[intrepidity]

16. Yeah, same here. I can usually come up with scenarios.

It *would* explain his weasel words. It's just such a long-shot, IMHO.

[COLGATE4]

19. I was 18 during Vietnam and I damn sure knew of NO

WAY not to have to register for the draft. He's a liar, just like his boss.

[HotTeaBag]

12. Exactly what I was thinking - he wasn't 'required' he says (dubious but possible I guess).

He probably registered in order to 'legally' get the deferments, otherwise he may have run the risk of being drafted.

[csziggy]

15. Barr was working for the CIA from 1971 to 1977

From 1971 to 1977, while attending graduate school and law school, Barr worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).[15] He was first hired as a summer intern for two years.[12] During his law school years he was an analyst in the Intelligence Directorate division from 1973 to 1975, and then transitioning to an assistant in the Office of Legislative Counsel and an agency liaison to Congress from 1975 to 1977.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Barr#Early_career

The cite for that information is Barr, William P. (February 14, 2019). "William Barr Senate Questionnaire Answers" (PDF). Nominations | United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/William%20Barr%20Senate%20Questionnaire%20(PUBLIC).pdf

I expect that the CIA could consider him exempt from registration.

[intrepidity]

17. Except, he was 18 in 1968 nt

[csziggy]

18. You're right

Maybe that was an honest student deferral? That would NOT explain why he would not be required to register, though. Hmmmmm...

[intrepidity]

20. He did end up with 6 deferrals, including *after* he finished undergrad

My understanding was that no deferrals for grad school, though.

Something shady goin on here. It's Bill Barr, afterall.

[spanone]

10. He's a liar. I was born in '51. Had to register. No wonder trump hired him

In 1968, the Vietnam war was BLAZING....you didn't forget going to the registration office.

[intrepidity]

11. Are you aware of any sort of exceptions

that would allow one to not register? Since you were a contemporary...

[spanone]

13. None. That doesn't mean there were not any exemptions, but none that I was aware of.