In Terrifying Interview, William Barr Goes Full MAGA

[dajoki]

In Terrifying Interview, William Barr Goes Full MAGA
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/05/william-barr-interview-cbs-mueller-coup-trump.html

<<snip>>

There is, in fact, nothing unusual about FBI agents expressing political opinions. An investigation by the FBI’s Inspector General “did not find evidence to connect the political views expressed in these messages to the specific investigative decisions that we reviewed.” And no serious person doubts the overall weight of political opinion at the FBI leans rightward. The bureau has never had a Democratic director, and James Comey testified that, during the campaign, agents appeared to be leaking heavily to Rudy Giuliani. (Comey violated policy by scolding Clinton, and then publicly reopening the investigation, in part due to the pressure of the leaks from the FBI’s pro-Trump cabal.) Barr’s depiction of the FBI as a bastion of anti-Trump sentiment is grossly at odds with the evidence.

Even more astonishingly, Barr proceeds from that false premise to liken the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation of Trump to right-wing birther conspiracies:

I think if the shoe was on the other foot we could be hearing a lot about it. If those kinds of discussions were held, you know, when Obama first ran for office, people talking about Obama in those tones and suggesting that “Oh that he might be a Manchurian candidate for Islam or something like that.” You know some wild accusations like that and you had that kind of discussion back and forth, you don’t think we would be hearing a lot more about it?

By likening the Russia scandal to birther conspiracies, Barr is tracking the arguments made by the most fanatical members of the pro-Trump commentariat, who treat it as a complete hoax. In fact, the Trump campaign had dozens and dozens of contacts with Russians, cultivating and relying on their hidden and sometimes illegal support. For Barr to liken these connections to a completely fabricated theory about Obama as a secret Muslim agent boggles the mind.

<<snip>>

As far as Barr is concerned, Trump has done nothing wrong, and all the shredding of norms has been done against him, not by him. Trump’s calls to jail all his opponents, his non-stop lies, his demands to punish independent media and satirists, his open conviction that law enforcement should operate at his personal command and follow him loyally, not to mention the repeated obstruction of justice detailed by Mueller — none of it concerns Barr even slightly.

Everything Barr has said and done during this investigation tells us he is not lying about this belief. The terrifying truth is that he all but surely believes every word.

[spanone]

1. K&R...

[riversedge]

2. " all the shredding of norms has been done against him, not by him." Both Barr and Trump

[Scarsdale]

3. So, everyone conspires against Donnie Dump?

Bill "Low" Barr has to see the reception tRump will receive in London, to get a picture of how the rest of the world views the impostor in chief. They see clearly what he is - a con man and fraud. Not too intelligent, and no class whatsoever. A big, flabby, fat, repulsive con man. A disgrace to the office of president.

[extvbroadcaster]

4. It's not like Trump does not have a record

Trump has spent a lifetime doing shady deals, hanging with questionable people, stiffing people in business, and in general being a scumbag that you would not want in your house or deal with in anyway. How people like Barr can rationalize being his boot licker is beyond me. Why? It makes no sense. Maybe Barr is just as rotten.

[smirkymonkey]

5. I'm sorry, but this fat, lying slob has got to go.

He is not an AG for the US, he is a Trump shill and a republican partisan and he needs to be removed by any means available.

[KPN]

7. Absolutely no need to be sorry ... but don't hold your breath. That's what scares me most.

I don't see it happening. We've been watching tRump openly destroy our institutions for 2 and a half years, exclaiming horror at every new revelation, but nothing of real effect in the way of ending the national nightmare happens. The wheels of progress turn slowly as they say, but in this instance, we can't afford slow.

I agree ... he needs to be removed by any means possible ... as does tRump and the rest of his goons.

[elias7]

6. "He might be a Manchurian candidate for Islam"

To liken an invented bit of trolling of Obama to following the trail of Donnie’s own footprints is absurd on its face. Barr is evil.

[Generic Other]

8. False equivalency

Comparing a known lie with proven truth. Doesn't take a lawyer to see what Barr is doing.

[Progressive Jones]

9. As I keep say, this is less about protecting Trump and more about

protecting a right wing coup involving many people.
Trump is a puppet.

[trusty elf]

10. disgusting

[KentuckyWoman]

11. Apparently Barr was in a coma from 2006 to 2016

You'd have to be completely incapacitated to not know the conversation during Obama's run and Presidency was entirely "people (current MAGA nuts) talking about Obama in those tones and suggesting that “Oh that he might be a Manchurian candidate for Islam or something like that.” You know some wild accusations like that" ...

[SCVDem]

12. You beat me!

All of those and more DID happen to Obama.

Can we open the Secret Service files to see just how many threats on his life were made? We just know the birther crap.

Barr whines and snivels as much as Dump!

He lies just as much! Collusion?

[DallasNE]

13. Media Needs To Step Up Their Game

Are they agreeing to conditions when interviewing Barr just to get the interview? The weak questioning makes it look that way. For example -

Which statute(s) did Mueller improperly use and why.
Which statute(s) did you (Barr) substitute as the right law and why.

Those were obviously follow-up questions that went unasked. Why? Nothing but fluff questioning.

And what is the purpose of the Special Counsel law if the conflicted Attorney General is the one making all of the key final decisions. Either Barr broke the law in a power grab or the law is fatally flawed. The smell is foul.

[Politicub]

14. I wonder what the Russians found on Barr's computer?

Barr had no national reputation to speak of before becoming Trump's AG. It's interesting that he has decided to die on Trump's cross. From now onward, he will be known as Trump's ass-wiper.

He probably is just an asshole. But interviews like this, where Barr seems completely unhinged, make me wonder if he is being directed by the Kremlin.

Blackmail can be a powerful thing. So can money. And hate. All of those things probably factor into Barr's enthusiastic grab of Trump.

[live love laugh]

15. Who died and made Barr boss?

“As far as he’s concerned Trump did nothing wrong...”