Trump and Barr. The would be autocratic leader and his self serving toady. Nin and Compoop together.
34
With Barr, the fox is (legally) in the henhouse.
38
This is another example of Putin's control over Trump.
The declassifications will give Moscow information enabling it to further hinder U.S. efforts to protect itself from Russia.
46
Everyday a new and greater outrage. Everyday an assault on a new front: the role of the legislature as a coequal branch, a free press, the very meaning of "we the people", the justice department being corrupted into performing mob-boss legal tactics rather than working for the people. If history records the impeachments of Johnson and Clinton but not this man, then we have lost and Trump the stable genius has won.
36
commentariat is beyond belief. It is much more likely that there was funny business going on in 2016 involving some of our federal officials. The FBI we know for sure misbehaved at the highest levels. The DOJ, Loretta Lynch and the tarmac meeting about grandkids. The opening of an investigation the Trump campaign based on what was it exactly. There was no evidence of conspiracy with Russia. Yet the FBI opened a secret investigation? Then the Steele dossier was used as evidence when it was paid for by HRC, used anonymous Russian sources and had not been verified. The FISA warrants. The unmasking of Trump supporters. The hurriedly put together report by the FBI, NSA and CIA alleging (with no evidence the public has seen) stating as fact that Putin directed the Russkies to interfere with our election to help Trump win. The leaking of the Steele dossier. The likely entrapment of General Flynn... and there's more. Don't you think all of that requires some investigation -- at least as much as the Trump-Russia collusion did. There's at least evidence of something going on. And already 2 or 3 FBI high level FBI agents have been dismissed for what they did.
The dems are running scared on this topic. They know where it could lead.
18
Now we have wide-scale institutionalized treason where our intelligence agencies, sources and secrets will be compromised. All of this to satisfy Trump’s delusion that Putin didn’t help him win the election. Trump won’t even acknowledge that Putin tried. This is a danger to national security. Time for the 25th.
37
I’m surprised at the incuriosity of the left. Wouldn’t they like to know the origins of a phony allegation that consumed their airwaves for 2 years?
We’ll have Barr release facts officially; the left can go their favorite route: leaking from unnamed sources close to a governmental body with unverified allegations. Let the media do their piece: ignore the former, and bang the drum on the latter.
15
It should be obvious to everybody that obstruction on Trump-Russia continues with Trump behaving like an autocrat, blatantly abusing the Justice Department through Barr. If this behavior is allowed to stand, America as we know it is no more.
27
There is no statute nor provision in the Constitution that prevents an Attorney General from being the defense lawyer for the President. Barr is Trump’s defense lawyer.
This effectively neutralizes the DOJ as an independent investigator and enforcer of the laws as they might pertain to the President. Barr can block any such efforts just by his executive authority. He can also have access to information that any other defense lawyer could not have without discovery and court orders.
It does seem that Trump anticipates being impeached and being tried by the Senate. Barr is preparing a defense intended to call into reasonable doubt Trump’s guilt and the legitimacy of all of the inquiries into his acts to foil any conviction by the Senate.
A side benefit is a likely purge of anyone from government who participated in the investigation of the Russian interference as it might have pertained to Trump and the people in his campaign and administration. Trump is to be free of pesky challenges to his authority.
17
Whether you liked the Mueller Report or not, I thought it was time to move on. Both sides are partisan and I doubt further investigations by the House or by POTUS will solve anything. Meantime nothing is getting done, for example infrastructure, and all the people will feel the impact of a gov't that is dysfunctional.
7
In response, the intelligence community should declassify every scintilla of evidence of any and all activity and every quid pro quo deal between Russia and the Trump campaign, the Trump Administration and Republican Senators and Congresspersons before, during and after the election and actively going on as we speak. Enough! It’s time for every patriotic American to fight back against this outrageous and frightening drive toward authoritarianism and autocracy. This is tyranny, America.
388
@Mary Jane Delaney
For example, the new Russian aluminum and steel mill that Mitch is getting in Kentucky?
Hum, how’d that happen? GOP taking Russian money, too!?!
43
@Mary Jane Delaney
Right. And we should be marching in the streets!
11
Readers may recall the explicit quid pro quo between Obama and Clinton whereby he "guaranteed" his support, and her election, for giving backing down and him an endorsement in the 2008 election. He then made her his Secretary of State (with no oversight and a completely hands off, free reign in her private dealings) and then "insured" her election in 2016 by packing the election, judicial, and agency infrastructure with DNC assets. Much benefit will result from Barr's investigations as they will not only clarify potential malfeasance in the DNC machinery, but hold both players (mentioned) to account, for a number of potential breaches in both domains of law. Obama was otherwise strictly an asset of the DNC corporation, and he provided his labors as an obedient bondsman. As for Clinton, she will continue to fade into irrelevancy, except to the extent she becomes a further liability to the Party: The DNC is way behind the curve in managing its own house, and understanding the actual nature of the policy platforms necessary to hold a decisive majority in a aggregation of actual American voters, interests and enterprise. I say this as an Independent.
16
I want to add my voice to the many comments, expressing grave concern for the future of our democracy. I urge all who are worried about this political manipulation of the US intelligence to write their senators and congressmen and their local newspapers. This is, after all, about our right to vote without the interference of Russia, a foreign adversary that is mounting a highly effective campaign to influence the elections of many countries, who were previously protecting the rights of their individual citizens.
24
The real concern is that McConnell has killed a bill from the House that would protected our elections. Why would McConnell not want to protect our elections?
21
All of a sudden the liberals who wanted Barr to publicly release the classified information in the Mueller report are concerned about the possibility of classified information being released that might upset their narrative of how the Trump investigation began. What hypocrisy!
18
“The Ministry of Peace concerns itself with war, the Ministry of Truth with lies, the Ministry of Love with torture and the Ministry of Plenty with starvation. These contradictions are not accidental, nor do they result from from ordinary hypocrisy: they are deliberate exercises in doublethink”
― George Orwell, 1984
26
It is time for Pelosi to begin the impeachment process.
16
I have always suspected that the Mueller investigation was the result of the wish of Obama-Administration figures and their intelligence agency contacts, to penalize Trump for not supporting what may have been covert foreign-policy making by intelligence agencies. Any analysis of relations between Russia and the West has to include -- whatever the final conclusion -- the following: Online dispatches from the New York Times and The Guardian of Feb. 20 and 21, 2014 from Kiev show that paramilitary rightist extremists broke a truce, surprised off-guard police and set in motion a process that “putsched” an elected president from East Ukraine from office. (Some of the strongest opposition to the elected Government came from the city of Lviv, a part of Poland ((Lwów)) before Hitler and Stalin partitioned Poland in 1939. Earlier, Lviv was called Lemberg when it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.) The German and Polish (Radek Sikorski, husband of career-Russian-critic Anne Applebaum) Foreign Ministers were in Kiev negotiating with the government on behalf of the governmental opposition just before the elected government fell. The EU's foreign policy chief, Lady Catherine Ashton, had already encouraged opposition demonstrators in the Maidan, as did the State Department’s Victoria Nuland and the German foreign minister. Has NATO morphed from being an anti-Communist-Russia defensive organization to one that supports ancient conflicts between Germany and Poland against Russia?
6
At the risk of sounding like an alarmist, the Trump administration has just moved closer--and significantly so--towards being a dictatorship. This is exactly the kind of government and leader Trump admires. Think Putin and Duterte. Congressional Republicans will likely either sit by in silence as this destruction of our democracy continues or worse, they will cheer on the assault. This is sickening.
22
This outcome is on Mueller. His report could have been more forthcoming even without a formal indictment. It’s unfortunate that too many Americans don’t understand the severity of the situation. All evil needs is for good people to do nothing.
14
Manipulation to change facts and history, plus a continual ignoring of the Constitution, division of powers, and in particular the role of Congress. When will Senate Reps stand up? When will they defend the basic country's tenets and the principles of law?
13
We are witnessing the downfall of America, brought to you by Ronald Reagan.
The insecurity that so many people feel has produced a frightened and increasingly divided country.
The rich are doing better all the time though.
12
Go for it Mr. Trump. Let your pit bull off of the leash. Let's see what your AG can find. While Barr is going down the rabbit holes, Crazy Nancy will be methodically building the case for the 25th Amendment. I'm betting on her stability and her genius to prevail over your Roy Cohn.
20
Mike Judge made "Idiocracy," a dark comedy in 2006 that was a prophecy of the Trump presidency (no insult intended to actor Terry Crews who played President Camacho).
7
What's the deal with the position of Attorney General?
Have the AG's always been lackeys, subservient to the POTUS? Seems that way in my lifetime going back to John Mitchell. And I'm sure conservatives have a long list of examples where Democratic administrations have also used the position to promote their agendas.
But this is different - just as it was different when Nixon was under investigation. A flaw in the AG's job description? Maybe it should include required recusal when the president is under investigation by the Federal government. Or am I only saying this because I don't like Trump? NO - there has to be reason separated from partisan politics. This new normal, i.e. electing a self declared "stable genius" (and the dozens of other absurd things he's said over the last three years that have defined him) continues to stress the system to the limits. No way out?
6
“because the power to declassify is also the power to selectively declassify, and selective declassification is one of the ways the Trump White House can spin a narrative about the origins of the Russia investigation to their point of view.”
The Executive branch and it's own DOJ have conspired to obstruct Congress from accessing the unredacted and underlying evidence from the Mueller investigation of the Executive branch.
The Executive branch thumbs it's nose at all Congressional subpoena's for associated documents and testimony regarding the investigation of the Executive branch.
The Executive branch empowers it's own DOJ to obtain full and unfettered access to classified intel in an effort to undermine the substance of the investigation of the Executive branch.
Why is it again that we are not already having a formal Impeachment inquiry?
10
This being only the most recent of obfuscatory/obstructions by this President and his servile appointees, the long overdue rescue of our democracy by patriotic Republicans is obviously not going to happen soon, if at all. We can, of course, count on Barr's impartiality.
We see a President so unhinged by a Speaker of the House he cannot cow, and fearing the unmasking of his sham business empire as investigations evolve, that he admits he can't do the People's Business under this pressure. No need to worry!
While he parleys with autocrats and despots, sometimes behind closed doors, we can take comfort in the fact he is, after all, a self-proclaimed "stable genius". We all can sleep soundly with that assurance.
Those of us among the 58% not among his minion are left holding our breath for the remainder of his reign while hoping that no external threat to our nation develops while this internal threat is still extant. This assumes that he relinquishes his throne when the nation comes to its senses and votes him out of office.
No Congressperson should be so bereft of patriotism that they place party and self first. All but one Republican has done just that. Apparently Republican patriotism was buried with John McCain. Please vote them ALL out of office in 2020.
11
So how proud is America of it's so-called democracy now?
6
Well it seems our slide into autocracy is official. Incredible that the GOP does nothing. I honestly believe they will do whatever it takes until we have a single ruling party and a dictator for life.
12
@N
Aren't we at that point already?
8
Trump can perhaps delegate certain powers of decisionmaking to Barr but Presidential responsibility for the executive branch can't be shifted. Nor does the constitution of the United States recognize or enable the appointment of a prime minister as Trump is not a king. In effect it appears Trump has ostensibly delegated a certain scope of decisionmaking to Barr so as to buffer himself from further obstructions of justice, as it seems...seems...Billy Barr is willing to fall his sword for the Don. The delegation is indicative of the sorry state of affairs at the head of the executive branch in our government. It is grotesquely dysfunctional. Clearly Don Trump has Peter-Principled out.
5
Like or hate Trump .. what is going to come out about what the Obama administration was doing during the 2016 election is going to poise some very unpleasant decisions/options for the main stream leftist media outlets..will the straight facts of what happened be shared or will it be distorted, worse yet - radio silence in the face of what at the least will be very embarrassing/ startling revelations or likely a parade of criminal indictments. Better to just bite the bullet and get in front of it.. the truth always comes out anyway..
17
@Koko Reese Trump is fighting as hard as he can to keep the truth from coming out in all forms of congressional oversight. He doesn’t even want his taxes to see the light of day even though he promised the public he would release them. Barr has already lied to the public about the Mueller report. Mueller said in writing that Barr misrepresented the “substance of his work.” Why would anyone trust Barr now? He will selectively declassify Intelligence that makes Trump look like a victim and covers up the truth.
10
@Koko Reese
I wonder through what looking glass you have jumped. The Obama administration was conspiring against Trump in 2016, as shown by...? Did they somehow hypnotize Trump into asking Russia for Hillary's emails?
In saying...nothing about Papadopolous's Russian connections, were they diabolically waiting until they invented a time machine so they could return to Fall 2016 and then effect the election?
It's not just that there is no evidence for what you say. It defies common sense. What sort of sense you think you're making is a mystery to me.
10
The destruction of Richard Nixon's Presidency was assured in July 1974 when a June 1972 White House tape surfaced showing conclusively that the President ordered his Chief of Staff, H.R. Haldeman, to direct the CIA to ward off the FBI investigation of Watergate. When this became public, Nixon's base of support, including most Republicans in Congress, evaporated and he was forced to resign. Now, it is front page news of this President essentially doing the same thing; his Attorney General now has the official power to selectively use intelligence information to protect the President.
17
Your key word is “selectively.” Chosen wisely. Barr has been shown to be positively loyal to trump. Just as he “selectively” redacted the Mueller report, he will do the same to any investigations made into the 2016 Russian interference. He will have the time needed to “waste” to make sure anything incriminating will continue to be hidden in any investigation that was proven to have occurred.
8
@Mark Dalhouse
Well put. But mysteriously, outlets such as the Times seem content to let commenters such as you point this out, instead of reporting on it themselves. It's not just Trumpworld who's rotten. There is a larger rot in the culture. It's like a waking nightmare watching this unfold, and seeing all the institutions that were supposed to protect us--Congress, the media--sit on their hands.
8
It is screamingly obvious that this move is intended to allow Barr to cherry-pick the intelligence data to support the thesis, already debunked, that "spying" and other selected "evidence" constituted an "illegal" basis for the Mueller investigation. If this ruse succeeds, it will represent a new low for U.S. democracy, which is already dangerously swirling down the plumbing into a Republican-sponsored swampy bog.
9
The American Inquisition begins. I have a feeling this criminal president’s accomplices and co-conspirators will look to medieval Spain for guidance.
11
@Kip The use of the word "treason" suggests that he's looking for some significant retribution. His adulants have been screaming "lock them up!" since before he was elected..and he needs some red meat to feed the base.
10
Trump is that guy who sells used cars that don’t work to people who are dumb enough to believe his malarkey. He repeats obvious untruths again and again and a whole lot of people can be heard repeating them as if they are facts. Nobody would ever have believed it was possible for a President to turn in such a lame performance and for him to find people willing to buy into it. But he has and people do.
The sad part is that Barr will prepare a written reports that states that nothing that was done that was improper but he will hold a press conference that conveys the impression that they were attempting a coup d’etat.
7
This paper reported that Joseph Mifsud informed Papadopoulos of Russian hacks before they were made public. Now it's curiously incurious about who he worked for. Was it the Russians? If so the investigation into the Trump campaign is wholly justified. Did he have conections with western intelligence? If so this really does look like a coup. Are any of you intrested in this?
13
Not when I see the word, “coup,” used to try and help Trump scramble out from under what I fervently hope will be the total collapses of his cheap medicine show of a Presidency, and fake, crooked financial empire.
4
Amazing how Barr was unable to give us any of Mueller's report because it was so full of stuff related to any investigation into anything; every person's privacy just HAS to be protected, dontcha know? Also so complicated, no one can know what it means! Barr just threw up his hands and said "nobody knows, and we all really need to move on." Putin who??
Check out the OTHER side of Barr/trump's mouth, where trump's fee-fees have been hurt. Suddenly, the doors must be thrown open, right? People must be ruined so that trump's ego can come out on top.
How much room are trump followers willing to give this guy? Sweeping new powers to cement his ownership of the government; OUR Atty General working against us to protect his mob boss; trump's attempts to use the military as his personal army. Mitch selling Kentucky to Deripaska... Putin, anyone?
When trump declares himself president-for-life and tells us that Father Putin gives the orders now, his adoring rally crowds will be in the koolaide so deep, they'll take up arms against DearLeader's opposition, unable to remember America. They ALREADY reflexively take his divisive hatred as admirable presidential behavior, so Putin impresses them, too.
Again, trump doesn't surprise me. It's the hypocrisy of those Americans who assured us that Obama needed to present to trump, with humility, with his long-form birth certificate from Hawaii, in order to prove he wasn't a liar or something. Now look. It's pathetic; really cult stuff.
9
This is Trump using Barr to geld the DOJ and the intelligence agencies. We can expect a massive purge to follow. This is what a witch hunt really looks like. At what point does Pelosi say she's seen enough?
12
Barr is a sleazy authoritarian and a cartoon like performer. He knows that this is both unnecessary and unethical. He is trying to prop up an incredibly incompetent person by denigrating perfectly reasonable acts by civil servants. In his remarkably canny and melodramatic side-mouthed way he told the Congress that he did not think that they had been acting improperly while saying that they had been. All he needed was the heroine tied to the railroad tracks and him twisting on a long mustache as he performed. Trump seems to be turning his administration into a mime of a farce on itself and Barr is happily joining in.
5
Why is this lying, cheating twit still tweeting about our Country?
Why is he still in office?
He should have been fired a week after elected. To think how republicans sit by and watch he and his horrible cabinet picks break every law and code of conduct and decorum and are OK with it. Disgusting. When will it end. Impeach and remove for being unfit to serve as president. It's so simple but I'm not an elected official so that's why I see answers the Congress won't act on.
5
Let's be very clear......Intelligence assets who get compromised by the so-called, "President"will be the moment that REAL treason occurs.......He has shown little ability or desire to protect anyone but himself.
Be careful Mr. Barr. This unstable, ego driven, insular old man will throw innocents in harm's way to protect himself...You need to remember that he was, in Helsinki, quite willing to turn over Americans to Putin for KGB interrogation. That was my moment of realization that his only loyalty does not involve the protection of any American other than Donald Trump.
Allowing him to weaponize against his "perceived" enemies might get you on trial for treason yourself.
20
@Margot LeRoy
This is exactly what came to my mind as i read this article.
"One official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss classified matters, said previously that Mr. Barr wanted to know more about what foreign assets the C.I.A. had in Russia in 2016 and what those informants were telling the agency about how President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia sought to meddle in the 2016 election."
What is odd about this is that the President is on record having secret talks with Putin about god knows what. The President ironically doesn't require a "security clearance," but if I was in the CIA and working in Europe, I would be mighty concerned that my cover might be leaked. On its face, it appears that Trump and Barr are walking on the edge of treason here.
12
This is exactly what it appears to be -- exposing the NOCs who (in good faith) tried to alert the GOP as to what was happening with their candidate vis a vis Putin. The problem was that the GOP was in on it; see Citizens United and not only Barr's extreme executive ideas but also his interests in Alfa, Vector, Deutsche Bank, et al. (Barr also has family at FINCEN and WHLC.) The twist is that we know how the investigations in the candidate started: Papadopoulos blabbed to AUS Downer, who alerted the FBI (Carter Page was already under suspicion). As for "the salacious dossier," that was Paul Singer's baby until said choice was made.
This will be Scooter Libby/Valerie Plame (Why was he pardoned, again?) affair to the nth degree.
7
The public has not yet been made aware of what the Mueller report found regarding President Trump's campaign and activities:
"... vivid evidence Mueller uncovered about Trump’s efforts to thwart the investigation of his campaign’s links to Russia. ..."
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/23/democrats-mueller-report-1342324
7
Something to be very worried about. Whether Republican or Democrat, our prez is weaponizing for his personal vendettas, a branch of the government that is meant to be non political. Another step towards a fascist dictatorship. We Should all be very afraid.
16
The President of the United States is a dangerous man. America needs to remove him from office.
12
This is the first American scandal in which the government wants the facts published transparently but the media want to cover them up.
8
@areader
Define 'transparency'. If it means revealing only the facts that support your 'brand', that is selective 'transparency' and therefore worse than useless, and is, in reality, just another LIE.
6
Remember the expression by Obama's preacher: The chickens have come home to roost.
Best description of Comey, Clapper, Brennan and others going to prison. The truth always wins.
10
@Jon Galt
Oops. You have the wrong names there ...
7
Except when it’s a lie.
5
Donald Trump calling anyone treasonous is yet another example in his endless stream of projection. He accuses others of things he himself has done. Using the Attorney General as an attack dog against legitimate investigation is autocratic behavior. That Barr would be so willing to act as a thuggish smokescreen artist for this lunatic demonstrates whatever integrity or respect for the law Barr once had has long been jettisoned.
12
We are watching our democracy die.
The Dems are afraid of "losing 2020" but I am afraid of losing my beloved country. Let him be impeached. It's more important than letting him get away with becoming a dictator.
Barr is a disgrace, but no more so than McConnell, Miller, Mnuchin and the whole bunch in Congress who support Trump. They are the ones who should be investigated.
If you call a liar a liar often enough, some people will be very confused and lose track of who is the REAL culprit. Deny. Deny. Deny. Lie. Lie. Lie. Deny. Deny. Deny. Then use FOX to cover up the lies and confuse the "base" because that is only source of information they get. And they are easily confused in the first place.
State propaganda disguised as TV. A TV "personality" looking for ratings. A man who tweets, plays golf, and tries hard not to grab women about their private parts. A cheat, a thief, a bragger, a narcissist.
A government owned by religious fanatics who hate LGBT+, black, brown and other ethnic people, women and immigrants and would kill (yes) to get rid of abortion.
Joe Biden is not the answer. Mrs. Pelosi, wake up. Mr. Schumer and Mr. Nadler, be brave! Dems, come on!!!
14
Evidently Trump desperately needs to fabricate “evidence” to support his false “deep state” conspiracy theories. His shameless and cynical henchman Barr is there to help.
12
Investigating and threatening to expose resources within the Soviet Union directly endangers national security, and could rightly be viewed as a treasonous act in conspiring to degrade intelligence gathering in protection of the U.S. for political reasons.
That Mr. Barr continues to push the big LIE as to the 'hidden' source of the investigation of Russian connections pretty much shatters any residua of credibility the man had (or ever had). Readers would do well to recall Mr. Barr's cover-ups on behalf of the Bush II administration, as outlined in a NT Times editorial by conservative William Safire over 20 years ago, here: https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/28/opinion/essay-a-tale-of-three-counsels.html
9
This is absolutely terrifying. Trump has made Barr in effect his henchman (okay, t hat happened weeks ago), with unfettered power to overrule objections (have there been any?) from the head of the CIA , DHS, DOD, and every other federal department.
This will be a total witch hunt (ahem). They will smear, slander, distort, and lie in order to paint the picture they have always wanted. And the Republican party will, as usual, say nothing.
Jamie Raskin is the only member of Congress who seems to get it, perhaps because he taught constitutional law for years. Every violation of the rule of law begets the next violation, only worse and more in opposition to what we thought constituted our legal and moral civic code.
I also believe this is a dry run for the next act of this demolition derby. If he gets away with ordering an investigation into people he perceives as his political enemies and at the same time runs a Sherman tank through the rules and structures that are supposed to protect both national security and our personal security, he will then go on to move in on his favorite target. I believe he will see to it that Barr indicts Hillary Clinton--whether it's the much-investigated Uranium 1 business, her server, or what she had for breakfast. And who will stop him then?
Anyone who thinks he is just an aberration who will soon be forgotten is naive. He has shown how fragile our country is. Like Hungary, we can retain the trappings of democracy. But we will be finished.
16
@A New Yorker Many don't know "lock her up" originated in Ukraine, involved Manafort, Russia, and....
"After the 2010 presidential election, former Donald Trump 2016 Campaign Chairman, Paul Manafort, who worked for Yanukovych, orchestrated a smear campaign against Tymoshenko, and a number of criminal cases were brought against her. In 2011, she was convicted of embezzlement and abuse of power, and sentenced to seven years in prison. The prosecution and conviction were widely regarded as politically motivated, and she was released in 2014, in the concluding days of the Euromaidan revolution, and then rehabilitated. In the 2014 Ukrainian presidential election, she came in second place after Petro Poroshenko who won the election."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yulia_Tymoshenko
6
I share the concern over this tactic. it seems likely to endanger national security...... trump has already shown a willingness to share our secrets with the Russians in plain view. what I don't agree with though is the result of this propaganda effort. the trump voters will always believe whatever he tells them..... but the rest of us? this is so transparent no-one but the brainwashed MAGA people cannot see it for what it is..... a craven political move. democrats do your damndest to stop him. the rest of us go to the polls in record numbers and vote him and every other republican out in 2020.
9
This is good.
Democrats, Liberals, Progressives, New Urban Socialists have sweeping power to go on TV , websites, wherever and make false accusations.
Folks like the ones commenting here gulp it down as the truth.
How about some rebuttal?
What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty?
What are you people afraid of, the truth?
7
This President has a problem with paranoia. I know, this is just one more flaw in his dubious character. His bag of weaknesses goes deep clearly. Why investigate an election he seized with his fingertips? Is it to remind himself that he shows no gratitude or respect for his responsibilities?
5
Like Murphy's law: anything that can wrong will go wrong. Its like trying to break a sotware with all edge cases, the constitution is a broken software.
2
It would be funny if it weren't so pathetic. Trump takes another play out of the playbook of dictators and despots by using the criminal justice arm of government to investigate the investigators. As we inch closer and closer to impeachment. Will he then investigate Congress?
7
Cover Up Barr doing a phony "investigation" based on a phony premise for Donald to use to feed lies to his sheep.
When Donald accuses, it is ALWAYS something he is doing.
There was no investigation of his campaign. There was an investigation of Russians hacking into our election systems and social media.
The FACT that those investigations led directly to his campaign, and ended up producing so may indictments and conviction speaks volumes.
The FACT that the Cover Up is focused on trying to blow smoke about those investigations, indictments, and convictions says the rest
10
The thought I have been grappling with the past few months that has finally surfaced is that our government and constitution have a fundamental weakness. That weakness is that our system cannot survive when there are many who do not act for the public good. If one or two are ill-willed, the system rejects them and we move on. When many are ill-willed and work in concert to better themselves no matter the public cost is when our system breaks down. That Trump and McConnell and federal judges and high level appointees all act out of their own self interest rather than for the greater good will be our downfall. We just aren’t ready to handle the level of hate and vitriol these few in power possess. Simply being shocked and saying it didn’t used to be like this is not enough. There has got to be a better way. There must be some adults left in the room. When will we deal with housing, homelessness, the environment, clean air, clean water, nuclear proliferation, unchecked immigration, lack of good paying jobs, unchecked acts of antitrust, consolidation of power within a few corporations, healthcare, drug prices? They never do any of this anymore. We are a mess.
8
All Trump needs to do now is rename the DOJ the Ministry of Truth and Justice. We’re so well on our way to an Orwellian autocracy.
12
We all know about Trump but has there ever been a more despicable Attorney General than William Barr? He's supposed to be serving the US but he's become Trump's personal consigliere. This is corruption at the deepest and highest level of our government. We must all do everything we can to sweep the men out of office and restore our Republic hopefully with more safeguards so that a William Barr cannot ever again ascend to this office and corrupt the very heart and soul of our judicial system.
7
OF COURSE this investigation by Barr is "dangerous", but it is only dangerous to those who chose to step outside of the boundaries of the trust given to them by the American people.
We all know that the world is a dangerous place, and covert efforts are necessary to protect our National Security. We also know that when covert efforts of the Intel Agencies are turned upon American Citizens, the reasoning and evidence required to do so MUST be solid and verified. In the case of Mueller's probe, the publicly revealed evidence seems to lack verification and solidity. Even the Special Counsel Statute demands solid, verified evidence of the commission of a crime before the appointment of the Special Counsel, which also seems noticeably absent in this case.
Just as many claimed that if the Trump Campaign did not conspire with Russia to "steal" the election, they had nothing to be afraid of by Mueller's investigation, the same applies to the subjects of Barr's probe into its origins.
When his report is released, there will be many redactions to protect classified information. Will Congressional Democrats demand the redactions be removed so that the American people can see the entire report, as in the case of the Mueller Report? Will they bring forth hundreds of subpoenas to further the investigation in Congress? I sincerely doubt that they will demand anything other than that the entire report be withheld from public view. They fear Barr with good reason. Truth wins.
3
@TT TWISTER yes, congressional Democrats will demand the entire report revealed to them, but will it be provided? No. The Mueller report all over again.
2
This is villainy at its most transparent. And have we forgotten so quickly that Barr lied to Congress in plain view not once but twice? That a criminal is put in charge of anything is just another example of how corrupt this administration has become. And, somewhere in these comments is mentioned the fact that every party does this. The ultimate cynicism is the denial of moral authority.
8
At the moment it looks like Trump is winning. Why? Because there are no consequences to anything he does. Obstruction? Enriching himself in office? Criminal behavior? He has the complete GOP backing him in the Senate and the Dems are just a bunch of weaklings in the House. The courts are the last hope to save our democracy, but sure does not look good there either as the Supreme Court is appointed by Trump.
If by some miracle, Dems can win the Senate and Presidency, we the people should demand a convention to limit presidential powers, starting with whoever is President. No more pardons, no more being allowed to fire heads of departments, unless by Congressional vote. No more war authority. No more secret one on one negotiations with heads of state. We want visibility into everything a President does. And no more giveaways to inexperienced cabinet positions and billionaires. And a President can be INDICTED while in office. Lets put that into law.
8
Trump demands total loyalty, from anyone in his administration.
So why should the American people believe anything our government tells us?
Or is that the plan?
3
Flashback to 9/11. It never occurred to rational reasonable people that a plane loaded with fuel could be a bomb. But Bin Laden thought outside the box, he had the ability to imagine such a thing because he began with the premise of a suicide mission.
Trump, or more likely his strategists in the Kremlin, also think outside the box. You want to destroy a country, you merely appoint leadership to all government agencies the people most opposed to the mission of that agency.
We, in our innocence, never saw how the ability to appoint the Attorney General, could turn into the final blow of a slow motion coup. We trusted appointees would put their country first. We counted on the Senate to mitigate any malfeasance.
Who could possibly imagine an entire political party would turn on its own country?
13
Trump, Democrats, the intelligence community, the FBI and the American People should each welcome this investigation. Put everything out there, learn from it so we can move on.
3
"Mr. Barr wanted to know more about what foreign assets the C.I.A. had in Russia in 2016 and what those informants were telling the agency about how President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia sought to meddle in the 2016 election."
Can anyone seriously doubt that Trump will rat out these Russian sources to Putin?
We are seeing real-time collusion unfold. It's not just that Trump is blocking efforts to defend the US against another attack by a hostile power on our elections; he is now seeking actively to enable and promote such an attack, because he knows it will be done with the purpose of helping him. This is a huge story and I regret to say that the Times and other major media outlets are just not reporting on it.
8
Quote from article, by David Frum today, in the Atlantic:
"Trump will be acting as his own Julian Assange, releasing U.S. secrets to advance his agenda.
If Trump’s claims had any basis in reality, he would convene an independent commission of respected fact finders. Instead, he has relied on supporters willing to do his bidding. . . The mission ...: Fight to suppress documents properly subpoenaed by Congress . . . then pick and choose U.S. national secrets to defame career professionals who sought to protect the integrity of the ... elections against foreign adversaries who manipulated those elections in Trump’s favor."
10
Trump isn't going down without taking this entire nation down with him.
Already, the Senate under McConnell and Graham is DOA.
They have done nothing. They shall continue to do nothing.
This week Trump took 3 whole minutes to refuse to shake the Democrat's hands and pronounce that there was no way he was working with the Dems on anything.
Please remember, that meeting was to get an infrastructure bill going.
Trump couldn't be bothered to come prepared - so he nuked the whole meeting.
Now he has set his dogs Back to the Future: Go find out what happened 3 years ago, he told Barr.
Hey, if he hadn't obstructed justice for the last 2 years, then we would already know..... now, wouldn't we?
Wake up, America: Trump has no plan.
McConnell has no plan.
Barr has no plan.
And, the kids in cages down on the border, keep dying.
That's our "future".
18
Throw sand in the gears and then throw the bum out. The committed career professionals for the former, the voters (us) for the latter. Grind this corruption to a halt until 2020 with every tool available. Country before party.
No divisions on single issues are worth another 4 years of this slide toward autocracy. When a Dem candidate wins the primary vote for them and for Senators and Congresspeople as well. Get rid of Barr in the process. Fight the issues later within an administration that gives a hoot. Reparations? Climate change? Gender equality? Campaign finance reform? Ever going to get any interest on these from this administration? No way. Trump/McConnell out first!
Heck, vote school board dog catcher elections! Throw the complicit and corrupt out, top to bottom.
11
Continuing down this road, popular election of the attorney general is a consideration. I'm not a particular fan of direct democracies, but when your government starts investigating their political opponents with nothing to stand in the way, I'd definitely be interested in giving a little more power to the people.
8
I’d agree...but right now, I don’t have a big dollop of faith in the proposition that The People are one whit better. Quite possibly, they’re worse.
2
So now Trump has Barr selectively declassify Intelligence of the Russia investigation to make Trump look like a victim. This is the cover up! He can “misrepresent “ that just like he did the Mueller report. Barr is corrupt and dangerous. His first act as AG was to lie to the public about the Mueller report.
Trump doesn’t care about protecting US national security, only protecting himself and Barr is his new tool. Barr has dinner at Trump’s hotel in DC Wednesday and his kids work at the White House. How cozy!
11
Meanwhile Assange is being prosecuted, and Chelsea Manning vilified.
Barr resembles TweedleDee in the accompanying photo, in lockstep with the stable genius.
3
Yes, Muellerism sure is a messianic religion. We've gone from "You just wait till the Mueller report arrives!" to "You just wait till Nancy Pelosi gets to work!"
The pipe-dreams only show how right Dr. Freud was. People need religion and they'll grab it anyway they can.
I see this new outbreak as the secular equivalent of the zealots who predict the end of the world on a specific date, then keep coming up with new dates when it doesn't happen.
I find it hilarious.
https://emcphd.wordpress.com
3
Um, the article’s about the way some guy named Trump is using his power to run a witch hunt that’s dangerous immediately to our national security, and down the line dangerous to our individual liberties.
4
@Robert: Tell that to the people here demanding impeachment and howling about Barr leaking to The Soviet Union. Yes, The Soviet Union.
Go inform them, um, what you think this article is about.
https://emcphd.wordpress.com
2
The Republic thus endeth. When the electoral winners "investigate and prosecute" the electoral losers, we are no longer a democracy.
9
It is Trump's consistent pathology that he accuses others of what he himself is guilty of.
When he accuses the Russian Investigators of committing treason, it follows as day follows night that he knows he has committed treason himself.
Our slide into becoming a banana republic continues unabated with a healthy assist from Republicans in Congress who apparently are all hiding under their desks hoping the angry orange old man doesn't tweet about them.
7
Tit-for-Tat is the name of the game. I cannot recall this much dirt-baggery in politics in my entire 58 years. Both sides.
@BorisRoberts
I've got 67 years on the planet. There is a lot of tit, but not so much tat goin' on round y'here, from where I see it.
2
Adam Schiff with most unintentionally funny reaction to Trump-Barr declassification order. From WP: 'Trump and Barr, Schiff said...are conspiring to 'weaponize law enforcement and classified information against their political enemies.''
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-gives-barr-power-to-declassify-intelligence-related-to-russia-probe/2019/05/23/06950e90-7dbc-11e9-8ede-f4abf521ef17_story.html?utm_term=.7690a3137524&noredirect=on
3
Does this mean Barr will share his findings with the American public? No it does not. It means we will be presented with another sanitized, cherry-picked version of events, leaked to Fox News on a regular basis, casting the traitor in chief as a victim in this sordid affair. What the FBI and CIA saw as an investigation into a stolen election, Bill Barr chose to characterize as spying. No wonder he got the job. New suit, Bill?
6
When will Trump just begin having adversaries murdered ?
6
"The directive is likely to irk the intelligence community..."
Irk?
So, Trump and Barr now intend to hand over U.S. sources in Russia to the Russians?
Irk?
Get a dictionary, Times, and it would be helpful to find some editors with courage.
7
To all of the commenters who ar proclaiming "This is all about transparency, which is a good thing,: and/or "If they;ve got nothing to hide, thene there's no reason to worry":
1) During the Obama presidency, you all screamed bloody murder about an "imperial presidency." If pres Obama had give Eric Holder such power, you would have gone apoplectic! But now that Trump does it, it's all OK, right? You're all just hypocrites!
2) If we could trust Barrf to give an objective assessment, then yes, there's "nothing to hide." However, Barrf has already proven (in his "summary" of the Mueller Report) that he is more than willing to mischaracterize things for political purposes. He cannot be trusted to give "fair and balanced" information.
Impeach! Impeach! Impeach!
5
Kim Trump's revenge authorizing A G Barr his political henchman to run thru the Justice Dept and Intel Agencies purging democrats where only those wearing MAGA hats will remain. Just the way Kim would handle it.Trump wants to be our dictator and now he's really working at it.
3
Wasting my tax dollars on sound bites and attempted pay back. The child king. What a deplorable man. Barr is his alter ego. They are one and the same.
5
This is especially dangerous as Mr. Barr has shown a lifelong talent for cherry picking information in order to obfuscate truth.
Beware!!
4
Impeachment Is a Refusal to Accept the Unacceptable
Taking action against Trump is a rejection of the idea that nothing matters.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/05/impeaching-trump-refuse-accept-unacceptable/590104/
2
Two things:
• As an Attorney General, Barr is a disgrace. He insulted Madame Pelosi to her face by asking “Have you brought the handcuffs, Madame Speaker?” when they bumped into each other days after he chickened out of testifying. To
Republicans, this is the hight of gentlemanly behavior. Remember, their idol Trump bragged about grabbing women by their privates and walking into the Miss Teen USA dressing room while the teen contestants were naked
• William Barr spends his dining allowance paid for by our taxes in the Trump Washington Hotel, to further enrich Trump. One may ask why this so-called attorney general would prostrate himself in front of an insane clown. The answer of course, is in the moolah — of the fruits of William Barr’s loins is a higher up in Deutsche Bank who affixed his signature so that Donald can begin laundering Vlad’s ill gotten wealth. William Barr is doing his best to ensure that Trump is shielded. For outing Trump will also out the crimes of his family.
Follow the moolah.
5
If anyone had any doubts that Trump's bedtime reading (and never denied by either Trump or the donor of the volume, Marvin Davis) was a book of Hitler's speeches, this should dispel them.
What Trump demands is personal loyalty, not loyalty to the oath of office or the Constitution. Barr stood at the ready for this, and anyone who didn't (and this includes Trump's former Secretary of State, Chief of Staff, etc.) soon find themselves out of a job.
When will more Republicans stand up for our Constitution? Or is personal wealth and permanent power in a one-party state more important than their oaths of office?
4
The Emperor Trump has arrived!
4
Illegitimate Trump wants to know who had the audacity to unearth the juggernaut of Russian influence peddling in our election.
Naturally, as a con artist traitor, he has refused to do anything to prevent it in the future, thus giving aid and comfort to our enemy.
4
So much for the three branches of government. The American people are not paying attention as Trump assigns more power to the executive branch while filling high profile vacancies with his cronies; federal judges and the life long appointees to the Supreme Court. He is protecting himself with a wall of loyalists who will safeguard his presidency at any cost. And now with his intensified attacks on the free press, Trump is following the template established in the writings of Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini; their books are proudly displayed in his New York office.
3
"Spying"; I guess that's how we found out his campaign was in bed with the Russians.
2
Finally! An investigation controlled by one of his monkeys. Shades of the Bush/Cheney 35-page tri-fold brochure 'Plan for Victory' in Iraq.
3
Really? Trump - who let's face it is an idiot - is now calling for an investigation into our intelligence agencies...
... since that's what a self-proclaimed "extremely stable genius" does when he's done calling up Putin to have a "long and productive" discussion on the "Russian Hoax" - which he did just a couple of weeks ago (on May 3rd).
This is completely off the rails, and we're riding on the crazy train. Do we even have a government anymore? It looks more like a condemned psychiatric facility where the patients are in charge.
4
Taking into account what we already know about Trump's background -- casino owner, real estate mogul, corner-cutting international businessman, bankruptcy specialist, reality-TV celeb -- and his associates, I don't think it would have been necessary for the feds to open a separate surveillance operation on him. It's the proper function of US intelligence to monitor foreign and domestic threats and criminal activity. Russia? China? Saudi Arabia? Mobsters? Money laundering? RICO? Trump and his crew would likely have popped up, in one way or another, in all those conversations...
13
Simply put it is an attempt to muddy the waters and discredit the Mueller investigation. This so-called investigation will leak like a sieve and throw up falsehoods to parallel with what the House hearings turn up in their attempt to validate and verify the Mueller findings. Weaponizing the Justice Department is a mobsters dream and Trump operated like a mobster with much to hide.
6
Talk about “do over,” this is a propaganda tactic to undo the Mueller report and smother the reality of Russian interference. Putin has essentially been handed more assets than just the bumbling Trump circus.
7
I guess the good news about climate change and species destruction is that the USA would have disappeared without Trump, maybe just somewhat slower.
1
Is GOP and their father Mitch M, so blinded by power that they're not worried by this.. ?
Do they care of America at all?
I hope they know that; there will be no real senate if it has no power..
6
@P2 unfortunately McConnell is complicit. He had the senate vote to remove sanctions on Putin (and Manafort tied) Oligarch Oleg Deripaska’s company Rusal earlier this year which is now investing hundreds of millions in a new facility in McConnell’s state Kentucky! And if that’s not bad enough, the lobbyist who brokered the deal between Deripaska and McConnell just bought his wife a federal judgeship! McConnell took Wendy Vitter’s name off the scrap heap where it had been for a year, brought her up again for a vote and it passed last week! Judge Vitter is a real prize!
4
If Obama had pulled this move, Republicans would be in court to fight it or tie it up by the end of the day. Since when can a president delegate his all encompassing right to declassify to a cabinet member? This is an insidious risk to democracy. Get going Dems and challenge this, there are still a few judges that weren't appointed by this cabal!
8
We now have the trump International Crime Syndicate being protected by the law enforcement institution that was established to prosecute the crimes perpetrated by that Syndicate.
Now, it is only the State of New York that will prosecute trump.
4
I can't believe it's come to this, but I think it's as likely as not that the administration will fabricate evidence to suit their narrative in this "investigation." The work of a "very stable genius..."
4
The Assange issue needs to remain on the front page every single day. What Julian Assange did in 2016 is a completely separate matter from the clear assault on the freedom of the press.
It is disturbing that the story has moved from the front page to somewhere in the middle of the paper. We must rely on the NY Times to pursue this.
As for this nonsense, Barr's authority and effectiveness will rely on the moral backbone of the public servants that serve our nation in the intelligence branches and they will look objectively at everyone and everything.
Barr, in my opinion, is part of the Leo operation to bring into effect a dark and archaic world view of a monarchy for the few, using humans willing to sell out, destroy the cherished values upon which this nation was built and for which our loved ones fought and died defending.
This Memorial Day weekend, write, speak, think and act in ways that will defend our nation from an Imperial Monarchy and the all out attack on freedom that the two suited people you observe in the picture are carrying out orders from the Sidious Palpatine.
2
Trump has "weaponized" the Executive branch with his complicit AG, William Barr. Now Barr , who selectively redacted important sections of the Mueller report , to protect Trump, will now comb top-secret sources to support Trump's spin that it was all a "Witch Hunt".
Meanwhile, Mitch McConnell, will block any bills from the Democratic House, to further the GOP mantra, that the Dems are unable to work with the Senate, and pass legislation. .
6
Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Let the sun shine in.
There is much about the origin of the collusion delusion that requires disinfecting.
6
@John giving Trump’s AG Barr who Robert Mueller said “misrepresented” the substance of his report the power to selectively declassify Intelligence to help Trump has nothing to do with transparency. If they wanted “sunlight” they’d have appointed a 9/11 style commission. Barr will selectively declassify Intelligence to make Trump look like a victim and further slander those who investigated him. This is Trump’s cover up! Barr is Nunes with a brain and more power.
2
If Trump is re-elected in 2020 it might be time for blue states to begin discussing a new type of union with red states...maybe a separation with economic ties.
1
If there's nothing to hide, then there's nothing to be afraid of.
6
@OTT Tell that to Trump regarding his tax returns and to AG Barr re: the Mueller report.
This is most certainly designed as a distraction to create a "whatabout" to replace Hillary's emails...a complaint that has gotten a little long in the tooth, especially with Trump's own administration and family using private servers
1
@OTT there is when Trump is giving his personal AG who lied about and misrepresented Mueller’s investigation the power to selectively declassify and release Intelligence from an investigation into Trump!
1
This transparency is much needed by the public who have a right to know if the government was spying on candidates
5
The president is ready to put an end to his misery. He had no idea this is not a make believe job.
1
Yes America, this is just another step towards turning our great democratic republic into a corrupt banana republic.
Remember to thank any conservatives, Republicans and Russians you know for their part in this nightmare.
6
I thought he wanted "investment" rather than investigations?
Seriously, how far is too far? I was certain we had reached that point more than a year ago but here we are, still accelerating.
3
“[S]elective declassification is one of the ways the Trump White House can spin a narrative about the origins of the Russia investigation to their point of view.” Selective declassification is also a way the Trump White House can preemptively spin the Russia counterintelligence investigation narrative to Trump’s advantage—and perhaps even derail it altogether.
From what we have heard the counterintelligence investigation into Trump ties and possible compromises to Russia as a national security matter is still ongoing. Spinning a narrative of political motivation about the campaign collusion investigation will no doubt infect the counterintelligence one—which is ultimately far more serious for Trump, his businesses and his family. And compromising sources in the campaign collusion investigation could well close down counterintelligence sources—which could derail or at least significantly compromise the counterintelligence investigation to Trump’s advantage.
Two birds with one stone. And the second bird, never mentioned, is the far bigger and more dangerous one.
5
Barr will present a case for the defense of Donald Trump which introduces reasonable doubt of any and all crimes, including obstruction of justice. Barr knows that Mueller did present evidence ample to support an indictment but not one that is conclusive. Congress could sew it up unless Trump’s defense team can cast doubt upon the credibility of the investigators and be able to claim that they were trying to frame Trump.
4
If Trump declassified document during the investigation, he would have been accused of obstructing justice. Congress seemed to be interested in a Russian conspiracy when Trump was the target. The Times reported the dossier could very well be a Russian attempt to disrupt the election. Not a word from in Mueller's report how the dossier got dispersed to the different agencies. Was Brennan, Comey, or Clapper stooges played by Russia? Congress had an obligation to investigate both campaigns. If the dossier was needed to get a FISA warrant, and agencies knew there were false, we the people need to know. Was this an insurance policy, or a perfectly legal investigation. I want to know.
7
@Jay, it is well-settled that the Steele (a man who fought in Afghanistan along Allied troops) dossier was not used to get the FISA warrant, that the investigation was commenced long before the FBI received it so for you to be spreading fake news in your comment is irresponsible. Steele has far more concern for the welfare of this country than Donald Trump ever has.
4
Sir, you are not correct. The Steele Dossier was referred too in the FISA warrant applications. Not the only thing, but it was part of the case made for the warrants.
1
@jonathan. It’s not well settled. Strzok testified under oath without the dossier, no warrant could be obtained. The IG is going to determine whether the FISA warrant was obtained properly. So far, we only have Clapper, Comey, and Brennan say it was a legally obtained warrant, and Brennan and Comey are accusing each other who decided to include the dossier. They all wouldn’t be pointing fingers at each other if it was proper and settled.
1
So, Donald Trump has turned the Justice Department into his own personal propaganda and political vendetta machine, and the Democrats are still debating whether or not to impeach?
14
Donald Trump is trying to become an autocrat. He has to be stopped. In and of itself this is dangerous - but his actions are destroying any allready-slight chances of functional government.
11
Obviously there is no one to stop this abuse of power that is far beyond anything we have ever experienced before. Why is there even a question about why there was an intelligence investigation into the Trump campaign's involvement with the Russians interference in our election? Manafort had deep ties to the Russians, Jared Kushner was attempting to establish a back channel with them, Don, Jr. "loved" that the Russians might have been able to supply them with dirt on Hillary Clinton, and lied about the Trump Tower meeting, and Donald Trump invited the Russians to hack our election on television right before they did so.
Our ability to gather intelligence will now be severely hampered, and we are going to be more vulnerable than we have ever been as concerns foreign adversaries. Bill Barr will cherry pick intelligence information to be disclosed to the public and everything will be out of context. There will be more "Valerie Plames" exposed as a result of all this.
What needs to be investigated are the ties all our politicians have to Russian oligarchs and the benefits they have received from those relationships. Not happening. We have little power except for the House, where subpoenas to appear before it are arrogantly being ignored. I know law suits are going forth in the courts, but what happens if they go all the way to the conservative SCOTUS?
Russia has played the long suit, and appears to be winning. Divide and conquer is working here and in the U.K. as well.
10
Trump has two loyalists at the top of the IRS, a partisan as head of the Department of Justice and now is allowing the Intelligence agencies most secret files to beg declassified if they will help smear the FBI and the Russia investigation. And the Congressional Republicans, except from only one Member, remain silent.
I knew that the GOP had become corrupted, but I could never imagine that it is populated in Congress by totally hollow people. But it is. 2020 will be the most important election in our lifetimes.
9
Mueller, or his deputies might want to reevaluate their decision to stay above the fray. We all can agree the investigation created a historical record, but as our Republic’s institutions are dismantled , to what end? The Attorney General
effectively, and with malicious intent, has compromised the investigation.
Mueller and his deputies are in possession of the antidote which has afflicted our body politic.
Channel Daniel Ellsberg, or some other great American patriot. Lock arms, make a joint statement, and deliver us from the abyss.
98
We will now have no more justice from the Justice Department. The FBI, CIA and the other units designed to protect our country will now serve Barr who, in turn, will serve Trump. But Barr is far more dangerous to our country because he is bright and well informed about the law. This makes his abuses much more sinister. Barr is now as much a criminal as Trump, and as such, he should have his law license pulled (disbarred?). Barr will never make our country proud but he will and already is undermining our government. The law of the land is now Trump/Barr law and it will get much worse with time. The USA is a country founded on a Constitution and laws. But I fear this is already being undermined and no one seems ready to use the court system before Barr gets his criminal hands dirtier. He is likely to threaten judges, if they do not rule for Trump. At that point, it will be to late to use subpoenas and the courts.
16
Such a den of thieves! The Dems need to win the election and go after Trump and ALL his cronies. This is not normal politics and puts our democracy in serious danger. To not go after Trump is to neglect one's duty and the become an accomplish in the dismantling of the American democracy.
11
This is an additional move towards weaponizing the DOJ into a pure instrument of Trump's political interests. It's a giant step towards authoritarianism.
13
To those who didn't support Hillary, this is another fine mess you have gotten us into.
Trump is delusional, has no understanding or respect for the law, especially the Constitution which he thinks was written in opposition to him. He will try to do anything to bring down anyone in his way and he is not afraid to abuse the office he sits in a few hours a day, three days a week.
13
@Joe Barnett I can't blame people who didn't support Hillary. I do blame our Electoral College.
Even without "investigating" the country knows what Barr's mandate is, and he will fulfill it. He could just sit at his desk for a couple of weeks playing solitaire on his computer, and then announce his "findings." At least an outside investigator was assigned to look into Trump's Russia connections. Absolutely no pretense with this.
6
Congratulations America! You 're almost at the finish line!
3
Trump is in a panic as his financial records and tax returns come closer to the light.
In the meantime, Congress needs to get a grip on his insanity and especially his solo venture to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia. Imagine the kickback from that one going into his offshore account.
8
John Cornyn, former number two GOP Senator and now candidate for re-election, has an opportunity to act in the oversight role the Constitution provides. He has so far chosen not to act. No new depth by Trump has been low enough to elicit action. Time for accountability.
6
In 21st Century, the Knight in Shining Armour does not only come to rescue the damsel in distress, it comes for the damoiseau in distress too.
Critics are right. The Trump administration is going to cherry-pick intelligence and make public the points that support their political goals. Moreover, the knowledge is coercion over intelligence sources. They might get outed. "Oh, Valerie Plame..." Trump has started a war with our own intelligence community.
Who would do that? Oh, right. A Russian agent.
Once again though, we find AG Barr asking Trump to make expansive executive decisions on his behalf. First, executive privilege to protect Barr from contempt proceedings. Now this. For all his bombast, Trump isn't sitting in the driver's seat. We have a shadow President in the AG's office.
A nasty one too. Barr is up to his neck in legal liability right now. You want to talk about treason? The Trump administration is projecting again. Barr hitched his wagon to Trump's survival. If he doesn't succeed, they are both going down. That makes Barr extremely dangerous to our country.
96
@Andy - " is going to cherry-pick intelligence and make public the points that support their political goals."
Everyone in politics does that, not just Trump.
6
@Andy. And what on earth is Barr’s motivation? Once upon a time he was a respected “establishment” Republican, albeit one with squirrelly views about presidential power. Why on earth has he risked his reputation—and perhaps far more—by hitching his wagon to Trump’s star, going all out not just to protect the office of the presidency (as he originally stated), but to protect Trump personally? Has he been promised a seat on the Supreme Court if one comes open before the Trump star flames out?
8
@Midwest Josh
Not with unlimited security clearance they don't.
10
I don't want to get too conspiracy theory-ish, but is there a chance that Barr is long-gaming Trump here?
Barr is a career institutionalist and distinguished lawyer. It seemed so, so far out of character for him to use words like "spying" during hearings or "no collusion" during the press conference before the release of the Mueller report. Some of this seems so un-lawyerly, so nakedly partisan, so un-AG-ish that it would make Sessions blush.
Maybe it was all an act to placate Trump and convince Trump that Barr was 100% a team player? Barr now has blanket authority to release classified information, i.e., he can release so much more of the underlying investigatory material behind the Mueller report. If there is damning information that Trump is compromised by Russia that was uncovered by Mueller's team, it would not necessarily have been germane to the Mueller report itself (on Russian interference in the election) and therefore not disclosed in the report, but still utterly devastating to Trump (e.g., if he is being blackmailed or otherwise influenced by Putin).
Rod Rosenstein's complete 180 also seemed a head-scratcher. Maybe he and Barr cooked this whole strategy up to misdirect Trump, and then to get the power and the breathing room to make the most important facts public in the only way they could?
Or maybe this is just wishful thinking going into a long weekend...
19
Listen to Barr very carefully. What does he say and what he does not say. You will gradually perceive what he is really doing is representing a client’s point of view but not necessarily his own. He is not being candid and completely honest in his public performance.
4
@ph wilson
i thoughtfully (and fullheartedly) wish your wishful thinking were true...
2
@PH Wilson that's just a lot of wishful thinking probably after toking a joint. Barr's summery letter of the Mueller report says it all. He's selectively used quotations from the report and applied a very narrow interpretation of obstruction (that even Judge Napolitano of Fox news disgarred with
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/judge-andrew-napolitano-to-impeach-or-not-to-impeach
In order to exonerate Trump in the public's eyes before the report was issued. He's Trump's lawyer. He's going to selectively release documents to create the impression that the origins of the investigation were unfair to Trump.
3
It would be shocking if a President's unique and highly consequential power to declassify this country's most secret national security documents and intelligence could be delegated to an Attorney General as a general legal/constitutional proposition. It would be even more disturbing where this current unrestrained President wishes to delegate that vast power to his Attorney General for an obvious, highly partisan and improper purpose, to publicly reveal any and all information that would support a suspect political narrative of his own creation. There must exist multiple grounds upon which to challenge this unprecedented delegation of power in the federal courts, by the Director of National Intelligence and the heads of all the intelligence agencies. Will they have the courage to do so, however?
96
@John Grillo
If he hadn't delegated the power to declassify to the AG, people would be screaming their heads off about his lack of impartiality in choosing what to declassify.
These "most secret" documents are part of the Mueller report, the very same report that everyone has been wanting to read publicly unredacted.
3
@John Grillo
Instead of delegating this power to the Attorney General of the United States William Barr who believes in the extremist unitary executive legal theory that the President of the United States cannot obstruct justice and the FBI 'deep state' led by Donald Trump's FBI Director Christopher Wray why not involve intelligence and law enforcement agencies that Trump believes, trusts and respects?
Like Russian military intelligence aka GRU and/or Russian domestic intelligence aka FSB and/or Russian foreign intelligence aka SVR?
No collusion? MAGA?
6
@John Grillo I hope it can be successfully challenged. Otherwise Barr will “misrepresent” the Russia Investigation just like he did the Mueller report. He will declassify and release selective Intelligence that falsely slanders dedicated Intelligence professionals and makes Trump out to be a victim, all while threatening our national security and our Intelligence capabilities to protect this president and cover up his actions.
13
Its so clear Trump is willing to not only use every power at his disposal to protect himself and attack his opponents, but also that he will abuse his power to do so.
Meanwhile, Pelosi and gang are reluctant to use their very legitimate powers to hold him accountable.
This asymmetry is untenable. Democrats need to act. They've assumed we can win an election when Trump now holds all the power of the executive branch with no guard rails. Its a poor assumption.
29
@Ed
Don't discount Pelosi's actions. We only get one shot at impeachment, and "we" have to do it right. She is playing the long game, and nobody knows better than her how to do it.
Fingers crossed.
7
@Ed What is more surprising to some is that the Attorney General would go along, and enable this.
2
Don't hold Democrats responsible to stop Trump when they don't have the power to do so, and it's patently obvious that Trump is goading the Democrats to try to impeach him. The spineless, immoral and money grubbing Republicans are the only people who can stop this obscene rot of our democracy.
3
Congress must open impeachment hearings on Barr as well as Trump. Barr auditioned for Attorney General with his 20-page if-the-president-does-it-it's-not-a-crime memo, then highjacked Mueller's report, spinning a gauzy film of faux exoneration around the 400 pages of jaw-dropping corruption, greed, malice, incompetence, and dishonesty within. Now he wants to be in charge of what top-secret intelligence we do and don't see? He lost the trust of sane people at his non-summary/summary press conference. He lost the consent of the governed with his political hackery, no matter how velvet-gloved. Like Trump, he has no one to blame but himself. Impeach him for obstruction, then make sure he is disbarred. He's a danger to the rule of law.
38
@Julie Yes! I think it might be best to try to impeach Barr ASAP! He’s corrupt and only out to cover for Trump! Devin Nunes with a brain and lots more power!
I’d say with Trump hold the hearings to bring the public along but not much sense impeaching Trump until you have the votes in the Senate. Otherwise he’s still there and it just ups his victimhood!
Some documents are stamped "classified" in order to hide them from pubic view because they might prove embarrassing, but they do not contain actual "secret information".
Trump and Barr are hoping they can find such documents,
Giving a sycophant like Barr the power to declassify is fundamentally a serious mistake, because he has an agenda.
The "unitary executive" he supports is nowhere to be found in the Constitution, and essentially turns a POTUS into a monarch, who does not have to answer to anyone for anything.
This will not end well.
But then again, nothing Trump touched ends well.
21
@Joe From Boston
The power of the "unitary executive" is as real as the other numerous constitutional stipulations "found" between the lines (as in the "emanations of penumbras" where others are found), but really based on the surrender of power by the congress in return for safe jobs.
The only way that this may be resolved so as to restore some semblance of constitutional order is for congress to fight back. While I could not expect them to act when it appears that judiciary may fight the fight for them, if this process bogs down in judicial constipation, the they could only recapture their power by actually use the powers of their Sergeant of Arms to physically enforce some of their stronger subpoenas.
"Sharing " information about sources and methods in the bogus interest of transparency means that they're disclosing it to the Russians. Do we need anymore proof that Trump, and apparently now Barr, are Russian stooges?
20
Sure, investigate the investigators, of course they could only have investigated him, the Most Innocent Ever, out of hatred.
Proceed with political opponents- why would anyone oppose/ run against Trump unless they are traitors who hate him and don't want a great America?
For that matter, why would you ever be voting against Trump unless you are un-American and a traitor?
That, in a nutshell, has been the core message of every dictator in the 20th century: they claimed to personify the will of the nation and to be the only ones working out of patriotism for the national interest.
Trump is not yet a dictator in the sense that the Greek, Argentinian, and Brazilian Juntas or Franco were, but he clearly yearns for that.
When do we cancel elections?
22
@DM In answer to your last question, that's when not enough vote for Democrats in the House, Senate, and of course, White House on November 3, 2020 -
2
corruption ruins countries. this is our end. we've gone too far.
17
"the power to declassify is also the power to selectively declassify, and selective declassification is one of the ways the Trump White House can spin a narrative about the origins of the Russia investigation to their point of view.”
This should send a chill down the spine of every American. The Authoritarian President must be stopped NOW.
23
Journalists: Prosecuting Assange for publishing classified documents that included names of confidential sources is an unprecedented attack on journalism. Also Journalists: Trump authorizing declassification of documents is clear abuse of power. Literally. The. Same. Day.
12
@areader, there's not really such a disconnect here. There is concern in both cases about the revelation of anonymous sources-- journalists aren't defending Assange's methods, they're worried about potentially being prosecuted even though they don't dump information indiscriminately.
1
Seems like somebody is setting the scene for refusing to leave office should he be defeated in 2020.
20
They are trying every trick they can come up with, to try to put Trump above the law!
12
This is chilling news! Trump has no reverence for the FBI and the CIA and now he has ordered them to selectively declassify materials Attorney General Barr wants for his inquiry.He is asking them to ignore their oath of office-he is telling them to give up information which could put US sources at risk.The vengeful Trump will find a way to punish those who he feels have wronged him even at the expense of the dignity and diligence of our intelligence agencies.Barr is , of course, Trump’s Attorney and has redacted large parts of the Mueller Report so that the American people cannot see it.Now he has been given a green light to rummage through secret material to find something, anything which will be favorable to Trump.Trump continues his attacks on our country and its institutions.This is escalating-Congress will soon have to apply the brakes.
21
Wow. I had almost become numb to my daily ratcheting of fear that America had lost its way, yet the President breaks through again.
Let's leave aside the horror of the President using the apparatus of government to punish and threaten his detractors and consider something else: Do we want a political operative such as AG Barr rummaging unchecked through all files regarding all surveillance of Russian interference during 2016? We know he will release selectively chosen information to the public, but what of other information gleaned? To whom or where can that interesting information be selectively or inadvertently released?
Flashbacks of the President incautiously revealing how he gets 'the best information' to Kislyak and Lavrov in 2017.
18
@Abigail Lamberton Thanks to Russia's press for photos:
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/11/trump-intel-slip
3
The greatest threat to the national security of the United States is Donald Trump.
Everything about this pretextual presidency is based on bad faith. That's all there is to it. Trump has never done more than claim to work in the national interest; in reality, he's either enriching himself, protecting himself from accountability, or attempting to enact his own biases into law.
24
Barr claims to be seeking answers to questions as he sits on a two and a half year report from Mueller.
Until the all the facts are on the table, no one is credible and no accusation has merit.
Trumps threat to dump information is an act of self preservation and nothing more.
Mueller will no longer be beholden to Barr and Trump after the first of the month.
I believe Mueller will do the right thing for his country.
8
@Al
I don't believe Mueller will do anything. He seems to be a Republican first, then a patriot.
1
@Al, I hope you are right but I am having my doubts. A report today indicated that Jerry Nadler said Mueller wants to only testify in private. Public testimony from him is essential to the country learning what is in his report. If he refuses to testify publicly, then Mueller will have let the country down again (and I say again because he should have made a more affirmative statement on Obstruction charges, he should have interviewed both Trump and Trump Jr. and he could have found a conspiracy absent an explicit agreement between Trump and Putin.
2
Mr. Barr has been a dedicated, intelligent public official who has provided steadfast support to the Intelligence and Counterintelligence communities throughout his career. Is he is willing to jeopardize the careers of the men and women in those agencies and expose the sources and methods used those communities? If he does, he actions will render aid and assistance to our enemies. One hopes will not.
3
Everyday that Trump takes more power from the people, he gets closer and closer to the last people who can stop him. Will Ms Pelosi wait until he comes for her? And will it be too late by then for us?
7
I don't have any problem with shining a light on the decision making process followed by the FBI and senior political appointees in the Justice Department and intelligence community in the run up the 2016 election. Its clear from the Mueller report that, while perhaps short of the legal definition of conspiracy, the Trump campaign met with individuals connected Russian intelligence and publicly encouraged Russia to pursue their nefarious activities.
At the same time, I believe their was genuine concern in the Obama Justice Dept. and among senior intelligence officials that Russia was about to tilt the election to Trump. But there are a number of problems with the actions they took:
1) The FBI never informed the Trump campaign that they were the subject of a counter intelligence investigation, which is standard practice unless the FBI has reasonable suspicion that a crime has already been committed
2) OK, don't call them spies, but the FBI surveilled the Trump campaign with paid informants.
3) The FBI wiretapped with a FISA warrant based predominantly on a dubious (and most likely Russian disinformation) dossier. Individuals that were not the direct subject of the investigation were deliberately "unmasked" in violation of the FISA statutes
So I believe both narratives are correct - the Trump campaign was colluding with Russia and the Obama Justice Department got ahead of the law in the process of trying to uncover the facts.
8
@Mister Mxyzptlk After these 3 years, this is about President Trump and his campaign - not President Obama. To be fair, let's let the president take responsibility for his teams and their actions.
3
@Mister Mxyzptlk They didn't tell him the campaign was being surveilled because they weren't sure if he was complicit. You don't tell the potential criminals that you're on to them.
2
@Mister Mxyzptlk - best comment of the day, right here.
1
Turnabout is fair play. The very Democrats, liberals and progressives that sought to destroy the Trump presidency will now have their own actions investigated. They will be proven to have done exactly what they accused Trump of doing. It is going to be fun to watch then squirm and turn state's evidence against each other. What goes around, comes around.
7
We haven't sought to destroy the Trump presidency. Trump has done an excellent job of destroying his presidency all on his own.
11
Somehow I don't think any group of Democrats will be shown to have allegedly laundered Russian oligarchs' cash; contacted Russians 140 times during the campaign; asked Russian intelligence to release emails stolen from a fellow American; tried to build a skyscraper in Moscow while campaigning for president; or lied about the tower project to the American people, thus becoming compromised by Russia.
3
Maybe someone could ask Mr. Barr if the repeated actions of a presidential political campaign team meeting with assets of a an adversarial foreign power doesn't require scrutiny. Isn't that what the FBI is designed to do? And if he were DOJ at that time in the summer of 2016, what would his reasons be in not authorizing that scrutiny? That they are only Russians, not to worry?
6
Is Mr. Mueller still dragging his feet about showing up at the capital to explain his report so that we don’t have to read 400 plus pages of his report? And, remove any obligation on the reader to try and read between the lines. Congress should let him explain the report and give him the professional courtesy of setting the parameters of the Q&A. Believe this action could neuter any back room machinations by the AG and the Donald.
5
Why are Democrats upset? Surely the investigation of Trump had a proper foundation. Nothing should be discovered that in any way calls into question the reasons for the inquiry nor the legality of the methods used. But Congressman Schiff complains like he and Democrats have something to hide.
4
@Robert Borman you are correct that the investigation had a proper foundation. But the concern is that Barr will pick and choose what to declassify in order to spin a narrative that DISREGARDS THE FACTS in order to shine a favorable light on Trump--just as he did with his "summary" of the Mueller report.
It's not that Democrats are worried about the truth will come out. It's that Trump and Barr will cherry pick the facts so that the truth WON'T come out.
14
You're not upset about a partisan hack being given the keys to the vaults? About Barr having the authority to declassify any intelligence information he wants? This isn't about the origins of the Mueller investigation into Trump's corruption, this is about national security.
2
Congressman Schiff continues to claim that he has secret information that proves Trump was in collusion with the Russians. He refuses to reveal it. I wonder why. Now Schiff is complaining that documents and information that were the cause of the unproductive investigation of Trump colluding with the Russians should not be made public. Schiff never explains why he didn’t turn over to Mueller the secret information. Does the secret information implicate Democrats in wrongdoing?
What sweet irony it would be if Barr uncovers irrefutable proof that Trump colluded with Russia and that his corruption before, during and after the 2016 election went far beyond what Mr. Mueller uncovered.
9
@H. Clark
If he found it, he would hide it. Barr is beholden to Trump, he is a party loyalist, and he is apparently as corrupt as his boss.
2
Unbelievable!
Trump managed to turn table completely. Now the President under serious criminal investigation is investigating the investigators. On top of that he achieved full control over the sources of information.
7
"Mr. Barr wanted to know more about what foreign assets the C.I.A. had in Russia in 2016 and what those informants were telling the agency about how President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia sought to meddle in the 2016 election." Really and with the direct line to Russia - does this tell us what the deal was in those closed door conversations with Putin? just saying???
8
Congress needs to act now. No more warnings. Impeach, Impeach, Impeach. What Barr and Trump are doing now will uncover CIA operatives all over the globe. They will dismantle our intelligence agencies for political revenge. Meanwhile Russia can hack into our election systems and sabotage us with little resistance.
20
Another step toward complete dictatorship by a paranoid who is obstructing justice and covering up his own misdeeds to intervene in his own election by conspiring with the Russian government. Will the Republican Congressmen and women wake up before it is too late?
21
Now the guy going after Wikileaks is going to release - probably to Putin - a complete list of our human intelligence assets in Russia.
And some people thought LeCarré’s British intelligence “mole” stories were over the top?
I can only hope the last real intelligence officer at the CIA tries to stop this - quickly.
10
So our own justice system is going to look at Russian interference and obstruction of rooting it out as a crime?
This is five alarm chilling!
Yo, rich dudes who support trump. Surely, you are American. Exactly as Michael Cohen said, you and the Republican support apparatus that sees no evil in Trump, are his enablers. Continue and the same fate awaits you. Please wake up and return to your senses.
13
If you're still a Republican and have any sense of decency and compassion it's time to ask yourself if tax cuts for the rich, packing the federal judiciary, undoing everything the Obama administration accomplished and overturning Roe v. Wade is worth destroying the country in the process. Is this truly what Real Americans want?
If you're a Democrat, it's time to take off the gloves. The President of the United States and his minions are threats to national security. Regardless of what happens in the Senate, it's time to impeach this criminal.
19
Come on, ruling class: do your thing. Offer Barr a ton of cash to quit (carrot); let him know his social life and position are all done if he keeps up with this dictator-in-training (stick.)
I'd be surprised if this wasn't happening: the coverage is the stick. I hope there's a carrot.
But this is the deal: we're in the middle of a postmodern 1930s here, just as Non-adult in the Room Varoufakis has said. Either we strike at the socioeconomic roots of it, or we're all done.
Biden will not cut it, even if he wins. We need FDR 2.0 to get through 1930s 2.0, and that's Sanders.
I know; you won't even consider it because, hey, what's defeating a fascist wave that will only get stronger as the climate tanks and people go on the move, etc, next to admitting in public, like Brad De Long, that your little cohort may not have the answer given the situation?
5
Every citizen should demand to know why the Trump campaign was spied upon.
6
@Dr. John Spied upon or under investigation for it's Russian contacts and assistance?
3
@Dr. John
You might not like the answer.
1
Isn’t it obvious doc?
2
This is outrageous and terrifying. The fact that no one is stopping this is indicative of how spineless the GOP has become. I won't be surprised if Barr finds plenty of "evidence" and people are actually charged. Meanwhile, the man having private conversations with Putin and taking the translator's notes from them sits comfortably in the White House.
8
Outing and exposing our covert intelligence operations and agents in Russia is a gift to Putin.
The impact of Russian interference in our 2016 elections continues to pay off for the Kremlin every day.
12
@John Adams
And declassifying the Mueller report isn't a gift to Putin?
No one is outing and exposing covert intelligence operations. The reports that will be produced by this investigation - just like the reports from the Inspector General at the FBI - will remain just as redacted as the Mueller report was, if not heavily moreso.
1
Democrats worry too much. Perhaps like Mueller the final report from AG Barr will show there was nothing illegal about spying on the Trump campaign. If however the Obama administration officials were complicit in a conspiracy to use an "insurance" to have Trump removed as POTUS then this should be looked into. There are obviously a lot of shenanigans that went on.
Comey on the FISA application signed that the Steele information was verified but later told Trump it was not verified. There is a lot wrong with Comey and his actions both in the Clinton investigation and the Trump investigation. Comey it appears may have lied under oath several times.
9
Paging the 2019 individuals who will be either the next Daniel Ellsberg (The Pentagon Papers ) and/or Mark Felt (Watergate). Only those with a backbone, moral compass and respect for the rule of law need to forward materials to The New York Times or Washington Post. It is not rocket science - Ellsberg and Felt have given you the template!
Please do so, soon!
6
If you liked Barr's summary of the Mueller report your going too love the outcome of this.
There's a room in the Kremlin where glasses are being raised.
12
To Trump and now it seems to Barr, national security or a claim of it, is just a concept made out of rubber to be bent, however justifies their end game. One day the threat is our intelligence agencies, the next day it's Canada.
Putin couldn't have wished to get a better birthday present.
6
‘The directive will “help ensure that all Americans learn the truth about the events that occurred, and the actions that were taken, during the last presidential election and will restore confidence in our public institutions,” the statement said.’
Uh, no. This isn’t about the truth. This is a fishing expedition that places the security of one Donald J Trump above the security of the United States. Anything remotely exculpatory will be trumpeted, even if taken completely out of context. The mere fact something was used as grounds to investigate the Trump campaign will make it a target to be sullied and questioned along with anyone in intelligence who played a role in pursuing it.
We’ve already seen what political hacks can do with a biased and incomplete investigation. The House Intelligence Committee under Devin Nunes refused to get the full testimony of Trump staffers and family members, released secret intelligence information, cooperated closely with the White House, and wrote an extremely one sided report that supposedly cleared Trump of wrongdoing. They didn’t even subpoena phone records to see who Don Jr called the day of the Trump Tower meeting with the gang of Russians offering dirt on Hillary.
Jeremy Bash is right that sensitive sources and methods will be sacrificed if they can be selectively spun in Trump’s favor. Barr is a hack whose prime directive is Trump’s protection. Putin must be gleeful to see us ready to demolish our own intelligence networks.
5
How many votes did William Barr receive in the last election?
This is playing out as a real life version of a combination of Victor Hugo's ' Les Miserables' and Frantz Kafka's ' The Trial'.
Under what Article I American Constitutional legislative authority is this Article II witch hunt going to be conducted and how is the Trump Administration going to pay for it?
Where does Mar-a-Lago Trump Organization end and the Trump Administration White House begin?
8
Trump main failing, in public office, is that he is not a polished, sweet-talking (aka:lying)professional politician!
2
Craven partisan and perjurer Barr, currently in contempt of Congress, is actually going to run this - really??? How low and absurd can it go? It's like Tom Hagen investigating the Corleones.
In 2021 we'll need to investigate the investigator who investigated the investigation.
7
What is Citizen #1 afraid of? Only time and some good citizens will/can tell us.
In the meantime keep good thoughts and vote "blue"!
2
It is hard to believe what a complete joke the US has become. Does anything really surprise us anymore?
6
One thing people never talk about, but really should, is that there is always a foul odor around Trump. Like he hasn't let his clothes dry properly and he's just eaten an entire clove of garlic. Everything just smells old and damp, rotting from within.
3
So now we have two traitors: Trump and Barr. I hope the intelligence community starts leaking the "truth" when these enemies of the people start selectively declassifying.
Barr is truly the John Mitchell for the 21st Century.
7
From the NYT's: A rush to leave a trail of breadcrumbs regarding Russian meddling and Trump campaign contacts.
We should know that there was or was not any politics involved. If partisan FBI agents acted improperly we need to know. For out future ...We don't not want to become a banana republic.
2
In the best imitation of Orwellian speak, Huckabee Sanders couches this effort as one increasing the transparency of information to the public to ensure their confidence in the process. Wow. Just, wow.
War is peace... love is hate... truth are lies.
In the 1930s, Goebels said that one only has to repeat the same lie over and over and it becomes the truth.
We are seeing increasingly authoritarian & belligerent behaviors becoming normalized in this administration and the risk to our democracy is clear and present.
10
Unlike the Mueller investigation, this IS a witch hunt. I fear these men and women in the CIA will be caught in this net of abuse of power and used as pawns by Trump and his treacherous Administration. The frightening speed at which Barr is using his power to tear down our Democracy, vilify the enemies of Trump and skew the law to support the corrupt behavior of this White House is unbelievable.
8
Oh you mean Trump gives Barr permission to construct a false narrative with cherry picked information as if transparency is his middle name.... The corruption continues.
4
Well like Nancy and Chuck are always saying about Donald's taxes, what's he got to hide?
1
Russia is about to get a treasure trove of US intelligence secrets and formally top secret documents authorized by the man they helped elect President.
6
We have President who declares that Government employees who are doing their jobs are treasonous. Since we are a democracy, one cannot be "treasonous" to the President of the United States but only to the Constitution and the Country as a whole. Trump is clearly a fascist who believes that we all are required to give our loyalty, fidelity and support to Donald Trump and not to the United States of America. What really scares me is that his supporters do not really believe in supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States of America.
6
Can't wait to see the redacted or dog whistles..
Are they going to reveal our intelligence assets in Russia to Vladimir Putin so he can make them disappear? This is chilling.
7
Given that Barr was, just this week, spotted by ABC dining in the Trump hotel in support of his boss' Super-PAC re-election fund-raiser, and given that he outright lied to Congress about Mueller's discontent, and given his outright unconstitutional contempt of Congress on subpoenas, we have cause to be very, very concerned about this development. A man that believes a criminal can face no legal consequences so long as he's a Republican President does not need to be investigating anything except the inside of his jail cell.
11
I like this photo. Looks like when they turned onto this hallway, Donald said, "For god's sake, look determined - like you know exactly what you're doing!"
4
Trump must be stopped...now. This has gone on, unchecked, for way too long. And I cannot even express my dismay at these ordinary citizens who support every single completely crazy thing he does and says. Even when so much proof and evidence is flying all over the place they still defend him.
Trump must be forced out of office...immediately. Republicans have got to stop riding on Trump’s Crazy Train and do the right thing, for once, and get on board with Democrats in IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS. Nancy Pelosi, and her republicanized Democratic old-way thinking needs to be ousted as well. She should have never been elected as Speaker of the House. She has no ability to do what needs to be done.
Our country is coming apart at the seams and nobody is doing anything to stop it. These investigations have gotten nowhere because we have a outright criminal in the White House who is staging the biggest cover-up ever seen in our country and now is attempting to rip apart our Constitution.
William Barr should not have this authority. It is unprecedented and needs to be squashed. It is Trump, Bolton, Barr, Pompeo, Mnuchin, and Miller who are TRAITORS to this country, not the agencies and individuals who have, and continue to, investigate the criminal and treasonous activity that Trump was, and is still currently, engaged in.
Trump is a total disgrace to the Presidency, a total failure of a business man, a man without honor and a traitor unlike ever seen before in history.
6
Trump has just made Barr investigator, prosecutor and judge. He must really trust him to come to the "right" conclusion.
26
This is an important step toward introducing some transparency into this murky mess. Remember progressive friends, as you have so often spouted, if you you have done nothing wrong you have nothing to fear. As for those that have done something wrong, it is right that they are in a panic and scrambling to deflect attention. We've seen plenty of that over the last few weeks. Hopefully we will see some straight reporting on this come out of the Times but I would not count on it. Can wait for them to roll out a Comey oped.
4
@Daphne
Speaking of transparency, Trump stated he was the most transparent president in history. No doubt about it, "we can see right through you, Donald".
4
@Daphne
When a partisan has control over what gets unclassified and what doesn't, thats no transparency. Its an open invitation to create a false narrative based on selective declassification. Barr has already shown us he will do this with his dishonest framing of the Mueller report when only he had the information.
4
Do you read the news? The investigation followed from acts that provided probable cause. This entire effort is a ruse to distract from Congressional hearings and investigations. Create enough commotion and uninformed people will think that there is something to it.
4
“It’s dangerous,” he continued, “because the power to declassify is also the power to selectively declassify, and selective declassification is one of the ways the Trump White House can spin a narrative about the origins of the Russia investigation to their point of view.”
That reminds me a lot of selective reporting. All these guys really know a lot about what they're talking.
7
Barr has already shown that he cannot be trusted after he DELIBERATELY mis-characterized the Mueller Report to get a jump on the news cycle.
He clearly will ONLY de-classify documents that make the FBI's investigation look bad, and will refuse to de-classify any that show they acted correctly. It's simply his M.O. already.
Nothing ameliorating or exculpatory will be de-classified, only what is aggravating, and even that will be surgically re-dacted to "prove" Trump's claim he was "spied" on. Of course, in Trump's lexicon, even absolutely legal and justifiable surveillance of him and his campaign is "TREASON!"--he's already said so.
So: Does "Don Trump" get to decide what Treason is, or does the Constitution?
Article III, Section 3 reads:
"Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.
The Congress shall have power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted."
No where in there is there anything about law enforcement surveillance of potential criminal activity, even against a Presidential candidate, or President, being "Treason".
4
I didn't vote for Trump, but let Trump do his job. Confronting a gigantic totalitarian militaristic regime which cheats and spies at every turn (China) is critical as confronting Imperial Japan. I've lived and worked in both China and Japan many years. The nonsense now is only partisan politics. What China and Russia both want is Americans in an undeclared civil war, while China and Russia carve up the globe. Pelosi is helping Putin and Chairman-for-Life XiJinPing. I voted for Hillary but she would have done nothing about China, the same as every President back to Nixon who cluelessly awakened what Napolean had called "a sleeping giant". A Chinese promise is worthless. Weeks after China entered the WTO, China passed laws allowing discrimination against foreigners at every turn. It took the US 20 years to react. Wake up people. You are funding a country with WMD aimed at you.
3
Your proposal to sacrifice the U.S.A. in order to defeat China is a terrible one.
3
Barr acts more like Trump's personal attorney than Rudy does, really a sign that Barr has given up his ethics. After what I have read Trump's campaign was far from up and up and deserved to be looked at. This is just a distraction from Trump's crime.
17
@Thomas Renner Spot on, great comment--just look at the photo accompanying this article--it clearly speaks to your comment.
3
This is the scariest development among so many since that man became president.
12
Anyone else recall the recent article about how the Putin-backed European far right is systematically infiltrating their countries’ intelligence services and the friction that’s resulting? Take the word European out and you’ve got the same deal here, already well advanced no doubt. The neo-fascism facing us is trans-national; so too must be a new Left that rises up to crush it. Again.
16
Like the Assange indictment, this sends a direct message to members of the intelligence community and those who assist it to back off or they might be next.
Like Mr. Bash, I worry about sources clamming up, but I also worry about any of the other investigations that might uncover illegal actions within the administration.
At what point will Nancy Pelosi stop praying and start acting?
6
Becoming like Mr. Maduro of Venezuela with government at his disposal, punishing his political enemies, supreme court divided, Senate quietly complicit in his affairs and policies and congress insulted. Pray to god to save USA and political adversaries falling as prey to this president. Putin won the election not only in Russia but also won USA in 2016 through temperamental Trump and will win again in 2020. Unless senate majority changes, Mr. Graham will be his savior from impeachment. Imagine what would have happened to Mr. Obama if he acted like Trump. If God is conscience, do the voters, senators, congressmen who still support him are believers in god?
3
We are going down the rabbit hole now. Much is at stake including the lives of sources used by the intelligence agencies. Again this plays into Putin's hands, exposing the sources within Russia. I agree with another commenter who said we need another Pentagon papers release, releasing ALL the evidence to the public so that Barr cannot cherry pick what to reveal. Trump is playing from the dictators hand book. Go after political opponents and anyone who is a threat to Trump, release fake/doctored videos to discredit opponents, seriously will we have a democracy left in 2020?
I watched a discussion on CNN with one of the writers Maggie Haberman and a comment she made was chilling. She said (paraphrasing) when one side is willing to completely forego norms and facts and rules and the law, while the other side tries to follow procedure and the law, it is clear which side wins, the liars. We are in trouble.
9
Patiently I am waiting for the uproar in the Republican Party, surely they still believe in our democracy as well. Or perhaps that has changed, quietly, behind closed doors.
The land of the free, the home of the brave! Remember?
Be brave, jump out of Mr. Trump's pocket, cut the strings of the puppet master. Speak up for me, for you, for our future. For Heaven's sake, what is wrong with you people?
11
@Bri The Republican party has been pining for full fascism since the 1950s. They see their dreams coming to fruition now and can't back down for fear they lose any ground. It's terrifying.
2
Trump and Barr are corrupt to the core. How many more flagrant abuses of power are needed before the Republicans decide that is enough? When are the Republicans finally stand up and defend the integrity of their party for the sake of their country?
10
Trump continues his complete assault on our country's most basic pillars. He does this to ensure his popularity with his base that remains mesmerized by conspiracy stories of how the government is spying on them.
Clearly, the level of mental incapacity demonstrated by Trump and the amount of protection offered him by his enablers, such as Barr, should bring rational well informed persons to suggest impeachment and conviction of both Trump & Barr. To do otherwise leaves our nation at risk of collapse.
6
Four wasted years. Years when so much good could have been done. Trump is fundamentally incapable of doing anything right.
Imagine if Trump had called Comey in and said "I am personally not fond of all of this, but do your job and I will stay out of your way and will help in anyway I can."
I feel like Trump's resistance has made all of this worse. Eventually the truth will come out; tax returns, talking to russians, efforts to cover things up.
Trumps neanderthal concept of "showing strength" is just bluster and lies. The truth will come out.
6
Individual one continues to dissolve the administrative state. Step by step, our government is being destroyed by a group of wealthy individuals headed by a megalomaniac. The profound danger these people put the people of this country in should not surprise anyone who understands the anti-social behaviors of the trump family and this administration. He cares not even a little about the people. He is engaged in his usual quest to fill a loathsome hole that is his being. WE are in danger. As the climate collapses, the economy will as well as it is built on nothing but graft. His stench is everywhere. Beware and KEEP HIM AWAY FROM THE BUTTON.
5
This is an inappropriate use of the Justice Department for political purposes. The attempt by the President to subvert the Justice Department and intimidate the various intelligence agencies is in an by itself justification for impeachment. Where are the Senate Republicans?
13
Time to Impeach - full speed ahead. Or give up. The choice is ours to make. Before it is too late - which it might already be.
8
Now we will see if there are any rats. Highly likely but best done Carte Blanche. The American people own this whole issue and need to know without any spinning by old secret agent types or entrenched bureaucrats. They are the bane of public knowledge because they don't want their shenanigans found out.
This presents Trump with a powerful tool to divert attention from crucial Congressional investigations into Trump’s ties to Putin. Expect Barr to declassify some sensational information about the intel agencies whenever Congress or Senate investigators produce new damaging findings of Trump campaign wrongdoing.
The timing is also significant -- on the eve of Don Jr.’s closed session testimony about the Trump Tower meeting on "Russian adoption" and other Russian contacts with Trump campaign operatives.
7
@um
It's up to the press to keep the spotlight on Trump corruption front and center.
Unfortunately.. the press as a whole these days are more like moths gathering around a night light then actual top tier journalists. That is exactly what happens when you dilute real journalism with what passes for the faux-journalism of "entertainment news" and internet websites pretending to be journalist driven.
1
@um Mueller found Trumps campaign committed no wrong doings. What do you think the House Democrats will find?
With this new investigation and vast authority assumed by William Barr, we are in a difficult moment as an imperial presidency fully sets forth.
Abuse of power. Delineating an enemies list. Prosecuting political opponents? Nothing good can come from this.
Essentially, Mr. Barr and President Trump cannot be trusted to tell the truth to the American people.
47
@One More Realist in the Age of Trump
I say.. let them run with it.... given them plenty of rope to hang themselves with. The American republic is strong enough and still free enough to torch them in the long run.
Basically.. this is yet another news driven distraction that really is just to fire up Trumps base and make him feel like he has a Roy Cohen that he has always wanted.
Barr will suffer career fatality by a thousand cuts here..... and Trump will discard him and call him a loser in the end... because that is what Trump does with everyone he appoints and declares great and outstanding.
1
I thought the go slow process towards impeachment was the most effective way to respond to Trump's multiple transgressions. Now it is clear to me that the democrats are derelict if they don't begin the impeachment inquiry immediately. Playing by established norms is not the way to proceed.
13
@Freddy
NO..... he WANTS to be impeached so that he can make it is 2020 rallying cry in the re-election. He knows the senate will not take up an impeachment referral from the House.
Please.. don't get played yet again by this guy.
1
I now see the many high profile drug traffickers I worked to out from society and imprison with help of the Courts for lengthy sentences as turning the tables as they investigate me and all who accompanied me in the process of their convictions. Sound familiar?
3
I thought Mitch declared "case closed"? Now Trump and his gang are starting an investigation into the investigation?
So if it's not case closed, can we see the unredacted Mueller report? And hear from the parties Congress ordered to testify?
19
Gee, he won't release the un-redacted Mueller report but this he wants- corruption at its best is this President's forte. No ethics, no one holds him back from imperial presidency. And yet, his supporters and Republicans think this is great. Did everyone forget about checks and balances and basics of US government? The answer sadly is yes.
21
So, the fox is handing over the keys to the Hen House to his personally appointed AG. How corrupt is that? These are dangerous times and most Americans are totally unaware of just how dangerous Trump has been for our democracy (imperfect as it is).
11
Its about time that information was sought about who was responsible for this two-year boondoggle. The protestations are due to the fact that this investigation has the potential of exposing how rigged the electoral system is. We, the people, have no real say in who the candidates for president are. Their biggest fear is more revelations similar to How Hillary and the DNC plotted to close Bernie out. Let's hear more!
@William Stuber: Get off your "Bernie" horse, It is a non-starter. Bernie supporters did more for DOnald Trump that anyone else in America.
3
This is by far the most dangerous move this president has ever undertaken. He's empowering Barr to undercut the entire intelligence community in trying to find "proof" of Donald Trump's fevered conspiracy theories.
I think the president doesn't really believe them, but sees them as a way to consolidate power over more and more of governmental agencies, in order to use these professionals to in a sense, eventually, persecute his enemies.
That William Barr would join with Donald Trump on this dangerous mission simply undercuts Americans' faith in our institutions, and angers those long-standing professionals who comprise our security systems.
This is not only dark, it erodes the traditional autonomy of the intelligence community,.
Between the Julien Assange case and Barr's ability to selectively leak information to create a more compelling case for the president's spin machine, this has been a dangerous week.
If you don't believe me, read ""On Tyranny" or "Fascism: a Warning."
26
@ChristineMcM William Barr was hand picked to cover for Trump and weaponize the Justice Dept. against his political opponents and those he deems his enemies. Barr has shown that he is a liar and doesn't have a shred of integrity. He's Trump's stooge doing Trump's bidding.
6
@ChristineMcM
I think he is setting Barr up here. He wants Barr to break his jaw on an government institution that resists tyranny to it's very core.. and then Trumps campaign will jump out from behind a rock with all the "deep state" nonsense once again.. and you know what.. his avid followers will lap it up too.
1
Having lived through Watergate, Vietnam, and WMD in Iraq, the intelligence arm of the government can not always be trusted. Those who balk at an investigation usually have the most to hide.
2
@Pepperman
So lets look at just who's been balking at an investigation for two and a half years?
5
The intelligence agency should do a double secret investigation. Lets investigate the investigators investigating the investigate.
7
Trump continues to make a mockery of the constitution and the rule of law, retooling the mechanisms of government to protect him personally, rather than us. Meanwhile, congressional republicans become more complicit every day, sitting idly, content to allow this undermining of our democracy to continue unabated. Earth to GOP: If not him, who? If not now, when?
16
Chris Wray and Gina Haspel have a fight on their hands if they wish to protect National Security by revealing sources and methods. I hope they are up to it. After the last two days of Trump, I have truly never been more terrified that we are headed for dictatorship.
11
Of course the media should be against uncovering of a new information, especially about their government. Where all this can lead?
3
At what point do the so-called “patriots” in these agencies simply stop complying with this Trump-over-national interests policies of Trump & Co?
13
None of this matters until Mitch says it does.
2
Democrats upset about police state and ethics are dangerously close to falling for the impeachment trap. It is a shame that Trump owns my checkbook and some of my time doing voter registration where it matters, but he does. The only issues that matter to me are related to global warming, so I think Democrats have to step up and win the Senate, House and Presidency in 2020. The trade wars will help but you need to make time and/or send money. It's up to you.
4
As the Mueller report amply confirmed, Donald isn't exactly burdened by any semblance of ethical constraint that might concern more rational actors. I'm afraid he chose William Barr because he shares that same trait. Just what it will take to placate his boss and how far he's willing to go to achieve that remains to be seen.
74
@Rick
Holder was self described "wingman" to Obama. No Dem pushback of any kind. Obama's staff disclosed over 300 Americans through the Fisa warrants for political reasons with no Dem outrage, but now your worried about a lack of ethics from Trump?
A big step on our quickly accelerating march toward becoming a police state. First, DOJ determines that a president can’t be indicted and we all accept that, and now DOJ will determine what info will (and will not) be made public, putting all other agencies under DOJ’s thumb. The AG is not meant to be the president’s Grey Worm nor is DOJ his Unsullied. Congress needs to act.
189
@Amy Bland
Not to worry. If important info that might help the guilty party ('s) is not released it will no doubt be leaked.
1
@Amy Bland
NO, we do not all accept that.
If Barr comes up with a different conclusion than Mr. Mueller could he be charged with obstruction of justice, if he fudges the facts?
21
He won’t because he would perjury himself but he will convey the impression that he has to represent Trump’s lame talk as the reality.
1
Is this even legal?
No matter either way.
With Barr in hand, Trump’s desecration of our national security is all but assured.
Champagne all around in Moscow.
180
@Chickpea
Why not? We have vested and handed over so much power to one man, the president, from making personal determinations on what is a national security threat to who should get clearances to how to punish other countries (and the American people) with tariffs, etc. - the list is a long one.
We need a "reset" so to speak and return to the more balanced power distribution set forth the constitution. Of course, for that to happen, Congress, after decades of ceding their power to the presidency, will finally have to wake up and start changing laws. Alas, I'm not optimistic.
11
Sadly, it goes back to people like Lincoln and FDR, who were intelligent and forceful leaders who did take more authority than the Constitution provides to manage extraordinary problems in a timely way. In the hands of this eight-ball that overreach is undoing our liberties and national security with the complacency of people like McConnell who are ignoring the damage being done.
9
Will "what goes around, come around?" will Dems turn the tables on Trump and the GOP when they are in power?
Arrest them? Lock them up?
(A - probably not, because Dems never fail to play by the rules and follow the norms.. That no longer exist)... #impeach
29
@Shaun
Somebody has to play by the rules. If there are no rules to be followed, then there is nothing left to save. The alternative is true chaos. The only option left is to roll over and play dead. What a sad way for America to be "great again".
1
A totally unnecessary campaign ploy given the fact that it duplicates the work of the inspector general. Reminds me of Kris Kobach's failed hunt for voter fraud simply to appease Trump's ego -- yes, the same Kris Kobach who now wants to be Trump's immigration czar as long as he gets a private jet and weekends off in Kansas. As for Barr, he should be disBarred for acting like Trump's private attorney instead of our attorney general.
87
@Christy
Exactly.
This is just another Trump stunt... to distract the press news cycles.
2
Compromising national security for political purposes may be the strongest basis for impeachment yet to have occurred.
167
@Dan Berman
We already have multiple, clear bases for impeachment and did even before the Mueller report. When will it be enough for Pelosi to take firm action and start a process?
10
great post. this is the essence and I hope it spurs Pelosi to realize why the stakes have suddenly become higher than ever.Dems need to shed sunlight on these aggressive and dangerous moves.
14
@Dan Berman I had been opposed to impeachment because I felt the political repercussions for democrats would be too high, but I now believe we simply have no choice.
It is an issue of conscience. It is unlikely the Seante will remove him from office, but it is impossible as patriotic Americans to idly sit by and allow this debasement of our democracy to continue without doing everything in our power to stop it.
9
This is how democracies die. Pelosi et al ignore the need to impeach at our peril, or by 2020 it may be too late.
45
@sue denim
Maybe she knows that they need real proof to impeach?
le @sue denim....You are wrong. Without support of Senate Republicans impeachment by the House is nothing but a political exercise. It is the Republicans in the Senate who are responsible for the mess we are in and it is the Republicans in the Senate alone who responsible for cleaning it up.
5
@W.A. Spitzer
But an important and ethical exercise to underscore how wrong this regime is... We can at least go down fighting...
1
Pelosi’s reluctance to hold Trump accountable with impeachment proceedings invites him to take his abuses of power further. Trumps most important ‘high crime’ is his dereliction of duty to defend the nation against foreign attack on our electoral process, covering for our attackers instead. But Democrats are also derelict in their duty to hold him accountable for it.
35
@Ed..."But Democrats are also derelict in their duty to hold him accountable for it."....No. Republicans hold the majority in the Senate. This has nothing at all to do with Democrats. It is the Senate Republicans who are responsible.
4
@Ed
It is called.. aptly enough... letting him hang himself.
Give him the rope.. he will surely end up with it noosed around him.. not the faux-conspirators theme he peddles to his fans.
2
Russia interfered in our election in sweeping and systematic fashion. Of that, there is no doubt. The Trump campaign enthusiastically cooperated. Mueller wasn't able to establish conspiracy since he was lied to, emails were deleted (where are those missing emails!) and encryption.
In fact, by definition, there was collusion.
col·lu·sion
/kəˈlo͞oZHən/
noun
secret or illegal cooperation or conspiracy, especially in order to cheat or deceive others.
41
House Democrats fundamentally misunderstand what they are up against. While they’re dithering over whether to impeach Trump for crimes we know he committed, Trump is weaponizing the entire Executive branch to invent criminal charges against his enemies.
84
The misunderstanding belongs with you Jake, not the Democrats. The Democrats don't have the power to impeach Trump. That power belongs with the loyalist Republican Senate, and they are too complicit in looting the Treasury and packing the federal courts with loyalist partisans to put a stop to Trump.
4
Trump cannot fool people, transparency is a cover-up.
12
This is a good move. The President needs to focus on Presidential matters.
1
@Simon', sorry Simon but it's impossible for a 2 year old to focus on adult matters.
7
Trump wouldn't know Presidential if it slapped him in the face.
2
There’s an old proverb, “He who looks behind the door has been there himself.”
Republicans currently in power are so machiavellian and corrupt they cannot accept any finding against them is not an explicitly political act.
The difference you will see is willing cooperation from these agencies instead of the grade school obstructions and obstinate behavior seen from DJT.
Sigh.
21
This is Trump doing what he does best, gaslighting a subject.
Did law enforcement look into the campaign to see if there was any Russian connection, yes and it was proven that campaign members did meet with a Russian representative to discuss Hillary Clinton but nothing came out of it, at least that’s what we’re being told.
Was it proven that Russia was hacking our election and social media to in an attempt to effect the outcome of the election, yes.
It is law enforcement’s job to look into things like this to protect America and it’s people.
The fact that Trump doesn’t like it, to bad.
Trump, Barr and the entire administration do not care if America is subject to outside influence that can damage our nation, they will continue to gaslight subjects to influence how Americans think, all they care about is how much money they can put in their pockets.
58
How many more flagrant abuses of power are needed before the Republicans decide that they are citizens of the USA and not Trumpland? Where is the judicial oversight from the Supreme Court?
90
@Heironymous Botsch They have completely abdicated their role as protectors of the Constitution and democracy. They are either craven enough to continue letting this happen or brainwashed into thinking that Trump has been unfairly treated. Either way it's scary and dangerous.
3
Our democracy as we know it, is currently under a direct attack being led by a rogue President and facilitated by a compliant Attorney General. Career civil servants are their first targets. Their crime? Performing their duties with integrity. This type of story never ends well for anyone. But, it must be called out for what it is, in real time.
80
trump “gave Mr. Barr immense leverage over the intelligence community and enormous power over what the public learns about the roots of the Russia investigation.”
Exactly what he wants to charge against the free press for doing when investigative journalism reveals government wrong doings.
Now the REAL witch hunt begins.
Turn the electorate against the government while suppressing the free press. Hallmarks of your Russian elected president.
63
We already have proof that Barr is willing to manipulate and/or fabricate information so it has the sole purpose of benefitting Trump. This administration seizes upon and exacerbates the mistrust Americans have of their government. This conduct will create irreparable damage to our institutions.
202
@Drew. Trump has found his Roy Cohn. A power hungry flunkie who is willing to desecrate our great nation for personal aggrandizement.
History will be cruel, but likely not cruel enough.
11
@Drew According to former Bush-CIA black ops specialist Chip Tatum, Barr was part of Operation 40, an Agency-linked criminal gang that moved huge quantities of drugs and was involved in many high-level political assassinations, including those of the Kennedies, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, and dozens of others. Ironically, Barr who represented the Bush CIA drug cartel, both within the CIA itself (1973-1977) and later when he served as “Opium Poppy” Bush’s Attorney General.
Barr was a key player in the Iran-Contra operation, if not the most important member of the apparatus, simultaneously managing the operation while also “fixing” the legal end, ensuring that all of the operatives could do their jobs without fear of exposure or arrest.
In his attorney general confirmation, Barr vowed to “attack criminal organizations”, drug smugglers and money launderers. It was all hot air: as AG, Barr would preserve, protect, cover up, and nurture the apparatus that he helped create, and use Justice Department power to escape punishment.
Barr stonewalled and stopped investigations into all Bush/Clinton and CIA crimes, including BCCI and BNL CIA drug banking, the theft of Inslaw/PROMIS software, and all crimes of state committed by Bush. And this is just a drop in the bucket of all the corruption Barr was involved with.
Barr should have been convicted of Treason then.
2
Seems to me that this is the perfect time for another Pentagon Papers. Someone there needs to get all of the information to the press so that Barr cannot pick, choose, and distort.
Now. It's a matter of national security.
322
@Currents
They'll need to do it now, before Barr gets his way with Assange (see the other front page story) and sets a dangerous precedent for our protected, free press.
13
@Currents
As the leftists have been saying for more than two years, ...if the [the FBI] has done nothing wrong, then what does he have to hide?
1
@Mauricio I do not think many people think the FBI is a perfect agency that never makes mistakes. That said, who wants a corrupt president and his lackey AG cherry-picking FBI files?
10
Here we go! Lock her up! Trump is a thug. He will use his administration to intimidate and cower the agencies that should be stopping Russian interference in the next election. I’m truly concerned for our democracy.
166
Two side by side articles in the NYT this morning. The justice department’s inquiry into the intelligence community and the attack on freedom of the press via Julian Assange. I’ve been very scared since 2017, now I’m terrified.
103
I’d be terrified if I lived in California.
2
@Simon
Why? Are you of the belief that clamp-downs on the Press is a California-only thing; open your eyes- it isn't. It's global.
3
@Chris Bunz Assange is a loser, and I shed no tears for him. I do worry about press freedom when any Republican of today's ilk is in charge. Especially the very vile Mr. Trump.
3
What concerns me the most about this added entanglement, that it gives "Mr. Barr immense leverage over the intelligence community and enormous power over what the public learns about the roots of the Russia investigation." It will all be one sided, per usual. Mr Barr is Trump's puppet.
133
@ActualScience I'd be happier if Barr were Trump's catamite, but he's too old and not blonde. Sex is simple, treason is complicated.
1
Next Trump will declare the 2020 elections a national emergency and inform about the result in an executive order.
106
@cbindc. There are many people who fear if Trump loses he will declare the election was rigged and see if he can get the Republicans to go along with it.
Then we will find out if we are still a functioning democracy. I would like to say I don't believe the Republican leadership is that vile, but I honestly don't know.
4
Didn’t this all begin when candidate Trump called on Russia to release emails and then they did?
119
My understanding is it started with concerns that someone in the Trump campaign met with a Russian operative. So no spying—a legitimate investigation. The bigger concern as everyone has mentioned is allowing Barr to selectively declassify information to create the narrative Trump is after.
40
@Michael B
This all began with Cheney’s dream, the Patriot Act, giving the Executive Branch way, way too much power. Presidents of all stripes will never give up the power only grow it.
4
@JWyly
That operative is/was Joseph mifsud. He is missing but may have worked with western intelligence agencies. If he did this whole thing looks like a setup and attempted coup if not it's justified. I want to know which it is.
1
We are in dangerous territory here. There is nothing to prevent this man from manipulating the information that he wants to share with the public. He already has a history of presenting the "facts" as he wants them presented under the first President Bush. He is trump's toady and will do everything to bolster trump and his lies.
102
@Agnes
In this rotten administration we will have Rush, Tucker and Hannity gaining full access to classified information.
9
Trump is truly a terrible President. I have to wonder how much damage will he do to our country.
"We've given you a republic if you can keep it"
Benjamin Franklin.
123
Investigate the investigators but do nothing to secure America from Russian interference. The end of America draws nearer with the complicit Republicans doing nothing
298