... and there is no reason to have a "Best Trump Cabinet Member" contest. Just because.
5
Bill Barr and Mike Pompeo are no doubt the best Attorney General and Secretary of State respectively to serve in those offices during the 21st Century so far. The President had to kiss a couple of frogs before he got his princes.
Compared to “Fast & Furious” Eric Holder, “let’s have a chat with Bill Clinton @ PHX” Loretta Lynch, and “Benghazi” Hillary Clinton, there’s no comparison! These gentlemen win hands down!
4
Npw I don`t even remember whmo did I pick, Bill Barr or Pompeo ?
But then there are Jared and Ivanka...master of none nepotism son in law and barbie Ivanka who claims to be everywhere .
Jared opened his big mouth to discredit VP Biden`s years in politics to say he cleaned up Biden`ss mess.
This is not a real world seems to me spooky Halloween .
9
History won't be kind to Barr and company. Deservedly so, just like the rest of this administration. Dangerous to our country is an understatement
13
Certainly the most juvenile exercise I've seen in the pages of this paper in many years. Comparison to The Onion does not flatter the former paper of record.
3
Barr (Opus Dei member) possesses the breathtaking hubris and stupidity of one who believes that he is doing the work of 'god' (whatever that is). Barr's motto: Lying is OK if one is lying for Jesus.
The US is a secular country with a godless Constitution.
15
What a sham Trump's Cabinet Officials are. Industry lobbyists, crooks, and Ignoramuses.
14
Barr, Pompao and Trump, oh boy. Add Guliani and we can make Godfather VII, where the boss stabs those to work for him in the back without a second thought.
We do not have a Trump administration but the Trump mob and the Trump crime family.
Who in this mob is worse, the boss who orders the crimes or the Made men who carryout his orders. Hitler had his Himmler and Stalin his Beria to do the real dirty work and Trump has this bunch.
One thing Trump need not worry about is the only one who can take his power away is VP Pense. I can see the movie now when the #2 man turns on the boss and takes his job. Maybe that's why Trump is trying to get Pense ready to go under the bus. Careful Donald, you may need him for the pardon, and you don't want to get Mother angry.
4
William Barr, the most deplorable in a Cabinet basket of deplorables. The rottenest apple in the basket. The man who as Attorney General thumbed his nose at the law. The man who upheld the president and not the country. The man who not only did not honor his vow to uphold the Constitution, but also made a mockery of it. A man who chose to irrevocably damage his own reputation in order to serve and defend a dishonest self-serving President, whose word his not his bond, and whose behavior is unethical at best and criminal at worst. Yes, William Barr is the worst of the worst. Hands down.
28
Barr is a corrupt shill for Trump. The Department of Justice will not recover its reputation for honesty and probity during the lifetimes of any of us.
16
Just a reminder: Robert E. Lee was also first in his West Point class.
12
“Prize to the first person who goes trick-or-treating as the attorney general.”
No, but I heard somebody say they were going as a squid pro quo.
13
“Prize to the first person who goes trick-or-treating as the attorney general.”
No, but I heard somebody say they were going as a squid pro quo.
With all the reader comments regarding how inept and incompetent Ben Carson truly is, one really has to wonder how he managed to graduate from med school and become a "neurosurgeon"!!
Will any of his patients please stand up?
9
If they can...
10
It is uplifting to see how many people understand and express the very heart of your point by having this contest....we are paying attention and we are doing something that will change our democracy's direction for the future....thinking, judging, and voting with our words.....yeah for us.
11
AG William Barr is a key player with Rudi Giuliani in creating a false narrative that it was Ukraine and NOT Russia that attacked the United states Election of 2016.
Barr is not a worst cabinet member, he is an idealist that has no difficulty in tearing down America's defences against Russian Military GRU folks.
5
Barr should resign. He knows that what Trump has done by bribing Zelensky is wrong and impeachable but he refuses to acknowledge that truth.
The FEC rules that Trump broke in Ukraine Gate, didn't even move Barr. The rules are clear but Barr refuses to acknowledge it as well.
Barr decided before he was appointed that he would make up his own rules for Trump separate from any and all Gov rules or the constitution. And all of Barr's private rules always come to the decision that Trump can do whatever he wants with impunity in Barr's reality.
Barr refuses to also acknowledge any other branch of Gov except the Executive Branch. He seems to feel he's the personal attorney and legal protector of Trump's and that is NOT in his job description. He's supposed to be The People's attorney, not Trump's personal attorney. He scammed Congress in his job interview.
12
Long ago, a college professor shared a casual gem of wisdom that I remember to this day. He explained that there are four basic personality traits in any organization: people were either competent or dumb, and they were either active or slow. The possible combinations were the key, as follows:
1) Competent and slow (usually the CEO, who made few but weighty decisions);
2) Competent and active (usually the general manager or COO; this is the one constantly evaluating and directing your critical day-to-day operations);
3) Incompetent and slow (perhaps a clerk somewhere who did not do much harm);
4) Incompetent and active. These are the ones you must get rid of right away!
The full recipe: Include Barr and Pompeio (and Trump) in the fourth category, and sprinkle corruption to taste. For a smaller portion, simply select any of the other cabinet members.
8
I no longer recall whom I voted for. They are all awful. I particularly resent Andrew Wheeler sharing the name of my deceased son, a man for whom honor and integrity meant so much, a man who loved the outdoors that this namesake seeks to destroy so as to maximize oil profits. But Barr does take the cake, with his promotion of the Christian religion in government and his work to shield Mr. Trump from his own worst instincts. An attorney general is an attorney for the people, but Mr. Barr behaves as though he is Trump's own attorney as well as lackey.
11
I forget, was Epstein in the Cabinet, or just his lawyer?
3
After reading many of the comments; most of them insightful, funny, and interesting; I had a couple of reactions. First: can Congress past laws specifying that an "acting" Cabinet member must be either be approved by Congress within 45 days or be eliminated from their post?
Second: I must have missed voting during my recent vacation. Gail, are Absentee ballots an option? Though my vote would've been a toss up between Billy the Kid Barr and Pompous Pompeo.
7
Look on the bright side: this bunch will be out pretty soon, one way or another. And they will be the easiest act to follow in US history, so the next cabinet will look good even if some of them are already dead before they begin.
4
On a point , tarring and feathering , a phrase that is nonchalantly tosses around was debilitating and depending on the enthusiasm of the applicators sometimes fatal .
The hot tar burned and opened up the skin and with the biologically active load on the feathers , infection was inevitable .
Mob justice with a painful , disfiguring , life altering or ending sentence.
3
I have to agree with the choice of Barr. He was the AG once before and should know the duties, but also the limitations of the position. He should also know that for the position to be respected and effective it must be as nonpartisan as possible, not to mention that it should function independently of the White House. He is an utter failure as AG this time around. He is hyperpartisan, shows no independence from the White House and seems to view his role as the personal attorney of Trump just as John Mitchell did with Nixon. I've read that he was respected as an attorney and in his previous stint as AG. It is a shame that he has willingly sacrificed all that respect to protect, cover up for and promote the grudges of the current occupant of the Oval Office. I suspect that history will judge him even more harshly than it does Trump. History tends to cut the fool some slack, but judges harshly the man who knew better and betrayed his oath of office anyway.
5
I think (assuming we survive Trump) someone should write a historical novel describing Barr's years in the Trump Administration and title it Toad Hall.
6
Now, how about naming the BEST Cabinet member.
Best of the worst doesn't qualify.
2
"Our goal is not physical torture. "
Why not? John Yoo would approve.
5
Trick or Treating as William Barr? Easy- just dig out your old Jabba the Hut costume and carry a copy of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure with all the pages ripped out.
Just don’t expect to collect much loot in the way of candy bars.
6
I wonder if Trump or Barr will see the inside of a jail.
9
I have an addition to this zoo of psychopathic destroyers.
Mark Zuckerberg is auditioning to win for the "winners". Staggering but true. No, he's not on the cabinet. But his arrogant selfishness and greed will go far to preventing democratic remedies to the evils in store for us all.
I was just checking out Facebook's alliance with Breitbart and found that was just the tip of the iceberg!
"Facebook saw Democrats calling to break up Facebook while Republicans simply demanded special treatment, so the company made a calculated decision to curry favor with conservatives."
Republicans at last week's hearing to praised Mark Zuckerberg for being a "good capitalist and defender of free speech.
""There's another gentleman in this town that I think you and he share a lot together and that's President Trump, You're both very successful businessmen, you're both capitalist, you're both billionaires."
"You're both challenging the status quo" ... he should not "be bullied by politicians that want to censor politically incorrect speech.”
Previously, one might make excuses: Cambridge Analytica stealing user data to benefit the Trump campaign? "Tech companies have issues with third-party firms all the time. Data breaches will happen! Who could have prepared for foreign influence campaigns to sow discord in elections?"
Zuckerberg has made his choice obvious. More detail here, https://mashable.com/article/facebook-right-wing-social-network/
9
@Susan Anderson
At the link, there was additional information about Facebook's interaction with The Daily Caller (Tucker Carlson), its selective censorship of progressive material, The Daily Wire (Ben Shapiro), private meetings with Tucker Carlson and Lindsey Graham, Joel Kaplan (Bush guy who stood up for Brett Kavanaugh. stood behind him at the hearings, and threw him a party afterwards), partying with Murdoch Newscorp execs, and this tweet about trending topics last week in order:
"For old time's sake, took a look at the top 10 news stories across all of Facebook today. They're from:
1. Ben Shapiro
2. Donald J. Trump
3. Dallas Cowboys
4. Breitbart
5. Daily Caller
6. Ben Shapiro
7. "Intelligence is Sexy"
8. Occupy Democrats
9. Bible Time
10. Delish"
6
Never thought I'd miss Jeff Sessions.
9
@Cindy
Good ol’ Jeff. A Keebler Elf on Acid.
3
The strategy of this administration seems to be to make everything so terrible that people lose hope, and thus, the will to fight.
14
This column provides a disturbing reminder of just how historically and profoundly awful the entire, "official" Trump ecosystem is. With the all the impeachment news, it is easy for lose sight of this -- I haven't actually thought of Wilbur Ross in many weeks. Nov. 2020 truly cannot come soon enough.
10
The amazing thing is that there is no cabinet member that anyone thinks highly of, they are all absolutely incompetent or even incorrigible and this is by design. Its absolutely laughable except for the dire consequences we all will pay in the coming years.
12
Elaine Chao is definitely the worst cabinet member to graduate from Syosset High School. If only I knew then what I know now, I could have attempted to sidetrack her when we were in high school together. That would have prevented her family money from propping up Mitch McConnell, who should be number one when you do your worst senator column. I am racked with guilt.
13
What was the point of this? Maybe I should have read the first opinion piece, but I had no interest in devolving our discussion of our leaders any further than we've already gone. I'm not an SJW. I could care less about their feelings. Most of them are horrible people or horribly unqualified to do the job they are doing or both. I'm not a supporter (see above). I'm not a "the title is sacred" kind of person.
I am incredibly tired of feeling like my government is actively trying to turn into an aristocracy, the dumbest aristocracy in history. I'm very tired of my president showing almost on a daily basis how badly he wants to be a tyrant in big and small ways. I'm tired people, conservative and liberal alike, acting like if they just blind their eyes, plug their ears, and hold their breath long enough, they will get the exact America they want because they want it.
So in the middle of this madness that I have to negotiate on a daily basis, I find this ridiculous opinion piece, because "gee - it's swell to take time out and RATE the worst of my nightmares. I know this is harsh, but Gail Collins, I like you. I thought more of you than this Fox and Friends-esk garbage, because you know this is the kind of garbage they would do for a liberal cabinet. I'm just disappointed.
1
Don’t read it.
3
Yes, it's quite a list and quite a deserving winner. But, my vote for the worst person of power in the administration goes to a White House adviser, with more Presidential swing weight behind him than any member of the Cabinet. Stephen Miller is clearly "on the spectrum." His positions are a reflection of the "black and white" kind of person he is. Tragically the only person who ever paid any attention to him, including members of his immediate family, was and is Donald Trump.
12
I see your reasoning, but in terms of total damage done to the world, I'm sticking with my pick of Andrew Wheeler. See today's NYT . https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/climate/epa-coal-ash.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
4
@Neil
Thank you for the reference from today's "NYT." My vote will switch to Andrew Wheeler, but every cabinet secretary is abysmally horrible. None of them, absolutely none of them, deserve a cabinet position.
3
The argument that someone is too incompetent to be a threat is no argument at all. Take Donald Trump as an example and answer for yourself whether he is not a threat because he is too incompetent.
8
Maybe they should just be labled - "Worst Cabinet in History: - why should only one of these incompetent liars get the title - it's worthy of being shared. Really - it's been a true team effort.
14
You note that the goal is "to humiliate."
In order to succeed, Republicans would have to be capable of Shame. But that cowboy rode out long ago.
Still, I'm sure more than a few readers will join me in a hearty chorus: "Shame! Come back, Shame!"
4
He just looks plain mean. So grumpy. Maybe he has chronic indigestion or worse.
Same as Mad Mitch.
3
It wasn't really fair Gail. When you have an Attorney General who is more sycophantic than John Mitchell; there could only be one true winner: William Barr. Americans of a certain age certainly know why Barr "wins" this dishonor.
7
Where would you go if visited by someone from outer space who wanted to be taken to our leader?
2
Moscow.
3
Devos is the worst, her actions cause harm to disabled children. That is the worst.
3
@Covert So true. Devos and her ilk have been "neighbors" of mine for decades. Greedy, laugh in your face, and feel oh so superior because they belong to the one true church, Christian Reformed. They know how to fling their cruelty before they reach 2nd grade. I experienced that vividly when i was in first grade. I was going to hell because my family didn't go to church.
5
When will William Barr be charged with obstruction of justice?
6
How humiliating for Betsy De Vos!
She should demand a recount!
10
I hope he becomes disBarred.
6
Good choice .. Barr is the most tainted , most criminal of trumps bench of horror cabinet. He has been advised to recuse himself but our most superior 'law' enforcer ( he thinks he was hired by trump for trump) someone forgot to tell the dunce he works for the American people and NOT for the master criminal awaiting the Penn . His day will arrive ... he should expect to follow his master to his fate
7
Barr, yes, outrageously unqualified and hyperpartisan. Trump's whole cabinet seems comprised of the most incompetent and inept and corrupt choices possible.
5
After the IG report comes out, I’m sure Mr Horowitz will be on top of your list. When the Durham report comes out with criminal referrals, I’m sure he will assume the top position.. Don’t worry though, in 2021, you can have another vote on Trump’s cabinet nominations. I’m sure you will get a lot of different people to criticize.
1
They're all awful. Every single one of them. Nosferatu couldn't put together a more horrifying collection of people.
3
The worst cabinet member of any US government so far;..
Barr is almost short of treasonous.. he is a lawyer and so knows how to play and that's what makes him dangerous.
Barr and likes of him; need to be exposed and thrown out of position of power.. ASAP - for any democracy to be survive.
4
Republican Party's rationalization re: the Trump Cabinet -
"Sure they're a lousy group, maybe some might even be crooks
BUT
They're OUR lousy group and like it or not we're gonna stick with them".............
SO
There you are America, the Republican Party throwing any semblance of patriotism, the Constitution out the window.......
8
I suspect most voters in this poll chose the Cabinet Secretary most familiar to the voter and his or her trade or profession. I agree (being a no-longer practicing lawyer) that Barr is the worst. And, that he's awfully good at being an odious, arrogant and corrupt jerk.
He really reminds me of Dick Cheney: He sits there like an over-stuffed and smug toad; speaks in an unjustified confident manner; is never a little bit remorseful for his pathological lying, and doesn't even try to appear likeable. He needs to be impeached along with - at least - Trump, Pence and Pompeo.
7
Gail,
The kakistocracy cabinet is no longer funny. It's like joking about cancer.
5
Barr is supposed to be the people's cop and he is the mob boss's personal consigliere. He reeks of Anthony Scalia's arrogance reveling in his power.
6
How such a man could abrogate his duties to enforce the Constitution, and rile of Law, to be a lying toady to the likes of 45 is bewildering. A "religious" man with no conscience!
8
Can we send him a trophy? Or at least a certificate?
2
I agree: he's set a pretty low ... um, Barr. But you do realize that Trumpistas won't take this as a sign of "humiliation," but as a badge of honor for Barr, to be dissed by the New York Times?
2
I love the Republican responses to these results. One of my favorites is “Worst means Best.” Right up there with “Arbeit Macht Frei.” Welcome you the Republican world view.
6
Reading the comments, I reflect that Barr is not just a toady or an idiot -he is a "true believer" who thinks that if he can facilitate an agenda that over-rules Roe v Wade, he will be doing God's work.
As a Catholic who believes in Mystery, I am scandalized by his mis-appropriation of power contrary to Catholic teaching. Jews are saved, says the Vatican and Scripture; our fellow-believers consider abortion possible from a deeply conscientious context (see Louis Newman on Jewish Ethics). So if others who follow God disagree, HOW can we deny them their space for conscience?
3
Barr should be disbarred-no pun intended.
3
Some day soon, Barr will be disbarred.
1
I recommend bumper stickers: DisBarr Trump and Disbar Barr.
2
Gail,
You are so wrong to discount the achievements of Elaine Chao. She has been incredibly productive for the Government of China. It is the first time they have had a Chinese National in a Presidential Cabinet with the bonus of being married to the Majority Leader of the Senate !!!
YAHOO!! it is a twofer.
Just ask the GOP about these Globalist patriots.
This is the deep , deep state..
1
Trump and his spawn, including Wm. Barr, may go down in our history as destroying more American lives than the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The disgusting long story.
1
Gail Collins' funniest column ever. Hilarious !!
Mnuchin is pretty awful- unlawfully denying Trump's tax returns to Rep. Neal. He is on the hook legally.
2
Finally! a pick of mine won. One of his best comments was when a reporter asked him if he was worried about his legacy because he's viewed as a partisan and not the Nation's leading Justice official. He said he would be dead and buried soon and is not much into lasting legacies. I knew then we were in trouble.
The best I can hope for is he's not buried to spoil the planet but is mummified and put in a new Museum for evildoers...we could call it the Trump Library?
After all there's only one book he's rumored to have by his bedside and read and "written" three or four books, there's plenty of room for the dozens or so mummies starting with Barr, Trump, Pompeo, DeVos, Carson etc.
It will be a big draw for the MAGA crowd. With Barr, I'll even start before he's dead.
2
Excellent choice! I might add Barr also wins the derby for most 'disappointing' cabinet member because we got sold a bill of goods.
William Barr was supposedly the experienced AG who was above politics and would protect the independence of the Judiciary. Ha, ha, the joke's on us. Vote blue in 2020.
4
Indeed and agreed! Barr should be disBarred. But, how about, Gail, a vote for the worst 'behind the scenes' cabinet members? Those not fully recognized or officially appointed to a particular position yet, in some cases, actually hold more clout and call the shots more effectively than those on the public payroll. I'm referring to the commentators on FOX News like Hannity, Carson, and Fox and Friends. Some of Trump's worst impulses are being fueled by entertainers who masquerade as pundits and reporters. There should be an award for the most misleading and thereby worst unappointed decision makers who command Trump's ear. Mark Zuckerberg willfully permitting lies and misinformation on Facebook should get at least a dishonorable mention in any Worst Unappointed Cabinet member contest.
Interesting. The readership picked the smartest cabinet member, with the least concern with what his/her critics think.
Prize to the first person who goes trick-or-treating as the Attorney General. Excluding, of course, John Goodman, who is going to play him in the horror movie, The Trump White House.
2
I voted for Betsy. Barr is clearly the choice but she will always have a "special" place in my heart. Today she is devasted. Why you ask? Her SURPRISING HEADLINE (not surprising) today is "Reading Scores on National Exam Decline in Half the States"
Why Betsy, keep trying to stop innocents from getting their money back from predatory private schools that go bust. You will sure teach them a thing or two as those pesky reading scores decline.
1
Yes thinking of a time we had Elliot Richardson who came between the President and did the right thing. He would not be his personal attorney. Barr does not have that integrity.
Imagine the situation America is in. The President is involved in a conspiracy which involves not only the State Department, but the Attorney General is in his back pocket!
Competency, ethics, Constitutionality, common sense and basic human morality are all like air - you don't miss it until its gone.
This administration and the party its affiliated with was suffering from lack of oxygen prior - it finally succumbed to suffocation Jan. 20, 2017.
Ms. Collins does an excellent job of doing a body count.
Pompeo's relationship with Trump sort of reminds me of the old "Puss in Boots" fantasy story.
But the reality is that Pompeo, first in his class at West Point, is nothing like the original story's protagonist, Puss, who was actually a truly heroic figure.
At what point and for what reasons do smart, successful professionals like Pompeo, sell their souls and desecrate all that they once espoused as sacred?
As Trump would say, Rats come in all shapes and complicated willingness to betray the core principles of our county.
1
While the title made me expect that ignorance and incompetence would be the defining factors in this poll, seeing Barr as the winner is not nearly as surprising. Barr has disgraced himself and the Department of Justice by using his power to defend the White House and willfully ignore the rule of law, argue in favor of LGBT discrimination at the Supreme Court, portray Trump supporters (especially the evangelical community) as victims of prejudice and Democrats and minorities as the real aggressors, and has generally flouted and manipulated his office for partisan gain by the Republicans. It is shameful, it is unconstitutional, and it is what will paint his image in history. The hateful ignorant partisan who viewed protecting his and his party’s own interests against those of the American people and the rule of law.
birds of a feather flock together, but never seen in this concentration ! this is a hard competition !
2
I've got a suggestion for the book I hope Doris Kearns Goodwin is working on. She can use the title "Team of Liars" with my blessing.
2
I recall articles written when Barr was nominated stating that he was right-wing, but responsible, reasonable and respectable. Was he secretly storing up credibility to spend it all on a perfect chance to crash the Republic, or is this just the inevitable result of entering the orbit of Donald Trump?
Mr. Barr has taken the dubious notion of papal infallibility and applied it to presidential infallibility.
1
William Barr is a bully. While other cabinet members may be evasive or offer carefully constructed misleading comments which circumvent the truth in artful ways, Barr speaks at greater volume, offering comments in absolutist terms, often even defying a response. His main message is one of non cooperation, showing his contempt and defiance of those who dare to challenge him. He is just the kind of bulldozer that Trump wants to seal himself off from scrutiny by the press and Congress.
I feel only a little confident in predicting that there won't be any "Sexy William Barr" costumes this Halloween.
2
I will be trick or treating as Barr with my head up a scowling orange pumpkins rear with synthetic dyed blonde hair and very tiny hands where my ears should.
1
He will also be impeached and hopefully disbarred.
1
Wasn't there a comedy a while back about a man about to retire, and no one in the company knew who he was or ever remember working with him?
That's why Ben Carson has earned this prize in his role as Secretary of---- What does he do again?
Barr has been associated with the Opus Dei movement that comes close to arguing for the need to have a theocratic form of sociopolitical governance. Perhaps he still longs for a notion of papal infallibility transferred to the American presidency! But if that's not the position he's grounded in, then he's just another hypocritical and ambitious Trump minion.
2
So wrong! Rudy Giuliani is the clearly the worst cabinet member. What? He is not in the cabinet? Has anyone told him?
4
Barr is hands down the worst. One has to wonder if the people in the Trump administration literally have no shame or patriotism.
Though Trump ought to be a write-in as the Chairman of the Board, I voted for the very worst of the worst - Barr.
First prize for should be impeachment and a nice long stretch in a Federal Penitentiary.
2
Worst is a badge of honor for Barr. It means he scares the Dems. He is a man of integrity, very smart and very experienced. And the Dems know they just might have hit this grizzly bear with a stick one too many times. And, as they should be, they are scared of Barr, of the AG investigation and of the IG investigation. And unlike establishment Republicans who just roll over when attacked, Bart is going to bite like his boss does. So worst really means best. Enjoy Halloween cuz it’s about to get scary for real for the Dems.
20
@ehillesum A man of integrity holding the title of Attorney General would actually have to perform the principal duties of that office: To support and defend the Constitution and To represent the United States in legal matters (not the president). Mr. Barr seems to be unaware that he is not the president's personal attorney. As far as integrity goes, I think he proved his lack of that particular virtue when he misrepresented the Mueller report conclusion.
271
@ehillesum
You are right that Dems are scared of Barr, but not for the reasons you state. We are scared because he has no business being in that job and his incompetence and bald faced protection of Trump goes against what the founders of this country wanted. So, yes, we are damn scared of Barr!
As for the integrity part, surely, you jest. And, in Trump world, worst really means best, then Trump is the best president ever.
197
@ehillesum you must be joking, really.
141
What a great list! Gave me a hoot for this afternoon of extended ennui in the workplace.
1
Sometimes I wonder if these people, Barr et al., have any respect for the law and the democratic values I was brought up to believe were sacrosanct or if they would just throw away the things we should hold dear as a country in a minute because the lure of power seems so much sweeter to them. It truly is beyond my imagination that anyone remaining in Trump's cabinet, including the President himself, has any respect for the constitution and the values it embodies.
7
I know the answer to this one! Absolutely none.
"Prize to the first person who goes trick-or-treating as the attorney general."
No way! I may get a prize, but I'd get no treats.
4
Barr is using Trump to implement his agenda of countering secularism. Apparently he is willing to forfeit his alleged integrity to be near the center of power where he can disguise his intention and pursue his goals
8
Thanks for the shout out to one of my favorite commenters, Phyliss Dalmation! I enjoy reading her insightful remarks whether long or short. She's a treasure!
8
@Hope Madison
Thanks so much ! Just when I’m very, very, very frustrated by the moderation process and about to just QUIT, I get a shout-out like this. Much appreciated.
12
@Phyliss Dalmatian
Hope Madison is not your only fan:
DON'T QUIT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3
@Hope Madison
Ditto! 'Seriously'...
5
Mulvaney is a real piece of work. His forbears fled the abject misery of Hibernia’s cold, dank bogs, and wound up draining the Lowcountry’s slimy, fetid swampland, so plantation “marsters” could march platoons of skilled, enslaved agricultural workers who turned the reclaimed soil into a spectacularly profitable enterprise.
Now he seems hell bent not only on invigorating Beltway political mire, but as well on spreading it far and wide.
6
I have to stick with pompeo because he is a West Point grad, number one in his class, and should damn well know better than the political hacks and mediocrities. We all paid for his education and he took an oath. Disgraceful.
30
My pick is first! Yay, I… win?
…
…
*sob*
132
I note the following not for reality but for satire... I am still ranking the movie "Back To The Future" as my favorite of all time and there's a lot of followers who know that we are coming up to the 35th anniversary... Dr. Emmett Brown: Tell me, Future Boy, who's President of the United States in 1985?
Marty McFly: Ronald Reagan.
Dr. Emmett Brown: Ronald Reagan? The actor? Then who's vice-president, Jerry Lewis? I suppose Jane Wyman is the First Lady? And Jack Benny is Secretary of the Treasury!
- Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown
Gail Collins Opinion piece is spot on and I didn't laugh at the ineptitude of the President's appointments in 2016/17 and sure don't now... This administration is a travesty and impeachment could not come quick enough... Yet the Barr (sic) continues to be lowered every day... Get me a DeLorean with a Flux Capacitor and Mr. Fusion so I can go back in time to a more sane part of my lifetime...
8
I can't argue about the winners and run-ups but how about shoutout to Giuliani fully decked out as the court jester and holding a dog collared and leashed Lev Parnas around the WH grounds?
8
@whs "Dishonorable mention" at the very least, since he can't "win".
I hope this impeachment thing spills over in his lap, and takes him down too! He's one of the warlocks in the "witch hunt"!
8
@Action Tank, DC
Someone needs to write a made-for-TV movie about appointments in the Trump administration. I already have the title: "Warlocks in the Witch Hunt." Or maybe "Warlocks in the White House".
dot. dot. dot.
Above all, Putin rules.
10
I'd love to time travel into the future. I need to know who will be writing the history books.
Barr will be vilified as the most corrupt, least democratic, most imperialist and least likely to defend the law in history, if democracy wins and we punt the folks with the fascist leanings.
But if we don't....
Expect posters of him on buildings.
10
That’s the scariest comment I’ve seen this Halloween.
1
Did Ridy Giuliani get any votes?
2
Wow. The NYT makes the whole system of government into a sham. Your editorials get more and more jaded as the days go on. It is with deep disdain that I read what you write about the state of politics in America. You seem to try your hardest to tear away at the fabric of American society. Why, I do not know. Our politicians, on both sides, seem to be able to do that on their own. You, at the NYT have done nothing to try and improve or change the "moral divide" in America. If you really believe a column like this will improve relations between the "parties", you must be morally bankrupt. The country is being torn apart by partisan politics and pandering. What you, at the NYT, The Old Grey Lady is doing, is exacerbating an already noxious climate in the annals of American history. Perhaps, with your "power of the pen", so to speak, you should try and bring the country together, find issues we can work on, rather than ratchet up the flames of division?
1
The truth hurts. But before the healing comes, sometimes you have to tear off the bandages. Or put another way, one must expose the sham, and pull away the curtain. With rueful satire, one can laugh at the swampy characters (all the best people) in Dr Calgari’s cabinet. It’s better then hurling insults. If even now, you can’t see who these people really are and how they were picked to dismantle the very institutions they were put in charge of, I don’t think any amount of dialogue is going to change your mind. Take Barr for instance: it’s not like he has hid his aspirations of being Catholic bishop Trump’s king. Even before his selection, he was outspoken in expressing his belief that executive powers should be elevated to near monarchy. He recently gave a speech in which he decried the secular state, which this country was founded on. His positions are un-American - he is on record as being against our system of checks and balances. He is not a defender of the people- he has refashioned the position of AG into being a lawyer to and defender of the King.
16
@bsb " ... makes the whole system of government into a sham."
I think the point of this satirical opinion column (not an editorial, BTW) was that DJT, through his incompetence and inability to tell the truth, has put in place such horrible people to destroy the ability to govern our nation.
We'll come together once this cancer on the Executive Branch has been irradiated, excised, and cauterized by bright sunlight: Impeachment.
@bsb "The NYT makes the whole system of government into a sham." "You seem to try your hardest to tear away at the fabric of American society."
No. The Republicans with FOX News with Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump serving as point have done that. Gerrymandering and denying the President a hearing for the SCOTUS of is not "both parties". The Times is reporting on it.
As for trick or treating, I think presidential -free-of-charge lawyer Rudy Giuliani is pretty scary. He reminds me of a gargoyle imitating Jabba the Hutt.
3
Couldn't Barr be impeached along with Trump - we'd get two
for the price of one!!
8
"“First in his class at West Point and he ends up polishing Trump’s boots,” added Phyliss Dalmatian."
"licking" might be more accurate than "polishing", but, yeah.
15
Isn't it ironic that the most profane, immoral, unethical, ignorant president America has elected for 100 years has surrounded himself with so many Christian zealots -Barr, Carson, Devos, Pence, Pompeo, Paula White, Graham, Kavanaugh-who support, encourage, excuse and enthusiastically participate in his degradation of our country and overtuning of religious tenets?
14
@rlmullaney And this is what an American theocracy looks like! If all you got is one book to rely on that holds all "truth" you don't have be competent ... just of the True Faith. Whatever that is!
1
Dante would have a Canto for each of these candidates. What a collection of stooges. Whoa is us. Barry
3
Our top cop is corrupt. It is sad how the GOP/Republicans have so many like minded failures as Trump and the so called base is so dumb it can’t even register in their brains. What happened to them over the decades? I suspect breathing in to much coal dust.
4
Barr had better serve time when this is all over. He is pure evil. He makes me sick just looking at him.
14
two dirty minions of Trump - Burr and Pompeo.
7
I love this article.
Not surprisingly though. The most incompetent president in the history of our country picks only incompetent cabinet members. All that is needed to get a job with the narcissistic chief is to be his water carrier and sing his praises.
3
Say what you will about Barr, but the Obama predecessors couldn’t hold a candle to him...,Eric holder and Loretta Lynch. And compare mike Pompeo to Hillary Clinton? Hillary, and Obama, two totally responsible for the middle east uprising and the world’s worst humanitarian crisis of three generations. And we’re talking about ukrainegate?
1
Its a shame that none of these winners are allowed to read about their accolades since the NYT is forbidden.
13
So what did you think of Eric Holder, Obama’s “wingman”?
2
Obama was not accused of any corrupt practices, so I don’t think that you can compare the two.
2
Definitely masks for Halloween, they are all vampiric ghouls, and not in a good way
1
I'm afraid if I dressed up as Bill Barr to hand out Halloween treats, my home would get a local designation of a Superfund-in-waiting site. Sorry Gail.
My son is going trick or treating in Fortnite garb. Violent as the game is, it's considerably more approachable and friendly than the current swamp at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
1
Maybe AG Barr will follow in Nixon's AG John Mitchell's footsteps straight to prison.
7
Any write in votes for Rudy Giuliani as worst faux cabinet member?
4
Where is the secretary of treasury, Mnuchin?
6
You cannot have a Banana Republic without a whole bunch of Banana Republicans.
8
The Times Op-Eds continue to cover a national emergency as though it's amusing.
Laugh to keep from crying. And wailing. And gnashing some teeth. Etc.
1
Barr looks like the Lion in Wizard of Oz. The cowardly Lion, if one recalls.
3
There is a reason former NYT conservative columnist William Safire called Barr General Coverup.
8
I’m sorry, they all are horrible people.
7
Barney Rubble. YUCK. Hate him.
3
As idiotic as it seems, this is not funny. These folks are doing real damage. Barr is by far is the worst case. A lawless person in charge of the law.
Although he does look like Jaba the hut.
3
Mr. Barr, in case you read this article, please realize this - you are a terrible attorney general. Please resign. Why why have you sold your soul to donald trump?
9
Gail, is it just my imagination or does Billy Barr look suspiciously like that other trump tool Steve Bannon?
5
All the members of Trump's cabinet are an awful bunch of mafiosi, trying to sabotage this democracy by showing loyalty to a self-enriching vulgar bully in-chief...who in turn wouldn't give a nickel for them once they stop being his useful idiots. But the worst, and apparently without scruples, are Barr and Pompeo...by far, making a mockery of the constitution and the rule of law, and making Ms Justice cry in despair. And as long as justice is being trampled, no peace shall be available. These two swines, along with DJT, remain a clear and present danger to this republic. As to why Republicans are choosing to 'look the other way' is incomprehensible, a dereliction of duty to their constituents; and to decency!
2
What do you say on Halloween if you dress up as the President? Trick or treason!
9
This is not fair to Rick Perry, Sonny Perdue, Ben Carson, Betsy DeVos, the list goes on...
1
I vote for whoever is leading the EPA. I don’t even know the guy’s name, and that’s scary.
3
Putting aside incompetence and being in a continual trance, unable to communicate, HUD Secretary Ben Carson is Number One for his entertainment value. He earned that spot when, under questioning by Representative Katie Porter, he thought an REO was the world's most famous sandwich cookie with a creamy filling. If forced to be serious, I'd forgo selecting one cabinet member -- they're all so clearly unworthy of their positions -- and I'd choose the worst cabinet in U.S. history, in which case the Trump cabinet gets the top slot. Hands down.
5
If only we could have seen all of this horror show coming in 2016 - but then, again, a lot of us did see this coming - and our vote was not enough to thwart what would become one of the most corrupt, morally bankrupt Cabinets in the entire history of the U.S. Let's do what's right in 2020 - and get rid of the GOP and Trump.
7
My vote is for Betsy DeVos. She can not be topped for shear incompetence and for multiple conflicts of interest. Trump should be impeached for no other reason than placing someone so damaging and so lacking in ability in a senior decision making position in the government of the United States! Appointments such as this are evidently intended to destroy the ability and performance of our government.
6
Now there are two phrases of significance in the careers of attorneys everywhere.
1. Passing the Bar; I.e., to achieve a passing score necessary to be licensed as an attorney. 2. Passing the Barr; I.e., to achieve stunning acts of legal malfeasance necessary to be named the slimiest attorney in the nation.
4
@David
There is also: Setting the Barr too low.
How about Crossing the Barr. An extended metaphor to crossing over to death.
2
We need a new poll for worst "acting" cabinet members or administration heads. Ken Cuccinelli is my pick for worst of this year.
"Acting" director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration, Ken Cuccinelli - for his monstrous idea to deport sick foreigners receiving life saving treatment by sending them "death sentences by First Class mail." The power of a mere "acting" non-confirmed individual making such a dastardly life and death edict - no doubt in collusion with Miller-the-terrible - should be reported to a human rights court somewhere.
"but Jeff Sessions had more respect for the law" - but that's why he is no longer in office, and why Barr is.
As for Elaine Chao, she has done quite a lot. She got Bejing-Mitch up to $25 million free and clear! That's quite an accomplishment.
Irony that trump, who “still considers himself to be in the hospitality business” has Made America Inhospitable After-all.
Bar none, Barr is the worst of the worst cabinet member, and I fully concur with the NY Times readers' choice.
6
I am used to voting for the best which can be hard, but
voting for the worst was harder. The swamp is full.
VOTE BLUE 2020. Thrown them all out. Gail thanks for bring some fun to the worst administration in history.
5
If you want a convincing Barr costume for Halloween, I recommend looking for an Alvin and the Chipmunks costume. Uncanny resemblance.
2
He said he would stand up to Trump. That was his first lie.
4
Barr is the modern iteration of Roger Taney. When Pres. Andrew Jackson wanted to circumvent a possible veto override by Congress and kill the National Bank, he told his Treasury Secretary to drain the bank of its deposits. The secretary said it would be unconstitutional and resigned, as did the next guy Jackson asked. Taney stepped up and said, I'll do it."
Jackson later appointed him as Chief Justice, presumably because he understood that loyalty to the president was the prime criteria for any government office. Taney went on to show his shrewd sense of the Constitution in the Dred Scott decision, ruling that blacks -- not just slaves, but all blacks -- were "inferior beings that had no rights a white man need respect."
Is he the worst Cabinet member? That's really unfair to the other band of sycophants. Every one could easily claim the title.
4
Just imagine the damage we must undo with the next president. We need to start debating how aggressively to prosecute these people -- Bill Barr certainly deserves prison (in fact, this theocrat doesn't really deserve citizenship), but we don't want to emulate Trump by seeking to imprison political opponents. As long as the U.S. remains a democracy, we can at least have comfort in their reckoning with the annals of history.
I'll also say, I'm terrified of the damage to come from Barr's crusades. He's not incompetent like his boss; things are going to get ugly.
5
This column would be funnier if the reality of Trump's Cabinet was not so sad.
2
For me ... it was during his confirmation hearings ... he used his "friendship" with Mueller as evidence of his impartiality ... I wonder if they're still friends - someone should ask him ...
1
Let's not forget Pompeo. He's proved himself to be a first rate Trump shill as well.
1
Yes I agree that Barr gets the crown; but they all, like I voted, are horrible and unworthy of office. This includes the child-like President.
1
Don’t Do the QPQ
trumpsky & Barrsky as a duet:
We don’t do the QPQ, it’s just not what we do
Give us a little scratch, something we might match
Wouldn’t be a quid, this favor that you did
There could never be a quo, not even a connecting pro
Stick to this alibi, and remain our close ally
Just a friendly deal with you, never ever QPQ
trumplodytes: nod and shake hips for each line.
Barrskyites: add a little rotund pirouette every other line.
1
An interesting exercise in liberal self-congratulation and attempted humor. Thank you.
Barr should at the very least be disciplined and probably disbarred for his conduct, ending his tenure as “Attorney General.” And the very worst member of Trump’s shadow cabinet, Giuliani deserves the same fate.
1
I just finished reading this article in the Times Magazine section. Truly frightening. Another secret back channel, but in this case, promoting a narrow “understanding” of Christianity.
Ralph Drollinger leads “the White House cabinet Bible study”. The sponsors of it include Mike Pence (v.p.), Mike Pompeo (state), Rick Perry (energy), Ben Carson (HUD), Betsy DeVos (ed), Sonny Perdue (ag), Jim Bridenstine (NASA). Jeff Sessions (justice), Alex Acosta (labor), and Scott Pruitt (EPA) attended while in the cabinet.
From the article: “To Drollinger, the Bible is more than the literal word of God. It is the only defensible basis for any rational thought. The text, under the doctrine of inerrancy, is factually perfect and not open to multiple interpretations. It has one definite meaning that will offer itself up to diligent students.”
Truly frightening.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/29/magazine/ralph-drollinger-white-house-evangelical.html?searchResultPosition=1
3
Trump's list of "worsts" would probably outweigh any of ours since he either ignores advice of his most seasoned Cabinet and other officers or fires them!
What a stunning the photograph you published on the cover of the Sports Section was day before yesterday. How fabulous to see a young woman enraptured by baseball!
I have never seen a young girl on the cover of the Sports Section before. Terrific photograph. Good choice.
Rachel Homer
Boulder, COLORADO 80302
These people would be laughed about in the business world, their jobs in jeopardy for their stupidity. Barr none, Barr is the worst. In a world, where the ability to be shocked about anything, Barr’s comments about religion and secularism were beyond the pale. One wonders what will be left of our institutions that are been destroyed by the people in charge, will we still have a functioning government after the damage they have inflicted? I never in my life thought I would witness a Republican Party that would side with Russia and actively work on their behalf as some of these people have done. It makes me sick to my stomach that this is the world my grandchildren will have to contend with.
10
Barr actions as consigliere to the president speaks volumes. History will not look kindly on this sycophant of sycophants. A disgrace to his profession and the oath he took to defend the Constitution.
10
As Dr. Johnson is reported to have said: "Such an excess of stupidity, Sir, is not in nature." That is true of th entire so-called cabinet.
10
Wear a Barr mask for Halloween at risk of your life!
2
Barr knows better. He chooses to defile his oath, instead pledging fealty to a mob boss. Horrible.
9
Trump and his swamp creatures have manged to redefine what worst means. He has so many incompetents that the one or two who manage to enact one of Trump's destructive whims jump to the head of the pack by default.
I still think that Chao/McConnell are the most pernicious.
4
We need a competition for the 10 dumbest members of Congress.
6
How smug . . . . And you wonder why Donald Trump is president and may be re-elected?
Gail your poll would be funny if the situation facing America and
Humanity wasn’t so dire.
Incipient Fascism advancing in America is no laughing matter.
M
8
On a list that includes two of the greatest nincompoops who’ve ever sat in a cabinet meeting (DeVos & Perry), Barr’s triumph in this contest underscores just how low he has devolved, or perhaps always has been.
Next up: Top Theocrat
Should be another close race with Barr and Pompeo dueling for the William Jennings Bryan Prize
7
Giuliani should get a special mention as the unofficial head of Trump’s Department of Crimes and Misdemeanors.
8
This is sad -- not sure how people read and believe this drivel to begin with.. but didn't know we were 5th grades making a contest out of who the 'worst' kid in class is.. (based on the 'popular kids' OPINION)
Love that all these DNC hit 'stories' are falling apart.. this isn't news and not even really an opinion, it's an irrational diatribe against people for being in the wrong tribe.
@Phlem Pardon me while I clear my throat. If you don’t want to play, why join the game?
Would you make the same claim if this piece was about incompetent and/or dangerous people serving in Italy's government under Mussolini? Under Kim? Sana’a, Hussein?
Of course, in those countries, writing pejoratively about people about government officials could have dire consequences. I think you should be glad that in the U.S. we have, so far, the right to speak our minds any way we want to about any subject.
4
@Phlem What alternative universe are you living in? How is the truth drivel? It is a sad state to be in this world going through life with blinders on.
3
Wait a minute... Scott Pruitt didn't even get an (dis)honrable mention? How about Ryan Zinke? I can't refute the winners I guess but just so many incompetent grifters and so little time LOL!
7
Give Trump credit, after pulling up the bar for evil with Barr(pun intended) he is now trying to raise it further by appointing Cuccinelli to DHS. That's the guy that told a bunch of children on life support to grab their stuff and get out of HIS/TRUMP'S counyry!
5
Zuckerberg for AG.
1
The NYT could save a lot of space..by asking "Who is the best Trump Cabinet Member?"
9
Just because William Barr graduated first in his class at West Point doesn't mean he mentally well. Jeffrey Epstein was brilliant and turned out to be a pedophile.
7
Well it really is hard to choose between such incompetent members of Trumps cabinet. But the lap dog award clearly goes to attorney general Barr.
6
Does that mean Barr gets the Fool's Gold Medal for his outstanding under achievements?
2
Of course I don't want tar and feathers. I don't care about humiliation. What I want is the execution of William Barr for treason.
Dan Kravitz
5
Really? Not a dedicated paragraph for Stephen Miller, the ghoulish ethnonationalist architect of this administration's horror or an anti-immigration policy? ...and on Halloween no less.
10
He’s so nasty people don’t even want to vote for him for Worst.
The Monsignor?
1
Oh no..... Phyllis Dalmatian says the secretary of state is unfit... except a Google search of her on my phone turns up NOTHING. Kinda hard to give that a credible "concern" from people no one has ever heard of.
It's getting old....
Grifters and sycophants all. Enough said.
2
Well deserved - William Barr: worst Cabinet Member, worst AG, serving the worst President
5
What - no votes for Putin?
4
...as leader of the shadow government.
2
When Congress is finished with Trump they need to get rid of Barr.
4
Epstein is still dead, so, yeah, Barr.
Can I just say simply, that Barr disgusts me! And Americans should be no less repugnant for this man is uber dangerous.
2
Barr is getting and will continue to get what he deserves.
William Barr will be known and remembered by history as:
- a spineless lackey of America's worst president of all time
- lacking morals, ethics and any semblance of a conscience
Bye Barr! Have a terrible life (whatever's left of it)!
6
As long as Trump keeps up his contempt for Blacks, Muslims, Mexicans and liberals, the gullible fundamentalists who elected him will not possibly care less how incompetent and flawed his Cabinet is. Only in America.
3
The top two were my top two as well. If only that were enough ti shove them out of their posts, taking their titular boss with them.
1
Pompeo, Barr,
Perry, DeVoss,
Wheeler & Carson
& Purdue & Ross.
Some were a burden,
And some were a curse,
But all were disgraceful.
Oh, which one was worse?!
Pompeo, Barr,
Perry, DeVoss,
Wheeler & Carson
& Purdue & Ross.
A scoundrel, a liar,
A villain, a thief;
Each worse than the other,
Defying belief!
Pompeo, Barr,
Perry, DeVoss,
Wheeler & Carson
& Purdue & Ross.
Each was dishonest,
And all were plain fools
Betraying our trust --
Trump's Cabinet of Ghouls!
9
Put them all together and they spell kakistocracy!
5
I’m disappointed you didn’t reference my submission; “all of the above, including Trump, who leads the cabinet.“
1
Pleased to see Barr got the award for awfulness!
As incompetent, stupid and uninformed as DeVos is, Barr is truly dangerous to the country’s institutions.
But here’s where I believe he body-slams the rest of the contestants (read: the rest of the cabinet):
It’s his religious hypocrisy! The proclaimer of conservative Catholic values, without hesitation and repeatedly violates the Rule Of Law (and common decency and morality) by going to extremes to protect one of the most morally vile characters to ever hold the title of “President”, and folks we’ve had some doozies!
6
Here's an idea for a "flashmob" Halloween Event for tonight at the White House, 10 pm to midnight EDT.
Everyone dress accordingly (1931 Hollywood Mob), bring your pitchfork and torch, and show up in front of the White House a la Frankenstein.
What do you think? Just freakout the White House on Halloween....with shades of Mel Brooks. Spread the word! See if we can pull it off. We have tonight.
Don't forget, Boomers. We levitated the Pentagon !!!
1
Maybe Barr stinks but he's not as bad as predecessor Loretta Lynch, who was corrupt.
1
@MIKEinNYC
Because why?
@Timothy Samara
Lynch was investigating Hillary Clinton for wrong-doing. After she had a so-called chance meeting with Bill Clinton on the tarmac of an airport in Arizona on June 26, 2016, (ever had a "chance meeting" on the tarmac of an airport?), she instructed her lackey, James Comey to announce, on the very next business day, that the investigation is concluded.
She should have been disbarred but then again, her direct boss was Barack Obama.
1
Understanding Barr is easy. He's a theocrat who doesn't like the changes of modern America. He doesn't realize that the toothpaste is out of the tube and can't be put back.
He's now the head of the "Department of Obstructing Justice".
I predict, when all is said and done with this administration, that Barr will have a very unglamorous ending along with his partner in crime, Donald Trump.
When Trump got started with his "make America great again",
(which no one ever asked him when this was), I thought the St. Reagan era is what he wants.
As time went on, it's looking more like the 1950's.
Next, I thought he must mean the Gilded Age.
Finally, it seems to be the Middle Ages, when religion ruled.
I say, it ain't gonna happen.
2
Didn't John Mitchell, Nixon's AG go to jail for conspiracy and obstruction of justice (an AG!)? I can't wait to see Barr's mug shot.
4
Attorney General William Barr made Faust's devil's bargain. He traded his reputation, his name, his sacred honor to serve a tawdry, ignorant, dangerous narcissist Trump. I pity him. This is the Devil's bargain. History will condemn him. His position as Attorney General is to serve all the people of this nation....he only serves his master, Trump. His name is sullied forever.
3
Good contest. Barr is the hands-down winner for upending our beliefs that we have a government of laws, not of men; all are equal under the law; and no man is above the law. Second place goes to Pompeo for destroying any semblance of foreign policy or of a foreign office. These are the only truly dangerous appointees, because they have a brain, even if heavily flawed. The others are saved from being dangerous because they are so stupid. There is no good cabinet member. There was one, and only one, at the beginning of the administration, and you know his name.
1
Is the rumor, that most of the cabinet members speak fluent Manchurian, true?
3
Trump or treat!
1
Hats off to Attorney General Jabba the Hutt. But let's be honest, each of this year's contenders simply excelled in their own leagues. Kind of like the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show for prancing swamp critters.
3
The worst cabinet member is, of course, Trump!
2
What in the world does Trump have on Bill Barr and or his interests or what could Trump possibly have offered BILL BARR a seat on the supreme court or a chain of hotels across the south? Barr is as close to Roy Cohn as can be at least Roy Cohn didn;t pretend not to be a toady sleazebag as Barr as presented himself as to be in future legal course on sell outs.
All of you are much too kind, the entire cabinet would be impeached in a just world.
Yes! I picked him: The evil St. Bernard, a canine even Trump could love.
I think I speak for many when suggesting that Stephen Glynn’s tag line should be, “Where’s the feathers and the tar?” It would be more poetic or at least better doggerel.
The Halloween costume for your winner, WilliamBarr would be a Smokey The Bear costume.Just put a ranger hat on him that says Smokey and you have a perfect likeness! It is actually appropriate because Barr spends all of his time putting out smoldering fires ....for Trump!
When in doubt, do nothing. Anyone heard anything of substance from Sleepy Ben Carson over at HUD?
I feel sorry for kids whose costume is Toad (of Toad Hall.) Grownups will either ask the poor kids, "Which Cabinet Member are you, dear?" or say something along the lines of, "You must be Mick Mulvaney!"
1
With apologies to Agatha Christie, it's the "Cabinet on the Orient Express."
Who's the worst? They all did it. What a fetid group of self-dealers and posers.
3
how could we not be so familiar with these folks? never before have we been this distracted, distressed, and depressed at the same time. it's like living outdoors naked and really, really, really afraid. and your tinder is always wet.
1
Barr is worse than Attorney General John Mitchell was. He deserves the same fate. Federal Prison.
3
Gail. Thank you.
Since you have Barr on top of the list, should the Senate not recall him?
2
They should all be fired.
Go Trump, Go. You have a magnificent opportunity to show us, like you did in that wondefull show, how to do it.
"You'r fired", concerning them would be your greatest accomplishment.
And dear President, ayway , you don't ned them nor any one else for that matter!
2
AG Barr is upset over interfering with Christian control of our government. He seems be on the right track. The good Christians I know would not turn away those coming for help or refuge or put their children in cages. So, maybe he has a point.
If he wants to know who are the worst offenders he can look in the mirror or stop by 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D.C.
2
it is funny but it is not
The "Best and Brightest" God help us!
1
Prize to the first person who goes trick-or-treating as the attorney general.
----------
The kids who dressed up as ghouls, ghosts, witches and zombies will get fun sized candy bars at my house. The kids who dressed up as Trump, Pence or a cabinet member will get full sized candy bars at my house. The kids who dressed up as Barr will get a half dozen full sized candy bars at my house.
1
Gail is wonderful, but this stuff kind of writes itself, doesn't it?
1
Benedict Barr? Byelorussia Barr? Bought and Paid For Barr?
2
And an Honorable Mention to Shadow Secretary Rudy Giuliani.
1
A low Barr for future AGs...
2
William Barr Sinister has earned the "Worst Ever" title with a performance matched by none. Let's not forget all the criminal referrals he tossed into his wastebasket, while instigating "investigations" into any lunacy our deranged President whispers into his ear.
1
You forgot another influential vote. Notre Dame's football team was in contention for a national title before the ND law school hosted Bill Barr. Afterwards, they squeaked by USC and were humiliated by Michigan. The Lord works in mysterious ways.
1
Barr is a brilliant legal mind and prosecutor. You jokers are going to find that out when the reports come out shortly exposing Comey, Clapper, Brennan and the rest of the witch hunters.
1
@Art Hudson I'm waiting for someone to investigate him! Trotting around the globe on Trump's phony mission so he can dig up fake dirt and get re-elected. He and Pompeo have thrown their respective depts. and employees under the bus.
1
@Art Hudson
All of whom are Republicans. Ha.
BillBarrBagman, not only 5he worst, but his father hired Jeffrey Epstein to teach at the very tony, expensive, Dalton School despite Epstein lacking even a Bachelor’s degree. So...the roadapple doesn’t fall far from the horse, does it?
2
Barr for Halloween? Get a Deputy Dawg Mask...
In order to facilitate Trump’s genius of the idiot strategy to make himself look smarter, law abiding, and competent, he has surrounded himself with the best of the worst in just about every category. If Trump is by contrast, that which all are compared, he has chosen those who are corrupted by incompetence, self interest, ignorance, greed, and dishonesty too historic proportions. The best of the worst is a ten way tie.
I knew it....
AG Barr reminds me of the evil Dolores Umbridge from the Harry Potter movies.
I get it Trump is a lazy corrupt racist. He denies the scientific evidence that clearly shows that climate change is a serious threat to not only the economy but to humanity in general. But Barr is certainly a frightful figure to the Dems. The NYTs still makes noises about the Mueller report. They were really going to get Trump with that one. But for Barr. Barr stepped in and ruined the Dems ability make the cacophony of unfounded charges of Russian meddling. This was ground zero of the anti Russia hysteria that the NYTs keeps resurfacing. Now Barr leads the Trump counter attack to the absurd effort by the never Trump people to topple Trump. Trump's win is a terrible outcome of the 2016 election. H. Clinton had every opportunity to defeat him. Her campaign was so badly misdirected that Trump won in a stupid flagrant example that anything is possible with the electoral college.
@ c harris makes the case for Russian interference in our elections with this nice hash of language and Fox network mish-mash. As a friend to free and fair elections, only current Republicans in Georgia make more sense.
The state is deep—the administration is shallow!
All of these people fill me with dread. They are clearly evil, and they have ice running through their veins. It is unimportant to them who suffers, or how many suffer, as long as they retain power, and money keeps pouring into their coffers. They lie, cheat, steal, plot, machinate, and deal in every manner of deceit and con artistry. Pompeo's recent interview by a reporter was stunning in its nastiness, its arrogance, its coldness, and the blatant malice he exhibited towards her. It was like watching a snake being interviewed. I fully expected him to strike. We must do everything in our power to rid this nation of these sadistic, Fascistic despots.
Alas, we are on a sinking ship of fools (Carson, Ross, Perry) and ghouls (Barr, Bernhardt/Wheeler, Pompeo, DeVos).
Trump, of course, wins the grand prize; he is both a fool AND a ghoul.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Here in red state country, extra candy to any kid who comes to the door tonight wearing a Trump mask.
1
Can Barr be disbarred?
So many to choose from. Need a worst 10 updated weekly
Yeh, we get it.
Surely, however, this kind of column with its classless comments is not helping to gain opposition support (even if meant as humor— which I’m sure it wasn’t).
OMG, this is the best NYTimes article of 2019! Honest, untarnished opinions, written by honest, thoughtful people with a sense of humor.
1
But to be fair, that was like choosing what to eat at one of the nasty Sunday buffets of my childhood where every dish was sitting in a pool of grease. The sort of place that caters to people with false teeth who think Elvis is still alive somewhere, and where nothing screams “eat me!” Where your grandmother is piling up this and that, and you’re just following along behind her, thinking to yourself, oh look at the soft serve ice cream machine over there, maybe I’ll have some of that. Then you watch a boy lick the machine and stick his grubby hands down in the rainbow sprinkles, and you say nah, no thanks, I don’t want any of those cooties so I will just be hungry.
And I still say Betsy DeVos has the most cooties :)
To Barr's list rap sheet of ignominy I would certainly add his failure to keep Jeff Epstein alive because he was too busy doing other things, like traveling the world seeking to validate screwball rightwing conspiracy theories about the Mueller report.
'Only the very best people'.......................................
...That will agree to climbing onboard a careening clown car.
This list is wildly incomplete and incorrect because Trump has no cabinet, just thugs and incompetents - Pruitt, Perdue, Zinke, Sessions, Conway, Hucksbee Sanders, Hicks, Jivanka, et al, et al, just a collection of Retchables, traitors, criminals, ignoramuses, hypocrites - get me the dictionary. Rudy belongs on a freak show shelf, and Baddest of the Really Bad, Stephen Miller, should occupy a cell next to Trump in Gitmo, where they can draw their last breaths, forgotten and “talking” at one another.
Do I make myself clear? I haven’t begun ... .
1
What a fertile field there is when you address NY Times commenters - they're the most intelligent and well-spoken on the internet.
1
There should be a “not the sharpest tool in the shed” award. Hands down, Rick “Pickles” Perry takes gold!
I can’t wait to forget about this entire administration.
1
For me its Barr. He is it's roy Cohn who believes in an Imperial Presidency.
With Barr defending dt and searching out anyone involved in investigating the 2016 election, we are in serious trouble.
Things may get worse before they get better and we will have a struggle to keep democracy going in the US
Barr is the most dangerous cabinet member. I would have picked Betsy DeVos for worst, with Rick Perry and Steven Mnuchin as runner ups...
Sorry to say Gail you forgot to mention Steven Terner Mnuchin, aka Steve Mnuchin. This is a guy you just love to hate, he along with his pal fast Eddy Lampert were sued for "asset stripping" during their tenure at Sears.
Not only that among many other interesting financial deals, good old Steve along with Jared Kushner and Rudy Giuliani want Trump to pardon Michael Milken!
1
Barr is fictional "Godfather" lawyer Tom Hagen plus a good 100 pounds.
We need a word that transcends "worst."
Barrst, maybe?
Barr had better end up in prison for his criminal behavior!
When you decide to work for the worst president in history and defend him then it stands to reason you are the worst. This would have been a tough one for me. Anyone who defends caging children would have been at the top.
Barr is the worst of the worst among a totally bad bunch. Quite an accomplishment.
1
All of the cabinet members are horrible to a man and woman. Our government is the worst I have seen in my long life. Certainly reflective of the lawless President they serve. The senate republicans deserve dishonorable mention too as they bear the brunt of the blame for allowing this lawless administration to continue to trample the constitution and our American ideals.
1
“The lack of achievement by officials like Elaine Chao, secretary of transportation and wife of Mitch McConnell. “The secretary, who would have never gotten a cabinet job without her spouse,”
You mean like Hunter Biden’s job orJavanka’s or trump jr.’s ?
1
William Barr is a model Heritage Foundation rep. If you think getting rid of this president will give you a good night of sleep just look at Barr. He's our future.
I wonder.
When Durham's indictments come down and the investigation into conspiracy between the DNC and foreign government actors to subvert the Trump presidential campaign converts to a series of prosecutions, will member of the press - because of their complicity - find themselves swept up in the subsequent round of prosecutions ?
I certainly hope sso.
1
I knew Elliot Richardson, the hero of Watergate's "Saturday Night Massacre." As attorney general, he set the highest mark for personal integrity in service of his country. Barr, as attorney general, has set the lowest.
401
@Keith Wheelock What's interesting is that Elliot Richardson, the "hero" of the Massacre, was never nominated for the Supreme Court. Robert Bork, the "villian", who was third in line at the Justice Department before the "Saturday Night Massacre", who ultimately fired Archibald Cox, was. Some people would say it's just a coincidence; but others may doubt it given the recent events. Could that history be sitting in the minds of the senior level employees throughout the administration as well as Congress.
6
@Luis K As a former Foreign Service Officer, I am extremely proud of our professionals, at State and elsewhere, who ignore Trump's ban order to testify in service of our country. For me, Bork is a political oddity. At least he was defeated in the Senate. For those professionals who followed their conscience, I suspect that they can both live with themselves AND flourish in their careers, once the Trump horror is past.
18
@Keith Wheelock
Barr may be a piece of work as AG, but he's still no John Mitchell. And so far has avoided Mitchell's fate.
1
“First in his class at West Point and he ends up polishing Trump’s boots,” added Phyliss Dalmatian. Add that to his CV.
4
Thank you for your recent columns on who might be the worst in the Trump cabinet. It's been making me chuckle each time I think about it. It's better than crying, rending my clothing, or screaming to the heavens.
I never thought I'd long for the good ol' days of W. I never thought I'd consider Ronald Reagan a reasonable Republican if such a thing could ever exist.
However, I wonder if anyone has noticed that Giuliani, the world's worst personal lawyer, is now MIA.
1
It's naive to assume that those cabinet members considered 'too incompetent to create trouble' aren't doing major damage or worse. They're too incompetent to lead a department but they were appointed for very specific reasons: they are working in the shadows every day to reduce or dismantle the administrative state and all the protections and policies that gave middle, working class and poor Americans a chance to flourish.
1
I simply refer to the AR as "low" barr.
Of course Rump's cabinet is a far, far cry from the "brightest and the best." That is the point, all of these fools know they shall not shine brighter than their lord, master, and savior.
Yet people are missing a more subtle point. The former GOP believed in "that which governs least governs best."
An unstated goal of the Reagan deficits was to force the government to cut back on social programs that did not aligned with its conservative values.
That didn't work because most of these programs were beneficial to American citizens.
Rump is simply evolving the strategy. If we run the agencies into the ground, or so miss manage them people will come to hate and mistrust government.
Remember the Gover Norquist quote about shrinking government and drowning it in a tub?
Simply put Republicans don't want good government they want no government
1
I think this might be considered a Badge of Honor in some circles.
Thank you, once again, for your even-handedness.
If Trump manages to get reelected, the names of our government departments and agencies will need to be changed to reflect their actual missions under Trump:
Barr: Department in Injustice
Wheeler: Department of Pollution and Environmental Destruction
DeVos: Department of Ignorance and For-Profit Education
Mnuchin: Department of Treasury for the Rich Only
Mulvaney: Office of Mismanagement and GOP Deficit
Scalia: Department of I Never Did a Day's Labor in My Elitist Life
Chao: Department of Transportation and Graft
Pompeo: Department of International Un-diplomacy, Confusion, and Chaos
1
Even tho' I'll miss my man Rick (not), I agree -- the non-inept candidates won.
And, indeed, for that reason, they are the most dangerous. By and large, they are the children of the shift which took place within the GOP during the 1980s. That any immoral, unethical, agregious behavior in the service of seizing and holding power is acceptable, nay, desirable. These are exactly the type of people whom the Founders feared and why we need to throw out their (crime) ring-leader.
2
Remember, its the millions who voted Trump into office that opened the rats door to the government. Yes, they are rotten and dangerous, all of them, but its our fellow citizens that knowingly and willingly voted for Trump. They had plenty of evidence about him and they still did it. Trump now hopes the "mushrooms" he cultivated will be kept in the dark for the next election.
Mulvaney is a real piece of work. His forebears fled Hibernia's dank, cold bogs, and wound draining the Lowcountry's fetid,dismal swamplands, so plantation "marsters" could bring platoons of enslaved but skilled agricultural workers to turn the reclaimed soil into a spectacularly profitable enterprise.
Yet he seems bent on not.only generating more Beltway political mire,but on spreading it far and wide as well.
And lurking partly in the shadows of the future, the perfect Halloween mask, Mike Pence.
2
Let's keep in mind that some seemingly inept, corrupt, unethical officials can be explained simply by remembering that some people do what they do because they are well paid to do that. Maybe someone at the top of the federal government offered to privately pay the worst of the worst a lot of money to do his bidding. There are those that will do that, regardless of ethics, morals, or the truth.
The Attorney General is clearly the most dangerous, bar none.
1
You have to be amazed, in the pit of your stomach, how many grown men and women lack a conscience, or who feel so unfulfilled in themselves that they need to fill their empty vessel with money and power. Or both.
1
This is the ultimate “Chamber of Horrors” cabinet, the GOP’s Halloween trick that keeps on hurting.
I have to agree with the Barr choice because he is doing terrible damage to the rule of law.
But the EPA and Interior guys run a close second for the permanent damage they are doing to the environment.
All-in-all, this cabinet is a GOP Dream Team of destroyers, rampaging across the country into every crevice of our national life to despoil America for the rich and powerful. The Repubs have been waiting for decades to put their disastrous policies in place and now they are getting everything they ever dreamed of and more.
As my wise grandfather (1885-1978) used to say, “America’s God is the Almighty Dollar.”
God help America.
1
Wilbur Ross could never win this. After all, he is ONLY criminally corrupt. In this contest, a life-long record of being criminally corrupt is only an entry fee.
Also, Ross' fiasco over the census question helped the world to see how malevolent and nakedly racist Trump really is. Wilbur may have 'done us a solid', by unwittingly exposing his dark overlord and master.
1
Great contest! And though someone may win, we have 300+ million losers for sure in all this.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was not as frightening as Trump's cabinet is.
1
Nixon had his John Mitchell and Trump has his Bill Barr. History repeats itself.
Can we vote for “ Anonymous “, who penned the marvelous epistle on the Trump Regime, published in the NYTs ? I’m going with Mattis, Kelly or Bolton, in that order. I have my reasons, both for and against, each participant. Come on Down, contestants. Wagers ?
1
I know this is a humor column, but the Barr comments are a real joke.
Barr didn’t misrepresent anything. After two years and dozens of investigators and millions of dollars—the whole Trump-Russian collusion narrative amounted to nothing. Oh, the Russians interfered all right, they just didn’t do so in any way involving Trump. On obstruction, Barr notes that the Special Prosecutor declined to make a recommendation, kicking it upstairs to the AG. Again all true and as outlined in his summary.
And as to investigating the investigators, he appointed a nonpartisan DA well regarded by both sides. Let’s see what he finds. Why would The NY Times, or the MSM generally, not find that interesting?
2
I would love to dress as Bill Barr for Halloween, but I don’t want to terrify the children.
So hard to choose - Barr, for trying to destroy the republic, or Bernardt and Wheeler, for trying to destroy the planet.
Thanks, Gail - I voted for Barr since he has the power to completely destroy this country. This is the first time in my life I am thinking about how much Russia is paying our AG. "There was a crooked man/Who walked a crooked mile...And they all lived together in a crooked little (White) house."
1
Are they all in cahoots to destroy America? By their actions it would appear so. How is it possible to pick the worst out of a bunch so inept, corrupt and very possibly linked with the wishes of Putin like their boss.
1
Katy Barr the door. Put him behind Barrs. Barring rain, the game goes on. Barr none, he is the worst. He is a Barrister like no other. Roll out the Barrel. And my favorite, belly up to the Barr and have a drink with Stephanie Greshim and Mat Gaentz. Just don't let them drive. Last time one of them went Barreling down the road, hit a Barrier and got arrested. They are now Barred from driving.
Correction to the end of the sentence re Betsy De Vos: “... the bottom line was that Donald Trump’s top education official doesn’t like public schools [or anyone who attends them.] End of story.”
Jerry SEINFELD always said he "exists in the world of funny!"Grammatically incorrect , but a profound observation nonetheless which applies to the best comedians, and I am NOT referring to monotonous late night talk hosts who are more intent on scoring points for the Dem. Party and maligning our chief of state than entertaining us,trying to be genuinely humorous, which is why I seldom if ever watch them.Who wants to be hit over the head with a hammer with anti Trump jeremiads at 11.30 at night, which brings us to Ms. Collins whose biased observations, supposed to tickle 1's funny bone,but makes her seem like a proselytizer for the anti Trump crowd. "Si j'ai bonne memoire," she was hired to succeed, mutatis mutandis, Russell Baker, but whereas he could criticize RR or any other c-in-=c w/o appearing malicious,Ms. Collins always seems spiteful, and her targets are always Republicans. Just make us laugh, Ms. Collins,and try not to be one sided in your mockery of G0P politicos. Barr has solid credentials as does Sec. of State Pompeo.Why ridicule them?RB could criticize them, but it would be with a "coup de bistouri,"not with a hatchet. Nor would he confine his criticism to just one political party!Dem Party, s is visibly worried by what I believe to be coming indictments of Obama admin. holdovers who have been seeking the impeachment of Trump even before he was inaugurated. Not nice to spy on 1's political opponents even before they have assumed the oath of office,
Trump disqualified himself from being President by his false claims about Obama’s birth place. This lie indicated his willingness to to impose his false version of reality on others and to ignore and deny facts and dismiss logic and all evidence that did not stroke his ego or support his self aggrandizing agenda. That this was not recognized by so many voters is the crux of our present plight. It is not simply ignorance and stupidity at the center of Trump’s emergence, nor is it merely unreason. It must be said there must be corruption in the hearts of voters who stand for him despite his danger to democracy and to the survival of the planet.
What we really need is a "MODICUM AWARD" as in 'he/(she) had a modicum of integrity before he started working for Trump'. Barr as WORST has a certain logic but it really depends upon so many variables. For instance environmentalists will always cite the longer run damage to planet earth's ecology insisting on Interior and/or EPA with a nod to others who promoted big oil and cutting down trees. But MODICUM is pretty straight forward avoiding delicate balancing of short and long term, rich vs. poor, US vs. world hurt....
The MODICUM AWARD also must go to Barr as the Trump cabinet official who gave up the most integrity of the modicum he started with. Hands down Barr --especially since he's about the only one who started with any integrity and he's lost it all. That WORST and MODICUM AWARDS happen to coincide is merely a happy coincidence if it means shortening Barr's tenure at Justice.
... and although not technically part of the Cabinet, shouldn't something be said about Trump Senior Advisor for Policy, Stephen Miller? He's behind much of what we deem, "The Trump Administration Horror Show."
7
The characterization of Barr's "misrepresentation of the findings of the Mueller report" is all too kind. He LIED to all Americans about the report.
Hopefully he will eventually be held to account for his tenure as AG. Indeed, Barr should should have been fired for his "lack of candor" astronomically worse than Andrew McCabe's alleged "lack of candor" that cost him his job and a sizeable portion of his pension.
Even worse is Barr's role as the top anti-justice official in the land, no different than all the cabinet members reversing the roles of the agencies they head - like the EPA which is now anti-environment and the Consumer Protection Bureau which is now anti-consumer and the Education Dept now pro-religious and anti-education, etc. All of them would have topped the list of worst cabinet member in any other rational administration.
As for the investigation into the investigators, that is nothing less than an authoritarian-style instigated PURGE and intimidation tactic for career workers.
As trump's consigliere, Barr certainly ranks as the worst of the worst.
Now we need a 'worst non-cabinet member in trump's orbit' reader poll. Giuliani tops my list, for now.
6
As deputy attorney general under George Bush Sr., William Barr advised Bush that he could go to war in Iraq without consent from Congress. “There’s no doubt that you have the authority to put 500,000 troops in the field,” he later recalled telling Bush Sr.
For the record, Congress's authorization is in fact required to declare war per Article I of the Constitution.
Barr doesn't care much for the United States Constitution.
As Attorney General for Bush Sr, the lawless Barr encouraged Bush Sr. to pardon six Reagan administration officials who collectively had one conviction, three guilty pleas, and two ongoing cases over the Iran-Contra scandal, including for obstruction of justice and lying to Congress.
Bush Sr. pardoned all six crooks thanks to Bill Barr's advice that Republican Presidents and their henchmen are above the law.
Iran-Contra Special Prosecutor Lawrence Walsh said this after the Barr-Bush Sr. pardons:
“The pardon of Caspar Weinberger and other Iran-contra defendants undermines the principle that no man is above the law. It demonstrates that powerful people with powerful allies can commit serious crimes in high office—deliberately abusing the public trust without consequence. The Iran-contra cover-up, which has continued for more than six years, has now been completed with the pardon of Caspar Weinberger.”
William Barr is a monarchist, a King Georgist and a czarist and he doesn't want to be bothered with the United States Constitution.
Impeach Barr, too !
15
Yes Barr by far is the worst Trump official! Because nefarious ways contaminate the whole of Government, If Trump were removed from Office. Would our Government be able to investigate various public contracts, agreements, leases, land, property and other ill-gotten profit making schemes by Trump & Crew and enforce recovery from all parties involved in such schemes? The possibility that We The People may have been swindled out of billions In assets by crooked US Officials without a maximum recovery would be a greater crime upon us and serve our continual victimization to their benefit. And the thought of such gains from thievery being retained by them would be more outrageous than the initial thief!
4
Tar and feather Bill O'Barr
As Trump's lackey you won't go far
Except to the top of the list we shun
When the "bill" comes due there will be nowhere to run.
5
If only.
The moment I spotted this article, I thought - even while sitting in distant Kolkata (India) - it's got to be the man who has opened a criminal investigation into the work of his own department!
While our own dear PM has no shortage of brown-nosers - Modi's toadies , your attorney -general surely takes the biscuit for all-round , all-weather sycophancy!
7
I agree that Barr stands out as the worst and perhaps the most dangerous. It was as remarkable as it was appalling how, when he got his paws on the Mueller report, he proceeded to single-handedly analyse, interpret and marginalize the results while flatly denying what the text had clearly detailed.
I had a difficult time even believing such partisan gall could be demonstrated by an AG of any ilk. Still do.
2
You want candy for Halloween, not a dog bite!
Didn't know that one could chuckle to death, because this no laughing matter ! Great article, The punch line took the cake ! There's nothing better than a woman with a sense of humour, Good on you, Gail !
Everyday I wonder how ANY of the people who populate this so-called "Cabinet" can look at themselves in the mirror.
Barr is absolutely fiendishly devilish.
But it annoys me that everyone is surprised about this.
PLEASE go back and read William Saphire’s (the CONSERVATIVE writer for the NYT) many pieces on Barr. He coined the name “Cover-up General” for a reason.
And for those you dismiss him, Barr is quietly working in the back ground to ensure The Occupant escapes fairly unscathed.
3
Does it really matter? In Trumpland, listening to advisors is optional. In terms of building walls to keep the migrating hoards out, nothing compares to the wall of sycophancy surrounding the captain of this derelict ship.
Worse than Meese?!?
Seemingly omitted from consideration re Barr's award: the cover-up of both the Jeffrey Epstein scandal (i.e. all the others complicit with Epstein), along with Epstein's 'suicide' investigation - both of which investigations Barr once said, were high priority. Too bad the news media have moved on to other things (how many influential people has Barr helped in these matters? ).
2
It is Barr hands down, no more voting. Except for Barr DJT's cabinet was, is and will always be populated with known know-nothings. Barr is different and the worst because he knows there are laws, knows there is a Constitution and probably now knows DJT is nuts.
The best people, nothing but the best people. Not like the losers of the Obama administration. Winning, winning, winning, until we are sick of it. Great again! Great again! Great God Almighty, we are great again!
Barr should be behind bars. Yes, he's a real winner.
3
He has very few cabinet members who are not either future parolees or just too stupid to function.
The "Deep State " Trump loves to whine about is composed of people who try to keep things up and running while Trump is begging people to come work for him due to more and more vacancies. His personality disorders require employees to be either medicated or deaf to work for him.
And Barr continues to prove that his Iran-Contra history was a clue as to how obedient a servant he is to executive power..
Let's face the reality, his audition for this job involved a 19 page paper submitted to a man who seldom reads. trashing the Special Counsel. His knees must be shot.
1
Fun fact: Barr believes that the US, which has the highest incarceration rate in the world, needs to put even MORE people in prison! (Look it up!)
Barr is also the most dangerous Cabinet official because he is the single focal point of what, who and how gets investigated and so far has shown himself to be the Henry Blake of Attorney Generals: "My mind is wide open to what your mind wants Mr. President!" And he looks like GrumpyCat. The most comically silly official is Betsy DeVos who seems to be the Delores Umbrage (The evil teacher of Harry Potter fame who delighted in torturing her students) of this administration in her bizarre views on education.
I did not vote, but I too would have picked Billy Hershey Barr. Like the wicked witch in Wizard of Oz I keep waiting for him to melt into a puddle of poisoned chocolate--or something even smellier.
I agree that all Prezident Hatepumpkin's cabinet members are at best incompetent and greedy--at worst robber barons and sadists. I think they are beyond defending and I would like to see all of them impeached--if that is possible!
1
I still vote for Scott Pruitt, the “siren on my car” guy.
Thanks for the fun. I definitely need it. Can you do something with Trump needing to explain that a canine was a dog? It is just hysterical. He knows lots of big words and wants to make sure we know a canine is a dog. Who would ever have guessed insurance was so complicated? 🧘🏼♂️🧘🏼♂️🧘🏼♂️
Then please vote him and them out in 2020!
Happy Halloween everybody--
But seriously
This really is scary ....
#ImpeachBarr
Yes, it's possible. And, if we value our democracy and the rule of law, we absolutely should. I know it will be tricky to handle two at once. But, since Barr is involved in so many of the impeachable offenses of Individual-1, that should lighten the load for Congress.
2
The problem is that Trump's 'Cabinet' thing is a clown car, and has a revolving door. Naming the Worst doesn't necessarily tag the Worst Ever. For example, who, but who, can forget Scott Pruitt-- there ya go! you'd forgotten.
If Jared and Ivanka are let into the competition then the harridan BarbieAnne Conway and the Press Office flacks must be allowed to compete!
2
Stephen Miller! How could Dead Eyes be left out, on Halloween?
2
Of course, the 2 prior AG's, Eric Holder (who was censured by Congress for the Fast and Furious gun fiasco) and Loretta Lynch (who famously met with former President Clinton on a tarmac, to discuss their grandchildren), set such "high" standards by comparison.
Or, maybe not.
We are all waiting for the NY Times to send a reporter to interview Julian Assange, to find out how the DNC emails were obtained. Mr. Assange is a bit hard to find.
Or, maybe not.
1
I proudly cast my vote for (against) Mr Barr
While Mr Barr and Mr Trump by extension are deemed worse.
So long as Mr Trump's anarchy reigns, the real losers are us, the American people.
Let us change that in 2020.
I forgot to vote!! When I saw the headline, I paused for a moment: "I want to guess!!" But within the nanosecond, a followup thought stuck, "It has to be Barr. He's really the only one of them who is crooked on the same scale as his Supreme Leader."
So I feel mildly vindicated. It's such a cast of grifters, ineptitude and incompetence, though, that the exercise of choosing was really a bit of a load on the brain.
1
Evangelical Christians have long espoused that our government needs to return to a "biblical, Godly" approach to bring America back to greatness.
Based on the utter incompetence of Dominionists like DeVos, the raging lawlessness of Barr, and the scatter-shot "statesmanship" of Pompeo, I think we all have a clear vision of how well that would roll out in reality.
Next time round, maybe we're finally ready for our first President and Cabinet completely populated by "Nones."
If aliens landed somewhere in the US right now and asked for us to take them to our leader(s), after they recovered from being dumbstruck by the sheer incompetence and self-serving of this bunch they’d either blast off at warp speed to get out of here because we’re so lame or decide to enslave the US citizens because our obvious stupidity in allowing this to happen would make us easy targets. It’s truly unfortunate as it’s very easy to find WAY more qualified individuals. What’s wrong with us?
I nominate for best nick-names;
1. Beria Bill Barr
2. Pompatis of State Pompeo
3. Mick Malarkey
Gnats last longer.
A cornucopia of corruption and incompetence.
1
I KNEW it!!
Hard to ignore those Harry Potter glasses, appropriate for a Minister of Magic.
1
Scott Pruit does not even get a shout out? Come on! He’s worthy.
Could we follow this up with a “most likely to go to jail....” or how about “most needs Trump to sign that pardon” before Trump leaves office.
1
Going trick or treating as Barr would be easy. Just go naked, thus perfectly representing his bare, brazen and naked corruption.
And then, to top it off, you can be arrested - just as he should.
1
Pompeo believes that god helped Trump become President.
What sort of god would choose such a phony, cruel, immoral, unethical, spiteful, dishonest, corrupt individual, to become a US President.
William Barr's corruptly partisan obesity, coupled with his emaciated ethical sense, and anorexic integrity, combine to make him the personification of the mendacious rot, that is the essence the Trump presidency.His insidious sycophancy to Donald Trump will result in an historical legacy of opprobrium and dishonor.
No mention of Stephen Miller?
Gail,
You might consider a contest for Worst Member of The House of Representatives and The Worst Senator.
I'd like to be the first to vote for Matt Gaetz, R. Florida and the inimitable Mitch McConnell who is the worst all-time Senator. Mitch's crimes are too long to list here. Matt Gaetz could catch up with Mitch in time.
I agree wholeheartedly with this ranking of bad public servants. Lawyers like Mr. Barr suffocate the joy of being American. His fierce defense of the President in Congress at the taxpayer’s expense was infuriating. I thought about all the people who can not afford proper legal representation and end up in jail. Mr. Barr put his reputation on the line to defend the indefensible, with all his might. Too bad he didn’t use his gifts for a good cause.
While I do like the idea of the tar-and-feathers routine for Billy Barr, why not give him a name to inspire others in the future: Billy Dis-Barr-ed?
In DC to visit the Library of Congress (we have a gorgeous national Library, well worth touring) yesterday, stopped in at my US Rep's office. Didn't expect to see him -- they're all a bit busy -- but when I asked his admin to tell everyone in the office to keep their chins up, stick to procedure and the law as best as they could ("that's what will save all of us"), and to keep things as clear as possible, she started tearing up and thanked me repeatedly.
Everyone I came across in the elevators and on escalators and in the underground tunnels connecting the three House office buildings -- Rayburn, Longworth, and Cannon -- strode at NYC pace and wore grim, stoic, expressions.
Occupants of Ground Zero, and they know it.
We can skip tar and feathers. Our goal is not physical torture. Just humiliation.
So you think you are up to that?
Good luck.
We're going as Fred and Wilma Flintstone. Fred looks a lot like Barr.
Unfortunately, the worst memeber of Donald Trump´s Cabinet, and probably the worst, least appropriate and most unstable, dangerous politician this country has ever seen is
Trump himself
Where's the list?
Surely Ben Carson is the worst!
From surgeon to sturgeon that fish can't swim. He does nothing for his people and had the audacity to furnish his office way above budget. Anything for housing?
Who will be the next one Trump throws under the bus?
"He was first in his class at West Point and he ends up polishing Trump's boots".
He learned well at West Point to obey your superior which includes "polishing Trump's boots".
That's probably why he was "first in his class at West Point".
1
What a dastardly cast of characters is the Trump maladministration.
They are all so awful that it is genuinely difficult to choose the worst among them.
Between them they have worked to undermine democracy, destroy the environment, protect a corrupt President, do the bidding of big business, promote xenophobia, destroy the education system, foster income inequality, line their own pockets, take away access to healthcare and shred US credibility abroad (to name a few).
They will long be remembered as the worst of America.
1
My question is "what motivates these awful people"?
We need to stop using the word "acting" with position titles and substitute "not a real," as in "not a real Chief of Staff" and "not a real National Security Adviser."
A.G. Low Barr is definitely the worst in a very competitive group. His brazen lying and dismissive summation of the Mueller Report was astounding. Wasn't he a close personal friend of Mueller? "White collar Fred Flintstone" as someone called him, is a real back stabber. Nothing more dangerous than a Christian warrior off on an misguided crusade for a lying, narcissist, who thinks he's a king.
Sharon from Montana offered William Barr who, she argued, “will go down in history as the worst attorney general.”
Perhaps. But let's not forget John Mitchell, Richard Nixon's AG. Mitchell served 19 months in federal prison. Let's see if Barr pulls more.
I'm pulling for you Sharon!
The Dominionist playbook of Paul Weyrich looms large over the persuasions of Barr and his notion of religious governance. One would have hoped that this regressive thinking might have retreated with Weyrich's passing some years ago. But, alas, it has reared it ugly head, again ....
People like Barr deserve all the opprobrium that conscionable Americans can muster.
1
Pompeo said yesterday that Trump actually micro managed the assault against Baghdadi and he used hand gestures for emphasis. Gesturing as someone playing a video game. A prize for biggest liar sycophant Cabinet Member is his.
After reading can only think God help us!
Particularly happy that you did not leave out Betsy DeVos...whose level of deceit and cruelty may go pretty much unnoticed. We will see... The competition is so fierce and the level of destruction yet to be determined, But thanks for the effort.
Miller, man. Miller! He's the old man behind the curtain
Trump’s “Roy Cohn,” William Barr, is a “real winner” only insofar as he is the personification of the former’s contention that, under him, we would be doing so much winning we would be sick of it.
Why are you joining the vitriolic team? Let's see how nasty we can be - just like our President. Can't we talk about areas where we disagree without all the other stuff?
Great summary of the worst Administration in American history. I think the only star was the FDA Chief - Scott Gottlieb, who came from industry and people were concerned that he would influence regulatory protections to help industry. He actually turned out to be pretty good, but surrounded by idiots, you can only smile for so long.
Barr, Pompeo, DeVos - definitely losers who will have their children and ancestors "smile" when talking about their government legacy.
"And for every jar that hit the Barr the people did proclaim that the Attorney General, will win again, win again, let Attorney General Barr win again."...... October 2020, if he survives.
To the tune of: "The Wreck of the Mary Ellen Carter"
This exercise was wicked fun,
The right guy won, and that's Barr none!
I hope some day we will find out in all its shocking detail how many investigations Barr quashed. Starting notably with the premature closure of Mueller's inquiry, the abandonment of the 15 referred cases noted in the OSC report, the failure to investigate the Ukraine whistleblower referral, interference in SDNY cases, etc. If we get rid of this administration soon enough, maybe the statutes of limitations will still allow pursuit of justice in many of those cases.
1
What a grab-bag of goofballs Trump has assembled.
However, Barr is the only Cabinet member who had the hint of respectability and competence. He's thrown that away.
1
When the dust settles from the Trump debacle--meaning we elect a Democratic president--is there any chance that some of the actions taken by members of the current administration might be viewed as criminal? Not being a lawyer, and having no knowledge of federal law in these matters, I look at what's going on and think that somebody ought to go to jail for this. Barr tops my list of suspects.
4
Trump didn't "drain the swamp", the swamp drained itself to get away from the creatures inhabiting it.
2
The worst Democrat in my opinion is Adam Schiff. He repeatedly lied that he had proof of collusion, and didn't produce any, and he doesn't seem to be much interested in governing. It remains to be seen whether he will be incompetent at impeachment.
1
If the Trump cabinet carnival weren't so dangerous to the Republic and its standing on the world stage, Gail's column would be laughably absurd. Really! The President of the United States wields a felt-tipped sharpie to alter a NOAA weather map for reinforcing an outright lie on national television?
The Trump administration is the stuff of grade-school jokes except that many such gags are actually funny, like the sharpie story might have been before Vladimir catapulted Donald Trump into the Oval Office.
5
I wonder if there has ever been a more ethically corrupt, largely incompetent cabinet in recent history. Even Nixon had some respectable people serving in his cabinet.
2
The newest member is also the worst member
That is because the adults in the room abandoned ship and the worst took off their masks. Barr seems like a villain from a super hero movie and he also seems quite proud of his new title. his
Barr could easily be stopped by republicans who just show up and do their job. Why don’t they? - why are there no patriots from the party that wears the flag on their lapel? #TakeItOff
3
I voted for James ' Sad Dog' Mattis.
War and peace is the existential threat to our divided limited different power constitutional republic of united states.
While Mattis resigned his silence on the President' s relentless ranting, raving bordering on lunacy worthy of invoking the 25th Amendment is the gravest threat to the survival of America since the Civil War.
Mattis's pompous posturing preening parading and pretending is tiresome trifling hubris.
2
There may be no person in history who has stooped so low in order to accomplish so little as Mr. Barr.
Or who has lost so much.
4
He's the worst of the worst...Barr-none. He didn't get the memo that warns that anyone who hitches his wagon to Donald Trump goes down in flames and usually in jail. Barr is old enough and talented enough to know better. I can't wait to see how badly he gets "Trumped".
1
Like all 'rumplicans, the AG's time will come. Here's hoping he is relentlessly shamed from public life and history views him as the stooge that he became.
2
I'd love to be able to snap my fingers and see Barr when he was in high school.
Most likely he was one of those stuck-up wannabes. Most likely his yearbook entry reads, "Most likely to get ahead by pushing others aside."
2
You forgot to mention Mnuchin who may be taking a similar approach with China as Giuliani, Pompeo, and Barr, et al did to effectuate the Ukraine scandal. China’s lack of complying with the Administration’s illegal request explains why there is not a trade deal as yet.
1
"You're like me and I mean, that's yeah. I know the best people. I know the best managers, I know the best dealmakers, we're gonna make America great again, we've got to use our best people, we can do it."
MAGA!
Barr is bad. Of course, he hasn't reached the gold standard of badness for AGs -- that would be, without a doubt, Eric Holder, found in contempt of Congress and renowned protector of his President.
@Ulysses Holder was found in contempt of a Republican Congress for doing pretty much what every Trump official has done when called to testify...refuse to show up, ignore subpoenas, stonewall or lie.
1
@Bashh Of course, Barr has not been found in contempt, even with this Democrat House. But I guess your argument is that Holder is no worse than Barr?
The fact is Barr does not care that he is considered the worst Attorney General in the history of the United States.
He is shameless and a danger to the country. If in fact this country goes down as a result of the Trump presidency he will not care that he was a proximate cause of the end.
2
William Barr is actually the worst of the lot. I remember the news media, upon his confirmation, saying all sorts of nice, respectful things about him, and then BOOM, the guy accuses the FBI of "spying" on Trump's campaign. It was off to the races. The religious kerbabble from Deputy Dawg was the icing on the fruitcake.
2
Oh how I wish to never see the "pug faced" Barr ever again!
3
Trump and his high-level toadies are what America gets when Trump's presidential campaign was allowed to focus on Hillary's emails, the dire threat from Mexican immigrants that required a big wall, and the miserable policies of Obama. This time around, America, don't let this huckster get away with diversionary tactics, empty promises and entertaining political rallies, where everyone has more fun than they can anywhere else.
1
Billy Barr took the job to polish the boots of Trump day and night. After Trump’s loss in the 2020 election by a landslide, we need to set up several investigations on Billy the puppet. The investigations will prove how he sold dept. of Justice to cover up countless egregious corrupt acts by Trump, his cronies and family. It is a shame and disgrace. Hope justice will prevail so that he spends his last days in orange suit in a high security prison.
1
Of course the worst is their boss Trump.
He is not only our greatest national security threat, but he is corruption without a conscience.
He had the worst reputation in NYC for his real estate practices, but as President he exceeds that disrepute by such a large margin that impeachment and then conviction would not come close to achieving justice for him. He needs to face the criminal justice system for a very long time since the list of his crimes is probably endless. He is definitely Putin’s best weapon on his assault on our democracy, constitution, and national reputation. He seems to work for him. Remember he trusts Putin more than his deep state’s FBI and CIA. He called Putin a strong leader and praised him as much better than President Obama. Trump is the worst and he chose all these terrible members of this cabinet of scoundrels, thus confirming my opinion.
1
Bill Barr is the only Cabinet member whose conduct is subject to outside Rules of Professional Conduct that he blatantly violates which for me as a lawyer places him at the pinnacle of the dumpster fire of corruption that is the Trump Administration.
4
Good choice, folks.
Hands down Barr poses the greatest threat to our Republic and the rule of law. Pompeo is a close second. The rest are merely inept or corrupt.
Clearly in terms of damage done, Barr is the most vile, but Pompeo is a very close second. Their offenses against the citizens and the vital national interests of America are unmatched in the post Civil War era.
What is the baseline required for charging these sycophants with treason to the U.S.? They all took an oath to defend the Constitution, not IQ45. I hope to one day see them all in prison. Remember Halderman, Erlichman, Mitchell and Dean? All served time in prison for the WaterGate fiasco.
Bad Cabinet members can come and go, but the willfully anti-American dismantling of an entire branch of government could bring down the whole country. Trump, Barr and McConnell are equally culpable, each in his own evil way seeking to destroy us from within. Historians will not be kind to these traitors. May today, the official launch of IMPEACHMENT, be the beginning of the end for all three of them! So much is at stake. But heck -- the Nats just won the World Series so hope is in the air!
2
i would have said Ben Carson.
1
I'd rather be deported to Russia, than be Barr for halloween. And I was born in (near) Philly and grew up in Valley Forge.
1
Definitely Barr but you forgot Mnuchin!
1
The epitaph to the absurd and disastrous year of 2019 will read: Felicity Huffman bribed to get her kid into a college and went to jail, whilst Bill Barr ruined the country and walked.
1
Well I suppose the best you can say about this is the Time's has the decency to at least label this an opinion column although its harder and harder to tell the difference between the Times' "news" stories and opinion pieces. The one thing they have in common is hatred of all things Trump and anybody who is connected to Trump. I am surprised the Times hasn't lambasted the doctor who delivered the President. That would get the paper even more clicks which this is what Trump bashing is partly about. Just for the record and in the interest of balance I have worked in the Department of Justice, and I have worked with Mr. Barr. Mr. Barr has no resemblance to the portrait painted of him by those Trump haters whom I suspect have never worked at DOJ and don't even know him. Mr. Barr, in addition to having a brilliant mind has a tough hide, and I suspect can well survive frivolous political partisan attacks from Times' partisan columnists and readers.
3
Amazing how Trump promised America he’d have “the best people!” when, point of fact is he has, unquestionably, the absolute worst, to a man (and women).
The upside-down Presidency strikes again (and again, and again, and...).
You know, Just look at that photo. If you painted him green he'd be the spittin' image of the Grinch who Stole Christmas.
(OK then, re prize for going trick-or-treating as the attorney general -- will the Grinch do?)
Gail, you may be a humorous columnist, but your correspondents are hilarious and very, very clever. Thanks for the chuckles.
1
Fun, but Trump listens to none of them, so it's moot. Now, Gail, pick for the shadow cabinet, the ones who actually can hold his attention for two or three minutes -- Miller, Conway, Kushner, Ivanka. . . . Even Bannon, who still gets calls. This may take a while.
I believe that Mulvaney should be off the list because given his recent statements concerning the Mar a Lago/G7 and the “aid pro quo” it is clear that he is a Democrat plant in the Administration. This should be obvious because no one is dumb enough to actually say these things in a press conference designed to defend the President
Luckily for Wilbur Ross, Gordon Sondland's obsequious support for muscling an ally will not get him the job he sought. There is a good chance he may have a short stint making little one out of big ones.
Never have so few done so much damage to so many.
1
Just how can you give bagpipes a bad name? Now I know!
Barr is the most effective cabinet member Trump has which is why he's the best (worst).
Bill Barr has deserved this ignoble tip of the hat since he orchestrated the pardons of the criminal cabal who took part in the Iran-Contra scandal. And good old Ronnie Reagan should have been impeached for the same. The GOP has been rotten to the core since the Nixon presidency.
Barr's "religious" views are contrary to the Constitution. He seems to think that a kind of "regime change" (concentrating power in the executive) is the means to impose them to society at-large, and first by undermining the Justice system and getting as many Neanderthal judges as possible nominated. He is profoundly deluded. Maybe Congress could also have a "Psychiatric Committee
I'm looking forward to Rick Perry's return to Dancing with the Stars. A contest between Perry and Spicer would be a struggle worth seeing.
It is remarkable that journalists at the Times do not refer to "Cover-up General" Barr's history as President Bush's Attorney General in which he ended a Special Investigation into the Iran/Contra Scandal.
Our ignorance of history even recent history is remarkable:
A reminder of Barr's record on October 19, 1992 Times Columnist, William Safire wrote about Barr: "Why does the Coverup-General resist independent investigation? Because he knows where it may lead! To Dick Thornburg, James Baker, Clayton Yeutter, and himself."
Essentially Barr pushed President Bush to pardon so many members of his administration that the Special Investigation ended.
The fact that no journalist pointed this out before his confirmation confirms what GWF Hegel noted in his lectures on Philosophy of History: "But what experience and history teach us is this- that peoples and governments never have learned anything from history or acted on principals derived from it."
We didn't learn from 15 9/11 Hijackers from Saudi Arabia that it's State religion Wahhabism was the main source of terrorism worldwide.
We didn't learn from South Vietnam that "nation building" with a corrupt government in impossible terrain was a strategic fools errand before going into Afghanistan now a bonafide "quagmire".
1
I'd love to take you up on that bet Gail, but I'm not a Fred Flintstone look-alike, so can't pull it off.
Sad.
I'm going to re-purpose my husband's Darth Vader outfit, and go as Ruth Vader Ginsberg though !
The greatest compliment I can muster is Barr's bagpipe playing sounds like he's strangling a cat.
While quite a few of the choices have always been cringe-worthy (I’m talking to you Betsy, Ben and Rick,) Barr apparently had acquired some level of respect from past colleagues. I don’t agree with him politically but I wouldn’t have called him a bottom feeder. How does Trump manage to drag everyone into the swamp? Is it classic mafia tactics - I know where you live ... cute family, shame if anything happened to them? I feel like I’m watching a Liam Neason movie and I’m ready for it to end.
1
The virtually unanimous denunciation of AG Barr by NYT commentators on Collins op-ed leads only to the inescapable conclusion that Barr is doing an excellent job as AG.
1
What about Pence? He’s in the Cabinet too, you know. That said, if one must be human to win he may be disqualified: he has the demeanor of a humanoid robot, programmed for sycophancy.
When he takes over from Trump we will go from “1984” to “The Handmaid’s Tale”.
1
"We can skip tar and feathers. Our goal is not physical torture. Just humiliation."
Nah, I don't care about humiliation. I just want 'em gone. All of them.
1
“First in his class at West Point and he ends up polishing Trump’s boots,” I would only add to this excellent observation by Phyllis Dalmatian:
"...with his tongue".
1
This reminds me of your of your attacks on Hillary. It helps the extreme right by giving them a cheap evaluation of the effectiveness of their anti-democracy thugs. Probably harmless, but then you did keep the anti-Hillary flame lit in 2016. AS we say about Trump, words do have consequences, especially when published in an important newspaper.
Why has Barr not been disbarred by his state licensing board, yet?
If any other lawyer lied like Barr does regularly; misrepresented congressional investigations and findings; commenced bad faith criminal investigations; defied subpoenas or obstructed justice, she would not only lose her license to practice law, she would be awarded very secure public housing with a lifetime supply of orange jumpsuits.
#MagnaCartaWhereAreYou?
Not surprising that NYT readers chose the most competent, most ethical, most experienced, most professional cabinent member. After all, he is "on the scent" of the Dems' treasonous conduct in 2016 and he had the temerity to tell the truth, in a short, summary form, accessible to all Americans, immediately upon the completion of the Mueller Report. The Dems were hoping for more delay while they "spun" the report, just like they are now spinning the secret testimony in the Star Chamber of the House Intelligent Committee.
1
With special thanks to Ms. Phyliss Dalmatian for her witty contribution, “First in his class at West Point and he ends up polishing Trump’s boots,” which is laced with irony. Such observations carry an element of truth, and add spice to Halloween sans Spicer.
These aren't cabinet members. This is the office temp pool...all with bad attitudes and terrible or no ideas. You mention Ross. I don't think he even knows what city he is in so how could be possibly know how bad he is at his job
Consiglieri Barr, yes.
1
Barr - Jabba The Hut!
2
I know this is off topic, but has Barr or any other Christian legislator ever thought about what "Christian religious control of our government" has produced? First we had the Sunday closing laws to preserve the Christian Sabbath. Today Sunday is the biggest shopping day of the week. Then we had the marriage laws to preserve the Christian ideal of marriage (man, women,'til death do us part). Today anyone can marry anyone else, for however long they desire. Currently, they are trying to control abortion. Once these Christians get control, how long will it be before the denial of abortion becomes the demand for abortion if the baby is going to increase my taxes. "Christian religious control of our government" seems to crumble in the face of economic reality.
I saw a Putin mask at a family Halloween photo posted on Facebook. One almost wonders if the Russian dictator could be included In your vote as "worst" campaign contributor.
Or one could nominate Zuckerberg as worst
3
my phone submitted this last night before I was finished. I meant to conclude, in my nomination for "honorary" worse cabinet appointees that markbZuckerberg would be worst social media director along with Putin as worst honorary "foreign policy advisor."
1
No kid who comes to my door as Trump or a supporter is going to get any candy.
1
The rot starts at the top...
1
I think winner for worst cabinet member has to be Melania. She is absolutely amazing as Secretary of Pretending (as in pretending to be his wife, first wife, or interested in any of this). Award number two goes to Javanka (formerly of ANON fame), for running one heck of a shadow government. And then of course there's everyon'e hero, Barr, who seems to think the job of the AG is to protect the President from the Constitution. This is a fun crowd. apparently they kill at cocktail parties (particulatly in Kiev and Riyadh).
Interesting that the source of the poll is not given. Assumedly it’s the readers of the Times. And why is that important? This newspaper and most of its readers are of Democrat persuasion. This is a fact! Does anyone think that this Democrat inclined poll mirrors the sentiments of voters across the US? Of course not. But Ms. Collins writes the piece as if it’s a universal condemnation of Mr. Barr and the rest of the Cabinet. It’s not!
1
My 2 cents:
During Trump’s presidential campaign, he promised to “Drain the swamp” in Washington but in reality, he is expanding the swamp everyday by hiring a lot of sycophantic folks with really dubious backgrounds. Most of these shady characters come to work for Trump and after a few months or so Trump tells them: “You are FIRED”. Trump is really trying to perpetuate his schtick of being a “Shock Jock” provocateur while he is masquerading as the hero of the “Presidential Version” of his former Reality Show: “Apprentice”.
In my estimation, Trump’s WORST and MOST CORRUPT cabinet member was the former EPA Administrator: Scott Pruitt. He was extremely ethically challenged as well as recklessly careless about most of his brazen acts of malfeasance. The following are some examples:
1. Flying first class or using Charter flights for personal travel under the guise of official travel
2. Building a soundproof phone booth in his office for his over inflated sense of personal security
3. Using one of his aides to help his wife to get a franchise for “Chick-fil-A”
Pruitt also displayed extremely cheesy habits such as asking one of aides to call Trump International Hotel to enquire about buying an used luxury mattress. How low can one get - Oy Vey
‘Nuff Said
The winner is Bill Barr. Betsy is very close runner up. Pompeo is not too far. Wilbur Ross is another one on top 5 in the worst cabinet member.
Joking apart I have never understood why Americans vote for a president, then after the election sit around and wait to see who make up the cabinet. It's a sad bad joke.
Hey if your are listing Elizabeth Warren; break the mould announce your cabinet and send then out to tell the public what they will do in a President Warren administration. What a way to get your message clearly out in detail not so much just broad strokes
“I'm just wondering, do you even remember when you first sold out?” is the movie line from The Rainmaker that comes to mind.
Why didn't Mnuchin make any list?
When you have chosen to be the consiglieri of a Mob, what do you care about what public or police (the rank and file of the FBI and the DOJ) think of you? If you had a sense of shame and decency, would you take the job to protect a boss like Trump?
I find it very interesting how an expert evaluation of Epstein’s death came to the opinion that he died from strangulation. The details surrounding his supposed “suicide” point to very peculiar developments that point to someone who has a lot of say in the FEDERAL PRISON he was being held in and that would be AG Barr.
Thank you,Gail,for your much needed levity and insight as I'm close to being in true despair over this gaggle of crooks and criminals.
Is there any integrity at the Justice Department?
Barr: none.
Look, I voted for Rick Perry who could never get his mind around the idea that he was the chief custodian of the bombs which could blow up the world. But, in reality, your column proves that you won!
America sure ain’t “Getting Great” on the lethal levels of mediocrity and mendacity floating around in Trump’s ever-changing, half “acting”, cabinet of curiosities. Pretty obvious that all WH job descriptions now read Sycophants Only.
In a fair world Barr would be disbarred. In the real world it is a tragic example of how power corrupts.
1
Hugs Gail! Very funny and accurate.
William Barr is corruption personified. The man has zero integrity and has reduced his office to the lowest level in US history. It's a low bar indeed, Bill, but you went right under it.
2
He, Barr, highly is indeed the worst Trump Cabinet member - and, given his education and cunning, the most dangerous, potentially lethal to our democracy. He will stop at nothing to advance his own right wing Catholic inspired agenda. Barr has no respect whatsoever for Trump's tiny IQ but he does know just how useful a patsy like Trump could be, easily maneuvered, in securing reversals of what Barr views as "liberal" decisions such as a women's right to choose or the guarantee of a US citizen's right to vote. The latter has already been diminished by GOP hurdles implemented in red states, difficult at best to scale. Barr wants nothing less than to see an Executive Privilege go unchecked by Congressional supervision. Listen carefully to his recent Notre Dame address and you have the measure of a man determined to tether church to secular government with that church dictating terms, an autocracy rooted in a hypocritical spiritual vision. On the heels of the myriad sexual abuse scandals that speech not so long ago given in Indiana should have the US public arching an incredulous eyebrow. Attorney General? Anything but. And Guiliani is a pathetic clown. But Barr, sly and sanctimonious, will use his considerable legal sleight of hand to ignore all the prescriptions of the US Constitution in order to remove any impediments to Trump's tenure, now and in 2020. He has already done so. Beware.
1
"Prize to the first person who goes trick-or-treating as the attorney general."
On it. I'll just spruce up my old Jabba the Hutt costume with George Burns glasses and a cheesy toupee.
1
It's important to remember that the Republican controlled U.S. Senate confirmed this band of inept charlatans. Apparently giving us the unqualified Donald Trump was not enough damage. Please hold the entire Republican Party responsible and accountable in 2020.
Can we have a contest to see which actors will play the Cabinet Members in the movie. Dr. Strangelove's got nothing on us.
1
As an attorney myself, I cannot understand what possibly happened to Bob Barr and Rudy Giuliani.
Lawyers are trained to think about the rules. Both of these men did not have paperwork degrees--they actually practiced law. Or at least they had positions ostensibly requiring them to practice law. I simply cannot understand how anyone with decades of experience as a litigator could behave so recklessly and disreputably on the world stage. Their minds are trained to think of the worst case scenario and take reasonable steps to avoid it.
Trained litigators do not merely consider the present news cycle with abject disregard for future consequences. You can't possibly think that way when you are in court and every word you say is being recorded and can be used against your client. Barr knew he was trashing his reputation by lying about the Mueller report to "win" the news cycle for Trump.
Is it possible that they took credit for the legal work of others during their allegedly successful careers? Or are they suffering from dementia? Or did they always get away with this type of dishonest behavior somehow, because the times were different and they are white men?
This is a mystery to me.
2
We will be undoing the damage done by these individuals for decades to come.
Republicans must come to grips with the fact that the world inevitably moves forward whether they like it or not!
And big issues such as healthcare and the environment, left unaddressed, get harder, not easier.
This is an impossible contest. I think they are all winners. However even I must admit that one stands out among all the rest and the crown goes to the one that we haven't seen since he was nominated....Dr. Ben Carson. Is he still alive?
Gail, thanks for the laughs every week. They are few and far between these days.
1
Barr is the most dangerous as he apparently holds his beliefs and agenda above the Constitution. He ignores the separation of powers. He believes the president is above the law (and so, as Trump says, he can do anything he wants). He does not believe in nor respect the separation of church and state.
And in the true fashion of dictatorial behavior believes in weaponizing the law to go after the "enemies" of the president, those who disagree and criticize the president. Which is contrary to the duties of the position he holds.
Oh, this is so depressing. The column made me realize how much of this I had been pushing down into my subconscious. I am going to go and hug my janitor today - he does not speak much English, but he works with pride, always has a big smile, and keeps the place spotlessly clean.
Briliant column, Gail. This should be required reading for future high school civics classes.
Who knew the "basket of deplorables" would turn out to be the President's cabinet.Each person exquisitely chosen because he or she was the least qualified and had the most disdain for the particular position he or she was chosen for. Each now wreaking havoc with the Department he or she heads. The caveat being that William Barr had actually held the position of Attorney General once before in George H.W. Bush's Cabinet, and as such was qualified for the position (at least he is a lawyer) and had at least upheld his oath to the Constitution. What I did not expect this time around is that he would (under the pretense of protecting the presidency), abandon all ethics and use his power to protect the President. That he would make a mockery of the Constitution. That he would thumb his nose at the rule of law. That he would dishonor his oath of office. That he would place this country in harm's way by seeking to destroy our intelligence agencies. That is why he is the worst of the worst, the most deplorable of all the deplorables, and the rottenest apple in a basket of rotten apples.
He has dishonored himself and this country and has chosen to uphold corruption instead of the rule of law. Why? Why has he chosen to throw away his reputation for the likes of a dishonorable and unethical man like Trump? Jeff Sessions had more respect for this country, and more respect for the Constitution. Again, I cannot believe I am stating this.
And remember this...these are the "best people" Trump could find to help him run the country! And this is just the latest team of rogues in Trump's gallery.
The person who should be at the Head of the Pack of sorry losers is Mitch McConnell. He has participated all the way and led the charge in seeking out key appointments that will last at least one generations. Right leaning and deeply divisive harmful appointees have been his specialty. His influence is corrosive and he has led the GOP lemmings all the time.
At West Point there are two big French cannons that date from the war of Independence of 1781 .
Le Conquerant and Le Facheux : their names are written on them from the foundry.
12 feet long .
My vote is the one Trump sees when he looks in the mirror.
1
It’s unfair to leave out Sonny Purdue. Isn’t destruction of research on food and agriculture the threat to health and safety we must rely upon.
I agree that Barr is the most dangerous cabinet member because he is actually competent, unlike most Trump appointees. However, I am not ready to concede "the worst Attorney General ever." People are forgetting John (and Martha, of course) Mitchell. I recall an anti-war demonstration in Washington DC during the Nixon administration when Attorney General Mitchell had .50 caliber machine guns mounted at the entrance to the Justice Department. And then there was Alexander Palmer in the Wilson administration who executed the Palmer Red Scare raids to arrest and deport Italians and Jews (the Mexican drug dealers and rapists of the previous century).
1
I think the bottom line on DeVos is that she runs a crooked school and is depleting our resources by wasting time and accumulating these fines on our dime when she should be paying them out of her own pocket since she is being fined for her personal opinions not actions taken on behalf of the people. Though I am sure she will argue the reverse.
It’s a tie between Ross and Carson. They are so embarrassingly
Incompetent it is impossible to distinguish between who is worse.
This whole scenario with Trump has brought us down to his
Swamp Level. We are groveling looking for a way to breathe again.
Trying to figure out who is the “worst’’ just drops us deeper in the swamp!
Can anyone recall the times of dreaming great dreams and thinking great thoughts?
Not only do I concur that Barr is the worst cabinet member (so many good choices, though!), but he ties with Mitch McConnell for the distinction of the 2nd most dangerous man in America.
I wish I found this funny.
2
There's a case that one of Trump's cabinet should be impeached as a demonstration to future cabinet members that their oath of office means what is says and that an indelible reputational reckoning awaits violaters. On this basis Barr is first choice. Do it after the 2020 general election.
"Who does Barr think he is?" I've often wondered if he is self-nominating to be impeached to deflect attention from Trump.
To those who are puzzled as to why Barr would go to unconstitutional lengths to protect the president as though he were a king....my best guess is that it’s religious based. Barr has had his views quite a while; recently I’ve noticed that conservatives no longer believe there is constitutional basis for the separation of church and state. We’ve been hoodwinked! They want a theocracy, just as the founders provided for; they look to trump and pence to lead the way, and cheer on Barr as he protects them.
Not surprising because he is the cabinet members Democrats fear the most. His credibility was challenged from Day 1 because they know he will find out what really happened. The credibility of Mr. Durham has been challenged as well before he has issued any findings. Fear does strange things.
1
I'm going to assume that all of these people love their country as do I.
So it just boggles the mind as to how they ended up supporting and making excuses for the like of Trump who loves no one but himself.
Trump has no loyalty to the USA.
His only loyalty is to money.
I swear, I just don't get it.
5
@marriea I do. They're partisans who love power. They don't even care how much humiliation they have to undergo. Hasn't that been the story of Trump's presidency right along?
1
Barr has an open profile and the mere fact he was in management at Verizon speaks to who Bill Barr really is. He was appointed because he fits the mold of the direction Trump is heading this country. Pompeo's position was undefined to the best of my knowledge and it would seem being a graduate of West Point he would be obligated to accept Trump's appointment. Who would have thought? Et tu Michael. And Trump is not an honorable man.
3
Of course Trump deliberately picked people who either didn't know much about the agencies they were about to head, or whose goals were antithetical to the goals of the agency they were about to head.
These people are figureheads. The real power is being given to Trump's wealthy donors/consumers of his luxury brand/goods. The real question is - who are these people, and what is their agenda?
3
I loved the contest and the comments. Barr is a great choice but I still think Wilber is the ultimate deep state guy with his connection to Russian oligarchs through Cypress Bank. He may be ineffective as a Cabinet member but his value leading up to the 2016 election has been in bringing Russian money stolen from their country into the Western banking system on a massive scale.
3
With his hair teased for a little more bulk and the round horn rimmed glasses, Pompeo could easily pass for Barr. The both working on the Cruiser weight division.
4
Without question, Barr is not only the worst AG we have ever had, he is also the most dangerous. He has converted the DOJ into a law breaking, unconstitutional body with the major purpose of serving Trump's every wish. Barr exemplifies all things a good lawyer should never do. And lying is at the top of the list. Exaggerating and fabricating are next on this list. Barr and his very own DOJ can insure that this president gets anything he wants regardless of the constitution or existing laws. The constitution and our laws are now whatever Barr wants them to be. He can (and did) tell Trump it was OK to ignore subpoenas. It is also OK to tell everyone to refuse to show up at any hearing. All these breaches brought to by Bill Barr. But don't give him the credit of calling him an AG. He is at best, an acting AG (bad actor). Trump seems to love acting agency heads and he is our acting president(another bad actor). With a renegade DOJ and director, as well as stacked right wing judges. our country is in their pocket. They are trying to interfere in our election again which is the final straw.
13
Not so much "outstanding" as standing out! Quite an accomplishment in this cabinet.
2
William Barr is a solid choice, but is he the worst Attorney General ever? That honor may go to William M. Daugherty, Warren Harding's Prohibition era AG. While never convicted, Daugherty was implicated in Teapot dome and tried twice (juries deadlocked) in a matter concerning receiving funds from the sale of assets seized during World War I. And, as Ken Burns noted in his documentary on Prohibition, came to see 'the noble experiment" as a "personal profit center" selfing pardons to bootleggers.
I think that many of the other cabinet members selected by President Trump are probably the least qualified to ever occupy their offices. I'd like to see some historical perspective on this. This could be Ms. Dowd's next book. It could be called something like "All The Presidents' Men (and Women)."
5
Although every name on the list is cringe-worthy, wholeheartedly agreed with the one on top.
9
This would be funny if it weren’t so tragic.
19
In terms of sheer damage, Scott Pruitt and Andrew Wheeler take the prize. Roll back of Clean Air and Clean Water standards. Undermining the Wetlands Protection act. Making sure your drinking water is filled with lead. Refusal to regulate pesticides in food, including Roundup in your Cheerios. Opening national forests to oil and coal, practically for free! Drilling in the Arctic.
And absolute refusal to address climate change. Their decisions will cause harm to every living creature on this beautiful Earth, not to mentioning poisoning children.
Republicans live to wreak destruction.
700
@Barbara
You’re right, Barbara. Let’s make sure we never lose track of the whereabouts of Pruitt and Wheeler. As the environment and climate deteriorate further because of their policy blindness and dereliction of duty, they should be called to task by the next pro-environment administration. The most important thing now is to work assiduously for Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election. It’s not hyperbole to say that we are at or very near an environmental crossroads for all living things on the planet.
63
@Barbara I am changing my vote to agree with you. Climate Change is the #1 problem in the world, and your picks are certainly doing all they can to help destroy the planet.
26
OK, her current corruption and conflicts of interest aside, it's absolute sexism to say that Elaine Chao is only in her role because of her spouse. She worked her way up through various roles in the DOT in the '80s and served as Deputy Secretary of Transportation in '89, well before she was ever married to McConnell.
Gail, please reconsider highlighting comments in your column that serve only to perpetuate stereotypes about women in politics, especially when they are blatantly untrue in this case. Lots of reasons to nominate Elaine Chao for this award without mentioning this.
8
@CP
True except Trump picked her- and his cynical pattern is to get everything for nothing or use people to get to other people’s connections to power.
Her skill would never even register on his radar.
2
It's Barr - by a landslide and not only Trump's worst cabinet member - but also the worst Attorney General in the history of our country.
We do have a bit of the old "Chicken or the Egg" controversy here - where we ponder -
Is Barr the best choice for Trump, or where I feel more evidence to support;
Is Trump the best president for Barr -
Barr, who clearly has an agenda which precedes Trump -
I think what irks Barr most, and has motivated him the most, is one of our fundamental cornerstones of our Democracy;
The Separation of Church and State.
Barr pines for the era of Catholic Church Inquisition -
Beginning in the 12th Century on through the 16th, and many say it has never died.
Barr "believes" that his religion should be the law of the land - not only our country - but for all countries of the world.
Never has such a religious zealot held such a powerful office.
It is time for "gods gift to the Evangelicals" and all of Trump's minions to be stopped - forever !
12
Barr has proven that he will stoop very low to protect his leader or his party. What he did gaslighting the Mueller report was despicable and leads to concerns about what he'll do with the investigation of the investigation. How can we have any faith in his credibility. Just as other cabinet members he's been appointed not to do the best job to further the mission of the agency but to sabotage it.
10
(Un)worthy candidates all, of course. But DeVos will always be the worst in my eyes because the target of her greed and venality is children, the most vulnerable members of our society. Her mission is to deny our kids the skill sets needed to be a questioning, literate electorate, which is exactly what the Trump administration is counting on. Without profit-driven, deeply unqualified hacks like DeVos driving our educational system, the William Barrs, Mike Pompeos and Ben Carsons of this world don't stand a chance.
4
Blessings on you, Gail, and all the respondents, who managed the unbelievable achievement of generating actual laughs out of what we are currently going through! Perhaps now I'll try reading the rest of the paper.
6
You know how you feel when you go into a restaurant or convenience store that's nasty, or even worse, a bathroom that you must use? Well that's pretty much what we've got with this entire Administration. It's unbelievably foul. Pray that it goes away.
11
"Where's my Jeff Sessions?" said no one ever. William Barr has betrayed is oath to protect and serve the people of the United States. Barr is not only the worst but also the most dangerous Attorney General. He has become the president's shield that will keep him from being criminally charged. And is fully prepared to protect Guillani from prosecution...I have nothing but contempt for Barr. He will be held accountable...to history. And to the people of the United States.
18
opening investigations into the investigators.” - why should this not happen? Is Trump automatically guilty in your eyes? And the "investigators" are above the law?
You seem to feel police can be guilty of crimes, why can't the "investigators" be guilty of crimes?
Oh I get it, cause it was against Trump.
Ok, thanks Gail, makes sense! Keep up the good work.
1
They are not “investigators”, they are law enforcement. Which is why they are a threat that must be neutralized with cheap slurs and bogus quotation marks.
It’s amazing that some want us to believe that the FBI is a hotbed of progressives!
@alan, well, yes, once your “stable genus” went on tv and admitted his guilt, that pretty much nailed it!
Good work!
@James Masciandaro - nice but that has nothing to do with the “investigators” which is about 2016. Comey, clapper , etc.
Good work. But try again!
How about a contest to find the LEAST incompetent cabinet member? Better vote fast; they won't be there long.
2
How about Don Jr to replace Barr when he gets canned for something?
Does the Atty General have to be an actual attorney?
He would be perfect...full of insights into the state of the nation.
Much “truthiness” in Miss Collins jest. Almost required reading as it presents facts at an entertaining and intellectual level that the illiteracy might consume. Ah but some sharpie diagrams might help attract some attention.
2
You couldn't pick a worse cabinet than that if you deliberately set out to do just that.
2
I was thinking back to a Reagan appointee who was really awful and was ultimately fired by the president for her incompetence. Her name, Anne Gorsuch. Yes, Neil's mother. She was probably the worst EPA head ever---even worse than Scott Pruitt. (remember him?) Just look her up and you'll see how she nearly destroyed the EPA along with the quality of our air and water. Those were the days when Reagan only cared about deregulation. My state of NJ had (and still has) more Superfund sites than any other in the country and she virtually eliminated funding for the clean-ups.
The difference today is the states and cities are taking up the mantle of regulations and stewardship regarding environment, freedom from religion, lgbt rights, marijuana, abortion, weapons, voting rights. I'm proud of NJ for being on the right side of history regarding most of these issues and trying to move forward towards a better future. It shouldn't have anything to do with which "party" is in office. It's simply issues that we all have to live with. Just my thoughts.
5
The travesty of the Executive Branch began with the claim that businessman trump would "drain the swamp" of government to make America great again.
The story was that he would soon put the best people in place to get that done. But, despite his actual track record in business that suggested otherwise, he was appointed POTUS by the electoral college.
So he began the most critical task of the chief executive; selection of the next level of executives, the Cabinet, to manage government operations.
His performance in that task has been three years of unprecedented failure to establish a stable, credible - let alone respectable - team of managers. The turnover and vacancy numbers alone are a scalding confirmation of incompetence. The nature and quality of the many particular incidents have long passed the threshold of scandal and illegality.
Having denied the warning whistles of this runaway
locomotive, we now hover at the brink of the train wreck we never believed could happen.
This may be the curative lesson for a negligent democracy: our last chance to learn and act upon the truth that we will only get the government we deserve.
8
Great choice, but a difficult one given the number of well qualified candidates. Actually, I think there should be two categories. One would be based on incompetence, while the other would be rated on being constitutionally dangerous. Barr wins in the last category and Betsy in the first.
5
Of course William Barr had to be the Worst of the Worst, but there's no way to deny it was a difficult decision to make because he had so much competition -- and that wasn't even including Trump himself!
As a consolation, I think a runner-up prize should go to anyone dressing up as Mike Pompeo for Halloween.
7
Gail,
I'm a little old for trick or treating, but, looking at the your picture of Barr, I have an idea for a model of a jack o' lantern.
8
Perhaps we should withhold judgement so we can give extra credit for felony counts earned once we have a real Justice Department. The jury is still out...
13
Can we reverse the actions of this entire administration—judges seated, lands stolen, children separated and lives loss?
In 2016 day after election I said “Now we will see who we really are!” Not a pretty picture. As Pogo (cartoon character) said, ‘the enemy is us.’ How did we let this happen on our watch? Laziness, believing arrogantly it can’t happen here. Let’s hope it doesn’t. Ain’t over yet, folks.
11
I concur with the choice of Barr, who makes a mockery of law in this country. Pompeo is the worst West Point grad since Robert E. Lee.
16
@Carl Ian Schwartz Perfect. Both Robert E Lee and Mike Pompeo show us that not even West Point can guarantee a true understanding of Honor, Integrity and Patriotism.
We have begun to understand how this reflects onto The People. The Ship of Our State is run by these officers and captain. Either mutiny or we will run aground, People!
7
The best thing about this contest is that, due to turnover and fierce competition, a new worst person rises to the top every few months. This has allowed multiple contests and multiple winners. It almost seems as if those who lose feel insulted and respond by upping their game. Barr will be tough to top as the all-time champ though. If he can convince enough people that Ukraine, not Russia, hacked the DNC and perhaps reopen pizza-gate, no one can come close. The only worst Attorney General I could think of would be Alex Jones.
4
In the words of my British compatriots, in this case we are truly-"spoiled for choice."
4
One needs to refer to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to decide which is the worst. They're all equally bad, but not equally important. So AG and Secretary of State are at the top for posing the greatest danger and in causing the most immediate damage.
10
If you want to go trick-or-treating as William Barr, all you need to do is pick a Lots O Hugging outfit from Toy Story 3. The seemingly cheerful and avuncular but profoundly sinister and twisted bear terrified my six year old niece. Barr has the same effect on me, not least because his hard drive to persecute his master’s critics instead of prosecuting those who break the law is camouflaged by soft layers of fat and would-be soulful big bear eyes. Just look a little closer into those eyes, and you’ll a scary emptiness.
8
The Idea that the Attorney General is there to work for the American People has some misgivings. I believe if we go back through the history of the United States we will find the Attorney General pretty much pushes the agenda of the current president. On a scale of 1 to 10 where is Barr as bad Attorney Generals go? Is he say, worse than John Mitchell?