Barr: investigating the investigators
The big story was the affirmative answer [Barr] gave to a question about whether he was planning to investigate the provenance of the Russia probe itself. That would, of course, include the FISA court scandal and the Steele dossier, not to mention strange–let’s call them spooky– occurrences in the UK well before the election. Barr noted he also would look at the eight criminal referrals of DOJ personnel and others coming from Devin Nunes. He further noted we could expect the inspector general’s report on these matters in May or June. He was filled with such news, much of it spontaneously given…
In other words, Barr’s obviously been paying attention to the larger situation and that is bad news indeed for Democrats. This is particularly true because the Mueller probe did not come up with any crimes connected to Russia collusion, but even the beginnings of an investigation of what prompted the probe in the first place has already come up with several.
More are undoubtedly coming. Is it an accident Judicial Watch was finally able to uncover “422 pages of FBI documents showing evidence of ‘cover-up’ discussions related to the Clinton email system” just the other day? Or does it have something to do with the installation of Barr? Impossible to know at this juncture, but what is clear is we will be dealing with this a long time, all the way, it’s quite likely, to election 2020.
I certainly do think that getting responses to Judicial Watch’s requests has something to do with Barr being at the helm now, rather than Sessions. The entire operation was in a deer-in-the-headlights holding pattern when Sessions was in charge.
I spent some time puzzling over why Trump didn’t fire Sessions earlier. I don’t ordinarily trust The Atlantic’s take on the working of Trump’s mind, but I do think that this has the ring of truth:
Legal experts and political strategists who have either worked directly with the president or observed his behavior from afar attribute Trump’s reluctance to fire Sessions to two major considerations: Fears in the White House that the move would cost the president support among GOP voters and members of Congress, who generally like and support Sessions, and the risk of provoking further allegations of obstruction of justice—both of which could deepen the challenges already facing the administration.
Whatever the reason for Sessions’ relative longevity as AG, Barr’s in charge now and the change in atmosphere is clear:
Attorney General William Barr dropped a bombshell Wednesday, telling a group of senators that he believes spying against the Trump campaign did take place in 2016.
“I think spying on a political campaign is a big deal,” Barr said during an exchange with Democratic New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Shaheen asked in a follow-up whether Barr believed the FBI spied on the Trump team.
“You’re not suggesting, though, that spying occurred?” Shaheen asked.
“I think spying did occur. Yes, I think spying did occur. But the question is whether it was predicated, adequately predicated,” Barr said.
This promises to be very interesting, although I wouldn’t bet that any charges come from it.
Sessions’ problem was that he was a long term Senator and expect his friends in the Senate to treat him the same.
Reagan and Tip O’Neil could meet for drinks at the end of the day but that was when Democrats were sane. Iran-Contra began to erode that sanity. Then, the 2000 election destroyed it.
The old question from Juvenal (Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?), bearing as it does upon an unalterable facet of the human condition, is, as always, relevant.
Neo, Are you willing to bet a lunch? I believe there will be more than 1 indictment by the end of June, now.
I think Barr really IS a straight shooter, and the Dem ducks are very much lined up.
I liked the Barr quote that came right after those in Neo’s last block quote. He said something to the effect, “We need to ensure the intelligence agencies stay within their assigned lanes.”
I would enjoy seeing Comey in prison for 20 years. That would give him plenty of time to write another book about his martyrdom.
Barr certainly shook up the Dem-wits today.
I particularly enjoyed Brian Schatz’ jitters over Barr’s use of the word “spies”.
Tom Grey:
I’m not sure how the winner would collect on that bet. Virtual meal?
I suppose it’s possible that some low-level person is indicted. I just don’t think anyone else would be.
Definitely time to stock up on popcorn.
It’s going to be fun to watch the media and various Dems and Deep State thugs rage at Trump and project all of their idiotic malfeasance onto him!
They all doubled down like … a couple hundred times … so that puts them in an awfully tight spot. Which is good news for America.
But first. a little pre-flight entertainment….
https://www.blazingcatfur.ca/2019/04/10/trump-team-hits-back-at-hillary-conflating-maga-and-white-nationalism-bill-talked-maga-too/
On the other hand, if entertainment isn’t really your thing (but being obsessive is), here’s some nitty gritty:
https://twitter.com/JohnWHuber/status/1115781094249586688
https://twitter.com/JohnWHuber/status/998636667782205440
P.S.
https://twitter.com/JohnWHuber/status/1115686542146666496
We’ve got Dem ducks and Dem wits.
How about Dem Bones, Dem Bones, Dem Dry Bones?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLi55MV04a8
Sadly, it’s a secular version. At least the dancing skeletons are sexy!
The Comey Bone is connected to the McCabe Bone,
The McCabe Bone is connected to the Fusion Bone,
The Fusion Bone is connected to the Hillary Bone,
The Hillary Bone is connected to the Obama Bone….
Oh, hear the word of the Lord!
Mueller’s task** was to prove that something which never happened, did indeed happen.
Barr’s task is to prove that something which did happen, happened.
=============
** Not really. Mueller knew right away that there was no collusion (which might constitute a criminal act). Trump always knew there was no collusion. Mueller’s real task was to create a basis for Trump’s impeachment (which can be purely a political matter). Mueller pursued the “collusion” investigation, knowing he could not prove it, but resorting to Gestapo tactics against persons connected to Trump, believing Trump would overreact in a manner that would support a claim of “obstruction of justice.” This would provide the Swamp and the Democrats with grounds for impeachment (and derail any investigations into the activities of the Democrats and Swamp during the relevant time periods).
They badly underestimated their adversary, which was reckless of them. That’s puzzling, because these people had achieved high and powerful positions, which required intelligence and ability. I think their miscalculations were and are being driven by desperation, resulting from their participation, or knowing acquiscence, in criminal activities.
There are still good people in this nation and in the government. The actions and attitudes of the Democrats and The Elites have awakened righteous anger among these good people (cf, Kavanuagh, the Chicago Police Force, and 63 million Trump supporters). Some of these good people are lawyers, and some lawyers believe that theirs is a noble profession, entrusted with the preservation of the Rule of Law and the pursuit of Justice. I believe William Barr is such a person.
After watching various news programs this evening I just hope Barr has a strong constitution. Folks are already working hard to destroy him.
Mike K on April 10, 2019 at 3:31 pm at 3:31 pm said:
Sessions’ problem was that he was a long term Senator and expect his friends in the Senate to treat him the same.
* * *
It would have been nice to see a Lindsey-Graham-at -the-Kavanaugh-hearings kind of outburst from him, recognizing that his “friends” would shiv him in a heartbeat if they saw any advantage to it — I wonder if he had any in private?
That said, Graham’s outrage doesn’t seem to have had any actual effect on the policies he champions, although he might personally be more wary of Dems offering either support or opposition.
I think their miscalculations were and are being driven by desperation, resulting from their participation, or knowing acquiscence, in criminal activities.
CapnRusty: That’s the only I can understand Brennan, Comey and Clapper.
Where’s Manju?
CapnRusty,
Why do you assume “required high intellenge” is required to climb the ladder to lofty positions in DC? I give you Ms Ocasio Cortez as a recent example. I grew up as a farm boy, and could provide many examples of people in Iowa more wise than almost 99% of the trash that walk the corridors of power in DC. Personally, I piss on them all from a great height.
“Where‘s manju?. Sniffing farts for methane. As a trans species type it could be humans, cattle, poultry, marine mammals, termites, etc. Eco warriors are relentless.
The perps, FBI/intel community/DOJ, will all point to the possibility that the Steele dossier might have had some credence. That they could not risk not investigating to see if Trump was a Russian asset or at least had some relationship with Russia and Putin. They can all point to Trump’s apparent friendliness toward Putin as evidence of a suspicious situation. All very plausible. If they had not shown their extreme bias against Trump in many ways (tweets, books, interviews. etc.), their alibi might hold some water. Twitter and e-mails have blown their cover. They became political partisans and, as Bill Barr averred, got outside their lanes. I expect many reputations will be ruined, pensions lost, and other shame to fall on the perps, but I doubt there will be many indictments. I think the desire will be to get the perps out of government, enact some new regulations so something like this can’t happen again, and get this sorry episode behind us post haste. I hope I’m wrong.
“All very plausible..” to LIVs, otherwise no. We need not just cards for proof of citizenship, but tests that must be passed to prove voters know we are not a democracy, but instend a republic. Period. Until then “vote harvesting” will determine results. Then it will be one last vote, and then one ring will bind them all in darkness.
Parker:
I grew up as a farm boy in South Dakota, which provides me with strong bucolic credentials. Much later, and far away, I was employed by a lobbying law firm in DC for a decade.
My comment was directed at the people who were were attempting to reverse the results of Trump’s election. Obviously, they had position and power, because it was even possible for them to achieve their goal. Even though you might dislike your enemy, don’t make the mistake of underestimating him. These people were smart, or at least, canny — even if evil. Which led to my belief that they must be guilty of something quite reprehensible to have risked what they had accomplished.
As to Occasional Cortex, she did not climb her way up to the top of a bureaucracy. She was chosen by the citizens. If 99% of our representatives are “trash,” the fault is ours.
CapnRusty,
I agree the culprit is LIVs. Nothing personal, but perhaps only farm boys and girls should be allowed to vote. ¦-}
“…resorting to Gestapo tactics against persons connected to Trump….”
Sad to say but precisely so.
Absolutely so. (Though one might wish fervently to say it’s unbelievable.)
And if only for THIS, there should be a heavy price to pay.
THIS intentional—and criminal—abuse and harassment and destruction of individuals, their families, their reputations, their jobs, their futures, their lives: for all THIS, there should be a severe price to pay by those who are responsible for such unprecendented, outrageous, illegal—evil—behavior.
Yes, evil. Aforethought.
Ah yes, who watches the watchers? Who minds the minders? (For that matter, who heals the doctors….?)
Instapundit links to this thread from Wretchard’s Twitter feed:
https://twitter.com/wretchardthecat/status/1116179921053683717
(I imagine that most people on this site already follow Wretchard, both the feed and the blog—“Belmont Club”; but if you don’t, you really should start. Really.)
The panicked, nutso, loopy, full-on gaslighting reaction of Democrat pols and their handmaiden press organs to AG Barr’s forthright declaration that “spying did occur” tells us, I think, that these same Democrat pols and press know full well that indictments and possible convictions are on the way. In a couple of words, this panic tells us they are properly scared shitless, and why?
Why, because they have knowledge of guilt: they know with better reason than anyone what they have been doing, what they have done.
What a corner they have painted themselves into, to be forced into such silly denials. Sucks to be them. And they will prove it every day hence.
They all thought that Hillary would win, and that whatever crimes they might commit in furthering her cause would never see the light of day.
Then, when Hillary lost, the tried to arrange a coup d’etat, figuring that their fellow lefties in the overwhelmingly Leftist Federal bureaucracy would either keep silent as this went down, or actively help them, and that Congressional Democrats (and some Never Trump Republicans as well), and the MSM would fly cover for them.
Well, it looks like this “House of Cards” is starting to all come tumbling down.
I sure hope it does, and that the new AG Barr will have the guts to do his job, to not allow himself to be forced to “recuse” himself in any way, shape, or form, to be intimidated, stonewalled, or diverted, and that he does a thorough job of investigating and fumigating, is faithful to his Oath of Office, and does his duty to us, to the country, to our Constitution, and to the Republic.
My concern, frankly, is that AG Barr will be “removed as a threat” by whatever means necessary.
There are serious names in the intelligence community mixed up in the crimes AG Barr is investigating.
If AG Barr has any tax problems, any marital problems, a kid with a drug problem, or anything of that sort, they’ll find it and try to exploit it.
And if he has no exploitable weaknesses, are his Secret Service detail sufficient to keep him safe? One hopes.
May God keep him safe and focused until the bad guys are exposed and brought to justice.
During Barr’s questioning Sen. Shaheen said something like, “surely you’re not suggesting that there was spying going on?”
Yesterday, Pelosi said that it was too bad that “Barr “went off the rails” in his testimony that there was spying on the Trump Administration.
Now, today, I note that Senator “Da Nang Dick” Blumenthal is calling for Barr to recant his statement about spying.
These things are exactly the kinds of pressure that Barr should adamantly “Resist.”
Democrats are all trying to maintain–and to force Administration officers to maintain–the fiction that “no spying went on,” but I think that that fiction is no longer viable; that that ship has already sailed.
Eli Lake: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-04-11/spying-did-occur-but-barr-should-also-focus-on-the-leaking
James Comey/John Brennan/James Clapper are currently unavailable for comments.
I am pleased that Democrats are so dumb as to call attention the “spying” aspect. Althouse today has a post on previous use of the term by the NY Times.
I’m also happy to see that creep Greg Craig going down for the same thing that Mueller went after Manafort for. K street will be decimated. GOOD !
Parker:
In Colonial times, only male “freeholders” were allowed to vote. That was largely carried over into state constitutions after The Revolution. Some states allowed all taxpaying males to vote.
Here’s an interesting article:
http://www.crf-usa.org/bill-of-rights-in-action/bria-8-1-b-who-voted-in-early-america
“All very plausible. If they had not shown their extreme bias against Trump in many ways (tweets, books, interviews. etc.), their alibi might hold some water. ” – JJ
FWIW, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Jack Phillips at Masterpiece Cakes not because of First Amendment rights, but because the Colorado Civil Rights Commission had overtly, blatantly, and demonstrably conspired to attack him due to their personal hatred of his Christian principles and opposition to his practice of the same.
R.C. on April 11, 2019 at 10:41 am at 10:41 am said:
My concern, frankly, is that AG Barr will be “removed as a threat” by whatever means necessary.
* * *
I had hoped I was the only one thinking one of those means.
But then, I expected John McCain to have a “sudden heart attack” if he had ever gotten polling that might indicate he would win.
He never got close IIRC, and then the Democrats didn’t believe anyone predicting Trump’s win.
I understand his Secret Service detail is augmented by private security.
CapnRusty on April 11, 2019 at 1:31 am at 1:31 am said:
Parker:
I grew up as a farm boy in South Dakota, which provides me with strong bucolic credentials. Much later, and far away, I was employed by a lobbying law firm in DC for a decade.
* * *
So, something like “I’m from Iowa. I only work in outer space.”
😉
AesopFan
Hah! Yeah, about like that. But I”d like to think my character was shaped out on the prairie. After seeing how Washington worked, I moved my family to an old farmplace in mid-central Minnesota. Solid conservative neighbors and friends, but I can sneak into Minneapolis once in a while for the Guthrie Theater. And the weather keeps the riff-raff out.
“And the weather keeps the riff-raff out.”
Be sure you watch the video at the end of this PowerLine post.
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/04/comforting-words-from-ocasio-cortez.php
Aesop, thanks for the link. It is very difficult — Nay, it is impossible not to love M4GW.
For more M4GW commentary, see their UT channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiZxUWAfOHK6vBcKrIm0pZg