Barr Won’t Be “Bullied”

* “A republic, if you can keep it.”

* When it comes to Department of Justice dysfunction, let’s put the blame where it belongs. The self-serving, impeached demander-in-chief is a given, but so is his quisling, presidential-vendetta tool,  Attorney General William Barr. In short, so much for the post-Watergate tradition preventing White House influence on DOJ investigations, especially the kind that involve administration insiders or POTUS cronies.

Barr–whether it involves Robert Mueller, Roger Stone or Michael Flynn–is responsible for “making it impossible” for him “to do (his own) job.” That happens when your first priority is not justice and the rule of law, but fealty. That happens when you’ve allowed yourself to become the president’s personal attorney. Barr’s declaration that he was “not going to be bullied,” seems more like a cynical, face-saving feint of independence.

Ultimately, karma will be the end game for enabling Trump insiders. Barr need only ask his predecessor. 

* The comparisons between Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson are ongoing. Now this: Johnson has found it advantageous to criticize the press as a political tactic that impresses his Brexit base. Most recent example: BoJo has accused the BBC of biased reporting and has threatened it with legal changes that could dry up its sources of funding.

* Baseless gathering. President Trump managed to work in a fund-raiser during his weekend stop at his Mar-a-Lago resort. The event is believed to be his most expensive fund-raiser ever–$580,000 per couple–which reportedly included Keep America Grating caps.

* “America is very rude. They are so rude.” Ironically, that was the take of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, who has given notice that Manila will be terminating the Visiting Forces Agreement with the U.S. But “rude”? It speaks volumes when an authoritarian finds this Administration “rude.”

* “Westlessness. That was the era-of-Trump-and-Brexit theme of the recent gathering of Western diplomats and business leaders in Munich. The restless, ripple effects of Trump’s unilateralism continue to manifest themselves.

* “Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with their experience.” That was Mark Twain, never more relevant–or prescient.

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