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The question is NOT whether Barr could read 300 pages and write a letter in 2 days.
For lawyers, historians & many others, that's our regular day job.
It's the opposite problem: He easily could have written _more_.
Why is his letter so short?
Why no Mueller executive summary?
For lawyers, historians & many others, that's our regular day job.
It's the opposite problem: He easily could have written _more_.
Why is his letter so short?
Why no Mueller executive summary?
2/ Walsh's Iran-Contra Report and the Starr Report included a 1-page introduction or executive summary:
1) Written concisely, raising no exec privilege or national security concerns.
2) Presented damning conclusions.
My guess is Barr held back the summary because of point #2.
1) Written concisely, raising no exec privilege or national security concerns.
2) Presented damning conclusions.
My guess is Barr held back the summary because of point #2.
3/ Barr said his letter was to summarize the Mueller report.
Mueller surely summarized his own report at the top, and without including privileged material.
If the executive summary were not damning, then Barr would have included it.
Release the executive summary immediately.
Mueller surely summarized his own report at the top, and without including privileged material.
If the executive summary were not damning, then Barr would have included it.
Release the executive summary immediately.
4/ #ReleaseMuellerReport's executive summary immediately.
There is no good reason not to, unless you're Trump... or Putin...
Or covering for them both.
slate.com/news-and-polit…
There is no good reason not to, unless you're Trump... or Putin...
Or covering for them both.
slate.com/news-and-polit…
5/ Here's a screenshot of Walsh's 1-page conclusions from his Iran-Contra report:
6/ Here's a screenshot of Ken Starr's 1-page introduction from his report, and it's damning.
What are the chances that Mueller did not write his own executive summary designed as an unredacted summary for immediate release and public information?
What are the chances that Mueller did not write his own executive summary designed as an unredacted summary for immediate release and public information?
7/ I talked to @page88 on @realTrumpcast about this point on Monday. This basic request is reasonable:
Release Mueller’s executive summary now.
My concern: it’s not obvious Barr would ever release the summary.
If not last Sunday, why release it ever?
Release Mueller’s executive summary now.
My concern: it’s not obvious Barr would ever release the summary.
If not last Sunday, why release it ever?
8/ I just had a laugh with a historian friend about how many papers we wrote about a 300 page book in a lot less than 48 hours...
when we had already made up our mind about that book.
Those papers were longer, better & quoted a hell of a lot more of that book than Barr did.
when we had already made up our mind about that book.
Those papers were longer, better & quoted a hell of a lot more of that book than Barr did.
9/ Barr’s follow-up letter Friday is defensive & touchy, complaining of media “mischaracterizing” his 1st letter as a “summary” & taking a shot at Nadler (attached)...
But go re-read his letter: “I am writing today to advise you of the principal conclusions reached by Mueller.”
But go re-read his letter: “I am writing today to advise you of the principal conclusions reached by Mueller.”
10/ Barr’s defensive letter continued: “As my [Sun.] letter made clear, my notification to Congress and the public provided, pending release of the report, a summary of its ‘principal conclusions’ - that is, its bottom line.”
Oh, “clear”? And it summarized principal conclusions?
Oh, “clear”? And it summarized principal conclusions?
11/ Barr, do you know what would have been a good “summary of its ‘principal conclusions’ - that is, its bottom line”?
How about the summary and bottom line that Mueller surely handed to you on page 1?
How about the summary and bottom line that Mueller surely handed to you on page 1?
12/ UPDATE:Mueller’s team tells @nytimes:
1. Barr unfairly represented the report;
2. they wrote summaries for Barr to use!
3. Thus the DOJ excuse here (“the summaries contain privileged material“) is a joke. No way Mueller’s team makes that mistake.
nytimes.com/2019/04/03/us/…
1. Barr unfairly represented the report;
2. they wrote summaries for Barr to use!
3. Thus the DOJ excuse here (“the summaries contain privileged material“) is a joke. No way Mueller’s team makes that mistake.
nytimes.com/2019/04/03/us/…
13/ @nytimes on the Mueller team saying they provided Barr “summaries” (note plural!) for him to include. This seem to be specific warning shot from Team Mueller at Team Barr.
See absurd Team Barr excuse at the bottom here.
See absurd Team Barr excuse at the bottom here.
14/ 🚨Barr BS Alert:
If Team Barr is willing to tell the @Nytimes that Mueller’s summaries are covered by executive privilege & grand jury rules, they will say it about anything & everything.
Their claim is implausible & seems to me a serious reveal of Team Barr non-credibility.
If Team Barr is willing to tell the @Nytimes that Mueller’s summaries are covered by executive privilege & grand jury rules, they will say it about anything & everything.
Their claim is implausible & seems to me a serious reveal of Team Barr non-credibility.
15/ @matthewamiller nails it.
2 years, lots of Team Trump attacks, but no leaks... until right now.
Barr’s spin has triggered a Team Mueller backlash, and that’s a huge backfire. They know Barr is bad news.
2 years, lots of Team Trump attacks, but no leaks... until right now.
Barr’s spin has triggered a Team Mueller backlash, and that’s a huge backfire. They know Barr is bad news.
16/ @washingtonpost confirms:
"Some members of the office were particularly disappointed that Barr did not release summary information the special counsel team had prepared, according to two people familiar with their reactions."
washingtonpost.com/world/national…
"Some members of the office were particularly disappointed that Barr did not release summary information the special counsel team had prepared, according to two people familiar with their reactions."
washingtonpost.com/world/national…
17/ This is what I was saying immediately when Barr sent his letter:
Mueller's team obviously wrote their own summaries! Where are those summaries?
Well, it turns out that's exactly what they were thinking, too:
Mueller's team obviously wrote their own summaries! Where are those summaries?
Well, it turns out that's exactly what they were thinking, too:
