Thread by @tburages

The award for Most Heartening View on Today's Most Revolting Incident should go to (drumroll) … Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal). /1

nytimes.com/2019/05/01/opi…

While many of us have been alternately vomiting and screaming at the sickening spectacle of the USAG squashing the Constitution on live TV, Neal Katyal seems pretty pleased how well the SC regulations (that he himself drafted) are holding up.

Wait, what? /2

Barr's obsequious performance in today's hearing can give us hope and comfort precisely BECAUSE it was so very awful.

You see, his conduct was SO abysmal that it now *requires* a full congressional investigation. 😃 /3

One of the most brilliant aspects of the SC regulations is that they are *designed* to overcome a corrupt AG's meddling. How?

Sunlight. 🌞

/4

The regulations contain a built-in "break glass in case of emergency" feature. Since the SC is not an ordinary DOJ employee, if the AG acts corruptly, the special counsel can leave his post and then be free to testify to Congress.

And Barr can't stop it. /5

Here's where it gets particularly fun, because Barr has now put his own behavior in the area of what MUST be investigated.

Now Mueller will not just have to testify about Team Trump, but about *Barr himself*.
/6

Among other things Mueller will most likely be asked:

1. What does he think about Barr reaching his decisions without reviewing ANY of the underlying evidence?

2. What OTHER disagreements were there with Barr? /7

And my personal favorite ...

3. Does Mueller’s knowledge of what Mr. Barr has done lead him to conclude that the attorney general must recuse himself from the continuing Trump investigations?

Read that one again. And then again. And then smile. 😉

/8

Neal says the system is working and we're "inching toward justice." Says we're in the 5th inning.

Take heart, friends. Celebrate Barr's hideous, disturbing performance and what it now dictates Congress must do.

/9x