Barr doesn't just believe in extreme executive power.
He desperately depends upon it.
Curiously he's very worried about subpoenas...
Worried that he's caught on the call as @RudyGiuliani's and Trump's bribery/extortion co-conspirator?
My Slate piece:
slate.com/news-and-polit…
He desperately depends upon it.
Curiously he's very worried about subpoenas...
Worried that he's caught on the call as @RudyGiuliani's and Trump's bribery/extortion co-conspirator?
My Slate piece:
slate.com/news-and-polit…
@RudyGiuliani 2/ At @fedsoc Barr warned against a “wrong-headed and atavistic” focus on legislative & judicial oversight has “smothered” the president’s traditional and proper authority. It's telling—and perhaps most significant—that Barr was particularly worried about subpoenas & oversight...
@RudyGiuliani @FedSoc 3/ As a politician in a political struggle (and a subject of a criminal investigation), AG Barr sought to rally a gathering of his allies around their shared partisan mythology, or victimology. Trump’s fixer and enforcer, cloaking himself as both savior and martyr...
@RudyGiuliani @FedSoc 4/ He seems to have chosen the time, place, and vituperative manner to provoke an attack from “the Resistance” and “secularists” on his religio-political ideas.
Crucially, he is setting a trap to shift the debate from his alleged criminal involvement to his culture war terms.
Crucially, he is setting a trap to shift the debate from his alleged criminal involvement to his culture war terms.
5/
But Barr’s trap can be flipped against him by emphasizing the speech’s legal content:
His extreme-executive attack on congressional subpoenas clearly lines up with his conflict of interest as a likely criminal subject of those investigations...
But Barr’s trap can be flipped against him by emphasizing the speech’s legal content:
His extreme-executive attack on congressional subpoenas clearly lines up with his conflict of interest as a likely criminal subject of those investigations...
6/ Clinical case of projection:
Trump’s opponents “sabotage”; they “see themselves as engaged in a war to cripple, by any means necessary, a duly government.”
Barr has been caught on transcript sabotaging Biden likely by criminal means.
At the risk of real war or Russian power.
Trump’s opponents “sabotage”; they “see themselves as engaged in a war to cripple, by any means necessary, a duly government.”
Barr has been caught on transcript sabotaging Biden likely by criminal means.
At the risk of real war or Russian power.
7/ Barr is also mentioned in 1st graf of the whistleblower report:
"The President's personal lawyer @RudyGiuliani is a central figure in this effort. Attorney General Barr appears to be involved as well."
Maybe that's just from the same phone call. But it strengthens suspicion.
"The President's personal lawyer @RudyGiuliani is a central figure in this effort. Attorney General Barr appears to be involved as well."
Maybe that's just from the same phone call. But it strengthens suspicion.
@RudyGiuliani 8/ See Whistleblower report, footnotes 8 & 9 below.
It's not evidence that Barr knew of the quid pro quo, but the report does suggest Barr was involved with Giuliani in investigating in Ukraine, though it is also careful at the end not to claim "direct coordination."
It's not evidence that Barr knew of the quid pro quo, but the report does suggest Barr was involved with Giuliani in investigating in Ukraine, though it is also careful at the end not to claim "direct coordination."
@RudyGiuliani 9/ Hat-tip to @EricColumbus for remembering Barr was featured up top in the whistleblower report.
And h/t to @davidrlurie for this observation:
And h/t to @davidrlurie for this observation:
