Over at CTH sundance takes note of the DoJ announcement of its anti-trust suit against Google.
What's notable about that?
What's notable is that the post titled "It Begins", and it's clear that the meaning is: The takedown of the Deep State begins. Google arose from the Deep State and the support of Big Tech exponentially enhances the power of the Deep State. Sundance gets that.
What's even more notable is that sundance quotes AG Barr's statement and offers ZERO SNARK directed at Barr. Zero juvenile sniping about bagpipes. Apparently he understands how much effort it took for Barr to overcome the institutional resistance to this action--resistance of career DoJ lawyers whom Barr could not simply fire.
I read every single comment that appears on this blog, and enable them one by one. I've seen all the usual opinions: Barr is just defending "the institutions." That kinda stuff. I repeat: Barr's loyalty is not to DoJ per se but to the unitary executive. Those who think otherwise haven't paid attention to the various addresses that Barr has delivered during his current tenure.
I get it that people are upset that The Swamp wasn't drained a year ago. Established defensive positions cannot be overcome that easily. Contrary to popular opinion, Barr has been an activist AG on any number of fronts--this anti-trust suit is just the most recent and most visible example.
Nobody's perfect. I'm upset with Barr's handling of the Biden investigation--as I understand it. I may be wrong in my understanding, and I hope I am. Nevertheless, the extent of the scandal is public. It's an existential threat to our constitutional order and, as such, I believe Barr needs to address it publicly. Nevertheless, any misstep here should not obscure Barr's many achievements. He has time still to regain his footing on the Biden issue.
I think Trump understands that. I attribute his remarks yesterday and this morning to that understanding. He called Barr a fair and honest man. Barr's other qualities, his legal abilities and his ability to go to the mat with an entrenched bureaucracy and come out on top, are on display today in this action against Google. It wasn't easy.
Trump, in my view, gets that and is grateful. How many fair and honest officers of Barr's stature does Trump have, people he can actually trust, even if he sometimes disagrees with them? I'm sure they can be counted on one hand.
We do well to remember this.
Your defense of Barr is appreciated from this corner.
ReplyDeleteDitto.
DeleteAnd ditto from me. Sick of seeing Barr slammed by those who just don’t get it and would rather go laptop commando, demanding frog marches and gallows, when they really show than to put in the work to understand the big picture. Or they have watched too much Law & Order, where the whole thing - from crime solution through arrest through trial - is tied up neatly in less than an hour. Piece of cake! Perhaps some are so limited that they never will get it. Rush calls them the drivebys, doesn’t he?
DeleteI'm in the Barr camp. When I saw the June 2018 memo debunking the obstruction theory Mueller/Weismann were chasing, I knew he was serious beyond belief.
ReplyDeleteYes. And then ...
DeleteHe shut down Mueller and faced down all that storm of criticism.
He got Durham going and has supported him.
He has revealed the Flynn plot.
He has forced fed LE to take action against BLM and ANTIFA--hundreds arrested, intel collected.
Suing Yale for race discrimination.
Suing Google for antitrust.
And probably stuff I'm forgetting.
I’m in Barr’s camp as well. Solid prosecutor work takes time. Many peaks and valleys I assume. Things that can gum up good work. Virus, those in the Intel community, even others in DOJ.
ReplyDeleteLet’s keep our faith going. He’s under immense pressure.
See above.
DeleteI disagree and will keep saying Barr's protection of institutionalism is his down fall.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand I appreciate your views and prefer to be kept outside of a safe bubble that would only reenforce my thought process.
Please keep doing what you do Mark, I will need someone to AH HA! me if I am later found to be wrong. 👍
I fail to see Barr putting anyone in hand cuffs with an over abundance of force.
ReplyDeleteNon lawyerly types want justice on these govt. hacks Roger Stone style.
It doesn't matter what I think really. The great powers will do as they will.
ReplyDeleteI can only sympathize with Adm Nimitz:
TURKEY TROTS TO WATER GG FROM CINCPAC ACTION COM THIRD FLEET INFO COMINCH CTF SEVENTY-SEVEN X WHERE IS RPT WHERE IS TASK FORCE THIRTY FOUR RR THE WORLD WONDERS
Tom S.
Well, except for Andrew Weissman. I want to see him frog marched to jail.
DeleteRob S
With 2 weeks to go I don't expect any major DOJ news re: Spy-gate.
ReplyDeleteFurther it appears Judge Sullivan's also called a 6 week long "lid".
However, I could go for a release of Epstein's passenger list between now and then to spark some good discussion.
We live in extreme times. We want to see things as clear cut, no nuance. Barr is in extremely difficult circumstances. We may never know just how rotten DOJ and FBI are. It would make a marvelous movie or series to see how one, embattled AG fights to uncover and fix all that corruption. Yes, I am impatient with the lack of prosecutions. I just have to believe that Barr would never have done 1 tenth of the things Mark lists if he were not a very brave and decent man.
ReplyDelete