But he was frustrated and angered
So, Barr turned in the expected shocking performance.
“The report recounts ten episodes involving the President and discusses potential legal theories for connecting these actions to elements of an obstruction offense,” Barr says.
It’s hard to avoid the sense that Barr is going out of his way to defend Trump here. Because while Mueller documented those ten episodes, Barr says he and deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein:
“Concluded that the evidence developed by the Special Counsel is not sufficient to establish that the President committed an obstruction-of-justice offense.”
Barr adds:
Although the Deputy Attorney General and I disagreed with some of the Special Counsel’s legal theories and felt that some of the episodes examined did not amount to obstruction as a matter of law, we did not rely solely on that in making our decision.
Barr says one of the other things that influenced his belief that Trump did not obstruct justice is that there was evidence that Trump was “frustrated and angered by his sincere belief that the [Mueller] investigation was” hindering his presidency.
But the White House “fully cooperated” with the special counsel’s investigation, Barr says.
You have got to be fucking kidding. Of course Trump was furious and outraged that anyone dared to investigate his corrupt and dangerous actions; we already knew that; being really really pissed off doesn’t turn obstruction of justice into not obstruction of justice. What kind of Attorney General treats the rage of the perp as exculpatory? Of course Trump’s belief was “sincere”; Trump sincerely believes he is the only person on the planet who matters; how would that make him any less guilty?
Mind you, that is how a lot of violence against women gets explained away. “He was sincerely jealous and angry”; not guilty. But that’s a defense argument, not a prosecutor argument. The AG is not supposed to be the president’s attorney.
Barr said that Trump did not obstruct justice – but in doing so admitted he had “disagreed with some of the special counsel’s legal theories” in coming to that conclusion.
Barr also claimed, falsely, that the White House “fully cooperated” with Mueller. In fact, Trump refused to be interviewed.
Barr also seemed to claim that Trump being “frustrated and angered” mitigated against some of the obstructions of justice allegations.
I’m feeling a tad frustrated and angered right now; what can I get away with?
So the United States is a woman, and Trump is our rapist. An image that is unfortunately all too accurate.
“Although the Deputy Attorney General and I disagreed with some of the Special Counsel’s legal theories and felt that some of the episodes examined did not amount to obstruction as a matter of law…”
Hm. Hmmm. HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. So… what about the other episodes?
At best, this is a classic example of trying to lie by using statements that seem broad, but are actually very narrow. At worst – which I suspect is the case – he is also just bullshitting.
We’ve had glimpses of the flaws in our system before but lucky for us the individuals in power in the past, flawed as they were, either had enough character to hold the dogs at bay, or had at least one branch of government with the steel to do it for them. Now we are facing a perfect storm – an unintelligent renegade huckster enabled by big money and a GOP leadership that they bought and payed for, a stacked court, and a huge part of the electorate that is criminally incurious, fatally uninformed, and hanging on the every word of a big money propaganda machine that spoon feeds them bullshit to keep them angry about who knows what.
What would the big money GOP have done if Obama or Clinton would have done even one of the things their Faustian hellspawn has pulled? We don’t need to theorize – we saw how they acted out their indigence in the media and the floor of Congress for years over far far less, obviously with nothing more behind the attacks than to paralyze their opponents.
We also get to see in stark relief what people of color have always known – our justice system is a sham. Though it’s more about political power and money than pure ethnicity. This linked panel pretty much sums up how I feel about this: http://farcornercafe.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-jury-is-out.html Honestly, how can we convict petty criminals when the Orange one gets a buy.
And immovably convinced that they are the only ones who are informed about the real truth.
He’s not just bullshitting. He is flagrantly lying.
Nothing. Because he’s president and you’re not.