974 Comments

After reading this, I can’t defend Trump anymore on this issue. Barr slaughtered my objections with a stepwise, reasoned narrative of actual events and brings to focus the actual issues National Security and the rule of law. The final blow to my encrusted “what-about-ist” opinion was the simple point; do we fix flagrant disregard for the law with more flagrant disregard for the law??? Can we un-shit a shitty behavior by ignoring or championing shitty behavior??

The basic response to this event on both sides, as I see now, is baffling and counter to American principles and values. We have lost our way. Of my 57 years, I feel more disconnected from the those who are supposed to serve than I ever have. And it seems, to me, those in power wish us to be disconnected from each other.

We can’t take the bait! We can’t rally around a person, man or woman because we are all weak and flawed. We rally around the enduring and eternal principles this nation is founded on; The divine right of self government curtailed by equitable laws that were put place to reward those who follow the law and punish those who don’t. Any deviation of this formula is perversion and a rot that will eventually destroy the whole thing.

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Trump typicality plays the victim card.

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“This time the president is not a victim of a witch hunt.” That’s the rub. The “this time” part. And might we find out in two or three or ten years that this was indeed also a witch hunt?

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This argument/article states the indictment is a result of a flagrant disregard of a grand jury subpoena, but does not address where/why/or how the subpoena was executed, which is the focus of concern for the majority of libertarians, consitutionalists, and Americans.

Much like Mueller, and now Durham, Barr is not addressing the underlying root cause of an issue, which is; who brought the original inquiry forward, what is the predication; if allegations were made, why were they given credence, and by whom? So many deeper questions have and are not being answered, to the point that any further dialogue regarding Trump's response to the Grand Jury is...irrelevant.

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What’s weird is that Bill Barr’s dad worked for the OSS and then was the headmaster at the school that Epstein worked at and then Bill Barr presided when Epstein was suicided . Anywho... maybe he’s an agent of the deep state.... and I say all of this as someone is not a Trump fan.

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Jun 21, 2023·edited Jun 21, 2023

dear god these comment sections are what people mean when they say the internet has gone to shit

i dont know how any person who has followed bari's work for any amount of time would think that this site is some qanon refuge from the Deep State takeover, where we can hide out waiting for THE STORM - yet anytime anything vaguely critical of the right is posted, out comes the standard 4chan nonsense about pedo conspiracies and biden this and covid that and blah blah blah

if theres one thing the left and "msm" can be critiqued on, its that they instantly dodge any valid critism on the topic of the day, puberty blockers and 'trans' propaganda aimed at kids, and go off on invalid tangents (oh, so you want them all to commit suicide and die???) - while never addressing the point being made

most of the highest rated comments here are ad hominem attacks (jesus, have any of you seen a list of logical fallacies?), followed by "ya but biden" - which is a point directly addressed in the article, isn't this site for people who like to think critically?

heaven forbid that criticism is pointed inward

its people like you that make real centrists looks ridiculous

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i can't imagine the author is down here reading this (if so, sorry), but if you are, i clearly only know you via exposure in the media - but thank you for having the courage to tell the truth - no one gets turned on more aggressively than an "apostate"

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I disagree with your opinion. I believe President Biden always “begins with the end in mind” — and that is to work toward unification of the nation. Can he change the fact that he came into a nation whose unity was damaged by his predecessor?

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Mr. Barr, if there is a double standard (there is), then why in the hell didn't you address it when you were AG? Who else in the world will do it if not a Rep. AG? It implies, to me, that you are a poor leader. a coward that doesn;t want to rock the boat.

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Bill Barr's thoughtful neutrality on the issues that Trump poses, and continues to pose, is always welcome.

He's damned by both Trump supporters and Trump foes alike, for various positions he's taken based on the actual facts of the particular case. Wholesale, bi-partisan damnation is always a good sign.

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The simple truth of it is that if Trump truly cared about the country he'd drop out of the race. We need new blood on both sides of the aisle and I think a DeSantis vs RFK presidential campaign would bring some much needed civility back to the American political sphere. Chances are I'm dreaming but what's a world without hope.

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Concise. No tangents. Discusses only the best arguments. Bill Barr is a persuasive writer.

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Well said. It's disappointing to me how many knuckle-draggers have shown up in the comments to defend Trump's brazen violations of the law.

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Jun 20, 2023·edited Jun 20, 2023

If I weren't a cheerful person by nature, I'd be depressed on Bari's behalf for the community she has created. 95% of what passes for commentary here refuses to acknowledge, much less engage with, the particular charges Barr levels in this essay, preferring instead the comforts of ad hominem sneering, guilt by association, and what-aboutism. I'm no fan of Barr's, but I recognize that he is being as hard on the MSM in his framing of the collusion hoax as he's being on Trump. He's no friend to the left! He's hardly a friend to the center. Instead he is making a principled and profoundly conservative claim about 1) the Presidential Records act and 2) the importance of national security, and about the way in which Trump's behavior egregiously violates those two things. I'm glad he's spoken out. I'm surprised at his ferocity and candor, frankly, but clearly even he has his limits.

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As a fellow conservative lawyer I appreciate his clear concise analysis of Trump's actions. Unfortunately there are many other good reasons not to nominate him as the Republican candidate for President.

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I just want to see after this is all said and done how will Bart and all.of these DC Elites treat Presidents who take documents. Do they realize they have now set the precedence with Trump. They all better be prepared when the gavel of law comes down on them all.

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Bill Barr didn't know T.S. Eliot, but Eliot knew Barr.....or his type; men who dribble out of both sides to save their face. Not to disagree with much of what Barr says (now), and golly, watching him jump the sinking ship has sure been entertaining. Though not enough to read this article, as at this juncture one can't imagine it contains an original thought.

And I have known the eyes already, known them all—

The eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase,

And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin,

When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall,

Then how should I begin

To spit out all the butt-ends of my days and ways?

And how should I presume?

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So you're taking time to comment, but won't read the article you're supposedly commenting on?

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Jun 20, 2023·edited Jun 20, 2023

I speed read (unless it's something for pleasure). Regardless of what you might have missed, Barr has been vocalizing everywhere short of your roof. Wagering there's nada new here. Hatchet Man: How Bill Barr Broke the Prosecutor’s Code and Corrupted the Justice Department might be a more interesting read before trying to digest much more from him. Ooof, fun times.

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Barr is as eloquent and off base as always

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His arrogance and blame shifting is otherworldly.

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