Former Attorney General William Barr, like many Trump associates whose careers and personal reputations have been shattered by their alliance with the former president, is trying to distance himself from the stain of corruption that he promoted. He is now publicly proclaiming he always thought Trump’s claim the election was fraudulent and stolen was ” bullshit.”. It is satisfying to watch Barr squirm to save themselves, along with the many other officials who turned against democracy by aligning with Trump.
Barr is the most recent person to be the subject of Trump’s attacks for telling the truth about his lies and corruption. Any Republican who doesn’t support Trump’s delusional propaganda gets labeled a “RHINO”, ie, a “Republican in name only.” In Trump’s malignant, narcissistic mind, the definition of a Republican is someone who agrees with every word he speaks and supports every action he takes. Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen got it right when he titled his book on Trump, Disloyal. Since Trump became president, we have witnessed him go from loving, hugging, and adoring someone to turning on them publicly with a vengeance if they disagree with him, or simply vote or speak their conscience. The intense, psychological fear of being the target of Trump’s cold cruelty has caused Republican elected officials and members of his family to practice a dysfunctional loyalty that has damaged the integrity of our democracy.
The DOJ is supposed to be the law enforcement agency that represents the rule of law to protect the American people, NOT the president. Barr consistently lied for and defended Trump, partly because he believes in the absolute power of the presidency ( autocracy) and partly because he is corrupt and power-hungry. Now, Merritt Garland, an ethical, patriotic, enforcer of the rule of law is at the head of the DOJ and is beginning to demonstrate a commitment to pursuing justice, no matter who the subject of the investigation might be.
GARLAND VS BARR, TWO MEN WHO COULDN’T BE MORE DIFFERENT;
William Barr’s legacy of prioritizing politics over justice, hindering congressional oversight, and making false statements to Congress and the media; (as noted in POGO, 2020).
- Misrepresented the criminal findings of the Mueller report and handed Trump the false mantra of “no obstruction, no collusion.” This undermined the Special Counsel.
- Hindering congressional oversight by making false statements to the House about the Mueller Investigation
- Hindered congressional oversight by lying to the Senate about the Mueller Investigation
- Blocked Congress from reviewing the full Mueller report and thus hindered full oversight by Congress, and put politics over justice, and undermined the special counsel
- Falsely alleged the US government spied on the Trump campaign
- Patterned interference with impartial prosecutions
- Politicized his office by interfering in the investigations into Trump criminal allies Roger Stone and Michael Flynn.
- Was involved in the decision to tear gas peaceful protesters in Lafeyette Park for Trump’s Bible-holding stunt
- Made false statements about mail-in ballot fraud
- Improperly used his office to help Trump’s re-election effort
- Pushed state election officials to immediately review unsubstantiated allegations of voter irregularities on the urging of Trump
Attorney General Merritt Garland is taking actions aimed at restoring adherence to the rule of law, and reinstating ethics and morality back into the Department of Justice. So far, his actions have included;
- Declaring white supremacist domestic terrorism as the #1 threat to American democracy and national security.
- Filing a DOJ lawsuit suing the state of Georgia for its efforts to enact voter suppression legislation
- Pursuing the arrest and prosecution of the Jan. 6th insurrectionists who attacked the Capitol
- Committed to investigating police departments that commit civil rights violations
- Investigating government agencies that may be engaging in patterns or practices that deprive individuals of their federal or constitutional rights
- Prioritizing criminal justice reform and reducing mass incarceration
- Prioritizing a full investigation of the Jan. 6th Capitol insurrection
- Vows to protect the independence of the DOJ from political influence
The difference between these men can be easily summarized. As Attorney General, Barr was a lying, opportunistic, anti- rule of law, autocratic, rogue sycophant. As the current Attorney General, Garland is an independent, transparent, constitutionally responsible, patriotic, moral public servant.
Give thanks, Trump lost!
