Columnist Marc Thiessen claims “the Barr hearing was much ado about nothing.” He is talking about the U.S. Attorney General William Barr that spent a day at a Senate committee hearing to talk about his handling of the investigation by Robert Mueller. Thiessen believes Barr is correct in saying that the 448-page report exonerated President Trump completely. Barr also says that the president was subjected to much unnecessary pressure, abuse and distraction.
Oddly, some 450 prosecutors from around the country have signed on (so far) to a letter claiming if it wasn’t for the fact Trump was president, he would have been charged. The letter says: “But, to look at these facts and say that a prosecutor could not probably sustain a conviction for obstruction of justice — the standard set out in Principles of Federal Prosecution — runs counter to logic and our experience.”
Mueller didn’t indict, as he pointed out, because there is an “opinion” in the department claiming that sitting presidents can’t be indicted. So Mueller punted to Congress. (Perhaps at his new boss Barr’s urging.) According to the guy who actually wrote the rules for these investigations, he left a back door so that the leader, Mueller, could take the whole thing directly to Congress. That was the safety valve to protect the separation of powers.
That hearing was actually much to do about a lot. There is a popular myth that American’s freedoms are fought for overseas. Actually, the main battles take place right here inside our country. People have battled for freedom from slavery, freedom to vote, freedom of the press (Pentagon Papers), universal education, freedom from child labor, affordable health care, equal pay for women — and the fights go on.
An American president who cannot be held accountable for illegal acts is called a king. Let’s not go there.
Patrick Hunter
Carbondale
