Senator McConnell, Senator Graham, and Minority Leader McCarthy issued a statement backing Attorney General Barr as a man of the “highest character” and “unquestionable integrity” in response to the current crisis amid growing calls for Barr to step down or resign from office. You of course recall that the talk of resignation began over Barr’s interference in sentencing in the Roger Stone matter, among other controversial politically motivated moves.

The statement is laughable as it is straight out of the “doth protest a bit too much” genre of statements:

The trio of Republicans claimed that “outside groups” are responsible for demands that Barr step down and said the attorney general “has shown that he is committed without qualification to securing equal justice under law for all Americans.”

“Outside” groups meaning former DOJ attorneys that are now “outside” the department and can speak freely, yes, they are an “outside” group.

“Equal” means not jumping in to reduce sentence recommendations hours after president “Biff” tweets his displeasure, but maybe we demand too much?

Hold your stomach down as you read this:

“The nation is fortunate that President Trump chose such a strong and selfless public servant to lead the Department of Justice,” the GOP leaders said. “We expect that, as always, efforts to intimidate the attorney general will fall woefully short.”

First, yes, like little kids, they had to give all praise to Dear Leader for having the wisdom to choose Barr before they could get around to kissing Barr’s ass.

Second, there has not been an effort to “intimidate” Barr. There has been an effort to shame Barr into acting within the normal ethical constraints of the attorney general, but not “intimidation.” That is pure self-serving bull shit.

Critics said the GOP leaders’ defense of the attorney general shows the Republican Party is fully on board with Trump and Barr’s abuse of the powers of the Justice Department for political purposes:

No shit?

Who would’ve thought that the entire Republican party would rally around one of their own upon being called out strongly for blatantly ignoring the ethical constraints upon their office and acting more like despotic partisans waging partisan war against “enemies” like Democrats? I would never have imagined.

Wherever Trump and his cronies are pressing their dictatorship, McConnell and Graham will not be far behind, pressing their faces against Trump’s ass cheeks.

Republican Party leadership continues to endorse Trump and Barr's unprecedented authoritarian corrosion of the rule of law. https://t.co/qIQtRZIhjx

— Ahmed Baba (@AhmedBaba_) February 18, 2020

 

Peace, y’all

Jason

[email protected] and on Twitter @MiciakZoom