Meanwhile, on this side of the Atlantic, the main event was the first day of AG confirmation hearings. Barr came across as a reasonably thoughtful, occasionally slippery, mainstream Republican with decent professional ethics–not a Trump stooge or a fascist. Most of the questioning, as usual, was fairly inept.
He will undoubtedly be confirmed. Should he be? After all, in today’s world, even a mainstream Republican could be a threat to our civil liberties in some circumstances.
If I were on the committee, I would vote no. The combination of Barr’s obvious eagerness to please the GOP establishment, his record of support for expanding executive power, and Trump’s willingness to push the envelope could make him very dangerous in an emergency, or what Trump says passes for one. That’s what really troubles me–not what he may or may not do with the Mueller investigation.
On the plus side, at least he’s better than Whitaker.