Posted on 05/02/2019 2:47:36 PM PDT by yesthatjallen
Democrats outraged over Attorney General William Barr’s handling of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report are increasing their fire, threatening to hold him in contempt and even suggesting they could seek his impeachment.
The cries for Barr’s head exploded on Thursday after the attorney general skipped a House hearing one day after his testimony before a Senate panel shed new light on his differences with Mueller, the ex-FBI chief who led a two-year investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Democrats left an empty chair for Barr as they opened a hearing that would go nowhere. Afterward, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) led her press conference by accusing Barr of committing a crime.
“He lied to Congress, and if anybody else did that it would be considered a crime,” she said. “Nobody is above the law; not the president of the United States, and not the attorney general.”
Pelosi did not rule out jail time as a potential punishment if Barr is later found to have broken the law.
“I really lost sleep last night after watching over and over again this testimony of the attorney general of the United States,” Pelosi said.
Pelosi’s harsh denunciation of Barr reflects the real anger of rank-and-file Democrats, who see him as a political operative seeking to protect President Trump at all costs.
But the political theater — Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) showed up with a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken at the early-morning hearing to make a point about Barr’s lack of courage — obscured the fact that in focusing their ire on Barr, Democrats were not focused on impeaching his boss, a more divisive issue in the party.
Asked about the status of the Trump impeachment effort, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) acknowledged the scrutiny, at least this week, has veered elsewhere.
“I'm hearing about the impeachment for Bill Barr,” Khanna said. “I think he needs to resign, and he's been probably the most guilty of obstructing an investigation.”
Democrats have long been wary of Barr, who had raised eyebrows last year in arguing that Mueller had no basis for investigating Trump for obstructing justice. But the Democrats’ reservations with the attorney general have mushroomed this week after revelations that Mueller was frustrated with Barr’s initial framing of the investigators’ findings — and had expressed that agitation directly to the attorney general.
Mueller’s concerns consumed much of the oxygen during Barr’s appearance Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Democrats hammered Barr to explain testimony he gave last month, when he suggested Mueller’s team had no problems with Barr’s summary of the report.
Multiple Democrats called for Barr to resign or be impeached, including Reps. Eric Swalwell (Calif.), Veronica Escobar (Texas), Kathleen Rice (N.Y.), Adam Schiff (Calif.) and Maxine Waters (Calif.).
Swalwell accused Barr of prejudging the special counsel's report, accusing the FBI of lying, lying to Congress and refusing to comply with a subpoena “all to protect the president.”
“There's only one thing left to do. Impeach him,” tweeted Swalwell, a member of the House Judiciary Committee who is running for president.
“He has abdicated on his responsibility. He has lied,” Waters, the House Financial Services Committee chairwoman, said of Barr on MSNBC’s “All in with Chris Hayes” Tuesday night.
Another Judiciary Committee member, Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), called for Barr to resign and endorsed the idea of holding him in contempt of Congress.
“He has proven incapable of obeying the oath of office to uphold the Constitution of the United States,” Demings said.
Republicans rushed to Barr’s defense, accusing House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) of making unreasonable demands on Barr’s appearance.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered a speech on the Senate floor blasting Democrats for allowing Cohen to mock Barr.
“You tell me whether or not the chair of that committee is actually serious about the subject when you've got a guy eating fried chicken in place of where they wanted Attorney General Barr to be,” Tillis said as he stood by an enlarged photo of Cohen eating the chicken.
“This guy didn't even have good enough sense to have Bojangles chicken,” Tillis added.
Democrats are vowing to press on, although some suggested a focus on ousting Barr might be a waste of time, since Trump would likely choose a replacement with similar legal views.
“The illusory thing about resignation as a remedy is the suggestion that somebody better might come back later. I hold out no hopes for that,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a former constitutional law professor. “But he certainly should resign if he has any professional self-respect left.”
Democrats are giving their media lapdogs their narrative talking points.
The Democratic Media Complex will repeat it over and over; 'Barr LIED to congress'.
I admit to be skeptical of Barr a few months ago. I wasn’t comfortable with his DC history and uncertain of his loyalties. But he now looks like the Godfather, settling all family business. LOL
If they can get him to resign, then it will be a couple of months before a replacement is found and approved and it will reset the whole investigation... that we hope and pray is happening.
Did I miss something in the news articles that was actually included in Pelosi's accusation? Maybe she didn't even spell it out in her accusation. Innuendo works better for Dems so they and their accomplices in the media can spin it multiple ways later.
Somehow, what the lie is should be a very important part of a "news" story.
From your lips to God’s ears.
They didn’t get what they wanted so now another tantrum. Is the lie that he said he’d show up and didn’t?
If only, but the Pubes are quiet. Even Cruz’s rant against democrats was ridiculously weak and irrelevant to what democrats are doing.
They didn’t get what they wanted so now another tantrum. Is the lie that he said he’d show up and didn’t?
They didn’t get what they wanted so now another tantrum. Is the lie that he said he’d show up and didn’t?
Empty chair? Someone should have asked why Obama was there.
Conservative, Pubbies, Trumpies...turn out 100,000+ folks at the upcoming Trump Rally in Panama City Beach, Florida on Wednesday, May 8, 2019 and then glory in watching the Democrat Party destroy itself as madness takes it over and it dies politically forever!!! Do it!!! Go, Trump, Go MEGA/MAGA!!!
Barr is over the target and ready to unload. The democrats/media have cried wolf for so long America is no longer paying attention so they have to get crazier . They shot their load, no bullletts left in the magazine. They are now looking down the barrel of a fully loaded 45 aimed at their head two feet away. Bar holds that gun. When he discharges his weapon and bodies fall, expect the lefties still standing to scream it was murder.
Comey goes first ?
***************
Prolly right. The sanctimonious Comey is about to get his comeuppance. Big time. Joe diGenova said he’s not going to need one layer; he’s going to need five.
Sounds like a pile of stuff is about to be dumped on the heads of the Deep State criminals.
Pelosi et al are trying to launch a preemptive strike.
If the Republicans would fight half as hard as the Democrats do, all day every day, we would never lose again.
Yes. A pack of cornered dogs.
Lord, consider their threats. Amen.
So far, Barr deserves a big award — we await the results of the investigations of Obama hilliary soroznazi especially and pelousy
the Pubes are quiet
**************
They usually are. The run from the battlefield at the sound of the first shot.
Any liberals care to chime in?
Are y’all seeing what has happened to your party?
I used to be a democrat. None of the values I admired, respected and represented in the party is left.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.