Did anyone catch the short Barr edict on Rachel's show, tonight?

[Frustratedlady]

I caught part of it, but not all. He was saying that no one could start an investigation or request an investigation without going through him, but I thought it also said something about anyone running for office. There were other specifications, as well.

I had closed captioning on and it covered part of the printed word.

I hope Barr coming out with new orders isn't a sample of things to come, what with our pResident being acquitted.

[Roland99]

1. Yeah. He made that change a couple months ago

[Frustratedlady]

2. Thanks. I wonder why it was brought up again tonight?

Something in the works?

I get nervous when they feel violated.

[Bev54]

5. He talked about it months ago

The letter just went out today to all the AG's

[Sunsky]

13. Strange because the NYT article

posted below states he sent the memo on Wednesday. He did a preview of the policy last month but made it official yesterday.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/us/politics/barr-2020-investigations.html

[Roland99]

22. Ok. It was weeks. Not months. But felt longer ago.... link...

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-politics-investigations-idUSKBN1ZC2EZ

[Sunsky]

24. I know

With all the sh*t being thrown at us, it's hard to keep track of the timeline.

[RockRaven]

3. No investigations of political campaigns without AG and DirFBI both signing off on it.

This one could go either way, and only time will tell. On one hand, Barr would obviously forbid any investigation of Trump, no matter how obvious the illegality or threat to national security. On the other hand, Wray *could* be a backstop against obviously bogus pretexts for investigations into Dem candidates (if only to protect the FBI from regaining a fully-Hoover-style reputation).

[Frustratedlady]

6. OK, I didn't see the FBI involvement.

I guess I'm gun-shy when it comes to anything connected to Barr.

Thank you.

[dawg day]

8. Wray has been pretty compliant so far-

He let Andrew McCabe be persecuted (not just prosecuted) and vilified, and Lisa Page-- he hasn't stuck up for his own agents. Why would he defy Barr for some Democrat?
Maybe he'd do it subterfuge--
I wish just one of these IC people would resign loudly and tell the truth.

[Takket]

4. if i were any of the people that testified, i would be VERY worried right now.........

they are going to make the start of any of these investigations "illegal" and go right down the line bringing criminal charges against anyone that furthered it. of course that in itself would be illegal, but the GOP gave drumpf and barr a blank check to begin rounding up and silencing anyone that looked into or spoke out against his actions.

[Frustratedlady]

9. Yes, we are working with unknowns, but I hope enough people are on-guard to catch any illegal

activities. Can you believe I said that? Illegal activities coming from the DOJ?

See how far we've fallen? In 8 decades, I would have never thought something like that. Not so much today.

[jls4561]

7. As a fat, racist misogynist

I now declare that all fat, racist misogynists are exempt from prosecution.

Oh, and also Mike Pence.

[Drum]

10. Terrible, terrifying, and and and...

[NCLefty]

11. Here's a story about it:

The memo said that the F.B.I. and all other divisions under the department’s purview must get Mr. Barr’s approval before investigating any of the 2020 presidential candidates.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/us/politics/barr-2020-investigations.html

[Frustratedlady]

12. Thank you for that link.

That explains it pretty thoroughly. I don't think it would be a jump to say his concern might be better control over any investigation into Trump and his minions. I can't imagine Barr would be concerned about any Democratic candidates' election interference, but then I'm leery about anything coming out of that department. I would sooner guess that they see a problem and are dodging any fireworks.

Time will tell.

[Hortensis]

14. I expect the very worst from the Republicans in DC at this point.

Barr did NOT do this to block Republicans from gaining power illicitly. It's to facilitate exactly that. Barr's repeatedly completely betrayed his duty as the people's attorney to block our power to stop them. We should expect him to misuse his growing power as much as he can to achieve their ends.

We don't know how bad Wray might be, or good, but he's only under attack by Republicans right now because he didn't do all they wanted. At this point I think it's very reasonable to worry that the FBI may once again help subvert the election on the Republicans' behalf.

“What is spreading today is repressive kleptocracy, led by rulers motivated by greed rather than by the deranged idealism of Hitler or Stalin or Mao. Such rulers rely less on terror and more on rule twisting, the manipulation of information, and the co-option of elites. Their goal is self-enrichment; the corrosion of the rule of law is the necessary means.

As a shrewd local observer explained to me on a visit to Hungary in early 2016, “The main benefit of controlling a modern bureaucratic state is not the power to persecute the innocent. It is the power to protect the guilty.” Ex-Republican David Frum

[Frustratedlady]

15. Thank you for your post. Unfortunately, it makes sense.

I need to educate myself on the various political entities and shove aside any misconceptions of where we were in the past and where we are headed. I'm too old to be ruled by any other idealism than democracy and don't have the capacity to think at the level of the "Trump/Barr" administration. This present day fiasco operates in ways totally foreign to me and will require constant surveillance by all of us. Your explanation is frightening.

I was thinking of taking up oil painting again to pass the winter's cold and cloudy days. I guess my attention will have to be diverted to citizen pitchfork patrol. It may not be fancy, but if you've ever been at the receiving end of a pitchfork, you get the point.

God help us!

[Hortensis]

19. You may not have meant it, but what a cheering post!

It's the nature of these things for people to let them get really bad before waking up and acting. And this?! Who could believe it was happening here? If this were a novel, I'd have tossed it away before finishing the first chapter.

I was thinking of taking up oil painting (again!) myself, but it's currently more of a retreat into historical fiction and going for walks. Painting might provide emotional balance to political pitchforking. And if you could afford the paint, you might even combine the two to develop a new style for your messages.

[Frustratedlady]

20. Colorful idea!

Our bodies survive best with humor, but, fortunately or unfortunately, I DO have the pitchfork.

We shall prevail!

[Hortensis]

21. Thanks. Love hearing that. Go to!

[Vinca]

16. I took that to mean the Trump campaign is back at it and Barr won't allow any investigations.

He's a mob lawyer, not an Attorney General.

[Frustratedlady]

17. Bingo!

[Mike 03]

18. Kick for visibility

[Hotler]

23. Fascism doesn't happen over night folks.

Fat ass, Pence, Barr, Pomoeo, and that little rat fucker Stephen Miller are all fascist.