VIDEO: Former Reagan U.S. Attorney Blasts Administration Over Purge
VIDEO: Former Reagan U.S. Attorney Blasts Administration Over Purge
As Atrios noted, former Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA), who served as a U.S. Attorney under President Reagan, appeared today on CNN.
Barr blasted the White House, saying “the integrity of the Department of Justice is being used as a political football by the administration to prove who’s the toughest hombre in all this.” Rather than fighting accountability, Barr said, “the administration really ought to be going out of its way to do what prior administrations have done, such as the Bush 1 administration and Reagan administrations, and that is take whatever steps are necessary to assure the American people that the integrity of our justice system has not been compromised.”
Watch it:
Barr added that members of Congress “have a pretty clear right to demand information” related to the U.S. Attorney purge. “These, after all, are all people, whether Karl Rove or a U.S. Attorney or an attorney general, who are paid by the taxpayers with funds appropriated by the Congress. And Congress has a right to assure itself that these funds are being used properly.”
Transcript:
CNN: Is this defiance or executive privilege?
BARR: It’s probably some of both. But what’s really unfortunate here, both from the White House standpoint as well as the standpoint of what’s best for the country, is the integrity of the Department of Justice is being used as a political football by the administration to prove who’s the toughest hombre in all this. It’s very unfortunate. I’m not sure the administration has chosen the best line in the sand to draw here, so to speak. Congress clearly has a right to inquire into the running of the Department of Justice, to inquire into the integrity of the process of hiring and firing U.S. Attorneys, notwithstanding the fact that that is technically a prerogative of the president. Rather than fight this, the administration really ought to be going out of its way to do what prior administrations have done, such as the Bush 1 administration and Reagan administrations, and that is take whatever steps are necessary to assure the American people that the integrity of our justice system has not been compromised.
CNN: You bring up a great point and one we haven’t heard much about by way of using the Department of Justice as sort of a ploy in all of this. What about also, Bob, the possibility of Democrats taking the offer, listening in to what is said between Karl Rove, Harriet Miers, whoever else is going to be testifying, and if they don’t hear what they want to hear, if the questions are not answered, then moving forward and say, hey, we need to know and we need some transcript?
BARR: Here again the Judiciary Committees in both the House and the Senate have a pretty clear right to demand information that relates to the propriety of the running of the Department of Justice. These, after all, are all people, whether Karl Rove or a U.S. Attorney or an attorney general, who are paid by the taxpayers with funds appropriated by the Congress. And Congress has a right to assure itself that these funds are being used properly and that is consistent with the appropriate standards of justice and integrity at the Department of Justice. If the administration, which I think probably threw down the gauntlet a little bit early in this fight - I think there was really some substantial room to work a lot of this through but the White House chose not to do that. If in fact the White House insists on not sending people forward, not making the information available, then the loser in all of this is the Department of Justice in the sense that justice is fair and impartial. That used to be the hallmark of the running of our government.
CNN: Certainly. You as a former prosecutor yourself, I wonder what does the scandal do to that office? Is this something that could possibly be politicized from here on out?
BARR: It’s very unfortunate. You have political operatives both at the White House and at the Department of Justice drawing up lists of U.S. Attorneys and ranking them according to some criteria, and this is apparently being done by a person at the Department of Justice that himself had no experience. I mean, for heaven’s sake, taking a renowned prosecutor like Peter [sic] Fitzgerald and this person Sampson at the Department of Justice, ranking him basically as unqualified, you know, that says more about the people making the list than it does certainly about the people who were the subject of the list. I mean, these are very well thought out, very highly respected prosecutors — otherwise they would not have been appointed to these positions by Mr. Bush himself.
CNN: That all being said, if the president were to call you a little bit later on this afternoon, what type of advice would you give him for this particular situation?
BARR: If course, I’d have to pick myself up off of the floor.
CNN: He doesn’t call you all the time?
BARR: But I would certainly say, Mr. President, your predecessors in office, your father was under great pressure when I was U.S. Attorney General in Atlanta, Georgia, to take action against me for political reasons. Your father resisted those efforts. President Reagan, your supposed hero, resisted those efforts. Please do something to assure the American public that this is an open process, that it is not run on political considerations where the rubber meets the road and that’s with the United States Attorneys across this country. Work with the congress. and let’s see if we can work this out. Because there’s far more at stake here than either you or the attorney general proving who’s the toughest hombre in this dispute.
Sort Comments By: Top Rated | Date
56 Responses to “VIDEO: Former Reagan U.S. Attorney Blasts Administration Over Purge”
Register
RSSLogin
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog RollAbout Think ProgressContact Us
Donate
I saw that.
March 21st, 2007 at 12:15 pmHey Bob, look into the $140,000 of Cheney furniture while you’re at it.
March 21st, 2007 at 12:17 pmTough row to hoe, convincing the American people that the Department of Justice has not been compromised….
March 21st, 2007 at 12:18 pmAnd Bob Barr is a right winger, too.
March 21st, 2007 at 12:19 pmBob Barr is just a liberal in disquise! He should learn to speak only when our President asks him.
March 21st, 2007 at 12:19 pmRather than fighting accountability, Barr said, “the administration really ought to be going out of its way to do what prior administrations have done, such as the Bush 1 administration and Reagan administrations, and that is take whatever steps are necessary to assure the American people that the integrity of our justice system has not been compromised.â€
These guys don’t give a flying leap about the American people. And what their suck-ups who come on here defending this are essentially saying that it’s okay for King George to compromise our justice system. According to them, they serve the emperor, not the Constitution, such a quaint piece of paper…time to go get my glasses, too much squinting to make sure I’m typing this right.
March 21st, 2007 at 12:20 pmNot to mention the blatant obstruction of justice by sticking provisions in the Patriot Act to bypass Congress.
Impeach.
March 21st, 2007 at 12:22 pmThe gurus at FDL just figured out what is behind this whole bloody thing! Remember the weird interview with Karlosivitch Rovski, Zampolit of the BushSoviet Empire, where he said “I’m entitled to THE math”? Well, that was almost certainly in reference to the purge he was working on.
http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/03/21/the-math-2/
March 21st, 2007 at 12:22 pmThat’s not all Bob Barr’s been up to. He’s also part of the American Freedom Agenda that held a press conference yesterday. They are an alliance of prominent national conservatives set on returning checks and balances to the government because the Executive branch is abusing its power.
Good to see conservatives making the right kind of waves.
March 21st, 2007 at 12:23 pmRather than fighting accountability, Barr said, “the administration really ought to be going out of its way to do what prior administrations have done, such as the Bush 1 administration and Reagan administrations, and that is take whatever steps are necessary to assure the American people that the integrity of our justice system has not been compromised.â€
Not gonna happen, for the simple reason that it will be rather difficult to show what is manifestly false.
Our justice system has been compromised…the compromising started in 2000, when a United States president was appointed by the Supreme Court. Things have just gone downhill ever since.
March 21st, 2007 at 12:24 pmScrew hearings - everyone knows they’re going to lie, under oath or otherwise, so just stop paying them - pull their paychecks!!!!!
March 21st, 2007 at 12:25 pmSo why should we care if a liar and a thief calls his party friends liars and thieves? Even if he is sincere, the statement holds no weight. It is said assuming Chimpy has rationale and mental stability, of which he has neither. It’s more smoke and mirrors and a sleight-of-hand most likely devised by Karl “Fat-ass” Rove.
March 21st, 2007 at 12:28 pmAh yes, THE math. Nice find. THE math. I’d like to meet these dudes in a dark alley. Turds.
March 21st, 2007 at 12:30 pm#5 Jamie,
Yeah! Barr is a liberal because Jamie says so dammit. Having served at the pleasure of President Reagan as an USA, sitting on the board of the NRA and being a Republican Rep for GA for years means nothing.
So there!
March 21st, 2007 at 12:30 pmR
While Barr’s (and other conservatives’) criticism of Bush’s Administration may not have a lot of weight, it is not weightless. It shows what true conservatism is and chips away at the support of the reasonable moderates. I’ll join forces with a true conservative to bury the neocon movement any day.
March 21st, 2007 at 12:32 pmOh and Bob Barr was also in the Congressional leadership during the Clinton impeachment or attempted impeachment.
Damn dirty hippie!
March 21st, 2007 at 12:32 pmA “RESPONSIBLE” chief executive…
…on such a sensitive topic as…
…credibility of the country’s JUSTICE system…
…would (like Barr said) “take whatever steps are necessary”…
…to restore, maintain, even bolster the people’s confidence…
…in the ONE system that seeks to keep us all “civilized”…
…Instead, Bushiva is seeking to UNDERMINE that very system…
…and (with this challenge to the Congress/Majority) incite his base…
…Proof positive that…
…George W. Bush, Richard Cheney, and their minions and co-conspirators…
…have NO business as this country’s CHIEF guarantors/protectors…
…of its Constitution…
…or being our chief government officials…
…they (and their supporters) really ARE (what I’ve been saying all along)…
…TRAITORS!
March 21st, 2007 at 12:33 pmThere is NO precedent for refusing these subpoenas. As Barr pointed out, other administrations have routinely complied with summons to testify before congress - a co-equal branch of government, according to our constitution.
Nixon tried to claim executive privilege to avoid turning over the Watergate tapes and the Supreme Court voted unanimously against him - a very strong precedent. Its time to begin impeachment proceedings against Bush and Cheney. They believe they are above the law and are openly defying the American people and our representatives in congress.
http://www.impeachbush.org
March 21st, 2007 at 12:34 pmWhat, did Bob Barr forget to read the earlier posts by howsad , Liberals Heart Terrorists, and the other Republican trolls?
“the Judiciary Committees in both the House and the Senate have a pretty clear right to demand information that relates to the propriety of the running of the Department of Justice.” — Republican Bob Barr.
Haaaaaaaaaahahahahahaha! Now what are you going to argue, trolls?
March 21st, 2007 at 12:35 pmThis is twice in the last two years that I’ve found myself nodding my head in approval of something Bob Barr said. Both times, of course, involved him pointing out the futility of a Bush-spawned argument. I despised him when he was part of the Clinton witch hunt. I’ve changed my stripes a bit now. Not that I would ever be a Libertarian like Barr (he’s not a conservative but an avowed Libertarian). However there certainly seems to be a glimmer of hope for him!
March 21st, 2007 at 12:35 pmBob Barr and the other conservatives who are supporting this new legislative initiative are PALEO-conservative, not NEO-conservatives.
These old-timer fiscal conservatives are outraged at Chimpy now.
Chimpy is going to split up the Repuke party over this. Good.
March 21st, 2007 at 12:39 pmBarr is a conservative in the traditional sense of the word. He also spoke out against the warrantless and illegal wiretaps. Remember way back when conservatives used to talk about getting the government off our backs? Back then, they also meant keeping them out of people’s bedrooms and out of their bank accounts and credit references and phone bills, and not letting them listen in on us, either. That’s where Barr’s coming from. I have plenty of ideological differences with him, but he’s one of the few who have stayed true to their principles instead of this idiocy of “anything a Republican does is okay.”
March 21st, 2007 at 12:41 pmHe should learn to speak only when our President asks him.
Comment by Jamie Kinstle Wapakoneta OH #5
I see dear ol’ dad’s…
…still sneakin’ in yer room at night huh sis?
…inbred bi*ch…
March 21st, 2007 at 12:42 pmComment by j swift — March 21, 2007 @ 12:30 pm
Jamie’s antipsychotics are on the way.
March 21st, 2007 at 12:45 pmI really wonder how Limbaugh and Hannity are going to spin this. Barr is one of the GOP rightwingers, so it will be interesting to see how he is discredited.
The other side of this may be this is the plan for them to retake control of the executive runamuck for the past 8 years prior to a Dem President being elected.
It is frightening how Bush has basically set in motion a system that will topple our entire democracy. The reason this democracy has worked is because people believed in the rule of law. That is the fundamental underpinning to our entire system of democracy. Destroying the judicial system means no one will beleive their civil liberties or constitutional rights are protected in a partisian system. The entire judiciary becomes nothing but a hammer for the mob. That is what Bush & Rove have done.
The evidence is clearly there that they have prosecuted far more elected democrats than would occur with any statistical randomness, meaning that elected officials who should be representing the citizens will be unable to for fear of the law.
The worst thing is that all these GOP operatives have been left in the judicial system to be detonated whenever Rove chooses. In CA, neither senator was consulted to replace Lam, nor the Governor, instead it is some big time political GOP contributor. If this is process has not been criminalized and policized…nothing has. Lam had called for an search warrant on the #2 man at the CIA. You have to have evidence to even get a warrant.
It sounds like every single department under the executive branch has been corrupted and politicized. The CIA, NSA, Pentagon, and the judiciary.
Griffin the fella who is being installed as the Atty General to replace Cummins was responsible for purging the voter roles in the 2000 Fl election. And Cummins directed the voter chad counting for the GOP in 2000.
All we hear on the news is this is about the Democratic Congress vs. a GOP executive branch.
March 21st, 2007 at 12:46 pmThat’s the spin, not that our ENTIRE judiciary has been politicized!!
Unfortunately Bush won’t listen to Bob Barr he doesn’t even listen to his father.
Cheney in one ear, Rove in the other and Jeff Gannon, sorry I was just thinking out loud.
March 21st, 2007 at 12:47 pmBush heard somebody say Constitutional Crisis and started running around yelling Mission Accomplished.
March 21st, 2007 at 12:50 pm“It is frightening how Bush has basically set in motion a system that will topple our entire democracy. The reason this democracy has worked is because people believed in the rule of law. That is the fundamental underpinning to our entire system of democracy. Destroying the judicial system means no one will beleive their civil liberties or constitutional rights are protected in a partisian system. The entire judiciary becomes nothing but a hammer for the mob. That is what Bush & Rove have done.”
Best summary of AttorneyGate I have seen yet. Excellent job, rapierwit.
March 21st, 2007 at 12:51 pmBarr is much less of an a-hole since he left office… he’s been fighting for some of the right causes in recent years… amazing!
March 21st, 2007 at 1:12 pm…
March 21st, 2007 at 1:18 pm…
I hate when I agree with anything Former Rep. Bob Barr says…
I don’t remember liberals loving Bob Barr when he was investigating Clinton?? Please stop being hateful liars and hypocrites.
March 21st, 2007 at 1:18 pmI don’t remember liberals loving Bob Barr when he was investigating Clinton?? Please stop being hateful liars and hypocrites. Comment by Liberals Heart Terrorists — March 21, 2007 @ 1:18 pm
Stop being hateful? BAHAHAHA, says the guy that claims liberals heart terrorists!!! You’re one giant bundle of hatefulness and lying - dum bass! You’re right Barr was a partisan jerk, which means him criticizing his own is all the more poignant.
You however, are a hypocrite, a liar, and a fool. Maybe that’s why two prominent GOP financial supporters have recently been uncovered as *funding* terrorists. Maybe that’s why the NeoCons in Cheney’s office have been recently uncovered as support Sunni (Al Qaeda) organizations in Iraq. Tell me, how long have you Hypocrites been so sympathetic of Terrorists? It’s way before Reagan sent them money and training to fight the *commies*.
St*pid idiot.
March 21st, 2007 at 1:27 pmI don’t remember liberals loving Bob Barr when he was investigating Clinton?? Please stop being hateful liars and hypocrites.
Comment by Liberals Heart Terrorists — March 21, 2007 @ 1:18 pm
it’s called “redemption,” my friend… Barr is getting better after suffering from the consterno disease for years…
March 21st, 2007 at 1:28 pmBob Barr is a true conservative. While I despise him for his hypocritical role in the Clinton witchhunt (Barr is no stranger to extra-marital affairs…), I applaud him for being true to one of the basics of true conservatism, i.e., keeping the government out of our e-mails, phone calls, financial records, etc…
March 21st, 2007 at 1:34 pmBut of course, contra Barr, Bush senior did indeed do a little naughty business with the US Attorneys as the 1992 election got closer. The result was Whitewater and eventually the impeachment, all started by a referral from the USA for a part of Arkansas…
March 21st, 2007 at 1:35 pmComment by shane 326
…you little devil you…
hahahahaha!!!!
March 21st, 2007 at 1:40 pmThe troll quality has seriously declined on this site. We used to have entertaining ones. Now we have to put up with the really low IQ ones.
March 21st, 2007 at 1:49 pm[…] (Formerly insane Bob)Barr blasted the White House, saying “the integrity of the Department of Justice is being used as a political football by the administration to prove who’s the toughest hombre in all this.†Rather than fighting accountability, Barr said, “the administration really ought to be going out of its way to do what prior administrations have done, such as the Bush 1 administration and Reagan administrations, and that is take whatever steps are necessary to assure the American people that the integrity of our justice system has not been compromised.†(Think Progress Link) […]
March 21st, 2007 at 2:01 pmThis reporter clearly has not read the the White House letter sent to Congress,. This letter states their conditions for testimony. The letter says that if the Administration officials testify, they cannot be recalled for further testimony. So not only will they not be under oath, but this is the only shot Congress has at them, no matter what they say.
March 21st, 2007 at 2:13 pmThis reporter clearly has not read the the White House letter sent to Congress,. This letter states their conditions for testimony. The letter says that if the Administration officials testify, they cannot be recalled for further testimony. So not only will they not be under oath, but this is the only shot Congress has at them, no matter what they say.
Comment by Andrew — March 21, 2007 @ 2:13 pm
And no transcripts either. In other words, they can lie through their teeth and get away with it. No one will be the wiser.
March 21st, 2007 at 2:37 pmDid I hear Bush correctly in his speech last night? It almost sounded as if having Karl Rove tell congress tell the truth(under oath) about his role on the firing of the 8 prosecutors prevents Bush from getting good advise and doing a good job as president. Does that argument make any sense to anyone besides Limbaugh? Everyone raise their hands if you’re tired of Bush weaseling out of any accountability,….it’s been 6 years of this shit.
March 21st, 2007 at 2:48 pmPolitical appointees — and yes, federal attorneys are political appointees — serve at the pleasure of the President. Both the Clinton administration and the Bush administration fired federal attorneys. End of story.
Gonzalez should be fired but not for the reasons you may think. He should be fired for apologizing.
March 21st, 2007 at 3:23 pmComment by 81ag #41
…freshened the fruit and animal sacrifice…
…on your shrine to Bushiva this morning didja?
…you Babbarumbabba people are really fascinating…
March 21st, 2007 at 3:34 pm>”President Reagan, your supposed hero, resisted those efforts.”
Is Mr. Barr no longer admiring of Mr. Reagan? It is statements like that which would cause Mr. Reagan to cry (check out this last week’s issue of Time).
March 21st, 2007 at 3:43 pmOh yes, the now well-known “pleasure of the president.” This phrase is a talking point sent out on one of the e-mails released by Justice. The issue is not of presidential hedonism, it is that of obstruction of justice.
March 21st, 2007 at 3:45 pm>Oh yes, the now well-known “pleasure of the president.â€
What about “and paid for by taxpayers”? I thought Congress was supposed to ensure judicial investment of tax money and other government revenue.
March 21st, 2007 at 3:53 pmI don’t remember liberals loving Bob Barr when he was investigating Clinton?? Please stop being hateful liars and hypocrites.
Comment by Liberals Heart Terrorists — March 21, 2007 @ 1:18 pm
Go look in a mirror, pal. This is no different than folks such as yourself who despised Clinton pulling out the “…but Clinton did it too…” when it supports your defense of this corrupt Bush administration.
March 21st, 2007 at 4:57 pmComment by Liberals Heart Terrorists — March 21, 2007 @ 1:18 pm
Oh, and as for the likes of Bob Barr investigating Clinton, some Republicans had started talking of impeaching him mere months after he had been inaugurated in 1993. They then proceeded to investigate his business dealings that occurred BEFORE he was elected and which had nothing to do with his running of this country. After years of investigations and tens of millions of dollars wasted over investigating a real estated deal, they found NOTHING.
So yes, liberals did not have a place in their heart for Bob Barr who was foaming at the mouth to get Clinton out of office. The Republicans couldn’t get him for something that, oh, I don’t know, actually harmed this country and made us less secure. Oh no. You and your Bush-butt-licking Republican pals sure as hell worried about the act of lying under oath bringing down this country to the point that you just had to throw a president out of office. Oh no, we couldn’t have a president lie under oath and get away with it. Gosh, what would that say about our rule of law and our judicial system? But you certainly don’t have a problem with members of the current administration lying about why US attorneys were dismissed (”performance issues”) and then trying to cover up the real reasons.
Why don’t you tell us, Mr. Libs Heart Terrorists, why the administration lied. Why don’t you tell us what bypassing Senate confirmation for new US attorneys has to do with national security and why it is in the Patriot Act.
March 21st, 2007 at 5:20 pmOne reason that some sensible conservative republicans might have for being nervous about the power that the administration is arrogating to itself is that there might be a Democratic administration in January of 2009, along with a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress. Can’t be giving Hillary of Barack that kind of power, can we?
Of course, most republicans aren’t really that sensible…..
March 21st, 2007 at 7:25 pmGOOD ‘OL Bob Barr—-TIRELESS Bill Clinton WITCH-HUNTER DURING Clinton’s IMPEACHMENT, HYPOCRITICAL ADULTERER, WICCA-WITCH HUNTER AND PERSECUTOR, BORAT(tm) STAR, AND NOW, CHIMPya, THIS MODERN DAY Matthew Hopkins IS ON YA TAIL—-HOLD ON TO YA HAT AND FASTEN YA SEATBELTS, CHIMPya—–Bob Barr WILL GIVE YA A “BUMPY RIDE” AND NOT THE WAY YA LIKE “RIDES” FROM MEN, IF YA KNOW WHAT I MEAN, HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH!!!!!
March 21st, 2007 at 8:14 pm[…] Former Congressman (and U.S. Attorney) Bob Barr believes Bush is doing great harm to the nation. […]
March 21st, 2007 at 9:01 pm[…] politicization of the Justice Department is coming under increasing attack, even from Republicans. Think Progress has video and a transcript from an interview in which Bob Barr charges that, “the integrity […]
March 22nd, 2007 at 1:43 amI don’t remember liberals loving Bob Barr when he was investigating Clinton?? Please stop being hateful liars and hypocrites.
Comment by Neo-CONs Fart Terrorists
You’re right; I didn’t exactly love thrice-married Bob Barr when he was hypocritically investigating Clinton. I still don’t love him, but I find him an intriguing figure–something that today’s Rethug Party sorely lacks–for his integrity in trying to uphold various Constitutional rights that jerks like you would gladly cede to the Great Dick-tator and Dumbya.
March 22nd, 2007 at 3:08 amIs it just me, or did someone else wake up feeling like they’d slipped through the worm-hole to Bizzarro-world?
March 22nd, 2007 at 10:51 amWhen even one as far Right as Representative Barr finally draws a line on this Administration, it is a sure sign that we have moved toward a Dictatorship and are losing our independence.
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:26 pmBob Barr…..I wonder what Limbuagh will say of his words on CNN. “Hang em High”? This is happening more and more. These conservatives, who are not only changing thier stripes, but doing it on CNN and the TODAY show publically draging Jr. through the Michigan basements and then tossing them out the bottom windows. Let them all due thier testifying to Matt Lauer as did Gonzales on public TV and watch them squirm.
March 22nd, 2007 at 2:42 pm