If confirmed, I believe the nomination of William Barr to be the next U.S. attorney general will prove to be the president’s best cabinet selection.
Democrats and the opposition media frequently raise the question of whether the attorney general is the president’s attorney, and like to bring up the subject of a “loyalty oath.”
Even though Democrats wanted former disgraced FBI Director James Comey fired, the fact that President Trump did it, and the way he did it, gave the opposition still another way to attack the president. They considered “loyalty” to be an unusual virtue and turned a legal firing into an investigation of obstruction of justice.
Attorney General nominee William Barr (thestar.com)
Just as they did during the Judge Kavanaugh hearings, Democrats questioned attorney general nominee William Barr regarding his future relationship with President Trump.
Embarrassingly, several Democrats repeatedly pressed him on his independence. Even though Barr made it clear in his opening statement:
“President Trump has sought no assurances, promises, or commitments from me of any kind, either expressed or implied, and I have not given him any, other than that I would run the Department with professionalism and integrity. My allegiance will be to the rule of law, the Constitution, and the American people.”
Wingman Holder and Obama. (mashable.com)
They conveniently forget that in 2013, when then Attorney General Eric Holder was being questioned by the media about leaving his position, professed his allegiance to President Obama, saying, “I’m the president’s wingman? I’m still the president’s wingman, so I’m there with my boy.”
As an Air Force veteran, I was familiar with the label “wingman,” that describes an individual key to a successful mission. On an airborne combat mission, the wingman stays close enough to the lead man to be a second pair of eyes, key while flying at high speeds over hostile territory.
While some may not see the similarity drawn by Holder, I do, even though I was never a Holder fan. I asked a former Air Force combat pilot friend of mine to put the role of the “wingman” in his words so I could paint that similarity for you. So, place yourself in the position of attorney general as you read my friend’s quotes:
The Wingman key to mission success. (Peter Chilelli art)
“He makes sure the leader is not blindsided by events the leader is not aware of.
“He monitors the mission and informs the leader if the course being flown has picked up some added risk the leader has not detected.
“The wingman is an integral part of the team and NEVER goes off on his own.”
I trust you see the importance of the close relationship of the wingman to the combat pilot leader, or to the president of the United States. Democrats don’t see it that way, primarily because of their disdain for President Trump.
It’s quite obvious, that Democrats have become accustomed to having control of the Department of Justice, even during the Deep State era we are now experiencing.
They had no problem with Holder protecting the Obama administration, even to the extent of ignoring his Contempt of Congress citation. “He’s a political operative sitting on a mountain of documents that our representatives in Congress have a right to see,” wrote John Hayward in Human Events.
His stonewalling on Fast and Furious and the targeting of conservatives by the IRS enabled President Obama to falsely claim that there was “no hint of scandal during his presidency.” Hogwash.
MY VIEW: It is generally accepted that the attorney general does not defend the president; he has his own legal counsel. But, instead, he represents the country in legal matters, as the nation’s top cop.
While researching the relationship of the two, I came across an insightful piece published by Tulane University that contained this line that seems to fit the Barr – Trump relationship, should he be confirmed:
“Presidents prefer attorneys general who can be trusted with the administration’s policy agenda,” and cited a “neutral” individual “who would predominate in the aftermath of scandal (the Mueller investigation), because his qualities give him the high credibility needed to rebuild public confidence.”
While Barr is eminently qualified for the position, having served in it before, Democrats are wary of him in view of his belief of zero tolerance of political interference of the law. “The American people have to know that there are places in the government where the rule of law – not politics – holds sway, and where they will be treated fairly based solely on the facts and an even-handed application of the law. The Department of Justice must be such a place,” said Barr.
Though Barr must be considered a creature of the Washington establishment, it was clear during the hearing that Barr was disturbed by the “goings on” in the DOJ and FBI, and may be just the man to restore integrity there.
May God bless the United State of America.
