Wittingly or unwittingly, Barr, Giuliani, and Pompeo have been used as Russian tools.

[kentuck]

We do not like to think anyone would betray our country wittingly.

But, it is very difficult to explain the actions of William Barr, Mike Pompeo, and Rudy Giuliani except by "they were just following orders".

Barr, who has been under a cloud since he took the job of Attorney General, is maybe the most difficult to try and understand. How is it anything except betrayal to travel to other countries to get information from their intelligence services about our own FBI and CIA? Why would he trust them more than our own people? Could he not find anyone in our intelligence agencies to help him investigate? Does he think they are all "deep state"? Or is he simply doing it to appease Donald Trump?

We now find out that Pompeo sat in on the phone call with the Ukraine president and, as far as we know, did not say anything to anybody? He has been one of the most loyal water carriers for Donald Trump since he moved over from the CIA to the State Dept. He has been complicit, at every step, with Donald Trump.

Nobody knows what the deal is with Giuliani? He seems to share his pathologies with his friend, Donald? He likes the limelight. He likes to spin lies to counter the most obvious facts. He is very adept at distraction and muddying the waters. Sometimes he travels as Trump's attorney and sometimes he travels as an envoy of the State Dept and sometimes he travels as a private citizen. But all his efforts to impress Donald Trump are really for the benefit of Putin and Russia. It is a huge gamble to have him testify before the Intel Committee. He has a way of turning everything upside down.

Tilting at their conspiracy windmills, do they understand the extent to which they have betrayed our country?

...

[kentuck]

2. When the AG travels to UK, Australia, and Italy to get intelligence on our own FBI and CIA...

But, indeed, they do indulge in a lot of secrecy. If people are known by the company they keep, then we probably have a pretty good idea who these people are? They talk about a "deep state" but they can never define it? It's invisible.

[Mike 03]

5. You both nailed it. This is as "Deep State" as it gets.

[Mike 03]

3. Nicely done.

One thing I'll never be able to explain is why it makes absolutely no difference to outlets like Fox, Infowars, the NRA and its membership, or the Trump base that they are completely and obviously doing Russia's bidding. They are utterly indifferent to this fact and sometimes even seem to take joy in it.

[abqtommy]

4. My understanding is that acts of treason and betrayal are always

founded on a payoff involving money and various favors that include sexual access. It appears to me that all such behavior is entered into knowingly/wittingly/eagerly. We can't afford to even think about showing mercy to these individuals.

[dlk]

9. Rest assured, there is kompromat-the Russians are arguably the best in that arena

Trump, Barr, Pompeo, Giuliani, et al., should be shown the same degree of mercy they would show any Democrat. Lock them all up and throw away the key.

[abqtommy]

23. Thanks for the additional detaill!

[Turbineguy]

6. They are smart enough to know.

It's wittingly.

Some of trump's voters are unwitting useful idiots.

[Baltimike]

7. Off to the Greatest with you nt

[Baitball Blogger]

8. Wittingly. These men are smart enough to know what they were doing.

[dlk]

10. It's the hubris...

After a lifetime of privilege and never being held accountable for their crimes, the believe they are untouchable.

[Baitball Blogger]

11. That's exactly correct.

[dlk]

14. In the Greek tragedy version, hubris leads to nemesis

Sometimes, life imitates art...

[uponit7771]

12. +1

[NewJeffCT]

15. Barr and Pompeo are smart enough

I think Rudy is past his prime

[Baitball Blogger]

19. Barr scares me more than the others.

He is a real operative, isn't he?

[NewJeffCT]

21. I tend to agree

The egregious and flagrant lawbreaking really took off once he became AG - he's basically been daring Democrats to impeach or arrest him.

[machoneman]

13. Barr believes the president can do no wrong and can violate any law w/o punishment of any kind.

Took me an overnight sleep to figure out why he'd do an obviously lawless thing that's against the Constitution. Before his narrow conformation, I had read that he's developed over the years the totally insane idea that as President there is no law, jury, Capitol Hill committee or law enforcement agency that can hold him accountable for anything. This is the primary if not sole reason Trumpy picked him from a long line of other sycophants.

Really, it is an easily debunked idea yet in practice, until the day Trump is removed from office (and hopefully jailed 10 minutes later) Barr is correct in that he's above ANY law. Barr is likely banking on the fact that even if he himself is impeached and later charged with felony crimes, he's wagered that it will take years or appeals and SC rulings before, even if found guilty, he'd even hit a jail cell. Makes me also wonder if he some slow-moving terminal disease that allows him to say fuck it, I'll be a dead man before I ever see the inside of a jail cell!

p.s. I wonder if he's even insightful enough to see how his name will go down in history along side Nixon's stooges? Poor family, they will be forever tainted....and that's a good thing!!!!

[dlk]

17. It's common for Republicans to throw all the garbage against the walk & see what sticks

If they can get away with it, they’ll do so. Facing actual consequences for their lawlessness is the best solution.

[NewJeffCT]

18. It's the Unitary Executive Theory

basically, some think the president should more or less function like a King

Bill Barr and Brett Kavanaugh are both proponents of the idea.

[spanone]

16. It appears these people took an oath to don trump instead of the USA

What's in it for them? Wealth? Power?

[Wounded Bear]

20. They're in on it. All of them...

[dalton99a]

22. These are not low-IQ people.

They are willing and eager participants