OPINION:
No collusion. No obstruction of justice. No evidence of trying to stymy the special counsel investigation as it proceeded, for months and months and months — those are the nuts and bolts of Attorney General William Barr’s determinations regarding President Donald Trump and what can now be cavalierly called That Russia Thang.
Guess what else is a big “no”?
The chance for Democrats to let this go.
“[Jerry] Nadler, [Nancy] Pelosi, other Dems blast DOJ ahead of Mueller report release,” Fox News reported, in the lead-up to Barr’s widely watched press conference on special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.
“Democrats outraged as Trump team shapes Mueller report rollout,” CNN reported, in another headline.
What Democrats are hungering for — now that Trump’s been exonerated of all the Russia Thang allegations — is the full report, to sift through and seek out whatever question marks they can capitalize on and turn into controversy. One can hear the faux outrage now: Why is this redacted? Why is that bit blacked out? What is Barr trying to hide? The American people deserve the full report — they need transparency, for goodness sake.
It began hours ago, before Barr even stepped to the press conference podium.
“This is outrageous,” Rep. Elijah Cummings wrote on Twitter, just hours before Barr was due to release the report. “The AG is supposed to be an independent beacon of truth and justice. Instead, Barr is debasing the rule of law, degrading our democratic institutions and decimating any trust the American people have left in this Administration. #ReleaseTheReport.”
And from CBS, this headline: “Top Democrat Jerry Nadler says AG William Barr is trying to spin Mueller report.”
To all that, is this: Mueller himself assisted Barr with the redactions.
If Democrats want to accuse Barr of politicking on behalf of the president, they’ll have to accuse Mueller of the same.
This story should be about finished.
After 22 months, the issuance of hundreds of warrants and thousands of subpoenas, and the expenditure of millions of taxpayer dollars — all of which led to one big nothingburger for charges on Team Trump — this story should be at its final chapter, about to wrap.
But Democrats won’t let it go.
They invested heavily in an “impeach Trump” message based on a Russia collusion charge and just because investigation shows innocence, means nothing to the left. Barr could talk ’til he’s blue in the face and witch-hunting Democrats will still say Trump is guilty. Of what? Of being guilty. So it goes. Democrats: deaf, dumb and determined to trash this presidency.
The election campaigns of the Democrats will be all about the #ReleaseTheReport message.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley.
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