The Redacted Mueller Report

[_SPG]

Spirit is the power that changes the world. And do, yes, it's the truth even though it never happened.

You have a way with words.

You're like Deepak Chopra, what with your mystifying messages. How can one not be impressed?

Impressions are the first forms of spirit.

[_canpakes]

Well this thread went off the rails.

We can put it back on the rails with this commentary from Fox’s Andrew Napolitano:

Obstruction is a rare crime that is rarely completed. Stated differently, the obstructer need not succeed in order to be charged with obstruction. That's because the statute itself prohibits attempting to impede or interfere with any government proceeding for a corrupt or self-serving purpose.
...

Mueller laid out at least a half-dozen crimes of obstruction committed by Trump -- from asking former Deputy National Security Adviser K.T. McFarland to write an untruthful letter about the reason for Flynn's chat with Kislyak, to asking Corey Lewandowski and then-former White House Counse lDon McGahn to fire Mueller and McGahn to lie about it, to firing Comey to impede the FBI's investigations, to dangling a pardon in front of Michael Cohen to stay silent, to ordering his aides to hide and delete records.

The essence of obstruction is deception or diversion -- to prevent the government from finding the truth. To Mueller, the issue was not if Trump committed crimes of obstruction. Rather, it was if Trump could be charged successfully with those crimes.

Mueller knew that Barr would block an indictment of Trump because Barr has a personal view of obstruction at odds with the statute itself. Barr's view requires that the obstructer has done his obstructing in order to impede the investigation or prosecution of a crime that the obstructer himself has committed. Thus, in this narrow view, because Trump did not commit the crime of conspiracy with the Russians, it was legally impossible for Trump to have obstructed the FBI investigation of that crime.

The nearly universal view of law enforcement, however, is that the obstruction statute prohibits all attempted self-serving interference with government investigations or proceedings...

On obstruction, Barr is wrong.

[_subgenius]

Well this thread went off the rails.

We can put it back on the rails with this commentary from Fox’s Andrew Napolitano:

Good to see you finally getting on board with supporting and perpetuating Fox News - congratulations!

[_canpakes]

Good to see you finally getting on board with supporting and perpetuating Fox News - congratulations!

Thanks, but your comment shows a lack of understanding of the difference between a single person who was a judge + attorney, and an entire network.

When are you going to sign up for those English classes at your local community college? They’ll be happy to help you with your problem. : )

[_Some Schmo]

When are you going to sign up for those English classes at your local community college? They’ll be happy to help you with your problem. : )

I'm not so sure. All the English classes in the world won't cure stupid.