Whither the Mueller Report?

current events, government, humor 2 Minutes

An Exploration in Rhyme…

MuellerBarrcartoon

 

Bill-Barr used unusual gauges
to file the 400-plus pages:
“I’ve made up my mind
There’s nothing to find,
So you’ll see that drivel in stages.”

The people were rather irate
They felt that a lot was at stake.
“If no wrong has been done
And the Trumper has won,
There’s no reason to play with our fate.”

“Let’s see the report as was written
Right now would be timely and fitting.
Place no holds on the facts,
Just forgo the redacts,
We paid for this not to be hidden.”

But Bill-Barr was cranky and dreading
That his reputation was shredding
“My 19-page audition
Said this prez has a mission,
So where did you think I’d be heading?”

And suddenly those with tight lips,
Who’d been wary of not sinking ships
Said “Good grief! Our worst fears
of two long, wasted years
Demand that we now give some tips.”

So the free press arose to report
About several probers’ exhort:
Barr had woven a story
That was really quite hoary,
With the truth it did not quite comport.

And now we’re all in waiting mode,
As Congress takes on this new load
Watch for the subpoenas,
While Fox’s hyenas,
Insist it’s conspiracy code.

But the polls show that most of us feel,
That this onion must finally be peeled.
If it isn’t collusion,
There’s still lots of confusion,
And high time the Whole Truth is revealed!

*****

What do YOU think?

As always, I greatly value your thoughts, opinions, and stories in the comment box below—as well as your feedback in the form of stars (from the one on the left for “awful” to the one on the right for “excellent”) and the “likes” from WordPress folks.  Thanks so much.

Annie

PS: A note to potential respondents: You’ll see a few early exchanges in rhyme. These are not prerequisites: I value your comments in whatever mode you choose. (Don’t want to discourage anyone who’s averse to verse!) Please also keep in mind that although this topic arouses strong emotions in me and most of you, we do want to remain as civil as possible. Thanks again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Published by annieasksyou

I've been a nonfiction writer for many years, exploring diverse topics that pique my curiosity, as noted in my first blog posting (Greetings!). I'm seeking dialogue with others committed to joining me in this exploration, sharing my conviction that different views can be exchanged in a respectful, civil discourse where we can learn from one another and be agreeable, even when we disagree. These postings depend for their enrichment on your participation: your ideas, insights, knowledge, opinions, and personal stories.

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23 thoughts on “Whither the Mueller Report?”

  1. Wow Annie making poetry out of the Mueller report. Great job. I live in Canada so am not caught up in the heated divisive battle of Democrats versus Republicans. I think now that the Russia collusion investigation has been completed and the verdict handed down, it is time to move on. I cannot get over the politics in the US where everyone sues everyone and no consensus is ever reached. People have to learn to let go.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thanks, Len. The point is that we don’t know the “verdict.” We do know that the attorney general got his job after writing an unsolicited 19- page memo giving his view of the results BEFORE Mueller had concluded his investigation—and that investigators who would not leak while it was going on are now saying Barr seriously misinformed the public. So there will never be clarity until the actual report is released—not Barr’s 4-page summary.

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  2. One thing I just cannot abide
    Is that Trump has so much to hide.
    Yet his minions stand by
    While he continues to lie
    About everyone who’s not on side.

    For too long, yes forever and a day
    Trump has continued to have his say
    Let’s hope that Mueller’s unredacted report
    Ultimately makes it to court
    Causing Trump to be carted away.

    Liked by 2 people

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  3. We know Trump as braggart
    Beloved by Fox News
    As schemer and slanderer
    But now…as a muse?

    Desensitizing minions
    To flagrant behavior
    To some he’s the devil,
    To others a savior.

    And now with Bill Barr
    Playing Donald Trump’s game,
    There’s no longer Justice.
    Does no one have shame?

    Nice post, Annie.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  4. I applaud your going the rhyme route. I don’t feel creative enough at the moment to rhyme you back. But.

    I understand that there are some longstanding legal and policy reasons for at least some redactions. The privacy of Grand jury testimony is protected by law (at least as I understand it) and it is a bad idea to not charge somebody but trash their reputation anyway (whether Trump or someone else). James Comey ignored this policy and very possibly this is the reason that we all have a President Trump in the first place.

    That said, I agree that there should be as much disclosure as possible. I am a little amazed at the conspiratorial theories going around about Barr. Say what you will about him, he is heavy hitting lawyer and he has to be bright enough to avoid misrepresenting things that are easily provable.

    From where I sit it looks like many partisans who are disappointed in the Mueller result are now ramping up congressional investigations into anything else that will bring down the Evil One. “We know he is a crook, we will eventually be able to prove it.” If something along the lines of a Watergate burglary or a bona fide crime comes up, by all means, investigate it. But these mushrooming congressional subpoenas and investigations are looking for the crime, not investigating one that has come to light. Seriously, some of these people are like the “birthers” or the ones upset that Obama never shared his college transcripts – “we know there’s something there and if we dig deep enough we will find it.”

    I think it is time for The Resistance to get this: There. Was. No. Russian. Collusion. That show is over and it is time to exit the theater. What concerns me is how our FBI and intelligence apparatus got wound up on this so as to spy on multiple American citizens. That they were all in the opposing political party makes it worse. And it is without question that Russia was indeed trying to influence our election. And what’s with the Chinese lady with the spyware at Trump’s club? It is a nasty world out there and this is where we should be looking for nefarious conduct.

    There are lots of legitimate reasons to dislike Trump. This is no longer one of them.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Ok, I’m back. First, I want to thank you for the “like.” As I was posting my “exploration in rhyme,” I thought to myself: “JP will not like this at all!” So I’m pleased to have another opportunity for civil discourse with you on topics on which we largely disagree.

      I do understand the need for redactions, and I would expect some if/when the public gets to see the Mueller documents. But there are redactions and REDACTIONS, and it appears from Barr’s statements that he has no intention of allowing Congress, let alone the public, to see the bulk of Mueller’s findings. That is indeed both regrettable and ethically questionable, in my view. We, the taxpayers, paid for this investigation, and at the very least, our representatives should have the opportunity to examine Mueller’s findings, unhindered by Barr’s judgments.

      When Barr wrote his 19-page memo (the one many felt was “auditioning for an administration job”), he immediately raised eyebrows about his impartiality. See this Lawfare article, which points out how erroneous much of it was.

      https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=14&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjBudCf6cPhAhWCm-AKHfLfBik4ChAWMAN6BAgIEAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lawfareblog.com%2Fbill-barrs-very-strange-memo-obstruction-justice&usg=AOvVaw3Sl2b1qn78-kAHVfVXA5di.

      I know Barr previously had a fine reputation as a hard-hitting but decent lawyer, but it appears not just to me–but also to many who have worked with him–that for reasons of his own, he has become a Trump partisan who is doing the President’s bidding, rather than serving as the Attorney General of the US. What you see as “conspiratorial theories” others see as evidence of a man who is doing what the President expected of him when he nominated him. I would like to be able to agree with you that he “has to be bright enough to avoid misrepresenting things that are easily provable.” That’s probably why he said in his 4-page memo that the Mueller report did NOT exonerate President Trump from obstruction of justice. But based on what investigators said (apparently not to the press, but to others who, in turn, told the press), he was certainly framing his presentation of the report in a way that they felt was just plain wrong. And what he is doing now is, in my view, simply stonewalling so that Congress can’t see the report. So much for the transparency that you and I agree is important. (Hooray for us!)

      Although you speak of “partisans,” if polls are to be believed, the majority of the public wants to know what really happened. There may not have been collusion to the extent that reached what Mueller felt was a crime. But we all saw publicly that members of Trump’s cabinet/staff, his son, and others knew of the Russian involvement and did not feel it was incumbent upon them to either report the approaches to the FBI or discourage them in any way. Trump, with his refusal to share his tax returns, feeds into questions about all his financial relationships with the Russians (and the Saudis and the Chinese, though those are different matters).

      Your concerns about the FBI and intelligence agencies are worthy; we must always be on guard against excesses. But to me, THEIR concerns that the man about to be President–and then who became President–was a pawn of the Russians justified their actions. And the fact that Trump trashed them from the very beginning and has yet to acknowledge the Russians’ role in the elections–and has not let anyone know of his discussions with Putin in private meetings–may well have encouraged these career professionals (more Republicans than Democrats) that they were on the right track. I still feel that they were. And the fact that the Trump administration has cut funding for efforts to make sure this kind of intervention doesn’t happen again both frightens me and shores up my view that there is, indeed, there, there.

      My greatest regret is that this cannot be quickly resolved so that we can try to deal with the many other real problems we have as a nation. One of them–a decimated Department of Homeland Security–should make every American worry. It is, indeed, a nasty world out there, and when I see Trump’s son-in-law cozy up to the murderous Saudi prince (who just happens to have helped him financially…)–and yes, what IS with the Chinese lady with the spyware at Trump’s club?, and why is he insisting on such lax security that the Secret Service felt compelled to say “‘wasn’t us?”–I worry about what will happen when Trump is truly tested.

      Regardless of Mueller’s findings, I don’t want to see Trump impeached; I want to see him voted out of office and then have to face the implications of his actions, which have not been–I hope you’ll agree with me here–those of a true Conservative Republican.

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      1. I guess all we can do is wait and see what comes out once the redactions have been completed. We may disagree here but I think Barr is too far along in his life and career to carry water for anyone. I guess we’ll see.

        In the spirit of things, perhaps I can try my hand at some poetry.

        There once was an AG named Barr
        Over Mueller with Congress he’d spar
        I’ll try to redact
        with maximum tact
        but I should have just stayed in the car. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    1. I hope we’ll see quite soon. If it’s true that Mueller’s team left specific shortened reports, then those are what Congress should see.
      As for your ditty about the AG:
      From the look on his face
      I suspect that the place
      He’d prefer to his car
      Would be an open bar.
      Cheers!

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  7. Love what you say,
    There’s gotta be a way,

    To say bye bye, bye bye, bye bye, BYE BYE
    Then we can all heave a great big sigh.

    Okay — so not half as eloquent as your lovely refrains, but the bye bye part works, I’m imagining? It’s meant to apply not just to Trump but to those entangled with him. That’s a long list, so my few bye byes are a mere gesture.

    Liked by 1 person

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