It was a political earthquake at the time; New York Times columnist William Safire had been calling Barr "Coverup-General" instead of attorney general months before that because Barr had helped Bush, earlier in the year, cover up the illegal sale of weapons of mass destruction to Saddam Hussein.
"William Barr, the 42-year-old Attorney General, became acquainted with Mr. Bush in his 20's, when he served as one of his aides in the C.I.A.," Safire wrote on December 28, 1992. He added, "A loyal order-follower, Barr makes no major decision without a nod or wink from his mentor [Bush]."
In an op-ed two weeks earlier, Safire noted that "the Coverup-General and his corrupt crew" [had] a style that would make a Watergater blush."
In the Nazi era, the man holding Bill Barr's job in Germany's government was German Justice Minister Franz Gurtner. One of his most famous quotes was, "If you cannot recognize the will of the Fuhrer as a source of law, then you cannot remain a judge."
Like Trump's "very fine people" threatening Democratic governors with assault weapons and swastikas, it appears that Coverup-General Barr is also taking a cue from previous fascist regimes: be it George W. Bush or Donald Trump, a Republican president is a law unto himself.
If he colludes with foreign powers, breaks numerous laws, and damages the government of the United States, that's all fine. He's the president, and his authority "will not be questioned."
As a result, we now stand at a historical fork in the road.
In one direction, outrage doesn't die first: Barr has gone too far in supporting naked treason by a former military official and the politician he served, and will be held accountable by Congress, the Courts and the press.
In the other direction, future Democratic presidents are only willing to "look forward instead of looking backward," the press develops amnesia like it has about Barr's 1992 history, and another act of Republican treason for political purposes goes unpunished and eventually fades from memory.
Will the "winner" be Trump and Barr, or American democracy? History's guide is uncertain.
This article was produced by Economy for All, a project of the Independent Media Institute.
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