White House frustration with Garland grows

[riversedge]

White House frustration with Garland grows

The president believes the special counsel investigating his handling of classified documents went beyond his remit. And part of the blame is being placed on the AG.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/09/white-house-frustration-with-garland-grows-00140813



By Jonathan Lemire and Sam Stein

02/09/2024 07:19 PM EST

Joe Biden has told aides and outside advisers that Attorney General Merrick Garland did not do enough to rein in a special counsel report stating that the president had diminished mental faculties, according to two people close to the president, as White House frustration with the head of the Justice Department grows.

The report from special counsel Robert Hur ultimately cleared Biden of any charges stemming from his handling of classified documents that were found at Biden’s think tank and his home. But Hur’s explanation for not bringing charges — that Biden would have persuaded the jury that he was a forgetful old man — upended the presidential campaign and infuriated the White House.

Biden and his closest advisers believe Hur went well beyond his purview and was gratuitous and misleading in his descriptions, according to those two people, who were granted anonymity to speak freely. And they put part of the blame on Garland, who they say should have demanded edits to Hur’s report, including around the descriptions of Biden’s faltering memory.

In White House meetings, aides have questioned why Garland felt the need to appoint a special counsel in the first place, though Biden has publicly said he supported the decision.
..........................


Frustration within the White House at Garland has been growing steadily.................................

[chicoescuela]

1. Imagine that.

[hlthe2b]

2. I could not agree more with Biden on this.

[RockRaven]

3. Can't do anything about the AG until after the election, at this point, and

if the Repugs control either chamber in the next Congress, replacing him will be just another thing they hold bullshit hearings/investigations over.

[Irish_Dem]

4. I have been frustrated with Garland for quite some time.

Hope the WH makes some changes.

[Skittles]

7. yup

but if we express that opinion we are schooled by some folk who think he walks on water

[Irish_Dem]

10. Now we can say that Joe Biden agrees with us.

Last edited Sat Feb 10, 2024, 08:12 PM - Edit history (1)

[Skittles]

40. pretty sure he has had his number for some time now

yes indeed

[Irish_Dem]

41. Just like some of us had Garland's number for some time.

[bamagal62]

5. We've all wondered

About Garland. Now we know. Remember when we used to like Mueller? There were people even wearing Mueller necklaces. He was going to be the greatest ever. Look how that turned out.

[Fiendish Thingy]

6. Well, then, Joe, it's up to you to fire him, if these reports are accurate. Nt

[gab13by13]

15. I agree, can we trust Politico?

Maybe if the Hill had reported it.

It’s too late to fire Garland, wasn’t that your position? Maybe it was Joe’s, (not Biden)

[Fiendish Thingy]

37. No, that was your position.

I’ve never thought there was a reason to fire Garland, I only suggested that those who thought Garland was derelict in his duties, it was only logical that they should call for Biden to fire him.

If the reports are true, and Biden truly believes Garland has been derelict and has let him down personally, then he should insist that Garland resign, now, despite the risk that would pose in disrupting the ongoing investigations, prosecutions and trials.

[Cha]

8. Good to see this.

Been wondering what Team Biden is thinking about all of this as far as AG is CONCERNED!

TY 🇺🇸💙🌊🕊️

[BeyondGeography]

9. Fire his ass

Garland has been a total dud. Stop playing nice.

Let a couple of months go by then bring in someone who won’t have any illusions about nor be intimidated by Trumpublican criminality. The election and its aftermath will be a war. Garland is NOT who you want leading the DOJ through that.

[MadameButterfly]

11. I was disappointed with the appointment of Garland form the start

and he's done nothing to change my mind. Let's have Doug Jones before more damage is done.
Though it's a little late.

[Arazi]

12. Surely the Merrick Garland defenders know more than Joe Biden!!11!!

Joe Biden obviously doesn't understand the process. Nor does he have patience

[gab13by13]

13. Imagine that

Garland is a Biden nominee he isn’t allowed to criticize him.

Waiting for Garland defenders to criticize President Biden.

[PufPuf23]

17. POTUS Biden is a great POTUS.

Joe Biden has far exceeded my expectations.

Don't think many could see the cascade of Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Israel-Gaza on international stage nor the Trump dead enders, invented immigration issue, out of control USSC, Hunter Biden harassment, Covid, and various economic and environmental issues domestic.

Problem is that the GOP does what it can to foster failure. Traitors.

POTUS Biden has been amazing and resilient. I am more committed to Joe Biden than the day he was elected.

[bigtree]

21. waiting for Pres. Biden to actually say what Politico claimed

....until then, it's just more anonymous shit-stirring from a known shiitstirring rag.

WHO said that the president feels this way? Who?

"Two people close to the president?"

Apparently not, if they're undermining him to Politico reporters. When has the WH ever used Politico to broadcast the president's intentions?

Anyone know?? It's not Pres. Biden, or they would have quoted him.

I know well that won't stop the Garland bashers from repeating it. Politico is counting on it.

"Asked on Friday whether the president had confidence in Garland, Ian Sams, a White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations, noted Biden’s comments from the day before saying he supported the appointment of a special counsel."

[agingdem]

29. another Politico "two people close to the president"

Last edited Sat Feb 10, 2024, 01:21 AM - Edit history (1)

hit piece...it's never one person always two people to give the article a touch of credibility... Biden and his people are very quiet..they don't spill and they particularly don't spill to Politico..and the never-ending drumbeat to fire Garland is exhausting...

[Hassler]

14. Garland has shown himself to be worse than useless.

[dalton99a]

16. +1

[Freethinker65]

18. Garland was supported by Orrin Hatch for SCOTUS.

That pretty much says it all. Orrin Hatch, when younger, often found common ground with Democrats (He and Ted Kennedy often worked together on legislation), as Orrin aged, he became a grumpy political partisan hack. Orrin suggested Garland for SCITUS during the partisan political hack years.

[bigtree]

19. despite that this is more unnamed gossip from Politico trying to stir shit

...and that Pres. Biden nor any of his aides have said anything like this publicly, and have actually said the opposite, I call bullshit on that lead and the aonymous quotes they used.

Here they contradict their own reporting as they turn their guns on the president:

The president’s team had the option to exert executive privilege over elements of Hur’s report but declined to do so. And had Garland made edits to the report, he would have had to explain those redactions to Congress.

Beyond that, Garland felt the need to appoint a special counsel in the classified documents case in part because the president’s team bungled when the first documents were discovered.

“The way in which the White House story kept changing at the outset made it much more difficult for the Justice Department to resist having a special counsel,” said the former official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Had there been a very clear story at the beginning, it would have been easier.”

Don't expect the president to come out tomorrow and start a stink over Garland behind some unnamed aides who talked to reporters, either.

Garland's name has hardly left Pres. Biden's mouth in the entirety of his presidency, and he didn't name him in ANY statement since the report's release, so I'd be careful following a shit-stirring rag known for anti-Democratic fuckery in associating any of this with Pres. Biden.

FFS, the WH pushback on this hit piece is right in the article! Right there.

"Asked on Friday whether the president had confidence in Garland, Ian Sams, a White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations, noted Biden’s comments from the day before saying he supported the appointment of a special counsel."

The ONLY people who they found to say this on record are some dinosaur Dem operatives glad someone wants to hear what they have to say again.

[MustLoveBeagles]

20. I can't blame the president for being frustrated

I was never rabidly pro or anti-Garland until now. As much as it pains me to say it President Biden appointing him AG was a mistake. He might've done better as a Supreme Court Justice.

[Rebl2]

24. He's a

bad AG and would be worse SCJ. He would likely vote with republican SCJ most of time.

[Poiuyt]

22. Biden has been unusually loyal to his Cabinet

Most presidents are not shy about making changes to their Cabinets. Garland should have been replaced long ago.

[boston bean]

23. Get his resignation.

[PortTack]

27. There's the ticket! And... I think that is done a lot

[Rebl2]

25. Garland

had back surgery last week. Maybe his pain medication is clouding his judgement.

[BlueKota]

26. Garland needs to resign forthwith

The president shouldn't have to fire him. If Garland has any honor that's what he should do. He should have reviewed Hur's report and insist he included facts only. Hur should not have been allowed to have rendered personal judgments on the President's mental or physical health as he is not a physician.

[PortTack]

28. ☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️

[Mr.Bill]

30. I love that she's the Vice President,

but Kamala Harris would have made a great AG. If she had been AG, I think Trump would have an orange wardrobe by now.

[Orrex]

31. Biden is expressing a view that many here have voiced for months

Someone should warn Biden that he's in for a scolding, if the trend here is any predictor.

[budkin]

32. He has to be fired over this.

ENOUGH.

[Kablooie]

33. Garland has mostly been doing things that help Trump and Republicans.

In the name of being non-partisan.
It indicates to me that he's actually partisan, in favor of Republicans.

[xocetaceans]

34. Merrick the Meek Milquetoast rides again.... n/t

[Stinky The Clown]

35. He's gotta go. Like last year.

[usaf-vet]

36. Are Mueller and Garland cousins? We have been told repeatedly that the best of the best will get to the bottom ....

... of the latest form of corruption in our Democracy. We hear, be patient—there is no need to be concerned.

The investigation is on track. The trials will happen before the November 2024 election.

Then, the certainty starts to soften, and we hear the bets being hedged.

All the while, the evidence of it actually happening gets thinner.

Just look at the flop the Mueller turned out to be.

Did anyone face justice? Or did AG Barr alter the fact to let the perps pat themselves on the back again and, with smiling faces, walk away?

[spanone]

38. And the media is lapping it up....

The Challenges of an Aging President (NYT Editorial)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=18669315

[radius777]

39. Early on many of us said that Garland was another Mueller

but such concerns were usually met with scolding about how great Garland was, how we were just impatient and ignorant keyboard warriors.

The plain reality is that Donald Trump is using democracy against itself, exposing how weak and rickety our system really is, as those tasked to defend it often seem paralyzed to act.

On day one Garland should've moved full steam ahead in prosecuting the head insurrectionist and coup plotter Mr. Trump. Instead Garland went after the little fish and slow walked it to avoid being seen as partisan or divisive. There also was no need to wait until Congress was finished with it's J6 inquiry, things could've operated on parallel tracks. It's the slavish dedication to order rather than to justice, that MLK warned about, that gets us to this place.