John Avlon: The Mueller Report Spends Nine Pages Detailing How Congress Can Take Up the Question of Obstruction

EXCERPT:

AVLON: "Barr was asked by CNN’s Laura Jarrett whether the Justice Department's policy that the presidents can’t be indicted influenced Mueller's decision not to charge the President with obstruction. He said it didn’t. But the report says the opposite. Quote, 'Fairness concerns counseled against potentially reaching that judgment when no charges can be brought.' Barr also said there was no indication that Mueller punted on obstruction because he felt this was a job for Congress rather than the Attorney General. The Mueller report spends nine pages detailing how Congress can take up the question of obstruction because of the DoJ policy against indicting a sitting president. It says explicitly that the conclusion that Congress may apply the obstruction laws to the President’s corrupt exercise of powers of the office accords with our constitutional system of checks and balances and the principle that no person is above the law.' Finally, Barr shared the redacted report with Trump’s legal team, stating it was standard practice. But for what it's worth, when Bill Clinton’s lawyer asked Ken Starr for an advanced look at his report back in the day, Starr refused. The Mueller report presents a picture of a president with little regard for the rule of law, but it’s President Trump’s good fortune that he came up against a Special Vounsel with such respect for the rule of law that Trump dodged a bullet on the key question of obstruction despite ample evidence. And that’s your reality check."