Coming Legal Attractions

American Thinker:

In Democracy in America Alexis de Tocqueville wrote about his perceptions of America almost 200 years ago. Much of his observations have stood the test of time. Among them his views of Americans’ respect for the legal system:

Scarcely any question arises in the United States which does not become, sooner or later, a subject of judicial debate; hence all parties are obliged to borrow the ideas, and even the language, usual in judicial proceedings in their daily controversies. As most public men are, or have been, legal practitioners, they introduce the customs and technicalities of their profession into the affairs of the country. The jury extends this habitude to all classes. The language of the law thus becomes, in some measure, a vulgar tongue; the spirit of the law, which is produced in the schools and courts of justice, gradually penetrates beyond their walls into the bosom of society, where it descends to the lowest classes, so that the whole people contracts the habits and the tastes of the magistrate. The lawyers of the United States form a party which is but little feared and scarcely perceived, which has no badge peculiar to itself, which adapts itself with great flexibility to the exigencies of the time, and accommodates itself to all the movements of the social body; but this party extends over the whole community, and it penetrates into all classes of society; it acts upon the country imperceptibly, but it finally fashions it to suit its purposes.

And so it is, that two matters of public interest: The misuse of intelligence to affect the presidential election in Hillary Clinton’s favor and then to hamstring and oust Donald Trump and the enduring mysteries surrounding Jeffrey Epstein will test the legal system and the public’s continued willingness to respect it.

1. The Misuse of Political Power and Access to Intelligence Information 

James Comey

Two matters are likely to reveal more of the machinations of the FBI and intelligence agencies in the past presidential election and since. First there’s the Department of Justice’s Inspector General’s inquiries. The first inquiry resulted in a devastating account of former FBI Director James Comey’s conduct. Many were disappointed that Attorney General William Barr chose not to indict him based on the record IG Michael Horowitz presented, but bear in mind, this inquiry did not cover what will be a larger report on the abuse of the FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) in which it seems Comey played a significant role.

While Comey, as is his self-deluded wont, claims the report vindicated him, it most certainly did not.  more here

h/t Forcibly Deranged.