Attorney General William Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod “Wire” Rosesntein will give a press conference tomorrow morning at 9:30. It will precede the release of the redacted Mueller report to Congress and to the public by 90 minutes (release is scheduled for 11 a.m.). This, one is sort of sad to have to point out, is not unusual. Nor is it illegal, immoral, or unethical. And yet:

MSNBC outraged that Barr will hold a presser tomw in releasing Mueller report. He might spin! So pundits should be able to talk all day about the AG, but he’s muzzled? — HowardKurtz (@HowardKurtz) April 17, 2019

#BoycottBarr? Should reporters not attend a press conference about a report before they can read it? (Not calling for a boycott. But it’s an interesting thought exercise.) — David Corn (@DavidCornDC) April 17, 2019

This is a thought

A hilarious exercise would be Barr announcing your indictment along with your co-conspirators. https://t.co/f1kraMoAsX — JWF (@JammieWF) April 18, 2019

NBC News confirms: A hard-copy of the redacted version of Mueller's report will be made available to Congress at 11 a.m. That means the document will be handed over 90 minutes after William Barr and Rod Rosenstein have a press conference.https://t.co/gETitpWNqG — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 17, 2019

Sorry but this is not a press conference – it’s an opportunity for Barr to put a spin on the ball or defend himself. No one can ask real questions here. https://t.co/dNTLk95iPX — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) April 17, 2019

Reminder: In a letter to the Judiciary Committee heads on March 29, William Barr said, "I do not believe it would be in the public's interest for me to attempt to summarize the full report." https://t.co/Rhaz9nN3XM — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 17, 2019

(As you may have noticed, Kyle Griffin, the SecondMostSlappableFaceOnTheInternetTM, is not really the sharpest tool in the shed, or, since we’re talking journalists, the sharpest sandwich in the picnic basket.)

“They are making Al Capone look straight,” one House Judiciary Committee member said of Attorney General Bill Barr’s rollout plan. https://t.co/kwdO2Y7Xay — The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) April 17, 2019

This is the Washington Post’s Fact Check toad

Barr news conference at 9:30 am, Mueller report released at 11 am: In the annals of pathetic efforts to spin apparently bad news in Washington, this ranks near the top. — Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) April 17, 2019

House Democrats exploded in anger over William Barr’s plans to roll out Mueller’s report, accusing the DOJ of trying to spin its contents and protect Donald Trumphttps://t.co/KzH3CIF3yV — POLITICO (@politico) April 17, 2019

Here’s Pencil Neck

Just been informed by DOJ that we’ll receive Mueller’s report only after Barr gives a press conference. Once again, Barr wants to shape the public’s perception of the report. This is on top of reports DOJ secretly briefed the White House. This is not justice. Just PR. — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) April 17, 2019

AG Barr has thrown out his credibility & the DOJ’s independence with his single-minded effort to protect @realDonaldTrump above all else. The American people deserve the truth, not a sanitized version of the Mueller Report approved by the Trump Admin. https://t.co/fgXwiLuQfr — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) April 17, 2019

I’m deeply troubled by reports that the WH is being briefed on the Mueller report AHEAD of its release. Now, DOJ is informing us we will not receive the report until around 11/12 tomorrow afternoon — AFTER Barr’s press conference. This is wrong. #ReleaseTheReport https://t.co/bR50HhGJ0i — (((Rep. Nadler))) (@RepJerryNadler) April 17, 2019

Newsflash: no one wants to hear from Barr. Show us the full report. You should never have been confirmed and at best should be recused. We don’t need a statement from the President’s legal team. We want the full #MuellerReport — Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) April 17, 2019

From the tenor of the screeching you’d be correct in thinking that Barr’s press release has screwed with a plan coordinated between House Democrats and their many fluffers in the press to launch a blitz of pre-written takes on the report to set the narrative. Barr’s press conference ensures his interpretation gets discussed for about an hour before the Democrats get the report. It means that instead of setting their narrative first, they will first have to deal with the version of events set out by Barr and Rosenstein as well as the GOP voices echoing those points. What had been an exercise in creating a media narrative how has become a dogfight with the White House scheduled to release its rebuttal of the report later in the afternoon.

For two years msm has spun the collusion story in a ridiculous direction. Now they're upset over losing control for 1 1/2 hours. Everyone is going to get to read it. If Barr lies, then we'll know. — David Harsanyi (@davidharsanyi) April 17, 2019

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