@normative (Twitter)

We’re about to be dragged through a bunch of tedious popular media debates over whether Julian Assange “is a journalist.” Let me save you some time: No, and the question is irrelevant.

It also makes the need for review & redaction, which I’d accepted as legitimate in theory, sound like a stall tactic. How long would it have taken to review the summaries? If we still can’t see those, why should we think we ever get to see anything substantial?

If Barr’s view of what must be withheld is so broad that it covers even Mueller’s summaries written deliberately for public release, then it is impossible to see how we can expect meaningful disclosure of the full report.

If I understand the reporting, Barr’s excuse for not releasing the Mueller team’s own summaries-written expressly for public release-is that these somehow remained so riddled with classified or grand jury information that this was impossible. That is not credible.

Mighty thanks to @CatoInstitute's Julian Sanchez (@normative) who had two articles in Just Security's most read articles of 2018. 1. On “Releasing The Memo” https://www.justsecurity.org/51385/releasing-memo/ 2. Brand Loyalty

First pass thoughts on the Dem response memo: This is a pretty thorough demolition of Nunes’ insinuations of impropriety by FBI/DOJ, which were pretty weak as it stands. Also clarifies that Steele’s reporting re: Page was eventually corroborated. https://www.justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/house-intell-memo-hmtg-115-ig00-20180205-sd002-HIGHLIGHT.pdf

It really can’t be overstressed how much serious damage Devin Nunes has just done to both the credibility & effectiveness of HPSCI.

Let me just register again how heartbreaking it is that we’re finally having a huge public debate about surveillance abuse and it’s so transparently frivolous that I’m forced to take FBI’s side.

.@CatoInstitute senior fellow @normative says there aren't many things that @GOP and @TheDemocrats both seem to unanimously agree on. Opposing U.S. government nationalization of the #5G network is one of them.

Listen: @bskorup joined Caleb Brown & @normative on the @catoinstitute podcast to discuss the #NetNeutrality debate & the future of Internet regulation