If you had the great misfortune of watching Meet the Press this Sunday, you'd have seen Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky do all manner of shrugging about Donald Trump being an unindicted co-conspirator. He complained that the Special Counsel Office has already determined a crime and is only looking for someone to blame. He whined that the sentencing memo on Michael Cohen wasn't significant because "I don't know what's illegal about trying to build a hotel in Russia." And in fact, if you look at his voting record, there's almost no deviation from Trump's policies.

So it's particularly ridiculous for Paul to assert his "independence" at the end of his segment to suggest that he might not be a rubberstamp for Trump's AG nominee Bill Barr. He told host Chuck Todd that he was very "concerned" about some of the expansive beliefs of Barr in terms of surveilling Americans, which he found "very, very troubling."

Oh, isn't that cute? Rand Paul acts as if he actually has principles. Forget the blatant criminalization of the White House staff with indictments racking up weekly. Forget that inescapable conclusion that Russia has interfered in our election with the known endorsement of these tactics by the head of his party. Forget that we are being laughed at and sneered at by international allies. Forget that Donald Trump and his son-in-law are cozying up to some of the worst actors on the world stage.

What's really concerning is Bill Barr's feelings on warrantless wiretapping.

This kabuki theater is equally ridiculous for its pretense that Paul will do anything but vote for the nominee when the time comes.

But hey, he got some air time with a hapless Chuck Todd eager to normalize him. So it's a win-win.