Sen. Amy Klobuchar appeared on Morning Joe to talk about today's nomination hearing for attorney general nominee Bill Barr.
She said, "This is the most important law enforcement justice job in the country. So, of course, I want to know a number of things. What he's going to do about voting rights when we've seen voter suppression all over the country. criminal justice reform. But, of course, I think one of the first things you'll hear members ask about is the Mueller investigation --especially with what you've been hearing from the White House with constant attacks on it.
"With the president now, all the new information about Russia. With him saying he wants to get out of NATO again. with him keeping, trying to suppress the notes that he took in meetings with Vladimir Putin. That's why this is so important. Is he going to protect that investigation and allow to it be completed? He said so in his opening statements. But in that memo where he had questioned part of the investigation, where he said that part of the investigation was fatally misconceived leads to problems. Secondly, the report. We want the whole report out, not just part of it. Yes, I think he needs to listen to career ethics people. There's grounds, I believe, for recusal. I want to hear what he says about that. This is a nominee who commended Attorney General Jeff Sessions for following the advice of the ethics attorneys and recusing himself from the investigation."
"Will you also be asking whether Mr. Barr agrees with the president of the United States who nominated him that the FBI is filled with dirty cops, that the Mueller investigation is a rigged witch-hunt? Will you see if Mr. Barr has the same low opinion of the very people who his Justice Department will be in charge of?" Joe Scarborough asked.
"You must have been listening in on our meeting last night," Klobuchar said.
"That was one question I added to our list of questions, because my background in law enforcement and as a prosecutor, I think you cannot have someone in the White House joined possibly by somebody in the Justice Department undermining the FBI that's doing their jobs. We're in a shutdown and these people are on the front line, FBI and Justice Department personnel doing their jobs every day without pay. So, a question about whether or not he supports them, that he's going to stand up for them. He did tell me in our meeting, he would be key because that's what we've been hearing every day from the white house and I can tell you how demoralizing it is when they are doing their jobs without pay right now. "
