Four Department of Justice prosecutors working on the case of Roger Stone, a close friend of President Trump, withdrew from legal proceedings Tuesday after Attorney General William Barr overruled their sentencing recommendations. The president had complained about the long sentence.

Barr denied that President Trump asked him to intervene and claimed he wouldn't be "bullied or influenced by anybody." He said Thursday that the president should stop tweeting about DOJ criminal cases. The president took to Twitter Friday to say he has the "legal right." Shortly therafter, the DOJ dropped their probe into former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.

Before you think this is more than theater, keep in mind that Barr also set up a process to vet information that Rudy Giuliani is gathering in Ukraine. And he tasked prosecutors to review the case of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.

This is the last episode of Pardon Me. We think it's fitting to end the series on endings: the end of functioning institutions, the end of trust in government, the end of fact-based reality, the end of freedom for the press -- the end of democracy, itself.

We remain hopeful.

GUESTS:
Frankie Graziano - A reporter at Connecticut Public Radio
David Plotz - CEO of Atlas Obscura, co-host of the Slate Political Gabfest
Jay Rosen - A media critic and a professor of journalism at NYU
Philip Rucker - White House Bureau Chief at The Washington Post, co-author of A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump's Testing of America
Chion Wolf - A producer, photographer, and announcer at Connecticut Public Radio

Thanks to Catie Talarski and Tim Rasmussen.

Pardon Me is a production of The Colin McEnroe Show on Connecticut Public Radio.

Four Department of Justice prosecutors working on the case of Roger Stone, a close friend of President Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/justice-dept-to-reduce-sentencing-recommendation-for-trump-associate-roger-stone-official-says-after-president-calls-it-unfair/2020/02/11/ad81fd36-4cf0-11ea-bf44-f5043eb3918a_story.html">withdrew from legal proceedings</a>&nbsp;Tuesday after Attorney General William Barr overruled their sentencing recommendations. The president had complained about the long sentence.
Barr&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/barr-pushes-back-against-trumps-criticism-of-justice-dept-says-tweets-make-it-impossible-for-me-to-do-my-job/2020/02/13/7ff5f308-4e7c-11ea-9b5c-eac5b16dafaa_story.html">denied that President Trump asked him to intervene</a>&nbsp;and claimed he wouldn't be "bullied or influenced by anybody." He said Thursday that the president should stop tweeting about DOJ criminal cases. The president&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-appears-to-escalate-standoff-with-attorney-general-and-justice-dept-declaring-on-twitter-a-legal-right-to-influence-criminal-cases/2020/02/14/8c152c36-4f2f-11ea-bf44-f5043eb3918a_story.html">took to Twitter Friday</a>&nbsp;to say he has the "legal right." Shortly therafter,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/14/doj-drops-case-against-former-fbi-deputy-director-andrew-mccabe-115251">the DOJ dropped their probe</a>&nbsp;into former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.
Before you think this is more than theater, keep in mind that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/02/10/attorney_general_william_barr_doj_is_vetting_giulianis_info_from_ukraine.html">Barr also set up a process</a>&nbsp;to vet information that Rudy Giuliani is gathering in Ukraine. And&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-appears-to-escalate-standoff-with-attorney-general-and-justice-dept-declaring-on-twitter-a-legal-right-to-influence-criminal-cases/2020/02/14/8c152c36-4f2f-11ea-bf44-f5043eb3918a_story.html">he tasked prosecutors</a>&nbsp;to review the case of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.
This is the last episode of&nbsp;Pardon Me. We think it's fitting to end the series on endings: the end of functioning institutions, the end of trust in government, the end of fact-based reality, the end of freedom for the press -- the end of democracy, itself.
We remain hopeful.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Frankie Graziano&nbsp;- A reporter at Connecticut Public Radio</li>
<li>David Plotz&nbsp;- CEO of Atlas Obscura, co-host of the&nbsp;Slate Political Gabfest</li>
<li>Jay Rosen&nbsp;- A media critic and a professor of journalism at NYU</li>
<li>Philip Rucker&nbsp;- White House Bureau Chief at&nbsp;The Washington Post, co-author of&nbsp;A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump's Testing of America</li>
<li>Chion Wolf&nbsp;- A producer, photographer, and announcer at Connecticut Public Radio</li>
</ul>
Thanks to Catie Talarski and Tim Rasmussen.
<a href="https://wnpr.org/pardonme">Pardon Me</a>&nbsp;is a production of&nbsp;<a href="https://wnpr.org/colin">The Colin McEnroe Show</a>&nbsp;on Connecticut Public Radio.

Does the Trump impeachment drama feel like drinking from a fire hose? If so, join host Colin McEnroe, public radio personality and columnist, for an energetic weekly round-up that brings you the latest developments and perspectives from guests like Dave Eggers, Adam Gopnik, Emily Bazelon and Dahlia Lithwick among other journalists, novelists, ethicists, essayists and podiatrists.*

"Pardon Me" also airs on Connecticut Public Radio Saturdays at noon.

Not to be confused with a podcast of a similar name, Colin may do occasional kettlebell workouts, but they won’t be a big part of the show. And make sure you are not actually drinking from a fire hose, because that’s very dangerous.

*Only if Gordon Sondland develops specific foot ailments.

Does the Trump impeachment drama feel like drinking from a fire hose? If so, join host Colin McEnroe, public radio personality and columnist, for an energetic weekly round-up that brings you the latest developments and perspectives from guests like Dave Eggers, Adam Gopnik, Emily Bazelon and Dahlia Lithwick among other journalists, novelists, ethicists, essayists and podiatrists.*
"Pardon Me" also airs on Connecticut Public Radio Saturdays at noon.
Not to be confused with a podcast of a similar name, Colin may do occasional kettlebell workouts, but they won&rsquo;t be a big part of the show. And make sure you are not actually drinking from a fire hose, because that&rsquo;s very dangerous.
*Only if Gordon Sondland develops specific foot ailments.

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