Odds Are Even

Friday, the Justice Department announced that Attorney General William Barr will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, May 1st, and before the House Judiciary Committee the next day.

Today, Barr stated the would not show up to the House Committee on Thursday, citing what he called changes in the ground rules for his testimony.

Place your bet on any of, or as many of, the following as you care to.

1. Donald Trump, either implicitly or explicitly, leaned on Mr. Barr to demur.
2. Both Trump and Barr see the refusal as a means of delaying further accountability for either of them.
3. Both Trump and Barr also see the demurring as a possible means of gi8ving subpoenas, and in particular the subpoena House Judiciary Committee chair Jerry Nadler may issue to force Barr to testify, as beyond the pale, both politically and legally.

My money's on Nadler.