Attorney General William Barr, during testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, said he thought the Trump 2016 Presidential campaign had been spied on by Federal authorities, and he wanted to be sure whether that spying was legitimately done or not.

I think spying did occur.  The question is whether it was adequately predicated. …  Spying on a political campaign is a big deal.

Oh, the hoo-raw.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D, CA):

I don’t trust Barr, I trust Mueller.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D, MD) now insists that Barr’s “loyalties were compromised.”

He is acting as an employee of the president.  I believe the Attorney General believes he needs to protect the president of the United States.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D, NY):

Barr’s vow to probe the FBI’s 2016 counterintelligence probe amounted to nothing more than “Republican conspiracy theory nonsense.”

And there’s the manufactured whine over petty terminology.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D, CA):

[Barr] should not casually suggest that those under his purview engaged in “spying” on a political campaign.

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D, CT)

said Barr should immediately retract his statement and apologize.
“The only spies interfering in the 2016 campaign were Russian ones.”

Senator Brian Schatz (D, HI):

took issue with Barr’s word choice, saying “the word ‘spying’ could cause everybody in the cable news ecosystem to freak out.”

And:

NBC News‘ Chuck Todd said this was a “conspiracy theory”

Of course, contra Schatz, the only folks who will “freak out” are those looking for excuses to display their virtuous outrage.  And those with something to hide.

Instead, Progressive-Democrats should welcome the Barr’s investigation; they then could use his finding of nothing to see to further impede Trump and to get their own candidates elected far and wide.

Unless….