The outrage, from certain quarters, directed at Attorney General William Barr following his Thursday press conference is as clear a case of “killing the messenger” as we’re likely to see for some time. While his message won’t please those eager to usher Donald Trump out of the Oval Office, the messenger’s conduct was admirable.

… Since his job as attorney general is to decide how or whether to act upon the findings of special counsel, Mr. Barr explained how he and his colleagues evaluated the report and applicable law to reach their decisions.

He went so far as to say that his team disagreed with some of Mr. Mueller’s legal theories but accepted them anyway as the basis for their analysis.

Mr. Barr explained the report’s redactions and why these were legally necessary, adding that the White House could have requested redactions but declined.

And then he took questions from the media. Some of these were genuine requests for information and clarification, but others rested on unsupported assertions and might be better labeled “bait.”

… Mr. Barr’s effort to provide transparency to his role in this toxic drama may have been quixotic, but he deserves praise for trying — and for refusing to feed the fire.

— The Toledo Blade; Online: https://bit.ly/2DtLBqi