William Barr Emerges As The Attorney General Trump Wanted. Democrats, Not So Much

When William Barr's name surfaced as a possible replacement for Jeff Sessions as attorney general, Republicans and Democrats alike greeted the news with a measure of relief.

If Barr took over he'd replace a frequent target of the president's ire in private, on Twitter and in television interviews.

As a prominent Republican lawyer who had served as attorney general before, Barr was viewed as an establishment figure who could restore stability to a Justice Department caught in the middle of Washington's bitter political fight over the Russia investigation.

At least one constituent is still pleased: After almost nine months in the job, Barr appears to enjoy the president's confidence and approval in a way that Sessions never did.

Democrats, in contrast, have accused Barr of turning the Justice Department into a political weapon against the White House's opponents.

Twilight of the Sessions era

One of Trump's frequent