Barr seems like solid choice after reassuring testimony

When President Donald Trump nominated William Barr — President George H.W. Bush’s last attorney general — to return to the job, there were some obvious reasons to worry. Barr has an expansive view of executive power and raised eyebrows when he defended Trump’s 2017 firing of FBI Director James Comey.

But in his Senate testimony on Tuesday, Barr was reassuring. He praised the professionalism and skill of special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Trump and his campaign’s potential ties to Russian operatives. “It is in the best interest of everyone — the president, Congress and, most importantly, the American people — that this matter be resolved by allowing the special counsel to complete his work,” he testified.

Barr said that after receiving Mueller’s final report on his investigation, he would be as transparent as he could in providing his version of the report to the public, noting that some material could not be released because of grand jury secrecy rules. He dismissed the suggestion of Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani that the White House be allowed to edit or change the report. He flatly said it “would be a crime” if Trump pardoned someone in exchange for a promise not to incriminate him.

Barr also pushed back at the idea that because he believed the president has broad powers, he would be a pushover who wouldn’t challenge any possible extralegal or illegal impulses.

Barr did well on non-Trump topics as well. He said that while he supported tough-on-crime policies in the 1980s and early 1990s when America faced a crime wave, he was open to a policy review.

Considering reports that the White House is having difficulty attracting good candidates for top jobs, Barr appears a welcome exception. Barring some new revelation, he deserves confirmation.