Rachel Maddow asked an important question about the Attorney General-designate on Thursday's show:

Is it really possible that the Senate is about to confirm someone whose most notable achievement in public office is that he was the architect of the last time a major criminal presidential scandal was shut down with blanket pardons for everyone?

William Barr noted in one interview that after the Iran-Contra scandal broke, some of the George HW Bush officials were arguing that Poppa Bush only pardon Caspar Weinberger. Barr's argument for blanket pardons, "in for a penny, in for a pound," won the day. Christmas Day during the lame duck session, to be exact.

So while Barr is promising those Senators (Republicans only he was shamed into meeting with Democratic Senators yesterday) that he won't interfere with the Mueller investigation, it's entirely possible he is being hired for a completely different and more sinister reason. Senate Judicary Democrats take note.