Talleyrand once remarked of a particularly egregious act on the part of his oft-capricious master, Napoleon Bonaparte, that “it was worse than a crime. It was a mistake.” That famous quote, it seems, captures the situation Democrats now find themselves in following the raid on Donald Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago.

Taking a step back from the justifiable outrage over the recent FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago, and from concerns over the damage it inflicted on the reputation of law enforcement and fraying respect for partisan norms, a bigger mystery emerges. What, precisely did the Biden administration – and Attorney General Merrick Garland in particular – hope the raid would accomplish if they approved it? And what possible justification exists which would justify for Democrats throwing away the argument on which they have hung their opposition to Donald Trump, both in and out of office for the last seven years, about the importance of “norms” over the strict letter of what is legal?.........