I did notice Bradlee's comment. The way he tried to still give the Mueller report some legitimacy despite also acknowledging that it had failed only shows you how beholden he is to his class. He reminds of certain aristocrats of old who knew their ruling class had failed badly (like the French aristocracy in the late 18th century) but couldn't bring themselves to completely disavow their class either. The tragedy of a good and honest man who is trapped by the same code that gave him so much legitimacy at the same time.