Explain how charging the most serious offense the evidence will bear is a diversion from the truth?  If anything, it avoids plea bargaining where the defendant pleads to an offense that is less serious than the one actually committed.  

In any case, you can bet the Thornburgh Memo didn;t come out of the Oval Office or require the President's approval.  By the way, if you "worked for the same POTUS," you know that Thornburgh was Atty General under BUSH 41, who did NOT announce his candidacy in Mississippi.