What strikes me as awkward is how nothing g is happening the the core radical fascists in Congress responsible for obstruction of the procedures on Jan 6, conspiracy and in some cases gerrymandering and voting rights violations to stay in office or those recently elected by this illegal process.
What strikes me as awkward is how nothing g is happening the the core radical fascists in Congress responsible for obstruction of the procedures on Jan 6, conspiracy and in some cases gerrymandering and voting rights violations to stay in office or those recently elected by this illegal process.
The longer they go unpunished and unaccountable for their actions.the more is threatens our public trust in the rule of law and democracy.
The world is watching, the country is watching.
It shows everyone that there is clearly a double standard in the law for elected politicians.
Clearly, the DOJ inability to act prior to the insurrectionists and criminals being sworn in
undermines the government, Congress and the judicial branch.
Our system is broken and in need of repair.
I believe it can be repaired but the longer it takes the harder the task.
“We are now in the midst of a Third Reconstruction initiated, as before, by a powerful moral fusion coalition and once again threatened by extremist forces opposed to establishing a fully representative democracy.” Dr William Barber of the Repairers of the Breach and the Poor People’s campaign
The following makes all the difference in what the prosecutor recommends:
'But Weisselberg, who fully cooperated with prosecutors and testified against his longtime employer, could get out sooner, factoring in time off for good behavior.' (CNBC)
I'm losing confidence. I remember waiting months for the justice I thought the Mueller report would provide. It turned out to be a nothing burger. Now, I wait for Garland to dispense justice. I even defended him - saying we have to be patient while all the i's are dotted and t's crossed. Sadly, I suspect another nothing burger. Fani Willis has lots of ingredients, but still nothing. Ditto for the Southern District court of NY.
Any of us would already be charged, tried, convicted, sentenced, and jailed.
I'm so old, I don't even buy green bananas. Will I live long enough to see personal accountability and justice served?
Elaine, I think that it is more than 'awkward' that core radical right-wing extremists in Congress who were against the peaceful transfer of power after our the free and fair presidential election in '20, now have great influence as elected representatives in the House.
To quote today's Letter, 'Many of those who supported Trump in the events of January 6, 2021, are still in Congress. At least six Republican congress members asked Trump for a preemptive pardon, and four of them are still in office. They make up the core of the far-right Republicans House speaker Kevin McCarthy had to bargain with to win the speakership: Representatives Scott Perry (R-PA), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) was also part of the group that pressured McCarthy, and he, too, appears to have been deeply involved in the events of January 6: just days afterward, Trump awarded Jordan the Presidential Medal of Freedom with a somewhat generic citation that raised questions about why Trump was really giving Jordan the award.'
It is as though the 'inmates' are running the House.
'Among Mr. McCarthy’s unofficial concessions was a promise to give members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus multiple seats on the Rules Committee, which, despite its deceptively feeble name, wields enormous influence as the panel that controls which bills get debated on the House floor and under what terms. As the committee’s website boasts, it “has the authority to do virtually anything during the course of consideration of a measure, including deeming it passed.” It can “rewrite just parts of a bill, or the entire measure. In essence, so long as a majority of the House is willing to vote for a special rule, there is little that the Rules Committee cannot do.” Picture, if you will, a small band of Lauren Boeberts holding the Rules Committee hostage and, by extension, the entire legislative process.
'Many of the changes the anti-McCarthy rebels pushed for are ostensibly about making the House more small-d democratic by empowering the rank and file. But as things are heading, power is simply being shifted from leadership, which is responsible for looking out for the conference as a whole, to a coterie of extremists obsessed with burnishing their personal brands. The result is expected to be not a fairer, more equitable House so much as a wildly dysfunctional one.'
'This sorry situation isn’t just about one man’s weakness or ambition. It is about a party that nurtured its aggrieved, paranoid, rage-filled, anti-establishment, antigovernment elements for years. The burn-it-all-down faction now has everyone, not just the speaker, by the nose hairs.'
'Republicans can blame it all on Mr. McCarthy if it helps them sleep at night, but they shouldn’t kid themselves: The next wave of House dysfunction is on the antimajoritarian, chaos-courting lot of them.' (NYTimes,. JAMELLE BOUIE, Opinion.)
"its aggrieved, paranoid, rage-filled, anti-establishment, antigovernment elements" - Our democracy allows people to vote for their own kind. The only recourse is to prosecute their crimes.
FERN, thank you once again for another detailed post. I know you are not a palaimentarian (except here) but, my understanding is that there is a procedure to get a Bill to the House Floor not sabotaged by the controlling Committee Strangulation System. Fortunately, in an "ALL IN" show last Week, Chris Hayes, interviewed the ex-House Rep, a R, that successfully used this proced once in the last decade which requires all 212 D votes, soon to be 213 D votes & requires 6R votes soon to be 5R votes. Under Jeffries, D's just demonsrated remarkable discipline. I am all in for three dimensional Chess.
Not many in the House can play that game, Bryan, which is to our advantage. We don't, however, know what 'tricks' Gaetz and MTG et al, have up their sleeves. Let's not forget The House of Cards!
THIS. Thank you for saying it. The fact that 800 or so gullible MAGA followers have been prosecuted for their part in the Jan 6 storming of the Capitol, yet not one of Trump's sycophants and abettors at the highest levels of government who schemed and plotted that atrocity with him have yet to be arrested and held accountable for their acts is cause for grave concern. These nihilistic fascists (let's call them what they are) now appear to be fully engaged, without any obvious checks or balances, in bringing about the end of democracy in the U.S. - that is, the end of every civil right and freedom that our Constitution, laws and simple decency of character from our lawmakers have afforded us, incrementally but always in a forward moving trajectory until now. Even more chilling, the majority right-wing zealots on the Supreme Court, again acting without oversight or restraints, silently applaud the Republican agenda provided it doesn't interfere with their goal of replacing a free and secular society with their Christo-fascist theocracy. Germany, Peru and now Brazil did not dither for months (now two years in the U.S.) to arrest and hold accountable the perpetrators of recent plots to overthrow their legitimate governments. We are running out of time, dangerously so at this point, to save the Republic from the absolute evil of despotic authoritarian rule. As you say, our system is broken. And now it's being pulverized with every passing day that action is not being taken to save our livelihoods, dignity and respect - not only ours but those of our children, grandchildren and future generations both here and in every other country where democracy is under attack. If America, the world's oldest democracy falls, so too will every democratic system of government in a domino effect of unstoppable corruption and violence. We can't allow that to happen. But will we? (Rhetorical question - the truth is we don't know).
"I believe it can be repaired but the longer it takes the harder the task."
I see this "core radical fascists" faction as a cancer in our Congress. As I've prayed for, however, the Republican body has self-imploded and the cancer will be unable to metastasize. I share your optimism. If no cure has been found in the next two years, what will zap it for sure is the next election when those poor trumpsters with their heads in the sand find out that the reps they voted for were trying to take away their SS....
What strikes me as awkward is how nothing g is happening the the core radical fascists in Congress responsible for obstruction of the procedures on Jan 6, conspiracy and in some cases gerrymandering and voting rights violations to stay in office or those recently elected by this illegal process.
The longer they go unpunished and unaccountable for their actions.the more is threatens our public trust in the rule of law and democracy.
The world is watching, the country is watching.
It shows everyone that there is clearly a double standard in the law for elected politicians.
Clearly, the DOJ inability to act prior to the insurrectionists and criminals being sworn in
undermines the government, Congress and the judicial branch.
Our system is broken and in need of repair.
I believe it can be repaired but the longer it takes the harder the task.
“We are now in the midst of a Third Reconstruction initiated, as before, by a powerful moral fusion coalition and once again threatened by extremist forces opposed to establishing a fully representative democracy.” Dr William Barber of the Repairers of the Breach and the Poor People’s campaign
Elaine,
Not to beat my own dead horse but:
"The longer they go unpunished and unaccountable for their actions.the more is threatens our public trust in the rule of law and democracy."
Look in any prison and see if you can find a rich white man.
Don't forget Weisselberg will be @ Rikers for the next 5 months!
Do we think anyone else who commits numerous felonies will be sentenced to only five months? People get more than that for selling pot.
Exactly. I felt like that sentence is a slap on the wrist. IF it even occurs.
More likely, one 100 days, if that.
James, the Perp did bring his tooth brush to court yesterday.
The following makes all the difference in what the prosecutor recommends:
'But Weisselberg, who fully cooperated with prosecutors and testified against his longtime employer, could get out sooner, factoring in time off for good behavior.' (CNBC)
to bring others down.
Just like Bannon did his 5 months jail sentence? I think not. I think neither will serve any time.
Is that all??? Seems like a light sentence to me!
Rikers is seriously rough: Both the guards and the inmates.
Nobody like Wesselberg could survive UNLESS he quickly finds someone who can protect him through some payment system, which, is likely.
And came into two million dollars according to Michael Cohen?????
Mike S
I'm losing confidence. I remember waiting months for the justice I thought the Mueller report would provide. It turned out to be a nothing burger. Now, I wait for Garland to dispense justice. I even defended him - saying we have to be patient while all the i's are dotted and t's crossed. Sadly, I suspect another nothing burger. Fani Willis has lots of ingredients, but still nothing. Ditto for the Southern District court of NY.
Any of us would already be charged, tried, convicted, sentenced, and jailed.
I'm so old, I don't even buy green bananas. Will I live long enough to see personal accountability and justice served?
Here you go Mike. The list begins in 1777.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_federal_politicians_convicted_of_crimes#:~:text=List%20of%20American%20federal%20politicians%20convicted%20of%20crimes
That is so sad.
I also remember a murderer in Texas who was condemned to death. His last words were, "I wouldn't be here if I were rich."
Elaine, I think that it is more than 'awkward' that core radical right-wing extremists in Congress who were against the peaceful transfer of power after our the free and fair presidential election in '20, now have great influence as elected representatives in the House.
To quote today's Letter, 'Many of those who supported Trump in the events of January 6, 2021, are still in Congress. At least six Republican congress members asked Trump for a preemptive pardon, and four of them are still in office. They make up the core of the far-right Republicans House speaker Kevin McCarthy had to bargain with to win the speakership: Representatives Scott Perry (R-PA), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) was also part of the group that pressured McCarthy, and he, too, appears to have been deeply involved in the events of January 6: just days afterward, Trump awarded Jordan the Presidential Medal of Freedom with a somewhat generic citation that raised questions about why Trump was really giving Jordan the award.'
It is as though the 'inmates' are running the House.
'Among Mr. McCarthy’s unofficial concessions was a promise to give members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus multiple seats on the Rules Committee, which, despite its deceptively feeble name, wields enormous influence as the panel that controls which bills get debated on the House floor and under what terms. As the committee’s website boasts, it “has the authority to do virtually anything during the course of consideration of a measure, including deeming it passed.” It can “rewrite just parts of a bill, or the entire measure. In essence, so long as a majority of the House is willing to vote for a special rule, there is little that the Rules Committee cannot do.” Picture, if you will, a small band of Lauren Boeberts holding the Rules Committee hostage and, by extension, the entire legislative process.
'Many of the changes the anti-McCarthy rebels pushed for are ostensibly about making the House more small-d democratic by empowering the rank and file. But as things are heading, power is simply being shifted from leadership, which is responsible for looking out for the conference as a whole, to a coterie of extremists obsessed with burnishing their personal brands. The result is expected to be not a fairer, more equitable House so much as a wildly dysfunctional one.'
'This sorry situation isn’t just about one man’s weakness or ambition. It is about a party that nurtured its aggrieved, paranoid, rage-filled, anti-establishment, antigovernment elements for years. The burn-it-all-down faction now has everyone, not just the speaker, by the nose hairs.'
'Republicans can blame it all on Mr. McCarthy if it helps them sleep at night, but they shouldn’t kid themselves: The next wave of House dysfunction is on the antimajoritarian, chaos-courting lot of them.' (NYTimes,. JAMELLE BOUIE, Opinion.)
"its aggrieved, paranoid, rage-filled, anti-establishment, antigovernment elements" - Our democracy allows people to vote for their own kind. The only recourse is to prosecute their crimes.
FERN, thank you once again for another detailed post. I know you are not a palaimentarian (except here) but, my understanding is that there is a procedure to get a Bill to the House Floor not sabotaged by the controlling Committee Strangulation System. Fortunately, in an "ALL IN" show last Week, Chris Hayes, interviewed the ex-House Rep, a R, that successfully used this proced once in the last decade which requires all 212 D votes, soon to be 213 D votes & requires 6R votes soon to be 5R votes. Under Jeffries, D's just demonsrated remarkable discipline. I am all in for three dimensional Chess.
Not many in the House can play that game, Bryan, which is to our advantage. We don't, however, know what 'tricks' Gaetz and MTG et al, have up their sleeves. Let's not forget The House of Cards!
I do recall House of Cards & some paths blazed by Nancy P & note that the Whip, Katherine Clark, is whip smart.
yes!
Go KC!
The inmates took over the asylum when Newt was the prime mover of bull Schitt.
May they be hoisted by their own petards. Which is a distinct possibility with this group.
THIS. Thank you for saying it. The fact that 800 or so gullible MAGA followers have been prosecuted for their part in the Jan 6 storming of the Capitol, yet not one of Trump's sycophants and abettors at the highest levels of government who schemed and plotted that atrocity with him have yet to be arrested and held accountable for their acts is cause for grave concern. These nihilistic fascists (let's call them what they are) now appear to be fully engaged, without any obvious checks or balances, in bringing about the end of democracy in the U.S. - that is, the end of every civil right and freedom that our Constitution, laws and simple decency of character from our lawmakers have afforded us, incrementally but always in a forward moving trajectory until now. Even more chilling, the majority right-wing zealots on the Supreme Court, again acting without oversight or restraints, silently applaud the Republican agenda provided it doesn't interfere with their goal of replacing a free and secular society with their Christo-fascist theocracy. Germany, Peru and now Brazil did not dither for months (now two years in the U.S.) to arrest and hold accountable the perpetrators of recent plots to overthrow their legitimate governments. We are running out of time, dangerously so at this point, to save the Republic from the absolute evil of despotic authoritarian rule. As you say, our system is broken. And now it's being pulverized with every passing day that action is not being taken to save our livelihoods, dignity and respect - not only ours but those of our children, grandchildren and future generations both here and in every other country where democracy is under attack. If America, the world's oldest democracy falls, so too will every democratic system of government in a domino effect of unstoppable corruption and violence. We can't allow that to happen. But will we? (Rhetorical question - the truth is we don't know).
NO! We the People will not let "Democracy Die in Darkness." I believe the American Eagle is off the limmediate danger-of-extinction List.
I hope you're right. I still want to believe in that thing with feathers.
"I believe it can be repaired but the longer it takes the harder the task."
I see this "core radical fascists" faction as a cancer in our Congress. As I've prayed for, however, the Republican body has self-imploded and the cancer will be unable to metastasize. I share your optimism. If no cure has been found in the next two years, what will zap it for sure is the next election when those poor trumpsters with their heads in the sand find out that the reps they voted for were trying to take away their SS....