Tonight’s public hearing of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol laid responsibility for the crisis at the Capitol on former president Trump.
Two big "aha" moments for me: (1) "...The committee established that he released the video only after law enforcement was deployed and was gaining control of the Capitol, making it clear the violent insurrection would not succeed." I am now convinced that if law enforcement had not gotten the upper hand, Trump's video would not have been released when it was; and (2) the "Outtakes of the January 7 video recording" showed that on top of his sheer evil nature, Trump is at his core a pathetic excuse for a human being, let alone the Leader of the Free World.
I've noted this before but a major media outlet reported that plan a couple of days before the election and the White House summarily denied there was any such plan.
Yes, Lil' Donny has told us everything in advance. I really have learned very little from the Jan 6 Hearings as almost all we have heard had been reported in Real Time. They have mostly organized things into a more coherent order instead of the firehose which was the Trump Admin and post-Failure.
The Amazing aspect to me is, "How could the tRUmp Campaign have had any false hopes about winning?"
It was obvious to me by mid-May 2017 that Trump would not be able to run another 'inside straight' as he had already made too many bad decisions to receive the "benefit of the doubt" Vote. That was followed by 3 years of more stampeding off in the wrong direction. His Approval rating always hovering around 34-39%.
Then, came 2020 and a little virus from somewhere - possibly, here. By dent of his overflowing Incompetence, Trump managed to turn the most defensible country in World into the Most Infected and Most Deadly Country in the World.
There could have been no rational hope for a 2020 Win after his 1st 6 months in Office.
I have a friend (whose name you would know if I dropped it) who was a member of a group of "senior people in politics and government" who "gamed out" the election in 2020. In late September he told me they had concluded from looking at things being said by Trump at his rallies all year that he was going to claim victory based on the "red mirage" and they feared he would then use it to declare martial law.
And in September 2020 I read Barton Gellman's on-line piece in The Atlantic titled The Election That Could Break America. It was slated for November issue but they knew they needed to get it out sooner. Problem I see is too much good reporting is behind paywalls.
As someone who gets paid for writing, I have to defend the paywalls. We writers have been hit hard by the "Napster attitude" that we're all "sharing" and it's supposed to be "free." Do you work for free? I didn't think so.
Sorry...my comment was intended to point out that due to paywalls the information is not widely out there then. That was all. I want it to be out there. I try to share these important articles as best I can.
OK. I just hear this a lot. There is a "traditional" attitude out there that we writers should want to do it for love of doing it. I do that, but I also have a traditional love of eating regularly, living indoors and paying my bills. :-)
Also, incisive reporting that's behind paywalls gets picked up by other media and is widely available for free, though lacking as much detail. And quality of writing.
I don’t have a problem with paywalls, never did. I understand exactly, and respect, their reason for being. When you’re young and poor, maybe it’s frustrating. Oh well.
My big takes from the hearing were not actually news.
1.
I was gratified to see Cassidy Hutchinson noted again particularly. If the DOJ ever puts a case together, much of her information will not be pivotal, as most of it was circumstantial, and others who were present will be forced to testify. But her testimony during this hearing remains the money shot of all testimony. It repeatedly pointed us in the right direction, for one thing. Not to be overlooked though was how it opened the floodgates for others to come forward. Her patriotism and amazing courage put others to shame. If America remains a free democracy, there should be a statue of her facing the 1/6 committee. I believe she is that historic a figure.
2.
HCR’s question of why the Army was following Pence’s orders has been nagging at the back of my mind as well for some time. I thought it must be a “fog of war” thing and dismissed it. But now I’m wondering what exactly went on to bring the Army to that point.
As for the actual hearing, most of it was just filling in the blanks of what we could have guessed. Trump’s (and Harley’s) poses of courage are simply the outward manifestations of deeply insecure, fearful, wounded and wounding figures.
Although the outtakes should be the last nail in the coffin of the plan for Trump could run in 2024. He’s toast. You can’t recover from the shellacking he took.
Huge kudos to the Committee. They have accomplished an historic mission in shredding Trump, using only Republicans.
I have a neighbor who won’t be convinced, because he won’t watch or read anything that denies his beliefs that Trump is the savior. He has said, “That wasn’t an insurrection.” I then read the definition of insurrection which includes the word ‘violence’. He then claimed that there was no violence that day and what about BLM.
Sounds just like my dt-addicted husband. We watched the entire day on Faux (because he wouldn’t believe it on any news outlet), so I know what dt was seeing. And the “what-about-ism” as though there’s some moral equivalency 🤬🤬🤬
I have much to be grateful for in life, but most of all, that my husband's morals and beliefs are 100% aligned with my own. I have noted your posts before and don't know how your marriage continues. On the rare occasions that we have had opposing viewpoints, my husband and I listen to each other and generally point out something the other had missed and come to agreement. I would like to think that you and your husband would do the same, but it seems as though he doesn't give you that option. It doesn't sound like you are being fully respected. HCR's letter is not an advice column we all read, so I won't offer any advice--just a reminder that there are like minded people here, and generally speaking, disagreements are respectfully discussed. You are supported.
I was raised a republican and was a loyal republican wife for 39yrs, until dt came down that escalator and my husband was so excited, “Yeah, we need him, he’ll bring in the votes!” I couldn’t believe it. I still can’t believe that my dearly loved husband, who really is a Christian (I feel everyone’s eyebrows raise, but trust me, in everything but dt we are in agreement), could support this scum of the earth and his minions. On the other hand, he can’t believe I have abandoned what he sees as the only right way. In December, by the grace of God, we’ll celebrate 46yrs of marital joys and sorrows, because that’s our life. Our only child also supports dt, but I don’t believe he is as addicted as his father because he and I can still talk and disagree respectfully.
I come here for sanity and I thank you and everyone here for that. ❤️🩹
I have a dear friend/colleague who shocked the heck out of me when she told me she was voting for dt in 2016. For the past six years, we've stayed in touch, but have to stay clear of politics because this wise, talented director of my one woman show still supports him. I haven't had the "guts" to ask her what she thinks of the hearings because I don't want to know. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if this difference with a dear friend is so painful for me, I can't imagine what it would be like coming from a beloved husband. So I admire your ability to hold the whole picture of your 46 years, and not "throwing out the baby with the bathwater." Blessings,
Fortunately, you have the right to vote in private. Hang in there and vote for the women and men who will stand against Trump. Your vote can make a difference
Even more thankfully, this is a national requirement so Florida's governor cannot take that away. "The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA), popularly known as The Motor Voter Act, is a legislation that required state governments to allow registration when a qualifying voter applied for or renewed their drivers license or applied for social services. This legislation forced state governments to make the voter registration process easier by providing uniform registration services through drivers' license registration centers, disability centers, schools, libraries, and mail-in registration." https://definitions.uslegal.com/m/motor-voter-act-the-national-voter-registration-act-of-1993-nvra/
sounds like you need a second tv to hear what's going on in the world. in another room. if that riles the man, invite him to take a walk. lock the door.
That's part of it no doubt; also a substantial amount of racism. Again referring to Snyder, The Road to Unfreedom (which I have cited here several times recently), ch. 6, which has a discussion at (what I think is) a more fundamental level. Part of Snyder's argument can be summarized by saying that American society has been "groomed" for decades by Republican ideology and, more recently, before and during the 2016 election campaign, by Russian propaganda, delivered compliments of Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Yes, and blacks and Muslims and Latinas and gays and . . . All the haters, all those who think whites are the superior ones, magnetically drawn to the Fox Noise and Republican club like flies to shit on a hot summer day.
My husband pointed out the same thing about Pence issuing orders to the military. He noted that for that brief moment in time Pence was acting President. The military thankfully didn't tell Pence they would have to wait for orders from the President as they knew full well that orders from Trump would not be forth coming. Dangerous time.
Maybe it was that Kizinger and Lauria are veterans but....I realized last night that Pence would not, could not, assume those duties unless Trump was INCAPACITATED. Perhaps by a bad tantrum?
Is the fact that Pence was apparently the acting president during that time part of the explanation as to why there are no phone logs, diary or SS texts??????? That kind of incident is exactly why the National Archives exist.
In all this time, there have only been 2 black female senators. I’d give a statue to the first one elected to the Senate. The second one is not done yet in her career. Do you all remember who that was?
Don't forget Val Demings, Christine. As you remember, she was on the first impeachment committee, and every time I heard her speak, I was very impressed with her. And Stacy Abrams, though not on Capitol Hill, has accomplished a helluva lot for us.
Was referring to Senate in first remark. I’m not one to forget Val. We have been working very hard in Florida on her campaign to oust Rubio. I love thinking of picking up Senate seat with Val Demings from Florida. Stacy Abrams for Governor of Georgia and then a vice presidential candidate.
Celebrity means you’re at the top. The only way to go is down. I’ve been saying for a long time that he is never going to run for president again, I don’t care what anybody says. His popularity and his trajectory is downward.
The Army would be aware of the rally at the Ellipse, presided over by TFG, and the resulting attack on the Capitol. The Pres was not acting to stop it, so the VP was filling in.
As Pence should have — though constitutionally he lacked the legal authority. It's fair to say Trump was incapacitated, lost in his vicious fantasy of a violent coup. Pence may have not only saved his own life but democracy. I say that with some hesitation because outside of Jan. 6, he's hardly been a profile in courage.
Yes pathetic excuse for a human being PEHB—and I’m inclined to add so are his delusional followers, disciples, cultish lunatics and assorted crackpots. For those of us who sat glued to the television that horrific day— which started out happy because of the Georgia congressional victories—and knew we were seeing an event I can compare to 9/11, but in a kind of slow motion, we kept saying—wait where are the people who will stop this??? What the f—k is going on? PEHB was enjoying everything about his own extraordinary power to orchestrate this event. In November we’ll see how our fellow Americans have digested these facts.
While I like your term PEHB, With respect to D Chump I have long stopped using the word "human being" and substitute "Life Form" (LF).
Encyclopedia Brittanica includes in their definition of human beings as, "Human beings are anatomically similar and related to the great apes but are distinguished by a more highly developed brain and a resultant capacity for articulate speech and abstract reasoning." The one under discussion here has none of these traits.
Allow me to add to your description of the "pathetic excuse for a human being": What we had for a president on January 6th was a three-year old gleefully watching superhero movies and throwing food against the wall (though I don't want to insult any three-year old). And the urgently needed adult (the 25th Amendment) was nowhere to be found.
My letter to Merrick Garland:
June 20, 2022
Dear Attorney General Garland,
I am writing you as a concerned American who fears that our Democracy, something I have always been grateful for and certain that it would be forever safely guaranteed in this country, is now in peril. Donald J. Trump, whose actions have given the green light to racism, misogyny, xenophobia, and violence, has proven in broad daylight that he doesn't give a hoot about it.
Had Robert Mueller indicted Trump and taken him off the streets as he deserved to be, our Democracy would not have come perilously close to extinction on January 6th, and you would not be in the unenviable position of having to decide on something as unprecedented as indicting a former president. Remember, though, that this would not have been a first if Richard Nixon had not resigned and President Ford had not pardoned him.
I write the following as a mental health therapist. Knowing full well that Biden had won in a free and fair election, Trump would have stopped at nothing, no matter how illegal he knew his action to be, going as far as allowing murder to have been committed, for only one reason. It is much more deeply psychological than holding on to power. His father imbued in him from childhood, that the worst thing anyone can be in this world is a loser. Ingrained in every fiber of his mind and psyche, accepting loss would be an existential threat to him--the same as dying. Therefore, he must propagate the lie to save his life. Being a loser is simply not an option. This is why Trump has manipulated his followers to have election officials in place who would overturn the election results if he runs again and loses. This cannot be allowed to happen. There are clear reasons why charges such as "seditious conspiracy" exist, and why the framers called for a peaceful transfer of power between factions in Articles 1 and 4 of our Constitution.
As a result of the January 6th Select Committee's herculean effort of scrupulously laying out the facts, thus far the majority of Americans polled believe that Trump should be indicted and convicted of his crimes. For the sake of our Democracy, I hope that you will uphold your promise--that no one is above the law and if found guilty, regardless of the individual's position and whether or not they were at the Capitol, they will be duly prosecuted. I trust that you will follow through and do your part.
We have seen so many around trump that day interviewed or commented on. What they were doing, when they were doing it. But what was Melania doing? Where was she? Her husband is refusing to stop a riot on the seat of power in the USA. What was SHE doing? Her nails?
I saw something yesterday where she said she wasn't aware of what was going on. Notice that nobody hoped that she would show up....it was Ivanka and Jared.
TPFG was waiting for 1 thing. For the SS to tell him VP Pence had left the building, so Grassley could take control and hold a vote NOT to certify the ballots/electors.
So glad you mention this. Grassley was in on it, at least enough to be waiting in the wings for Pence not to be available. But what specifically did Grassley know? The J6 committee has its hands full, but I so want an investigation of the role of members of Congress in the attempted coup. Those guilty need, at the very least, to be removed from office.
As much as we've learned, there are still many gaps — this one, for example, and the specific planning that Trump, likely through cutouts like Roger Stone and others, did with the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. And who built and planted the two bombs?
I wish they had gone into why the National Guard, police, FBI and other forces were not sent until very late in the day and requested by Pence. They said it takes hours to get them in place? But they all knew of the credible threats? And no answers about the Pentagon's silence.
AND General Milley didn’t want to be played like he had during the summer protest and church bible photo shoot.
So there are two things going on at DOD, during the riot/coup.
SS texts, calls, and radio should have alerted The capital police, DC police, The National Guard of Maryland in Virginia, homeland security, as well as the Pentagon as soon as they recognized the crowd in size and how the crowd was armed. these are all part of the national security apparatus and not having the Secret Service records is not helpful at best, it is nefarious, at worst it is seditious / treason.
I’m especially glad that Hawley was shown to be an absolutely venal, craven opportunist. I hope the history books juxtapose the raised fist photo beside the still of him running for his life. That’s how he should be remembered.
While I am glad that Hawley’s true colors were revealed, I rejoice in the fact that Heather begins with the respect and friendships that this committee has engendered from members of opposing parties.
Thank you, Heather for highlighting the fact that we don’t have to live with constant hatred and anger, that appreciation, reverence, and esteem can exist between peoples of distinct political ideologies.
“The committee’s chair, Bennie Thompson (D-MS), is isolating with Covid, so Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-WY) presided over the hearing. She began with a tribute to Representative Thompson. Scott Simon, the host of NPR’s Weekend Edition, noted that ‘the Democratic chair of the committee just gracefully, and with full confidence, turned over the running of tonight’s hearing to the vice-chair, who happens to be of another party, and they spoke with mutual trust and respect. That’s how it’s supposed to go.’”
And I reiterate: “That’s how it’s supposed to go!”
I cried with relief while reading the first section of the letter, Rowshan. With a torrent of tears pent up just waiting for some kind of example and an acknowledgment of “That’s how it’s supposed to go!” Since that day in January 2021.
I am so grateful to Rep Bennie Thompson’s leadership and to the Committee. For the connotation and feel passed on specifically to the American people that have been waiting for that exact thing. “That’s how it’s supposed to go!”
Thank you, Professor Richardson. That was a mic drop.
Yes...."that's how it's supposed to go." but for me, Cheney's remarks about the courage of women coming forward, and the important role women can continue to play was equally satisfying. White men should be worried about the wrath of women as we come together to bring this country back to sanity.
In nearly every mythological construct of the world, the ocean is a vast feminine entity -- Neptune and Poseidon notwithstanding. Water itself is symbolic of both invincibility and power. Water's function is to sanctify and purify the earth.
When the blue wave does come (and I am convinced it will be on the order of a tsunami), it's going to be feminine energy that will be unleashed. The force of that wave can, and probably will, wash away and cleanse the stagnant, malignant residue of selfishness and greed that has for far, far too long permeated our elective and appointed offices.
Tsunami indeed. Suburban women the Repubs are counting on are incensed about having their reproductive rights stripped away! In the privacy of the voting booth they're going to take control of their bodies again.
Having seen so many other mother's children gunned down, they're going to choose candidates who will pass sensible gun laws to protect their children.
Nicely put. I was just talking to my LMT yesterday who likes to fish, but most of all, be on the ocean. I also feel so connected because to me the ocean is primordial as it is also for him.
Minor point: Neptune and Poseidon are the same entity--the former is the Roman name, the latter, the Greek name (Thanks, Monica Feuermann and Ann Scattergood Fogg (my fifth and sixth grade teachers, both exemplars of feminine wisdom and energy)
David, I am well aware of the Greek vs Roman names -- my point was that even though the Greeks and the Romans thought the ocean was personified by a male, if you look at other world myths, most of them ageed to worship the ocean, water, and the sea as a feminine entity. In Java, she is Nyai Loro Kidul (Queen of the Indian Sea). In Egypt, she was Neith ("The Terrifying One"), Hawaiian myths have her as Namaka. Mayans had Ixik. The Aztecs had Chalchiuhtlicue (no, I cannot pronounce it). Australian aboriginals believed in Eingana, a creator goddess.
That struck me too. The females were very clear about their disgust and they didn't waffle about it knowing that they are now targets for the lunatic fringe. And the women from Georgia whose lives have been turned upside down by that same lunatic fringe. Yesterday I happened upon a story about citizens contacting the mayor of Gladstone, a city to the southeast of Portland and part of the metro area. Soon both of them received nasty posts from her sister who is absolutely the lunatic fringe and a pal of the Proud Boys. There was a lot of BS from the mayor about her sister, but in the end why did she let her sister know. One of the individuals is a male educator and of course, was accused of being a pediphile. Proud Boys business cards showed up on the lawn. This is what is going on all over and people will have to have lots of courage if they chose to speak out in any way. Brown shirts resurrected.
Michele, YES! “Brown shirts resurrected.” These are the Fascists out in the open. This country needs an education on what that looks like. And what it means. That includes everyone.
Cheney herself has done a wonderful job. I suspect I don't agree with her on any normal policy positions, but IMO she is an American hero and richly deserved her profile in courage award.
Her closing statement was stunning. Appealing to supporters by telling them djt used their patriotism and sense of justice as a weapon against their nation was spot on. I can’t help but wonder if she got through to any of them.
And we need to act quickly. Women have been demoted to second class citizens. Our dignity, health and safety are secondary to any fetus we might carry. Women who miscarry are being denied standard of care. Will a new version of fugitive slave act be reinstated to haul fleeing women back for forced births?
It was all I could do not to to continuously guffaw during the last few moving and powerful minutes last night as Twitter kept refreshing the Josh Hawley scamper!!!
Oh I love my clever sisters across this nation who will continue the emasculation of the selfish, pompous, suit n'ties who think they have answers to our health and freedom. Unitas!!
I, too, am grateful for the strength, leadership and oaths to our Constitution of Rep. Bennie Thompson, Rep. Liz Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (the latter two, both Republicans who stand for the rule of law before party) and every other member on the committee. I sent a thank you letter to Rep. Thompson and Cheney several weeks ago to express my gratitude and support. (I live just a few short miles from Wyoming's border. I wish I had the ability to vote in support of her continued service.)
I've been seeing the Uvalde police as intensely human and evidence of why we should not put the human drive for survival as the failsafe between guns and children. Turning on the responders has been a right powerful way to turn the eye away from the fact that if the gun wasn't there, there wouldn't have been need for the police.
I'm a retired deputy, and I spent my last 5 years working as the daytime contract deputy in a small town south of Eugene. I called myself "Ally of Mayberry" and that was really a pretty accurate description of what my job entailed. The band kids called me "Deputy Tuba" (I sat in with them for pep band and for a couple concerts).
After Sandy Hook in 2012, I met with the elementary school principal, and ended up having several meetings with staff. I helped them with designing a more secure way to control visitors to the building, and some other ways to "harden the target" of the school without turning it into a prison. I also told them what to expect from law enforcement (I had helped design our agency's "active shooter" protocols after Columbine) and after I detailed the protocol (get three officers on scene, and go in to neutralize the shooter) I told them reality: there was a 50% chance that it would take a minimum of 5 minutes to get that personnel on scene. I told them that our office (two contract deputies and a resident deputy for south Lane county) could get at least two of us there within 3 minutes, and that regardless of protocols, we'd go in then.
I was never put in that position. I know that I had done the work, both tactically and mentally, to be ready to go in, and that I would have. Tactical training is only part of it. Every cop has to do the mental work necessary to prepare themselves for that event. It ain't easy, and it is scary as hell.
The fact is, that in our country today, we love our guns more than we love our children. It is as simple, and awful, as that. In no world should children be decapitated by semi-automatic rifle fire with a high capacity magazine loaded with rounds designed to do the maximum damage to the human body.
I am very thankful for the many things I was prepared to do that I never had to do.
I got into quite a quagmire on my Facebook page when I posted a political cartoon that had two panels; one with a teacher protecting a room full of kids, and another with a teacher, armed with a pistol, with all the kids standing behind her, and I asked my teacher friends how they felt. It disintegrated when all of my RWNJ friends chimed in.
Love This! "The band kids called me "Deputy Tuba" (I sat in with them for pep band and for a couple concerts)."!! I worked closely with our community police officer when I was running our community school programs. The officer would even come to Friday night junior high dances! And he could dance! What a wonderful impact on the "tough" kids! Sadly, one time we had to use the dance to set up a sting on 2 teens, who, after witnessing their mother being shot to death by her druggee boyfriend in Florida, stole a car and drove - one 15 yrs old, one 13 - back to Michigan, stealing and dealing all the way home. I rarely gave up on a kid, but ... that's also why we have community police officers.
Having 2 retired/1 current CPD members of my family, one thing does come to mind: I am always amazed that the group which supposedly staunchly supports police (but beat the sh!t out of them on 1/6) so vehemently demands the right to own semi-automatic weapons that in many cases result in the criminals/crazies having much more firepower than the POLICE!! Why is that allowed?
I admit that had it been one of my family policemen running in with a handgun to confront someone with an assault rifle......well, hard choices and thoughts there.
And 100% agreement with the last statement in your post! As my husband commented about the Indianapolis mall shooting where the shooter was killed by an armed "good guy"--had the crazy not had the assault weapon to begin with, those three killed would not have died. Yes--an armed "good guy" can stop a shooting, but not until shooting has already started.
I'm not one to delight in the misfortunes of others. But Hawley is an exception. The irony is, well, delicious: his raised fist to the mob (no doubt something he planned) and then prancing with fright to escape those whom he had incited.
He's just another privileged white pretty boy with a good education but devoid of character. And how exactly do you prance like that without a backbone?
Yes that IS the way our representatives are supposed to do their jobs. And right now Cheney & Kinzinger(sp?) are stellar examples. BUT in the back of my mind is the knowledge that neither of them voted against their party on any of the attempts to pass good legislation - it was always with their party. I'm grateful for all they have done in this effort to bring DJit to hopefully the consequences he deserves or close to it, but their party matters above all. And the gun control, abortion, voting rights - Party first.
I'm sorry if this puts a pall on the good news, but removing Djit is likely creating a path for DeSantis & others. With the focus on DT - the Repubs are moving along on their next agenda.
You landed on the reason why I worry long term about how governable the country will be in the decades ahead. The differences, as in 1860, seem fundamental, and we are split pretty close to 50-50. You either believe in a woman’s right to control her reproductive fate or you don’t. You either believe in LGBTQ rights, including the right to marry anyone you choose, or you don’t. You either want to fight climate change or you don’t. I don’t hate people who disagree with me, but neither do I want to say that’s it’s okay to take away what I regard as fundamental human rights or to sit idly by while planet burns up. Sometimes I really don’t mind being old. The America I live in now is turning into the Mississippi of my youth.
It is scary - in more ways than one. I didnt list climate change in my examples - but thats the biggest one of all. All those years ago, when I first registered to vote - of course did so as a Republican - for no other reason than thats what my parents were & I knew no different. But over the years, I voted more & more with the Democrats & in 2016? Made the change. I could never stand Djit from the first time I heard anything about him and my opinion hasnt changed. I worry for my kids, grandkids & great grandkids.
Maggie/NYS I agree completely. Liz Cheney is very impressive on the J6 committee, but doing your job is a low bar to clear. It's only notable at this point because the vast majority of Republicans are not doing their jobs. She went on about brave women last night, but she is a conservative and in her world women should remain second class citizens. So I'm not on the "statue for LC" bandwagon just yet.
Jim, that was actually one of the "soundtrack" clips someone posted on Twitter. A friend sent me the link. Also the Benny Hill theme (a notorious misogynist who also loved to dress up in women's clothing).
The videos effectively ruined Hawley. He will never run for the Presidency now. It is historic that there are those type of moments that kill a politician's career. I am especially thrilled about this. It is a shot across the bow to other Republicans in a big way.
I hope you’re right. The world thought Nixon was politically dead after losing the gubernatorial race in ‘62. And who among us would have given Biden a chance after the Neil Kinnock debacle in ‘88 (though thank God he rose again)? In every era, there’s a Republican toady I can stomach less than all the others. In this era, it’s nip and tuck between Hawley and Graham.
I wonder if Hawley or Alito or any of these aspiring white pseudo-Christian authoritarians stop to think that maybe some of their very own close neighbors revile everything they do and stand for? Nah… they are all much too self-absorbed, self-centered, and self-righteous to give a second thought to that.
Another bingo, the cult will not deprogram themselves. Fox will make sure of that. When will Rupert be called to account, and be ostracized as happened elsewhere. Times a wasting
I am dumbfounded by those who have seen or listened to this, and still maintain their devotion to the devil, but sickened by those who prefer just to ignore the entire situation?!
Yet we have President Biden who is a man of integrity, not self absorbed but truly devoted to the country in doing what he can for our country, citizens and World and he is constantly battered by the ratings, press etc. Wake up be and be grateful for the job he is doing to help us get back on track, all while Republicans undermine him🤨. Exhausting!
the tabloid journalism that creates that narrative is a close cousin to the evil we experienced with the last administration. Virtue doesn't sell in the media, but scandalous events, or a scandalous spin on everything else, tends to draw attention. the malaise runs through and through.
Even if they would not vote for him, they would still support his policies! They stuck around because they LIKE his policies. All those sitting on the sidelines are stuck. They may feel squeamish about his methods, but they liked the results of his policies, the direction of his policies. By the way it was 110F in Tucson yesterday. Much of America is sizzling. Europe is in flames. Great trump policies & judges strip our ability to tackle the most existential threat next to trump; the Climate. Women have LESS Rights today because of trump judges. Voters have LESS rights because of trump judges. Ukraine is in month Five of a War with Russia that could have been disincentivized if we had rushed the congressionally approved weapons they requested back in 2019. But trump wanted a quid pro quo. This is the American vision his supporters want. They will want it from who ever can deliver it, even if trump fades into ignominy.
I don’t think most of them knew what they wanted beyond feeling good…that they mattered. It wasn’t about the country, imo. It was about the ego. The religious zealots always know that and will make common cause with the devil to get what they want, too, which has nothing to do with God and everything to do with the nation’s monied or baron class. It is thus in England and is the same here.
If you believe in eliminating government business regulations, controlling women, giving free access to guns, states rights and suppression of voters, you think Trump has dine good. Unfortunately there are millions of Americans who think so!
Fox will always be around to twist things to their convenient point of view for the sole purpose of making money. Advertising doesn’t affect them any way at all so advertisers pulling their support doesn’t mean a thing. It’s the cable subscriber that supports them. So even if you don’t watch it you are supporting them. If they were off basic cable and became a subscription channel their income would drop precipitously. Maybe not enough to change things but certainly enough to get their attention
My husband and I cancelled our cable about six years ago. Too much money for being forced to accept a monopolistic, no-choices “bundle” of channels that included many we actively avoided, like the expensive sports channels, the shopping channels, the self-aggrandizing evangelizing TV preachers, and of course, the bullshit river of Fox “News”. We don’t miss what cable offers.
That is the way of the future. The more people do that the less fox gets (and all the other ones). Someone will invent a box making it easier to switch between streaming channels. (Maybe they have…)
Ralph. This is a vid from Beau of the Fifth Column. His is a rather prolific voice on social media. He put out something yesterday about the 3 factions that exist currently in the Republican Party. Give a listen. In a roundabout way, I think it speaks to how many people will not be voting for him and how that number is growing. I believe that he is quite accurate in his assessment.
Never Trumpers are usually pretty quiet. They will find more voice uniting with the Pence contingent and against the sedition caucus as Beau names them.
My thought is it will end up being Liz Cheney as their candidate, not Pence.
And my dream is a two party ticket. No matter how many people tell me it’s impossible. For this time in history, it might just be the ticket to getting out of the peril.
I say, hmmmm, (and I’m saying this as a registered NPA for my entire voting life), hmmmm, Liz Cheney and Pete Buttigieg as an example.
Unidad, Ralph! Your comments are always spot on. 🗽
Thank you for pointing out this video. He is spot on. And that is what is concerning many people who want Republican wins (at any cost)--that the split will divide the party and the more rabid Trump base will hold so he will win the nomination.
I, on other hand, believe the sedition caucus will shrink in numbers as many go to the Pence pact or never trumpers who just want him to go away….now, and realize the great liability he is.
And then it will be a few elections before Republicans win much of anything.
Agree. Looking to me like fertile ground for a third-party presidential candidate, which will throw everything into a tizzy. That's the situation now with the Oregon governor's race.
Very good point and thanks for the link, I have forwarded it on to friends.
I would really like to see PENCE TESTIFY AT THE SEPTEMBER HEARINGS.
He really doesn't stand a chance in hell of winning the Republican nomination. Would he stand for the country or for himself? Here is a chance for him to go down in history and perhaps change the impression of him by unloading on tRump. Lord knows he should, as indeed tfg put a target on his back.
Excellent question. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that Trump is psychologically disturbed. Yet 74 million voted to reelect him after four years of non-stop chaos and criminality. Seventy-four million! That number scares the hell out of me.
One takeaway for me. Those testifying were not so much abhorred by the riot as they were that the right message wasn't getting out and that if Trump didn't act his legacy and all the good he did for the country would be discounted or ignored. He (and they) wouldn't get credit for all their loyalty and had work. Now, they are carefully messaging that Trump failed (just this once?) and were clearly working in their careful manner to keep the successes of 45 administration open to claim in the run-up in 2022 and 2024. Testimonials sounded alot like the careful non-apology of the wayward spouse or Saturday confession: Just this one sin, Father,. Every other messaging in the past 8 years was just, you know, doing the political hard lift and that comes with spin, stretching, and intellectual exercises to convince the loyal and keep the faithful reved up. Just some little white lies for a good cause.Please, Father, don't hold me accountable for the accumulation of my individual acts.
I still would like some of those people to specifically enumerate the "good" that tfg did. There possible were a small handful of things but they are far outweighed by the far-reaching damage that he has done to our electoral system, our rule of law, on women, and most egregiously, on the Supreme Court.
I wonder if Rusty Bowers would still say he'd again vote for tfg? Especially after being censured by his own party in AZ for having testified before the J6 committee.
If he’s like the rest of the Tribal Deniers, he will. Even in the face if his own career destruction, having a traitor for a leader is better (to him) than allowing a Democrat to get elected
Ironically, it may come to pass that the best way to get a Democrat elected could be to actually run against TFG
Hours of Trump flubbed out takes ? Ask the Apprentice editors.
"Mark Burnett's chief legacy is to have cast a serially bankrupt carnival barker in the role of a man who might plausibly become the leader of the free world...
Editors were often obliged to “reverse engineer” the episode, scouring hundreds of hours of footage ... in an attempt to assemble an artificial version of history in which Trump’s shoot-from-the-hip decision made sense...Most of us knew he was a fake,” Braun told me. “He had just gone through I don’t know how many bankruptcies. But we made him out to be the most important person in the world. It was like making the court jester the king.” Bill Pruitt, another producer, recalled, “We walked through the offices and saw chipped furniture. We saw a crumbling empire at every turn. Our job was to make it seem otherwise.”"
This was no secret. Every eligible voter who did not vote for Hillary Clinton had a hand in staging this take down of American democracy. There are no legitimate self justifications.
And, of course, per Tom Arnold (back in 2016), everyone knew that t was crushing up adderall & snorting it on set. I’m sure the Apprentice editors had to know that as well.
! I hadn’t read that before. Have I been hiding under a rock to have missed these reports? Or were they overlooked by mainstream news, and do all these very unflattering, myth-busting facts about Trump on “The Apprentice” need to get much wider coverage now?
I wish someone would create a sketch (perhaps SNL) showing the events of that 187 minutes with all the split screen sh*t going on, but have the president be Hillary Clinton. Flip the Script. Let’s see how the gop clean up their exploded minds from the experience. I imagine it would be similar to the observation “If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament”.
I write this with a deep apology to Hillary, because there is no way she her presidency would have been “American Carnage”. I only suggest it to rip the scales off of trump policy supporter’s eyes.
Hahahahahahaha. See what I mean? I don’t think too many know the irritating meaning of that word. I put myself in that same category often. Hahahahahaha.
I find your writing worthy of a column. Call it “An American Gadfly”.
The comedian Noel Calsler worked for years on "Celebrity Apprentice" and knows horrifying details about Trump. He shares them daily on Twitter. https://twitter.com/caslernoel
As the events the day enfolded in real time, much of this was discussed. And, for the months since, there has been a concerted campaign to convince us what we saw and heard, what we suspected, was all partisan gibberish.
After tonight’s testimony, there can be no doubt. Riveting, conclusive, and more than a little frightening.
Did anyone notice still photos of Trump with his heavy woolen coat after the speech at the ellipse still on through out the afternoon? I assume he had body armor on under his coat. He had it on when he made his "We love you" speech from the Rose Garden, and he still had it on when the last photo was taken as he went upstairs. Did he sit in the dining room with it on, was he still planning to go to the Capital to take command? No wonder he didn't want photos of him in the dining room watching Fox .
It could also be another fashion dictate from his malevolent father that he internalized, right there with the ridiculously too-long ties. "Ya look thinner in a dark top coat." There are many photos of him at INSIDE EVENTS in the White House in which he wears the long top coat over his suit, including at the last White House Christmas Party.
I wouldn't assume he was wearing body armor. They were his people. He was unafraid of them. It had only been a few minutes since he'd arrived when the last picture was taken. I expect he took the coat off before sitting in the dining room and put it back on to go outside to film. It was a cold day.
Hmmm. Other people had on body armor on the stage when giving speeches. Trump was deliberately involved in a violent coup attempt and wanted to go to the Capitol with a violent mob. My vote is he had on armor. Maybe we will find this our one day.
He also spoke behind a bullet-proof glass shield on that day. He likes moving around and prancing, etc. when making speeches. But in that particular event, he stayed behind the protective shield. Why? Because he knew his insurrectionists were armed and dangerous!
Why would he need armor? His people were there for him. And he could count on no Secret Servicevor anyone wanting to defend the Capitol to harm the man who was still, on that day, the sitting President.
It seems somehow particularly fitting that this hearing was coordinated by veterans of the armed forces. It is my reading that Trump did not call a halt to the insurrectionary mob violence and Trump plants at DOD obstructed deployment of national guard troops because letting things get entirely out of control was Trump's Hail Mary, the last official act of his first term - an excuse for declaring martial law. Trump's last act as legitimate executive and possibly the last act before the curtain came down on democracy in the United States. As scripted and staged by the Republican party and its named and unnamed co conspirators.
Leonard Leo's crew are picking up where Hawley, Cruz, et al left off in hollowing out the constitutional foundations of the nation. Hubris and mendacity - works for them. Until it doesn't. We are all collateral damage now - until we take back the electoral process by getting out the vote for Democratic candidates.
I do not think at this point she is being petty. She recognizes the ineffectiveness and misdirection of these aged mediocre white men. They are only significant because they have power that they use only to empower and enrich their cronies and themselves. The hell with the rest of us!
As I watched tonight's hearing in disbelief, I kept thinking Trump is choosing not to try to stop this insanity. It was a clean cut choice to disengage himself from the reality of the destruction of the Capitol. Its one thing to try to stop a situation and fail, but an entirely different mindset to encourage and let it play out. It was brought up at the end of the hearing as well that he chose not to stop it.
Watching the outakes of Trump finally making a statement showed me what an unstable lunatic he truly is. Let the powers that be rain down every legal force on him. His free ticket has expired.
I hope and believe that we have been witnessing the final nails being driven into TFG's political coffin. May he not rest in peace. But millions of our citizens will continue to view him as their Messiah anyway. Willful ignorance is a strong emotional force, and is extremely difficult to counter with rational arguments. Nevertheless, we must find a way to convince these individuals that their legitimate needs and interests can be accommodated effectively within the broad mainstream of American governance and politics. It won't be a short or easy task
Christine I agree. Those out takes put into perspective that he thinks his entire Presidency was a television show. It was eerie to see him rewrite facts so as to work into his twisted "script" that is our Country.
After the J6 interview I jumped on Facebook to see what my GOP friends would say. They didn't disappoint. "They are lying. These people are setting up Trump" . These GOP'PERS cannot understand these witnesses are longtime Republicans picked by Trump. 😆
The outtakes were the high point of last night’s hearing for me (along with Rep. Cheney’s pointed comment about brave young women as opposed to 50, 60, and 70-old men). Unfortunately, I fear the outtakes, as well as all of the other seemingly incriminating information we have been given by this committee, will not even be seen by Trump loyalists. I just don’t believe they have bothered to watch.
Betsy, the outtakes were surreal and proved our point from years ago. He is a nut. I really liked what Liz Cheney said. She was right. It made me realize I don't much about the non political side of her. I Googled her. I didn't even know she was married let alone that she is a Mother of 5 children. Maybe that is what has made her human to me. I think she fears the lost of Democracy not as much for her, but maybe for her children. There is no going back once it's gone in our lifetime.
Okay, yes. The witnesses came forward EVENTUALLY. But they saw what they saw in that White House for 4 years and they let it happen. They never said a word before he lost re-election. Would they have said anything if he had won? Or would they have stayed on the ship if it wasn’t sinking, but rather just poisoning the ocean it floated on? They aren’t heroes. They’re room readers. I don’t want my daughter to grow up to be like Cassidy Hutchinson. I want my daughter to do the right thing from the start. I want her to be able to discern evil before she’s so involved in it that only a major shock will jolt her back into her integrity.
Even though I don't agree with Liz Cheney's political views, she's the one you want your daughter to grow up like. She put country before party. She cares.
If my kid could grow up with Cheney’s courage and principles but just used for good rather than the perpetuation of unfettered capitalism and corporate greed then yes, I’d be fine with that.
Mike, I respectfully disagree, for two reasons: First, there are still some differences between the quality of testimony needed in an administrative hearing and in a trial courtroom. What we are seeing now is the type of information gathering and organization that usually goes on internally. There is little disadvantage to letting the exploration and fact-finding continue, especially if it builds a stronger case. Imagine if we had had this kind of information before the second impeachment hearing, at a time when GOP party leadership was not as dug in as it is now, and their fear was still fresh in their minds. Which brings up the second point, which is that we, the American People, are essentially the audience and "jury" of these hearings. As each session ends, it become apparent that the truth of Cheney's statements tonight about Trump using and perverting patriotism to his own desire for power is making more and more inroads in the public's view. Will it obliterate the base? No, getting proud people to admit they have been used is never easy. Is it severely weakening it? Yes, and reducing the numbers is extremely important.
However: In the presence of our current convoluted propaganda generation by AM radio and Fox News, we run the risk of the majority of the American people, the jury as you have defined it, becoming more convinced Trump is innocent.
Already on AM radio, broadcasts in every city in the US, Hutchinson’s testimony is said to have been a lie by the Secret Service.
Similarly on Fox News Hutchinson has been pilloried. Never mind that the agent recanted.
Listen to Fox and AM radio. You will realize that our chance to prosecute is slipping away while powerful forces utilize the Jan 06 committee for propaganda.
I believe the optimal time to decide to prosecute is earlier than later.
Sure. Folks like me are learning more about what has been obvious for months: Trump broke the law.
But. Much of my entire friend group is ever more entrenched in propaganda and lies.
We will miss the window if we do not act now or soon.
I'm not so sure. I am in the UK right now, and watch the implosion of Boris the Clown. I think that if the Murdochs start to see Trump as a liability, Fox will turn on him. They are with him now, but that could change with more and more damaging information and signs of polling weakness, which are maybe, just maybe beginning.
Just to be clear--I want DOJ to act just as soon as they have a case. But I am disagreeing with the idea that if they are still building a case, they should stop holding hearings.
I think saying that "the majority" of Americans becoming more convinced that Trump is innocent is possibly an overstatement. Perhaps I am fortunate that in my cohort, more people are becoming convinced that he is not. I agree that Fox News et al is a problem, but their viewership, which had been steadily increasing, is now fluctuating although still high. My bigger concern is the conservative view that one should not start proceedings close to an election, but the traditional window of forbearance of six months has already been passed. Has the timing of this "weakening of the dam" all been politically contrived so that DOJ will feel constrained from acting before the 2022 midterms? Possible. The next best thing, then, is to continue the hearings closer to the election.
Yes, totally agree. We must act now BEFORE the midterms. Any minute now, Trump will declare his candidacy for POTUS and in doing so will say he is immune from prosecution because he is a political candidate. He will then sue any legal action taken against him and the whole thing will get mucked up in the courts. He will play himself as a martyr and his cult will lap it up. Strike now while the iron is hot.
Except that there is absolutely no legal basis for any such challenge. It is all a matter of democratic traditions, and we know what Trump thinks of those.
This: "evermore entrenched in propaganda and lies."
There are none so blind as those who will not see. To this I add "refuse to see, refuse to engage critical thinking skills, and are scared to death that someone "other" might get some of their goodies.
They are a big part of the problem. They are of course not" news" but are right wing propaganda designed to work up the cult into a lathered frenzy. They keep this divisiveness going on purpose.
KEM, I understand your points, because when the shot at Trump is fired it can’t miss. He has to go down. In my opinion the difference between the second impeachment where a good case was made and the 1/6 committee is that witnesses were called. Witnesses who had ringside seats. I think there is in metaphorical sense a big gun aimed Trump that again in a metaphorical sense will get a “kill shot”. However, let’s not let perfection be the enemy of joy. A prosecution has to be started sooner rather than later.
The 1/6 committee is not a weapon deployed to get a "kill shot" at DJT. Rather than using a gun on thick, hardened armor, the committee elected to map out the armor's design and then deploy enough screwdrivers to take the armor apart - publicly. Starting with Ms. Hutchinson's testimony, we have entered the "disassembly" phase of the committee's work. God speed to them.
Joy is good, justice is better. And in legal terms, justice will be argued on definitions. We have not seen, nor are we likely to see in these hearings, the wrangling that will occur over minute definitions of what responsibility Trump had. Questions like "Did he have to act if he knew that these were 'his people?' That he could 'call them off' at any time?" Since he was watching Fox, what did he know of the extent of the damage and death? History is rife with examples of severe consequences of inaction in order to achieve an end. We have not seen any cross examination of witnesses. We have not seen the tapes in their entireties. We have not seen opposing witnesses. We do not know how many of those witnesses will lie under oath or take the Fifth. We have not seen lawyers hammering that guilt cannot be presumed from a plea of "not answering because it would tend to incriminate me." IOW, we have not seen the critical analysis that DOJ must undertake if it is not to fail when it takes that shot. And, a trial will drag on for years. Joy or justice is still a long way off.
KEM, one of things my friends and family will say about me is I am a patience woman. I was around for Watergate. That one took a long time too. That said my patience is being tried on this one, I don’t see a lot of big holes.
As a society and culture, we are all less patient than we were then. I get it. I was just sitting here thinking how crushed I will be if DOJ does not pursue this mountain of evidence. We only disagree on the timing, and for now I am still willing to defer to what I see as Garland's expertise.
One of the guest commentators on msnbc last night (I think w Stephanie Ruhle, so later) said to not expect any high-level trials to be over until the spring of 2023, & I suspect he is correct.
I'd be willing to bet that if an indictment were issued now, it'd be months before the first pretrial hearings, depositions, other activities related to discovery, venue (federal district), jury selection would be completed. The DOJ would have plenty of time to pick through as much evidence as they want as that process plays out. A felony indictment makes running a campaign far more precarious. With 2 years between now and the 2024 election, there's plenty of time for a trial to get under way before any chance of executive privilege interfering with the march of justice.
I actually have more faith in the DA in Georgia; she doesn't have "the reputation of the DOJ" to be concerned about. She also doesn't have the same political pedigree that Garland has. Tfg's crime in Georgia is as plain as the recorded transcript of his call to the Georgia secretary of state. It's quite simple; no intervening hatchet men, no "plausible deniability". The only question there is, how "perfect" was that call, after all? I'm willing to bet that it's perfect evidence for a felony, enough to put him behind bars for 5 years or so. There's no reason whatsoever to "federalize" the case.
My next bet will be with the NYC DA. Politics AND gender run against tfg in NYC. He has abused the justice system in NY for decades. Any female who's breathing and conscious should have a visceral loathing for the man.
I'm not betting on Garland. There's no need to. TFG has sprayed his petty criminality across the landscape like a tomcat in mating season. Let the "little guys and gals" take him down. I think county jails and state prisons are every bit as comfy as any federal penitentiary.
I think this is the first time that I remember someone has expressed this in regards to Atty Gen Garland’s “delay” in bringing charges. And I agree. Why when the multitude of cases in the lower court have not been prosecuted fully yet? Thank you as always for your input, Nathan.
He must not be allowed to run again for any public office. That became clear last night, is one purpose of these hearings. Another, in my mind, is to educate the public on aspects of how this country is run and shed light on where things can fall down. We have seen things that need to be fixed, Congress willing. There should be no moving on from this, because we cannot afford to have this happen again, and we can not have this be the new normal. We should expect more of our leadership. Their running roughshod over this country with their lies and power hungry behavior, all encouraged and exacerbated by Trump, is not going away. For the sake of this democracy, there is no moving on.
Mike, as an old friend used to say, "shit or get off the pot".
That is absolutely where we are with this investigation. Continuing without action is pointless and damaging to our already contemptuous position as a Party.
There are still witnesses coming forward. We need a complete accounting for the sake of history if nothing else. But I sure would think dying in prison would be real Justice. And not just for tfg.
Yes, Patricia. The Secret Service is a pretty big puzzle piece. It’s time for that agency to quit dicking around and cough it up. HCR’s first question in the Letter today about the Secret Service not locking it down is relevant.
Commentators are increasingly speculating that the Secret Service agents were likely using encrypted messaging apps such as Signal. Not SMS texting like most of us do.
Such messages are not only encrypted, they can also be set to disappear. But is this legal for federal employees? Highly doubt it.
The experience of former FBI agent Peter Strzok, whose texts about Trump were made public, leading to his firing, was a striking lesson.
That's the problem, we want instant gratification. I am willing to wait to make sure we have a rock solid case.
And yes the president isn't above the law, but with the republican party throwing out their oaths of office to cover for him, it's imperative that we have a rock solid case.
As for getting over the J6 hearings, not gonna happen. Even if nothing happens to drumpf, this will be in the history books, well except for FL, TX and every red state who wants to protect their idol.
And before that, he was simple a privileged white man, trained in the art of the con. He has NEVER been held accountable, as is our unwritten code: rich, white, male = Do what you want. Messes are for lesser humans to clean up.
Yes, agree totally Beth. And something IS gonna happen to tRump. I have full faith in Merrick Garland, the DOJ, and the majority of the American people.
Mike - that is what I have been thinking about and wrestling with . . . different ethnic/minority groups get nailed for petty crimes and the really dangerous, destructive criminals like trump, continue to live unencumbered in some perverse non-reality "reality show".
If we treat our leaders like any other American, we are in big trouble in the current environment. Leaders choose to become leaders. They must be held to a higher standard because they have chosen to serve and they have people's lives in their hands, they have this democracy in their care. They have taken an oath to protect. It must be clear that they can not make up their own dangers and their own definitions of what is dangerous and a threat. They cannot use their campaign process as an excuse to start a war or violence or put innocents in danger. We must continue to stand up for what is right until we can stand down or we might as well kiss our freedoms and rights goodbye.
He was the President of the United States. One of our traditions is that we do not jail our political opponents without due course. And we have never prosecuted a President for seditious conspiracy, dereliction of duty etc. To act hastily smacks of banana republic thinking and this exactly what we are trying to avoid.
Comparing the actions of a President to a loaf of bread robber is extreme apples and oranges.
The Committee is mining pure gold. The DOJ is assembling legal prosecution. The January 6 Committee is assembling public opinion prosecution. They are running along parallel paths.
The Republicans have been mouthing off for 6 years. Now it is our turn.
Bet the lawyers are busier than ever in the Capitol today. Scared Republicans.
... point well taken, Mike - only, as you often remind us, white men of wealth (especially those who thrive by outright exploiting and ripping off others) rarely if ever pay - and (almost) always get away with their crimes and misbegotten behaviors.
What has changed in the general landscape that makes you think this case would be any different ...?
Indeed, time is short - as always in a crisis ... and timing is everything.
Do you think those on the House Select Committee are not aware of it? Do we know better than they do - who have access to all the facts available with more to come - who are handling it with extreme professionalism - who are living with the threats and direct consequences of openly challenging the lies for the sake of whatever truth will come from their investigation?
Do you think the propagandists will stop creating more lies and distractions if tfg is suddenly arrested and sent to prison, where half of his troops await his instructions? How's this: "Fascist fake government steals presidency and imprisons True Leader of The Free World" ...?
And what If the Committee just stops the investigation midstream - how will that not fuel further deception ... "Oh, no there there ... just making up lies to make our heroic leader look bad ..."
C'mon Mike, every hearing so far brings us closer to the truth we need to challenge the lies that run so deep - so the liars keep lying - what is new about that - it is who they are, what they do, and will continue to do, regardless ... so, shall we take the time to pull this weed out by the root, or shave it off with a weed whipper - certainly, it will continue to grow - on either side of prison walls (more likely on the inside) ....
time is elastic. I just heard today that the timing of subsequent hearings, preliminary and final reports are stunningly coincident to the date of the mid-term election. In this case, both R and D committee members have reason to want the MAGA crowd to take a bath this November. Fate hasn't been too kind to Biden, since one or two pieces of bad news are worth months of hard work and lots of accomplishments when it comes to the press and the public opinion polls. So, the committee can run things right up to the last day before a new congressional session, regardless of whether one or both houses change majority party. the DOJ timeline is different; indictment before declaration of intent to run in 2024 is the sticky wicket. I'd play the odds and get that indictment in place, then use all the pre-trial maneuvering time to finish the detail work on the evidence. Everything in the congressional record, i.e. every document solicited by the committee as well as all the testimony both private and public will be part of the evidence; lots of work already complete. The onus will be on the defense to develop all the counter evidence, witnesses and arguments.
Mike, I trust your well informed intuition - however, I would continue with the investigations and live broadcasts in addition to indictment ... and risk friendship circles by congenially challenging gullibility and branded ignorance ... we are born with minds and hearts (so far, anyway) - we need to use them - or lose them ... so sad that people are so caught up in media absorption and monetary motivation ... the modern American lifestyle branding iron ...
I would never vote for Liz Cheney but I do admire her fierce adherence to her oath and belief in the Constitution. I enjoy her wrap ups at the end of each hearing. I hope a Wyoming miracle happens and she wins the primary.
Oh that debate was a designed for video set piece. The real opponent, Harriet Hagerman, was not shown saying a complete sentence. Wyoming politics is bought and paid for by the oil and gas industry.
Tonight’s hearing was a humdinger. I thought Luria and Kinzinger were brilliant factual orators. I also admired their military histories. They revealed those questionable 187 minutes, bit by bit, with questions geared to the two witnesses and by the video outtakes. Trump and his handlers truly deserve to see be put in front of a firing squad. Okay, I know that’s not going to happen but his consequences must be severe. He defied the advice of his staff and of his own children. ( Eric must’ve been on vacation. :) ) Like a child stomping his foot to make a point of what he wanted, We got to observe a clearly nasty old white guy, enraged. He is also responsible for influencing corruption upon the Secret Service. May he never ever rest in peace.
As was found on Twitter back in the day “Trump, in short, is wielding a Soprano touch on American institutions ‘I’m fucking King Midas in reverse here,’ Tony Soprano once told his therapist. ‘Everything I touch turns to shit.’” The Secret Service is the latest casualty…
" He defied the advice of his staff and of his own children." But why would he even need their advice? Why did we have a president who could not clearly see what a kindergartner could see was wrong and know "all by himself" what was the right thing to do? He is a child and we keep getting sucked into his childish state. If he gets off, our bar is way, way too low and we are in big trouble. (I know I'm cutting out one sentence of many that I totally agree with but I keep hearing that sentiment and it bothers me.)
This could very well have been the first time tfg's children raised voices in common directly against what he wanted to do. For their entire lives, the only correct opinion was his opinion, parroted back to him.
Those three would be ideal, but they are too smart to agree to spend the rest of their lives sitting across the table from Thomas et al, whom they cannot remove due to a flawed structure we’re still allowing to continue. They have already done their part for the country.
J.P. Dwyer Then pick another three who could be quickly confirmed by our slim majority.
Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris, and Lorraine Luria (the justices do not need to be lawyers to serve but she would bring military knowledge to the court).
Thank you HCR for an excellent summary of last night’s J6. I’ll be watching it again. A few new details to add to the memory bank on our Crime Boss POTUS. My Goddess, what a horrible hollow shell resembling a person. ❤️🤍💙
Dear Sarah...I purchased them about 30 years ago in an airport gift shop. Believe they were made in Mexico (silver with onyx). Still wearing today. Like them. Thanks for asking...Gilded Twig
Two big "aha" moments for me: (1) "...The committee established that he released the video only after law enforcement was deployed and was gaining control of the Capitol, making it clear the violent insurrection would not succeed." I am now convinced that if law enforcement had not gotten the upper hand, Trump's video would not have been released when it was; and (2) the "Outtakes of the January 7 video recording" showed that on top of his sheer evil nature, Trump is at his core a pathetic excuse for a human being, let alone the Leader of the Free World.
And Bannon describing the sequence of events before it happen, showing Trump planned the whole thing.
I've noted this before but a major media outlet reported that plan a couple of days before the election and the White House summarily denied there was any such plan.
Yes, Lil' Donny has told us everything in advance. I really have learned very little from the Jan 6 Hearings as almost all we have heard had been reported in Real Time. They have mostly organized things into a more coherent order instead of the firehose which was the Trump Admin and post-Failure.
The Amazing aspect to me is, "How could the tRUmp Campaign have had any false hopes about winning?"
It was obvious to me by mid-May 2017 that Trump would not be able to run another 'inside straight' as he had already made too many bad decisions to receive the "benefit of the doubt" Vote. That was followed by 3 years of more stampeding off in the wrong direction. His Approval rating always hovering around 34-39%.
Then, came 2020 and a little virus from somewhere - possibly, here. By dent of his overflowing Incompetence, Trump managed to turn the most defensible country in World into the Most Infected and Most Deadly Country in the World.
There could have been no rational hope for a 2020 Win after his 1st 6 months in Office.
Agreed, but somehow "rational" didn't enter into any of this.
Wide spread Lunacy!
I have a friend (whose name you would know if I dropped it) who was a member of a group of "senior people in politics and government" who "gamed out" the election in 2020. In late September he told me they had concluded from looking at things being said by Trump at his rallies all year that he was going to claim victory based on the "red mirage" and they feared he would then use it to declare martial law.
And in September 2020 I read Barton Gellman's on-line piece in The Atlantic titled The Election That Could Break America. It was slated for November issue but they knew they needed to get it out sooner. Problem I see is too much good reporting is behind paywalls.
I've read them all:
https://www.theatlantic.com/author/barton-gellman/
As someone who gets paid for writing, I have to defend the paywalls. We writers have been hit hard by the "Napster attitude" that we're all "sharing" and it's supposed to be "free." Do you work for free? I didn't think so.
Sorry...my comment was intended to point out that due to paywalls the information is not widely out there then. That was all. I want it to be out there. I try to share these important articles as best I can.
OK. I just hear this a lot. There is a "traditional" attitude out there that we writers should want to do it for love of doing it. I do that, but I also have a traditional love of eating regularly, living indoors and paying my bills. :-)
Good call. I'm an artist and one of the most important things to learn is to value your work and charge for it.
Also, incisive reporting that's behind paywalls gets picked up by other media and is widely available for free, though lacking as much detail. And quality of writing.
I don’t have a problem with paywalls, never did. I understand exactly, and respect, their reason for being. When you’re young and poor, maybe it’s frustrating. Oh well.
Gellman's piece was prescient.
My big takes from the hearing were not actually news.
1.
I was gratified to see Cassidy Hutchinson noted again particularly. If the DOJ ever puts a case together, much of her information will not be pivotal, as most of it was circumstantial, and others who were present will be forced to testify. But her testimony during this hearing remains the money shot of all testimony. It repeatedly pointed us in the right direction, for one thing. Not to be overlooked though was how it opened the floodgates for others to come forward. Her patriotism and amazing courage put others to shame. If America remains a free democracy, there should be a statue of her facing the 1/6 committee. I believe she is that historic a figure.
2.
HCR’s question of why the Army was following Pence’s orders has been nagging at the back of my mind as well for some time. I thought it must be a “fog of war” thing and dismissed it. But now I’m wondering what exactly went on to bring the Army to that point.
As for the actual hearing, most of it was just filling in the blanks of what we could have guessed. Trump’s (and Harley’s) poses of courage are simply the outward manifestations of deeply insecure, fearful, wounded and wounding figures.
Although the outtakes should be the last nail in the coffin of the plan for Trump could run in 2024. He’s toast. You can’t recover from the shellacking he took.
Huge kudos to the Committee. They have accomplished an historic mission in shredding Trump, using only Republicans.
I have a neighbor who won’t be convinced, because he won’t watch or read anything that denies his beliefs that Trump is the savior. He has said, “That wasn’t an insurrection.” I then read the definition of insurrection which includes the word ‘violence’. He then claimed that there was no violence that day and what about BLM.
Sounds just like my dt-addicted husband. We watched the entire day on Faux (because he wouldn’t believe it on any news outlet), so I know what dt was seeing. And the “what-about-ism” as though there’s some moral equivalency 🤬🤬🤬
I have much to be grateful for in life, but most of all, that my husband's morals and beliefs are 100% aligned with my own. I have noted your posts before and don't know how your marriage continues. On the rare occasions that we have had opposing viewpoints, my husband and I listen to each other and generally point out something the other had missed and come to agreement. I would like to think that you and your husband would do the same, but it seems as though he doesn't give you that option. It doesn't sound like you are being fully respected. HCR's letter is not an advice column we all read, so I won't offer any advice--just a reminder that there are like minded people here, and generally speaking, disagreements are respectfully discussed. You are supported.
Thank you so much, Miselle.
I was raised a republican and was a loyal republican wife for 39yrs, until dt came down that escalator and my husband was so excited, “Yeah, we need him, he’ll bring in the votes!” I couldn’t believe it. I still can’t believe that my dearly loved husband, who really is a Christian (I feel everyone’s eyebrows raise, but trust me, in everything but dt we are in agreement), could support this scum of the earth and his minions. On the other hand, he can’t believe I have abandoned what he sees as the only right way. In December, by the grace of God, we’ll celebrate 46yrs of marital joys and sorrows, because that’s our life. Our only child also supports dt, but I don’t believe he is as addicted as his father because he and I can still talk and disagree respectfully.
I come here for sanity and I thank you and everyone here for that. ❤️🩹
Similar to your situation: how does George Conway abide Kelley Ann Conway?
I have a dear friend/colleague who shocked the heck out of me when she told me she was voting for dt in 2016. For the past six years, we've stayed in touch, but have to stay clear of politics because this wise, talented director of my one woman show still supports him. I haven't had the "guts" to ask her what she thinks of the hearings because I don't want to know. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if this difference with a dear friend is so painful for me, I can't imagine what it would be like coming from a beloved husband. So I admire your ability to hold the whole picture of your 46 years, and not "throwing out the baby with the bathwater." Blessings,
Like Miselle, I am so blessed and grateful to have a partner completely on the same page as me.
Fortunately, you have the right to vote in private. Hang in there and vote for the women and men who will stand against Trump. Your vote can make a difference
Have done & will continue to do. Thankfully Florida still offers voter registration when you get your driver’s license.
Even more thankfully, this is a national requirement so Florida's governor cannot take that away. "The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA), popularly known as The Motor Voter Act, is a legislation that required state governments to allow registration when a qualifying voter applied for or renewed their drivers license or applied for social services. This legislation forced state governments to make the voter registration process easier by providing uniform registration services through drivers' license registration centers, disability centers, schools, libraries, and mail-in registration." https://definitions.uslegal.com/m/motor-voter-act-the-national-voter-registration-act-of-1993-nvra/
You have my sympathy, Suzanne. Talk about a challenging situation.
Thank you, Michael. Kind of like teaching 7th & 8th graders, which I have also done 😉
sounds like you need a second tv to hear what's going on in the world. in another room. if that riles the man, invite him to take a walk. lock the door.
That's actually a great idea. Close the door and tell him to ask permission to enter and watch without comment unless you ask for it.
🤭😄😆😂🤣
Wow. How do you do it, Suzanne.
These people just can't trust anything that goes again their ideology, even in the face of overwhelming evidence.
At their deepest core, they are terrified of women getting power.
That's part of it no doubt; also a substantial amount of racism. Again referring to Snyder, The Road to Unfreedom (which I have cited here several times recently), ch. 6, which has a discussion at (what I think is) a more fundamental level. Part of Snyder's argument can be summarized by saying that American society has been "groomed" for decades by Republican ideology and, more recently, before and during the 2016 election campaign, by Russian propaganda, delivered compliments of Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Divered compliments of faux entertainment
And a black woman, oh my.
Yes, and blacks and Muslims and Latinas and gays and . . . All the haters, all those who think whites are the superior ones, magnetically drawn to the Fox Noise and Republican club like flies to shit on a hot summer day.
And there are over 74 million just like him
My husband pointed out the same thing about Pence issuing orders to the military. He noted that for that brief moment in time Pence was acting President. The military thankfully didn't tell Pence they would have to wait for orders from the President as they knew full well that orders from Trump would not be forth coming. Dangerous time.
Maybe it was that Kizinger and Lauria are veterans but....I realized last night that Pence would not, could not, assume those duties unless Trump was INCAPACITATED. Perhaps by a bad tantrum?
Is the fact that Pence was apparently the acting president during that time part of the explanation as to why there are no phone logs, diary or SS texts??????? That kind of incident is exactly why the National Archives exist.
Correct!
Did “the military” want to avoid a martial law order from DT?
If he runs, I hope he's the nominee. It will ensure a Democratic victory.
Like the word that was difficult for him to pronounce in the Jan. 7 post-insurrection video, Trump is so "yesterday."
Great points well made. I like the Cassidy statue idea.
The Nation has the by far the best headline: "187 Minutes of Treason."
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/january-6th-hearing-trump/?custno=&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%207.22.22&utm_term=daily
In all this time, there have only been 2 black female senators. I’d give a statue to the first one elected to the Senate. The second one is not done yet in her career. Do you all remember who that was?
And Representatives in the House? Maxine Waters, Sheila Jackson Lee, Barbara Lee among other notable black women.
At this point in our history and going forward, I’d like to see future statues and/or awards commending black Women.
Who are going to lead in saving Democracy. Historic figures.
Unita! 🗽
Don't forget Val Demings, Christine. As you remember, she was on the first impeachment committee, and every time I heard her speak, I was very impressed with her. And Stacy Abrams, though not on Capitol Hill, has accomplished a helluva lot for us.
Was referring to Senate in first remark. I’m not one to forget Val. We have been working very hard in Florida on her campaign to oust Rubio. I love thinking of picking up Senate seat with Val Demings from Florida. Stacy Abrams for Governor of Georgia and then a vice presidential candidate.
Thank you for your work Christine!
My wife knows who the first black senator is. I’d probably have to look it up. Shirley Jackson?
Carol Moseley Braun
Ah yes.
Celebrity means you’re at the top. The only way to go is down. I’ve been saying for a long time that he is never going to run for president again, I don’t care what anybody says. His popularity and his trajectory is downward.
Dear Roland,
Your beliefs on this give me hope. 🤞🏻💙🤞🏻
The Army would be aware of the rally at the Ellipse, presided over by TFG, and the resulting attack on the Capitol. The Pres was not acting to stop it, so the VP was filling in.
As Pence should have — though constitutionally he lacked the legal authority. It's fair to say Trump was incapacitated, lost in his vicious fantasy of a violent coup. Pence may have not only saved his own life but democracy. I say that with some hesitation because outside of Jan. 6, he's hardly been a profile in courage.
I agree with everything you say.
Thanks for that. I was out of the country for the hearing where Ms. Hutchison testified, but I'm going to go find it at watch it right now.
This may not be complete, but a good, spine-tingling “chunk” for sure:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bTKdGIaZmQM
Thank you so much!
That would be a great statue, for sure.
Yes pathetic excuse for a human being PEHB—and I’m inclined to add so are his delusional followers, disciples, cultish lunatics and assorted crackpots. For those of us who sat glued to the television that horrific day— which started out happy because of the Georgia congressional victories—and knew we were seeing an event I can compare to 9/11, but in a kind of slow motion, we kept saying—wait where are the people who will stop this??? What the f—k is going on? PEHB was enjoying everything about his own extraordinary power to orchestrate this event. In November we’ll see how our fellow Americans have digested these facts.
While I like your term PEHB, With respect to D Chump I have long stopped using the word "human being" and substitute "Life Form" (LF).
Encyclopedia Brittanica includes in their definition of human beings as, "Human beings are anatomically similar and related to the great apes but are distinguished by a more highly developed brain and a resultant capacity for articulate speech and abstract reasoning." The one under discussion here has none of these traits.
Unfortunately those lunatics and crackpots are in every family. And they never seem to be the brightest bulbs on the circuit.
Allow me to add to your description of the "pathetic excuse for a human being": What we had for a president on January 6th was a three-year old gleefully watching superhero movies and throwing food against the wall (though I don't want to insult any three-year old). And the urgently needed adult (the 25th Amendment) was nowhere to be found.
My letter to Merrick Garland:
June 20, 2022
Dear Attorney General Garland,
I am writing you as a concerned American who fears that our Democracy, something I have always been grateful for and certain that it would be forever safely guaranteed in this country, is now in peril. Donald J. Trump, whose actions have given the green light to racism, misogyny, xenophobia, and violence, has proven in broad daylight that he doesn't give a hoot about it.
Had Robert Mueller indicted Trump and taken him off the streets as he deserved to be, our Democracy would not have come perilously close to extinction on January 6th, and you would not be in the unenviable position of having to decide on something as unprecedented as indicting a former president. Remember, though, that this would not have been a first if Richard Nixon had not resigned and President Ford had not pardoned him.
I write the following as a mental health therapist. Knowing full well that Biden had won in a free and fair election, Trump would have stopped at nothing, no matter how illegal he knew his action to be, going as far as allowing murder to have been committed, for only one reason. It is much more deeply psychological than holding on to power. His father imbued in him from childhood, that the worst thing anyone can be in this world is a loser. Ingrained in every fiber of his mind and psyche, accepting loss would be an existential threat to him--the same as dying. Therefore, he must propagate the lie to save his life. Being a loser is simply not an option. This is why Trump has manipulated his followers to have election officials in place who would overturn the election results if he runs again and loses. This cannot be allowed to happen. There are clear reasons why charges such as "seditious conspiracy" exist, and why the framers called for a peaceful transfer of power between factions in Articles 1 and 4 of our Constitution.
As a result of the January 6th Select Committee's herculean effort of scrupulously laying out the facts, thus far the majority of Americans polled believe that Trump should be indicted and convicted of his crimes. For the sake of our Democracy, I hope that you will uphold your promise--that no one is above the law and if found guilty, regardless of the individual's position and whether or not they were at the Capitol, they will be duly prosecuted. I trust that you will follow through and do your part.
Sincerely,
Sophia
An excellent letter. Thank you for sharing it.
We have seen so many around trump that day interviewed or commented on. What they were doing, when they were doing it. But what was Melania doing? Where was she? Her husband is refusing to stop a riot on the seat of power in the USA. What was SHE doing? Her nails?
I think she was looking for her jacket.
I really don't care, do u?
ok sorry I just had to type that ;-)
I saw something yesterday where she said she wasn't aware of what was going on. Notice that nobody hoped that she would show up....it was Ivanka and Jared.
The poor stepmother gets no respect. Maybe it’s because she’s a Golddigger and doesn’t deserve any.
I just think of her as a gold digger and not as a stepmother.
I believe she was conducting a photo shoot of some news rugs. As a First Lady should! <sarcasm>
She is quoted to say she was "taking inventory" of the "improvements" she and TFG made in the White House. Maybe like the golden toilet?
Or the toilet in which he threw papers during one of his childish tantrums?
Yes. And hair.
“What was SHE doing? Her nails?”
😆😆
TPFG was waiting for 1 thing. For the SS to tell him VP Pence had left the building, so Grassley could take control and hold a vote NOT to certify the ballots/electors.
So glad you mention this. Grassley was in on it, at least enough to be waiting in the wings for Pence not to be available. But what specifically did Grassley know? The J6 committee has its hands full, but I so want an investigation of the role of members of Congress in the attempted coup. Those guilty need, at the very least, to be removed from office.
As much as we've learned, there are still many gaps — this one, for example, and the specific planning that Trump, likely through cutouts like Roger Stone and others, did with the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. And who built and planted the two bombs?
September.
I think there will be some indictments coming from now to September from DOJ.
Agree. I think the biggest ones will follow in Q1 2023.
“I so want an investigation of the role of members of Congress in the attempted coup.“
Amen, Brother.
He was truly pathetic in the outtake....slamming the podium, etc.
That behavior has been described often by those who know him well. But seeing it was still shocking. He's one sick puppy.
My first thought after seeing that clip was — save that moment and use in campaign ad for him or his cult.
Some day we will see the Celebrity Apprentice footage with all its petulance and racist + sexist + anti-gay slurs. That’ll be interesting.
Puke.
The guy is a wreck. A mental case. That evidence has been so well shielded from us. But not forever.
You would be less surprised after reading Mary Trump's book about him.
I wish they had gone into why the National Guard, police, FBI and other forces were not sent until very late in the day and requested by Pence. They said it takes hours to get them in place? But they all knew of the credible threats? And no answers about the Pentagon's silence.
Lot of TFG crony’s at Pentagon.
AND General Milley didn’t want to be played like he had during the summer protest and church bible photo shoot.
So there are two things going on at DOD, during the riot/coup.
SS texts, calls, and radio should have alerted The capital police, DC police, The National Guard of Maryland in Virginia, homeland security, as well as the Pentagon as soon as they recognized the crowd in size and how the crowd was armed. these are all part of the national security apparatus and not having the Secret Service records is not helpful at best, it is nefarious, at worst it is seditious / treason.
Margaret Wyatt…That is my big question! And why so few Capitol Police? Who made that happen?
Well put. Trump is a hollow being and a wimp.
I’m especially glad that Hawley was shown to be an absolutely venal, craven opportunist. I hope the history books juxtapose the raised fist photo beside the still of him running for his life. That’s how he should be remembered.
While I am glad that Hawley’s true colors were revealed, I rejoice in the fact that Heather begins with the respect and friendships that this committee has engendered from members of opposing parties.
Thank you, Heather for highlighting the fact that we don’t have to live with constant hatred and anger, that appreciation, reverence, and esteem can exist between peoples of distinct political ideologies.
“The committee’s chair, Bennie Thompson (D-MS), is isolating with Covid, so Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-WY) presided over the hearing. She began with a tribute to Representative Thompson. Scott Simon, the host of NPR’s Weekend Edition, noted that ‘the Democratic chair of the committee just gracefully, and with full confidence, turned over the running of tonight’s hearing to the vice-chair, who happens to be of another party, and they spoke with mutual trust and respect. That’s how it’s supposed to go.’”
And I reiterate: “That’s how it’s supposed to go!”
I cried with relief while reading the first section of the letter, Rowshan. With a torrent of tears pent up just waiting for some kind of example and an acknowledgment of “That’s how it’s supposed to go!” Since that day in January 2021.
I am so grateful to Rep Bennie Thompson’s leadership and to the Committee. For the connotation and feel passed on specifically to the American people that have been waiting for that exact thing. “That’s how it’s supposed to go!”
Thank you, Professor Richardson. That was a mic drop.
Unidad. 🗽🇺🇸
Yes...."that's how it's supposed to go." but for me, Cheney's remarks about the courage of women coming forward, and the important role women can continue to play was equally satisfying. White men should be worried about the wrath of women as we come together to bring this country back to sanity.
In nearly every mythological construct of the world, the ocean is a vast feminine entity -- Neptune and Poseidon notwithstanding. Water itself is symbolic of both invincibility and power. Water's function is to sanctify and purify the earth.
When the blue wave does come (and I am convinced it will be on the order of a tsunami), it's going to be feminine energy that will be unleashed. The force of that wave can, and probably will, wash away and cleanse the stagnant, malignant residue of selfishness and greed that has for far, far too long permeated our elective and appointed offices.
Tsunami indeed. Suburban women the Repubs are counting on are incensed about having their reproductive rights stripped away! In the privacy of the voting booth they're going to take control of their bodies again.
Having seen so many other mother's children gunned down, they're going to choose candidates who will pass sensible gun laws to protect their children.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Ooooo. I love your comment and will swim in it for awhile. Thank you, mlbrowne.
Unita. 🗽
Nicely put. I was just talking to my LMT yesterday who likes to fish, but most of all, be on the ocean. I also feel so connected because to me the ocean is primordial as it is also for him.
Amen. May it be so.
Minor point: Neptune and Poseidon are the same entity--the former is the Roman name, the latter, the Greek name (Thanks, Monica Feuermann and Ann Scattergood Fogg (my fifth and sixth grade teachers, both exemplars of feminine wisdom and energy)
David, I am well aware of the Greek vs Roman names -- my point was that even though the Greeks and the Romans thought the ocean was personified by a male, if you look at other world myths, most of them ageed to worship the ocean, water, and the sea as a feminine entity. In Java, she is Nyai Loro Kidul (Queen of the Indian Sea). In Egypt, she was Neith ("The Terrifying One"), Hawaiian myths have her as Namaka. Mayans had Ixik. The Aztecs had Chalchiuhtlicue (no, I cannot pronounce it). Australian aboriginals believed in Eingana, a creator goddess.
ml, I LOVE this. Thanks for updating my knowledge of mythology
¡Las mujeres unidas jamás serán vencidas! The women united shall never be defeated! Salud! 🗽
Si! Women with courageous men by their sides. https://youtu.be/Cuzl_QTBlWI
Salud, Cathy! Unidad! 🗽
Koch SISTERS anyone ? (From 2014):
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/koch-brothers-now-meet-koch-sisters/story?id=25983879
That struck me too. The females were very clear about their disgust and they didn't waffle about it knowing that they are now targets for the lunatic fringe. And the women from Georgia whose lives have been turned upside down by that same lunatic fringe. Yesterday I happened upon a story about citizens contacting the mayor of Gladstone, a city to the southeast of Portland and part of the metro area. Soon both of them received nasty posts from her sister who is absolutely the lunatic fringe and a pal of the Proud Boys. There was a lot of BS from the mayor about her sister, but in the end why did she let her sister know. One of the individuals is a male educator and of course, was accused of being a pediphile. Proud Boys business cards showed up on the lawn. This is what is going on all over and people will have to have lots of courage if they chose to speak out in any way. Brown shirts resurrected.
So much less stylish than the shirts of many colors that We the People, all of us this time….are wearing.
Unita, Michele. 🗽
Unita, Christine. They are thug style with wannabe military colors. I prefer the colors of the rainbow.
Michele, YES! “Brown shirts resurrected.” These are the Fascists out in the open. This country needs an education on what that looks like. And what it means. That includes everyone.
Well, only some white men, I venture to suggest.
I hope WOMEN are up for the task.
I don’t hope for one second, I KNOW!
Unita, Cecilia. 🗽
Cheney herself has done a wonderful job. I suspect I don't agree with her on any normal policy positions, but IMO she is an American hero and richly deserved her profile in courage award.
Her closing statement was stunning. Appealing to supporters by telling them djt used their patriotism and sense of justice as a weapon against their nation was spot on. I can’t help but wonder if she got through to any of them.
You describe perfectly my feelings during the hearing, Pam. That was the second time that tears came to my eyes. This time with fire and resolve.
Unita, Sister. 🗽
And we need to act quickly. Women have been demoted to second class citizens. Our dignity, health and safety are secondary to any fetus we might carry. Women who miscarry are being denied standard of care. Will a new version of fugitive slave act be reinstated to haul fleeing women back for forced births?
That similarity to the Fugitive Slave Law has already been discussed in Robert Hubbell's 7-15-22 piece: https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/corrected-echoes-of-a-shameful-legacy
Thanks for the link Barbara. Hubbell articulates the problem well.
Rise up and take charge!
Right on, Pam!
The examples they have been setting are simply wonderful, Christine! I’m so delighted with the outcomes of their humanity! Unidad!
It was all I could do not to to continuously guffaw during the last few moving and powerful minutes last night as Twitter kept refreshing the Josh Hawley scamper!!!
Oh I love my clever sisters across this nation who will continue the emasculation of the selfish, pompous, suit n'ties who think they have answers to our health and freedom. Unitas!!
The Josh Hawley scamper will make a great campaign ad for his next opponent!
I, too, am grateful for the strength, leadership and oaths to our Constitution of Rep. Bennie Thompson, Rep. Liz Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (the latter two, both Republicans who stand for the rule of law before party) and every other member on the committee. I sent a thank you letter to Rep. Thompson and Cheney several weeks ago to express my gratitude and support. (I live just a few short miles from Wyoming's border. I wish I had the ability to vote in support of her continued service.)
Hawley’s example of manliness can be summed up easily “Hawl-Ass”. Perhaps his idea of manliness is part of the problem. Uvalde Police come to mind.
I've been seeing the Uvalde police as intensely human and evidence of why we should not put the human drive for survival as the failsafe between guns and children. Turning on the responders has been a right powerful way to turn the eye away from the fact that if the gun wasn't there, there wouldn't have been need for the police.
That is an interesting point. If I may...
I'm a retired deputy, and I spent my last 5 years working as the daytime contract deputy in a small town south of Eugene. I called myself "Ally of Mayberry" and that was really a pretty accurate description of what my job entailed. The band kids called me "Deputy Tuba" (I sat in with them for pep band and for a couple concerts).
After Sandy Hook in 2012, I met with the elementary school principal, and ended up having several meetings with staff. I helped them with designing a more secure way to control visitors to the building, and some other ways to "harden the target" of the school without turning it into a prison. I also told them what to expect from law enforcement (I had helped design our agency's "active shooter" protocols after Columbine) and after I detailed the protocol (get three officers on scene, and go in to neutralize the shooter) I told them reality: there was a 50% chance that it would take a minimum of 5 minutes to get that personnel on scene. I told them that our office (two contract deputies and a resident deputy for south Lane county) could get at least two of us there within 3 minutes, and that regardless of protocols, we'd go in then.
I was never put in that position. I know that I had done the work, both tactically and mentally, to be ready to go in, and that I would have. Tactical training is only part of it. Every cop has to do the mental work necessary to prepare themselves for that event. It ain't easy, and it is scary as hell.
The fact is, that in our country today, we love our guns more than we love our children. It is as simple, and awful, as that. In no world should children be decapitated by semi-automatic rifle fire with a high capacity magazine loaded with rounds designed to do the maximum damage to the human body.
Thank God that you were not put in that position, Ally, as we appreciate your thoughtful comments and insightful expertise here!
I also appreciate your comment about not "turning it into a prison"--because that is exactly what the GQP seems to want.
I am very thankful for the many things I was prepared to do that I never had to do.
I got into quite a quagmire on my Facebook page when I posted a political cartoon that had two panels; one with a teacher protecting a room full of kids, and another with a teacher, armed with a pistol, with all the kids standing behind her, and I asked my teacher friends how they felt. It disintegrated when all of my RWNJ friends chimed in.
Love and appreciate who you are and what you have done & do, Ally!
Thank you.
Love This! "The band kids called me "Deputy Tuba" (I sat in with them for pep band and for a couple concerts)."!! I worked closely with our community police officer when I was running our community school programs. The officer would even come to Friday night junior high dances! And he could dance! What a wonderful impact on the "tough" kids! Sadly, one time we had to use the dance to set up a sting on 2 teens, who, after witnessing their mother being shot to death by her druggee boyfriend in Florida, stole a car and drove - one 15 yrs old, one 13 - back to Michigan, stealing and dealing all the way home. I rarely gave up on a kid, but ... that's also why we have community police officers.
Oh, MaryPat! The best and the worst in one short paragraph. I hope someone saved those two kids.
😭
Agreed!!
Having 2 retired/1 current CPD members of my family, one thing does come to mind: I am always amazed that the group which supposedly staunchly supports police (but beat the sh!t out of them on 1/6) so vehemently demands the right to own semi-automatic weapons that in many cases result in the criminals/crazies having much more firepower than the POLICE!! Why is that allowed?
I admit that had it been one of my family policemen running in with a handgun to confront someone with an assault rifle......well, hard choices and thoughts there.
And 100% agreement with the last statement in your post! As my husband commented about the Indianapolis mall shooting where the shooter was killed by an armed "good guy"--had the crazy not had the assault weapon to begin with, those three killed would not have died. Yes--an armed "good guy" can stop a shooting, but not until shooting has already started.
What a world we live in.
I'm not one to delight in the misfortunes of others. But Hawley is an exception. The irony is, well, delicious: his raised fist to the mob (no doubt something he planned) and then prancing with fright to escape those whom he had incited.
He's just another privileged white pretty boy with a good education but devoid of character. And how exactly do you prance like that without a backbone?
Great comparison. UPD is a disgrace to the badge.
I am going to be using that one...thank you.
You are so right.
Yes that IS the way our representatives are supposed to do their jobs. And right now Cheney & Kinzinger(sp?) are stellar examples. BUT in the back of my mind is the knowledge that neither of them voted against their party on any of the attempts to pass good legislation - it was always with their party. I'm grateful for all they have done in this effort to bring DJit to hopefully the consequences he deserves or close to it, but their party matters above all. And the gun control, abortion, voting rights - Party first.
I'm sorry if this puts a pall on the good news, but removing Djit is likely creating a path for DeSantis & others. With the focus on DT - the Repubs are moving along on their next agenda.
You landed on the reason why I worry long term about how governable the country will be in the decades ahead. The differences, as in 1860, seem fundamental, and we are split pretty close to 50-50. You either believe in a woman’s right to control her reproductive fate or you don’t. You either believe in LGBTQ rights, including the right to marry anyone you choose, or you don’t. You either want to fight climate change or you don’t. I don’t hate people who disagree with me, but neither do I want to say that’s it’s okay to take away what I regard as fundamental human rights or to sit idly by while planet burns up. Sometimes I really don’t mind being old. The America I live in now is turning into the Mississippi of my youth.
It is scary - in more ways than one. I didnt list climate change in my examples - but thats the biggest one of all. All those years ago, when I first registered to vote - of course did so as a Republican - for no other reason than thats what my parents were & I knew no different. But over the years, I voted more & more with the Democrats & in 2016? Made the change. I could never stand Djit from the first time I heard anything about him and my opinion hasnt changed. I worry for my kids, grandkids & great grandkids.
Maggie/NYS I agree completely. Liz Cheney is very impressive on the J6 committee, but doing your job is a low bar to clear. It's only notable at this point because the vast majority of Republicans are not doing their jobs. She went on about brave women last night, but she is a conservative and in her world women should remain second class citizens. So I'm not on the "statue for LC" bandwagon just yet.
To borrow from Monty Python, "Brave Sir Robin did bravely run away."
“Run away!! Run away!!” Monty Python
Del Shannon time
My Little Runaway
Beach Boys: "Run, run, run 'til your Daddy takes the T-Bird away"
Jim, that was actually one of the "soundtrack" clips someone posted on Twitter. A friend sent me the link. Also the Benny Hill theme (a notorious misogynist who also loved to dress up in women's clothing).
Heres the link. https://mobile.twitter.com/the_mal_gallery/status/1550289866411634689
My fave, Linda, is the wimp running to the tune of the BeeGees singing “Stayin’ Alive”.
Unita! 🗽🎼
"Yacketty Sax"
The videos effectively ruined Hawley. He will never run for the Presidency now. It is historic that there are those type of moments that kill a politician's career. I am especially thrilled about this. It is a shot across the bow to other Republicans in a big way.
At last, a Democratic version of Dukakis in the tank...
Or the Dean scream
My thoughts exactly.
I hope you’re right. The world thought Nixon was politically dead after losing the gubernatorial race in ‘62. And who among us would have given Biden a chance after the Neil Kinnock debacle in ‘88 (though thank God he rose again)? In every era, there’s a Republican toady I can stomach less than all the others. In this era, it’s nip and tuck between Hawley and Graham.
Cruz is on my list
Best clip of the night! I can see the campaign ad when he runs for re-election
Absolutely! Sharon Mudgett
The countless mocking Twitter memes are so entertaining.
Running chickens. 😂😂
My neighbor in Vienna VA!!
Ask him what brand of running shoes he favors...
He could do commercials!
So sorry...I have Alito in my hood 🙁
I wonder if Hawley or Alito or any of these aspiring white pseudo-Christian authoritarians stop to think that maybe some of their very own close neighbors revile everything they do and stand for? Nah… they are all much too self-absorbed, self-centered, and self-righteous to give a second thought to that.
ew
He won’t be remembered at all.
And still the former president has strong support within the Republican Party?! When is that dam going to burst? Perhaps never?
The problem isn’t Trump. The problem is the huge block of our fellow citizens who still, STILL! say they would vote for him if he runs again.
Reasonable people can disagree. What do we do with unreasonable people? Millions of them!
Another bingo, the cult will not deprogram themselves. Fox will make sure of that. When will Rupert be called to account, and be ostracized as happened elsewhere. Times a wasting
Faux must be shut down to stop the programming of vulnerable minds.
I am dumbfounded by those who have seen or listened to this, and still maintain their devotion to the devil, but sickened by those who prefer just to ignore the entire situation?!
Exactly how I feel. Saddened, frustrated.
Yet we have President Biden who is a man of integrity, not self absorbed but truly devoted to the country in doing what he can for our country, citizens and World and he is constantly battered by the ratings, press etc. Wake up be and be grateful for the job he is doing to help us get back on track, all while Republicans undermine him🤨. Exhausting!
the tabloid journalism that creates that narrative is a close cousin to the evil we experienced with the last administration. Virtue doesn't sell in the media, but scandalous events, or a scandalous spin on everything else, tends to draw attention. the malaise runs through and through.
Including Ted Cruz (TX Senator) who has stated he will not watch hearings. Why not? And he labels himself as a constitutional lawyer.
🤣😂😅 🤣😂😅 🤣😂😅 🤣😂😅
What a load of B.S.! I can't stand that man.
I hadn't heard that..what a pig!
please don't insult pigs
And you believe him????
It gives them plausible deniability. They don't want to know, that way they don't have to explain their views.
grrrr
Even some witnesses say they would vote for him again “because of the good he has done”. What good? Tell me!
Even if they would not vote for him, they would still support his policies! They stuck around because they LIKE his policies. All those sitting on the sidelines are stuck. They may feel squeamish about his methods, but they liked the results of his policies, the direction of his policies. By the way it was 110F in Tucson yesterday. Much of America is sizzling. Europe is in flames. Great trump policies & judges strip our ability to tackle the most existential threat next to trump; the Climate. Women have LESS Rights today because of trump judges. Voters have LESS rights because of trump judges. Ukraine is in month Five of a War with Russia that could have been disincentivized if we had rushed the congressionally approved weapons they requested back in 2019. But trump wanted a quid pro quo. This is the American vision his supporters want. They will want it from who ever can deliver it, even if trump fades into ignominy.
Michele, thank you for your splendid use of ‘ignominy’, an underappreciated word. May its usage rise like the morning sun.
I don’t think most of them knew what they wanted beyond feeling good…that they mattered. It wasn’t about the country, imo. It was about the ego. The religious zealots always know that and will make common cause with the devil to get what they want, too, which has nothing to do with God and everything to do with the nation’s monied or baron class. It is thus in England and is the same here.
Needed to look it up, public shame or disgrace, yes a really fine word I didn't know!
If you believe in eliminating government business regulations, controlling women, giving free access to guns, states rights and suppression of voters, you think Trump has dine good. Unfortunately there are millions of Americans who think so!
These are the same people who couldn't pass a citizenship test. *eye roll*
❤
Three SC justices
That is what I’d like to know. He did make the rich richer!
He made himself richer just by golfing at his own resorts and we paid for it.
I was wondering the same thing.
Fox will always be around to twist things to their convenient point of view for the sole purpose of making money. Advertising doesn’t affect them any way at all so advertisers pulling their support doesn’t mean a thing. It’s the cable subscriber that supports them. So even if you don’t watch it you are supporting them. If they were off basic cable and became a subscription channel their income would drop precipitously. Maybe not enough to change things but certainly enough to get their attention
My husband and I cancelled our cable about six years ago. Too much money for being forced to accept a monopolistic, no-choices “bundle” of channels that included many we actively avoided, like the expensive sports channels, the shopping channels, the self-aggrandizing evangelizing TV preachers, and of course, the bullshit river of Fox “News”. We don’t miss what cable offers.
That is the way of the future. The more people do that the less fox gets (and all the other ones). Someone will invent a box making it easier to switch between streaming channels. (Maybe they have…)
I tried to "like" your comment, but Substack seems to have problems changing that attribute of the comment sometimes.
I am in the process of switching off cable. This old dog is trying to learn new tricks. Painfully slow. Where is the granddaughter when you need her.
❤
I have a friend who called their cable company and got FOX removed from his line-up. He got a $15 credit on his bill.
I did not know that was possible! We all need to do this! En masse!
Can you ask (if it’s not too much) who their cable co was?
Wow. I will try that!
Thank You for the info.
I'll try that! Thx for the idea,.Sally!
We cut the cord...primarily because of this.
3 hours of watching fox seems to have turned the idjt into a total pumpkinhead. Apologies to pumpkins everywhere.
That's a great suggestion
Ralph. This is a vid from Beau of the Fifth Column. His is a rather prolific voice on social media. He put out something yesterday about the 3 factions that exist currently in the Republican Party. Give a listen. In a roundabout way, I think it speaks to how many people will not be voting for him and how that number is growing. I believe that he is quite accurate in his assessment.
Unita. 🗽
https://youtu.be/0YmvgBYNqI8
Thank you for the link. I did listen to it.
The Never Trumpers have more than enough ammo to confront, denounce, and disown Trump right now. Outside of the hearings, we haven’t heard a peep.
Never Trumpers are usually pretty quiet. They will find more voice uniting with the Pence contingent and against the sedition caucus as Beau names them.
My thought is it will end up being Liz Cheney as their candidate, not Pence.
And my dream is a two party ticket. No matter how many people tell me it’s impossible. For this time in history, it might just be the ticket to getting out of the peril.
I say, hmmmm, (and I’m saying this as a registered NPA for my entire voting life), hmmmm, Liz Cheney and Pete Buttigieg as an example.
Unidad, Ralph! Your comments are always spot on. 🗽
Thank you for pointing out this video. He is spot on. And that is what is concerning many people who want Republican wins (at any cost)--that the split will divide the party and the more rabid Trump base will hold so he will win the nomination.
I, on other hand, believe the sedition caucus will shrink in numbers as many go to the Pence pact or never trumpers who just want him to go away….now, and realize the great liability he is.
And then it will be a few elections before Republicans win much of anything.
Agree. Looking to me like fertile ground for a third-party presidential candidate, which will throw everything into a tizzy. That's the situation now with the Oregon governor's race.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YmvgBYNqI8
🙋🏽Thanks, friend.
❤👍
Very good point and thanks for the link, I have forwarded it on to friends.
I would really like to see PENCE TESTIFY AT THE SEPTEMBER HEARINGS.
He really doesn't stand a chance in hell of winning the Republican nomination. Would he stand for the country or for himself? Here is a chance for him to go down in history and perhaps change the impression of him by unloading on tRump. Lord knows he should, as indeed tfg put a target on his back.
I follow Beau regularly. His is a voice of sanity and reason .
Excellent question. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that Trump is psychologically disturbed. Yet 74 million voted to reelect him after four years of non-stop chaos and criminality. Seventy-four million! That number scares the hell out of me.
Bingo.
One takeaway for me. Those testifying were not so much abhorred by the riot as they were that the right message wasn't getting out and that if Trump didn't act his legacy and all the good he did for the country would be discounted or ignored. He (and they) wouldn't get credit for all their loyalty and had work. Now, they are carefully messaging that Trump failed (just this once?) and were clearly working in their careful manner to keep the successes of 45 administration open to claim in the run-up in 2022 and 2024. Testimonials sounded alot like the careful non-apology of the wayward spouse or Saturday confession: Just this one sin, Father,. Every other messaging in the past 8 years was just, you know, doing the political hard lift and that comes with spin, stretching, and intellectual exercises to convince the loyal and keep the faithful reved up. Just some little white lies for a good cause.Please, Father, don't hold me accountable for the accumulation of my individual acts.
I still would like some of those people to specifically enumerate the "good" that tfg did. There possible were a small handful of things but they are far outweighed by the far-reaching damage that he has done to our electoral system, our rule of law, on women, and most egregiously, on the Supreme Court.
Very good observation.
The problem with America is Americans. (Mike S)
Some of them, anyway.
You cannot reason with unreasonable people. (Me, stepping away from the wall where I pound my head after trying to reason with unreasonable people)
I wonder if Rusty Bowers would still say he'd again vote for tfg? Especially after being censured by his own party in AZ for having testified before the J6 committee.
If he’s like the rest of the Tribal Deniers, he will. Even in the face if his own career destruction, having a traitor for a leader is better (to him) than allowing a Democrat to get elected
Ironically, it may come to pass that the best way to get a Democrat elected could be to actually run against TFG
He's having second thoughts. https://www.azmirror.com/blog/rusty-bowers-i-dont-know-if-i-would-vote-for-trump-in-2024/
Thank you for this answer to my intended-to-be-rhetorical question.
I keep revisiting that.... I wonder how much of his thinking had to do with self preservation?
The same thing we did in 1861. I don't see this ending any other way.
A big dunk tank event?
Hours of Trump flubbed out takes ? Ask the Apprentice editors.
"Mark Burnett's chief legacy is to have cast a serially bankrupt carnival barker in the role of a man who might plausibly become the leader of the free world...
Editors were often obliged to “reverse engineer” the episode, scouring hundreds of hours of footage ... in an attempt to assemble an artificial version of history in which Trump’s shoot-from-the-hip decision made sense...Most of us knew he was a fake,” Braun told me. “He had just gone through I don’t know how many bankruptcies. But we made him out to be the most important person in the world. It was like making the court jester the king.” Bill Pruitt, another producer, recalled, “We walked through the offices and saw chipped furniture. We saw a crumbling empire at every turn. Our job was to make it seem otherwise.”"
This was no secret. Every eligible voter who did not vote for Hillary Clinton had a hand in staging this take down of American democracy. There are no legitimate self justifications.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/01/07/how-mark-burnett-resurrected-donald-trump-as-an-icon-of-american-success
Con job like none other.
And, of course, per Tom Arnold (back in 2016), everyone knew that t was crushing up adderall & snorting it on set. I’m sure the Apprentice editors had to know that as well.
! I hadn’t read that before. Have I been hiding under a rock to have missed these reports? Or were they overlooked by mainstream news, and do all these very unflattering, myth-busting facts about Trump on “The Apprentice” need to get much wider coverage now?
I wish someone would create a sketch (perhaps SNL) showing the events of that 187 minutes with all the split screen sh*t going on, but have the president be Hillary Clinton. Flip the Script. Let’s see how the gop clean up their exploded minds from the experience. I imagine it would be similar to the observation “If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament”.
I write this with a deep apology to Hillary, because there is no way she her presidency would have been “American Carnage”. I only suggest it to rip the scales off of trump policy supporter’s eyes.
"There are no legitimate self justifications." Bravo.
Also. His "Presidency" was just another chapter of the Apprentice boss goes to Washington.
Watching the flubbed out takes made me think of Ted Baxter in the Mary Tyler Moore show.
Yes!
Heartily agree! Nailed it!
Fascinating comment, lin. Thank you.
May I inquire if you have a column or an author’s work?
Ha! ThankYou.
No column. Only comment on this blog and a few newspapers. No social media but write Letters to the Editor each day.
Just a gadfly.
Hahahahahahaha. See what I mean? I don’t think too many know the irritating meaning of that word. I put myself in that same category often. Hahahahahaha.
I find your writing worthy of a column. Call it “An American Gadfly”.
I’ll subscribe. 🙋🏻🙋🏼🙋🏽🙋🏾🙋🏿🗽
Maybe a gadfly, but one who can write incredibly well. I look forward to your comments.
I, too, look forward to your posts. Gadfly indeed. Bite 'em, Lin-O*
*Obscure original "Hawaii 5-0" reference.
Lin, you always seem to read my mind.
The comedian Noel Calsler worked for years on "Celebrity Apprentice" and knows horrifying details about Trump. He shares them daily on Twitter. https://twitter.com/caslernoel
As the events the day enfolded in real time, much of this was discussed. And, for the months since, there has been a concerted campaign to convince us what we saw and heard, what we suspected, was all partisan gibberish.
After tonight’s testimony, there can be no doubt. Riveting, conclusive, and more than a little frightening.
Did anyone notice still photos of Trump with his heavy woolen coat after the speech at the ellipse still on through out the afternoon? I assume he had body armor on under his coat. He had it on when he made his "We love you" speech from the Rose Garden, and he still had it on when the last photo was taken as he went upstairs. Did he sit in the dining room with it on, was he still planning to go to the Capital to take command? No wonder he didn't want photos of him in the dining room watching Fox .
Hmmmmm. 🤔 very interesting, Mr. Holmes.
It could also be another fashion dictate from his malevolent father that he internalized, right there with the ridiculously too-long ties. "Ya look thinner in a dark top coat." There are many photos of him at INSIDE EVENTS in the White House in which he wears the long top coat over his suit, including at the last White House Christmas Party.
I wouldn't assume he was wearing body armor. They were his people. He was unafraid of them. It had only been a few minutes since he'd arrived when the last picture was taken. I expect he took the coat off before sitting in the dining room and put it back on to go outside to film. It was a cold day.
Hmmm. Other people had on body armor on the stage when giving speeches. Trump was deliberately involved in a violent coup attempt and wanted to go to the Capitol with a violent mob. My vote is he had on armor. Maybe we will find this our one day.
He also spoke behind a bullet-proof glass shield on that day. He likes moving around and prancing, etc. when making speeches. But in that particular event, he stayed behind the protective shield. Why? Because he knew his insurrectionists were armed and dangerous!
Why would he need armor? His people were there for him. And he could count on no Secret Servicevor anyone wanting to defend the Capitol to harm the man who was still, on that day, the sitting President.
Didm't want to get ketchup on it.
It seems somehow particularly fitting that this hearing was coordinated by veterans of the armed forces. It is my reading that Trump did not call a halt to the insurrectionary mob violence and Trump plants at DOD obstructed deployment of national guard troops because letting things get entirely out of control was Trump's Hail Mary, the last official act of his first term - an excuse for declaring martial law. Trump's last act as legitimate executive and possibly the last act before the curtain came down on democracy in the United States. As scripted and staged by the Republican party and its named and unnamed co conspirators.
Leonard Leo's crew are picking up where Hawley, Cruz, et al left off in hollowing out the constitutional foundations of the nation. Hubris and mendacity - works for them. Until it doesn't. We are all collateral damage now - until we take back the electoral process by getting out the vote for Democratic candidates.
Since DJT was the Commander-In-Chief, can the military charge and prosecute him in military court? It seems he'd be jailed faster.
they cannot - Commander-in-Chief is a civilian (just learned this myself).
He is an Oathbreaker. Pure and simple.
He was NEVER a "legitimate executive."
Hope the evil machinations don’t rule the effort.
Leonard Leo deserves special scorn. He is a legal grifter of a high order of magnitude.
It is small and petty but I really enjoyed Cheney's dig at the cowardice of the 50, 60 and 70 year old men. Sorry guys.
May be petty, but she is spot on accurate. Only descriptor she did not say is “white”.
I do not think at this point she is being petty. She recognizes the ineffectiveness and misdirection of these aged mediocre white men. They are only significant because they have power that they use only to empower and enrich their cronies and themselves. The hell with the rest of us!
I meant my enjoyment was small and petty. I agree with her analysis.
Judy, I agree!
Thank you Heather.
As I watched tonight's hearing in disbelief, I kept thinking Trump is choosing not to try to stop this insanity. It was a clean cut choice to disengage himself from the reality of the destruction of the Capitol. Its one thing to try to stop a situation and fail, but an entirely different mindset to encourage and let it play out. It was brought up at the end of the hearing as well that he chose not to stop it.
Watching the outakes of Trump finally making a statement showed me what an unstable lunatic he truly is. Let the powers that be rain down every legal force on him. His free ticket has expired.
It's time for him to pay the piper.
Be safe. Be well.
I hope and believe that we have been witnessing the final nails being driven into TFG's political coffin. May he not rest in peace. But millions of our citizens will continue to view him as their Messiah anyway. Willful ignorance is a strong emotional force, and is extremely difficult to counter with rational arguments. Nevertheless, we must find a way to convince these individuals that their legitimate needs and interests can be accommodated effectively within the broad mainstream of American governance and politics. It won't be a short or easy task
Linda. Watching the outtakes was so fascinating and at the same time, so cringeworthy, so pathetic. Curtain has fallen down in Wizard of Oz land.
Be safe as well, friend (and hydrated) .🗽
Christine I agree. Those out takes put into perspective that he thinks his entire Presidency was a television show. It was eerie to see him rewrite facts so as to work into his twisted "script" that is our Country.
After the J6 interview I jumped on Facebook to see what my GOP friends would say. They didn't disappoint. "They are lying. These people are setting up Trump" . These GOP'PERS cannot understand these witnesses are longtime Republicans picked by Trump. 😆
Stay cool.
The outtakes were the high point of last night’s hearing for me (along with Rep. Cheney’s pointed comment about brave young women as opposed to 50, 60, and 70-old men). Unfortunately, I fear the outtakes, as well as all of the other seemingly incriminating information we have been given by this committee, will not even be seen by Trump loyalists. I just don’t believe they have bothered to watch.
Who cares. We have. And many more have watched than expected. Millions. That’s what is important.
Unite, Betsy! 🗽
That is the choice they are making - to their detriment ... Truth will come out in the wash ....
Betsy, the outtakes were surreal and proved our point from years ago. He is a nut. I really liked what Liz Cheney said. She was right. It made me realize I don't much about the non political side of her. I Googled her. I didn't even know she was married let alone that she is a Mother of 5 children. Maybe that is what has made her human to me. I think she fears the lost of Democracy not as much for her, but maybe for her children. There is no going back once it's gone in our lifetime.
“He chose not to act.”
https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/he-chose-not-to-act
Kathleen, I think we should all put that on a tee shirt.
Sounds good to me Linda!!
Okay, yes. The witnesses came forward EVENTUALLY. But they saw what they saw in that White House for 4 years and they let it happen. They never said a word before he lost re-election. Would they have said anything if he had won? Or would they have stayed on the ship if it wasn’t sinking, but rather just poisoning the ocean it floated on? They aren’t heroes. They’re room readers. I don’t want my daughter to grow up to be like Cassidy Hutchinson. I want my daughter to do the right thing from the start. I want her to be able to discern evil before she’s so involved in it that only a major shock will jolt her back into her integrity.
Even though I don't agree with Liz Cheney's political views, she's the one you want your daughter to grow up like. She put country before party. She cares.
If my kid could grow up with Cheney’s courage and principles but just used for good rather than the perpetuation of unfettered capitalism and corporate greed then yes, I’d be fine with that.
It is time decide, at the appropriate law enforcement agency, if Trump committed a crime.
If so, arrest him and begin the process of prosecution.
If not? Let us move on from Jan 06.
Otherwise we are just feeding the Trump soap opera apparatus which, on balance, is probably in his favor.
Let’s treat Trump like any other American now.
No more hearings, no more talking.
Arrest and prosecute or move on.
If the DOJ does not have enough evidence now, assuming they even have an active investigation of Trump ongoing, they never will.
Mike, I respectfully disagree, for two reasons: First, there are still some differences between the quality of testimony needed in an administrative hearing and in a trial courtroom. What we are seeing now is the type of information gathering and organization that usually goes on internally. There is little disadvantage to letting the exploration and fact-finding continue, especially if it builds a stronger case. Imagine if we had had this kind of information before the second impeachment hearing, at a time when GOP party leadership was not as dug in as it is now, and their fear was still fresh in their minds. Which brings up the second point, which is that we, the American People, are essentially the audience and "jury" of these hearings. As each session ends, it become apparent that the truth of Cheney's statements tonight about Trump using and perverting patriotism to his own desire for power is making more and more inroads in the public's view. Will it obliterate the base? No, getting proud people to admit they have been used is never easy. Is it severely weakening it? Yes, and reducing the numbers is extremely important.
Excellent converse perspective and well written.
However: In the presence of our current convoluted propaganda generation by AM radio and Fox News, we run the risk of the majority of the American people, the jury as you have defined it, becoming more convinced Trump is innocent.
Already on AM radio, broadcasts in every city in the US, Hutchinson’s testimony is said to have been a lie by the Secret Service.
Similarly on Fox News Hutchinson has been pilloried. Never mind that the agent recanted.
Listen to Fox and AM radio. You will realize that our chance to prosecute is slipping away while powerful forces utilize the Jan 06 committee for propaganda.
I believe the optimal time to decide to prosecute is earlier than later.
Sure. Folks like me are learning more about what has been obvious for months: Trump broke the law.
But. Much of my entire friend group is ever more entrenched in propaganda and lies.
We will miss the window if we do not act now or soon.
I'm not so sure. I am in the UK right now, and watch the implosion of Boris the Clown. I think that if the Murdochs start to see Trump as a liability, Fox will turn on him. They are with him now, but that could change with more and more damaging information and signs of polling weakness, which are maybe, just maybe beginning.
Boy wouldn’t that be great.
But if they don’t??
Just to be clear--I want DOJ to act just as soon as they have a case. But I am disagreeing with the idea that if they are still building a case, they should stop holding hearings.
Reminds me uneasily of the premature and abrupt fate of the Mueller enquiry.
And then somebody or somebodies are going to turn on Faux News.
They are turning on tRump.
I think saying that "the majority" of Americans becoming more convinced that Trump is innocent is possibly an overstatement. Perhaps I am fortunate that in my cohort, more people are becoming convinced that he is not. I agree that Fox News et al is a problem, but their viewership, which had been steadily increasing, is now fluctuating although still high. My bigger concern is the conservative view that one should not start proceedings close to an election, but the traditional window of forbearance of six months has already been passed. Has the timing of this "weakening of the dam" all been politically contrived so that DOJ will feel constrained from acting before the 2022 midterms? Possible. The next best thing, then, is to continue the hearings closer to the election.
McConnell's ramming through of the Barrett nomination is the end of any concerns over arbitrary "deadlines."
Exactly! That, and refusing Merrick Garland's hearing in the final year of the Obama presidency.
Yes, totally agree. We must act now BEFORE the midterms. Any minute now, Trump will declare his candidacy for POTUS and in doing so will say he is immune from prosecution because he is a political candidate. He will then sue any legal action taken against him and the whole thing will get mucked up in the courts. He will play himself as a martyr and his cult will lap it up. Strike now while the iron is hot.
Except that there is absolutely no legal basis for any such challenge. It is all a matter of democratic traditions, and we know what Trump thinks of those.
This: "evermore entrenched in propaganda and lies."
There are none so blind as those who will not see. To this I add "refuse to see, refuse to engage critical thinking skills, and are scared to death that someone "other" might get some of their goodies.
Don't listen to Fox News.
They are a big part of the problem. They are of course not" news" but are right wing propaganda designed to work up the cult into a lathered frenzy. They keep this divisiveness going on purpose.
KEM, I understand your points, because when the shot at Trump is fired it can’t miss. He has to go down. In my opinion the difference between the second impeachment where a good case was made and the 1/6 committee is that witnesses were called. Witnesses who had ringside seats. I think there is in metaphorical sense a big gun aimed Trump that again in a metaphorical sense will get a “kill shot”. However, let’s not let perfection be the enemy of joy. A prosecution has to be started sooner rather than later.
The 1/6 committee is not a weapon deployed to get a "kill shot" at DJT. Rather than using a gun on thick, hardened armor, the committee elected to map out the armor's design and then deploy enough screwdrivers to take the armor apart - publicly. Starting with Ms. Hutchinson's testimony, we have entered the "disassembly" phase of the committee's work. God speed to them.
Love the screwdriver analogy. That said I don’t think there is much armor left. The target is getting better and easier to hit.
Screwdrivers to take the armor apart. Brilliant analogy!
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Great metaphor, Steve!
Joy is good, justice is better. And in legal terms, justice will be argued on definitions. We have not seen, nor are we likely to see in these hearings, the wrangling that will occur over minute definitions of what responsibility Trump had. Questions like "Did he have to act if he knew that these were 'his people?' That he could 'call them off' at any time?" Since he was watching Fox, what did he know of the extent of the damage and death? History is rife with examples of severe consequences of inaction in order to achieve an end. We have not seen any cross examination of witnesses. We have not seen the tapes in their entireties. We have not seen opposing witnesses. We do not know how many of those witnesses will lie under oath or take the Fifth. We have not seen lawyers hammering that guilt cannot be presumed from a plea of "not answering because it would tend to incriminate me." IOW, we have not seen the critical analysis that DOJ must undertake if it is not to fail when it takes that shot. And, a trial will drag on for years. Joy or justice is still a long way off.
KEM, one of things my friends and family will say about me is I am a patience woman. I was around for Watergate. That one took a long time too. That said my patience is being tried on this one, I don’t see a lot of big holes.
As a society and culture, we are all less patient than we were then. I get it. I was just sitting here thinking how crushed I will be if DOJ does not pursue this mountain of evidence. We only disagree on the timing, and for now I am still willing to defer to what I see as Garland's expertise.
Garland Steps Up
https://tcinla757.substack.com/p/garland-steps-up
One of the guest commentators on msnbc last night (I think w Stephanie Ruhle, so later) said to not expect any high-level trials to be over until the spring of 2023, & I suspect he is correct.
I'd be willing to bet that if an indictment were issued now, it'd be months before the first pretrial hearings, depositions, other activities related to discovery, venue (federal district), jury selection would be completed. The DOJ would have plenty of time to pick through as much evidence as they want as that process plays out. A felony indictment makes running a campaign far more precarious. With 2 years between now and the 2024 election, there's plenty of time for a trial to get under way before any chance of executive privilege interfering with the march of justice.
I actually have more faith in the DA in Georgia; she doesn't have "the reputation of the DOJ" to be concerned about. She also doesn't have the same political pedigree that Garland has. Tfg's crime in Georgia is as plain as the recorded transcript of his call to the Georgia secretary of state. It's quite simple; no intervening hatchet men, no "plausible deniability". The only question there is, how "perfect" was that call, after all? I'm willing to bet that it's perfect evidence for a felony, enough to put him behind bars for 5 years or so. There's no reason whatsoever to "federalize" the case.
My next bet will be with the NYC DA. Politics AND gender run against tfg in NYC. He has abused the justice system in NY for decades. Any female who's breathing and conscious should have a visceral loathing for the man.
I'm not betting on Garland. There's no need to. TFG has sprayed his petty criminality across the landscape like a tomcat in mating season. Let the "little guys and gals" take him down. I think county jails and state prisons are every bit as comfy as any federal penitentiary.
I think this is the first time that I remember someone has expressed this in regards to Atty Gen Garland’s “delay” in bringing charges. And I agree. Why when the multitude of cases in the lower court have not been prosecuted fully yet? Thank you as always for your input, Nathan.
Salud! 🗽
Agree!
oooooh. Love your thinking/
Agree!! And your well reasoned argument was presented by a wise guest on Reidout last night.
Thank you, KEM. I consider that excellent reasoning.
👍
The J6 "Court" has swayed Public Opinion enough that the DOJ's conviction of the king will stick.
KEM,
Excellent! Thank you.
JPD
He must not be allowed to run again for any public office. That became clear last night, is one purpose of these hearings. Another, in my mind, is to educate the public on aspects of how this country is run and shed light on where things can fall down. We have seen things that need to be fixed, Congress willing. There should be no moving on from this, because we cannot afford to have this happen again, and we can not have this be the new normal. We should expect more of our leadership. Their running roughshod over this country with their lies and power hungry behavior, all encouraged and exacerbated by Trump, is not going away. For the sake of this democracy, there is no moving on.
Mike, as an old friend used to say, "shit or get off the pot".
That is absolutely where we are with this investigation. Continuing without action is pointless and damaging to our already contemptuous position as a Party.
Yes. Exactly. 😊
There are still witnesses coming forward. We need a complete accounting for the sake of history if nothing else. But I sure would think dying in prison would be real Justice. And not just for tfg.
Yes, Patricia. The Secret Service is a pretty big puzzle piece. It’s time for that agency to quit dicking around and cough it up. HCR’s first question in the Letter today about the Secret Service not locking it down is relevant.
Commentators are increasingly speculating that the Secret Service agents were likely using encrypted messaging apps such as Signal. Not SMS texting like most of us do.
Such messages are not only encrypted, they can also be set to disappear. But is this legal for federal employees? Highly doubt it.
The experience of former FBI agent Peter Strzok, whose texts about Trump were made public, leading to his firing, was a striking lesson.
https://mashable.com/article/what-is-signal-app
Oh!
HCR will be happy with your remark! <g>.
This is a very peculiar either/or.
Somewhat ignorant of process and oblivious to the implications of what is suggested.
And example of what reason and knowledge are up against.
Lin,
Actually: What I propose is how a black man who has been accused of stealing a loaf of bread from the 7-11 would be managed.
Why not treat Trump like any other American?
Time to stop providing fodder for Fox News and decide.
Because he isn't like any other American.
He was the president.
Gotta have a rock solid case to prosecute him.
That's the problem, we want instant gratification. I am willing to wait to make sure we have a rock solid case.
And yes the president isn't above the law, but with the republican party throwing out their oaths of office to cover for him, it's imperative that we have a rock solid case.
As for getting over the J6 hearings, not gonna happen. Even if nothing happens to drumpf, this will be in the history books, well except for FL, TX and every red state who wants to protect their idol.
And before that, he was simple a privileged white man, trained in the art of the con. He has NEVER been held accountable, as is our unwritten code: rich, white, male = Do what you want. Messes are for lesser humans to clean up.
There isn't anyone who can run cover for that recorded phone call to Georgia
That is what'll hang him.
Yes, agree totally Beth. And something IS gonna happen to tRump. I have full faith in Merrick Garland, the DOJ, and the majority of the American people.
Mike - that is what I have been thinking about and wrestling with . . . different ethnic/minority groups get nailed for petty crimes and the really dangerous, destructive criminals like trump, continue to live unencumbered in some perverse non-reality "reality show".
If we treat our leaders like any other American, we are in big trouble in the current environment. Leaders choose to become leaders. They must be held to a higher standard because they have chosen to serve and they have people's lives in their hands, they have this democracy in their care. They have taken an oath to protect. It must be clear that they can not make up their own dangers and their own definitions of what is dangerous and a threat. They cannot use their campaign process as an excuse to start a war or violence or put innocents in danger. We must continue to stand up for what is right until we can stand down or we might as well kiss our freedoms and rights goodbye.
Kim. If the DOJ does not have enough evidence of a crime committed by Trump at this time, they never will.
He was the President of the United States. One of our traditions is that we do not jail our political opponents without due course. And we have never prosecuted a President for seditious conspiracy, dereliction of duty etc. To act hastily smacks of banana republic thinking and this exactly what we are trying to avoid.
Comparing the actions of a President to a loaf of bread robber is extreme apples and oranges.
Barbara.
If the DOJ does not have enough evidence of a crime now , they never will.
I stand by my perspective that sooner is better than later.
The Committee is mining pure gold. The DOJ is assembling legal prosecution. The January 6 Committee is assembling public opinion prosecution. They are running along parallel paths.
The Republicans have been mouthing off for 6 years. Now it is our turn.
Bet the lawyers are busier than ever in the Capitol today. Scared Republicans.
... point well taken, Mike - only, as you often remind us, white men of wealth (especially those who thrive by outright exploiting and ripping off others) rarely if ever pay - and (almost) always get away with their crimes and misbegotten behaviors.
What has changed in the general landscape that makes you think this case would be any different ...?
Time is short now. Action is needed.
Indeed, time is short - as always in a crisis ... and timing is everything.
Do you think those on the House Select Committee are not aware of it? Do we know better than they do - who have access to all the facts available with more to come - who are handling it with extreme professionalism - who are living with the threats and direct consequences of openly challenging the lies for the sake of whatever truth will come from their investigation?
Do you think the propagandists will stop creating more lies and distractions if tfg is suddenly arrested and sent to prison, where half of his troops await his instructions? How's this: "Fascist fake government steals presidency and imprisons True Leader of The Free World" ...?
And what If the Committee just stops the investigation midstream - how will that not fuel further deception ... "Oh, no there there ... just making up lies to make our heroic leader look bad ..."
C'mon Mike, every hearing so far brings us closer to the truth we need to challenge the lies that run so deep - so the liars keep lying - what is new about that - it is who they are, what they do, and will continue to do, regardless ... so, shall we take the time to pull this weed out by the root, or shave it off with a weed whipper - certainly, it will continue to grow - on either side of prison walls (more likely on the inside) ....
time is elastic. I just heard today that the timing of subsequent hearings, preliminary and final reports are stunningly coincident to the date of the mid-term election. In this case, both R and D committee members have reason to want the MAGA crowd to take a bath this November. Fate hasn't been too kind to Biden, since one or two pieces of bad news are worth months of hard work and lots of accomplishments when it comes to the press and the public opinion polls. So, the committee can run things right up to the last day before a new congressional session, regardless of whether one or both houses change majority party. the DOJ timeline is different; indictment before declaration of intent to run in 2024 is the sticky wicket. I'd play the odds and get that indictment in place, then use all the pre-trial maneuvering time to finish the detail work on the evidence. Everything in the congressional record, i.e. every document solicited by the committee as well as all the testimony both private and public will be part of the evidence; lots of work already complete. The onus will be on the defense to develop all the counter evidence, witnesses and arguments.
If the DOJ does not have enough evidence of a crime now, they never will.
I stick by my now or never perspective.
Mike, I trust your well informed intuition - however, I would continue with the investigations and live broadcasts in addition to indictment ... and risk friendship circles by congenially challenging gullibility and branded ignorance ... we are born with minds and hearts (so far, anyway) - we need to use them - or lose them ... so sad that people are so caught up in media absorption and monetary motivation ... the modern American lifestyle branding iron ...
Have you seen this from TCinLA:
GARLAND STEPS UP
https://tcinla757.substack.com/p/garland-steps-up
So ..., shall we submit comments to A.G. Garland, senators and reps?
Contact Attorney General Merrick Garland (D) by his email address, mailing address, DC office phone number:
DC Phone Number: 202-353-1555
Government Website: justice.gov/ag
Contact\Email: justice.gov/contact-us
https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm?Class=1
https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
I would never vote for Liz Cheney but I do admire her fierce adherence to her oath and belief in the Constitution. I enjoy her wrap ups at the end of each hearing. I hope a Wyoming miracle happens and she wins the primary.
Me rooting for a spawn of the devil. Strange times
Definitely, but she is more rational than the others. I couldn't believe her opponents in the debate.
Oh that debate was a designed for video set piece. The real opponent, Harriet Hagerman, was not shown saying a complete sentence. Wyoming politics is bought and paid for by the oil and gas industry.
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LOL - perfectl! Strange times indeed!
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I agree. She's still a Republican...and a Cheney. But her wrap up last night was really something.
Tonight’s hearing was a humdinger. I thought Luria and Kinzinger were brilliant factual orators. I also admired their military histories. They revealed those questionable 187 minutes, bit by bit, with questions geared to the two witnesses and by the video outtakes. Trump and his handlers truly deserve to see be put in front of a firing squad. Okay, I know that’s not going to happen but his consequences must be severe. He defied the advice of his staff and of his own children. ( Eric must’ve been on vacation. :) ) Like a child stomping his foot to make a point of what he wanted, We got to observe a clearly nasty old white guy, enraged. He is also responsible for influencing corruption upon the Secret Service. May he never ever rest in peace.
As was found on Twitter back in the day “Trump, in short, is wielding a Soprano touch on American institutions ‘I’m fucking King Midas in reverse here,’ Tony Soprano once told his therapist. ‘Everything I touch turns to shit.’” The Secret Service is the latest casualty…
" He defied the advice of his staff and of his own children." But why would he even need their advice? Why did we have a president who could not clearly see what a kindergartner could see was wrong and know "all by himself" what was the right thing to do? He is a child and we keep getting sucked into his childish state. If he gets off, our bar is way, way too low and we are in big trouble. (I know I'm cutting out one sentence of many that I totally agree with but I keep hearing that sentiment and it bothers me.)
This could very well have been the first time tfg's children raised voices in common directly against what he wanted to do. For their entire lives, the only correct opinion was his opinion, parroted back to him.
Not sure I understand why you are responding with this. I totally agree with you. My comment had nothing to do with Garland.
Sorry, I misunderstood. I will delete it.
Well done, Heather Cox Richardson! Well done, J6 select committee!
Liz Cheney and Bennie Thompson have been examples of excellence and how Congressmen should be collegial not enemies.
The committee is to be congratulated for excellence and control. Although I know the ending, each hearing was mesmerizing.
And the Hawley fist bump followed by a terrified run for his life might have been a Monty Python skit. It showed the little, little man he is.
Let's not forget that tRump has forever changed the Supreme Court and that his devotees still preside over important decisions.
I call on Joe Biden to immediately expand the USSC by nominating Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Adam Schiff.
I go with Atty Gen Garland. As was intended.
He was deliberately chosen as an inoffensive (to Republicans) institutionalist. His time has passed.
Bev,
Those three would be ideal, but they are too smart to agree to spend the rest of their lives sitting across the table from Thomas et al, whom they cannot remove due to a flawed structure we’re still allowing to continue. They have already done their part for the country.
JPD
J.P. Dwyer Then pick another three who could be quickly confirmed by our slim majority.
Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris, and Lorraine Luria (the justices do not need to be lawyers to serve but she would bring military knowledge to the court).
Thank you HCR for an excellent summary of last night’s J6. I’ll be watching it again. A few new details to add to the memory bank on our Crime Boss POTUS. My Goddess, what a horrible hollow shell resembling a person. ❤️🤍💙
(Gilded twig who made your earrings?)
Dear Sarah...I purchased them about 30 years ago in an airport gift shop. Believe they were made in Mexico (silver with onyx). Still wearing today. Like them. Thanks for asking...Gilded Twig