I have profound respect for Judge Luttig. Today, he clearly articulated what must happen in order for us to resume our journey towards a true democracy. Regardless of party, each of us must take the time to reflect on the importance of democracy and what we can do, as individuals, to restore sanity and thoughtfulness in politics and legislation.
He was slow in speaking, which distracted a bit ---BUT his written statement that HCR quotes is a clarion call to action. He puts it to the nation---and to the sorry bunch of liars, cheats, no-goods and potential trial defendants --- to shape up and get it all together.
Fact checking that doesn’t support that. Unless a close friend has revealed his personal health history it doesn’t appear to be anything more than a rumor.
He did not appear to be post-stroke aphasia to me. I just pictured Luttig in a black robe, sitting high atop the judge"s bench, sternly laying down The Law.
Yes. His slow, deliberate delivery added not only drama but weight to his message, imo, thus giving us time for its seriousness to sink in. To have rushed through or spoken with less solemnity would have detracted from the profound effect it had on me and hopefully others as well.
Unfortunately, Daria, I believe the rethuglicans will not take the time, nor have the brain power to undertand/hear what this man said. This was probably the most powerful testimony the committee will hear, and it will go unheeded.
I agree it is the most powerful testimony so far, but I don't think it will go unheeded. The trumplittleasscans won't hear it, but in corporate boardrooms across the country it will toll loud and clear.
Oh my gosh, and my ADHD brain was in full effect. I kept dropping the thread and feeling lost. Having HRG recaps are essential to my understanding of what’s happening!
I respected his speaking pace. He lent solemnity to his words. It was obvious he considered the proceedings serious, respected and historical and spoke very carefully in what he was saying. We're just not used to it. I grew up with public figures speaking more slowly.
I couldn't agree more. I've just watched/heard what he said. My feeling was that this wise old man could never utter a lie. The pauses added to the horror of what he was saying. I was on the edge of my seat.
Just want to follow up and say that I respect your experience with his pace of speech, but I’m not saying I am not used to it - it’s a neurodivergent brain chemistry issue, not an experiential issue. Your experience doesn’t invalidate another persons experience, even when viewing the same thing.
It is my understanding that Judge Luttig is still recovering from a stroke which may be why he was speaking slowly and deliberatively. That he spoke anyway is a courageous choice on his part.
That was my initial thought, and it seemed distracting. However, I realized that he spoke in a manner more suggestive of writing a well supported decision that would have eternal impact. One could both see and feel the intensity of thought as he carefully assembled his words.
I’m going to rewatch it today at 1.25x speed and see if it helps me process better. The intensity, solemnity and impact were absolutely perceptible, I just personally struggled to follow.
He wasn't speaking so much as declaring. Declamation to establish the gravity of this war on democracy, and to cement his words in future history books.
Judge Luttig’s words and insights are singular in their poignancy:
“Luttig urged Americans to remember that the fate of our democracy is in our hands and to reject the fever dreams of the Trump Republicans in favor of ‘a new vision, new truths, new values, new principles, new beliefs, new hopes and dreams that hopefully could once again bind our divided nation together into the more perfect union that ‘We the People’ originally ordained and established it to be.’
‘The time has come,’ Luttig wrote, ‘for us to decide whether we allow this war over our democracy to be prosecuted to its catastrophic end or whether we ourselves demand the immediate suspension of this war and insist on peace instead. We must make this decision because our political leaders are unwilling and unable, even as they recklessly prosecute this war in our name.’”
When he said that he, himself, would lay his body down on the road willingly! This, to stop any clown car from destroying Democracy. Geez. That is some compelling reflection.
What a sobering spectacle of the truth the 3rd hearing showed itself to be.
I was quaking the entire time he spoke. His was the voice of reason. His was the voice of patriotism. His was the warning we need to take to heart. I don't want what he said to become a prediction of what will happen.
Would only the main stream media use Judge Luttig's words to explain the danger we face. For the most part they should have done so since January 6, 2021.
The judge proves that thoughtful conservatives can be a voice for our democracy. I don't regard death star's minions to be conservatives, but radical far right wingers, who would have been at home in Nazi Germany. I know several Rs locally who are repelled by what the party has become and did not vote for death star. I have often talked about my next door neighbor, a former R county commissioner, who many years ago gave me a thoughtful explanation of why he was a R. Now he tells me about how odious he finds the party and he has switched to independent although I know he votes for Ds. His disenchantment began with one of his fellow commissioners who was a nut before that totally infested the party. Also she, masquerading as a big Christian, according to him, had a mouth which would make sailors blush. He served in the navy.
Our issues are not "Republican" vs. "Democrat." We're looking at what happens when an idea takes root sub rosa in the society, and is allowed to grow, despite the will of the majority. That we have millions of people who, after four years of listening to dog whistles about racism, homophobia, xenophobia and misogyny, now seem willing to believe that the people who espouse the lies are honorable in some way -- this is stuff straight out of Shakespeare, folks. We need to do a better job of educating our electorate, and demanding that people pay attention to the responsibilities of citizenship and decent society.
All those thing were there all the time, just waiting for someone to give people carte blanche to express them. Some are so obsessed with their religious beliefs that they are fine with people who are not honorable in any way. They do not understand the message of Jesus either.
I have voted for him in most elections despite his being a R. One time his primary opponent was way out there...before most Rs were. They saved our frozen food during the ice storm because they had power for some reason and we ran a cord to their house. We were also able to run the computers.....essential you know. He is also a Oregon Duck...a plus and we can talk football and basketball.
Yes, quiet and spending a lot of time with his grandchildren. He also likes to grow flowers and other landscape plants. Except for the loud R across the street, our immediate neighbors are nice.
Professor Richardson cited as source in this article from The Guardian. Encapsulates a nagging question from this forum for quite some time. The “bigger picture” to thwart democracy and tracing its beginnings to now. https://apple.news/AN73lhq5GS4K3pWYocMTkXg
"In 2020, the historian Heather Cox Richardson published a book on How the South Won the Civil War. It should be required reading for this particular moment in American politics. Richardson argues that while the Confederacy obviously lost the military confrontation, the broader ideology it was built on, the idea that the world works best when it is dominated by wealthy white men, and that only those wealthy white men are therefore entitled to rule, continued to shape the American project, and is still the leading threat to true democracy in this country today. I worry, to build on the title of Richardson’s book, that future historians might have to write about How the Insurrectionists Won the Presidency." Thanks Christine.
Was Mike Pence a marionette (with strings) or a manikin as he quietly stood behind Trump in the White House for four years. It was easy to make fun of him, and as HCR pointed out in the Letter, he was no hero then.
Without dramatic music or strong commentary, we saw from footage during yesterday's House committee hearing how close Mike came to losing his life. The growing awareness of his peril, led me to think about the former president some more. We know Trump's sins and his ugliness, but yesterday it was a though I was watching him come close to murdering Pence. He would not have cared if that happened. We know all this, yet, still, as I watched Pence in hiding it was the void in Trump's conscience that stood out most to me.
He literally sent a bunch of basement terrorists to murder Mike Pence and all the democrats. Please, don't lose track of the money. The grift runs through all of them like too many prunes. Who asked for pardons? What did Jared sell to the house of Saud? I doubt it was $2 BN worth of Girl Scout Cookies.
Who knew about those Girl Scout cookies? When did they know? What warehouse in Saudi Arabia is storing them? What flavors of cookies? 😉
Seriously, the grift and corruption by Jared and trumps family is off the charts. I doubt they will ever be held accountable, or they’ll get a slap on the wrist like so many public employees do. Public sector corruption is so profitable.
The grift in this instance is the fraudulent Election Defense Fund that Trump set up, which the January 6 committee exposed this week. He scammed his own supporters, a third of whom are retirees, to the tune of $250 million. Elie Mystal wrote about it in The Nation this week. This is a clear case of criminal fraud and would be a slam dunk to charge Trump with. Much easier to prove intent on this than on a seditious conspiracy charge, not to say that he isn’t guilty of that as well. NY State AG Tish James will likely investigate further. In fact, all State AGs could indict Trump, since it can be assumed that supporters in every state were scammed out if their money.
Maybe, and I dearly wish it so. But several early articles on his post-coup grift noted that there was the typical tiny fine print saying that the 75% of the funds raised would go to his Leadership PAC--meaning he could do essentially anything he wanted to with it. See, e.g.:
I sincerely hope my cynical skepticism is wrong this time, because it has been no consolation for it to have been proven right so frequently in recent years.
His heart is ice. He is a criminal to the core, 3rd generation. And yet he convinced people like my dad, who never committed a crime and wouldn’t hurt a fly, to vote for him. Trump is the worst tragedy of a president to ever besmirch the office. Al Capone could’ve been no worse. NY mob front man for President.
When any of them are speaking or Pence being shown I keep thinking you folks could have averted things coming to this is if you hadn't supported a madman. Now you tell us. Now you show the man behind the curtain. Is it patriotism or self preservation? These people are not coming forward as much as they have been requested to appear. They should have come forward in November 2020 when TFG was going even more insane over the election results. A quote:
"But for Bill Barr, Bill Stepien, Ivanka Trump and others, they are also something else — something we should not be taken in by.
They are a trip to the reputation laundromat (or perhaps, for this crowd, the reputation dry cleaner). Donald Trump’s onetime acolytes are trying to expunge the stain of their sycophancy. And they’re betting that in a country and era of fickle attention spans and feeble memories, they’ll have more luck with that spot than Lady Macbeth did with hers."
Agree, Barbara. The posturing with the verses from the Bible also show exactly who they must get “forgiveness” from. The base. And fickle attention span and the base’s need for attention supports that.
Not so sure “better late than never” applies here. I think it’s more “procrastination is the deliberate habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.”
In addition to putting Pence in mortal danger, I kept noticing during the Trump administration how Trump put politicians, Dominion and Smartmatic employees, and many others, in mortal danger. The attacks by Chump against his perceived enemies inspired his followers to issue death threats and commit physical threatening actions. Dominion’s CEO and employees, for example, had death threats against them and their families which required hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional security costs. And remember that guy who went to Texas just to kill Latino people, b/c of Trump?
I think at some point during the hearings that the governor from Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, or AG Dana Nessel, will be testifying. It was mentioned yesterday that they'd be hearing from the states. The impacts of the criminals, and their ongoing threats will be felt locally.
Yes, Fern. That is truth. I think of the day that trump will be irrelevant. And that we no longer will have to think of a man as president that has the darkness of evil in the void of his conscience.
Oh no, somebody else did it, he didn’t know them well. “You never blame yourself. You have to blame something else. If you do something bad, never, ever blame yourself.” Donald Trump, Sep 12, 2005
Hah - wait! The “very stable genius”? Yet we do know he’s capable of turning on a dime from one position to another (throwing his own beloved Ivanka under the bud too!)
Kathleen, perhaps you didn't follow the thread. See Grace Rose's reply. In the spirit of truth, Bill, Ivanka and Donald are quite the trio. As you are in a literal frame of mind, please note that you didn't accurately quote what I wrote. Cheers.
No harm intended, Fern ... actually, my frame of mind is fed up and fatigued - already 5 am and yet to sleep - I do not have time to search for Grace Rose's comment - so, will have to let this one slide ... take care ....
I’m also concerned about the DOJ now wanting everything now. Even if they are finally ready for action, the information wouldn’t be so clearly presented to the public if the committee turned it over before they’re finished presenting and airing it. They have to be allowed to continue.
Ha! There are undoubtedly way too many Americans who don't even know there's a hearing, won't recognize a date like January 6 or names like Meadows, McConnell, Pence, etc.
Now I feel bad for adding to the gloom and cynicism. I imagine there have always been a chunk of people not engaged or informed. So let's focus on activating and reinvigorating the rest of us so we can defend and strengthen our democracy. We can do this!
Laurie you’re good. You’re not increasing the gloom, just stating a fact. I can think of truck drivers and warehouse workers who have never heard of any of those names and probably don’t even know who Mike Pence is. The volume of uninformed citizens out there is enormous. Gigantic.
Unfortunately I believe you are right Laurie. Just in my daily interactions with coworkers and others I find that a fair number have tuned out what they consider political noise. So there might be enough for an impartial jury. But I always try to engage and inform with the hope they will start listening and get involved.
Is there a difference between impartial and ignorant when this has been national news since January 6, 2021 and when so much is at stake? Does it matter? If the hearings are noise to them, what would they actually pay attention to? Do they understand the basic principles of democracy? Are there good answers to these questions?
I think people unaware of the events of the last 18 months would lack the analytical fortitude to weigh complex litigation on its merits. So either prospective jurors lie, or they are profoundly uninterested in democracy and rule of law.
It could be an opportunity to establish in court the validity of intellectual paralysis by propaganda, the condition which has overtaken much of our country.
My personal vote is for the immigrant Rupert Murdoch who has been so instrumental in decades of "entertainment" packaged as "news" to be brought to account for his part in destroying the pillars of American Democracy,
for creating an alternative reality from facts,
and for coordinating with forces that are STILL conspiring
to overthrow the U.S. Government, the rule of law, and the rights attained at the costly price of martyrs' lives.
Be it distraction, fearmongering, incitement, brainwashing, collusion, spin or manipulation
the insidious undermining by Murdoch's media empire
of a just and inclusive society needs to be exposed and result in severe consequences. IMHO
When will he be on the hot seat. I still remember the trial in the UK. It can be done…. Of course, he thinks that his purchase of the WSJ gives him cover as a journalist. NOTHING gives cover for Fox’s decades of blatant lies.
RM has said clearly enough on several occasions what he personally thinks of the teetotalitarian DT (Delirium Tremens) entertainments... But they are SOOOO lucrative.
I just read that Tucker and Hannity had 3 million viewers that night, and that the Fox Business Network had one tenth of that. I think the Jan 6 Hearing had 20 million viewers.
I checked the Wall Street Journal headlines this morning with my phone. Nothing. I had to go to Politics in drop down menu to see reporting. Now maybe yesterday it made front page/top line...
Sadly true, Laurie, but even worse, many of those may still be stubbornly supporting TFG and truly believe “he won” - thanks to Faux “News” and its ilk... I wouldn’t want them on a jury anyway, as they certainly wouldn’t listen to evidence and vote in a fair and impartial way.
Exactly as you (and I ) have written here. Faux news, Hannity, Rushbo, Alex Jones, and blogs & sites and Talk Radio have done their job so well. "Their job"...was for some of 'them' something they actually believed...., for some of the others, spreading nonsense was what they were paid to do. "Paid" by whom? That is what causes me distrust.
Not necessarily. Some for sure, but I have come across some intelligent people that are just focused on their families, job and life, who tuned out after Trump lost the 2020 election. Feeling like we were safe with him out of office and were burned out on news and politics
Same. Given a couple of extra moments to think, though, I would definitely be interested in seeing what defense they could come up with. It would be entertaining at the very least. And 97% chance of perjury!
If anyone is that unaware of the politics of the last four years, maybe they could make a right decision and verdict. Trump and his allies' corruption is so obvious; the lawyers would have to retell the whole story but I think the outcome would be a slam dunk.
The DOJ is very good at keeping their cases close to the vest: I doubt this request would hamper the hearings in any impactful way. It’s actually good as their filing requesting all of the J6 Committee’s depositions & interviews indicated that in order to proceed in a timely fashion w ongoing cases (which we don’t know about) & cases in the works they require the Committee’s information. In fact, not having it could negatively impact cases in several ways. And it will certainly give pause to those who have not cooperated w the Committee: if they want to make a deal, now is the time.
“give pause to those who have not cooperated…”. Time to ditch the cult.
But I expect some in power to try to keep the trump cult without trump (DeSantis, maybe Abbott). That thirst for power is something that must be crushed. Ike knew that.
I'm hearing more and more of the pundits say the same thing, Linda. Although I personally think the Late Talkers collaborated in promoting the Big Lie and should not get a totally free pass for cooperating now. It's not my call, obviously, but there are ways to lessen their own personal damage for finally coming forward while not holding them criminally accountable.
Luttig calls identifies 'this' as a "war"..., okay. Call this what you want. I remain suspicious of characters imbedded in various inconspicuous places who would sell-out. So, we sure don't need any "cease-fire" or deal where 'the enemy' might find a way to corrupt things..or, more bluntly, thro s--- in the game. And, yes.., I remain suspicious of the DOJ, the Supreme Court, and Republicans in general.
The House committee investigating the 1/6 attack on the Capitol seems fully ably to protect its position and responsibilities under the constitution. I think that the criminal indictment of the former president and all other appropriate participants in plans to overturn our government, seditious conspiracy and other criminal activity seem to me to be the first priority in protecting democracy as well as the security, health and welfare of all Americans of the USA.
I certainly am not suggesting they say no or thwart the DOJ in any way. Just that they continue their own hearings and displays of evidence. This might entail releasing what they've already covered to the DOJ or making and sharing copies so they can both do their work concurrently. We must keep in mind that any accountability-holding can be pardoned by the next president. It is imperative that "We the People," the voters, are well-informed so that the next president and administration is much less likely to be Trumpist.
The January 6th Committee hearings have only become more specific and powerful as they drive unrelentingly to the conclusion that Donald Trump was and remains, a cancer on the nation, its political culture and its very foundation.
Yesterday’s witnesses were men whose political views differ significantly from my own, who careers are rooted in the Republican party , and in the case of the Greg Jacob, legal counsel to VP Pence, continued to work in the administration of Donald Trump until its final tragic end.
That said, Mr. Jacob’s testimony was clear and probative to the issue of Trump’s knowledge and intent (as well as that of key advisors) to proceed unlawfully to remain in power. But it was Judge Luttig whose grave demeanor spoke to the heart of every citizen who holds true to the idea – however flawed in its execution - of the great experiment of American Democracy.
His distress was evident in his every utterance – his sincerity of belief in the rule of law undeniable.
There can be no person of honest heart who was not moved by his words and by his warning that Donald Trump and his political minions present a real and ongoing threat to our form of government.
One can only hope those who embraced Donald Trump’s lies, will hear him and be moved to act accordingly.
Yes, I cried watching him trying to speak as he was visibly greatly impacted by the gravity of what he was telling the world, and the American people. We discussed this concept that we are at war the other day. and that was established today. Trump and his comrades have committed treason against us. I have waited to release these tears for Truth since Nov. 2016. Geeze...Jamie Raskin was right...they are blowing the roof off the house. Thank goodness.
I cried too. It’s a relief and gratitude that we are represented by honest and courageous leaders who are willing to speak Truth to the public and to put together the roadmap of the before and after of the Insurrection for all to see. Who is “all”? Hoping these hearings could be shown in high school and college classes as the Civics lessons each of us needs to prevent a repeat and motivate young people to understand government, the constitution and history. And someday run for office.
And so many of us who have been conscious of a lot of the corruption are in just as much pain and stunned. It was so validating to feel his intensity--it matched mine perfectly and settled something within me that we are not alone and the Truth has been revealed. Now we have to spread it. Our local newspapers carry nothing. We must write letters to the editors so those who need to hear have opportunities to receive.
The Proud Boys may still try to kill Mike Pence. His murder would have plunged our country into complete chaos. Who knows who else these fiends would have killed in defense of their “fever dreams” fueled by 45? Isn’t the power of the Republicans to block every vote in the Senate for any decent legislation for the American people, another form of hijacking our democracy? Mitch McConnell is as responsible for the failure of getting anything done, as was 45. Time to end the filibuster and abolish the Electoral College, a remnant of racism and white supremacist control of our election process. Let’s get the popular vote to determine our elections! And yes, Spooky Singer, disbar them all!
Abolishing the EC would abolish gerrymandering, no? And All voter suppression laws and actions taken up by corrupt repubs need to be abolished. And all mouthpieces that support the war against America need to be abolished (fox, unTruth social, qanon, oan, etc.). While we are at it, ban all massive assault weapons and stop the republican war on our children and people. Ban obstructionism. Elected officials do their jobs or step down. Dissolve Citizens United. Corporations are Not people. Let's end the republican war on our country, and decency, and our rights altogether. Bring back an improved Fairness Doctrine regarding ALL media. Campaign Finance Reform... Dismantle nonprofits that involve themselves in politics.That is just off the top of my relieved, but sleepy head.... Have so much gratitude for all the warriors in this community...
But abolishing "mouthpieces" is a slippery one. I have always thought the most effective technique would be for a few billionaires with a collective conscience to sue those "outlets" for slander when they manufacture madness and/or repeat unsubstantiated and/or completely false ideas. Sue them out of business.
The real rot began and grew from elections bought by big bucks. Elections should be publicly funded. Private donations limited to a small fixed amount. NO corporate money. No PACs that are fake versions of the same campaigns.
Many great ideas that our Country should aspire to & hopefully will accomplish in the future. And while ending the EC is a great idea imo (direct citizen voting should prevail for presidential elections), it has nothing to do w gerrymandering, which is used to determine our federal congressional districts as well as each states’ house & senate districts. It needs to end, too, & the number of federal congressional districts should be increased to fairly represent all citizens.
Hopefully if we can flip the Senate, we could pass the John Lewis Voting Act and HR1, the For The People Act, both of which could help w/gerrymandering issues and a lot of other voting problems.
Oh, a friend in Asheville, NC, said the repugs drew Ashville's district into such a bizarre shape to include much more republican voters that it has diluted the heavier democrat votes. It is my understanding that that is why they have such twisted shapes...because they only win if they cheat. Did I misunderstand this for so many years? Does it not impact the EC votes?
The electoral college goes state by state. You can't gerrymander state borderlines. But this recent Supreme Court decision will make gerrymandering affect the electoral college:
I look forward to punishment for those responsible for holding back security on January 6. Lower staffing and less resources available for defense of the Capital buildings. Astounding military and police presence in the DC area and all were apparently held back. I understand orders from above, however, this required cooperation. Many books will be written about paths to January 6.
As a semi-retired cop (who had the liberty of watching the events of 6 January after getting my first COVID vaccination) the first thing that I was thinking as I was watching that unfold was the profound belief that there was an utter command and control failure of the law enforcement response. I can understand the "optics" involved (following the National Guard presence earlier in the summer and the Mayor's reluctance to have a similar optic) but that does NOT mean that you are not fully equipped to handle a riot. Nothing wrong with having your tactical units on standby out of sight. Seeing the Park Police Bike Team as part of the first line of defense outside the Capitol (and trust me, bike cops to NOT have a lot of protective gear or crowd control equipment at their disposal) was incredible. The courage of those officers holding the line in the face of that assault is tremendous. I really want to hear about the tactical plan for that event from the command structure.
We're only halfway through the hearings and each successive one is more revealing, more jaw-dropping. Even barring new shocking disclosures and new witnesses coming forward, we know that all the way up to Trump, major unprecedented felonies were committed. In fact, as we already suspected, Trump orchestrated everything.
And who would have imagined that the Justice Department would be angrily demanding transcripts from the J6 Committee? Or that the wife of a Supreme Court Justice appears to be a pivotal player in the attempted coup?
I'm sure I read that somewhere or heard it on a newscast. But I must have been hallucinating from information overload. Looking around this morning I see characterizations of a "deepening rift" and "escalating tension" but not anger. So apologies for the embellishment.
No I do not think they are angry. If I understand it correctly, the committee and the DOJ’s office agreed to share information. The DOJ is already prosecuting cases so giving them more to work with, is permissible and necessary. Besides, the transcripts can be copied as well as the interviews.
Yes, I think the whole point of a Select Committee is to investigate and make a criminal referral, if appropriate, to the DOJ. Appears the DOJ has heard enough and wants to include evidence in their criminal and conspiratorial cases that must be airtight.
The hearings also have been live on CNN and MSNBC cable, with reruns at those websites online. I saw somewhere that the earlier hearings can be found on youtube.
Your summary of retired judge Luttig’s pronouncements was especially helpful. I was unable to watch the full hearing during the day and only heard excerpts later. If we can get his words out to the Trump supporter Masses, this could be very persuasive! Thank you!
Dan Rather's assessment of the hearing is worth everyone's time:
"The twists and turns to come will likely still force us to contemplate that which is now beyond the limits of our imagination. Yesterday’s hyperbole is tomorrow’s old news. One thing we can all be thankful for is that truth is being served and history will know that a president attacked his own country. What that means for the man or the nation remains to be seen. It can get worse, a lot worse. But that might also be the path by which we get better."
I was curious what Fox nonsense was reporting, if anything, about the hearing so I went to their website because I just can’t stand to hear their whining diatribe. Sure enough, nothing about the hearing but many negative stories about Biden and HIS economy. As well as a headlining story on Justin Bieber
Ask the restaurant to change the channel to HGTV because the news upsets your stomach and you won't be able to order any food. Don't tell them that the home & garden channel is one if the most racially integrated, LBGQT+ supportive channels on TV today.
I bet if Congresswoman Cheney and I, an old queer, lefty pagan, sat down to compare notes we would find very little upon which to agree. But I swear she has garnered my utmost respect with her ability to articulate and guide the discussion and keep her aim steady and focused. Her ability to stand up to the stupidity of members of her own party is breathtaking.
She is demonstrating what bipartisanship is all about and she is an example for all Democrats, Republicans and Independents. She deserves our nations thanks.
I only hope that she is successful in making Trump obsolete and his followers forever shamed.
Imagine the personal danger she has been living under. She is a profile in courage. We do not have to agree with her to respect and admire her. Far more than her father.
Powerfully written and thoughtfully researched , thank you! I had to watch later in the evening because of work, and Heather your recap encompassed a third hearing of the most important events in my American adult life.
The GASLIGHTING is getting hotter - the "wolves in sheeps clothing" are barring their teeth. The watch words for the Jan 6th Committee members to the American people should be - DO NOT LISTEN TO WHAT THE TRUMPLICANS SAY, WATCH WHAT THEY DO. 🐺
Well, if tfg was at the 1/6 hearings, you could guarantee the redhats would tune in. And you can also be sure he would perjure himself. So, I say, bring it on!!
I have profound respect for Judge Luttig. Today, he clearly articulated what must happen in order for us to resume our journey towards a true democracy. Regardless of party, each of us must take the time to reflect on the importance of democracy and what we can do, as individuals, to restore sanity and thoughtfulness in politics and legislation.
Judge Luttig saying that he would have "laid my body across the road" to prevent the execution of Eastman's plan was especially dramatic.
He was slow in speaking, which distracted a bit ---BUT his written statement that HCR quotes is a clarion call to action. He puts it to the nation---and to the sorry bunch of liars, cheats, no-goods and potential trial defendants --- to shape up and get it all together.
He speaks deliberatively. He doesn't talk spontaneously. He chooses his words carefully and is a master at clear, succinct communication.
My take was that he knew his testimony was going down in history.
Someone on Robert Reich’s sub stack comment chain mentioned that Judge Luttig has had a stroke, and that that has slowed his speech as well.
Fact checking that doesn’t support that. Unless a close friend has revealed his personal health history it doesn’t appear to be anything more than a rumor.
He did not appear to be post-stroke aphasia to me. I just pictured Luttig in a black robe, sitting high atop the judge"s bench, sternly laying down The Law.
Right, not one word wasted.
Yes. His slow, deliberate delivery added not only drama but weight to his message, imo, thus giving us time for its seriousness to sink in. To have rushed through or spoken with less solemnity would have detracted from the profound effect it had on me and hopefully others as well.
I have always appreciated that. Words matter.
I hope his words are not ignored.
Unfortunately, Daria, I believe the rethuglicans will not take the time, nor have the brain power to undertand/hear what this man said. This was probably the most powerful testimony the committee will hear, and it will go unheeded.
Pam, I know you're right. It's lamentable.
I agree it is the most powerful testimony so far, but I don't think it will go unheeded. The trumplittleasscans won't hear it, but in corporate boardrooms across the country it will toll loud and clear.
MaryPat, I generally don't use nicknames for those on the dark side of the aisle but TRUMPLITTLEASSCANS is brilliant. Thanks!
All any pushback against his words shows is that definitely the words were not ignored. However deliberately delivered.
Daria, I have the same hope. Still, witnessing the right's scorn for academics and their propensity to ban and burn books, I'm not overly optimistic.
Nancy, me either.
Oh my gosh, and my ADHD brain was in full effect. I kept dropping the thread and feeling lost. Having HRG recaps are essential to my understanding of what’s happening!
I rewatched some of it later on the Jan 6th Committee’s website for clarity, but Heather’s Letter is very helpful.
I respected his speaking pace. He lent solemnity to his words. It was obvious he considered the proceedings serious, respected and historical and spoke very carefully in what he was saying. We're just not used to it. I grew up with public figures speaking more slowly.
I couldn't agree more. I've just watched/heard what he said. My feeling was that this wise old man could never utter a lie. The pauses added to the horror of what he was saying. I was on the edge of my seat.
Just want to follow up and say that I respect your experience with his pace of speech, but I’m not saying I am not used to it - it’s a neurodivergent brain chemistry issue, not an experiential issue. Your experience doesn’t invalidate another persons experience, even when viewing the same thing.
It is my understanding that Judge Luttig is still recovering from a stroke which may be why he was speaking slowly and deliberatively. That he spoke anyway is a courageous choice on his part.
That is definitely a courageous choice, given the chance of many potential health impacts!
I was nodding along reading your comment, but the last line made me laugh right out loud lol
Oh, my! The bug man, no less! I hope you were nice to him anyway.
That was my initial thought, and it seemed distracting. However, I realized that he spoke in a manner more suggestive of writing a well supported decision that would have eternal impact. One could both see and feel the intensity of thought as he carefully assembled his words.
I’m going to rewatch it today at 1.25x speed and see if it helps me process better. The intensity, solemnity and impact were absolutely perceptible, I just personally struggled to follow.
He wasn't speaking so much as declaring. Declamation to establish the gravity of this war on democracy, and to cement his words in future history books.
He knows that each word and each punctuation mark is important. Law will do that to you.
Judge Luttig’s words and insights are singular in their poignancy:
“Luttig urged Americans to remember that the fate of our democracy is in our hands and to reject the fever dreams of the Trump Republicans in favor of ‘a new vision, new truths, new values, new principles, new beliefs, new hopes and dreams that hopefully could once again bind our divided nation together into the more perfect union that ‘We the People’ originally ordained and established it to be.’
‘The time has come,’ Luttig wrote, ‘for us to decide whether we allow this war over our democracy to be prosecuted to its catastrophic end or whether we ourselves demand the immediate suspension of this war and insist on peace instead. We must make this decision because our political leaders are unwilling and unable, even as they recklessly prosecute this war in our name.’”
When he said that he, himself, would lay his body down on the road willingly! This, to stop any clown car from destroying Democracy. Geez. That is some compelling reflection.
What a sobering spectacle of the truth the 3rd hearing showed itself to be.
Unidad, Daria! 🗽
As he was testifying, my thought: "Here comes da Judge!"
Christine, indeed! I feel like shouting at those rejecting the testimonies:
"Hello! Is anybody in there?"
Unidad!
Here's his whole statement. Wow....just wow. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/16/j-michael-luttig-opening-statement-jan-6-hearing-00040255
Unbelievable, a great piece of writing it should be published in every newspaper in the US.
Worthy of Lincoln.
Exactly. Wow.
Thank you for the link. This is powerful stuff!!!
Thank you, Pam!
I was quaking the entire time he spoke. His was the voice of reason. His was the voice of patriotism. His was the warning we need to take to heart. I don't want what he said to become a prediction of what will happen.
God is watching, indeed.
Would only the main stream media use Judge Luttig's words to explain the danger we face. For the most part they should have done so since January 6, 2021.
The judge proves that thoughtful conservatives can be a voice for our democracy. I don't regard death star's minions to be conservatives, but radical far right wingers, who would have been at home in Nazi Germany. I know several Rs locally who are repelled by what the party has become and did not vote for death star. I have often talked about my next door neighbor, a former R county commissioner, who many years ago gave me a thoughtful explanation of why he was a R. Now he tells me about how odious he finds the party and he has switched to independent although I know he votes for Ds. His disenchantment began with one of his fellow commissioners who was a nut before that totally infested the party. Also she, masquerading as a big Christian, according to him, had a mouth which would make sailors blush. He served in the navy.
So important to separate the wheat from the chaff and value that distinction.
I apply this also to Christians...those who actually understand what Jesus taught and those who haven't the foggiest, but love to hate.
Our issues are not "Republican" vs. "Democrat." We're looking at what happens when an idea takes root sub rosa in the society, and is allowed to grow, despite the will of the majority. That we have millions of people who, after four years of listening to dog whistles about racism, homophobia, xenophobia and misogyny, now seem willing to believe that the people who espouse the lies are honorable in some way -- this is stuff straight out of Shakespeare, folks. We need to do a better job of educating our electorate, and demanding that people pay attention to the responsibilities of citizenship and decent society.
All those thing were there all the time, just waiting for someone to give people carte blanche to express them. Some are so obsessed with their religious beliefs that they are fine with people who are not honorable in any way. They do not understand the message of Jesus either.
These local good Republicans are the ones we need to reach, and are worth spending our energy on..
Agreed.
Michele, very thoughtful comment. Your neighbor sounds like a wise and sensible fellow.
I have voted for him in most elections despite his being a R. One time his primary opponent was way out there...before most Rs were. They saved our frozen food during the ice storm because they had power for some reason and we ran a cord to their house. We were also able to run the computers.....essential you know. He is also a Oregon Duck...a plus and we can talk football and basketball.
A good neighbor!
Yes, quiet and spending a lot of time with his grandchildren. He also likes to grow flowers and other landscape plants. Except for the loud R across the street, our immediate neighbors are nice.
Professor Richardson cited as source in this article from The Guardian. Encapsulates a nagging question from this forum for quite some time. The “bigger picture” to thwart democracy and tracing its beginnings to now. https://apple.news/AN73lhq5GS4K3pWYocMTkXg
"In 2020, the historian Heather Cox Richardson published a book on How the South Won the Civil War. It should be required reading for this particular moment in American politics. Richardson argues that while the Confederacy obviously lost the military confrontation, the broader ideology it was built on, the idea that the world works best when it is dominated by wealthy white men, and that only those wealthy white men are therefore entitled to rule, continued to shape the American project, and is still the leading threat to true democracy in this country today. I worry, to build on the title of Richardson’s book, that future historians might have to write about How the Insurrectionists Won the Presidency." Thanks Christine.
Thanks for this, Christine. So delighted whenever HCR is cited. The more recognition she gets, the more critical thinkers will appear.
That HCR was cited in the final paragraph leaves a strong and lasting impression, I think. Thanks, Christine.
What a powerful, powerful statement he has given us all. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/16/j-michael-luttig-opening-statement-jan-6-hearing-00040255
Thanks for this, Lisa
Thanks will do.
Was Mike Pence a marionette (with strings) or a manikin as he quietly stood behind Trump in the White House for four years. It was easy to make fun of him, and as HCR pointed out in the Letter, he was no hero then.
Without dramatic music or strong commentary, we saw from footage during yesterday's House committee hearing how close Mike came to losing his life. The growing awareness of his peril, led me to think about the former president some more. We know Trump's sins and his ugliness, but yesterday it was a though I was watching him come close to murdering Pence. He would not have cared if that happened. We know all this, yet, still, as I watched Pence in hiding it was the void in Trump's conscience that stood out most to me.
He literally sent a bunch of basement terrorists to murder Mike Pence and all the democrats. Please, don't lose track of the money. The grift runs through all of them like too many prunes. Who asked for pardons? What did Jared sell to the house of Saud? I doubt it was $2 BN worth of Girl Scout Cookies.
Who knew about those Girl Scout cookies? When did they know? What warehouse in Saudi Arabia is storing them? What flavors of cookies? 😉
Seriously, the grift and corruption by Jared and trumps family is off the charts. I doubt they will ever be held accountable, or they’ll get a slap on the wrist like so many public employees do. Public sector corruption is so profitable.
I was delighted to see the clip of Jared (working on pardons) again. Who he is displayed to more people. Him accusing other guys of whining.
“Him accusing other guys of whining.”
The grift in this instance is the fraudulent Election Defense Fund that Trump set up, which the January 6 committee exposed this week. He scammed his own supporters, a third of whom are retirees, to the tune of $250 million. Elie Mystal wrote about it in The Nation this week. This is a clear case of criminal fraud and would be a slam dunk to charge Trump with. Much easier to prove intent on this than on a seditious conspiracy charge, not to say that he isn’t guilty of that as well. NY State AG Tish James will likely investigate further. In fact, all State AGs could indict Trump, since it can be assumed that supporters in every state were scammed out if their money.
This has been referenced in several places as strong potential for charges of wire fraud.
Maybe, and I dearly wish it so. But several early articles on his post-coup grift noted that there was the typical tiny fine print saying that the 75% of the funds raised would go to his Leadership PAC--meaning he could do essentially anything he wanted to with it. See, e.g.:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-raises-more-than-150-million-appealing-to-false-election-claims/2020/11/30/82e922e6-3347-11eb-afe6-e4dbee9689f8_story.html
And prosecuting it as fraud is not a slam dunk. See, e.g.:
https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-is-unlikely-to-get-charged-with-fraud-january-6-2022-6
I sincerely hope my cynical skepticism is wrong this time, because it has been no consolation for it to have been proven right so frequently in recent years.
I could have told you about the void in T's conscience back in my real estate days, 20 years ago.
Me too, Rosalind, but it was a bit further back for me - more like 30 years.
Not everyone knows about the shenanigans he pulled in regards to the renovation of the old Commodore Hotel into the Grand Hyatt back in the 70's/80's. Here's an article about that for those who don't know: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/18/nyregion/donald-trump-tax-breaks-real-estate.html
Paywall
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/18/nyregion/donald-trump-tax-breaks-real-estate.html?unlocked_article_code=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEIPuomT1JKd6J17Vw1cRCfTTMQmqxCdw_PIxftm3iaga3DEDm8SiOIEGYWP-kDLIqZkYdI303GHXsJEKPozTew3xPVSNk92DhOlq5_BlY8ZKjk474KvW2d8l7T8YYcFyx64JG-oNLU4g7SloxONNDX3CKOP2Xwldgh69pBuIEWti3MN2v_HQe9q04Yoj60mVspwQz4DdzDK66ezc2h2ONSDaxHY7AQ8SrsZDWmVxYjAnupGJAZCClvGT2d95nI_7r5fO9AVP6X5L30waZa0wOVRWiEzctDfV9BmTJPUlr5qrbfItRSJrcK2zPw2H6hX16jW21d5knNao9ZZPh1QXb8Shg&smid=url-share
I think you did, Rosalind. He left you very cold-hearted, if I recall.
No - just the opposite: he terrified me with his cold heart.
His heart is ice. He is a criminal to the core, 3rd generation. And yet he convinced people like my dad, who never committed a crime and wouldn’t hurt a fly, to vote for him. Trump is the worst tragedy of a president to ever besmirch the office. Al Capone could’ve been no worse. NY mob front man for President.
When any of them are speaking or Pence being shown I keep thinking you folks could have averted things coming to this is if you hadn't supported a madman. Now you tell us. Now you show the man behind the curtain. Is it patriotism or self preservation? These people are not coming forward as much as they have been requested to appear. They should have come forward in November 2020 when TFG was going even more insane over the election results. A quote:
"But for Bill Barr, Bill Stepien, Ivanka Trump and others, they are also something else — something we should not be taken in by.
They are a trip to the reputation laundromat (or perhaps, for this crowd, the reputation dry cleaner). Donald Trump’s onetime acolytes are trying to expunge the stain of their sycophancy. And they’re betting that in a country and era of fickle attention spans and feeble memories, they’ll have more luck with that spot than Lady Macbeth did with hers."
And the link:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/16/opinion/trump-barr-ivanka-hearings.html#:~:text=Don%E2%80%99t%20Let%20Bill%20Barr%20and%20Ivanka%20Trump%20Visit%20the%20Reputation%20Laundromat
Agree, Barbara. The posturing with the verses from the Bible also show exactly who they must get “forgiveness” from. The base. And fickle attention span and the base’s need for attention supports that.
Not so sure “better late than never” applies here. I think it’s more “procrastination is the deliberate habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.”
No shit, Pence snd company.
Salud, Barbara. 🗽
Yep. Perhaps they were signaling to their base.
In addition to putting Pence in mortal danger, I kept noticing during the Trump administration how Trump put politicians, Dominion and Smartmatic employees, and many others, in mortal danger. The attacks by Chump against his perceived enemies inspired his followers to issue death threats and commit physical threatening actions. Dominion’s CEO and employees, for example, had death threats against them and their families which required hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional security costs. And remember that guy who went to Texas just to kill Latino people, b/c of Trump?
I think at some point during the hearings that the governor from Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, or AG Dana Nessel, will be testifying. It was mentioned yesterday that they'd be hearing from the states. The impacts of the criminals, and their ongoing threats will be felt locally.
I saw something yesterday suggesting that Pence now has a target on his back, as well.
This horrifying sentence jumped out at me from today's LFAA:
"A Proud Boy told the committee that if they had found Pence, they would have killed him."
tfg has a lot to answer for. Let's hope justice will be served.
Indeed - that void where conscience should reside.
Yes, Fern. That is truth. I think of the day that trump will be irrelevant. And that we no longer will have to think of a man as president that has the darkness of evil in the void of his conscience.
Salud, compatriot. 🗽
👍🏼
Premeditated murder, at that! His defense would undoubtedly have been “mentally impaired”.
Oh no, somebody else did it, he didn’t know them well. “You never blame yourself. You have to blame something else. If you do something bad, never, ever blame yourself.” Donald Trump, Sep 12, 2005
Hah - wait! The “very stable genius”? Yet we do know he’s capable of turning on a dime from one position to another (throwing his own beloved Ivanka under the bud too!)
She threw him first, preferring Barr's pov to his on the matter of who won the election.
Since when is telling the truth the same as throwing someone under the bus, Fern?
Kathleen, perhaps you didn't follow the thread. See Grace Rose's reply. In the spirit of truth, Bill, Ivanka and Donald are quite the trio. As you are in a literal frame of mind, please note that you didn't accurately quote what I wrote. Cheers.
No harm intended, Fern ... actually, my frame of mind is fed up and fatigued - already 5 am and yet to sleep - I do not have time to search for Grace Rose's comment - so, will have to let this one slide ... take care ....
I’m also concerned about the DOJ now wanting everything now. Even if they are finally ready for action, the information wouldn’t be so clearly presented to the public if the committee turned it over before they’re finished presenting and airing it. They have to be allowed to continue.
Yes---they must continue. I do wonder about the ability to find a jury that has not formed an opinion......
Ha! There are undoubtedly way too many Americans who don't even know there's a hearing, won't recognize a date like January 6 or names like Meadows, McConnell, Pence, etc.
Now I feel bad for adding to the gloom and cynicism. I imagine there have always been a chunk of people not engaged or informed. So let's focus on activating and reinvigorating the rest of us so we can defend and strengthen our democracy. We can do this!
Laurie you’re good. You’re not increasing the gloom, just stating a fact. I can think of truck drivers and warehouse workers who have never heard of any of those names and probably don’t even know who Mike Pence is. The volume of uninformed citizens out there is enormous. Gigantic.
The numbers of uninformed include more than just blue-collar workers. Let's not overlook those in all levels of society who choose to be uninformed.
👍
Unfortunately I believe you are right Laurie. Just in my daily interactions with coworkers and others I find that a fair number have tuned out what they consider political noise. So there might be enough for an impartial jury. But I always try to engage and inform with the hope they will start listening and get involved.
Is there a difference between impartial and ignorant when this has been national news since January 6, 2021 and when so much is at stake? Does it matter? If the hearings are noise to them, what would they actually pay attention to? Do they understand the basic principles of democracy? Are there good answers to these questions?
I think people unaware of the events of the last 18 months would lack the analytical fortitude to weigh complex litigation on its merits. So either prospective jurors lie, or they are profoundly uninterested in democracy and rule of law.
Hey - get some Canadians!
Deliberate ignorance is the definition of cult. And we have a doozy
It could be an opportunity to establish in court the validity of intellectual paralysis by propaganda, the condition which has overtaken much of our country.
Karen -
This is also my experience.
Time for Rupert Murdoch and his Fox to reconsider their stance?
And the still hidden paymasters...
Is it not almost too late?
My personal vote is for the immigrant Rupert Murdoch who has been so instrumental in decades of "entertainment" packaged as "news" to be brought to account for his part in destroying the pillars of American Democracy,
for creating an alternative reality from facts,
and for coordinating with forces that are STILL conspiring
to overthrow the U.S. Government, the rule of law, and the rights attained at the costly price of martyrs' lives.
Be it distraction, fearmongering, incitement, brainwashing, collusion, spin or manipulation
the insidious undermining by Murdoch's media empire
of a just and inclusive society needs to be exposed and result in severe consequences. IMHO
When will he be on the hot seat. I still remember the trial in the UK. It can be done…. Of course, he thinks that his purchase of the WSJ gives him cover as a journalist. NOTHING gives cover for Fox’s decades of blatant lies.
I agree that Rupert has contributed greatly to the chipping away of our democracy. For readers who are attnys, what criminal charges would apply?
Beverly,
I do think that long list of represensible behaviors and actions you have so ably captured is all: Perfectly legal in the good ole USA.
I just checked the FOX News site. ZERO on the January 6 Committee hearings. But I heard they were airing them?
RM has said clearly enough on several occasions what he personally thinks of the teetotalitarian DT (Delirium Tremens) entertainments... But they are SOOOO lucrative.
Fox aired the first hearing on the Fox Business Network, not their main channel.
I just read that Tucker and Hannity had 3 million viewers that night, and that the Fox Business Network had one tenth of that. I think the Jan 6 Hearing had 20 million viewers.
That's how it works. Minimize the view!
I checked the Wall Street Journal headlines this morning with my phone. Nothing. I had to go to Politics in drop down menu to see reporting. Now maybe yesterday it made front page/top line...
Sadly true, Laurie, but even worse, many of those may still be stubbornly supporting TFG and truly believe “he won” - thanks to Faux “News” and its ilk... I wouldn’t want them on a jury anyway, as they certainly wouldn’t listen to evidence and vote in a fair and impartial way.
Exactly as you (and I ) have written here. Faux news, Hannity, Rushbo, Alex Jones, and blogs & sites and Talk Radio have done their job so well. "Their job"...was for some of 'them' something they actually believed...., for some of the others, spreading nonsense was what they were paid to do. "Paid" by whom? That is what causes me distrust.
But don’t you worry that such jurors would lack the capacity y to provide justice?
Not necessarily. Some for sure, but I have come across some intelligent people that are just focused on their families, job and life, who tuned out after Trump lost the 2020 election. Feeling like we were safe with him out of office and were burned out on news and politics
I have too, Karen, and it irks the hell out of me.
ditto
Could any of us (HCR readers) be impartial jurors? I don't think I could. I'd be tempted to say, "Skip the trial. Guilty as charged."
Same. Given a couple of extra moments to think, though, I would definitely be interested in seeing what defense they could come up with. It would be entertaining at the very least. And 97% chance of perjury!
LOL!
My thoughts exactly
Yes.
True. It's the fox & friends factor.
If anyone is that unaware of the politics of the last four years, maybe they could make a right decision and verdict. Trump and his allies' corruption is so obvious; the lawyers would have to retell the whole story but I think the outcome would be a slam dunk.
We can vote on it!
The DOJ is very good at keeping their cases close to the vest: I doubt this request would hamper the hearings in any impactful way. It’s actually good as their filing requesting all of the J6 Committee’s depositions & interviews indicated that in order to proceed in a timely fashion w ongoing cases (which we don’t know about) & cases in the works they require the Committee’s information. In fact, not having it could negatively impact cases in several ways. And it will certainly give pause to those who have not cooperated w the Committee: if they want to make a deal, now is the time.
“give pause to those who have not cooperated…”. Time to ditch the cult.
But I expect some in power to try to keep the trump cult without trump (DeSantis, maybe Abbott). That thirst for power is something that must be crushed. Ike knew that.
I'm hearing more and more of the pundits say the same thing, Linda. Although I personally think the Late Talkers collaborated in promoting the Big Lie and should not get a totally free pass for cooperating now. It's not my call, obviously, but there are ways to lessen their own personal damage for finally coming forward while not holding them criminally accountable.
Luttig calls identifies 'this' as a "war"..., okay. Call this what you want. I remain suspicious of characters imbedded in various inconspicuous places who would sell-out. So, we sure don't need any "cease-fire" or deal where 'the enemy' might find a way to corrupt things..or, more bluntly, thro s--- in the game. And, yes.., I remain suspicious of the DOJ, the Supreme Court, and Republicans in general.
I certain degree of suspicion is smart.
The House committee investigating the 1/6 attack on the Capitol seems fully ably to protect its position and responsibilities under the constitution. I think that the criminal indictment of the former president and all other appropriate participants in plans to overturn our government, seditious conspiracy and other criminal activity seem to me to be the first priority in protecting democracy as well as the security, health and welfare of all Americans of the USA.
I certainly am not suggesting they say no or thwart the DOJ in any way. Just that they continue their own hearings and displays of evidence. This might entail releasing what they've already covered to the DOJ or making and sharing copies so they can both do their work concurrently. We must keep in mind that any accountability-holding can be pardoned by the next president. It is imperative that "We the People," the voters, are well-informed so that the next president and administration is much less likely to be Trumpist.
The January 6th Committee hearings have only become more specific and powerful as they drive unrelentingly to the conclusion that Donald Trump was and remains, a cancer on the nation, its political culture and its very foundation.
Yesterday’s witnesses were men whose political views differ significantly from my own, who careers are rooted in the Republican party , and in the case of the Greg Jacob, legal counsel to VP Pence, continued to work in the administration of Donald Trump until its final tragic end.
That said, Mr. Jacob’s testimony was clear and probative to the issue of Trump’s knowledge and intent (as well as that of key advisors) to proceed unlawfully to remain in power. But it was Judge Luttig whose grave demeanor spoke to the heart of every citizen who holds true to the idea – however flawed in its execution - of the great experiment of American Democracy.
His distress was evident in his every utterance – his sincerity of belief in the rule of law undeniable.
There can be no person of honest heart who was not moved by his words and by his warning that Donald Trump and his political minions present a real and ongoing threat to our form of government.
One can only hope those who embraced Donald Trump’s lies, will hear him and be moved to act accordingly.
Yes, I cried watching him trying to speak as he was visibly greatly impacted by the gravity of what he was telling the world, and the American people. We discussed this concept that we are at war the other day. and that was established today. Trump and his comrades have committed treason against us. I have waited to release these tears for Truth since Nov. 2016. Geeze...Jamie Raskin was right...they are blowing the roof off the house. Thank goodness.
I cried too. It’s a relief and gratitude that we are represented by honest and courageous leaders who are willing to speak Truth to the public and to put together the roadmap of the before and after of the Insurrection for all to see. Who is “all”? Hoping these hearings could be shown in high school and college classes as the Civics lessons each of us needs to prevent a repeat and motivate young people to understand government, the constitution and history. And someday run for office.
"All" was edited out. Should not write at 3:00am!
Me too. When he said "clear and present danger..." I thought "thank God someone has finally said it so clearly."
Judge Luttig's face spoke of pain, anger and of being inwardly stunned that his country, America, had been so taken over.
And so many of us who have been conscious of a lot of the corruption are in just as much pain and stunned. It was so validating to feel his intensity--it matched mine perfectly and settled something within me that we are not alone and the Truth has been revealed. Now we have to spread it. Our local newspapers carry nothing. We must write letters to the editors so those who need to hear have opportunities to receive.
So true.
I thought so as well. You could clearly see that he understood EXACTLY the implications of all of this madness!
Morning R Dooley.
As Judge Luttig stated…”clear and present danger”.
Chilling to see it as non-fiction and in real time instead of reading it in a Tom Clancy novel.
Unidad. 🗽
Hello Christine: Chilling indeed - I'd rather it were a movie. Coming home next week for the first time in a year. Not sure what to expect. Be well.
The Proud Boys may still try to kill Mike Pence. His murder would have plunged our country into complete chaos. Who knows who else these fiends would have killed in defense of their “fever dreams” fueled by 45? Isn’t the power of the Republicans to block every vote in the Senate for any decent legislation for the American people, another form of hijacking our democracy? Mitch McConnell is as responsible for the failure of getting anything done, as was 45. Time to end the filibuster and abolish the Electoral College, a remnant of racism and white supremacist control of our election process. Let’s get the popular vote to determine our elections! And yes, Spooky Singer, disbar them all!
Abolishing the EC would abolish gerrymandering, no? And All voter suppression laws and actions taken up by corrupt repubs need to be abolished. And all mouthpieces that support the war against America need to be abolished (fox, unTruth social, qanon, oan, etc.). While we are at it, ban all massive assault weapons and stop the republican war on our children and people. Ban obstructionism. Elected officials do their jobs or step down. Dissolve Citizens United. Corporations are Not people. Let's end the republican war on our country, and decency, and our rights altogether. Bring back an improved Fairness Doctrine regarding ALL media. Campaign Finance Reform... Dismantle nonprofits that involve themselves in politics.That is just off the top of my relieved, but sleepy head.... Have so much gratitude for all the warriors in this community...
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,yes, yes, yes!!!!
But abolishing "mouthpieces" is a slippery one. I have always thought the most effective technique would be for a few billionaires with a collective conscience to sue those "outlets" for slander when they manufacture madness and/or repeat unsubstantiated and/or completely false ideas. Sue them out of business.
The real rot began and grew from elections bought by big bucks. Elections should be publicly funded. Private donations limited to a small fixed amount. NO corporate money. No PACs that are fake versions of the same campaigns.
Indeed, it’s the only way.
Many great ideas that our Country should aspire to & hopefully will accomplish in the future. And while ending the EC is a great idea imo (direct citizen voting should prevail for presidential elections), it has nothing to do w gerrymandering, which is used to determine our federal congressional districts as well as each states’ house & senate districts. It needs to end, too, & the number of federal congressional districts should be increased to fairly represent all citizens.
Hopefully if we can flip the Senate, we could pass the John Lewis Voting Act and HR1, the For The People Act, both of which could help w/gerrymandering issues and a lot of other voting problems.
I agree, Barbara. This country is far behind Europe and many other countries around the world in so many ways. Oh Lord!
Oh, a friend in Asheville, NC, said the repugs drew Ashville's district into such a bizarre shape to include much more republican voters that it has diluted the heavier democrat votes. It is my understanding that that is why they have such twisted shapes...because they only win if they cheat. Did I misunderstand this for so many years? Does it not impact the EC votes?
The electoral college goes state by state. You can't gerrymander state borderlines. But this recent Supreme Court decision will make gerrymandering affect the electoral college:
https://electoralvotemap.com/gerrymander-presidential-elections/
That is just sick, Jeff. We have a lot of work to do!
A world of Democrat policies. I can only dream.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼❤️❤️❤️
I look forward to punishment for those responsible for holding back security on January 6. Lower staffing and less resources available for defense of the Capital buildings. Astounding military and police presence in the DC area and all were apparently held back. I understand orders from above, however, this required cooperation. Many books will be written about paths to January 6.
As a semi-retired cop (who had the liberty of watching the events of 6 January after getting my first COVID vaccination) the first thing that I was thinking as I was watching that unfold was the profound belief that there was an utter command and control failure of the law enforcement response. I can understand the "optics" involved (following the National Guard presence earlier in the summer and the Mayor's reluctance to have a similar optic) but that does NOT mean that you are not fully equipped to handle a riot. Nothing wrong with having your tactical units on standby out of sight. Seeing the Park Police Bike Team as part of the first line of defense outside the Capitol (and trust me, bike cops to NOT have a lot of protective gear or crowd control equipment at their disposal) was incredible. The courage of those officers holding the line in the face of that assault is tremendous. I really want to hear about the tactical plan for that event from the command structure.
We're only halfway through the hearings and each successive one is more revealing, more jaw-dropping. Even barring new shocking disclosures and new witnesses coming forward, we know that all the way up to Trump, major unprecedented felonies were committed. In fact, as we already suspected, Trump orchestrated everything.
And who would have imagined that the Justice Department would be angrily demanding transcripts from the J6 Committee? Or that the wife of a Supreme Court Justice appears to be a pivotal player in the attempted coup?
Angrily?
I'm sure I read that somewhere or heard it on a newscast. But I must have been hallucinating from information overload. Looking around this morning I see characterizations of a "deepening rift" and "escalating tension" but not anger. So apologies for the embellishment.
That caught my attention as well. We live in Europe and haven't been able to watch the hearings. Is the DOJ ´angry¨ If so, why?
No I do not think they are angry. If I understand it correctly, the committee and the DOJ’s office agreed to share information. The DOJ is already prosecuting cases so giving them more to work with, is permissible and necessary. Besides, the transcripts can be copied as well as the interviews.
Yes, I think the whole point of a Select Committee is to investigate and make a criminal referral, if appropriate, to the DOJ. Appears the DOJ has heard enough and wants to include evidence in their criminal and conspiratorial cases that must be airtight.
Thank you
Thank you Marlene
If you subscribe to the Washington Post, you can watch it live. I don't know if NPR or CSPAN are covering, but it would be worth a check.
I watch it online via these links:
https://january6th.house.gov
https://january6th.house.gov/news/watch-live
Yes, the Committee has their own page and post it there.
Thank you. This will work!
MSNBC is also covering the hearings completely. (The post hearing team commentary isn't necessarily helpful but interesting.)
Thank you.
https://youtu.be/7u4ocGJ9ZXI
YouTube is posting the hearings unabridged.
Salud, Gailee.
Thank you Christine
I don't, but thank you so much.
In addition to the links posted by Kathleen Allen: https://www.c-span.org/video/?521075-1/fourth-hearing-investigation-capitol-attack Note that this is on C-Span 3.
The hearings also have been live on CNN and MSNBC cable, with reruns at those websites online. I saw somewhere that the earlier hearings can be found on youtube.
LOL! I just saw that Christine (FL) has posted the link to youtube videos of the hearings.
Not angrily.
I didn't read about the DOJ being angry.
Heather, another terrific post. The overflow of information and reaction(s) perfectly distilled. Thank you, thank you. Peace and Courage to All.
Your summary of retired judge Luttig’s pronouncements was especially helpful. I was unable to watch the full hearing during the day and only heard excerpts later. If we can get his words out to the Trump supporter Masses, this could be very persuasive! Thank you!
I'm posting them on all my social media
You go, Girl!
Dan Rather's assessment of the hearing is worth everyone's time:
"The twists and turns to come will likely still force us to contemplate that which is now beyond the limits of our imagination. Yesterday’s hyperbole is tomorrow’s old news. One thing we can all be thankful for is that truth is being served and history will know that a president attacked his own country. What that means for the man or the nation remains to be seen. It can get worse, a lot worse. But that might also be the path by which we get better."
https://steady.substack.com/p/the-more-we-learn?r=57fmo&s=r&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
And you know what Tucker Carlson was whining about today? The ban on menthol cigarettes! How pathetic!
Tucker is such a useless pile of 🐕 poo...
I was curious what Fox nonsense was reporting, if anything, about the hearing so I went to their website because I just can’t stand to hear their whining diatribe. Sure enough, nothing about the hearing but many negative stories about Biden and HIS economy. As well as a headlining story on Justin Bieber
We all know Justin Bieber holds the fate of the world in his hands! What in heaven's name is wrong with you, Karen? /s
Who is Justin Bieber?
🤭
EXACTLY!
They are covering the hearings now. Today on a tv in a restaurant at lunch Fox was showing the live hearing. https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/jan-6-committee-hearings-news-schedule.amp
https://www.cnn.com/videos/media/2022/06/13/bill-carter-fox-news-coverage-2022-january-6-hearings.cnn
For how long, a nanosecond or two, heavily edited or spun? Fox can make Schitt smell like roses. It’s all they have ever done.
Ask the restaurant to change the channel to HGTV because the news upsets your stomach and you won't be able to order any food. Don't tell them that the home & garden channel is one if the most racially integrated, LBGQT+ supportive channels on TV today.
💩.....like this?
Exactly like that!
And just as repulsive
But his whirlpool of Schitt holds a multitude of sins and sinners
I’ll bet that it was entertaining; after all, he job is entertainer.
I bet if Congresswoman Cheney and I, an old queer, lefty pagan, sat down to compare notes we would find very little upon which to agree. But I swear she has garnered my utmost respect with her ability to articulate and guide the discussion and keep her aim steady and focused. Her ability to stand up to the stupidity of members of her own party is breathtaking.
She is demonstrating what bipartisanship is all about and she is an example for all Democrats, Republicans and Independents. She deserves our nations thanks.
I only hope that she is successful in making Trump obsolete and his followers forever shamed.
Imagine the personal danger she has been living under. She is a profile in courage. We do not have to agree with her to respect and admire her. Far more than her father.
And she is doing this despite the fact that she knows her time in elective Republican politics is over.
I suspect she may become the leader of the new Conservative Party.
I was thinking that too although it would have to come up with a better than “Conservative”.
MaryPat - interesting thought.
Nominated would be fine, but I fear that if reelected she would be as supportive of every right wing bill as she was under Trump. (93%)
👍🏼
Totally agree with you! I am reveling in her capability to co-lead these hearinga.
I’m hoping that Judge Luttig’s closing remarks reach enough people to make a difference. https://youtu.be/tpKI12L1bEI
Powerfully written and thoughtfully researched , thank you! I had to watch later in the evening because of work, and Heather your recap encompassed a third hearing of the most important events in my American adult life.
The GASLIGHTING is getting hotter - the "wolves in sheeps clothing" are barring their teeth. The watch words for the Jan 6th Committee members to the American people should be - DO NOT LISTEN TO WHAT THE TRUMPLICANS SAY, WATCH WHAT THEY DO. 🐺
Equal time? That’s too funny. All he has to
do is testify.
His rallies are equal time of a sort. He gets more than equal time on Fox, etc.
Yes, testify!
He might get equal time in his own trial. Candace, what do you think the chances are that he will voluntarily interview with the January 6 committee?
Well, if tfg was at the 1/6 hearings, you could guarantee the redhats would tune in. And you can also be sure he would perjure himself. So, I say, bring it on!!
You’re making me smile. Bring it on‼️
HE did this: He PLOTTED! He PRESSURED! He PROFITED! 3XP!