Because I have been reading this column for a long time, it seems a little weird to see this stuff finally showing up in the news. It's like reading current news that Nixon committed crimes, or that the Allies won WWII. Or actually, more like having read today's newspapers a year ago, due to some anomaly in the flow of time.
Agreed, Joseph! How much longer will we be reading about these crimes so blatantly committed by tfg and Eastman with no steps being taken to prosecute the perpetrators?
Judge Carter has painstakingly spelled out every criminal step taken by these two master criminals. And, Heather you have laid out his primary findings with your usual clarity.
"Eastman and Trump 'launched a campaign to overturn a democratic election, an action unprecedented in American history,' Carter wrote. 'Their campaign was…a coup in search of a legal theory…. If [the] plan had worked, it would have permanently ended the peaceful transition of power, undermining American democracy and the Constitution. If the country does not commit to investigating and pursuing accountability for those responsible, the Court fears January 6 will repeat itself.'"
Patience is a virtue, most of the time. But not when the ship is sinking or the aircraft entering an irreversible dive. Then it is the time to act. I have been counseling patience for well over a year, but there is no evidence that the Justice Department is even seeking to prosecute crimes that were committed in plain view, and those that have been exposed clearly since—crimes that, as Judge Carter wrote, sought to undermine the foundations of our Republic. Now is the time for action.
It would help the country to have some of these criminals sitting in a holding cell awaiting their court date. Use their crime money to pay for their "holding time."
I agree. We all thought Mueller was being precise and was ‘on it,’ when he was being severely curtailed by Trump and his lackeys and it took the Senatorial Investigation to bring to light that Mueller and the Senate each thought the other was covering critically important material. Mueller could barely get a sentence out during the hearing because he was gagged. Then came Barr’s warped publicity.
Fast forward the resignation of the prosecutors recently who feel Cy Vance’s replacement is letting Trump off the hook. HELLO?
Trump and his buddies took top secret materials to Mar-a-Lago. Can anyone say “blackmail?” What secrets has Trump promised to give to our adversaries if he is held accountable?
My question: is it simply business as usual at the DOJ? How many people are "on this case"? None? One? Two? 30? 60?
Is the DOJ even "on the case"? Or do we have to wait another 15 months+ for them to run their own investigation, and come up with their own facts about actual crimes committed by the and his hired henchmen? THAT is what makes government inner.
You have to know the history of Merrick Garland. He is nothing if not precise, pain staking and thorough. When the DOJ presses charges under his direction it won't be with a slight tap it will be with a velvet gloved sledge hammer.
Plus that ridiculous McConnell held the nation in thrall with Garland’s nomination, thumbing his nose at all of us but especially President Obama with his Whitehate “how you like me now, boi?” shit using Merrick Garland as the means for the insult. Now I do not know the man, but Mr Garland’s reputation suggests that he will not appreciate being collateral damage in a racist trolling of our constitution one bit, and when juxtaposed with the celerity of the hearings for Amy Cooney Whatsis, that unqualified sock puppet with a Gilead/Handmail’sTale hand up her @ss. It must really stick in the craw.
Oh I hope that is the case Pamela. The few things he has said so far is that he will uphold the law and its processes, period. In theory, that means midterm elections be damned - the process will be followed and tat's that. He will get no (public) pressure from Biden; Joe will not show himself to be a president who influences DOJ, like Trump did. But the thing is, as we all know, if the midterms go the way of the Republicans, the select committee will be no more. And the fix will be in. So Garland - be thorough, be precise, but do not delay. The whole democracy is at stake.
I have heard that too. We all became so accustomed to the constant "information" coming out of every dept in the last administration, its "top dog" and all their sycophant lap dogs (practically none of it useful and most of it manipulative) that it's almost weird to have the new one acting as we'd PREFER they act: noses to the grindstone w/ appropriate, meaningful info coming from just a few sources, and only when it makes sense. I think we have to have faith, even though it feels like we are on the edge of a cliff about to fall off to our deaths.
While it seems an ‘open an shut case’ remember who they are dealing with. If lawyers will do trump’s bidding to sue anyone, or any entity, for the most frivolous reasons, and frustratingly somehow come out on top or delay, I for one want the DOJ to have all those i’s dotted and t’s crossed.
I read a post this week about how this DOJ does not leak. That the public does not know is not a sign that nothing is happening. I would rather see an airtight case than these seditionists getting off. I do wish that they had Stone and Flynn as their hatred show will be this coming weekend in an outdoor venue very close to us here in Salem. The venue is a baseball park in Keizer and I do hope we can't hear what is going on.
Still, it is excruciatingly painful how long it is taking...for justice to prevail. Meanwhile, they continue to spew lies to their cult. We all saw what we saw in the coup against our government and country. They should, in the least be held to reduce the constant damages and to help the rest of us feel safer against these real life wackos who should be behind bars. If I did these awful things more than a year ago, do you think I would be walking free right now? If I were a person of tinted skin and/or poor, do you think I would be walking free? Hah. We constantly see the white privileged males get away with murder and tyranny (supported by some of their narcissistic females who are out of control themselves).
If Trump is actually prosecuted it will be a great day in the service of democracy. But we need to be prepared for pothole creating a divide the size of the Grand Canyon in the United States. Nevertheless it is absolutely crucial that pothole be prosecuted and go to jail as well as people like John Eastman. On a personal note it offends me greatly with respect to Eastman and also Justice Clarence Thomas because I am one of their ilk i.e. an attorney. I use the term pothole because I cannot bring myself to even say xpotus.
K I don't think Garland is investigating the coup plotters -- Trump and his advisors. He is only investigating the people who stormed the Capitol in response to Trump's urging. Garland has never confirmed the existence of an investigation into the attempted coup. The public has a right to know if Garland has opened an investigation into the coup plotters. Until he advises the public that he is investigating, he continues to undermine the public’s confidence in the rule of law.
No need to rush. This isn't a one-hour Law & Order show. I would rather the courts take their time and gather all the evidence they can get their hands on so they have a solid case and can convict these criminals once and for all.
Oh Debbie - there is NOT enough info out there to dissuade. There is enough dis-information out there to negate. Take it from a guy who lives in a red state. The sh_t has to hit the fan in a big way to make any difference, IMO. I am not sure what the optimum timing would be, but surely it is not AFTER the midterm election. The 1/6 committee no doubt has timing on their collective minds, but I am not sure they are in control of it, what with the successful delay tactics we have seen so far. BTW - where are those public hearings we were promised?
Even in the deepest blue communities, where they don't fly their Trump flags, they're among us. And I hate to say it and don't know what to do about it, but . . . they're armed.
If the republicans retake the congress, they will throw every road block in the way that they can. They'd immediately take control of the 1/6 committee and either disband it or make it toothless or perhaps start investigating Biden.
All the more reason for Democratic unity. Somehow I feel that some progressive Democrats would rather lose control of Congress than maintain it with a more centrist Democratic Party, after which they would move the Party further leftward.
My prayer is this decision will open the door for Dominion voting machines and even those brainwashed and empowered by Trump and Eastman on Jan 6 to file lawsuits against them. Suing is the only language Trump understands.
This decision clearly lays out both Eastman and Trump knew what they were saying was a lie and their actions caused such harm it resulted in death. It will be interesting to see if any of the defense attorneys go down this path in their defense of their so called patriots. Maybe, just maybe, it will wake up at least one of the brainwashed Trump followers and bring them back to the land of critical thinking. Thank you HRC!
'...the land of critical thinking'. The Atlantic features an excellent article, School Shouldn't be a Battlefield, by George Packer. He describes a curriculum created by the Stanford History Education Group called 'Reading like a Historian', and makes several points about the folly of sending students to the internet for research. Packer suggests the primary education objective of getting kids into college is misplaced. "Law degrees from Harvard and Yale didn't keep Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley from trying to tear up the Constitution." April 22 The Atlantic
And Trump stiffs his lawers (like Screwd-y Guiliani, to steal from the magnificent headline editor at NY Daily News) and in the long run he’ll have no one to rep him whereas we the people pay our taxes to pay our AG.
I've wondered the same thing. Bill Barr auditioned to become Trump's AG after watching Trump destroy and humiliate Jeff Sessions. Not surprisingly, Barr came to a similar fate. The more talented and capable the Trump administrator, the more likely they were to be fired or resign in disgust. Trump trashes his loyal supporters when they are no longer useful. And yet there are always more willing to hire on. One thing that seems true - each generation of Trump hirelings is less talented and just plain dumber than those who came before. The last bunch included abject clowns like Sydney Powell and Rudy. The bottom of the barrel....
Barr certainly thought he'd be immune to such treatment, giving his exceedingly high opinion of himself and his ability to control his opponents, until tfg used him to clean up a spot in the office left by dear Jeff.
there's quite a bit of evidence to suggest that they are not all "top" legal help.... and at one point, if not still now, he was asking everyone he knew if they had a good attny to suggest. Good Heavens, he needs a huge army of them..
Law school applications are way up. Don't know if there is a correlation, but certainly an expectation that the demand for lawyers will only grow. If only tfg hadn't closed down his university.
Not if half or more lawyers are Republicans or their client base is the same base tfg excretes from. Which begs the question, do Republicans seek more legal advice then Democrats? Given that Republicans are the law and order party and, IMHO, Democrats are the justice for all party.
The solution to the whole problem with voting machines is stunningly simple. DITCH THE VOTING MACHINES. Go back to old-fashioned paper-and-pencil ballots. We use them in Australia and they work fine.
This appears to be a more urgent concern. Heard Rep Schaffer voice frustration about slow walk by AG Garland’s JD with respect to acting on referrals from the Special Committee. Seems that there is cause for concern. Just read a Vanity Fair article 3/29 indicating that the deliberate pace of AG Garland is now a real issue. Sorry to see this happening. We may need to start turning up the volume about this to get him and the JD moving faster.
Watergate took three years from crime to conviction. Three years folks. And that wasn't nearly the magnitude of an attempted coup d'etat against the United Stated of America. Looked at it this way the January 6 Committee and Judges involved in this immense case have been working at lightening speed.
And yes. I too chafe at trump and friends running around bloviating and campaigning as much as the next person. Mostly I live on hope things will turn out right in a slew of convictions. The January 6 Committee has done a masterful job. There have been zero leaks. They release just the right amount of accusations/information at the right times. I look forward to the televised hearings.
As a Country we are sitting on a keg of dynamite labeled "Donald Trump is convicted by the DOJ" This Country will explode with his follower's wrath and his politicians outrage. We need a very tight case against him. No screwed up Mueller Report. No screwed up SDNY prosecutor case. No dragged out Gaetz case. And on and on.
There seems to me to be a major difference between today's circumstances and the situation when Watergate blew up. For all his flaws, Goldwater was able and willing to walk into the Oval Office and deliver some version of his famous line to Nixon. "Mr. President, it's time for you to resign. Your party will no longer support you."
Back then we all had the same information. The same three television channels. And there was no social media with algorithms that push the most divisive information (See: Stolen Focus by Johann Hari, a superb and wide-ranging book. I do think that neither Trump, nor Bolsonaro would have been elected without Facebook, Youtube, & Twitter. And I'm also sleeping better due to stuff I've learned from this book.)
Thank you for the reference to Stolen Focus! Having had "a look inside" I think that not only I but society as a whole would benefit by reading and understanding what Johann Hari has discovered. Ilook forward to receiving my copy!
You're most welcome. The more people that read it, the better off we'll be. I've also lately been recommending a book called Ladyparts, by Deborah Copaken, especially to women of post reproductive age and the men who love them. It's a memoir, but so much more, including some recommendations that greatly improved her health, and should do so for a lot of women. She also nicely skewers the US medical system, the lack of a social safety net (complementary to stuff on that issue in Stolen Focus), American corporate culture... I found out about Stolen Focus and two other books I've bought and enjoyed listening to Christopher Lydon's Open Source (on NPR stations).
These references are very interesting! I will get Ladyparts, judging from what I've read of her medical nightmares, she also has quite the sense of humor. I see Christopher Lydon has several videos, a couple called Open Source that I will give a listen.Thank you!
I agree completely, Barbara. I read Obama's book last year and one of the things that got my attention was the meticulous, step-by-step process of decision-making and the amount of patience and waiting required. A hallmark of the Trump administration was not only the inability to wait one minute for anything but the need for constant noise and light. But it isn't just the Trump phenomenon. It's the news as entertainment; education as entertainment. We are an impatient culture and, above all else, it is patience--that willingness to sit still--that is needed. One careful, mindful step at a time. I am less hopeful than you, I think, as to the chances of TFG paying for his crimes. My hope at the moment is that you are right and I am wrong.
I sure remember, Lynell. I liked your post then and like your response now. And I expressed then I find it unseemly to second guess the Atty Gen of the country and his staff.
I thought today about it after the Letter’s reveal of the absolutely insane brass balls of Eastman and Trump to change the results of the 2020 election and destruction of our democracy.
Does anyone actually believe that Pres Biden’s DOJ is not on this like a dog gnawing a juicy bone?
There's a difference between today's story and prior stories. Before this judge read through Eastman's emails and other documents, there was no hard evidence of Trump's illegal actions. He looked guilty as sin, but without either documented evidence, or sworn testimony, there was not enough to charge Trump. Now it looks like there is.
There's a reason that Trump tears up notes from meetings, refuses to use email himself, and demands oaths of loyalty from his associates. He doesn't leave evidence of his crimes. Unfortunately for Trump, Eastman is about to be forced to give up the documents that contain the evidence of his and Trump's crimes.
I understand how you feel Joseph but, having practiced in the Central District of California in US District Court, I can opine that Judge Carter's handling of the purposeful delay has been brilliant which is typical of the Central District. First Judge Carter set a deadline for the delaying party to Log his asserted privileges in writing (creating a record). Then Judge Carter set a narrow timeline in January 2020 during the Insurrection to get to the merits while explaining his reasoning clearly for the Public, Bench & Bar and for Professor Richardson to smartly parse for our Community, An Appeal is unlikely as things could get much, much worse for Eastman in the Ninth Circuit.
Yup, I loved being in Federal Court including appearing before Judge Charles Breyer, Justice Stephen Breyer's younger brother (now 80) & still on the CA Northern District Bench. I filed a Motion to Stay my Mom & Pop's case to get them a breather while the underlying state court case proceded, Judge Charles Breyer summarized my motion for the record & clearly was going to grant my Motion but, he left decision up to my opposing Counsel who left the Courtroom in a huff and promptly & correctly dismissed his Client's corporate declaratory relief action against my Clients entirely. Case over. Federal Judges have very capable research clerks who sit in the jury box & learn.
Joseph I agree that ‘it seems a little weird’ to read about all of the slam-dunk evidence about Trump’s and his sycophants’s BIG LIE and January 6th subversion of the Constitution. It is past time, as expressed in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Mikado, for ‘the punishment to fit the crime.’
Joseph Nesmeth (CA) your words echo my thoughts. Why has it been nearly 15 months since this obvious attempt to carry out a political coup that we actually have in writing, of a legitimate description of what culminated in a telecast for the world to see!?! It’s like a terrifying nightmare is finally acknowledged. Our courts have dealt with millions of trials of much less criminal cases. Why not this one? If there is a shred of justice in our country, please show us
Pat, it's been 15 months because trump's co-conspirators have refused to testify. They have refused to turn over documents. They have hidden behind executive privilege. They have sued in court to prevent the release of evidence. They have pled the 5th hundreds of times. The Watergate break-in happened in June 1972. Nixon resigned in August 1974. And they had tape recordings of Nixon admitting his crimes. Prosecuting a president, even one as obviously corrupt and criminal as Trump, takes time.
Your reminder is comforting, but we’re 2 years from possibly dealing with this again and technology has advanced/changed so much since 1972 …. Jan 6th was very much abetted by technology. May the same technology save us from the unimaginable
The pace has nothing to do with technology. It has to do with the rule of law, building a strong case, and feeling confident of winning conviction in court. We are pretty sure Trump (and Eastman, and Meadows, and Cruz, and...) are guilty. That's not nearly enough for a prosecutor to take it to trial. You know what would be worse than not prosecuting Trump and his cronies? Prosecuting them, and seeing them declared "Not Guilty".
True enough! But mid terms are coming and lordy if the numbers change to award a majority to today's Republican Party (of which I was once a member of) ....
Yes, the Congressional committee will be shut down as soon as Republicans take the House in the coming election. McCarthy and his buddies promise to start their own investigations - probably delving into pedophile pizza parlors and Jewish Space Lasers.
Because the Select Committee is not lawfully constituted (with an equal number of Republicans), it lacks subpoena power.
EDIT: It was originally constituted to have seven Democrats and six Republicans. Nancy Pelosi rejected two of the Republican choices, which led three of the others to be withdrawn.
Now, the critical question is:
By what authority is Adam Kinsinger a member of this Select Committee? Is he there to make a quorum?
This is wrong, and wrong. Wrong in claiming that the House Select Committee does not have subpoena power. It has subpoenaed dozens of witnesses. And wrong in claiming that the committee is not lawfully constituted because it does not have an equal number of Democrats and Republicans. Republicans were offered five slots, but they insisted on including two members who were part of the Jan 6th conspiracy, and therefore disqualified to investigate themselves (your claim is like saying that a jury is not lawfully constituted because it didn't include the accused criminal). McCarthy refused to nominate any other members. The committee has been proceeding lawfully and effectively, and includes two Republican members who value the rule of law over loyalty to Trump (which then resulted in the GOP excommunicating them). You're also wrong in your general claim that House committees have to have an equal number of members. Most don't.
Other than that, you're batting 1000. I'm looking forward to a post from you that isn't twisted and full of falsehoods.
Your comments are becoming increasingly bizarre. Kinzinger (edited to correct response) is a member of the committee, appointed by Pelosi.
It seems that you don't understand the purpose, or work of this committee. On Jan 6th Congress was attacked by a mob. That mob, along with members of Trump's administration, and a number of members of Congress, were intent on preventing the peaceful transfer of power to the legitimately elected president, Joe Biden. Nothing like this insurrection had happened in the US before. Not only was it unprecedented, it was a real threat to our democracy. Congress had a responsibility to investigate it, understand why it occurred, and make sure it never happened again. So far, the committee has found extensive evidence of a plot by members of Trump's administration, including Trump himself and Senators like Ted Cruz and Congressmen like Jim Jordan and Paul Gosar. It is likely that a number of these people will be charged with crimes against the country.
The judge who had the duty to read the plotters' documents "...denounced efforts by former president Donald Trump and his allies to undermine the 2020 election, describing them as “a coup in search of a legal theory” and finding there was evidence that Trump “more likely than not” committed felony crimes."
This committee is not responsible for dividing America (as you claim), just as the policeman arresting a bank robber is not responsible for the theft of money from the bank. You should be very glad the committee is doing this work.
I write this knowing that you Mr. Schmeeckle, will reply with fevered gibberish (using the word "thug" several times). You are not the audience that matters.
This Kangaroo Committee's use of pretended subpoena power makes a mockery of the rule of law, as both Republicans (on Jan. 6, in response to what they believed to be a Democratic coup d'etat) and Democrats (with this committee) degenerate into thuggery. The cracks in the foundation of the Union are widening. Is our federal government losing the mandate of heaven?
No, the critical question is now the legitimacy of the RNC censure of Cheney and Kinsinger for being part of the committee. Now *that* is a purely partisan political move.
I was wrong about an equal number of Republicans. The number was set at five, with the understanding that Pelosi would appoint a Republican from her eight choices, giving a total of seven Democrats and six Republicans. Quoting from Wikipedia:
On June 30, 2021, the resolution to form the committee passed by a vote of 222 to 190, with all Democratic members and two Republican members, Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney, voting in favor. Sixteen Republican members did not vote.[17] The resolution empowered Pelosi to appoint eight members to the committee, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy could appoint five members "in consultation" with Pelosi.[18] Pelosi indicated that she would name a Republican as one of her eight appointees.[19]
On July 1, Pelosi appointed eight members, seven Democrats and one Republican, Liz Cheney (R-WY); Bennie Thompson (D-MS) would serve as committee chair.[20] On July 19, McCarthy announced the five members he would recommend as the minority on the select committee. He recommended that Jim Banks (R-IN) serve as Ranking Member, and minority members be Jim Jordan (R-OH), Rodney Davis (R-IL), Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), and Troy Nehls (R-TX).[21] Banks, Jordan, and Nehls voted to overturn the Electoral College results in Arizona and Pennsylvania. Banks and Jordan had also signed onto the Supreme Court case Texas v. Pennsylvania to invalidate the ballots of voters in four states.[22]
On July 21, Thompson stated in an interview that he would investigate Trump as part of the inquiry into Capitol attack.[23] Hours later, Pelosi said in a statement that she had informed McCarthy that she would reject the recommendations of Jordan and Banks, citing concerns for the investigation's integrity and relevant actions and statements made by the two members. She approved the recommendations of the other three.[24] McCarthy then pulled all of his picks for the committee and stated that he would not appoint anyone on the committee unless all five of his choices were approved.[25][26]
After McCarthy rescinded his recommendations, Pelosi announced on July 25 that she had appointed Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) to the committee.[27][28] Kinzinger was one of the ten House Republicans who voted for Trump's second impeachment.[29]
My point remains the same: In the eyes of a significant element of the body politic, this committee stinks of partisan persecution, eroding the bonds of the Union.
One of the reasons why I supported Tulsi Gabbard for the Democratic nomination was her spirit of bipartisanship. That is sorely lacking in this committee, which is undertaking the equivalent of playing with flammible explosives while smoking a cigarette.
Rep Jordan (Co-conspirator) is not the best legal analyst of Federal Court issues. Ditto Steve Bannon. Perps are free to raise Federal "discovery" issues in Court subject to res judicata (already decided) & policed by Rule 11 (sanctions for purposeful delay.)
Joseph - I don't understand your comment that this stuff is finally showing up in the news. I've been seeing it in bits and pieces for at least a year. What I see happening now is all of the bits and pieces coming together into a coherent story thanks to the Jan. 6 Committee.
Of course, it's been out there in bits and pieces, and Heather has been corralling it for us. She's not psychic, she just reads the stuff most of us don't notice and recognizes that it's important.
But there's a sense that this is getting into the mainstream, and in the process, it's being headlined as Hindenberg sorts of breathless OMG! Which is good. It is breathless OMG. But it's a second round of OMG for me.
Does it matter that the House Select Committee, with only two cherry-picked Republican members, is not lawfully constituted?
In addition, with the clear evidence (eye-popping divergences from the exit polls in the formal results of the Massachusetts Democratic primary, giving Biden a whisker-thin victory), is it so far-fetched to imagine that Biden and company also stole the election from Trump?
It matters that the kinds of Americans that truly believe Trump won are not exercising rational thought. It also matters that those who pretend to believe that Trump won are willing to accept victory through cheating. All of these people should be living in Russia or North Korea to have a true taste of what they are supporting, because this is how Putin and other autocrats come to power, and this would have immediately made us no longer a democracy. That this action set us up to be partners with other autocrats like Putin, Kim Jong-un and Xi Jinping, Bashar al Assad is quite frightening. What is most concerning is that people who support Trump seem to have read or traveled little, or have little imagination, or imagine that they will always be the benefactors of an autocracy. There is only one benefactor of an autocracy and that is the person at the top. Everyone else's position is precarious at best. Even they do not benefit, because they destroy the country they run.
Read your link to the Free Press. Fact: Exit Poll respondents 1,394; votes counted 1,327,374. The exit poll respondents equal .0010501 of the votes counted. Might you include this is a rather small number? Also, exit polls, by their nature, only account for those present at the polls. Our Covid induced election of 2020 had the highest number and percentage of absentee ballots in history. Mind you, I'm sure demographics played heavily in the Free Press' numbers. Especially for us older folks, who were more than comfortable to vote absentee. Do you have facts supporting a comparative analysis of exit polls, absentee ballots, and demographics of the Massachusetts Democratic Primary of 2020? If not, please do not cherry pick from a very large sundae.
I trust Bernie Sanders, who I do admire in many ways, would not have eventually supported Joe Biden if he, or his staff, thought the Democratic nomination was stolen from him. Might you agree?
He begrudgingly supported Clinton's nomination after the shenanigans of the Democratic National Committee in 2016, as he understood the danger of Trump. Considering this past history, I believe if there was a sniff of impropriety in the 2020 Democratic Primaries, he and his staff would have raised hell.
Going down this road is an unnecessary and baseless distraction. The real issue is for Trump, and the long list of his co-conspirators, to be brought to justice for their actions clearly noted by Heather.
I am astonished at what you say about exit polls. Exit polls have a phenomenal record for accuracy, and they are a standard tool for double-checking election integrity. Theodore Soares discusses that on his website. Did you even look?
It seems silly to me to validate a covid-time exit poll by pointing to a record of accuracy of exit polls in previous elections when mail-in ballots were no more than a footnote. There were huge discrepancies between the mail-in and in-person tallies; why would you expect exit polls of the latter voters to match the overall results, unless you have already bought in to the notion, without evidence, that the entire election apparatus is (or should I say was already) crooked.
Playing wackamole with accusations is pretty funny. When someone quashes the last lie you throw out there, and, you are defeated with facts, then, you propose another lie.
Very interesting approach. Spare time today? Not much going on? Unemployed?
Ooooh I didn’t know that could be a job!! Looking for a summer gig (on the right side of course) and it might beat scooping ice cream-how would one apply to bait Fuckher Carlson followers on that thing’s social?
Fuckher Carlson wouldn’t approve well-spoken, nuanced comments explicating comparative fascism. Pick on someone else. Linda spoke well and no one comes here for a chumpchange pocketsize “like” section
No. It matters a damn lot and still really chaps my ass. But that is not the crux of how do we contain Jan 6 participants and keep power in the hands of -if not the people, at least the people who pretend a little harder that it’s for the people not the 1% until we can relax from fascist grabs for authoritarian nation and organize more effectively for true reform.
Ah. There it is. Bernie Sanders has the same fomenting followers as Trump. He has never once explained how he would ¨make¨ the 1 % pay more in taxes. Or actually fund all of the things that Progressives clamor for instantaneously without any seeming knowledge of the slow process to move to a Democratic Socialist country. I voted for President Biden.
"the House Select Committee, with only two cherry-picked Republican members, is not lawfully constituted?"
The above sentence is a lie. I don't know if you believe the lie or not, but, I do know that does not matter. The above sentence is a lie.
"is it so far-fetched to imagine that Biden and company also stole the election from Trump?"
Yes, it is far fetched, and a lie, that the election was stolen from the loser: Trump.
Just be clear on the facts.
Now, John, you can BELIEVE whatever you want. That is legal and your right, but, I can also correct your beliefs if your belief system has led you to confuse a fact with a belief.
Believing that Donald Trump won because the white man at Fox News/(or your church) told you that lie and you have been trained to believe the white man at the front of your church is perfectly OK with me.
But, writing your beliefs here, if they are lies in reality, well, I can correct those lies, that is my right.
My point is that the committee was supposed to have an equal number if Democrats and Republicans, with the chair (a Democrat) breaking tie votes and with the Republican members chosen by the Republican leadership. Neither of those two requirements happened.
There is no law anywhere that requires a criminal investigation to have equal number of Democrats and Republicans. No law anywhere at all that says that.
So, for example, if the Jan 06 committee found crimes and every member was a member of the Democratic Party, it would still be a crime.
So out of what orifice did you pull your idea of "requirements" for an investigatory committee of a house of Congress to be "lawfully constituted"? The members the Repub leader nominated for the committee had a common characteristic: a demonstrated propensity for grandstanding bloviation at sufficient length to keep any honest business from being done.
Indeed, Daria and indeed quite unproductive. On this column we name our sources if we quote others and if we want to prove something we provide the evidence and not just hypebole and opinion.
Glad to hear it Stuart Attewell, and now you can be the very first one around here to engage with the evidence that Biden stole the Democratic nomination from Bernie Sanders. I'm waiting...
But Pres Trump’s effective use of name-calling rhetoric helped him demonize opponents and if nothing else control the discourse through earned media. If you’re too good to call names or get in a bar brawl, good on you but how about stepping back and letting those of us with no fancy manners fight the good fight with you?
Thank you for your posts. At first I hated seeing your posts with all the lies and aggressive put
downs. But in fact I’m grateful for your bullshit posts. They are a stark reminder of what we are up against in trying to save our country. If you hadn’t posted I would have coasted through the many letters from people I respect and agree with. People who sincerely want the truth and want our country to be diverse and fair to all. You have reminded me that there are many of you who have bought into an aggressively distorted and false reality. In the middle ages the inquisition tortured people until they either agreed with lies or died. Do you have a rack in your basement? I wouldn’t be surprised. Please keep posting here so we never forget what we are up against.
Thank you Ned L. This is the first time I dipped into the Posts and am I glad I did.....for the most part fascinating reading. Thank you all (or almost all).
I did a deep dive on John Schmeeckle (mainly because I thought he was a bot) and learned that one of his ancestors (William Coon) allegedly had a somewhat similar approach and desire to be a "new type of communicator":
"...So William began to practice talking to people who were inclined to disagree with him. William wanted to be able to explain in a way that would encourage people to think about ending the war as the priority. And this is what William focused on. William wanted to be a new type of communicator, who was respectful toward those who strongly opposed his opinion. But William wanted to be able to persuade people also. And this meant William had to be able to point out the weaknesses in the arguments of the people who disagreed with him. William wanted to know that he would be respected at the end of an argument, and so he made a point of ensuring that his opponents knew that he would avoid using heated language.
This had the effect of making people willing to discuss their views, but it was extremely difficult to convince people without moving their emotions. William wanted to do this without explicitly rejecting the view of his opponents. William wanted to be able to have a honest discussion with those who didn’t want to think about his point of view. William wanted to be a true patriot, for the correct reasons, and not a person who simply identified with one side and therefore hated the other side..."
My great-great-grandfather tells the story of how the Union soldiers were corrupted by their experience on the famous march to the sea, and his wife tells about hiding her family's South Carolina origin :
I could be wrong but I think these "ancestral memories" are actually written by John Schmeeckle based upon his present day "communication" with his dead ancestors. See this:
Communicating with ancestors
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Over a year ago, I was told that it is possible to communicate with deceased ancestors, but I was cautioned to always have a respectful attitude when talking to them. I decided to try it and see what happened, and it worked…
On the “Day of the Dead” (the day after Halloween), I thought of the names of all of my grandparents and their parents and grandparents, and they started talking to me. Remorse came up immediately for some of them. I learned that women often had ongoing connections with living daughters and granddaughters, but most of the men had been isolated since their deaths. I was told – several times – that after death there is a kind of separation of what we call the soul into two parts. Each ancestor has a part that remains accessible to descendants, and a part that goes elsewhere. Memories are incomplete.
Ancestors want to see the well-being of their descendants. Ancestors also want to be able to talk to their own parents and children. Ancestors hope that living descendants will work their way back from their parents or grandparents to more distant ancestors, one generation at a time. This allows children and parents among the ancestors to talk to each other, when a living descendant is open to ancestral communication.
Ancestors want to avoid hearing from descendants who just want to ask questions about the family tree. Ancestors may not communicate with descendants with only this in mind. For this reason, it is once again a good idea to work your back from one generation to the next. Ancestors believe that descendants who are respectful will be pleased to talk about their own lives. Ancestors want their descendants to live will, and ancestors are concerned when descendants are struggling. Ancestors have the ability to observe the lives of living descendants, but they often do not do so. Ancestors may be inclined to be more observant after a descendant contacts an ancestor, especially if that ancestor had not had any communication with descendants before.
Some ancestors, especially those who were devoutly religious, may avoid communicating with descendants who don’t share their moral values.
Husbands and wives who didn’t get along with each other may be able to begin to communicate about issues that they never talked about before death.
One final point – I have heard some disturbing stories from ancestors, and proper respect demands that the ancestor be asked for permission before sharing such stories. The following free space page contains the stories of four ancestors, starting with a Swiss soldier in Germany who never made it home. The words are entirely those of the ancestors: I typed as their words appeared in my mind.
The ancestors gave their permission to publicly share all that appears here: Ancestral Memories: The Schmückle Family in Einod
sources profiles tobey delano peckham
asked Jan 7, 2018 in The Tree House by Anonymous Schmeeckle G2G6 Mach 9 (95.7k points)
My theory is that John Schmeeckle desires to be a "new form of communicator" and is honing his skills here. He wants to have what he thinks is an "honest discussion" with those "who do not want to think about his point of view". He wants to be a "true patriot" for the "right reasons".
It seemed to me that your description of your ancestor’s struggle to be a respected, “new communicator” perhaps reflected your own experience and at least for me, added insight as to where you were coming from and why you had chosen this forum as an arena for “engagement”.
I really thought you were a bot and hope you figure out how to make your public information private.
That is purely because you will find 99% of the people here to be very informed, critical thinkers. You have a right to your opinion. You stated it. You will just tire yourself out trying to make people drink koolaid here, Sir. We are most focused on saving our democracy from the corporatocracy, autocrats, white supremacists, neo-nazis and some just plain wackos who spew lies and brainwashing propaganda. I would counter that if Biden stole the election, I would prefer it to be him than the cult of the lying party of sedition.
EDIT: I mis-spoke. The committee was originally set up, on a party-line vote, to include seven Democrats and six Republicans (including one to be chosen by Pelosi).
John - you seem to be going at this in a calm manner - and that is commendable. I think - surely you know that doubting the results of the 2020 election in this forum is going to generate a firestorm. I would ask calmly then - where is the requirement for the bi-partisan makeup of the select committee established? It doesn't appear you have given us that.
And do remember that *you* made a distinction between the independent committee that Republicans filibustered and the select committee that Republicans got for, in my opinion, overtly acting in bad faith.
Why did the committee not end up as you day was required? What took place when this alternative to an independent commission was voted upon along party lines? Not arguing, but do you know why the intended composition didn't happen?
I'm not sure. I think it was the decision of the committee Chairman, backed up by the party leadership. Your question is one that I would like a clear answer to.
I'd encourage you to look into the extensive news coverage on this topic. Coverage included NYT, WaPo, Washington Weekly, for many days as the process and potential members were suggested, blocked, and McCarthy stomped off into the sunset condeming Ms Cheney and Mr Adam K to purgatory. Many posting here have addressed this as well, particularly in sharing following HCR various LFAAs (see the archives). You may come to understand what is taking place and help you adjust your quicker look-sees.
There is some value in categorizing logical fallacies, factual errors, errors of proportion, errors of premises, and the like. When presented with them, it's useful to point them out, not so much to gain a "win" over a stubborn (or intransigent) debater, but to clarify exactly what is going on.
John makes a number of apparently unrelated statements, prefaced with leading questions. "Does it matter that X?" "Is it far-fetched that Y, given that Z?"
There is nothing unlawful about the Select Committee: if there were, the subpoenas would have all be struck down as invalid, exactly as if I were to issue a subpoena. The subpoenas have been heard by the courts, and upheld, and individuals defying them have been referred to the DOJ for criminal contempt of Congress. The Select Committee is certainly lawful.
Was it "lawfully constituted?" Well, since the Committee itself is lawful, then I would say it was "lawfully constituted" in any sense that matters. Did it involve hard-ball politics? Yes. Do things that matter involve hard-ball politics? Almost always. Am I able or willing to do sportscasting on Congressional hard-ball politics? No.
So in this case, X is actually a falsehood. It is like asking the question, "Does it matter that the moon is made of green cheese?" I'm not an academic logician, so I don't know if this is categorized as some kind of fallacy, or if it is just nonsense phrased as a question, like "Does it matter that the borogoves are mimsy?"
The simple answer is, No. The nonsense following the question does not matter at all.
Subtle, John.
The second statement is equally subtle.
Let's remove the histrionics and simplify for structure:
"Is it so far-fetched to imagine that election B was fraudulent, given that election A was fraudulent?"
There are a lot of places for this to go wrong. WAS election A fraudulent? Can election A and B be compared at all? If they can be compared, does it make sense to do so?
Here's an extreme example: "Is it so far-fetched to imagine that a serial killer escaped from federal detention, given that my third-grade son forgot to bring his lunch to school?"
At least in John's case, we are comparing two elections. But was election A (the primary) fraudulent? "Eye-popping divergences" is pure histrionics. Statistical measures are always subject to heavy tails and outliers, particularly when the samples are contaminated by any kind of systemic filtering, such as (for instance) COVID shifting the proportions of (measured) live votes to (unmeasured) mail-in votes. There were apparently no challenges to the legitimacy of the count, and of course, Bernie conceded to Clinton. So there is no basis for saying election A was fraudulent.
So this is really a repeat of the same misdirection in the first question.
"Is it so far-fetched to believe that election B was fraudulent, given that election A was run by space-aliens from zeta-reticuli?"
Joseph, that was such a pleasure to read. Thanks for deconstructing the illogic of his rhetoric. Masterfully done. However, you are wrong about one thing: It matters greatly that the borogoves are mimsy. If they were not mimsy but instead, say, flimsy, the jabberwock would have survived the vorpal sword and Alice would never have made it to Wonderland.
Your lengthy post includes the far-fetched supposition that judges are always impartial and non-partisan. I'll suggest that Bush v. Gore gives the lie to that.
John, many here have indicated they would prefer to dismiss you as a troll. You remind me in some ways of my son, when he gets on his debater's high horse and can't seem to get down off it, so I'm inclined to be a little more gentle.
Most of us are not here to glory in our debate skills, nor to push -- beyond what is obviously necessary -- partisan political views. We ARE very partisan, but only because one of the Parties (from which "partisan" derives) has become an overt and ongoing threat to the US. Donald John Trump tried to execute a coup, to become "president for life," with the aid and assistance of the Republican Party as a whole. That party has given up on any political platform or policy, or even any pretense of such. It is a party with one clear goal: power. Power for the sake of power. They have aligned with autocracy, behind an unspeakably vulgar, pompous, sociopathic narcissist.
They have no plan for the country. They have a plan for themselves. Some are merely vulgar opportunists. Some are, like Ginni Thomas, religious fanatics caught up in End Times mythology. But they have no plan for the country.
Bernie, AOC, Biden, Hillary, and Liz Cheney ARE ALL ON THE SAME SIDE in this. As are all of the regulars who read this site, including myself.
And every last one of us has had at least one dark night in the last five years where we lay awake thinking that we would live to see the end of the United States.
I am very aware of the context. I watched with horror as Attorneys General from groups of opposing states lined up as the Supreme Court refused to hear the Texas lawsuit against Pennsylvania. We are already far along the slippery slope toward the wrecking of the Union among the States.
I don't think you give me credit for the work I've done to understand the situation. I have a strong reservation about your assessment: I think it is clear that, in their own minds, Trump and company were trying to pull off a counter-coup against what they perceived as Biden's techno-fascist stealing of the election. The evidence of Biden's theft of the Democratic nomination tends to render plausible their conclusion. If they honestly thought that the election was stolen, then other elements of your discussion come into question.
"Is it so far-fetched to imagine that a serial killer escaped from federal detention, given that my third-grade son forgot to bring his lunch to school?"
Absolutely sterling writing Joseph. Great analysis.
It is lawfully constituted. Your article references a democratic primary and we've seen exit polls be very far off the mark.
The republicans had a chance to nominate people to the committee but nominated only people they knew would be disruptive and not seek truth. Pelosi was right to reject them.
And once she rejected those two who would only have been disruptive, who continue to claim the election was stolen, House Minority Leader McCarthy refused to appoint ANY Republican House members to the committee. Therefore, Speaker Pelosi proceeded in a legal manner to establish the Select Committee by appointing mostly Democratic members and then accepted the two Republican members who offered to join the Committee. There is no illegality to this process.
I find myself wondering if McCarthy & McConnell now regret not having put forward some less controversial Republican House members for the Select Committee which, in the form originally proposed, would have had to close down on December 31, 2021.
"The House select committee created to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol is scheduled to have its first hearing Tuesday despite House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., pulling Republicans from participating in the committee.
McCarthy’s actions came after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., rejected Republican Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Jim Banks of Indiana, two of his five appointees to the committee, from sitting on the panel, citing that they would undermine the integrity of the committee.
Although Pelosi said she’d accept McCarthy’s other three appointees – Reps. Rodney Davis of Illinois, Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota and Troy Nehls of Texas – McCarthy went forward and yanked his picks and threatened to create Republicans' own investigation.
“Unless Speaker Pelosi reverses course and seats all five Republican nominees, Republicans will not be party to their sham process and will instead pursue our own investigation of the facts,” McCarthy said."
No. Knock it off. Even if in jest, you're further undercutting your own flimsy claims.
Gullible reporters went to Italy for the show, and he gave them one. A few lines were upgraded (work begun before Mussolini took power) that served British tourists and the corporatists. The normal trains were as late as usual.
And if you were the researcher you claim to be, you'd know that Soares has been completely debunked more than once.
No, it does not matter. And Yes, it is far-fetched.
You are picking over Senate procedural rules and dubious statistical correlations in the face of a failed government coup. It's analogous to looking at a murder scene, with dead bodies and a guy holding the still-smoking machine gun, and saying, "But he's dressed so neatly! Surely he can't be guilty?"
I respectfully disagree. If Biden did indeed steal the Democratic nomination from Bernie, that renders plausible the supposition that he did the same against Trump. If that was indeed the case, then the Jan. 6 riot takes on the impression of a failed counter-coup where the rule of law and the machinery of democracy have broken down.
Of course there is a long history of vote fraud in this country. I was not a fan of Al Gore, but the Florida mess in the 2000 election had a fetid stench; perhaps you recall Greg Palast's reporting.
I remember the 2008 North Carolina Democratic primary, which was a must-win for Hillary Clinton to stay in the race against Barack Obama. I stayed up to watch the results come in, and at first they were neck-and-neck, but suddenly **gasp** the election computers crashed!! I smelled a rat and stayed up late, and -- sure enough -- when the computers came back online toward midnight (as we were dutifully informed), Hillary's total remained flat, but there was a big jump in Obama's total, putting the election out of reach. (And Roy Cooper, the North Carolina Attorney General, was elevated to Governor, and Charlotte, North Carolina was awarded the next Democratic Party convention. Good job, fellas!)
By the way, I voted for Hillary in 2008 (and for Obama in the general election), but, ever since Hillary became the blood-soaked Butcher of Libya, NEVER AGAIN will I vote for her. Tulsi Gabbard hit the nail on the head when she lambasted Hillary as the "corrupt queen of the war-mongers." (Yes, I supported Tulsi in the last election campaign.)
John, being outraged about the Clinton's is sort of part of the past don't you think?
I was not a big fan of how the Clinton's played either. Keeping one's pants on in the workplace would seem like a reasonable habit. BUT, having seen the modern Republican Party and Trump play?
Well, the Clinton's look like choir boys and girls by comparison.
The problem is, now there is a new hurdle to access his website, at least from my android phone using the Google Chrome browser. I now have to sign up for "advanced security," which means a report to google.com whenever I look at Theodore Soares's website. Is this an example of techno-fascism in action?
If you believe them, get help and counseling. Your belief system has taken over your rational self and will harm you in multiple ways. When you look around, you don't see reality.
Living in belief space means you are not able to manage reality because you cannot see it.
Steve Wagener, thank you for bringing up that bogus "fact check," which explains absolutely nothing. It's like a minister giving an approve answer to the True Believers, so they can persuade themselves to ignore that disturbing question posed by a skeptic.
That fact check slickly conflate two separate sources, giving the false impression that a mis-speak by a guy named Pease was actually the fault of Theodore Soares. The actual numbers that Soares used, with discussion, are here:
When I clicked your link, my browser Antivirus protection said "Warning: Potential Security Risk Ahead
Firefox detected a potential security threat and did not continue to tdmsresearch.com. If you visit this site, attackers could try to steal information like your passwords, emails, or credit card details.
What can you do about it?
The issue is most likely with the website, and there is nothing you can do to resolve it. You can notify the website’s administrator about the problem."
As was pointed out in Doonesbuy yesterday, the 22nd Amendment says a president can only be elected twice, so for Trump to run again in 2024, he has to admit he didn't win in 2020.
If convicted, would TFG be a felon? He is in my book. And then even if he’s not in jail he won’t be eligible to run for President will he? I’m hoping to hear what I want to hear.
Nope. A convicted felon can run for president. The only way to block him from ever running again was for the Senate to convict his impeachment. (Pisses me off, too)
Morning, TC...as much as it pains me to say it, here is what I see happening. Democrats managed to get trump out of office because we were outraged by his antics for four years. This time around, unless there is a ground swell the likes of which was not even seen in 2020, the Republicans will vote trump back in, and the rest of us will be in for the revenge of a millennium. And it will spread to the rest of the world as well. In the meantime, Senate elections are this year, and if the same happens, Biden won't be able to get anything else done during his presidency. The Republican Party has turned into a hodgepodge of thugs and debutantes and unless every eligible sane voter votes otherwise, they are going to take this country down. Pessimism is not my usual manner, in fact I am usually sickeningly optimistic, but I am old enough to see what is happening, and it scares the living sh!t out of me...
Too sad. Maybe he’ll be too busy protesting and appealing to run again. Or maybe ALL the American voters won’t vote for a convicted criminal. I can always dream.
If he runs, he will lose. The reason Mitch McConnell and other R’s have turned against him is (1) his Jan. 6 troubles are growing, and the primary reason: (2) he’s a known loser. He lost in 2020. He lost the House in the 2018 midterms. He lost the Senate on Jan. 5. The govt. went blue on his watch, when every election is a referendum on the sitting President. R politicians are political hacks, they always know which way the winds are blowing.
He sure does...I struggle mightily. My excuse is having a 40+ year career as a court stenographer; stenotyping other peoples' words, I had no time to develop my own. But I can spell like the dickens!
Oh, please, you must! One instance (among many) that comes to mind for me is after the witness said, "I do," to my "Do you swear or affirm..." oath, everyone sort of kept looking at me as if I was going to say something else. To break the silence, I just said that that was the only speaking part I had and they were free to commence the deposition!
Mine is during a trial, the defendant was in custody, ergo, I was there as well (past the bar, just behind the defense table). The defendant had chosen to go to trial over a Sodomy II case (abused his 13 year old step-son) and declined a plea to Sexual Abuse (a lesser charge). Everyone in the defendant's purview were Jehovah's Witnesses; himself, his wife, his paramour, and his step-son/victim. Present to "witness" the trial were 5 elders in the JW church. The jury had 7 people of "strong faith" on it, including the man who ended up being jury foreman who was also a Methodist minister.
Defendant is on the stand, testifying during the DA's cross examination. It is shortly after lunch. The fire alarm rings out. (Sidebar: my chief goal beyond preventing the escape of the accused is for the jury NEVER to see him in custody in any way, shape, or form). The Judge is on the bench, chin resting on his chin, eyes closed. The Judicial Assistant is at his desk, to the judge's right, head back and eyes closed. Neither of them hear the fire alarm (which is not super loud, but plainly audible.) 10 seconds in, the court reporter starts with a tense whisper "Glenn. Glenn." The JA does not move. She looks up at the bench, sees the judge in his position of repose. Pauses. Looks at the JA and says "Glenn" in a more forceful manner.
This causes the DA to chuckle in the middle of a response by the defendant, who says "Mr. Smith, this is a serious case and is not funny!" DA replies "Sir, you are absolutely correct. What I am laughing at is the court reporter, attempting to notify the JA that the fire alarm is sounding, and we should perhaps take a quick adjournment."
Glenn wakes up, goes in the hallway to listen, returns and says "Yes, there is a fire alarm." Judge says "jury, go with the bailiff; we are in recess" and leaves the bench. The jury gets up to leave. When the jury leaves, I get the defendant, handcuff him, and we have a very brief and meaningful conversation. By the time I get him in handcuffs and the jury has cleared the back hallway, the "all clear" sounds.
I had been in Court Transport about 3 weeks at this point, and I was pretty excited by the whole thing.
I’m worn out w the repetitions of the ‘facts’ of the Trump/Eastman et al crew.
And I am Forever relieved that Mike Pence and his cohort of personal Legal support were able to hold fast to the TRUTH In the midst of the TERROR of being in the Capitol building for the hours of the ‘insurrection’.
I’d really like this all to be finished. Legally wrapped up. Cleaned, Packaged
Permanently LEGALLY set to rest so that our Country can truly turn the page, or open a new book.
I am disheartened that DT continues to receive NYTimes and other American and British and Australian news coverage. Which continues to expand in numerous other languages around the world. Can we not silence this seemingly never ending stream of false, fake, fraudulent, twisted repetitions of ‘his facts’ ?
Thank you for continuing to make clear the pathway to factual knowledge concerning Jan 6, 2021. I truly understand why I am not built to be a lawyer, or academic. However, I have no doubts that my efforts to understand the inner workings of the Jan 6 ‘21 Insurrection make me a better US citizen. That is why I am devoted to Letters from an American, and do many of the followers here who I enjoy reading and thinking about. Good night. Pray for PEACE please…🇺🇸🇺🇦
Carol O, thank you for one of the most coherent summaries of frustration that I have heard; mind you, a frustration shared by most (if not all) of us in this group. I don’t know you, so I don’t know your limits — but please do not despair. We haven’t heard from the back benches just yet. I am hopeful there is at least a substantial portion of the electorate out there, quietly keeping at least one eye on this mess and sorting the good from the bad. We need to neutralize the disinformation, and motivate them to VOTE. Lift where you stand, use your gifts and talents, and do all that you legally and safely can....
While each president’s challenges are unique, none of our other president has had to deal with problems like Trumpism and its embodiment DT. His cult followers daily try to make up down and lies into truth. I am so tired of the lying!
What I want is an investigation of the NYT’s ties to Trump. And maybe the mob and Russia. Why give more print to HRC’s emails than all Trump’s scandals combined?
Thank you for laying out the facts in such a concise, logical manner. I grow impatient to see TFG and his associates indicted at the very least (and this includes Rafael Cruz). It seems that Merrick Garland’s deliberate style might be better suited for being a Supreme Court Justice than being Attorney General.
And because the investigations started at the bottom and worked their way up, tons of research has been completed. This can all be used in investigating the "top echelon" of perps (where we are now) and final cases made much faster & tighter than if we had begun at the "top". I'm beginning to feel a bit hopeful.
I hope you're right, TC. If the mid-terms go south for us, only the DOJ will be left standing. Garland may not be sitting on the Supreme Court, but he may have the last word on this.
TC, "The new DOJ Budget includes hiring 131 new lawyers".
Well, that cinches it then. Trump will never be indicted. Just the process of hiring that many lawyers will extend well past the next election.
Sadly, in spite of what I consider to be very good performance by Biden and the Democrats, the drumbeat of Russian propagana emanating from Fox News has polluted the (eagerly willing and well trained belief oriented) minds of voters.
The probability that any investigation will exist after the election in November and the resultant seating of a new Congress in January 2023 is very close to zero.
The Jan 6 committee has always planned to finish its work well before the end of this Congressional session. The DOJ reports to the President, who has a four year term, until January 2025.
Last fall, DOJ internally solicited lawyers to create a team to prosecute the criminal acts of Jan 6th. The budget is likely intended to backfill those internal lawyers who joined the team. There could also be fresh faces to DOJ, of course, but the bulk of the team were already DOJ lawyers.
While a new R congress would almost certainly shut the J6 committee down, or warp it beyond recognition, the DOJ has a different timeline, which is through to the 2024 presidential election. I am certain that the J6 committee will complete its work before the midterms (or next January at the latest). The DOJ has more time.
Last fall, DOJ solicited internally for lawyers to become part of a team to prosecute the criminal acts which occurred Jan. 6th. Some who were interested were discouraged from signing up.
I have a family member who is a DOJ prosecutor. Upon inquiry about joining the team, family member's boss discouraged it. Discussions with others revealed other lawyers who were interested in joining the team were also discouraged.
As I read this concise rollout of the events leading to January 6th the reality that the truth will not be accepted by the GOP. Not by any means.
I feel this alone is what is wearing down the Democrats.
We can all shout "look at the facts" while the other side looks the other way all day long. That is never going to change. Facts dont matter to those with a single vision. Look at how New York State has walked away from holding Trump accountable eventhough they feel they could prosecute him. There is the idle threat they are still looking into it.... until we forget about it. I had a Professor that used to call certain instances, self solving problems. Regardless of public uproar, time and inactivity will cover problems.
I feel we are a nation that is perfectly willing to continue to paint a ceiling, yet the root problem is the leaky roof and we aren't willing to fix that.
"I feel we are a nation that is perfectly willing to continue to paint a ceiling, yet the root problem is the leaky roof and we aren't willing to fix that."
'I feel we are a nation that is perfectly willing to continue to paint a ceiling, yet the root problem is the leaky roof and we aren't willing to fix that'
What a perfect analogy! As an outsider looking in I keep waiting for the whole damn cabal to be arrested and charged. I really do hope that wish comes to pass.
Linda, you have said what so many believe. HCR has laid out the time line as clearly as ever, but it only is really understood by those who already know. Those who look away would not even finish reading this letter as they don't have the will to see another telling of the Jan 6 story.
It is physically revolting to read these details. And it is enraging to watch men like Eastman use the courts purely as delaying tactics, hoping to drag these bad faith suits out until the 2022 elections.
Thank you Dr. Richardson for clarifying the facts and picking up what Eastman said on Jan 6: "...This is bigger than President Trump. It is a very essence of our republican form of government, and it has to be done. And anybody that is not willing to stand up to do it, does not deserve to be in the office. It is that simple.” Our _republican_ form of government! Lying fascism with a sprinkle of insanity and lots of greed. 😳🤮😡🤯🎃💩🤡
ps. Who says only several hundred people marched on the Capitol?
I completely support calling that group fascist, autocratic, insane, etc., but most of those descriptors are how WE see THEM. Let’s remember the core values that unify them: whites come first, men come first, straights come first, people with money come first, Christians come first. They don’t see it, but it’s their desire to keep a white, male, straight, rich, Christian dominant society that glues them together and fuels their affinity for people like putin.
People with money come first, always. The patriarchal “Christian” values are to distract us from what the money people have done, are doing, and want to do next—to us and our only planet.
Seriously, I know I say this time and again, but they freaking amaze me – but not really. I know that they will say and do anything to bolster their ridiculous position(s) even when concrete evidence debunks their lies.
As these incredible revelations unfold, it's sobering to realize how far Trump has succeeded in exploiting our justice system and undermining our system of government. 15 months after the insurrection, he has crippled or delayed every criminal or civil or suit against him. None of the 147 Republican members of Congress who voted to overturn the election results have been forced to resign or face consequences. We learned last week that at least one Supreme Court Justice decides on cases in which he has a conflict of interest. By not even enforcing Congressional subpoenas in a timely manner, our current Justice Department sends the silent message that former Pres. Trump and his aides are indeed above the law. We all hear the clock ticking to midterm elections.
In light of all of this, what teeth will the Congressional committee have when they deliver their book report next month on the January 6 Insurrection? It seems to me that Trump has demonstrated not only that he will probably never be held to account, but that their is little down side to the Republican Party continuing to dismantle our democracy. Please tell I'm totally wrong. Please.
"It seems to me that Trump has demonstrated not only that he will probably never be held to account, but that their is little down side to the Republican Party continuing to dismantle our democracy. Please tell I'm totally wrong. Please."
The probability that you are totally wrong is small. The probability that Trump will get "clean away" and that Republicans win the House and become, perhaps permanently, in charge of our country is significantly larger.
Recognizing our reality is key to turning it. We have to do something now in ways that matter. We cannot wait to see what happens.
Eastman and the former guy run/ran an Enron of politics. How to defraud, how to obstruct, how to steal an election, how to coup. Once charges are brought, witness will deal/plead quilty/testify against to avoid prison. TFG will give speeches that try to insight violence as leverage. That threat of violence will turn many supporters away from TFG. I forecast a coming catharsis.
If tfg and his band of sycophants really believed their efforts were justified under the law, they'd be begging for vindication about now in every conceivable forum. And, perhaps they were...60+ lawsuits, all rejected or failed, sustained and intense pressure on the VP, who sought consultation where he could find it outside the beltway and concluded he had no leg to stand on in rejecting the electoral votes. They'd be happy to share all the details, believing they'd ultimately be exonerated; no need for insurrection, no need for lawsuits to suppress access to documents, no need to appeal all the way to the Supreme Court on the shaky premise of "executive privilege" for a defeated politician, and no need for the endless demagoguery. It's a shame that this judge has no direct power over tfg by his findings, but this is still a falling domino in what I hope will be a whole cascade of revelations over the coming months, a flood of findings and legal/judicial action that will bury the disciples of tfg as the midterms approach. I have no objection to conservative voices in Congress, provided they serve in a spirit of engagement, willingness to reach across the aisle, compromise when needed to pass needed legislation and other forthright behavior, rather than the clown show we've been observing since November 2020. The collateral effects of exposure of the details, such as "outing" Ginni Thomas, will inevitably continue. Disgrace and discreditation is the next best thing to criminal conviction in the world of power and influence, IMHO.
IMHO, we’re way past trying to change the many hearts and minds that are hard set in believing the 2020 election to be a fraud compounded by a conspiracy. It seems absolutely essential, while there’s anything left of our civil society and the rule of law, to make damn sure that the instigators and enablers of the big lie and the insurrection are publicly tried and stripped of their freedoms and wealth.
Then, if not concurrently, we must push back on states’ rule. The south must not be permitted to rise ever again.
Exactly so. Those minds are that of cult45 and only reprogramming them will get us anywhere. To reprogram someone who believes that white, cisgendered, heterosexual, Christian men are "chosen" is going to be very nearly impossible.
The seven jokers running for the Ohio Republican Senate nomination debated in Cleveland last night. All but one said "Trump won the election." Hearts and minds, indeed.
As the old saying goes, the jig is up. Yes, there will be much more detail and more crimes revealed, but we now have the big picture. Will the media, especially TV, tell it with enough prominence and verve to penetrate the minds of those poisoned by lies and hate?
I kinda want more of Eastmans emails. Oh man, did I just say that? It’s not smoke, it’s a smoking gun that a crime was committed. Doesn’t that warrant more discovery? At least more by this judge?
There will be more discovery in this case. The judge was ruling in emails Jan 4-7, 2021. That set was only the first round. The subpoena covers a time period going back to early November 2020.
Other letters reported clowns like Mo Brooks saying Stop the Steal conversations and strategy started as far back as September 2020. Who was Eastman selling his plan to in September?
Definitely the case. This fact is critical because it undercuts their premise that the election was stolen. Trump was preparing to block the peaceful transfer of power in September 2020 because his internal polling showed him losing.
"Inside Ted Cruz’s last-ditch battle to keep Trump in power
The Texas senator’s effort alienated some allies and sparked questions about ties to John Eastman, a longtime friend and author of key legal memos in Trump’s efforts."
I dunno, maybe more crimes were committed. These ass clowns remind me of Lay, Skilling, and Fastow. Where there are lies and fraud, there is typically skimming and stealing.
Sandy Lewis, you have not only witnessed but uncovered so much integral truth in recent decades. Thank you. I’ve little doubt your first-hand experiences shed bright light on today’s happenings. Please continue to share with us here.
Thanks, AshleyR TN. I spoke with a leading US ambassador to a European entity at ten Tuesday morning. He lives now in Chicago. He’d heard my message. I’d called him to suggest a long shot. He used txt to schedule us. Listened carefully for 30 minutes. He’s thinking. An able man. A huge mess. Long shot - where all are sick with worry, the man most loved v. the man most feared and hated - I see an opportunity, a concept requiring a unique approach, a game changer. Not sharing. Hinting and hoping. Waiting. The pieces are in place. Cowardice has met courage. Both have supporters and the opportunity cries out for the concept. The Cave in The Republic comes to mind. The all powerful coward here lives in solitary. All fear him. He fears all. We must think and act. Santayana had imagination. Gandhi had patience. Churchill had his voice and writing. This will take all and more.
Is this a "Swamp too big to drain?" The amounts of money and numbers of people involved in "The Big Lie" and attempted coup of our nation are indeed beyond imagination.
The swamp is gigantic and 131 more lawyers would certainly help. I’ve been saying since 1/20/21 DOJ needs more $$ and good lawyers. The mafia even gave up their own white board of players so we can see the immense size of their web of criminal activity. https://mobile.twitter.com/DempseyTwo/status/1427663229367590916
I'm thrilled to hear Judge Carter's words. We've waited far too long to finally have this happen.
Just don't forget - in addition to demanding that the Trump Gang be held accountable and brought to justice, we should be demanding that Congress institute laws which close all the loopholes that were abused by the likes of Trump, Cruz, Stone, Bannon, Barr, Eastman and possibly Putin. The barn door doesn't just need to be slammed shut - some childproof locks need to be installed ASAP! The chicken thieves will surely try again some day.
White racism, white supremacy, the whites-come-first society, will not go quietly into that good night. They are being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st C. world of the diversity society. As you see, they are testing every law and breaking every rule to keep their tradition alive. Rupert provides their town hall and “newspaper.” Tass is their complement over in Russia.
“Please God, just give us one indictment that finally sticks, so we can break the big lie, and begin pulling that thread, the lies will just unravel after ugly truth after another and another. Please.”
Because I have been reading this column for a long time, it seems a little weird to see this stuff finally showing up in the news. It's like reading current news that Nixon committed crimes, or that the Allies won WWII. Or actually, more like having read today's newspapers a year ago, due to some anomaly in the flow of time.
Agreed, Joseph! How much longer will we be reading about these crimes so blatantly committed by tfg and Eastman with no steps being taken to prosecute the perpetrators?
Judge Carter has painstakingly spelled out every criminal step taken by these two master criminals. And, Heather you have laid out his primary findings with your usual clarity.
"Eastman and Trump 'launched a campaign to overturn a democratic election, an action unprecedented in American history,' Carter wrote. 'Their campaign was…a coup in search of a legal theory…. If [the] plan had worked, it would have permanently ended the peaceful transition of power, undermining American democracy and the Constitution. If the country does not commit to investigating and pursuing accountability for those responsible, the Court fears January 6 will repeat itself.'"
Actually these are the steps that need to be taken to prosecute the criminals.
IMO It is wise for the DOJ to let the committee work on, while they simultaneously do their work.
The difference between “going off half cocked” and hitting the bullseye
Patience. Let the professionals do their job, right?
Patience is a virtue, most of the time. But not when the ship is sinking or the aircraft entering an irreversible dive. Then it is the time to act. I have been counseling patience for well over a year, but there is no evidence that the Justice Department is even seeking to prosecute crimes that were committed in plain view, and those that have been exposed clearly since—crimes that, as Judge Carter wrote, sought to undermine the foundations of our Republic. Now is the time for action.
It would help the country to have some of these criminals sitting in a holding cell awaiting their court date. Use their crime money to pay for their "holding time."
I agree. We all thought Mueller was being precise and was ‘on it,’ when he was being severely curtailed by Trump and his lackeys and it took the Senatorial Investigation to bring to light that Mueller and the Senate each thought the other was covering critically important material. Mueller could barely get a sentence out during the hearing because he was gagged. Then came Barr’s warped publicity.
Fast forward the resignation of the prosecutors recently who feel Cy Vance’s replacement is letting Trump off the hook. HELLO?
Trump and his buddies took top secret materials to Mar-a-Lago. Can anyone say “blackmail?” What secrets has Trump promised to give to our adversaries if he is held accountable?
You nailed it
My question: is it simply business as usual at the DOJ? How many people are "on this case"? None? One? Two? 30? 60?
Is the DOJ even "on the case"? Or do we have to wait another 15 months+ for them to run their own investigation, and come up with their own facts about actual crimes committed by the and his hired henchmen? THAT is what makes government inner.
Talk about defunding the police!
You have to know the history of Merrick Garland. He is nothing if not precise, pain staking and thorough. When the DOJ presses charges under his direction it won't be with a slight tap it will be with a velvet gloved sledge hammer.
Plus that ridiculous McConnell held the nation in thrall with Garland’s nomination, thumbing his nose at all of us but especially President Obama with his Whitehate “how you like me now, boi?” shit using Merrick Garland as the means for the insult. Now I do not know the man, but Mr Garland’s reputation suggests that he will not appreciate being collateral damage in a racist trolling of our constitution one bit, and when juxtaposed with the celerity of the hearings for Amy Cooney Whatsis, that unqualified sock puppet with a Gilead/Handmail’sTale hand up her @ss. It must really stick in the craw.
Whoa! I thought TC wrote this and had to look at the author! Gobsmacked!
What she said…
Oh I hope that is the case Pamela. The few things he has said so far is that he will uphold the law and its processes, period. In theory, that means midterm elections be damned - the process will be followed and tat's that. He will get no (public) pressure from Biden; Joe will not show himself to be a president who influences DOJ, like Trump did. But the thing is, as we all know, if the midterms go the way of the Republicans, the select committee will be no more. And the fix will be in. So Garland - be thorough, be precise, but do not delay. The whole democracy is at stake.
My fears exactly.
From your lips to God’s ears!
And also used to give talks at the Federalist Society back in the day.
Bern- for clarity, to whom do you refer regarding giving talks to the Federalist Society?
I so hope you are right, Pamela! Looking forward to the velvet gloved sledge hammer.
I have heard that too. We all became so accustomed to the constant "information" coming out of every dept in the last administration, its "top dog" and all their sycophant lap dogs (practically none of it useful and most of it manipulative) that it's almost weird to have the new one acting as we'd PREFER they act: noses to the grindstone w/ appropriate, meaningful info coming from just a few sources, and only when it makes sense. I think we have to have faith, even though it feels like we are on the edge of a cliff about to fall off to our deaths.
I wouldn't count on that, sadly.
Yesterday it my was revealed that the DOJ seeks 131 new prosecutors for the Jan 6 investigation
YESTERDAY????
Please read: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwif-MyKmfD2AhVQjYkEHXFxDRUQFnoECAkQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.axios.com%2Fjan-6-prosecutions-doj-hire-lawyers-cf73990c-c318-43fb-a9e5-736984ff2429.html&usg=AOvVaw1jLOc5eFMrVoKSixsmIhsz
Yes, YESTERDAY!!!!!!!
They don't have a deadline for their cases. They just need it done right and with acceptable efficiency to satisfy the court.
The clock ticks faster the closer to Nov we get
And? November wont stop Garland.
Really? Source??
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/29/justice-department-hires-more-attorneys-investigate-january-6/
While it seems an ‘open an shut case’ remember who they are dealing with. If lawyers will do trump’s bidding to sue anyone, or any entity, for the most frivolous reasons, and frustratingly somehow come out on top or delay, I for one want the DOJ to have all those i’s dotted and t’s crossed.
https://www.axios.com/jan-6-prosecutions-doj-hire-lawyers-cf73990c-c318-43fb-a9e5-736984ff2429.html
I read a post this week about how this DOJ does not leak. That the public does not know is not a sign that nothing is happening. I would rather see an airtight case than these seditionists getting off. I do wish that they had Stone and Flynn as their hatred show will be this coming weekend in an outdoor venue very close to us here in Salem. The venue is a baseball park in Keizer and I do hope we can't hear what is going on.
There is a team of lawyers dedicated to prosecuting these matters. It was formed last fall.
Tfg. Government seem inept.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/29/justice-department-hires-more-attorneys-investigate-january-6/
The Axios article indicates that DOJ is seeking funding, in the president's budget for the next fiscal year. "Driving the news: The DOJ is seeking $34.1 million for the effort, according to President Biden's budget request for next year, which was released Monday." http://www.axios.com/jan-6-prosecutions-doj-hire-lawyers-cf73990c-c318-43fb-a9e5-736984ff2429.html
Still, it is excruciatingly painful how long it is taking...for justice to prevail. Meanwhile, they continue to spew lies to their cult. We all saw what we saw in the coup against our government and country. They should, in the least be held to reduce the constant damages and to help the rest of us feel safer against these real life wackos who should be behind bars. If I did these awful things more than a year ago, do you think I would be walking free right now? If I were a person of tinted skin and/or poor, do you think I would be walking free? Hah. We constantly see the white privileged males get away with murder and tyranny (supported by some of their narcissistic females who are out of control themselves).
As TC says, we only get one chance to kill the king.
If Trump is actually prosecuted it will be a great day in the service of democracy. But we need to be prepared for pothole creating a divide the size of the Grand Canyon in the United States. Nevertheless it is absolutely crucial that pothole be prosecuted and go to jail as well as people like John Eastman. On a personal note it offends me greatly with respect to Eastman and also Justice Clarence Thomas because I am one of their ilk i.e. an attorney. I use the term pothole because I cannot bring myself to even say xpotus.
How do you know that the DOJ is doing anything simultaneously?
John, do you honestly think they are not? Do you think Garland and the entire DOJ doesn't know what's at stake here?
K I don't think Garland is investigating the coup plotters -- Trump and his advisors. He is only investigating the people who stormed the Capitol in response to Trump's urging. Garland has never confirmed the existence of an investigation into the attempted coup. The public has a right to know if Garland has opened an investigation into the coup plotters. Until he advises the public that he is investigating, he continues to undermine the public’s confidence in the rule of law.
My fear is that Garland feels bound by the rules and won't be aggressive.
Adam Schiff said long ago that the Committee shares info w/ DOJ as they move along..
No need to rush. This isn't a one-hour Law & Order show. I would rather the courts take their time and gather all the evidence they can get their hands on so they have a solid case and can convict these criminals once and for all.
We cannot forget that there is an election coming up.
Right, but I hope there's enough negative info out there to dissuade people from voting for just about any Republican right now. Sad.
Oh Debbie - there is NOT enough info out there to dissuade. There is enough dis-information out there to negate. Take it from a guy who lives in a red state. The sh_t has to hit the fan in a big way to make any difference, IMO. I am not sure what the optimum timing would be, but surely it is not AFTER the midterm election. The 1/6 committee no doubt has timing on their collective minds, but I am not sure they are in control of it, what with the successful delay tactics we have seen so far. BTW - where are those public hearings we were promised?
Hahaha, do you live amongst the MAGAts
Even in the deepest blue communities, where they don't fly their Trump flags, they're among us. And I hate to say it and don't know what to do about it, but . . . they're armed.
Your hope is a testament to the blindness of that faculty to demonstrated reality.
If the republicans retake the congress, they will throw every road block in the way that they can. They'd immediately take control of the 1/6 committee and either disband it or make it toothless or perhaps start investigating Biden.
All the more reason for Democratic unity. Somehow I feel that some progressive Democrats would rather lose control of Congress than maintain it with a more centrist Democratic Party, after which they would move the Party further leftward.
My prayer is this decision will open the door for Dominion voting machines and even those brainwashed and empowered by Trump and Eastman on Jan 6 to file lawsuits against them. Suing is the only language Trump understands.
This decision clearly lays out both Eastman and Trump knew what they were saying was a lie and their actions caused such harm it resulted in death. It will be interesting to see if any of the defense attorneys go down this path in their defense of their so called patriots. Maybe, just maybe, it will wake up at least one of the brainwashed Trump followers and bring them back to the land of critical thinking. Thank you HRC!
'...the land of critical thinking'. The Atlantic features an excellent article, School Shouldn't be a Battlefield, by George Packer. He describes a curriculum created by the Stanford History Education Group called 'Reading like a Historian', and makes several points about the folly of sending students to the internet for research. Packer suggests the primary education objective of getting kids into college is misplaced. "Law degrees from Harvard and Yale didn't keep Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley from trying to tear up the Constitution." April 22 The Atlantic
And Trump stiffs his lawers (like Screwd-y Guiliani, to steal from the magnificent headline editor at NY Daily News) and in the long run he’ll have no one to rep him whereas we the people pay our taxes to pay our AG.
I have a hard time understanding that Trump can engage top legal help considering how many people he has thrown under the bus.
The RNC, not Trump, is paying for Trump's defense in various cases so far, per public news reports.
I've wondered the same thing. Bill Barr auditioned to become Trump's AG after watching Trump destroy and humiliate Jeff Sessions. Not surprisingly, Barr came to a similar fate. The more talented and capable the Trump administrator, the more likely they were to be fired or resign in disgust. Trump trashes his loyal supporters when they are no longer useful. And yet there are always more willing to hire on. One thing that seems true - each generation of Trump hirelings is less talented and just plain dumber than those who came before. The last bunch included abject clowns like Sydney Powell and Rudy. The bottom of the barrel....
Barr certainly thought he'd be immune to such treatment, giving his exceedingly high opinion of himself and his ability to control his opponents, until tfg used him to clean up a spot in the office left by dear Jeff.
Perfect description.
there's quite a bit of evidence to suggest that they are not all "top" legal help.... and at one point, if not still now, he was asking everyone he knew if they had a good attny to suggest. Good Heavens, he needs a huge army of them..
It takes no genius to throw schitt
Law school applications are way up. Don't know if there is a correlation, but certainly an expectation that the demand for lawyers will only grow. If only tfg hadn't closed down his university.
Not if half or more lawyers are Republicans or their client base is the same base tfg excretes from. Which begs the question, do Republicans seek more legal advice then Democrats? Given that Republicans are the law and order party and, IMHO, Democrats are the justice for all party.
The solution to the whole problem with voting machines is stunningly simple. DITCH THE VOTING MACHINES. Go back to old-fashioned paper-and-pencil ballots. We use them in Australia and they work fine.
The words stand out "...a coup in search of legal theory..."
Roshan, exactly my thoughts as well.
This appears to be a more urgent concern. Heard Rep Schaffer voice frustration about slow walk by AG Garland’s JD with respect to acting on referrals from the Special Committee. Seems that there is cause for concern. Just read a Vanity Fair article 3/29 indicating that the deliberate pace of AG Garland is now a real issue. Sorry to see this happening. We may need to start turning up the volume about this to get him and the JD moving faster.
I heard that this afternoon, as well.
Somewhat concerning… have faith in AG Garland and respect for the legal process but he might need to pick up the pace.
Watergate took three years from crime to conviction. Three years folks. And that wasn't nearly the magnitude of an attempted coup d'etat against the United Stated of America. Looked at it this way the January 6 Committee and Judges involved in this immense case have been working at lightening speed.
And yes. I too chafe at trump and friends running around bloviating and campaigning as much as the next person. Mostly I live on hope things will turn out right in a slew of convictions. The January 6 Committee has done a masterful job. There have been zero leaks. They release just the right amount of accusations/information at the right times. I look forward to the televised hearings.
As a Country we are sitting on a keg of dynamite labeled "Donald Trump is convicted by the DOJ" This Country will explode with his follower's wrath and his politicians outrage. We need a very tight case against him. No screwed up Mueller Report. No screwed up SDNY prosecutor case. No dragged out Gaetz case. And on and on.
I'll wait for the solid win.
There seems to me to be a major difference between today's circumstances and the situation when Watergate blew up. For all his flaws, Goldwater was able and willing to walk into the Oval Office and deliver some version of his famous line to Nixon. "Mr. President, it's time for you to resign. Your party will no longer support you."
Back then we all had the same information. The same three television channels. And there was no social media with algorithms that push the most divisive information (See: Stolen Focus by Johann Hari, a superb and wide-ranging book. I do think that neither Trump, nor Bolsonaro would have been elected without Facebook, Youtube, & Twitter. And I'm also sleeping better due to stuff I've learned from this book.)
Thank you for the reference to Stolen Focus! Having had "a look inside" I think that not only I but society as a whole would benefit by reading and understanding what Johann Hari has discovered. Ilook forward to receiving my copy!
You're most welcome. The more people that read it, the better off we'll be. I've also lately been recommending a book called Ladyparts, by Deborah Copaken, especially to women of post reproductive age and the men who love them. It's a memoir, but so much more, including some recommendations that greatly improved her health, and should do so for a lot of women. She also nicely skewers the US medical system, the lack of a social safety net (complementary to stuff on that issue in Stolen Focus), American corporate culture... I found out about Stolen Focus and two other books I've bought and enjoyed listening to Christopher Lydon's Open Source (on NPR stations).
These references are very interesting! I will get Ladyparts, judging from what I've read of her medical nightmares, she also has quite the sense of humor. I see Christopher Lydon has several videos, a couple called Open Source that I will give a listen.Thank you!
I agree completely, Barbara. I read Obama's book last year and one of the things that got my attention was the meticulous, step-by-step process of decision-making and the amount of patience and waiting required. A hallmark of the Trump administration was not only the inability to wait one minute for anything but the need for constant noise and light. But it isn't just the Trump phenomenon. It's the news as entertainment; education as entertainment. We are an impatient culture and, above all else, it is patience--that willingness to sit still--that is needed. One careful, mindful step at a time. I am less hopeful than you, I think, as to the chances of TFG paying for his crimes. My hope at the moment is that you are right and I am wrong.
👍🏼
actually two years and two months until Nixon resigned; two and a half years until Mitchell, Haldeman and Ehrlichman were convicted:
https://www.history.com/topics/watergate-scandal-timeline-nixon
Thanks, Barbara. Tooting my own horn, I did reference Watergate's timeline several months ago. But my writing skills don't hold a candle to yours!
I sure remember, Lynell. I liked your post then and like your response now. And I expressed then I find it unseemly to second guess the Atty Gen of the country and his staff.
I thought today about it after the Letter’s reveal of the absolutely insane brass balls of Eastman and Trump to change the results of the 2020 election and destruction of our democracy.
Does anyone actually believe that Pres Biden’s DOJ is not on this like a dog gnawing a juicy bone?
Kudos to Democracy!
Christine, I am so glad to hear you are still behind our AG as I am:
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
~Rudyard Kipling
(Written before women were a part of the mix!)
Exactly right Barbara. Thank You.
With you on this Barbara. No screw ups on this one.
There's a difference between today's story and prior stories. Before this judge read through Eastman's emails and other documents, there was no hard evidence of Trump's illegal actions. He looked guilty as sin, but without either documented evidence, or sworn testimony, there was not enough to charge Trump. Now it looks like there is.
There's a reason that Trump tears up notes from meetings, refuses to use email himself, and demands oaths of loyalty from his associates. He doesn't leave evidence of his crimes. Unfortunately for Trump, Eastman is about to be forced to give up the documents that contain the evidence of his and Trump's crimes.
I believe that this is why Merrick Garland has been ¨waiting¨. There needs to be an airtight case.
Thanks for this plain-speak, JR!
Trump fancied himself as a wannabe Mafia don(ald), not a president.
Yes! Thanks JR!
I understand how you feel Joseph but, having practiced in the Central District of California in US District Court, I can opine that Judge Carter's handling of the purposeful delay has been brilliant which is typical of the Central District. First Judge Carter set a deadline for the delaying party to Log his asserted privileges in writing (creating a record). Then Judge Carter set a narrow timeline in January 2020 during the Insurrection to get to the merits while explaining his reasoning clearly for the Public, Bench & Bar and for Professor Richardson to smartly parse for our Community, An Appeal is unlikely as things could get much, much worse for Eastman in the Ninth Circuit.
Aha! Thank you Bryan!
Yup, I loved being in Federal Court including appearing before Judge Charles Breyer, Justice Stephen Breyer's younger brother (now 80) & still on the CA Northern District Bench. I filed a Motion to Stay my Mom & Pop's case to get them a breather while the underlying state court case proceded, Judge Charles Breyer summarized my motion for the record & clearly was going to grant my Motion but, he left decision up to my opposing Counsel who left the Courtroom in a huff and promptly & correctly dismissed his Client's corporate declaratory relief action against my Clients entirely. Case over. Federal Judges have very capable research clerks who sit in the jury box & learn.
I didn't know about the younger brother-thanks!
Nice!!
Agree, Joseph. It hadn't occurred to me that today's LFAA is "news" for many who have not followed HCR for as long as we have.
I remember all and am appalled all over again
Joseph I agree that ‘it seems a little weird’ to read about all of the slam-dunk evidence about Trump’s and his sycophants’s BIG LIE and January 6th subversion of the Constitution. It is past time, as expressed in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Mikado, for ‘the punishment to fit the crime.’
I'm trusting that the politicians in charge of the Select Committee are timing this carefully with the mid-terms in mind.
I saw a post that indicated that Merrick is a very deliberate man. So was Mueller . . .
💕 But it is good that it is finally out there/here.
Joseph Nesmeth (CA) your words echo my thoughts. Why has it been nearly 15 months since this obvious attempt to carry out a political coup that we actually have in writing, of a legitimate description of what culminated in a telecast for the world to see!?! It’s like a terrifying nightmare is finally acknowledged. Our courts have dealt with millions of trials of much less criminal cases. Why not this one? If there is a shred of justice in our country, please show us
Pat, it's been 15 months because trump's co-conspirators have refused to testify. They have refused to turn over documents. They have hidden behind executive privilege. They have sued in court to prevent the release of evidence. They have pled the 5th hundreds of times. The Watergate break-in happened in June 1972. Nixon resigned in August 1974. And they had tape recordings of Nixon admitting his crimes. Prosecuting a president, even one as obviously corrupt and criminal as Trump, takes time.
Your reminder is comforting, but we’re 2 years from possibly dealing with this again and technology has advanced/changed so much since 1972 …. Jan 6th was very much abetted by technology. May the same technology save us from the unimaginable
The pace has nothing to do with technology. It has to do with the rule of law, building a strong case, and feeling confident of winning conviction in court. We are pretty sure Trump (and Eastman, and Meadows, and Cruz, and...) are guilty. That's not nearly enough for a prosecutor to take it to trial. You know what would be worse than not prosecuting Trump and his cronies? Prosecuting them, and seeing them declared "Not Guilty".
True enough! But mid terms are coming and lordy if the numbers change to award a majority to today's Republican Party (of which I was once a member of) ....
Yes, the Congressional committee will be shut down as soon as Republicans take the House in the coming election. McCarthy and his buddies promise to start their own investigations - probably delving into pedophile pizza parlors and Jewish Space Lasers.
But, they cannot stop the DoJ.
Yes!
Yes, I’ve observed this as well.
Because the Select Committee is not lawfully constituted (with an equal number of Republicans), it lacks subpoena power.
EDIT: It was originally constituted to have seven Democrats and six Republicans. Nancy Pelosi rejected two of the Republican choices, which led three of the others to be withdrawn.
Now, the critical question is:
By what authority is Adam Kinsinger a member of this Select Committee? Is he there to make a quorum?
This is wrong, and wrong. Wrong in claiming that the House Select Committee does not have subpoena power. It has subpoenaed dozens of witnesses. And wrong in claiming that the committee is not lawfully constituted because it does not have an equal number of Democrats and Republicans. Republicans were offered five slots, but they insisted on including two members who were part of the Jan 6th conspiracy, and therefore disqualified to investigate themselves (your claim is like saying that a jury is not lawfully constituted because it didn't include the accused criminal). McCarthy refused to nominate any other members. The committee has been proceeding lawfully and effectively, and includes two Republican members who value the rule of law over loyalty to Trump (which then resulted in the GOP excommunicating them). You're also wrong in your general claim that House committees have to have an equal number of members. Most don't.
Other than that, you're batting 1000. I'm looking forward to a post from you that isn't twisted and full of falsehoods.
By what authority is Adam Kinsinger a member of this Select Committee? Is he there to make a quorum?
Your comments are becoming increasingly bizarre. Kinzinger (edited to correct response) is a member of the committee, appointed by Pelosi.
It seems that you don't understand the purpose, or work of this committee. On Jan 6th Congress was attacked by a mob. That mob, along with members of Trump's administration, and a number of members of Congress, were intent on preventing the peaceful transfer of power to the legitimately elected president, Joe Biden. Nothing like this insurrection had happened in the US before. Not only was it unprecedented, it was a real threat to our democracy. Congress had a responsibility to investigate it, understand why it occurred, and make sure it never happened again. So far, the committee has found extensive evidence of a plot by members of Trump's administration, including Trump himself and Senators like Ted Cruz and Congressmen like Jim Jordan and Paul Gosar. It is likely that a number of these people will be charged with crimes against the country.
The judge who had the duty to read the plotters' documents "...denounced efforts by former president Donald Trump and his allies to undermine the 2020 election, describing them as “a coup in search of a legal theory” and finding there was evidence that Trump “more likely than not” committed felony crimes."
This committee is not responsible for dividing America (as you claim), just as the policeman arresting a bank robber is not responsible for the theft of money from the bank. You should be very glad the committee is doing this work.
I write this knowing that you Mr. Schmeeckle, will reply with fevered gibberish (using the word "thug" several times). You are not the audience that matters.
Schiff??? I said Kinsinger.
Are you saying that the end justifies the means?
Once again, by what authority is Adam Kinsinger on this Select Committee?
You did say Kinsinger. To which my reply would be the same. He is a member of the committee, appointed by Pelosi. But you knew that.
This Kangaroo Committee's use of pretended subpoena power makes a mockery of the rule of law, as both Republicans (on Jan. 6, in response to what they believed to be a Democratic coup d'etat) and Democrats (with this committee) degenerate into thuggery. The cracks in the foundation of the Union are widening. Is our federal government losing the mandate of heaven?
IOW, what you lacked in facts, you'll make up for in demagoguery.
Thanks for making that clear.
Or perhaps I should just have said "nice spin".
At this point what we have us an obvious "trolly". I recommend we ignore and they will eventually go away.
I'd rather hit him in the face with a few facts first and continue to watch what happens.
This is a lie.
I'll invite you to consider the following question:
By what authority is Adam Kinsinger a member of this Select Committee? Is he there to make a quorum?
No, the critical question is now the legitimacy of the RNC censure of Cheney and Kinsinger for being part of the committee. Now *that* is a purely partisan political move.
"(with an equal number of Republicans)"
You still have not given any evidence for this alleged requirement.
I was wrong about an equal number of Republicans. The number was set at five, with the understanding that Pelosi would appoint a Republican from her eight choices, giving a total of seven Democrats and six Republicans. Quoting from Wikipedia:
On June 30, 2021, the resolution to form the committee passed by a vote of 222 to 190, with all Democratic members and two Republican members, Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney, voting in favor. Sixteen Republican members did not vote.[17] The resolution empowered Pelosi to appoint eight members to the committee, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy could appoint five members "in consultation" with Pelosi.[18] Pelosi indicated that she would name a Republican as one of her eight appointees.[19]
On July 1, Pelosi appointed eight members, seven Democrats and one Republican, Liz Cheney (R-WY); Bennie Thompson (D-MS) would serve as committee chair.[20] On July 19, McCarthy announced the five members he would recommend as the minority on the select committee. He recommended that Jim Banks (R-IN) serve as Ranking Member, and minority members be Jim Jordan (R-OH), Rodney Davis (R-IL), Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), and Troy Nehls (R-TX).[21] Banks, Jordan, and Nehls voted to overturn the Electoral College results in Arizona and Pennsylvania. Banks and Jordan had also signed onto the Supreme Court case Texas v. Pennsylvania to invalidate the ballots of voters in four states.[22]
On July 21, Thompson stated in an interview that he would investigate Trump as part of the inquiry into Capitol attack.[23] Hours later, Pelosi said in a statement that she had informed McCarthy that she would reject the recommendations of Jordan and Banks, citing concerns for the investigation's integrity and relevant actions and statements made by the two members. She approved the recommendations of the other three.[24] McCarthy then pulled all of his picks for the committee and stated that he would not appoint anyone on the committee unless all five of his choices were approved.[25][26]
After McCarthy rescinded his recommendations, Pelosi announced on July 25 that she had appointed Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) to the committee.[27][28] Kinzinger was one of the ten House Republicans who voted for Trump's second impeachment.[29]
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Select_Committee_on_the_January_6_Attack
"{in consultation with Pelosi)"
Which meant that she was perfectly within her rights to disqualify blatant poison pills offered by Republicans.
You may now stop pushing this particular line of specious reasoning you've offered multiple times.
My point remains the same: In the eyes of a significant element of the body politic, this committee stinks of partisan persecution, eroding the bonds of the Union.
That's moving the goalposts, but you go ahead and demagogue.
Perhaps you could tell me by what authority is Adam Kinzinger on this committee?
One of the reasons why I supported Tulsi Gabbard for the Democratic nomination was her spirit of bipartisanship. That is sorely lacking in this committee, which is undertaking the equivalent of playing with flammible explosives while smoking a cigarette.
Rep Jordan (Co-conspirator) is not the best legal analyst of Federal Court issues. Ditto Steve Bannon. Perps are free to raise Federal "discovery" issues in Court subject to res judicata (already decided) & policed by Rule 11 (sanctions for purposeful delay.)
Joseph - I don't understand your comment that this stuff is finally showing up in the news. I've been seeing it in bits and pieces for at least a year. What I see happening now is all of the bits and pieces coming together into a coherent story thanks to the Jan. 6 Committee.
Of course, it's been out there in bits and pieces, and Heather has been corralling it for us. She's not psychic, she just reads the stuff most of us don't notice and recognizes that it's important.
But there's a sense that this is getting into the mainstream, and in the process, it's being headlined as Hindenberg sorts of breathless OMG! Which is good. It is breathless OMG. But it's a second round of OMG for me.
Does it matter that the House Select Committee, with only two cherry-picked Republican members, is not lawfully constituted?
In addition, with the clear evidence (eye-popping divergences from the exit polls in the formal results of the Massachusetts Democratic primary, giving Biden a whisker-thin victory), is it so far-fetched to imagine that Biden and company also stole the election from Trump?
https://freepress.org/article/massachusetts-2020-democratic-primary
It matters that the kinds of Americans that truly believe Trump won are not exercising rational thought. It also matters that those who pretend to believe that Trump won are willing to accept victory through cheating. All of these people should be living in Russia or North Korea to have a true taste of what they are supporting, because this is how Putin and other autocrats come to power, and this would have immediately made us no longer a democracy. That this action set us up to be partners with other autocrats like Putin, Kim Jong-un and Xi Jinping, Bashar al Assad is quite frightening. What is most concerning is that people who support Trump seem to have read or traveled little, or have little imagination, or imagine that they will always be the benefactors of an autocracy. There is only one benefactor of an autocracy and that is the person at the top. Everyone else's position is precarious at best. Even they do not benefit, because they destroy the country they run.
So you prefer to ignore the evidence that Biden stole the Democratic nomination from Bernie Sanders?
Read your link to the Free Press. Fact: Exit Poll respondents 1,394; votes counted 1,327,374. The exit poll respondents equal .0010501 of the votes counted. Might you include this is a rather small number? Also, exit polls, by their nature, only account for those present at the polls. Our Covid induced election of 2020 had the highest number and percentage of absentee ballots in history. Mind you, I'm sure demographics played heavily in the Free Press' numbers. Especially for us older folks, who were more than comfortable to vote absentee. Do you have facts supporting a comparative analysis of exit polls, absentee ballots, and demographics of the Massachusetts Democratic Primary of 2020? If not, please do not cherry pick from a very large sundae.
I trust Bernie Sanders, who I do admire in many ways, would not have eventually supported Joe Biden if he, or his staff, thought the Democratic nomination was stolen from him. Might you agree?
He begrudgingly supported Clinton's nomination after the shenanigans of the Democratic National Committee in 2016, as he understood the danger of Trump. Considering this past history, I believe if there was a sniff of impropriety in the 2020 Democratic Primaries, he and his staff would have raised hell.
Going down this road is an unnecessary and baseless distraction. The real issue is for Trump, and the long list of his co-conspirators, to be brought to justice for their actions clearly noted by Heather.
I
Brad, thank you for your logical, well-documented response. What a breath of fresh air!
I am astonished at what you say about exit polls. Exit polls have a phenomenal record for accuracy, and they are a standard tool for double-checking election integrity. Theodore Soares discusses that on his website. Did you even look?
It seems silly to me to validate a covid-time exit poll by pointing to a record of accuracy of exit polls in previous elections when mail-in ballots were no more than a footnote. There were huge discrepancies between the mail-in and in-person tallies; why would you expect exit polls of the latter voters to match the overall results, unless you have already bought in to the notion, without evidence, that the entire election apparatus is (or should I say was already) crooked.
John,
Playing wackamole with accusations is pretty funny. When someone quashes the last lie you throw out there, and, you are defeated with facts, then, you propose another lie.
Very interesting approach. Spare time today? Not much going on? Unemployed?
Or you are a paid disrupter?
Door #3 for 50000, Monte
Ooooh I didn’t know that could be a job!! Looking for a summer gig (on the right side of course) and it might beat scooping ice cream-how would one apply to bait Fuckher Carlson followers on that thing’s social?
Maybe the latter
Why do you choose to ignore the evidence that Biden stole the Democratic nomination from Bernie Sanders? Instead, you mock and sneer
:-(
Look at all the attention you get. Tucker approved
Fuckher Carlson wouldn’t approve well-spoken, nuanced comments explicating comparative fascism. Pick on someone else. Linda spoke well and no one comes here for a chumpchange pocketsize “like” section
I cannot ignore that which I do not have.
And which does not exist.
No. It matters a damn lot and still really chaps my ass. But that is not the crux of how do we contain Jan 6 participants and keep power in the hands of -if not the people, at least the people who pretend a little harder that it’s for the people not the 1% until we can relax from fascist grabs for authoritarian nation and organize more effectively for true reform.
Ah. There it is. Bernie Sanders has the same fomenting followers as Trump. He has never once explained how he would ¨make¨ the 1 % pay more in taxes. Or actually fund all of the things that Progressives clamor for instantaneously without any seeming knowledge of the slow process to move to a Democratic Socialist country. I voted for President Biden.
The weak points in Bernie's policy platform have nothing to do with the evidence that Biden stole the Democratic nomination from him.
Please present the evidence.
Trump would be re-elected if Bernie was the Democratic nominee. The cross-over votes wouldn’t go to Bernie—those voters just wouldn’t have voted.
My take on it
that was the DNC in 2016 and in 2020
What does that have to do with this evidence from Eastman?
"the House Select Committee, with only two cherry-picked Republican members, is not lawfully constituted?"
The above sentence is a lie. I don't know if you believe the lie or not, but, I do know that does not matter. The above sentence is a lie.
"is it so far-fetched to imagine that Biden and company also stole the election from Trump?"
Yes, it is far fetched, and a lie, that the election was stolen from the loser: Trump.
Just be clear on the facts.
Now, John, you can BELIEVE whatever you want. That is legal and your right, but, I can also correct your beliefs if your belief system has led you to confuse a fact with a belief.
Believing that Donald Trump won because the white man at Fox News/(or your church) told you that lie and you have been trained to believe the white man at the front of your church is perfectly OK with me.
But, writing your beliefs here, if they are lies in reality, well, I can correct those lies, that is my right.
Arguing with such people gives them undeserved credibility.
Not really arguing. Just clearing up reality in case someone is reading and gets the wrong impression.
❤️
For sure.
You're welcome to prove me wrong, if you can. The membership of the House Selecg Committee is here:
https://january6th.house.gov/about/membership
So what’s your point?
My point is that the committee was supposed to have an equal number if Democrats and Republicans, with the chair (a Democrat) breaking tie votes and with the Republican members chosen by the Republican leadership. Neither of those two requirements happened.
There is no law anywhere that requires a criminal investigation to have equal number of Democrats and Republicans. No law anywhere at all that says that.
So, for example, if the Jan 06 committee found crimes and every member was a member of the Democratic Party, it would still be a crime.
Republicans filibustered the bill with the "equal number" requirement. It would be specious to blame Democrats, let alone Biden, for that.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/28/politics/january-6-commission-vote-senate/index.html
Requirements? Hah.
So out of what orifice did you pull your idea of "requirements" for an investigatory committee of a house of Congress to be "lawfully constituted"? The members the Repub leader nominated for the committee had a common characteristic: a demonstrated propensity for grandstanding bloviation at sufficient length to keep any honest business from being done.
Lordy, the cult lives and breathes bull Schitt.
I see that the cyber-goon squad has arrived, with trademark sneer while refusing to engage with the evidence
:-(
Name calling is a very ugly trait.
Indeed, Daria and indeed quite unproductive. On this column we name our sources if we quote others and if we want to prove something we provide the evidence and not just hypebole and opinion.
We don’t win the next election in the rarefied chambers of Professor HCR’s comments sections, we win it in the streets.
Glad to hear it Stuart Attewell, and now you can be the very first one around here to engage with the evidence that Biden stole the Democratic nomination from Bernie Sanders. I'm waiting...
When name-calling is all one has, that's what one uses.
Actually, lotsa arrows in the quiver wins that kind of fight
But Pres Trump’s effective use of name-calling rhetoric helped him demonize opponents and if nothing else control the discourse through earned media. If you’re too good to call names or get in a bar brawl, good on you but how about stepping back and letting those of us with no fancy manners fight the good fight with you?
So is finger pointing
time to stop feeding the troll
Yep, David. Troll is at the bridge collecting toll coins from subscribers.
let's just move on as we were... ignore them.
Is that a sneer, or just the dirty S@ncz from kissing fascist @ss 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Um, I presented evidence, both in my initial post and in three quick follow-up posts, and you don't seem to want to talk about it.
Um, um, pay attention to meeeeee. Really?!? Bugger right off with that, I’m not teaching this thing, Professor HCR is
Thank you for your posts. At first I hated seeing your posts with all the lies and aggressive put
downs. But in fact I’m grateful for your bullshit posts. They are a stark reminder of what we are up against in trying to save our country. If you hadn’t posted I would have coasted through the many letters from people I respect and agree with. People who sincerely want the truth and want our country to be diverse and fair to all. You have reminded me that there are many of you who have bought into an aggressively distorted and false reality. In the middle ages the inquisition tortured people until they either agreed with lies or died. Do you have a rack in your basement? I wouldn’t be surprised. Please keep posting here so we never forget what we are up against.
Thank you Ned L. This is the first time I dipped into the Posts and am I glad I did.....for the most part fascinating reading. Thank you all (or almost all).
Your arguing with him gives him undeserved credibility.
Not really addressed to him but to all of us so we don't forget what's out there. His outrageous posts help to remind us.
I’ll skip him. The MSM following Rupert is stress enough for me
I did a deep dive on John Schmeeckle (mainly because I thought he was a bot) and learned that one of his ancestors (William Coon) allegedly had a somewhat similar approach and desire to be a "new type of communicator":
"...So William began to practice talking to people who were inclined to disagree with him. William wanted to be able to explain in a way that would encourage people to think about ending the war as the priority. And this is what William focused on. William wanted to be a new type of communicator, who was respectful toward those who strongly opposed his opinion. But William wanted to be able to persuade people also. And this meant William had to be able to point out the weaknesses in the arguments of the people who disagreed with him. William wanted to know that he would be respected at the end of an argument, and so he made a point of ensuring that his opponents knew that he would avoid using heated language.
This had the effect of making people willing to discuss their views, but it was extremely difficult to convince people without moving their emotions. William wanted to do this without explicitly rejecting the view of his opponents. William wanted to be able to have a honest discussion with those who didn’t want to think about his point of view. William wanted to be a true patriot, for the correct reasons, and not a person who simply identified with one side and therefore hated the other side..."
This came from https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Ancestral_Memories:_William_Coons_and_Julia_Wallacefbclid=IwAR2hwYj9MNHO8zXVx9CIaD9ZNkiDERB1EVbpzjHeoZqtJe04fabhaoKTgw4 which had been referenced on John's FB:
John Schmeeckle
My great-great-grandfather tells the story of how the Union soldiers were corrupted by their experience on the famous march to the sea, and his wife tells about hiding her family's South Carolina origin :
https://www.wikitree.com/.../Space:Ancestral_Memories...
I could be wrong but I think these "ancestral memories" are actually written by John Schmeeckle based upon his present day "communication" with his dead ancestors. See this:
Communicating with ancestors
+4
votes
1.5k views
Over a year ago, I was told that it is possible to communicate with deceased ancestors, but I was cautioned to always have a respectful attitude when talking to them. I decided to try it and see what happened, and it worked…
On the “Day of the Dead” (the day after Halloween), I thought of the names of all of my grandparents and their parents and grandparents, and they started talking to me. Remorse came up immediately for some of them. I learned that women often had ongoing connections with living daughters and granddaughters, but most of the men had been isolated since their deaths. I was told – several times – that after death there is a kind of separation of what we call the soul into two parts. Each ancestor has a part that remains accessible to descendants, and a part that goes elsewhere. Memories are incomplete.
Ancestors want to see the well-being of their descendants. Ancestors also want to be able to talk to their own parents and children. Ancestors hope that living descendants will work their way back from their parents or grandparents to more distant ancestors, one generation at a time. This allows children and parents among the ancestors to talk to each other, when a living descendant is open to ancestral communication.
Ancestors want to avoid hearing from descendants who just want to ask questions about the family tree. Ancestors may not communicate with descendants with only this in mind. For this reason, it is once again a good idea to work your back from one generation to the next. Ancestors believe that descendants who are respectful will be pleased to talk about their own lives. Ancestors want their descendants to live will, and ancestors are concerned when descendants are struggling. Ancestors have the ability to observe the lives of living descendants, but they often do not do so. Ancestors may be inclined to be more observant after a descendant contacts an ancestor, especially if that ancestor had not had any communication with descendants before.
Some ancestors, especially those who were devoutly religious, may avoid communicating with descendants who don’t share their moral values.
Husbands and wives who didn’t get along with each other may be able to begin to communicate about issues that they never talked about before death.
One final point – I have heard some disturbing stories from ancestors, and proper respect demands that the ancestor be asked for permission before sharing such stories. The following free space page contains the stories of four ancestors, starting with a Swiss soldier in Germany who never made it home. The words are entirely those of the ancestors: I typed as their words appeared in my mind.
The ancestors gave their permission to publicly share all that appears here: Ancestral Memories: The Schmückle Family in Einod
sources profiles tobey delano peckham
asked Jan 7, 2018 in The Tree House by Anonymous Schmeeckle G2G6 Mach 9 (95.7k points)
retagged Jan 9, 2018 by Anonymous Schmeeckle https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/535187/communicating-with-ancestors
My theory is that John Schmeeckle desires to be a "new form of communicator" and is honing his skills here. He wants to have what he thinks is an "honest discussion" with those "who do not want to think about his point of view". He wants to be a "true patriot" for the "right reasons".
Haha, but so not funny
I will suggest that the best starting point for my presentation of communicating with ancestors is this public discussion:
https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/535187/communicating-with-ancestors
However, I will suggest that Terry Preshaw's bringing up of off-topic personal information is disturbing.
It seemed to me that your description of your ancestor’s struggle to be a respected, “new communicator” perhaps reflected your own experience and at least for me, added insight as to where you were coming from and why you had chosen this forum as an arena for “engagement”.
I really thought you were a bot and hope you figure out how to make your public information private.
Unfortunately, you do not have anything to say.
Are you trying to get your 50 dollars worth? Or was it your money to begin with?
The folks here aren’t FB
😂
The people who accept that you will be in this conversation are not being given good input.
Dave Dalton, I presented evidence, both in my initial post and in three quick follow-up posts, and you don't seem to want to talk about it.
That is purely because you will find 99% of the people here to be very informed, critical thinkers. You have a right to your opinion. You stated it. You will just tire yourself out trying to make people drink koolaid here, Sir. We are most focused on saving our democracy from the corporatocracy, autocrats, white supremacists, neo-nazis and some just plain wackos who spew lies and brainwashing propaganda. I would counter that if Biden stole the election, I would prefer it to be him than the cult of the lying party of sedition.
Bear in mind that he's all over the internet with this kind of stuff. Democracy permits it.
RBot?
And our citizenry is Rupert Murdoch conditioned for bull Schitt
Jack Lippman, "all over the internet"?? You lie boldly.
Not boldly, just fighting fire with fire. You chose the weapons.
We need to stop feeding the troll
So you admit that you lied. I didn't lie.
I presented evidence, both in my initial post and in three quick follow-up posts, and you don't seem to want to talk about it.
The membership of the committee, which is supposed to have an equal number of Republicans (with the Democrat Chair breaking ties) is here:
https://january6th.house.gov/about/membership
EDIT: I mis-spoke. The committee was originally set up, on a party-line vote, to include seven Democrats and six Republicans (including one to be chosen by Pelosi).
John - you seem to be going at this in a calm manner - and that is commendable. I think - surely you know that doubting the results of the 2020 election in this forum is going to generate a firestorm. I would ask calmly then - where is the requirement for the bi-partisan makeup of the select committee established? It doesn't appear you have given us that.
That was the rule agreed to in the House at the time the committee was set up.
Evidence, please.
And do remember that *you* made a distinction between the independent committee that Republicans filibustered and the select committee that Republicans got for, in my opinion, overtly acting in bad faith.
Why did the committee not end up as you day was required? What took place when this alternative to an independent commission was voted upon along party lines? Not arguing, but do you know why the intended composition didn't happen?
I'm not sure. I think it was the decision of the committee Chairman, backed up by the party leadership. Your question is one that I would like a clear answer to.
I'd encourage you to look into the extensive news coverage on this topic. Coverage included NYT, WaPo, Washington Weekly, for many days as the process and potential members were suggested, blocked, and McCarthy stomped off into the sunset condeming Ms Cheney and Mr Adam K to purgatory. Many posting here have addressed this as well, particularly in sharing following HCR various LFAAs (see the archives). You may come to understand what is taking place and help you adjust your quicker look-sees.
There is some value in categorizing logical fallacies, factual errors, errors of proportion, errors of premises, and the like. When presented with them, it's useful to point them out, not so much to gain a "win" over a stubborn (or intransigent) debater, but to clarify exactly what is going on.
John makes a number of apparently unrelated statements, prefaced with leading questions. "Does it matter that X?" "Is it far-fetched that Y, given that Z?"
There is nothing unlawful about the Select Committee: if there were, the subpoenas would have all be struck down as invalid, exactly as if I were to issue a subpoena. The subpoenas have been heard by the courts, and upheld, and individuals defying them have been referred to the DOJ for criminal contempt of Congress. The Select Committee is certainly lawful.
Was it "lawfully constituted?" Well, since the Committee itself is lawful, then I would say it was "lawfully constituted" in any sense that matters. Did it involve hard-ball politics? Yes. Do things that matter involve hard-ball politics? Almost always. Am I able or willing to do sportscasting on Congressional hard-ball politics? No.
So in this case, X is actually a falsehood. It is like asking the question, "Does it matter that the moon is made of green cheese?" I'm not an academic logician, so I don't know if this is categorized as some kind of fallacy, or if it is just nonsense phrased as a question, like "Does it matter that the borogoves are mimsy?"
The simple answer is, No. The nonsense following the question does not matter at all.
Subtle, John.
The second statement is equally subtle.
Let's remove the histrionics and simplify for structure:
"Is it so far-fetched to imagine that election B was fraudulent, given that election A was fraudulent?"
There are a lot of places for this to go wrong. WAS election A fraudulent? Can election A and B be compared at all? If they can be compared, does it make sense to do so?
Here's an extreme example: "Is it so far-fetched to imagine that a serial killer escaped from federal detention, given that my third-grade son forgot to bring his lunch to school?"
At least in John's case, we are comparing two elections. But was election A (the primary) fraudulent? "Eye-popping divergences" is pure histrionics. Statistical measures are always subject to heavy tails and outliers, particularly when the samples are contaminated by any kind of systemic filtering, such as (for instance) COVID shifting the proportions of (measured) live votes to (unmeasured) mail-in votes. There were apparently no challenges to the legitimacy of the count, and of course, Bernie conceded to Clinton. So there is no basis for saying election A was fraudulent.
So this is really a repeat of the same misdirection in the first question.
"Is it so far-fetched to believe that election B was fraudulent, given that election A was run by space-aliens from zeta-reticuli?"
The simple answer is Yes: it's far-fetched.
Joseph, that was such a pleasure to read. Thanks for deconstructing the illogic of his rhetoric. Masterfully done. However, you are wrong about one thing: It matters greatly that the borogoves are mimsy. If they were not mimsy but instead, say, flimsy, the jabberwock would have survived the vorpal sword and Alice would never have made it to Wonderland.
I stand corrected. :-)
Your lengthy post includes the far-fetched supposition that judges are always impartial and non-partisan. I'll suggest that Bush v. Gore gives the lie to that.
John, many here have indicated they would prefer to dismiss you as a troll. You remind me in some ways of my son, when he gets on his debater's high horse and can't seem to get down off it, so I'm inclined to be a little more gentle.
Most of us are not here to glory in our debate skills, nor to push -- beyond what is obviously necessary -- partisan political views. We ARE very partisan, but only because one of the Parties (from which "partisan" derives) has become an overt and ongoing threat to the US. Donald John Trump tried to execute a coup, to become "president for life," with the aid and assistance of the Republican Party as a whole. That party has given up on any political platform or policy, or even any pretense of such. It is a party with one clear goal: power. Power for the sake of power. They have aligned with autocracy, behind an unspeakably vulgar, pompous, sociopathic narcissist.
They have no plan for the country. They have a plan for themselves. Some are merely vulgar opportunists. Some are, like Ginni Thomas, religious fanatics caught up in End Times mythology. But they have no plan for the country.
Bernie, AOC, Biden, Hillary, and Liz Cheney ARE ALL ON THE SAME SIDE in this. As are all of the regulars who read this site, including myself.
And every last one of us has had at least one dark night in the last five years where we lay awake thinking that we would live to see the end of the United States.
So don't come here with your hypotheticals.
Wake up to the context. Please.
My last word on this subject.
I am very aware of the context. I watched with horror as Attorneys General from groups of opposing states lined up as the Supreme Court refused to hear the Texas lawsuit against Pennsylvania. We are already far along the slippery slope toward the wrecking of the Union among the States.
I don't think you give me credit for the work I've done to understand the situation. I have a strong reservation about your assessment: I think it is clear that, in their own minds, Trump and company were trying to pull off a counter-coup against what they perceived as Biden's techno-fascist stealing of the election. The evidence of Biden's theft of the Democratic nomination tends to render plausible their conclusion. If they honestly thought that the election was stolen, then other elements of your discussion come into question.
Heart
Touché!
"Is it so far-fetched to imagine that a serial killer escaped from federal detention, given that my third-grade son forgot to bring his lunch to school?"
Absolutely sterling writing Joseph. Great analysis.
It is lawfully constituted. Your article references a democratic primary and we've seen exit polls be very far off the mark.
The republicans had a chance to nominate people to the committee but nominated only people they knew would be disruptive and not seek truth. Pelosi was right to reject them.
And once she rejected those two who would only have been disruptive, who continue to claim the election was stolen, House Minority Leader McCarthy refused to appoint ANY Republican House members to the committee. Therefore, Speaker Pelosi proceeded in a legal manner to establish the Select Committee by appointing mostly Democratic members and then accepted the two Republican members who offered to join the Committee. There is no illegality to this process.
I find myself wondering if McCarthy & McConnell now regret not having put forward some less controversial Republican House members for the Select Committee which, in the form originally proposed, would have had to close down on December 31, 2021.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/07/26/january-6-select-committee-who-its-9-members/5375766001/
"The House select committee created to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol is scheduled to have its first hearing Tuesday despite House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., pulling Republicans from participating in the committee.
McCarthy’s actions came after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., rejected Republican Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Jim Banks of Indiana, two of his five appointees to the committee, from sitting on the panel, citing that they would undermine the integrity of the committee.
Although Pelosi said she’d accept McCarthy’s other three appointees – Reps. Rodney Davis of Illinois, Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota and Troy Nehls of Texas – McCarthy went forward and yanked his picks and threatened to create Republicans' own investigation.
“Unless Speaker Pelosi reverses course and seats all five Republican nominees, Republicans will not be party to their sham process and will instead pursue our own investigation of the facts,” McCarthy said."
Great and detailed historical post on the formation of the committee. Thanks.
And Mussolini made the trains run on time.
No. Knock it off. Even if in jest, you're further undercutting your own flimsy claims.
Gullible reporters went to Italy for the show, and he gave them one. A few lines were upgraded (work begun before Mussolini took power) that served British tourists and the corporatists. The normal trains were as late as usual.
And if you were the researcher you claim to be, you'd know that Soares has been completely debunked more than once.
Saying so doesn't make it true.
Precisely.
No, it does not matter. And Yes, it is far-fetched.
You are picking over Senate procedural rules and dubious statistical correlations in the face of a failed government coup. It's analogous to looking at a murder scene, with dead bodies and a guy holding the still-smoking machine gun, and saying, "But he's dressed so neatly! Surely he can't be guilty?"
I respectfully disagree. If Biden did indeed steal the Democratic nomination from Bernie, that renders plausible the supposition that he did the same against Trump. If that was indeed the case, then the Jan. 6 riot takes on the impression of a failed counter-coup where the rule of law and the machinery of democracy have broken down.
Clueless
Propagandists abound
Yes it is
The membership of the committee, which is supposed to have an equal number of Republicans (with the Democratic Chair breaking ties) is here:
https://january6th.house.gov/about/membership
Of course there is a long history of vote fraud in this country. I was not a fan of Al Gore, but the Florida mess in the 2000 election had a fetid stench; perhaps you recall Greg Palast's reporting.
And speaking of stinky Florida elections, has anyone around here read Votescam? The first two chapters are online at https://books.google.com/books/about/Votescam.html?id=ZxpZCgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&gboemv=1&gbmsitb=1#v=onepage&q&f=false
?
I remember the 2008 North Carolina Democratic primary, which was a must-win for Hillary Clinton to stay in the race against Barack Obama. I stayed up to watch the results come in, and at first they were neck-and-neck, but suddenly **gasp** the election computers crashed!! I smelled a rat and stayed up late, and -- sure enough -- when the computers came back online toward midnight (as we were dutifully informed), Hillary's total remained flat, but there was a big jump in Obama's total, putting the election out of reach. (And Roy Cooper, the North Carolina Attorney General, was elevated to Governor, and Charlotte, North Carolina was awarded the next Democratic Party convention. Good job, fellas!)
By the way, I voted for Hillary in 2008 (and for Obama in the general election), but, ever since Hillary became the blood-soaked Butcher of Libya, NEVER AGAIN will I vote for her. Tulsi Gabbard hit the nail on the head when she lambasted Hillary as the "corrupt queen of the war-mongers." (Yes, I supported Tulsi in the last election campaign.)
John, being outraged about the Clinton's is sort of part of the past don't you think?
I was not a big fan of how the Clinton's played either. Keeping one's pants on in the workplace would seem like a reasonable habit. BUT, having seen the modern Republican Party and Trump play?
Well, the Clinton's look like choir boys and girls by comparison.
So you prefer not to engage with the evidence that Biden stole the Democratic nomination from Bernie Sanders?
Wackamole does not work with me John. Go find a Republican with a short attention span .... it will work with them.
Wackamole???
Theodore Soares, author of that article on the Massachusetts Democratic primary discrepancies, put his data and much more (showing a pattern of discrepancies throughout the 2020 Democratic primaries) on his own website, at https://tdmsresearch.com/2020/03/04/massachusetts-2020-democratic-party-primary/
The problem is, now there is a new hurdle to access his website, at least from my android phone using the Google Chrome browser. I now have to sign up for "advanced security," which means a report to google.com whenever I look at Theodore Soares's website. Is this an example of techno-fascism in action?
John,
These are all lies.
If you believe them, get help and counseling. Your belief system has taken over your rational self and will harm you in multiple ways. When you look around, you don't see reality.
Living in belief space means you are not able to manage reality because you cannot see it.
Um, I presented evidence, both in my initial post and in three quick follow-up posts, and you don't seem to want to talk about it.
Mr Schmeeckle, I do suggest this. -saw- https://www.factcheck.org/2020/03/no-huge-red-flag-that-fraud-occurred-in-mass-primary/
Steve Wagener, thank you for bringing up that bogus "fact check," which explains absolutely nothing. It's like a minister giving an approve answer to the True Believers, so they can persuade themselves to ignore that disturbing question posed by a skeptic.
Whaaa? I read it; it seems to explain a whole lot. you are starting to remind me of the Trump deplorables, where no amount of data will convince them.
That fact check slickly conflate two separate sources, giving the false impression that a mis-speak by a guy named Pease was actually the fault of Theodore Soares. The actual numbers that Soares used, with discussion, are here:
https://web.archive.org/web/20200305204359/http://tdmsresearch.com/2020/03/04/massachusetts-2020-democratic-party-primary/
Precisely my thought(in response to James Wheaton's comment).
💩
:-(
How is it that the stench is now attached to you. Rupert??
Um, I presented evidence, both in my initial post and in three quick follow-up posts, and you don't seem to want to talk about it.
Belief space is hard to find your way out of John. Perhaps you never will.
But, reality is more fun, you meet more real people, and you live a real life.
However, some folks do live their entire lives in belief space, and, sometimes, it is a lower stress existence.
For example: You don't have to come to grips that Trump lost the election because 7 million more Americans felt that he was a loser than a winner.
Recognizing that reality must be very painful for you because it would require your belief system to dissolve.
Then what would you do? Reality just might be way too bright for you.
But, this is the wrong board for you. Try one of the QAnon boards where everyone is living in belief space.
Thank you Mike
When I clicked your link, my browser Antivirus protection said "Warning: Potential Security Risk Ahead
Firefox detected a potential security threat and did not continue to tdmsresearch.com. If you visit this site, attackers could try to steal information like your passwords, emails, or credit card details.
What can you do about it?
The issue is most likely with the website, and there is nothing you can do to resolve it. You can notify the website’s administrator about the problem."
As was pointed out in Doonesbuy yesterday, the 22nd Amendment says a president can only be elected twice, so for Trump to run again in 2024, he has to admit he didn't win in 2020.
Ain't. Gonna. Happen.
Catch 22. Brilliant. Yep, no way in hell tfg will admit he lost. Ain't karma a bi otch!
By the rules of gaslighting, I'm pretty sure he can come up with some cockamamie way to prove that he both did, and did not, win in 2020.
How many fingers am I holding up, Winston?
Schrödinger's President.
You win today
I second that.
Aye.
One stubby finger in the pie of Schrödinger’s Victory, maybe?
If convicted, would TFG be a felon? He is in my book. And then even if he’s not in jail he won’t be eligible to run for President will he? I’m hoping to hear what I want to hear.
Nope. A convicted felon can run for president. The only way to block him from ever running again was for the Senate to convict his impeachment. (Pisses me off, too)
Morning, TC...as much as it pains me to say it, here is what I see happening. Democrats managed to get trump out of office because we were outraged by his antics for four years. This time around, unless there is a ground swell the likes of which was not even seen in 2020, the Republicans will vote trump back in, and the rest of us will be in for the revenge of a millennium. And it will spread to the rest of the world as well. In the meantime, Senate elections are this year, and if the same happens, Biden won't be able to get anything else done during his presidency. The Republican Party has turned into a hodgepodge of thugs and debutantes and unless every eligible sane voter votes otherwise, they are going to take this country down. Pessimism is not my usual manner, in fact I am usually sickeningly optimistic, but I am old enough to see what is happening, and it scares the living sh!t out of me...
Too sad. Maybe he’ll be too busy protesting and appealing to run again. Or maybe ALL the American voters won’t vote for a convicted criminal. I can always dream.
If he runs, he will lose. The reason Mitch McConnell and other R’s have turned against him is (1) his Jan. 6 troubles are growing, and the primary reason: (2) he’s a known loser. He lost in 2020. He lost the House in the 2018 midterms. He lost the Senate on Jan. 5. The govt. went blue on his watch, when every election is a referendum on the sitting President. R politicians are political hacks, they always know which way the winds are blowing.
Thank You Roland.
McConnell has already said that he'd support trump if trump is the nominee. 99% of the republicans will fall in line. They are terrified of him.
when did he say it this time though? about as reliable as collins or manchin..
Everly Bros
I was stunned when I first learned this fact but it’s true.
Interesting that felons may not vote in some states, but Trump could run for President.
It is an interesting question. And thanks to TC we have the answer. Plus, it’s all over the internet, just for a Google search. Here’s an article but there are many sources , including this one that asks “Can Trump run for president from prison?” https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/05/can-trump-run-for-president-from-prison.html
Seriously??
Unfortunately not.
My thoughts exactly, TC!
Morning, Lynell. TC does a nice job of taking my jumbled thoughts/feelings/ideas and putting them in a coherent paragraph.
He sure does...I struggle mightily. My excuse is having a 40+ year career as a court stenographer; stenotyping other peoples' words, I had no time to develop my own. But I can spell like the dickens!
Someday I must tell you of the time the court reporter saved the day...
Oh, please, you must! One instance (among many) that comes to mind for me is after the witness said, "I do," to my "Do you swear or affirm..." oath, everyone sort of kept looking at me as if I was going to say something else. To break the silence, I just said that that was the only speaking part I had and they were free to commence the deposition!
Mine is during a trial, the defendant was in custody, ergo, I was there as well (past the bar, just behind the defense table). The defendant had chosen to go to trial over a Sodomy II case (abused his 13 year old step-son) and declined a plea to Sexual Abuse (a lesser charge). Everyone in the defendant's purview were Jehovah's Witnesses; himself, his wife, his paramour, and his step-son/victim. Present to "witness" the trial were 5 elders in the JW church. The jury had 7 people of "strong faith" on it, including the man who ended up being jury foreman who was also a Methodist minister.
Defendant is on the stand, testifying during the DA's cross examination. It is shortly after lunch. The fire alarm rings out. (Sidebar: my chief goal beyond preventing the escape of the accused is for the jury NEVER to see him in custody in any way, shape, or form). The Judge is on the bench, chin resting on his chin, eyes closed. The Judicial Assistant is at his desk, to the judge's right, head back and eyes closed. Neither of them hear the fire alarm (which is not super loud, but plainly audible.) 10 seconds in, the court reporter starts with a tense whisper "Glenn. Glenn." The JA does not move. She looks up at the bench, sees the judge in his position of repose. Pauses. Looks at the JA and says "Glenn" in a more forceful manner.
This causes the DA to chuckle in the middle of a response by the defendant, who says "Mr. Smith, this is a serious case and is not funny!" DA replies "Sir, you are absolutely correct. What I am laughing at is the court reporter, attempting to notify the JA that the fire alarm is sounding, and we should perhaps take a quick adjournment."
Glenn wakes up, goes in the hallway to listen, returns and says "Yes, there is a fire alarm." Judge says "jury, go with the bailiff; we are in recess" and leaves the bench. The jury gets up to leave. When the jury leaves, I get the defendant, handcuff him, and we have a very brief and meaningful conversation. By the time I get him in handcuffs and the jury has cleared the back hallway, the "all clear" sounds.
I had been in Court Transport about 3 weeks at this point, and I was pretty excited by the whole thing.
Oh, I want to hear this story, too, Ally!!
Hope we get to hear from her soon, MaryPat!
Tell it, Ally!
yes, the heart is fickle here today!
Morning, Liz!
Morning, Lynell!
Morning, Alexander!
Brilliant comic yesterday! I almost choked on my coffee with laughing so hard!
Damned immigrants...we must quit making them take a civics test before being granted citizenship!
Besides, it’s too much like work. All those boring one-page summaries to read.
And he gets to keep the dough.
Smart politician, Doonesbury.
Lol. I've been saying the same thing for months; it flies right over the heads of the former president's base.
I saw that, hahahaha
:)
I’m worn out w the repetitions of the ‘facts’ of the Trump/Eastman et al crew.
And I am Forever relieved that Mike Pence and his cohort of personal Legal support were able to hold fast to the TRUTH In the midst of the TERROR of being in the Capitol building for the hours of the ‘insurrection’.
I’d really like this all to be finished. Legally wrapped up. Cleaned, Packaged
Permanently LEGALLY set to rest so that our Country can truly turn the page, or open a new book.
I am disheartened that DT continues to receive NYTimes and other American and British and Australian news coverage. Which continues to expand in numerous other languages around the world. Can we not silence this seemingly never ending stream of false, fake, fraudulent, twisted repetitions of ‘his facts’ ?
Thank you for continuing to make clear the pathway to factual knowledge concerning Jan 6, 2021. I truly understand why I am not built to be a lawyer, or academic. However, I have no doubts that my efforts to understand the inner workings of the Jan 6 ‘21 Insurrection make me a better US citizen. That is why I am devoted to Letters from an American, and do many of the followers here who I enjoy reading and thinking about. Good night. Pray for PEACE please…🇺🇸🇺🇦
Carol O, thank you for one of the most coherent summaries of frustration that I have heard; mind you, a frustration shared by most (if not all) of us in this group. I don’t know you, so I don’t know your limits — but please do not despair. We haven’t heard from the back benches just yet. I am hopeful there is at least a substantial portion of the electorate out there, quietly keeping at least one eye on this mess and sorting the good from the bad. We need to neutralize the disinformation, and motivate them to VOTE. Lift where you stand, use your gifts and talents, and do all that you legally and safely can....
So true Gus, outreach to voters is key! " Lift where you stand, use your gifts and talents, and do all that you legally and safely can." Thank you!
smv1540, glad it struck a chord with you. Change it, use it, pass it on!
While each president’s challenges are unique, none of our other president has had to deal with problems like Trumpism and its embodiment DT. His cult followers daily try to make up down and lies into truth. I am so tired of the lying!
Chump is so proud of his ability to destroy, he and Bannon said so. Believe them
Yes, he is a master at manipulating the press, who seem to have lost their way. Worn to a nub also.
Exactly.
What I want is an investigation of the NYT’s ties to Trump. And maybe the mob and Russia. Why give more print to HRC’s emails than all Trump’s scandals combined?
Pray and work for Peace not war.
Thank you for laying out the facts in such a concise, logical manner. I grow impatient to see TFG and his associates indicted at the very least (and this includes Rafael Cruz). It seems that Merrick Garland’s deliberate style might be better suited for being a Supreme Court Justice than being Attorney General.
The new DOJ Budget includes hiring 131 new lawyers to deal with January 6. They're not going to be there to be playing tiddlywinks.
And because the investigations started at the bottom and worked their way up, tons of research has been completed. This can all be used in investigating the "top echelon" of perps (where we are now) and final cases made much faster & tighter than if we had begun at the "top". I'm beginning to feel a bit hopeful.
Agree!!
I hope you're right, TC. If the mid-terms go south for us, only the DOJ will be left standing. Garland may not be sitting on the Supreme Court, but he may have the last word on this.
TC, "The new DOJ Budget includes hiring 131 new lawyers".
Well, that cinches it then. Trump will never be indicted. Just the process of hiring that many lawyers will extend well past the next election.
Sadly, in spite of what I consider to be very good performance by Biden and the Democrats, the drumbeat of Russian propagana emanating from Fox News has polluted the (eagerly willing and well trained belief oriented) minds of voters.
The probability that any investigation will exist after the election in November and the resultant seating of a new Congress in January 2023 is very close to zero.
The Jan 6 committee has always planned to finish its work well before the end of this Congressional session. The DOJ reports to the President, who has a four year term, until January 2025.
Yes.
Last fall, DOJ internally solicited lawyers to create a team to prosecute the criminal acts of Jan 6th. The budget is likely intended to backfill those internal lawyers who joined the team. There could also be fresh faces to DOJ, of course, but the bulk of the team were already DOJ lawyers.
I fear that you are right
While a new R congress would almost certainly shut the J6 committee down, or warp it beyond recognition, the DOJ has a different timeline, which is through to the 2024 presidential election. I am certain that the J6 committee will complete its work before the midterms (or next January at the latest). The DOJ has more time.
I hope so.
No. TC and Joan and Kelly are right.
Last fall, DOJ solicited internally for lawyers to become part of a team to prosecute the criminal acts which occurred Jan. 6th. Some who were interested were discouraged from signing up.
Discouraged, how so, KellyR? Could you cite some source for this?
I have a family member who is a DOJ prosecutor. Upon inquiry about joining the team, family member's boss discouraged it. Discussions with others revealed other lawyers who were interested in joining the team were also discouraged.
Thank you for your candid reply. I did wonder if you knew someone personally.
Any information about *why* they were discouraged from joining the team?
Thanks so much. Concerning at the least.
Exactly, we need to back up what we say.
Excellent!
👍🏼
I have no hair left, having pulled at it in frustration waiting for all clearly obvious saboteurs to be prosecuted.
Be careful with that hair thing. Next thing you know, Chris Rock will be using you as a bully (not funny) punch line.
So disappointed in Will Smith. I absolutely love him.
Jeri, you made me literally laugh out loud. Thanks. I know it wasn’t funny, but your line was.
😉love your image late in this evening
Well, nobody better call you the next GI Jane!!
Big Huggies
Where is Sally Yates?
Good question.
They both require the same qualities, patience and deliberation and the need to follow the facts.
Thank you Heather.
As I read this concise rollout of the events leading to January 6th the reality that the truth will not be accepted by the GOP. Not by any means.
I feel this alone is what is wearing down the Democrats.
We can all shout "look at the facts" while the other side looks the other way all day long. That is never going to change. Facts dont matter to those with a single vision. Look at how New York State has walked away from holding Trump accountable eventhough they feel they could prosecute him. There is the idle threat they are still looking into it.... until we forget about it. I had a Professor that used to call certain instances, self solving problems. Regardless of public uproar, time and inactivity will cover problems.
I feel we are a nation that is perfectly willing to continue to paint a ceiling, yet the root problem is the leaky roof and we aren't willing to fix that.
Be safe. Be well.
Linda, you are spot on with this:
"I feel we are a nation that is perfectly willing to continue to paint a ceiling, yet the root problem is the leaky roof and we aren't willing to fix that."
'I feel we are a nation that is perfectly willing to continue to paint a ceiling, yet the root problem is the leaky roof and we aren't willing to fix that'
What a perfect analogy! As an outsider looking in I keep waiting for the whole damn cabal to be arrested and charged. I really do hope that wish comes to pass.
Take care
Linda, you have said what so many believe. HCR has laid out the time line as clearly as ever, but it only is really understood by those who already know. Those who look away would not even finish reading this letter as they don't have the will to see another telling of the Jan 6 story.
Exactly
I love that analogy.
It is physically revolting to read these details. And it is enraging to watch men like Eastman use the courts purely as delaying tactics, hoping to drag these bad faith suits out until the 2022 elections.
He can fight this all he wants, it’s futile. His goose is cooked.
And he was DEAN of the law school?!
Thank you Dr. Richardson for clarifying the facts and picking up what Eastman said on Jan 6: "...This is bigger than President Trump. It is a very essence of our republican form of government, and it has to be done. And anybody that is not willing to stand up to do it, does not deserve to be in the office. It is that simple.” Our _republican_ form of government! Lying fascism with a sprinkle of insanity and lots of greed. 😳🤮😡🤯🎃💩🤡
ps. Who says only several hundred people marched on the Capitol?
I completely support calling that group fascist, autocratic, insane, etc., but most of those descriptors are how WE see THEM. Let’s remember the core values that unify them: whites come first, men come first, straights come first, people with money come first, Christians come first. They don’t see it, but it’s their desire to keep a white, male, straight, rich, Christian dominant society that glues them together and fuels their affinity for people like putin.
Their core "values" indeed. Thanks, Roland.
People with money come first, always. The patriarchal “Christian” values are to distract us from what the money people have done, are doing, and want to do next—to us and our only planet.
Several hundred people?!? I gasped when I read that.
Yeah, just look at the videos. Easily over 1000 people. How many 1000s? That’s the question
Seriously, I know I say this time and again, but they freaking amaze me – but not really. I know that they will say and do anything to bolster their ridiculous position(s) even when concrete evidence debunks their lies.
The same people who said the crowd at the tRump inauguration was "(H)UGE"
Gigi, your spread of emojis says it all. 🖤
As these incredible revelations unfold, it's sobering to realize how far Trump has succeeded in exploiting our justice system and undermining our system of government. 15 months after the insurrection, he has crippled or delayed every criminal or civil or suit against him. None of the 147 Republican members of Congress who voted to overturn the election results have been forced to resign or face consequences. We learned last week that at least one Supreme Court Justice decides on cases in which he has a conflict of interest. By not even enforcing Congressional subpoenas in a timely manner, our current Justice Department sends the silent message that former Pres. Trump and his aides are indeed above the law. We all hear the clock ticking to midterm elections.
In light of all of this, what teeth will the Congressional committee have when they deliver their book report next month on the January 6 Insurrection? It seems to me that Trump has demonstrated not only that he will probably never be held to account, but that their is little down side to the Republican Party continuing to dismantle our democracy. Please tell I'm totally wrong. Please.
"It seems to me that Trump has demonstrated not only that he will probably never be held to account, but that their is little down side to the Republican Party continuing to dismantle our democracy. Please tell I'm totally wrong. Please."
The probability that you are totally wrong is small. The probability that Trump will get "clean away" and that Republicans win the House and become, perhaps permanently, in charge of our country is significantly larger.
Recognizing our reality is key to turning it. We have to do something now in ways that matter. We cannot wait to see what happens.
Eastman and the former guy run/ran an Enron of politics. How to defraud, how to obstruct, how to steal an election, how to coup. Once charges are brought, witness will deal/plead quilty/testify against to avoid prison. TFG will give speeches that try to insight violence as leverage. That threat of violence will turn many supporters away from TFG. I forecast a coming catharsis.
Here's hoping you are correct.
You are totally wrong.
Well said, Kim.
Thanks. Make it so!
I’m waiting, but I’m old. Wait on my behalf, please
If tfg and his band of sycophants really believed their efforts were justified under the law, they'd be begging for vindication about now in every conceivable forum. And, perhaps they were...60+ lawsuits, all rejected or failed, sustained and intense pressure on the VP, who sought consultation where he could find it outside the beltway and concluded he had no leg to stand on in rejecting the electoral votes. They'd be happy to share all the details, believing they'd ultimately be exonerated; no need for insurrection, no need for lawsuits to suppress access to documents, no need to appeal all the way to the Supreme Court on the shaky premise of "executive privilege" for a defeated politician, and no need for the endless demagoguery. It's a shame that this judge has no direct power over tfg by his findings, but this is still a falling domino in what I hope will be a whole cascade of revelations over the coming months, a flood of findings and legal/judicial action that will bury the disciples of tfg as the midterms approach. I have no objection to conservative voices in Congress, provided they serve in a spirit of engagement, willingness to reach across the aisle, compromise when needed to pass needed legislation and other forthright behavior, rather than the clown show we've been observing since November 2020. The collateral effects of exposure of the details, such as "outing" Ginni Thomas, will inevitably continue. Disgrace and discreditation is the next best thing to criminal conviction in the world of power and influence, IMHO.
They don’t believe their bull Schitt, only the sheep (cult) are so deluded.
Well said. It is that cult45 that we have to be worried about.
I fear for our police, sheriffs, and National Guard when tRump's fake "tower" comes down.
Thank you Heather.
IMHO, we’re way past trying to change the many hearts and minds that are hard set in believing the 2020 election to be a fraud compounded by a conspiracy. It seems absolutely essential, while there’s anything left of our civil society and the rule of law, to make damn sure that the instigators and enablers of the big lie and the insurrection are publicly tried and stripped of their freedoms and wealth.
Then, if not concurrently, we must push back on states’ rule. The south must not be permitted to rise ever again.
Exactly so. Those minds are that of cult45 and only reprogramming them will get us anywhere. To reprogram someone who believes that white, cisgendered, heterosexual, Christian men are "chosen" is going to be very nearly impossible.
Most of them don't look very healthy to me, though...
The seven jokers running for the Ohio Republican Senate nomination debated in Cleveland last night. All but one said "Trump won the election." Hearts and minds, indeed.
😔 so disheartening when so many great "moderate" Republicans have governed Ohio ( Kasich, DeWine...)
As the old saying goes, the jig is up. Yes, there will be much more detail and more crimes revealed, but we now have the big picture. Will the media, especially TV, tell it with enough prominence and verve to penetrate the minds of those poisoned by lies and hate?
I kinda want more of Eastmans emails. Oh man, did I just say that? It’s not smoke, it’s a smoking gun that a crime was committed. Doesn’t that warrant more discovery? At least more by this judge?
There will be more discovery in this case. The judge was ruling in emails Jan 4-7, 2021. That set was only the first round. The subpoena covers a time period going back to early November 2020.
Other letters reported clowns like Mo Brooks saying Stop the Steal conversations and strategy started as far back as September 2020. Who was Eastman selling his plan to in September?
Definitely the case. This fact is critical because it undercuts their premise that the election was stolen. Trump was preparing to block the peaceful transfer of power in September 2020 because his internal polling showed him losing.
Imagine that. TFG has plenty of life experience at LOSING! Ha ha
That is a very good question.
Then this…Cruz was in on it too, Mother Jones reports, his top aid resigned. Others close distanced themselves including Carly Fiorini.
"Inside Ted Cruz’s last-ditch battle to keep Trump in power
The Texas senator’s effort alienated some allies and sparked questions about ties to John Eastman, a longtime friend and author of key legal memos in Trump’s efforts."
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/03/ted-cruz-january-6-trump-election/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/28/ted-cruz-john-eastman-jan6-committee/
Perhaps the judge pulled out the pertinent docs that will do a fine job of nailing the coffin closed. So why more? More is not necessarily better.
I dunno, maybe more crimes were committed. These ass clowns remind me of Lay, Skilling, and Fastow. Where there are lies and fraud, there is typically skimming and stealing.
District Judge David Ormon Carter, born March 28, 1944, is a decorated Vietnam vet, with a Bronze Star for valor; he acted. Read his record.
Thank you Sandy 🙏
Thanks, Sandy, will do.
Thanks, Sandy.
Sandy Lewis, you have not only witnessed but uncovered so much integral truth in recent decades. Thank you. I’ve little doubt your first-hand experiences shed bright light on today’s happenings. Please continue to share with us here.
Thanks, AshleyR TN. I spoke with a leading US ambassador to a European entity at ten Tuesday morning. He lives now in Chicago. He’d heard my message. I’d called him to suggest a long shot. He used txt to schedule us. Listened carefully for 30 minutes. He’s thinking. An able man. A huge mess. Long shot - where all are sick with worry, the man most loved v. the man most feared and hated - I see an opportunity, a concept requiring a unique approach, a game changer. Not sharing. Hinting and hoping. Waiting. The pieces are in place. Cowardice has met courage. Both have supporters and the opportunity cries out for the concept. The Cave in The Republic comes to mind. The all powerful coward here lives in solitary. All fear him. He fears all. We must think and act. Santayana had imagination. Gandhi had patience. Churchill had his voice and writing. This will take all and more.
Is this a "Swamp too big to drain?" The amounts of money and numbers of people involved in "The Big Lie" and attempted coup of our nation are indeed beyond imagination.
The swamp is gigantic and 131 more lawyers would certainly help. I’ve been saying since 1/20/21 DOJ needs more $$ and good lawyers. The mafia even gave up their own white board of players so we can see the immense size of their web of criminal activity. https://mobile.twitter.com/DempseyTwo/status/1427663229367590916
Wow. Wonder who took the photo. Looks like the kind of art product a criminally insane Christian cult member might produce in an asylum.
I'm thrilled to hear Judge Carter's words. We've waited far too long to finally have this happen.
Just don't forget - in addition to demanding that the Trump Gang be held accountable and brought to justice, we should be demanding that Congress institute laws which close all the loopholes that were abused by the likes of Trump, Cruz, Stone, Bannon, Barr, Eastman and possibly Putin. The barn door doesn't just need to be slammed shut - some childproof locks need to be installed ASAP! The chicken thieves will surely try again some day.
White racism, white supremacy, the whites-come-first society, will not go quietly into that good night. They are being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st C. world of the diversity society. As you see, they are testing every law and breaking every rule to keep their tradition alive. Rupert provides their town hall and “newspaper.” Tass is their complement over in Russia.
I smell indictments coming.
From your lips...
“Please God, just give us one indictment that finally sticks, so we can break the big lie, and begin pulling that thread, the lies will just unravel after ugly truth after another and another. Please.”
Can I get an AMEN?!
AMEN
Amen Sister‼️
Amen!
AMEN 🙏
AMEN, again and again.
Powerful indictment rooted in the truth and grounded in our constitutional democracy.