Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Let’s bury these fuckers at the polls 2 years from now.

Balloon Juice, where there is always someone who will say you’re doing it wrong.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

This blog will pay for itself.

Oppose, oppose, oppose. do not congratulate. this is not business as usual.

Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

Rupert, come get your orange boy, you petrified old dinosaur turd.

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

I am pretty sure these ‘journalists’ were not always such a bootlicking sycophants.

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

Innocent people do not delay justice.

Compromise? There is no middle ground between a firefighter and an arsonist.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” was supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.

Their freedom requires your slavery.

If you can’t control your emotions, someone else will.

Tide comes in. Tide goes out. You can’t explain that.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

’Where will you hide, Roberts, the laws all being flat?’

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Afternoon Impeachment Thread

Afternoon Impeachment Thread

by | 164 Comments

This post is in: 

Looks like we need another one. Here’s a link to a livecast.

If a Member of Congress is a reflection of the people he or she serves, man are there some dumbshits in these R+infinity districts. I’m not just talking about Louie Gohmert. I also wonder how many of them have committed domestic violence, because their main argument is “look what you made us do” and “don’t make us face any consequences or we’ll do it again.”

In other news, never overestimate Mitch McConnell. He’s apparently called Schumer and told him he won’t consent to an emergency session of the Senate.

Reader Interactions

164Comments

  1. 1.

    MattF

    Good point. Think of it in terms of behavioral repertoire— this isn’t the first time they’re using these arguments.

  3. 3.

    LuciaMia

    Everytime I see or hear Gohmert, I’m amazed he’s still alive; that he has enough working brain cells to keep him breathing.

  5. 5.

    mali muso

    @WaterGirl: Not sure…I have the CSPAN “live” link up in another window on youtube.  But I had it muted until a minute ago.

    And have muted it again as Gym Jordan is spewing.

    (possible that my feed is delayed as my internet appears to be hiccuping)

  7. 7.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    Does McCarthy think that Trump’s mob was going to spare him? Because if he does, he’s complicit.

  11. 11.

    Damien

    Man this is pathetic.  All this bleating about unity, and yet they won’t join with us to begin the process of cleaning out and reconstructing a functional government.

     

    Oh….oh wait, you mean it’s a bad faith argument in the first place?

  12. 12.

    Leto

    @WaterGirl: Listening to him right now and just want to make him eat chicklets. In fact, that’s what I want almost all the R’s who I’ve heard speak so far, especially Gaetz, to do.

  14. 14.

    randy khan

    It’s perilous to consider McConnell’s motives, but I’m going to do it anyway.

    My theory is that McConnell will vote to convict Trump only if there are enough votes that it will happen. (This is a two-way bet – either he counts to 67 (66 right now) and joins in, or his decision to vote for it pulls enough other Senators along to get to 67/66.)  Lately I’ve been thinking that, on top of that, he might not want to be the decisive vote or close to it – essentially he will want the vote not to be close if it’s going to happen.

    The refusal to reconvene before the 19th (which, let’s face it, is contingent) suggests to me that there aren’t enough votes to convict or that it’s in the zone where it’s not overwhelming, so call it somewhere between 55 and 74.  (With the current configuration of the Senate, 74 votes is just over half of the Republican caucus.)   I think McConnell doesn’t want a vote that fails or, possibly, a vote that has half of his caucus supporting Trump, which would just exacerbate the internal tensions in the party

    And, in practice, this could change very fast if the feeling in the caucus changes.  He won’t hold up a vote if his caucus wants it.

  16. 16.

    Martin

    This is my take on Mitch from a previous thread:

    He’s leaked that he’s in favor of removal. He knows how to count. If he can’t get to 66, he’s not going to reconvene only to fail and further embolden Trump.

    More than anything McConnell is more interested in the remedy that the Senate can use after Trump is gone – which is to ban him from ever holding office again. That keeps Trump from burning down all of the 2024 GOP candidates. It gives him at least the possibility of a GOP win in 2024.

    I’ll add – it’s possible he can get to 66 for banning him from holding office, but not removal.

  18. 18.

    kirbster

    I know I’m biased and all, but as a former high school debate team member, I’ve got to say these Republican congresspeople are making some of the lamest “arguments” I’ve ever heard. Mostly, they have nothing to do with the charge in the articles of impeachment, and are all over the map.

  19. 19.

    Nicole

    Unsurprising about McConnell.  His obstructionism continues to the very end.  I will be curious to see what his control is over his caucus once he’s Minority Leader.  What with so many corporate donors to the GOP rethinking things I wonder if that’s going to hurt his status in the party.  If he can’t get money to them, he’s less useful.

  22. 22.

    MattF

    @randy khan: I think there’s more to come on who was involved and what actually happened. And it’s bad enough that McConnell wants to wait until it comes out.

  23. 23.

    karen marie

    I’m listening via my local NPR station’s live feed.  Listening to the Republicans is horrifying.  Matt Gaetz – I can’t even.  The issue of House Republicans’ direct complicity has only been addressed obliquely but I hope at some point it is addressed directly, and all of the traitors are ejected from their seats.

    What happened January 6th is not “past history,” it continues today, with Republicans promoting and organizing attacks on capitals in all 50 states.

  24. 24.

    Mallard Filmore

    @Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes:

    Does McCarthy think that Trump’s mob was going to spare him? Because if he does, he’s complicit.

    If he thought that, then there was some SERIOUS organizing behind this. The mob would not know McCarthy from Jordan, and he would have been killed in the blood lust.

    Maybe the team with list was really out to “save” the right people, spirit them away and leave the rest to the mob.

  25. 25.

    MJS

    Since Turtle is apparently going to be Turtle, here’s hoping that the House and Senate spend their time beginning January 20 evenly split – COVID/economy in the morning, investigations into Trump, Republicans and January 6, in the afternoon.

  29. 29.

    Hoodie

    @Martin: I think some have opined that you have to have a conviction before you can punish by disqualification, which only takes a majority.   It’s more like a sentencing phase of a trial.

  33. 33.

    karen marie

    @Martin: That keeps Individual-1 from burning down all of the 2024 GOP candidates.

     
    Just because Trump is prohibited from running himself does not mean he loses his ability to burn down all of the 2024 GOP candidates.

  34. 34.

    Roger Moore

    @randy khan:

    I think it’s simpler than that.  McConnell doesn’t want to vote on Trump’s impeachment at all, or at least he doesn’t want to do it himself.  He’s stalling until after inauguration because by then he’ll be minority leader and won’t be in charge anymore.  This way, he gets what he wants- a Trumpectomy for the Republican Party- without his fingerprints on the scalpel.  It’s classic McConnell: he wants to move things his way by inaction.

  35. 35.

    germy

    One of the top organizers of the movement that aimed to overturn the election results has claimed he worked closely with Republican congressmen. Ali Alexander, a leader of the “Stop the Steal” group, said in several Periscope livestream videos last month that he planned the rally that preceded the riot in conjunction with Gosar and two other congressional Republicans, Mo Brooks of Alabama and Andy Biggs of Arizona

    Can someone explain Ali Alexander to me?  There seems to be part of his story I’m missing.

    One of the strangest characters in this story (a story full of strange characters)

  39. 39.

    Betty Cracker

    These people keep invoking Lincoln’s “better angels of our nature.” Since Lincoln was subsequently murdered by seditionists, I don’t think it’s the show-stopper they seem to believe it is.

  40. 40.

    MattF

    Raskin:

    It’s a bit much to be hearing that these people would not be trying to destroy our government and kill us if we just weren’t so mean to them.

  41. 41.

    BC in Illinois

    My own usually reliable Trump-voting Rep Ann Wagner (R-MO), who stepped out of line last week, voting to accept the electoral votes, has stepped back into line:

    “Part of the difficulty here is that he’s gone in less than a week and I don’t see this moving to conviction in the Senate, so I see it as a little gimmicky and divisive.”

  42. 42.

    RandomMonster

    Reuters and WSJ reporting that McConnell has contacted Schumer’s office to tell him that they won’t convene the senate before 1/19.

  44. 44.

    Immanentize

    @randy khan: I don’t care when the Senate reconvenes, but I certainly do NOT want the articles of impeachment to be sent to the Senate until after January 22, when GA will certify the elections and Schumer can become Senate Majority Leader.  Waiting must happen.

  46. 46.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Martin: it’s possible he can get to 66 for banning him from holding office, but not removal.

    Which is worthless. U. S Constitution, Article I, Section 3:

    Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States

    “And,” not “or’. IOW disqualification cannot occur unless the impeached official is removed from office as well. The Article of Impeachment about to be voted specifies disqualification as a consequence of removal to ensure they go hand in hand.

  48. 48.

    Immanentize

    @Betty Cracker: Also too, just two months after that first inaugural address (better angels)  is when the South fired on Fort Sumter.  Didn’t work then, won’t help now.

    ETA I was too generous.  Lincoln address: March 4.  Fort Sumter attack begins: April 12 — all in 1861.

  50. 50.

    kirbster

    Ooooh, “precedent!” Many of the Republicans are making veiled threats that if they ever gain the majority in the House again, they’ll impeach Biden just because they can!

  51. 51.

    JoyceH

    @karen marie:

    Just because Trump is prohibited from running himself does not mean he loses his ability to burn down all of the 2024 GOP candidates.

    I think it does, I think it neuters him entirely. It prevents him from being able to fund-raise on ‘donate to my campaign’. Being out of power without the ability to return to power completely diminishes him as the totem of the faux-masculinity cult that he built up around himself.

  52. 52.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    Guys, rest easy. Everything is well in hand!

    Tha latest conspiracy put forward on 8kun and now being widely promoted by QAnon believers is that President Trump has already been inaugurated at a private ceremony, in which Mike Pence was also present, and the military will be deployed to stop riots after it becomes official.
    pic.twitter.com/f3WVyhcNvM

    — Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) January 12, 2021

  56. 56.

    Jinchi

    @Mallard Filmore: The mob would not know McCarthy from Jordan, and he would have been killed in the blood lust.

    They’d know McCarthy from Nancy Pelosi, though. Or AOC or Ilhan Omar or Rashida Tlaib, or … well you get it. Other than Mike Pence, they don’t need to know their targets. Just pick out Pelosi and every minority woman in the building and they wouldn’t need to worry about accidentally taking out a member of their own team

  58. 58.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Nice to see my newly-elected Representative, Carolyn Bourdeaux (D GA-07), give what I think was her maiden speech (all of 30 seconds!) in the House.

    Looking forward to great things from this incredible woman.

  62. 62.

    germy

    @Mallard Filmore:  The mob would not know McCarthy from Jordan, and he would have been killed in the blood lust.

    They’d know who the Democrats were…. the ones wearing masks.

  63. 63.

    Martin

    @karen marie: No, but it significantly changes his motivation. Trump fights for himself and nobody else, so it matters a great deal whether he has a personal stake in the game.

  71. 71.

    PJ

    @Betty Cracker:

     

    @Immanentize: the rhetoric is for the people who can be swayed, not the people who never listen.  Biden in particular needs as many fence-sitters as possible on his side

    ETA: I’m referring to people who make the reference in good faith, like Biden, not Republicans who just want insurrectionists to go unpunished.

  74. 74.

    Chris Johnson

    A whole pile of these people want Dems to drop their guard so they can attack a second time and this time, kill their enemies quite literally.

  76. 76.

    karen marie

    @JoyceH:  It doesn’t stop him from creating a PAC to fund his continued sedition, it doesn’t stop him from being paid by seditionist Republicans to give speeches.  It only stops him from raising funds as part of a campaign to run for office.

  78. 78.

    Immanentize

    @PJ: Just a quick clarification — the Senate must first CONVICT.  That takes two thirds of the Senate.  Then, the punishments after conviction need only a majority vote.  Some say conviction immediately includes removal, but that other punishments need separate votes.

  79. 79.

    Baud

    @germy: That’s actually their natural state.  Trump was able to consolidate them under one umbrella.  I and others think they will not remain unified after Trump is gone, but it’ll take many years and many tragedies before that happens.

  80. 80.

    raven

    They’re all over “how could an event that was “pre-planned” be incited. I there any other kind of planning?

  83. 83.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    Read an article in the WaPo that claimed impeachment stops on Jan. 20, that constitutionally it can’t happen if he’s not in office. Does the WaPo know their constitution better than Pelosi or James Clyburn or are they wrong?

  86. 86.

    Redshift

    @JoyceH:

    I think it does, I think it neuters him entirely. It prevents him from being able to fund-raise on ‘donate to my campaign’. Being out of power without the ability to return to power completely diminishes him as the totem of the faux-masculinity cult that he built up around himself. 

    I think it diminishes it, but not completely. His fundraising now is for a leadership PAC, not a campaign. I’d love to see the money he’s been pulling in dry up if he can’t run again, but I’m not optimistic. If he can sell them on the idea that he will be named the winner of this election, he’ll be able to sell them on the idea that he won’t be stopped by being barred from running again.

  91. 91.

    Captain C

    @Steeplejack (phone): Can we find a way to make and spread to them a conspiracy theory that Q wants them all to jump in the Pacific and swim to the great garbage gyre there, and once they’re all there Trump will be declared God-Emperor of their new nation and they’ll conquer the world?  I’m not saying they’d all buy it, but we might get rid of a few of the more credulous ones.

  92. 92.

    Almost Retired

    I took the day off work to watch this.  Fascinating look at history being made in real time.  Also, this entire hearing is an infomercial for manufacturers of spangly masks.

  93. 93.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @PJ: Bullshit.

    Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States

    If the impeached office-holder is disqualified “to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States” then s/he cannot continue in the office s/he currently holds. Therefore s/he is removed from that office. That’s simple logic.

  94. 94.

    p.a.

    I enjoy the perp walks and mug shots, but that reminds me: anyone know what became of the Pacific Northwest protesters tossed in the back of unmarked vans by gun toting camo guys without insignia?

  96. 96.

    Immanentize

    @Uncle Cosmo: I think you are mostly right, but there was some talk during the Clinton impeachment (remember when consensual oral sex threatened the Union?) Of convicting but not removing Clinton.  But that talk did not get far.

  101. 101.

    Captain C

    @oatler.:

    McCarthy wants unity and our better angels??

    Really?  Fine.  First you and all your seditionist, thieving jokes you call Republicans admit Biden won the election, admit you took part in sedition (even if only in a RICO-sense assuming the Republican Party as an ongoing criminal enterprise), resign, donate all your assets to a charity or charities of my choice, and admit the whole enterprise (Trumpism, and well, the Republican Party for at least the last 52 years) was for your own power, money, and egos.  Then act like decent humans for, oh, a couple centuries or so.  Then, maybe.

  103. 103.

    Wapiti

    I’ll offer up that if there is violence in DC or state capitols on 1/20, the Repubs are going to look worse for the votes they take today (or in the Senate, for the votes they refuse to take).

  104. 104.

    Redshift

    @Wapiti:

    I think someone at LG&M said that lawyer/commenter also said that Pence had the ability to discard electoral votes. 

    Apparently not. I looked it up, and it’s true that Pence asked him (among others) for legal advice about it, but he told Pence he didn’t have that power.

  105. 105.

    Old School

    @oatler.:

    When Jordan checked time earlier, the Republicans had already used about five minutes more of their time.  I think he’s just saving time for the end.

  106. 106.

    Immanentize

    @Wapiti: It seems that January 17 is the next big revolution day — it is because Q is the 17th letter of the alphabet.  Also conveniently on a weekend.

  107. 107.

    Kattails

    @randy khan: So Mitch will dump the primary responsibility on the Democrats. Such a leader.//

    This is why I’ve said that there is surely much more intel than has been released to the public.  There’s solid reasoning for keeping much of it under wraps for now; but at the same time some of that will move some of the  public, so it must be a balancing act. Moving the public will move their reps.

  108. 108.

    Haroldo

    I believe Trump is fearing (more) legal consequences.  From WaPo:

    As Wednesday’s floor debate was underway, Trump issued a statement calling for there to be no violence at any of the protests that are expected to take place during the week of Biden’s inauguration.

    “In light of reports of more demonstrations, I urge that there must be NO violence, NO lawbreaking and NO vandalism of any kind,” Trump said in the statement, which was first reported by Fox News. “That is not what I stand for, and it is not what America stands for. I call on ALL Americans to help ease tensions and calm tempers. Thank You.”

    I think that horse is out of the barn, Don.

  110. 110.

    John S.

    Aw, how precious. Trump had one of his flunkies put out a statement:

    In light of reports of more demonstrations, I urge that there must be NO violence, NO lawbreaking and NO violence of any kind.

    A week late, $100 short and something even yesterday he was incapable of saying himself. So yeah, total BS.

  111. 111.

    Ksmiami

    So much about America can be distilled down into quotes from “Animal House.” I say to the majority of GOP representatives “You’re all worthless and weak.” I predict that the country will not survive the Republican Party. It needs to be destroyed utterly

     

  112. 112.

    Immanentize

    @Kattails: Believe me, we want McConnell to let the Democrats run the trial.  Then we will control witnesses, arguments, timing, etc.

    But for me, witnesses are the key.  McConnell could call for an immediate vote with no witnesses and limited arguments (like the last impeachment).  Schumer will want the public to know all.

  113. 113.

    germy

    @Haroldo:

    “In light of reports of more demonstrations, I urge that there must be NO violence, NO lawbreaking and NO vandalism of any kind. That is not what I stand for, and it is not what America stands for. I call on ALL Americans to help ease tensions and calm tempers. Thank You.”

    “Okay, Mr. Trump, you’ve covered your ass.”

  114. 114.

    Matt McIrvin

    McConnell wants to hurt Trump but wants no Republican fingerprints on it. His ideal situation is if the Democrats impeach Trump and the Senate just votes it down party-line, again.

  116. 116.

    Immanentize

    @burnspbesq: Ha!  That said, bar tending in the city is always hard respected work — especially for attractive women who take on that effort.

  117. 117.

    Leto

    @Haroldo: “I know for the past 1490 days I’ve called for rioting, taking up arms if I lost, and this past Wednesday I incited you to the first attack on the Capitol since 1814; but this time I’m calling for peace, and for you to totally discard everything I’ve previously said.”

  118. 118.

    burnspbesq

    @Wapiti:

    It was Eastman, the asshole from Chapman, who told Trump that Pence had the power to disregard votes. Luttig told Pence the opposite.

  119. 119.

    Kelly

    @p.a.:I enjoy the perp walks and mug shots, but that reminds me: anyone know what became of the Pacific Northwest protesters tossed in the back of unmarked vans by gun toting camo guys without insignia?

    They were released fairly quickly. Next day if I recall correctly. I don’t recall if they were charged with anything. The folks grabbed reported several hours of intimidation tactics while they were held. Implied if you ever want see daylight tell us the antifa chain of command.

  120. 120.

    Another Scott

    @karen marie: Moscow Mitch is all about Money, Money, Money in politics.  Prohibiting Trump from holding office (likely, IANAL) prohibits him from raising money for a 2024 campaign.  Moscow Mitch is hoping that that money instead goes to GOP PACs and candidates that he can control.

    There’s no grand strategy here.  Moscow Mitch isn’t going to help Democrats get it done – not unless he sees no other choice.  The corporate donors turning off the spigot got Moscow Mitch’s attention and he wants that money turned back on, tout de suite.  He figures with the money back on, he can win back power in 2022 and/or 2024 and knows that it’s hopeless without it.

    That’s my theory, anyway.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  122. 122.

    Gravenstone

    @karen marie: Yeah, he’ll be hurling abuse at all candidates from the sidelines, via whatever mechanism he can find. This is another point where banning him permanently from social platforms has to mean exactly that. If he’s allowed a public venue for his venting, his deplorables will be revved right back up.

  124. 124.

    mali muso

    Nice that the speeches are short.  But I’m still muting every single R as all they have is lies.

  125. 125.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: Constitutional scholars actually seem to be divided on this.

    I had thought there WAS precedent–an old case in which some federal officer who had already resigned was impeached, or maybe just convicted after prior impeachment–but I can’t find it now.

    Matt Gaetz brought up the possibility of impeaching Barack Obama just last year (though Gaetz is an idiot so it doesn’t indicate much), and I’m positive that there was semi-serious talk of impeaching Hillary Clinton, in her capacity as former Secretary of State, BEFORE she could take office if she’d won in 2016.

  127. 127.

    Kattails

    Hoarse says “Insufferable fuckwit, Lauren Boebert, has been locked out ofTwitter until the inauguration.” Timer says about half an hour ago. Good. Now lock her out of chambers.

  128. 128.

    Immanentize

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: Luttig is just pissed he was never appointed to SCOTUS.  He is wrong as wrong can be, for under his theory, one could wait until the day the Senate was to vote after a brutal trial, and then resign and face no punishment.  It’s ridiculous and poorly thought through.  It has not been the practice, and it makes no practical sense.  If what Luttig said we’re true, then it would write the secondary punishments (cannot seek office, etc.) out of the constitution because they could never be imposed.

  131. 131.

    LeftCoastYankee

    @p.a.:

    The initial 2 reported both were let go the same night without charges.

    The Oregon AG filed suit against DHS based on their experience and info more people had this experience.

    I’m not aware of if any of these folks ever got formally arrested, but now I want to dig more and find out.

  132. 132.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Betty Cracker: Lincoln was prefect aware the seditionist were going murder him for the crime of darning to be decent but felt it was more important for him to set the example.

  133. 133.

    Another Scott

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: Lawyers can argue about anything – it’s what they’re paid to do.

    There was a show on C-Span in the last day or so with a guy who wrote a recent 50,000 word law-review article on impeachment.  It’s more complex than people think, he says.

    But he said there have been a few/several cases where people were impeached after being out of office.

    I think it’s this (24 page .pdf), but can’t swear to it.

    HTH.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  134. 134.

    Matt McIrvin

    I had thought there WAS precedent–an old case in which some federal officer who had already resigned was impeached, or maybe just convicted after prior impeachment–but I can’t find it now.

    I was probably thinking of Secretary of War Willam W. Belknap in 1876:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_W._Belknap#Senate_trial_and_acquittal

    Belknap resigned following his impeachment, for taking kickbacks from a tradership contract at Fort Sill in Indian Territory, and was still tried by the Senate. The trial went on, and a majority of the Senate believed there was jurisdiction to try him, but he was acquitted when the Senate failed to reach a two-thirds supermajority, and some of that was because of Senators who believed there was not jurisdiction to try a former officer. So the story is more ambiguous than I’d thought.

  135. 135.

    tinare

    I am really tired of members of the party that impeached over lying about a blowjob calling inciting insurrection baseless. And if one more arsehole talks about unity, I’m going to scream.

  136. 136.

    Another Scott

    @Uncle Cosmo: Some apparently argue (with a straight face, but maybe not in good faith) that the President is not an Office under the United States.

    Lawyers can argue about anything.

    It doesn’t hurt to cross the i’s and dot the t’s to be sure…  ;-)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  137. 137.

    mrmoshpotato

    Holy batshit crazy assclowns, Batman!

    I’ve been glancing at some Twitter accounts that’re reporting on the (second) impeachment trial and holy batshit crazy assclowns on the Russthuglican side, Batman!

  138. 138.

    Leto

    Finally turned it off. Repeating the same things plus I just can’t listen to the Sedition Caucus anymore. Fuck’em. Forever.

  140. 140.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Haroldo:

    “That is not what I stand for, and it is not what America stands for. I call on ALL Americans to help ease tensions and calm tempers. Thank You.”

    “Also I won, and the Democrats stole it and this is the end of Democracy because of such a sacred landslide stolen from patriots that has never happened before”

    Really, this would be defused much easier if he just admitted that he lost and no election fraud happened. He doesn’t even have to say he made it up. Just say that he’s been convinced that it didn’t happen and he lost fair and square. THAT’S how you promote healing and unity.

  141. 141.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Immanentize: It seems that January 17 is the next big revolution day — it is because Q is the 17th letter of the alphabet. Also conveniently on a weekend.

    Also conveniently a holiday weekend for anyone who works where MLK Day is observed. Whole extra day to get home.

    (Hey, those fuckheads might’ve happily fastened a noose around Dr King’s neck, but they’re not gonna turn down a day off with pay.)

  142. 142.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Matt McIrvin: Yes. The “Impeach Hillary” thing was a plan. Basically, if the Rs took the Senate and House but not the Presidency, they were hoping to impeach her before her inauguration and prevent her from becoming president.

    I don’t think they actually would have done it, but all the assholes grandstanding against impeachment now were in favor back then, or at least willing to consider it.

  143. 143.

    Martin

    @Uncle Cosmo: It’s not. I’ve heard from enough scholars that there’s plenty of precedent that the two are detached, at least in the event that the person is no longer in office. Otherwise you could never impeach someone no longer in office, and we’ve done that quite a few times.

  144. 144.

    Chris Johnson

    I’m listening to all of them but I’m interested to know which ones the Republicans are reserving for final arguments. They put some of the Q contingent up early, rather than reserving them for the very end. That might suggest the intended play is not to run with the Q people and their madness.

    I also think everybody not crazy there knows that the insurrectionist plot extended to inside the Capitol and was enabled by some of the same people who are making crazy arguments. I guess there is tactical advantage to not arresting them right away. I wish I knew if any of them had brought assault weapons onto the floor. Some of them refused to comply with the metal detector stuff.

  149. 149.

    Immanentize

    @WaterGirl: Frankly, who can stop it?  The SCOTUS has made it clear that Impeachment is solely a question for the Congress.  Even though the Constitution says that the Chief Justice will preside if the official is the President, there is a lot of debate whether the Justice can do anything of substance.  I think the current wisdom is that if 50+1 senators say a thing can happen during impeachment, it can happen.  Courts have no say.

    One interesting twist is whether the Chief Justice need to preside over the impeachment trial of an ex-President (one, say, voted out of office).  Stay tuned!

  152. 152.

    DC

    I saw even the WSJ with this great bit of snark and had to share:

    “On Wednesday Mr. McCarthy urged lawmakers to refrain from voting to impeach, warning that would “further divide this nation, a vote to impeach will further fan the flames, the partisan division.”

    Democrats have said the president’s rhetoric and encouragement of a mob was more divisive.”

  153. 153.

    Denali

    I was hoping that McConnell would fast track the Senate vote in order to quell the violence that seems inevitable on the 17th and 20th. As long as T is President, people will do the unthinkable, as we have already witnessed. Does McConnell want more blood on his hands?

  155. 155.

    mrmoshpotato

    @DC:

    EVERY GOP CONGRESSMAN: To all my Radical Dumbocrat colleagues: We need healing and unity. I say this not just to the Commies, but also to the Libtards— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) January 13, 2021

  156. 156.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Denali: McConnell’s standard MO is that he only prevents things from happening, and as long as he limits himself to that, he probably figures his hands remain clean.

  159. 159.

    mrmoshpotato

    @WaterGirl:

    I think if McConnell fast-tracked the impeachment trial, his name wold end up on one of the kill lists. 

    It’s almost like the GOP’s decades of spewing crazy horseshit at their supporters had an effect.

  163. 163.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @Uncle Cosmo: (Hey, those fuckheads might’ve happily fastened a noose around Dr King’s neck, but they’re not gonna turn down a day off with pay.)

     

    WTF man?

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