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You are here: Home / Politics / America / The Two Real Reasons the House Cancelled Today’s Session, Which Was An Understandable, But Really Bad Idea

The Two Real Reasons the House Cancelled Today’s Session, Which Was An Understandable, But Really Bad Idea

by Adam L Silverman|  March 4, 202112:24 pm| 101 Comments

This post is in: America, An Unexamined Scandal, Crazification Factor, Domestic Politics, domestic terrorists, Investigations Into Violent Extremist Attacks, Open Threads, Politics, Silverman on Security, Violent Insurrection at the Capitol

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Earlier this morning Anne Laurie highlighted that the House of Representatives would be taking today off because of a threat assessment, based on intelligence collected from social media and other sources, that some group of right wing violent domestic extremists – white supremacists, neo-NAZIs, armed and illegal paramilitary groups (aka “militias” and “patriot” groups), and/or other anti-government extremists – working off of a historically bonkers QAnon drop that is itself rooted in sovereign citizen (anti-government extremist) bullshit that 4 March is the real inauguration day and that since today is 4 March, Donald J. Trump is going to be inaugurated for his second term today. And that to celebrate, these anti-American violent domestic extremists were planning on attacking the Capitol again to kill as many members of Congress as possible. Or as members of the Bundy family call it: Thursday.

Just a few minutes ago, not realizing that he’d fallen for my nefariously cunning plan to turn him into my warm up routine, Mistermix asked the following question:

My second question is why the Capital is not ringed with soldiers, why every member and staffer doesn’t have an armed escort, and why some kind of armored vehicles aren’t patrolling streets around the building so the House can meet today?  (The Senate is in session, which makes little sense if you’re closing the House for a threat.)  Is not capitulating to terrorists reserved for foreign terrorists only?

There are two reasons that the House decided to cancel, even though the Capitol is nominally open for business given the pandemic protocols and the US Senate – the world’s greatest deliberative country club – is in session. Both reasons are different types of insider threats. An insider threat is defined as:

An insider threat is any person with authorized access to any U.S. Government resources, including personnel, facilities, information, equipment, networks, or systems, who uses that access either wittingly or unwittingly to do harm to the security of the U.S.

This threat can include damage to the U.S. through espionage, terrorism, unauthorized disclosure of national security information, or through the loss or degradation of government, company, contract or program information, resources or capabilities.

The first of these insider threats is from within the Capitol Police specifically and Federal law enforcement in general. Right now there are six officers from the Capitol Police Department that are suspended and another twenty-nine who are under investigation as part of the ongoing investigations into the 6 January insurrection at the Capitol. As a result, there is a very real worry that members of the Capitol Police may be sympathetic to these violent domestic extremists or, even worse, actually subjectively or objectively affiliated with them. It was reported yesterday that a DEA agent from LA has been suspended pending the outcome of an investigation into his activities during the insurrection at the Capitol on 6 January. There is a credible threat of both specific insider threats within the Capitol Police Department and a general concern that there may be additional insider threats within and throughout other Federal law enforcement agencies. This means that those who work in the Capitol – from elected members of both chambers to their staffs to the committee staffs to the staff that just keep the building running for everyone else – may be at risk from those who are supposed to be protecting them.

The second insider threat is from members of the House Republican Caucus and/or members of their staff. Within hours of the attack on the Capitol, Democratic members of the House, led by Congresswoman Mikie Sherill, alleged that Republican members of the House and/or their staff gave reconnaissance tours to the insurrectionists in the days leading up to the attack.  Congressman Tim Ryan, who chairs the sub-committee with oversight over the Capitol complex itself, indicated last week that this question is now under active investigation by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Colombia:

Ryan also told reporters the issue of “reconnaissance tours” given by members of Congress to alleged rioters before the attack was now “in the hands of the U.S. attorney here in D.C.”

He said they were “reviewing the footage.”

In this case the concern is that there are members of the House of Representatives, specifically the House Republican caucus, or members of their staffs who aided and abetted the insurrectionists in planning and facilitating the domestic terrorist attack on the Capitol on 6 January. One of the reasons that this investigation has to be done by reviewing footage and not reviewing visitor log details is because there are no visitor logs right now as the Capitol is closed to visitors under the pandemic control protocols that have been put into place. Ordinarily everyone who enters for one of these member or member’s staff given tours has to provide a significant amount of personally identifying information (PII) that would be logged into the system and cross referenced against who was escorting them, for what purposes, and the day, date, and time of entry and departure. That information isn’t available for this investigation because none of the members or their staffs are supposed to be giving tours, which makes it a perfect time to aide and abet surveillance ahead of a domestic terrorist attack by taking advantage of the normal record keeping process being suspended.

Given these two potential and suspected insider threats, it is perfectly understandable why the House would go into recess for the week a day early. It is also a terrible decision for all that it makes perfect sense. Every time one or more of these specific domestic extremists, domestic extremist group, or the members of the Republican House or Senate caucus who have decided to either represent them or indulge them in the hopes of electoral success (Senator Micro Rubio is definitely in the latter category), make a threat and get a response to them that is a rewards for making a threat, they win. Moreover, they learn that making a threat or actually carrying out a threat – stalking, harassing, and verbally assaulting members of the House or Senate, attacking the Capitol or a member’s office back in their districts and states, doing the same thing at the state and municipal levels, etc – they receive reinforcement not just for their revanchist, reactionary anti-American, and anti-constitutional beliefs, but for the actions they take to make those beliefs real. The more rewards and reinforcement they receive, the more they will engage in these behaviors and others will be inspired and motivated to adopt these beliefs and behaviors for themselves.

And that is why this moment is very different and uniquely dangerous compared to previous moments of hyper-polarization in US politics. Normally we would all want to try to make a distinction, painting with a very fine brush if you will, between those who hold ideologically extreme views, but work within the existing political system and processes to achieve their goals and those who hold those same views, but advocate and undertake the use of violence to achieve the same goals. We would want to do this because by channeling even those with ideologically extreme views through the existing political system and process it keeps them both in touch with those that don’t hold their views, exposes them to counter-arguments, and uses the system to temper their extremism by using the systems and processes to prevent their extremist beliefs from becoming extremist outcomes. This moment is unique, however, because that is both not possible and because the system is not working to do that. Hawley, Cruz, Cotton, Lee, Johnson, Grassley, McConnell, Graham, Tuberville, and almost thirty other Republicans in the Senate and Greene, Boebert, Cawthorne, Gaetz, Jordan, McCarthy, Scalise, and almost 140 other Republicans in the House have all made it explicitly clear that if the existing political system and processes won’t produce the outcomes that they prefer, that they are perfectly happy to subvert them and if that doesn’t work destroy them to achieve their objectives. Moreover, they are using the threats of and actual violence and terrorism by the violent domestic extremists to justify their actions and achieve their objectives. This is not one or two ideological fellow travelers that happened to just get elected and are not able to accomplish much. This is an insider threat from within the Republican House and Senate caucuses that make up a majority of the GOP caucus in the House and between a third and half of the Republican caucus in the Senate.

These two insider threats are the answer to MisterMix’s question.

Open thread!

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Reader Interactions

101Comments

  1. 1.

    LongHairedWeirdo

    March 4, 2021 at 12:29 pm

    There is a credible threat of both specific insider threats within the Capitol Police Department and a general concern that there may be additional insider threats within and throughout other Federal law enforcement agencies.

    Oh, come now. That’s as foolish as the idea that an FBI director would release damaging information to change an election outcome because disloyal FBI agents were ticked that they couldn’t indict an innocent woman!

  2. 2.

    RaflW

    March 4, 2021 at 12:35 pm

    FWIW, there was a twitter report that Sean Spicer showed up at the Capitol this morning with a ‘bouquet of balloons’. When pressed about it, he claimed they are in recognition of Sen Lakford’s birthday.

    But really, it’s just in recognition of what a sad, lonely man Sean is.

  3. 3.

    Old School

    March 4, 2021 at 12:35 pm

    So I haven’t seen anything online about any March 4th activities actually going on.  Are there?  Or is it unexpectedly quiet?

  4. 4.

    germy

    March 4, 2021 at 12:37 pm

    Just a few minutes ago, not realizing that he’d fallen for my nefariously cunning plan to turn him into my warm up routine…

    “Mom… the front pagers are using psyops against each other again!”

  5. 5.

    Adam L Silverman

    March 4, 2021 at 12:39 pm

    @germy: PSYOP, no “s”. The folks that actually do PSYOP use the “s” stuck on the end as a way to weed out those who are legit and those who are not.

  6. 6.

    rp

    March 4, 2021 at 12:45 pm

    If they have evidence of a credible external threat and a real concern about the internal threat, cancelling today’s session is the right move. We’re only a few weeks removed from the attempted coup, so tempers are hot and people are scared. Moreover, Congress can’t afford to take unnecessary risks given everything that they’re dealing with at the moment.

  7. 7.

    germy

    March 4, 2021 at 12:47 pm

    @Adam L Silverman:

    They’re like potato chips.  One is never enough.

     

    Did you see the horned fur insurrectionist is going to be on CBS?  His mother, too.  She tells the interviewer he’s a good boy.

    dude is 33 years old and mommy is still covering for him https://t.co/73TqamNOJl

    — shauna (@goldengateblond) March 4, 2021

  8. 8.

    trnc

    March 4, 2021 at 12:49 pm

    @RaflW: FWIW, there was a twitter report that Sean Spicer showed up at the Capitol this morning with a ‘bouquet of balloons’.

    Did anyone check his car for a clown nose and a 45 or some rope?

    I’m hoping that today’s cancellation is mainly due to the whole March 4 BS and won’t be done every time some qanon idea opens his or her pie-hole.

  9. 9.

    Adam L Silverman

    March 4, 2021 at 12:54 pm

    @rp: It’s an ongoing coup given that elected republican members of the House and Senate are still pushing the lie that the election was stolen and doing so in their official capacities.

  10. 10.

    Adam L Silverman

    March 4, 2021 at 12:54 pm

    @germy: I saw that.

  11. 11.

    Gravenstone

    March 4, 2021 at 12:55 pm

    @RaflW: Were they green balloons? Maybe Sean is a reader here? //

  12. 12.

    Frank Wilhoit

    March 4, 2021 at 12:55 pm

    Adam,

    Taking your point about inadvertent positive reinforcement, I cannot find your recommendation (which, I assume, would have been supported by thorough and convincing logic) as to what they should have done instead.

  13. 13.

    Adam L Silverman

    March 4, 2021 at 12:58 pm

    @Frank Wilhoit: I’d have stayed in session. Using the NG Soldiers on site as the primary security.

  14. 14.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    March 4, 2021 at 1:03 pm

    @germy:

    And Pelosi office invader is shocked—shocked!—that he’s still in jail.

  15. 15.

    Morzer

    March 4, 2021 at 1:06 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: Of course, there are also PSY-OPs, Gangnam Style…

  16. 16.

    Mike in NC

    March 4, 2021 at 1:07 pm

    Every member of the GOP Freedumb Caucus should be considered a domestic terrorist sympathizer.

  17. 17.

    germy

    March 4, 2021 at 1:07 pm

    @Steeplejack (phone):

    Damn.  I wish his hearing was televised.

  18. 18.

    Cheryl Rofer

    March 4, 2021 at 1:07 pm

    I agree that since January 6 it’s been clear that there is a possibility that some members of the House were complicit with the attack. I’ve seen very little about that in the news, which is not surprising, because it could damage any investigation and would be seized upon by Republicans to politicize it. So I agree that it’s part of Pelosi’s calculation in calling the day off. She’s been intent on protecting members of Congress from this danger.

    That said, I disagree with this.

    Every time one or more of these specific domestic extremists, domestic extremist group, or the members of the Republican House or Senate caucus who have decided to either represent them or indulge them in the hopes of electoral success (Senator Micro Rubio is definitely in the latter category), make a threat and get a response to them that is a rewards for making a threat, they win.

    If we frame this as a win for the extremists, we’re giving them a win. I understand that there is a strain of thinking that insists that stoic resistance to the evildoers is the strong stand, but I disagree. Whatever thwarts their plans is a win for the good guys. Taking away their target thwarts their plans, so it is a win for the good guys. And, with the Senate in session, perhaps allows for “diagnostics” to be run to see who’s behaving strangely in the Capitol Police or other organizations.

    However, the public results will be ambiguous. The attack will not happen, so Pelosi can be accused of overreaction. Those who want the stoic stand can proclaim a win for the bad guys. But, if folks are smart, there may be some results we won’t hear about for a while.

  19. 19.

    germy

    March 4, 2021 at 1:09 pm

    Punchbowl News: Democrats are "delighted" that Ron Johnson is the public face of GOP opposition to the relief bill after he suggested the deadly Capitol attack wasn't an 'armed insurrection' and questioned whether Antifa carried out the attack, disguised as Trump supporters.— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) March 4, 2021

  20. 20.

    MoCaAce

    March 4, 2021 at 1:10 pm

    Part of me says let the traitors come and anyone breaching the capitol fence/no-go zone gets sent back in a fucking body bag.  We need to drive those mewling, pants wetting traitors back under their rocks.  Then the FBI needs to get a couple under-covers in every “patriot”, militia, Nazi, Brony group in the country.

  21. 21.

    VeniceRiley

    March 4, 2021 at 1:10 pm

    @Steeplejack (phone): Yelling at a federal Judge FTW. Whoo boy, he dumb.
    Also the Arizona Lege subpoenad actual ballots of Maricopa. And now they have them. Tis on the orange kos site. Very funny!

  22. 22.

    germy

    March 4, 2021 at 1:13 pm

    Nothing was happening last night the Trump Hotel, where room rates surged ahead of today, when QAnoners think Trump will coup. pic.twitter.com/SMJSdUNgIB

    — Dan Friedman (@dfriedman33) March 4, 2021

  23. 23.

    A Ghost to Most

    March 4, 2021 at 1:16 pm

    But, but, metal detectors are the real voter suppression.

  24. 24.

    Mike in NC

    March 4, 2021 at 1:16 pm

    I’m old enough to remember the days when people could simply walk into the Capitol building  and wander around without showing an ID, just as you could visit one of the Smithsonian museums on the Mall.

  25. 25.

    RaflW

    March 4, 2021 at 1:18 pm

    @germy: So March 4 was just a stunt to get some cash flow at a T**mp hotel? Unpossible.

  26. 26.

    RaflW

    March 4, 2021 at 1:20 pm

    @Mike in NC: I went to the ’93 March on Washington for LGBTQ equality. I visited my electeds, and had to go thru metal detectors. I was wearing my best chunky Sears Craftsman black oxfords, which had a steel shank. PITA. But so be it.

  27. 27.

    germy

    March 4, 2021 at 1:27 pm

    @RaflW:

    I don’t know which was the tail and which was the dog.

    Trump Org knew they were planning something, and hoped they’d pay to stay at his property during their adventure.

  28. 28.

    featheredsprite

    March 4, 2021 at 1:27 pm

    You folks who disapprove closing the house didn’t have gangs of men with history of violence prowling through the capital looking for you so they could drag you outside and publicly hang you.

  29. 29.

    germy

    March 4, 2021 at 1:28 pm

    @RaflW:  So March 4 was just a stunt to get some cash flow at a T**mp hotel?

    His presidential run was just a stunt to get some publicity for a new TV show he hoped to star in.

    And here we are!

  30. 30.

    planetjanet

    March 4, 2021 at 1:28 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: So we are being groomed into PSYOP!

  31. 31.

    Anonymous At Work

    March 4, 2021 at 1:32 pm

    Would a sudden cancellation also help FBI trace insider threats by seeing how the far-right/standard-Republican network twitches as a result?

  32. 32.

    germy

    March 4, 2021 at 1:33 pm

    @planetjanet:

    I opted for the grooming and also the full flea bath.

  33. 33.

    Adam L Silverman

    March 4, 2021 at 1:37 pm

    @Anonymous At Work: Barring an imminent threat, you want to leave the network in place as long as possible so you can map it, watch how the different people and groups in it interact, determine who is influencing whom, determine who is a bridging node or a linking node, etc. If you do decide to disturb the network, either by trying to inject someone into it or information into it or by removing someone from it, then you want to be sure you still have a good ability to observe the other parts to see how it reacts, changes, and reforms.

  34. 34.

    Four Seasons Total Landscaping mistermix

    March 4, 2021 at 1:37 pm

    Happy to tee that up for you, unintentionally.  I agree with your take, btw.

  35. 35.

    Adam L Silverman

    March 4, 2021 at 1:37 pm

    @planetjanet: I can neither confirm nor deny anything at this time.

  36. 36.

    Eunicecycle

    March 4, 2021 at 1:40 pm

    @VeniceRiley: Who knew how many boxes it took to hold a million ballots?

  37. 37.

    rikyrah

    March 4, 2021 at 1:43 pm

    The muthaphuckin’ Governor in Mississippi has dropped COVID Restrictions…

    While the capitol city – JACKSON – has been WITHOUT DRINKING WATER FOR THREE WEEKS.

    AND THIS MUTHAHPUCKA HAS NOT DECLARED IT AN EMERGENCY AND REQUESTED FEDERAL HELP.

    LET ME REPEAT….

    THIS MUTHAHPUCKA HAS NOT DECLARED IT AN EMERGENCY AND REQUESTED FEDERAL HELP.

  38. 38.

    schrodingers_cat

    March 4, 2021 at 1:44 pm

    Adam, what do you think is going on with brothers Flynn and why do you think there was delay in deploying the National Guard on Jan 6?

  39. 39.

    dimmsdale

    March 4, 2021 at 1:45 pm

    Hey Adam–Did you see Sen. Whitehouse’s questioning of Wray? “If this guy presided over a fake FBI investigation [into Kavanaugh], we need to know that,” he later said to Chris Hayes. WHEW! Wray committed in the hearing that he personally wouldn’t conduct himself in a partisan fashion (but did NOT commit his organization to the same). Do we have an FBI that falls all over itself providing documents to Republicans, and stonewalls legitimate questions into its investigations (e.g. into Kavanaugh?)—i.e., that is worthy of Americans’ trust? I’m beginning to think Wray ought to go, SOON.

    Also, in the hearing Krisen Sinema asked if FBI monitors social chat, FBI’s Jill Sanborn said NO? WTF, then does anyone in IC? (asking out of ignorance here–with all of these letter agencies, it’s hard to know who’s minding the store).

  40. 40.

    rikyrah

    March 4, 2021 at 1:45 pm

    Let them come. Those muthaphuckas need to be shot like any BLM protester would have been.

  41. 41.

    Feathers

    March 4, 2021 at 1:46 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: The Republicans screaming about congressional phone data being captured (collected?) by the FBI has been a real tell for me. Of course your phone data is in the database. You were there! Why do you consider it a problem?

  42. 42.

    oatler.

    March 4, 2021 at 1:50 pm

    I’m currently staying in an AZ nursing home where all the staff wear masks, though patients can go maskless unless they leave their rooms. There’s also a grim-looking Covid ward with thick layers of canvas for doors.

  43. 43.

    RedDirtGirl

    March 4, 2021 at 1:54 pm

    @germy:  And she is cosplaying late stage Michael Jackson for some reason

  44. 44.

    oatler.

    March 4, 2021 at 1:54 pm

    forgot to add this
    https://tucson.com/news/local/aids-argument-used-as-arizona-house-votes-to-let-businesses-ignore-mask-mandates/article_77272972-17bc-53db-ad50-4f6bf3a81721.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1

  45. 45.

    germy

    March 4, 2021 at 1:54 pm

    @oatler.:

    Did you get your vaccine?

  46. 46.

    germy

    March 4, 2021 at 1:57 pm

    @RedDirtGirl:

    It looked like her outfit was a tribute to her son.  The red/blue flag around her neck, the animal print accessories.

    And at the end of the interview, she says Biden’s win was fraudulent.  So the crabapple didn’t fall far from the poisoned tree.

  47. 47.

    RedDirtGirl

    March 4, 2021 at 1:59 pm

    @germy: Color me shocked.

  48. 48.

    Adam L Silverman

    March 4, 2021 at 1:59 pm

    @schrodingers_cat: The currently still serving LTG (P for promotable) Flynn and LTG Piatt, who were the action officers among the general officers when the requests came in were boxed in for different reasons and from different directions. The acting Secretary of Defense didn’t want the NG to respond. GEN Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, got rolled by Trump during the summer. Milley made all the wrong responses to Trump’s manipulating him and Esper into being at his photo op of clearing the protestors from Lafayette Square and accompanying him to the church. Trump wanted one of two things from Milley. Either capitulate and allow the military to be coopted and used to keep Trump in power or withdraw completely, taking the military with him, and make sure that at the very least Milley, the other Service Chiefs, and the military wouldn’t stand in his way. Milley gave him what he wanted, he made sure the military’s default response would be being overly cautious with the preference for doing nothing because of the optics.

    LTG (P) Flynn was also boxed in because of his name. He’s the ops officer, but his brother – actually both brothers – were actively promoting the insurrection. He should have either had the good sense to recognize the conflict and stay in his office and sent either his senior uniformed or civilian deputy. As far as I’ve seen so far from the reporting, he, himself, didn’t really do anything wrong, it just looks bad and funky because of his brothers. But once he and LTG Piatt were in the room, they were stuck because the acting SecDef wasn’t going to do anything until/unless Trump specifically told him it was okay – and that wasn’t going to happen. And they were stuck because GEN Milley got rolled by Trump and everyone, as a result of his guidance from late July, was to avoid even the appearance of interfering in domestic politics and the election. So everything was lined up for what happened, which was that nothing happened because no one was going to do anything without explicit top cover from their chains of command. For Miller that was Trump. For Flynn and Piatt that was everyone between them and Milley.

    It all still needs fully investigating. And it all needs to be fully transparent. And, frankly, Milley needs to retire or Biden needs to take his stars.

  49. 49.

    Steve in the ATL

    March 4, 2021 at 2:10 pm

    @germy:
    And it’s up against the wall, redneck mother
    Mother who has raised her son so well
    He’s thirty four and drinkin’ in a honky tonk
    Just kickin’ hippies’ asses and raisin’ hell

  50. 50.

    Adam L Silverman

    March 4, 2021 at 2:12 pm

    @dimmsdale: Yes, I saw it. In the first case, Wray didn’t do a fake investigation. The rules, as I explained at the time, of background investigations to provide information for the Senate for confirmations, are not set by the Senate, nor by the FBI. They’re set by the White House. Senator Coons got rolled in his deal with Senator Markey. Markey himself got rolled by McConnell and McConnell’s trusted agent, Don McGahn the White House Counsel. Coons and Markey seemed to think they were going to get a real, full, comprehensive, top to bottom counterintelligence (CI) lifestyle investigation on Kavanaugh. Neither McConnell nor McGahn had any interest in this. So McGahn, who it is important to remember works for McConnell even when he’s on the FEC or the Trump campaign’s counsel or the White House counsel or now back at his white shoe law firm, sent over parameters for the investigation that were very limited. That basically were intended to be able to say: “Yes, we had the FBI do a supplemental investigation.” FBI Director Wray has no control over that, he, just like any FBI director, is completely constrained in that situation by the rules set by the client. And in this case the client was the White House, not the Senate Judiciary Committee.

    As to Assistant Director Sandborn’s remarks, she is correct in her statement. The FBI, for all it likes to claim it is an intelligence agency when that’s convenient, they’re a law enforcement agency. They can’t open or do an investigation without legitimate predicate and, on the intel side, we do not collect intelligence on American citizens without predicate. There’s also a Presidential Directive – 12333 I think – that prohibits this as well.

    The simple reality, which I’ve been arguing for for years, is that the US needs an independent and robustly resourced counterintelligence agency composed of investigators, analysts, and prosecutors separate from the FBI and separate from the rest of the IC that functions like Special Branch in Britain. Its only job is to do CI. It is too important to leave it as a subordinate and secondary function within several other agencies like the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, and the DNI.

  51. 51.

    Steve in the ATL

    March 4, 2021 at 2:14 pm

    @featheredsprite:

     

    You folks who disapprove closing the house didn’t have gangs of men with history of violence prowling through the capital looking for you so they could drag you outside and publicly hang you.

    You don’t know my life!

  52. 52.

    Patricia Kayden

    March 4, 2021 at 2:16 pm

    The party of "Freedom Fries" would like you to know that "cancel culture" is a very serious problem.— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 4, 2021

  53. 53.

    Baud

    March 4, 2021 at 2:19 pm

    @Patricia Kayden: 

    Medal of Freedom now!

  54. 54.

    MomSense

    March 4, 2021 at 2:27 pm

    @germy:

    I must be tired because I read that as cyclops.

  55. 55.

    Princess

    March 4, 2021 at 2:29 pm

    Which Congress members gave tours? No really, which ones. No, really.

    I think we deserve to know *now*.

  56. 56.

    dimmsdale

    March 4, 2021 at 2:29 pm

    @Adam L Silverman:   THANK YOU. Appreciate your expertise; this clears up a lot.

    On a slightly different front, did you see the tweet about a bunch of “operator”-looking guys surveilling the Capitol ransacking from across the river, next to their SUVs? Article here: https://www.arlnow.com/2021/03/01/exclusive-while-the-capitol-was-stormed-a-group-of-men-gathered-near-the-marine-corps-war-memorial/

    It may be nothing, it may be something. Do you have any confidence anyone in the IC is looking into this?  Thanks again.

  57. 57.

    germy

    March 4, 2021 at 2:31 pm

    Some news: The DEA has suspended an agent who was in the crowd, armed, outside the U.S. Capitol as a mob of Trump supporters besieged it, the first known case of authorities examining the conduct of a fellow federal agent during the deadly riot.https://t.co/HHEmOXEtYE— Brad Heath (@bradheath) March 3, 2021

  58. 58.

    Steve in the ATL

    March 4, 2021 at 2:32 pm

    @MomSense: well, it is early on the east coast

  59. 59.

    To be Frank

    March 4, 2021 at 2:36 pm

    They ever find that missing 10 pounds of C-4 the Marines lost?

  60. 60.

    germy

    March 4, 2021 at 2:36 pm

    @Princess:
    Democratic lawmaker accuses Boebert of giving tours prior to insurrection

  61. 61.

    MomSense

    March 4, 2021 at 2:36 pm

    @Steve in the ATL:

    It was a weird morning – didn’t get enough coffee soon enough.
    Cyclops would be cool, though.  I think Cole should get one.

  62. 62.

    mali muso

    March 4, 2021 at 2:38 pm

    @Patricia Kayden: Coincidence that I am currently listening to Hilary’s podcast?  I think not.  NTLTG Hilary is my favorite Hilary.

  63. 63.

    germy

    March 4, 2021 at 2:40 pm

    What's the probability of people doing videos with a wall of guns returning to a living room decorated in nothing but "Live Laugh Love" and "In this house, it's always Wine O'Clock" wall signs?

    — Elizabeth Hackett (@LizHackett) February 21, 2021

  64. 64.

    germy

    March 4, 2021 at 2:41 pm

    My ideal job? Well, I majored in English, so in a perfect world, I'd get paid to listen to podcasts while suspended in nutrient-rich jelly.

    — matt prindle (@GriefBison) September 14, 2012

  65. 65.

    germy

    March 4, 2021 at 2:42 pm

    Looking forward to Trump being sworn in today.

    — Al Franken (@alfranken) March 4, 2021

  66. 66.

    Bill Arnold

    March 4, 2021 at 2:44 pm

    @Adam L Silverman:
    What is the singular of PSYOP? Or can it just be singular from context?

  67. 67.

    Adam L Silverman

    March 4, 2021 at 2:45 pm

    @dimmsdale: I had not. I’ve seen video of people facilitating on the day. Check out this thread:

    https://twitter.com/MacWBishop/status/1349492674500431874

    I have no idea what or who the investigator are looking into. I only know they’ve got 2,000 domestic security files open based on Wray’s testimony on Monday.

  68. 68.

    rp

    March 4, 2021 at 2:46 pm

    @Bill Arnold: Wouldn’t you like to know

  69. 69.

    catclub

    March 4, 2021 at 2:46 pm

    @germy: Looking forward to Trump being sworn in today.

     

    sworn in or sworn at?

  70. 70.

    mrmoshpotato

    March 4, 2021 at 2:47 pm

    @Patricia Kayden: I’d forgotten about that, and all the other dumbassery. And now I want some French toast.

  71. 71.

    Steve in the ATL

    March 4, 2021 at 2:48 pm

    @Bill Arnold: it’s like RBI

  72. 72.

    Abnormal Hiker

    March 4, 2021 at 2:51 pm

    @Steve in the ATL: Once saw Ray Wylie Hubbard singing this under a tree at Luckenbach on a 95F Sunday afternoon

  73. 73.

    Bill Arnold

    March 4, 2021 at 2:51 pm

    @Anonymous At Work:

    Would a sudden cancellation also help FBI trace insider threats by seeing how the far-right/standard-Republican network twitches as a result?

    Those involved in coup-chatter would be wise to assume that they are now under investigation for interfering with the work of Congress, and that this cancellation was a deliberate and part of a counter-coup operation.
    I mean, this is quite plausible to many of the people involved, so therefore it must be true. (Heck, it might even be true. :-)

  74. 74.

    oatler.

    March 4, 2021 at 2:54 pm

    @germy: Got the first of two

  75. 75.

    germy

    March 4, 2021 at 2:55 pm

    Very grateful for my commenters pic.twitter.com/aFsfuelXEi

    — Roy Edroso (@edroso) March 4, 202

    (Future Dr. Seuss books for wingnuts)

  76. 76.

    dimmsdale

    March 4, 2021 at 3:08 pm

    @Adam L Silverman:   Thanks again. He looks like an excellent Twitter follow.

  77. 77.

    trollhattan

    March 4, 2021 at 3:12 pm

    @germy:

    Heh.

    Sworn in on the witness stand, preferably.

  78. 78.

    germy

    March 4, 2021 at 3:16 pm

    @trollhattan:

    He’d probably start screaming in court like Richard Barnett.

  79. 79.

    Steve in the ATL

    March 4, 2021 at 3:17 pm

    @Abnormal Hiker: must have been winter! And awesome.

  80. 80.

    lashonharangue

    March 4, 2021 at 3:17 pm

    @Adam L Silverman:

    The simple reality, which I’ve been arguing for for years, is that the US needs an independent and robustly resourced counterintelligence agency composed of investigators, analysts, and prosecutors separate from the FBI and separate from the rest of the IC that functions like Special Branch in Britain. Its only job is to do CI. It is too important to leave it as a subordinate and secondary function within several other agencies like the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, and the DNI.

    This was discussed in this videocast yesterday. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qblzG8PTirU Even if you can get beyond the 1st amendment issues, they raise an important point of how to insulate such an agency’s collection priorities from political influence.  Any ideas Adam?

  81. 81.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    March 4, 2021 at 3:18 pm

    @Steeplejack (phone):

    From the comments:

    This the “and find out” portion of the exercise.

    — Hindsight and the plague are 2020 (@BuckeyeEng) March 4, 2021

    Also: nobody feels the injustice of the system as keenly as a conservative white guy exposed to it for the first time.

    — NeanderthalHat (@Popehat) March 4, 2021

  82. 82.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    March 4, 2021 at 3:19 pm

    @germy: “Judge” Jeanine will be doing the honors.  The only question is after one box of wine or two.

  83. 83.

    rikyrah

    March 4, 2021 at 3:19 pm

    Florida ???

    The state agreed to set aside vaccines for local distribution, but the events were planned on short notice, with few resources to help spread the word, and no way to reserve appointments for people in the community. https://t.co/ueE1aSZN6q— STAT (@statnews) March 4, 2021

  84. 84.

    germy

    March 4, 2021 at 3:24 pm

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    Pirro’s hard work and dedication finally paid off when Trump pardoned her dirty husband.

    She didn’t get the Supreme Court nomination she wanted, but this was a nice consolation prize.

  85. 85.

    trollhattan

    March 4, 2021 at 3:27 pm

    @germy:

    “Wut about mah freedoms, huh? Didja ever think about them?”

  86. 86.

    Jinchi

    March 4, 2021 at 3:28 pm

    White House defends Biden’s comment comparing Republicans’ behavior to ‘Neanderthals’

    You all can blame Qanon and the Proud Boys, but clearly Joe Biden is to blame for all the division in Washington. Republicans were perfectly happy to cooperate with the White House just a few months ago.

  87. 87.

    TomatoQueen

    March 4, 2021 at 3:29 pm

    OT: if anyone is in need of a little retail therapy, Despair  dot  com has a pwd-protected sale on coffee mugs for the next some hours. Pwd is drinkingproblem. No space, no caps. They take most cards and paypal. Central Time cos they’re in Austin.  Their sensibility may appeal to some of you.

  88. 88.

    Another Scott

    March 4, 2021 at 3:30 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: They’re a sneaky, sneaky bunch.

    PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS (PSYOPS) SPECIALIST

    (I had to spend a bit of time looking, but was sure that I would find a site that added the “s” ;-)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  89. 89.

    trollhattan

    March 4, 2021 at 3:34 pm

    Per Johns Hopkins, California is at about 10M vaccines administered and 3M with 2nd dose. Because I.M smrt that means 7M individuals have significant protection from Covid (40M total population). That math won’t work once the one-dose J&J is being administered and IDK how they’ll present the data.

    And fucking Texas: per the Hopkins data their positivity rate is GOING UP. The last week rate is 12.3% while the last month is 11.5%. Seriously, what in the fucking fuck is Abbott doing and can he be charged with manslaughter re. his depraved indifference to the loss of human life?

    The respective CA positivity rates are 2.2% and 3.5%.

    Houston, we have a problem.

  90. 90.

    Nelle

    March 4, 2021 at 3:36 pm

    OT – I’m watching the webcam for my favorite beach in New Zealand, which is under immediate evacuation order for tsunami after a 8.0 earthquake about 30 minutes ago.  Then I see an elderly guy leisurely walking in front of his house, which faces the beach.  This is a definition of helpless.

  91. 91.

    mrmoshpotato

    March 4, 2021 at 3:37 pm

    @trollhattan: Houston, we have a problem.

    And your governor is a murderous idiot.

  92. 92.

    Adam L Silverman

    March 4, 2021 at 3:48 pm

    @lashonharangue: First, stop listening to Benjamin Wittes.

  93. 93.

    J R in WV

    March 4, 2021 at 3:56 pm

    @VeniceRiley: ​
     

    @Steeplejack (phone): Yelling at a federal Judge FTW. Whoo boy, he dumb.

    Also the Arizona Lege subpoenad actual ballots of Maricopa. And now they have them. Tis on the orange kos site. Very funny!

    So, 73 pallets of ballots, 2.1 million of them delivered to the senate chambers last Monday.

    Oh, boy, what ever shall we do with these, now?!

    Too stupid to be mobsters or dope dealers…

    I hope there’s video of the insurrectionist yelling at the judge, or at least good audio~!!!~

  94. 94.

    Steve in the ATL

    March 4, 2021 at 3:57 pm

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: I feel like this requires a “zing!”

  95. 95.

    trollhattan

    March 4, 2021 at 4:00 pm

    @J R in WV:

    Did they get a free forklift for those pallets? Had a warehouse jerb one summer and driving stacks of shit around indoors is kinda fun (even if there were yoot-inspired mishaps).

  96. 96.

    lashonharangue

    March 4, 2021 at 4:03 pm

    @Adam L Silverman:

    It was Peter Strzok who raised the issue of who sets the collection requirements.  Should I stop listening to him as well?

  97. 97.

    catclub

    March 4, 2021 at 4:10 pm

    @lashonharangue:

    how to insulate such an agency’s collection priorities from political influence.  Any ideas Adam?

    Don’t elect people like Trump president?

  98. 98.

    Nora Lenderbee

    March 4, 2021 at 4:19 pm

    @Bill Arnold: One PSYOP op. Two PSYOP ops. Three PSYOP op ops. …

  99. 99.

    Morzer

    March 4, 2021 at 5:03 pm

    @Nora Lenderbee: OPs… I did it again!

  100. 100.

    craigie

    March 4, 2021 at 5:16 pm

    @Mike in NC:

    You also used to be able to stand on the step at Number 10 Downing Street and have your picture taken. Now you can’t even go into the street itself.

  101. 101.

    Another Scott

    March 4, 2021 at 5:57 pm

    @Nora Lenderbee:

    Obligatory – YouTube (2:45)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

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