And that is official. President Donald J. Trump has made history. He is the first president to be impeached twice.
The official intra-party fight for control of the GOP is off and running as well.
by David Anderson| 341 Comments
This post is in: Impeach the Motherfucker!, Impeachment Inquiry, Open Threads, Violent Insurrection at the Capitol
by Betty Cracker| 200 Comments
This post is in: Domestic Politics, Impeach the Motherfucker!, Impeachment Hearings, Open Threads, Politics, Trumpery
Here we go again, citizens!
The Democrats serving as impeachment managers are Representatives Raskin, DeGette, Cicilline, Castro (Joaquin), Swalwell, Lieu, Plaskett, Neguse, and Dean. (Thanks, Baud!) The Trump defense strategy on the Republican side is rather less clear to me, but I assume we’ll hear from the kooks in the Sedition Caucus, which comprises most House Republicans.
Open thread!
PS: Sorry for squashing not one but TWO posts, but I’m gonna leave this one up for impeachment hearings discussions.
This post is in: Biden-Harris 2020, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Lock Him Up...Lock Them All Up
This is sweet and a bit cheesy, which is honestly exactly what is needed. https://t.co/0HlhpExcsd
— James Palmer (@BeijingPalmer) January 12, 2021
On January 20th, we will celebrate the work of democracy as we watch a new President and barrier-breaking Vice President make an oath of office. The next day, on January 21st, we will join them in making a commitment to do our part to heal and rebuild America. We envision a nation that is anti-racist, equitable, and sustainable. Each of us has a role in that labor, and we will only succeed if we lead with love.
January 21st will be a day of virtual conversations, artistic expressions, music performances, teach-ins, vigils and around-the-table family ceremonies. Some events will focus on grief and healing; others on justice and reckoning, others on joy and rising. All of them will have one thing in common: the expression of a “people’s oath” that recommits us to our core values and to one another…
What do you mean by ‘love’?
Love without limit. Not civility. Not a rush to forgiveness. Not healing without accountability. This is love that anchors nonviolent social movements for justice. The People’s Inauguration brings to life the “revolutionary love” proclaimed by the visionary writer and activist Valarie Kaur…
***********
Which doesn’t mean we can’t hold every one of these liars, socipaths, and grifters to account, of course…
I don’t want to unite with those responsible for the insurrection at our nation’s Capitol. I want us to unite in holding them accountable.
— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) January 12, 2021
destroying faith in american democracy in service of a man you *knew* to have lost is a mortal sin. others can be in the forgiveness business, that’s fine. not really my jam.
— Normie Transition Team (@CalmSporting) January 13, 2021
It was Antifa but it was no big deal but it was patriots fighting for their country but everyone condemns what happened but if you punish Trump they might do it again but it's censorship to prevent them but what we need to do now is just heal and move on.
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) January 13, 2021
Opinion | The phony GOP calls for ‘unity’ deserve nothing but contempt – The Washington Post https://t.co/46gPAXlnPw
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 11, 2021
Abraham Lincoln, Cooper Union Speech, 1860 pic.twitter.com/RyQQXJDazJ
— Paul Musgrave (@profmusgrave) January 12, 2021
it’s more than ironic that the tough hardass politically incorrect republicans want to reason with and appease the monster and talk about its feelings while the soft participation trophy democrats just say fuck you
— kilgore trout, brad r’s brother (@KT_So_It_Goes) January 12, 2021
Wednesday Morning Open Thread: (Mostly) Positive ThoughtsPost + Comments (117)
This post is in: domestic terrorists, Information As Power, Open Threads, Lock Him Up...Lock Them All Up
?BREAKING: Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), a Navy veteran and Annapolis grad who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, said she saw fellow members of Congress "who had groups coming through the Capitol that I saw on Jan. 5, a reconnaissance for the next day." pic.twitter.com/YbZkW1qq7T
— John Kruzel (@johnkruzel) January 13, 2021
Rep. Sherrill, of the Blue Dog Caucus, was a Navy pilot and a federal prosecutor. She has an M.Sc.from the London School of Economics, and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. Since I’m not on Facebook, I’ve only seen the clip above, plus the breaking news reports, about her comments this evening… but she does not seem like the sort to throw around allegations she doesn’t fully understand.
Seeing the reporting that Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill stating that some of her colleagues gave some of the insurrectionists a “recon” tour the day before, which reminded me of reporting as it was going on that sources close to the WH were IN TOUCH WITH THE RIOTERS IN REAL TIME https://t.co/FjGkRStleX
— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) January 13, 2021
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, as the saying goes, but I can certainly imagine some of Rep. Sherrill’s colleagues deciding to do a little ‘constituent service’, some of them possibly under the impression they were all LARPing for the lulz. From Politico:
… In a 13-minute Facebook video billed as an address to her constituents about the House’s efforts to hold President Donald Trump accountable for inciting the riot, Sherrill included the allegation as part of a call to hold Trump’s allies in Congress accountable as well…
Sherrill did not identify the lawmakers she was referring to, how she was able to describe their activities as “reconnaissance” and how she knew they were connected to the riots that consumed the Capitol the following day. Sherrill’s office was not immediately available for comment.
The startling allegation comes as lawmakers are still seeking answers about the extent of planning and coordination behind the Jan. 6 Trump rally that became the violent assault on the Capitol. Federal investigators say they’re pouring enormous resources into unearthing details of a potential “seditious conspiracy” and that some of the undisclosed evidence about what happened inside the Capitol will be “shocking.” …
Of course, there’s also a brand-new batch of dedicated GOP Death Cultists like gunbunny Lauren Boebert, or would-be firebrand Madison Cawthorpe…
BREAKING: Rep. Mikie Sherrill said tonight that *members of Congress* led people through the Capitol on a "reconnaissance" mission one day before the riot. "I'm going to see they are held accountable, and if necessary, ensure they don't serve in Congress.” https://t.co/O2N2Mzji4t
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) January 13, 2021
Late Night Trump Insurrection Open Thread: It Only Gets UglierPost + Comments (82)
This post is in: Trump Crime Cartel, Assholes
Who are the guys you saw foaming at the mouth, screaming about stolen elections and loving the constitution and calling capitol police traitors as they broke into the Capitol and defiled the place? You know them, folks. You went to school with them. While the ages range,, they mostly 30-60 years old. They’re bored. They’re unhappy with where they are in life. They were never much into book learning, but not stupid. But they feel like time has passed them by and their glory days are over. No one cares about the HS football or basketball championship, their league softball exploits bring them no glory.
They may have been in the military for a while and that gave them a sense of purpose, or maybe they were LEO’s, or firemen. Mill workers and miners. Contractors and laborers. Add in some nutjoob losers, some lawyers and brokers, etc.
And they’re angry. Life hasn’t gone the way they thought it would. Maybe they expected more out of it. Maybe they got screwed. But they are aging and feeling irrelevant, and insecure in their masculinity. It’s why they flock to shiny 80k pick-em-trucks they will never haul anything in and worship guns- it makes them feel important and in charge. They haven’t really read the constitution any more than they have read the bible, and what they have read they don’t understand or they ignore the parts they don’t like. They like the cosplay of it all, too- the tactical gear they barely fit into and in many cases don’t know how to use. It makes them look tough. It’s why the most important part of their kit is the Punisher logos and the badges letting people know what group they’re in. They think it gives them respect, and a camaraderie they are missing.
And they’re angry. For the last 40 years they’ve been lied to and they’ve been screwed in the wallet by policies of both parties. And they have also self-radicalized. They go to these online rooms, facebook groups, share bullshit memes, and refuse to actually investigate if they are true. It’s easier to just yell fake news or blame the media or people who actually know what they are talking about. And they work themselves into a froth, creating a feedback loop, where each time one of them says how they been wrong someone comes up with something worse and then all of a sudden they hate Adam Schiff or Steny Hoyer more than anything else in the world even though they couldn’t pick them out of a lineup. I mean, try to debate them. Everything they say is a soundbite and superficial, and when you definitively prove them wrong they just keep on believing what they want to believe, or engage in false equivalencies and whataboutism. “OK FINE MAYBE THAT WAS OUT OF LINE AT THE CAPITOL BUT WHATABOUT BLM PROTESTS.” Literally the ONLY information they are interested in is that which reinforces what they already believe and tells them they are right.
So you take all that, feed them toxic shit for years in the media, and then have the President urge them all on with lies, and that’s how you get the Beergut Putsch that happened the other day. And I don’t know how it stops, because for a lot of these guys it’s a game, and for the people feeding them this bullshit, it’s very profitable.
by Tim F| 271 Comments
This post is in: Republican Stupidity
Much as I believe a conviction of Trump remains a long shot, no one should doubt for one second the titanic impact that bipartisan votes to impeach a Republican President would have in America. Even and maybe especially if the votes come from officials as [***] as Liz Cheney, daughter of blog favorite Dick [***] Cheney and the #3 Republican in Congress.
Republican Liz Cheney, the No. 3 House GOP leader, said she will vote to impeach President Donald Trump, a major break within the party following the storming of the Capitol last week.
“On January 6, 2021 a violent mob attacked the United States Capitol to obstruct the process of our democracy and stop the counting of presidential electoral votes,” Cheney, of Wyoming, said in a statement. “The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his doing.”
Another Republican representative, New York’s John Katko, has also said he would back Trump’s impeachment.
This bears repeating: Republicans don’t give a rat’s left testicle about unity with Democrats and they don’t care about national “healing”. Republicans are frantic because their party is breaking apart. Trump has given them all the judges and tax cuts that he ever will, and all he can offer them now is grief and bad press. Like I said before Trump is presently as valuable to Mitch McConnell as a 500-Guilder tulip. Too bad for everyone that Trumpism doesn’t just vanish like Kaiser Soze when it’s not needed any more. All those impressionable idiots still want the mass arrests and whites-only nation they were promised.
McConnell and friends know that they can’t survive with the Trumpists. Half the party would be in some sort of plea deal by July. But the party can’t survive without them either. It’s a pickle.
[***] – adjectives go hereThis post is in: Open Threads, Republican Venality, Republicans in Disarray!
Just yesterday:
We need to get to the facts, says congressman who signed on to mendacious lawsuit then voted to overturn the election based on conspiracy theories and deranged lies. ?? https://t.co/VatmAZVFvQ
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 12, 2021
Axios:
… Behind the scenes: In a tense, 30-minute-plus phone call [Monday] morning with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Trump trotted out the Antifa line.
– McCarthy would have none of it, telling the president: “It’s not Antifa, it’s MAGA. I know. I was there,” according to a White House official and another source familiar with the call.
– The White House official said the call was tense and aggressive at times, with Trump ranting about election fraud and an exasperated McCarthy cutting in to say, “Stop it. It’s over. The election is over.”
McCarthy, who is facing major blowback for his role in encouraging dissent over the election outcome, went further:
– He told Trump he should call Joe Biden, meet with the president-elect and follow tradition and leave a welcome letter in the Resolute Desk for his successor.
– The president told him he hadn’t decided whether to do so for Biden.
Doin’ my best, you guys! Tryin’ hard to be the grownup in the room!
.@GOPLeader Kevin McCarthy was laying the groundwork for the attack on the Capitol for months. 11/5/2020:
“President Trump won this election, so everyone who’s listening, do not be quiet. We cannot allow this to happen before our very eyes… join together and let’s stop this.” pic.twitter.com/9Ys6elhUln
— Jesse Lee (@JesseCharlesLee) January 12, 2021
After terrorists shed blood in our Capitol, Kevin McCarthy went to the House Floor and led the renewed attack on our democracy. He echoed Trump’s incendiary lies and dehumanizing attacks on political opponents, and now claims to oppose “division?” No.
Kevin McCarthy must resign.
— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) January 9, 2021
Looking like this will be the second time Kevin McCarthy will oppose removing from office the president who he thinks was paid by Putin.
— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) January 12, 2021
in other words, https://t.co/74syzT1hiJ
— Gerry Doyle (@mgerrydoyle) January 12, 2021
McCarthy making himself a witness at Trump’s future trial in DC Superior Court. https://t.co/lteQH8YTIq
— Doug Garrou (@Dugaru) January 12, 2021
Echoing what others are saying, but people should not minimize Kevin McCarthy’s role in all of this. Arguably he bears at least as much responsibility as Hawley and Cruz. And he’s more likely to be in a position of power going forward (e.g. as Speaker of the House in 2024). https://t.co/ls3DdG7rl1
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) January 11, 2021
Hawley and Cruz are dangerous because they aspire to win the presidency. McCarthy is dangerous because he’s in a leadership position and, even now, will not separate himself from Trump. https://t.co/vRted8gZKm
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) January 12, 2021
New: Kevin McCarthy had been ready to vault out of the minority at the 2022 midterms. But now he finds his fundraising challenged, his links to President Trump toxic and a tricky impeachment environment to navigate https://t.co/OWG35Makla
— Alayna Treene (@alaynatreene) January 12, 2021
Politico:
… To address members’ lingering safety concerns about returning to the Capitol, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy gave Republicans his blessing to use the Democrats’ proxy voting system that allows members to cast votes without being physically present. The GOP is challenging the proxy system in court, so McCarthy encouraged any Republicans who wish to use the voting mechanism to remove themselves from the lawsuit if they are a co-sponsor….
Not gonna argue this about McCarthy, but when you’ve gone from Newt to H****** to Ryan to McCarthy with only Boehner as a relatively normal, Constitution-affirming break in the sequence, it’s got to be more about the conference and the party than about the leaders. https://t.co/riKJwajlY1
— Jonathan Bernstein (@jbview) January 12, 2021
Repub Venality Open Thread: Suddenly, Kevin McCarthy Is *Very* NervousPost + Comments (79)