Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Recap: January 4, 2022

 


It'll be interesting to see what he has to say.
-- Mitch McConnell, January 4, 2022


Interesting. 

That's a word Mitch McConnell uses a lot. Interesting.

That's what he said when asked if it was moral or even wise for Trump to make a public statement in two days on the anniversary of the January 6th Insurrection. 

Interesting. 

Last month, shortly after former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows turned over thousands of pages of emails, texts, and various other materials to the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th, 2021 attempt by Republicans to overthrow democracy, McConnell said, "I think the fact finding is interesting. We’re all going to be watching it." 

The fact finding will be ... interesting. 

Interesting. There's the understatement of the new century. 

"We’re all watching, as you are, what is unfolding on the House side," McConnell said. "It will be interesting to reveal all the participants who were involved."

All the participants involved. 

Interesting, those participants. Yes. Interesting indeed. 

Like Ohio Republican Jim Jordan whose name appears prominently in Mark Meadows' data dump -- specifically a text he sent in the middle of the insurrection to Meadows, outlining how how Vice President Mike Pence could literally subvert the election and just have Trump declared President.

Interesting like that?

Or maybe retired Army Colonel Phil Waldron who is one of the self-admitted, proudly self-admitted, architects of a Power Point presentation that also appeared among the documents given to the committee by Meadows -- before Meadows was apparently reminded by his lawyers about the wisdom of self-incrimination. 

That document literally outlined a coup. 

That's not hyperbole. 

They literally planned a coup, a plot by members of the Trump administration and its allies to literally overthrow the election and appoint Trump president by force. According to the plan cooked up by Waldron and his treasonous cronies, Trump would declare a national emergency on the grounds of some vague nebulous foreign threat that had allegedly taken control of the voting machines. Then they would halt certification of the election. The Trump Administration would then literally seize the voting system, the machines, the ballots, all of it -- despite there being no legal or constitutional authority to do so -- and then throw out those votes they themselves determined were "invalid." The Power Point presentation literally said they would throw out enough opposing votes to ensure Trump stayed in the White House. And the coup literally depended on the military enforcing this process by threat of martial law against the American population. 

They literally planned this. 

They literally briefed it. 

They literally wrote it down and gave it to Mark Meadows.  

Trump literally stood in front of the TV and watched his own supporters smash their way into the Capitol and cheered them on. 

And the only thing that stopped Republicans from declaring an end to the Republic and the founding of the Trump Empire is that they could not guarantee the military would actually go along with the plot. Or at least not enough of it anyway. 

They literally briefed this to Trump, to his staff, to his allies. 

They made Power Point slides. 

They put it in writing. 

And the only thing that stopped them was their cowardice. 

This isn't hyperbole or exaggeration -- if anything, I'm understating it.


Mitch McConnell calls that ... "interesting." 


McConnell was a bit less ambiguous about things a year ago:

"I want to say to the American people the United States Senate will not be intimidated. We will not be kept out of this chamber by thugs, mobs or threats. We will not bow to lawlessness or intimidation. We are back at our posts. We will discharge our duty under the Constitution and for our nation. And we're going to do it tonight."

"This afternoon, Congress began the process of honoring the will of the American people and counting the Electoral College votes. We have fulfilled the solemn duty every four years for more than two centuries. Whether our nation has been at war or at peace, under all manner of threats, even during an ongoing armed rebellion and the Civil War, the clockwork of our democracy has carried on."

"The United States and the United States Congress have faced down much greater threats than the unhinged crowd we saw today. We've never been deterred before, and we will not be deterred today. They tried to disrupt our democracy. They failed. They failed. They failed to attempt to obstruct the Congress."

"This failed insurrection only underscores how crucial the task before us is for our republic. Our nation was founded precisely so that the free choice of the American people is what shapes our self-government and determines the destiny of our nation – not fear, not force, but the peaceful expression of the popular will."

"Now, we assembled this afternoon to count our citizens' votes and to formalize their choice of the next president. Now we're going to finish exactly what we started. We'll complete the process the right way by the book. We'll follow our precedents, our laws and our Constitution to the letter. And we will certify the winner of the 2020 presidential election. Criminal behavior will never dominate the United States Congress. This institution is resilient. Our democratic republic is strong."

"The American people deserve nothing less."

And ain't that interesting? 

Yes, indeed, interesting how Mitch McConnell himself called those who stormed the Capitol on January 6th, 2021, thugs, a mob, a threat, unhinged, and an INSURRECTION. 

He specifically and unequivocally described those Trump supporters who attacked the Capitol as an "insurrection." 

Insurrection.

Those are Mitch McConnell's own words.

It's also "interesting" how Mitch McConnell declares that Congress serves the will of the people and that the American people deserve nothing less, but today, right now, this very minute he stands -- as he always does -- firmly against voting rights for those self-same deserving Americans. 

Yes, interesting how Republicans from Trump to McConnell to cashiered generals and faithless colonels right on down to the howling MAGA hat wearing rabble in the streets, these thugs, these unhinged militia brawlers, these goddamn insurrectionists, declare their love for democracy and The Republic and yet literally planned to overthrow those very institutions. 

And they know it.

They damn well know they are insurrectionists and the foul stinking distillate of sedition and treason. 

They know it. Yes they do. They know who they are and they know what they did. 

Every single one of these cowardly assholes, every one that has so far been caught and charged and put on trial, every damn one of them without fail has folded in court. Every single one of them admitted they were there for Trump. Every one of them admitted they were fools who got played by Trump, by Fox News, by social media, by the Republican Party. 

Every last one of them has ended up in tears, sobbing their apologies, and begging the court for mercy. 

Anna Morgan-Lloyd, insurrectionist from Indiana is a perfect example. 

She was jubilant on the day. You bet. She posted to social media that it was "the best day ever!"

But she was eventually arrested, and in court she broke down sobbing on the stand and said she was "ashamed that something meant to show support for the President had turned violent." 

Ashamed. That's what she said she was when she was facing sentencing. Contrite. Ashamed.

And, then, the very next day, after she'd convinced the judge she was truly sorry and gotten herself probation instead of prison, she went on Fox News, on the Laura Ingraham show, and denied it all. It wasn't violent, she said, it was polite, friendly, it wasn't an insurrection, oh no. Just like Alex Jones, in court, facing accountability for their miserable actions, these assholes are contrite and sorry and they didn't mean it. But once they manage to avoid any real consequences for their actions, well, then they're suddenly freedom fighters for Jesus again. 

It's all a lie. 

These people are liars. They are violent miserable goons who will cheerfully murder the rest of us and overthrow democracy and call it the "best day ever" just exactly the same way it happened in Germany a hundred years ago. Those Nazi sons of bitches thought they were right and righteous too. 

I watched an interview today with Trump supporters who weren't at the Insurrection. 

To a person, they know what they are seeing is exactly that, insurrection. Violent sedition. Treason. A bunch of goddamned goons trying to burn down democracy. They know it. 

Oh yes they do. 

They do. 

Because every single one of them suddenly disowns it. 

They are convinced, one and all, that rioters weren't really Trump supporters, weren't really Republicans, no they must have been part of some false flag by some nefarious shadowy unknown mysterious possibly foreign FBI Clinton BLMs something something gazpacho Antifas but they were certainly not Trump supporters. 

Despite the fact that every single one of the insurrectionists declared they were Trump supporters and they were, in fact, there in support of Donald Trump. 

Despite the fact that every single one of the insurrectionists has a long and verifiable record of Trump support. 

Despite the fact that Trump HIMSELF identified them as his own supporters. 

Despite the fact that Republicans themselves identified these people as Trump supporters. 

Despite incontrovertible and undeniable proof that the insurrectionists were there in support of Donald Trump and that they fully intended to overthrow the government as they described in their own words, despite the fact that there is literally a Power Point presentation created by Trump's own people, despite the absolute angry certainty of Mitch McConnell himself on that very day, despite it all, a year later Trump and his supporters are trying to convince us that it wasn't them. 


That's not "interesting," that's fucking outrageous. 


These bastards must be held to account. Every last one of them. 

They must be brought to justice. No matter how long it takes. 

Trump must be held accountable. 

These people demand that we Americans all swear allegiance to the flag and the nation for which it stands. They demand that we all take that oath with our hands over our hearts. Well, then they must face real consequences for their betrayal of that pledge and the ideals it embodies. 

No more. No less. 

And the best way to do that right now, is to pass the voting rights act, the For The People Act, by whatever legal means necessary. Nuke the filibuster. Steamroll Republican opposition. Put recalcitrant members of Democratic caucus in a financial and political headlock. Pass the legislation and impose it upon the states by force of the Federal Government if necessary. 

We must guarantee full and unrestricted democracy for all Americans. 

And these treasonous sons of bitches must not be allowed to steal The Republic. Their miserable dreams of some Imperial America with an orange Nero at the helm must be crushed forever. 

And make no mistake that is exactly what they intend to do. They're not even trying to hide it. 

We must not go the way of Rome. 

Or Germany of a century ago.

Pass the voting rights act and bring these bastards to justice. 

In the words of Mitch McConnell, the American people deserve nothing less. 








37 comments:

  1. While I certainly hope that the D's will learn how to use the power they have been given, there is scant evidence that they will. I REALLY want these fuckers to have their day in court and face the consequences of their actions. I'm just not going to hold my breath, and keep voting for better people

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  2. They deserve what they would demand if it were truly commie libs, antifa, or any other of their "enemies" committing an insurrection.

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  3. Geoffrey O'DonoghueJanuary 4, 2022 at 5:02 PM

    Spot on as usual. I found myself sadly in agreement with this Guardian article I read today https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/04/next-us-civil-war-already-here-we-refuse-to-see-it

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    1. Great article, thanks for sharing. We shall bear witness to either the rebirth or violent death of democracy in the United States very shortly.

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    2. Agreed with Anonymous above. I really appreciated reading this article and not only read it from start to finish, but gave it a share on social media. Stephen Marche, the article's writer, is right and proper bloody spot-on.

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  4. With you 100% Jim. I'm reminded of the failed Gunpowder plot in England. The conspirators were all found guilty of treason and executed by hanging drawing and quartering. Guy Fawkes fell from the scaffold and broke his neck before his sentence could be carried out.
    Their plot FAILED, just like the Jan 6 plotters. They deserve the same fate.

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  5. This may not be Nuremberg, and not specifically war crimes, but there is an equivalence of crimes of January 6, to dismantle our democracy through force and violation of our constitution. It took 2 years to culminate the Nuremberg trials, because it was imperative that the charges were irrefutable. That is what it will require of our AG, Garland, and I believe he knows that. It is imperative that nothing is left for doubt, no matter what the naysayers and others will wail against, no matter what they will threaten, no matter their rage. And in order to succeed in this, the voting rights must be passed at all costs!

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  6. I've had my life threatened by these Trumpist goons for my open opposition. Armed, menacingly threatening "bad" things would happen if I didn't up and leave my home. I actually had to draw a loaded firearm against one of them, right before the election. Dude snatched my US fag as part of a demonstration display I put on (peaceful) and ran and hid in an alley - no idea if he was one of these armed and threatening goons that had been threatening me for days. Months before their little coup attempt.

    I've now waited 14 months for the TRUMP-LOVING county prosecutor to release my sidearm and make a decision on whether to bring a charge against me. It doesn't matter the theft the intimidation, the threats, and violation of my civil rights. What matters to these Trumpist f**kers is how to punish and silence opposition. To make matters worse, I beat the county for 1A violation AND malicious prosecution inn a federal lawsuit the same day.
    BLEDSOE v FERRY COUNTY, WA. Cost them around $250k including attorney fees

    I won't go away to please these fascists without a fight. "This We'll Defend" means more to me today than it did when I served.

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    1. Good for you! Stay strong: there ARE people out here who support you, in spirit, if nothing else!

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  7. Sorry to deal in dodgy conspiracy theory - but the toothless high-school civics pageant on display by the current government and all the timidity of the Dems. and the instant lockstep of the Repubs. implies to me an underlying enforcing principle, and sure as hell it's not regard for constitutional government. These folks all got The Phone Call - "we know where you live, we know where your kids go to school. Make 'trouble' and our avenging angels will make you regret your choice." It's just too uniform a behavioral pattern on both sides.

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  8. While we're making historical comparisons, consider the French Revolution. These deplorables would eagerly start their own Reign of Terror, gleefully executing anyone accused on insufficient loyalty to their cause.

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  9. They call themselves patriots, but they violently tore down an American flag at the Capitol on live TV, and replaced it with a Trump flag. They're not patriots, but they are irony impaired.

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  10. Completely agree; thank you for saying this.

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  11. Absolutely right, as usual. McConnell has essentially canceled all those fine words he said on the day, by his refusal to act in accordance with them ever since. The Voting Rights Act is crucial, and we need that ASAP.

    We also need swift, efficient prosecution of everyone involved in last year's violent attack at the Capitol--planning and execution--with cases heard by judges who aren't fooled by crocodile tears and apologies. Where probation is granted (and it shouldn't be granted for most) the conditions of probation should include that recanting the apparent recognition of guilt, a confession, apologies, etc. in writing or any recordings will result in immediate re-arrest and substantial jail time.

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  12. McConnell is doing the same thing those idiots did on Jan. 6th. He's just a lot smarter and way more evil. He's destroying American democracy one state at a time.

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  13. Hear, hear, Jim. McConnell is a fucking hypocrite who's doing more damage to the republic than the goddamned insurrectionists. The Dems need to get their shit in one sock, nuke the filibuster, and pass voting rights before it's too fucking late.

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  14. The insurectionists must be brought to justice. Especially the leaders. Until Trump and his cronies are stopped, they will continue to be a formidable threat. They don't care about their foot soldiers and will replace them easily.

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  15. Democrats still believe in bi-partisanship, ethics, decorum, discussion, cooperation and compromise. And without a shot our democracy will cease to exist.

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  16. I share the same desire: Hold all of them - from high to low - accountable and as long as it takes. And for those destructive bastards in the Capital, fine them to the max and make them bear a good part of the burden or repairing and restoring what their havoc broke and ruined.

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  17. When asked what could have been done to stop the Nazis, the author Erich Kästner, who's books were burnt by those same Nazis, said the following:
    "The events of 1933 to 1945 should have been fought in 1928 at the latest. Later it was too late. One must not wait until the fight for freedom is called treason. One must not wait until the snowball has become an avalanche. You have to crush the rolling snowball. No one can stop the avalanche..."

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  18. "Interesting" indeed. Without passing voting rights legislation, the country as we've known it will cease to exist.

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  19. “Put recalcitrant members of Democratic caucus in a financial and political headlock.” Say what you like about Mitch McConnell, and I’ve said plenty, he would have pistol-whipped Manchin and Sinema into submission on day one.

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    1. I can't imagine LBJ letting them get away with their antics. Despite his glaring faults he knew how to convince those who would impede him.

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  20. True, true, true. Let's bring back the tar and feathers.

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  21. Lord above, I hope the Dems will grow a spine, that Manchin will grow a conscience, and the voting rights legislation will pass. Otherwise, this Republic as we know it is doomed, and all of us who truly value freedom along with it. Back when the Nazis & their Axis counterparts threatened to destroy the world, the US was the biggest reason they didn't succeed. If the US becomes the new Nazis, who will be able or willing to take our place? We have to nip this in the bud NOW, and in the harshest manner possible.

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  22. A retired military person should forfeit his pension.

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  23. I look at the Compromise of 1877 as a historical parallel. In 1877, a deeply corrupt election threw the Presidential election into Congress. The Republican leadership, lacking a strong figure like Lincoln as leader, chose to seat their President by throwing away all their ideals. As part of the compromise, white supremacism was allowed to operate unchecked in the South. In addition, the white Southerners got huge subsidies – a railroad line, and their harbors rebuilt.

    The Democratic leadership supports the needed reforms. But Manchin, but Sinema. They are not the fault of the Democratic leadership, but rather of many years of corruption of the Senate. We must work to set this right. We are not likely to win a complete victory, but still we must work.

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  24. I wrote at some modest greater length about the possible Compromise of 1877 and the outlook for the decade in these two pieces. I hesitate to insert whole long screeds into Jim's comments; instead I offer these links:
    https://adviceunasked.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-twenties-roar.html
    https://adviceunasked.blogspot.com/2021/10/the-compromise-of-2021.html


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  25. We can smell the rancid stench of GOP hypocrisy this side of the pond!

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  26. Jim, I prefer the term ‘Putsch’.

    Q: What’s the difference between the Beer Hall Putsch in Münich in 1923 and the Republican Putsch in Washington DC in 2021?

    A: Herr Hitler and the other NSDAP leaders led from the front.

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  27. Putin must be giggling so hard watching what the Republicans are doing to this country I bet once in a while he falls off his chair:-)!!!

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  28. Say what you like about Moscow Mitch, and I’ve said plenty, but he’d have pistol whipped Manchin and Sinema into submission on day one.

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  29. One of the best, I think, ways of insuring that these insurrectionists rethink their positions is for the courts to end the program of handing out mamby-pamby jail sentences. Instead of allowing false contrition for what they did to sway the judicial process, maximum sentences should flow like water. And when, if, the ring leaders, including the orange menace, are brought to trial, if they are convicted of sedition and traitorous acts, they also should face the extreme penalties. In the orange menace's case, live in Florence, Colorado's "Super Max" would insure that he is never a threat to the Republic again.

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