Robert Reich: 'Sedition' of Trump-supporting senators has a silver lining

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

I've been in or around politics for over a half century now, and I never imagined how low and looney the Republican Party would become. Eleven Republican senators and senators-elect said today they will vote to reject President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s victory next Wednesday when Congress meets to formally certify it.

They are joining a growing movement in the GOP to defy the unambiguous results of the 2020 presidential election and support Trump's bizarre attempt to remain in power with false claims of voting fraud.

Remember: Every state has now certified the election results after verifying their accuracy. Several underwent post-election audits or hand counts. At the same time, judges across America, including Supreme Court justices, have rejected nearly 60 attempts by Trump and his allies to challenge the results.
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The one consolation, if it can be called that, is that their cynical ploy will also force other Republican members of Congress to openly choose between doing their constitutional duty and accepting the results of the election, or displaying brazen loyalty to a fading demagogue who has sought to turn the GOP into a personal cult. In short, it will smoke them out: They must openly choose democracy or fascism.

https://www.rawstory.com/sedition/

[2naSalit]

1. So, what if they are tried...

For sedition and imprisoned? They would lose their seats, that's a lot of opportunity to really change Congress.

[Turin_C3PO]

3. Unless they actually call for violence,

I don’t believe what they’re doing is illegal. They’re so far using options that are legal within our shitty electoral system. That said, Louie Gohmert actually called for violence so I think he should be charged.

[Bucky]

9. Sadly, you're correct

The only things being tried are our patience and the political resiliency of our republic.

These people are parasites, taking on no responsibility for the stability of our society, but only profiting off of it, depending on others to keep faith with the Founding and the Posterity it was designed to protect.

[CaptainTruth]

2. "Democracy or fascism" that truly is the choice.

[LisaL]

4. Does it help us to know who they are?

It's a good bet they are in red states and won't suffer politically for choosing fascism.

[Evolve Dammit]

5. That is a mind-numbing, totally plausible possibility. Never knew how many were OK with fascism.

And how did "white supremacists" co-opt the "OK" symbol?? JFC

[Hortensis]

7. That's not necessarily true. Most Americans haven't realized how bad

they've gotten, often being told but not seeing, not taking it in. This is all forcing more to wake up and look around for real.

This dangerous blindness is not just on the right either. We have Trump in part because of a blindness that meant Sanders could run for president claiming Democrats were like Republicans. Astonishing in itself. But it exploited the blindness by both false-normalizing Republicans as like Democrats (while they plotted an authoritarian takeover!) and false-demonizing the Democrats fighting to protect our democracy and liberal progressivism as no choice at all.

[Turin_C3PO]

11. What you say is true

although I'd say the threat from left wing authoritarians is minuscule compared to that of the right wing authoritarians. I'd put left authoritarians at 5% of the population whereas right authoritarians probably account for 25% of the people.

[Bucky]

10. it's easily googlable.

https://bfy.tw/Q3cY

and

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/02/ted-cruz-electoral-college-challenge-453430

[jaxexpat]

6. Refuse to recognize legislators elected in 2020 from states with contested elections.

It's only prudent! If not somewhat fanciful.

On second thought.....what, in these days of fantasy masquerading as fact, is truly.....fanciful?

[RainCaster]

8. The House needs to investigate election fraud

The same way the GOP investigated her emails. Slowly, methodically, with lots of gotcha questions, and postulating. But here's the rub: we need to investigate the claims of every Republican Senator and Congress person fully before they are seated. All of their lies must be held accountable.