I am frankly disappointed in those who thought Pottinger's remarks last night were laudable.

[Atticus]

Yes, like Ms Mathews, he did reveal some of the grimy and disgusting---treasonous---details of what Trump did and said to facilitate the insurrection. But, he also went on at some length about "the good things that he accomplished" and smiled with pride that he had been a part of that.

"Gag me with a spoon!"

Suddenly, "out of the blue" on January 6th, you discovered that "OMG! I've been working for a monster!" ?

I AM glad that he and others are FINALLY saying what they're saying, but those who try to paint themselves red, white and blue after actively supporting and assisting Putin's pick for years make my lip curl and raise the hairs on the back of my neck!

That's what I think.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

1. I think the same.

[choie]

2. Ditto!

[HAB911]

3. I have limited respect for all the Johnny come lately's

who's line was anything was acceptable up to sedition

[Siwsan]

4. I'm disgusted by any of them who know tfg is a monster but said they still vote for him

Talk about a mind blowing disconnect.

[Novara]

5. Move over on that bench, please, and make room for me

That can be said about nearly all of them. They were happy to be employed within the corrupt cabal when it served them, until suddenly it didn't.

They they miraculously discovered their spines.

[spanone]

6. He said the 2020 election was 'close' SEVEN MILLION votes is close?

[PJMcK]

20. We don't elect the president with a popular vote

In the six or seven "battleground" states, the vote totals were very close. Since the Electoral College is (mostly) winner-take-all, small changes in these totals could have changed the outcome.

But you know that.

[Sympthsical]

24. This is one of those perilous things I think people don't grasp

As long as we have an electoral college and a representative system that can be manipulated by gerrymandering, it doesn't really matter what the popular vote is. It's nice! Don't get me wrong. It's very nice to agree with the majority of the country on something.

But 2020 was a lot closer than people think.

https://www.npr.org/2020/12/02/940689086/narrow-wins-in-these-key-states-powered-biden-to-the-presidency

It could have easily gone the other way. Even has much as we all hate Trump, I think he would've taken it had Covid not happened. He sank himself.

When people keep dismissing the economy, inflation, gas prices, etc. and hoping J6 or Dodd will win November for us, I keep thinking about the states in that article. Things that are very mobilizing in deep blue states are not necessarily what's going to drive the Rust Belt into our arms.

But the economy can certainly drive the Rust Belt out of them.

[happy feet]

31. The Electoral College

difference was the same as he beat Hilary which Trump called a landslide. So, he's still wrong.

[VWolf]

41. Exactly! n/t

[BumRushDaShow]

43. "In the six or seven "battleground" states, the vote totals were very close"

Here in PA, the vote difference in 2020 was TWICE AS MUCH as that in 2016 between the candidates (81K vs 44K).





And yet back in 2016, the GOP declared "a mandate".

And the Electoral College votes weren't "close".

[underpants]

7. Everyone I see - yeah but you signed up for this and stuck around

F all of them.

[BlueJac]

8. That came into mind while I was hearing that statement from that asshat!

[Mr. Ected]

9. And they all resigned, what, 15 days before they were set to leave anyway?

I agree. We are hoisting these folks up on pedestals for revealing what was going on behind closed doors, but each and every one of them is truly a coward. They knew who they were aligning with the moment they joined his administration.

[Bettie]

10. That was my thought as well

Last edited Fri Jul 22, 2022, 09:54 AM - Edit history (1)

but, at least he said something?

Every right winger who thought he was great, but had a line (who knew it would be violent insurrection?) drives another nail in.

But, he's no hero.

ETA Clarification: Pottinger and other right wingers testifying against TFG drive the nails into what is hopefully a prosecution. Pottinger didn't care about the many horrific things done before that day.

[Atticus]

12. It was not just "right wingers". If memory serves, his remarks were praised on this board

last evening.

That offended my intelligence. I waited until this morning to comment so I could be somewhat civil.

[Bettie]

22. True

I don't find him to be heroic or laudable in any way.

I wasn't on much last night, so I missed him being praised. I thought his comments were triangulated to make himself look better while still being somewhat 'employable' by people who want to watch the world burn.

[chowder66]

11. Agreed. Spare me the rehabilitation attempts of his disastrous presidency.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

13. Only comment my wife made during the hearing, "He's still a trumper!"

[Xavier Breath]

14. I agree with the sentiment

about them trying to paint themselves as patriots. It is both disingenuous and nauseating horseshit.

But, as to he and others discussing the supposed good things this lunatic did, well, I am fine with that. More than fine with that, actually. Because it lends credence to their being members of the cult. They really do love the guy. So, establishing that only makes what they say about his unhinged, criminal behavior all the more believable. And, perhaps that best serves moving the needle on public opinion. Who better to reach the cultists than another cultist, to my way of thinking. IDK, my .02.

[Atticus]

18. I just think we should keep in mind that the "good things Trump did"---in their minds---

includes barring all Muslim immigrants, lowering millionaire's taxes, appointing Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett and kissing dictators' asses around the world.

[Xavier Breath]

35. It should always be top of mine and I wouldn't suggest otherwise.

I just think that if there is a way to reach any of the cultists, and many here advocate we need to keep trying, then the way to do that is via one of their own. They won't listen to some 'librul' do-gooder going on about 45, but they might listen to his inner circle. So, let them prattle on as long as their adding to Trump's rope. YMMV.

[wnylib]

44. Don't forget kidnapping children from their parents

to put them in cages.

[Quakerfriend]

15. You are spot on!

I too was ready to puke when he started spouting off about the so called accomplishments.

Not impressed!

[Ritabert]

16. I nearly spit out my coffee when he talked

...about Trump's accomplishments.

[Samrob]

17. I couldn't find him on Twitter. I wanted to leave this message.

2020 was not a "close election." The Dems received millions more votes.
Trump did not do anything "good" for our foreign policy. He tried to destroy NATO, started a trade war that left our farmers in the lurch, did not bring the industries back that he promised, sold out the Palestinians, left the Kurds on the battlefield, sucked up to the Saudi murderous prince, freed N.Korean dictator, KIM from our watchful eye, and set the tone for dictators around the world to be as evil as they want to be to their own people.

Thank you for your former military service, thank you for participating in the J6 Hearings. But no thanks for your enabling a monster to continue for so long at the reins of power of our government. The damage to our democracy far exceeds the potential remedies that might come from the J6 hearings.

[barbaraann]

19. I think both of them would have accepted a NON-VIOLENT overthrow of the election.

Most Republican elected officials throughout our country are now working to thwart the will of the people in local, state, and federal elections, and I haven't heard any Republican testifying decry those activities.

[wnylib]

47. I agree. It was the violence that they disliked,

not the illegality of a coup. Just make it a non violent coup and they were both ok with it. After all, they worked for a guy who had committed crimes before he even ran for office, and who had no respect for (or knowledge of) law once he was in office

All of that was ok with them. But, violence scared them. Not the previous violence of Trump's followers, like Charlottesville, the southern border asylum seekers, threats of violence to journalists, threats to Democratic office holders. Only the J6 violence disturbed them.

Crock of BS.

[Ferrets are Cool]

21. Isn't he the one who also said "it was a very close Presidential race"?

[llmart]

23. Absolutely!

He hadn't said more than three sentences before my "ugh" factor set in. Self-serving, narcissistic asshole who is only now trying to look as if he's a "patriot" because he resigned that night. Up until it got really ugly, he was okey dokey with everything that orange idiot did and said.

So he gets no kudos from me.

[Lars39]

25. And he was so loud!

Either he was practically yelling or his mic was just louder, or both. I wondered if Bennie’s absence resulted in a few shenanigans.

[Chainfire]

26. It sounded to me like he was in a choir boy job interview.

It is a cowardly Marine that supports a corrupt system until it crashes then swaps sides when he sees a change of tide.

[inthewind21]

34. Swaps sides?

He's still a republican and Miss Sara is CURRENTLY employed by congressional republicans. She did make sure to tell everyone she's been a "lifelong" republican. She's what 25ish?

[Thunderbeast]

27. All of these newly minted heros...

...withheld this critical evidence from Congress during the second impeachment proceedings.

They were threading the needle...Preserving their reputations for the next Republican administration.

[sarge43]

28. I'm just an old country girl

I have a reasonable amount of smarts, but I'm no more a political analyst than I'm an astrophysicist. However, if I could figure six years ago that Putin's pick was a piece of work who didn't give an obese rodent's hindquarters about this country and its people, why couldn't Pottinger's and his ilk?

Oh. Right. They're merely bargain basement versions of tfg.

Atticus, you might want to edit. You left a "r" out of Putin's pick.

[Atticus]

48. 😁 nt

[onecaliberal]

29. They all feign disgust but not one of them warned the American people without a subpoena 18

Months later.

[wendyb-NC]

30. I agree

I was disgusted by it. Another shill.

[jaxexpat]

32. Ya took da woyds right outta my mouth.

People on the Trump train are permanently stained. These witnesses were either dumb as hell, crazy as hell or criminals or all of the above. They're still the same today in my book. Just because they're not on Trump's payroll now doesn't make up for the fact that they were.

BTW, how do you keep tidy? Those neck hairs standing up mess with my shirt collar.

[mcar]

33. I said similar to SO this morning

These people are not heroes. However, the J6 committee has, IMO, been brilliant at bringing these Republican witnesses, some hardcore Trump humpers, forward to share their testimony.

Rs can try all they want to smear these people but those watching have seen an array of Trump loyalists testifying about their god's perfidy.

[tenderfoot]

36. I wasn't impressed. In fact, I was disturbed that he's part of our national security.

[geardaddy]

37. I concur

Pottinger is just trying to cover his ass.

[ShepKat]

38. maybe he thinks

if he applauds his derr leader a little, he will be spared the toddler tantrum and still have a career

[frogmarch]

39. "the good things..." crap

stuck out like a sore thumb!

I agree with you totally!

[FakeNoose]

40. The ones who hung in until the end of Chump's term like Pottinger and Matthews

It's easy to criticize them now for not seeing what Chump was up to for his entire 4 years in the White House. But we have to remember that the White House aides - especially the younger ones - didn't hear most of the really nasty stuff. Even Hope Hicks wasn't given much authority, and yet she had been there literally from the beginning. The younger aides were mostly treated like interns and they were left out of the big planning meetings.

That all changed after the election, when Cabinet Secretaries and some higher up White House advisors started quitting and getting fired. Suddenly these lowly "interns" were getting included in meetings and hearing stuff they hadn't heard before. I can imagine that it must have been a real eye-opener, realizing that your boss the President is a raving lunatic, and everyone around him is even crazier.

They did finally realize this is scary shit that they can't be a part of, even though they had no power to stop it from happening. Mike Pence's staff must have come to the same realization.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

42. The testimony of Trump loyalists, Pottinger included, is all the more compelling

precisely because they were Trump loyalists (with all that entails).

No Democrat on this forum need to think of these people as perseft human beings. They are people who finally woke up to the truth of Donald J Trump's nature.

Were they late in coming to their conclusions? Sure. That's regrettable. But their testimony will hopefully help move other late-comers to see Trump for what he is.

And a fair-minded person must recognize that to go against TFG (in their world) goes take courage. They will face threats as a consequence.

[TexLaProgressive]

45. I don't cut them any slack

They were complicit in 4 years of the miscreant in chief, but I am very pleased that nearly all witnesses have been his cronies.

[Wonder Why]

46. Even Pence hasn't got the guts to say he doesn't trust Trump

for anything more than a prison sentence in spite of Trump's willingness to let him die if the rioters were successful.

Cowards and Traitors. All of them.

[mopinko]

49. i hope none of these assholes is expecting a medal.

hutchinson, a few others. the rest can quietly return to polite society if they do it quietly.

[uncle ray]

50. well, "we" are not the audience for those comments.

personally, i thinks it's a viable tactic. separating what people like about him from the actual treasonous activity helps fight framing of the J6 committee as a political vendetta. i thought the committee did an overall good job of that last night.

[Faux pas]

51. Same here

kissing the orange 🍊 rump to the end. I said in another thread that I fast forwarded him after his first round.