Oath Keeper claims she was VIP security at Trump rally before riot and says she met with Secret Serv

[highplainsdem]

Source: CNN

Oath Keeper claims she was VIP security at Trump rally before riot and says she met with Secret Service agents



A leader in an alleged Oath Keepers conspiracy in the US Capitol insurrection claims she was given a VIP pass to the pro-Trump rally on January 6, had met with Secret Service agents and was providing security for legislators and others, including in their march to the Capitol, according to a new court filing.

Attorneys for Ohio Oath Keeper Jessica Watkins detail how the efforts among paramilitants who are now accused of conspiracy on January 6 were closer to the apparatus around then-President Donald Trump and his rally than was previously known.

-snip-

"On January 5 and 6, Ms. Watkins was present not as an insurrectionist, but to provide security to the speakers at the rally, to provide escort for the legislators and others to march to the Capitol as directed by the then-President, and to safely escort protestors away from the Capitol to their vehicles and cars at the conclusion of the protest," the court filing said on Saturday. "She was given a VIP pass to the rally. She met with Secret Service agents. She was within 50 feet of the stage during the rally to provide security for the speakers. At the time the Capitol was breached, she was still at the sight of the initial rally where she had provided security."

-snip-

Watkins' defense attorney, Michelle Peterson, wrote on Saturday that her client and other supporters of Trump had believed the then-President would invoke the Insurrection Act to use the military to overturn what he falsely said was the fraudulent election of Joe Biden. And Watkins and others believed "they would have a role if this were to happen," the filing said.

-snip-



Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/21/politics/oath-keepers-vip-security-capitol-riot/index.html

---

Much more at the link.

[jpak]

1. I believe her

Yup

[Irish_Dem]

22. Her story fits with all the other puzzle pieces.

Which continue to give us a better picture of what happened.

[grantcart]

43. You got me. Was going to post a "you are shitting me" post and saw the emoji laughing at me.

She could even believe it herself as delusional as she is.

[H2O Man]

68. Glad it wasn't just me.

[highplainsdem]

2. Found this story thanks to a tweet from Manu Raju 20 minutes ago:

Link to tweet

[Botany]

3. "to provide escort for the legislators and others to march to the Capitol"

The permit for the rally was for ONLY the area by the White House where Trump had his rally.
It was limited to that area ONLY.

[Irish_Dem]

24. Trump and his flying monkeys can do whatever they want it appears.

[Botany]

71. Trump gave 'em the

Time

Place

Date

along with paying for the rally (campaign funds) and decapitating the D.C. National Guard too.

[Irish_Dem]

78. And marching orders: Kill Pence. And any other MOC you can find.

[Botany]

103. Trump wanted more death and or bloodshed so he could declare martial law in order to ....

.... stay in power.

Trump Reportedly Bullied Pence: You Can Be a Patriot ‘or a Pussy.’

Trump was and is now scared about what would happen to him after he was no longer President. He knows that he
and his family have broken a shit ton of laws and needs protection.

[Irish_Dem]

105. Yes that is the way it is looking.

He also enjoys death and violence.

[blueinredohio]

4. WOW! What a story!

[MarineCombatEngineer]

5. Too bad for her that the Military basically told Trump to fuck off

if he tried to use the Insurrection Act to get involved in the election process.

[Irish_Dem]

28. Flynn and his active duty military brother had other plans.

[Goonch]

6. Jessica Watkins, in military gear, was seen on video taking part in the uprising at the Capitol.

[greenjar_01]

13. It wasn't that long ago that we'd just assume somebody in that get-up was mentally ill

This is a costume, let's be clear. Ms. Watkins was not engaged in any military action that day. She was dressed up in a ridiculous costume, and mistook the costume world for reality. It's no different than somebody dressing up as a gorilla and actually believing themselves to be a gorilla. She needs mental health assistance.

[diverdownjt]

25. Giant cosplay for would be terrorists....

All hat no cattle says it all for me...it would be easier to show some cleavage w/o that metal plate in the way.
You know cosplay style...although do I really want to see that..........nope!

[reACTIONary]

40. According to the article she is transgender....

... and served in Afghanistan as an Army Ranger. A bit more serious than cosplay.

[moriah]

54. I fail to see what being trans has to do with her choice to be a domestic terrorist.

I am all for these terrorists having attorneys, for them to have reasonable conditions in jail, etc. (And she needs a better attorney if they equate gender identity with sexual orientation as in the pleadings, though I have no idea what caused her separation from service).

I am not for saying that somehow because she is trans that this makes one iota of difference in her choosing to join a domestic terrorist organization and actively recruit "able bodied Patriots" to "fight, kill, and die" for Trump.

And ever since they stole the term "LARPing" to refer to real-world trolling instead of goth geeks occupying a mall or outdoor shopping center for an evening pretending to be vampires pretending to be people (yes those were my teen years), while I get that these are domestic terrorists and not SCA/Ren Faire people so calling it "cosplay" may seem to diminish the real threat, if their intent was not to "fight, kill, and die" they WOULD be ridiculous.

[reACTIONary]

95. The comment is addressed to the notion that this was

The comment is addressed to the notion that this was cosplay and not serious. If she was male as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan, she may have seen combat. So she is not a naïve cosplay wanna be.

[VA_Jill]

64. Trans is immaterial

Treason and insurrection are most emphatically NOT.

[reACTIONary]

93. The comment is adressed to the notion that this was

... Cosplay and not serious. If she was male as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan, she may have seen combat. So she is not a naïve cosplay wanna be.

[VA_Jill]

98. It doesn't matter

what she was as an Army ranger (and incidentally, if she is trans now, she was pretty much always trans, she just wasn't acting on it, but I'm not getting into an argument with you here) is immaterial...she may or may not have been "out" trans then. What is material is the TREASON. Forget the rest of it.

[reACTIONary]

102. Do you think she is..

... "all hat and no cattle"? I think she knew what she was doing, knew how to do it, and was dangerous.

And treasonous.

[Jilly_in_VA]

109. I never said anything of the sort.

I said what was important about her was the TREASON. And trans is immaterial. What about that do you not get? She is a TREASONOUS POS and should be treated as such.

[reACTIONary]

117. So I guess we agree...

.... "All hat no cattle" was from the post I was replying to originally. See https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142699941#post25

I was disagreeing with that assessment. I don't think she is all hat and no cattle. The reason that I mentioned that she is trans is that it opens the possibility that she was engaged in actual combat in Afghanistan. That is relevant to whether or not she is or isn't all hat and no cattle.

[greenjar_01]

131. She's a naive cosplay wannabe even if she led a Ranger battalion in the damn Korangal

There was not a military action going on on January 6. She was in costume like a clown.

[Irish_Dem]

106. She has the training to be deadly.

[Cryptoad]

31. u are too kind

she needs to be committed to a mental institution...

[stopdiggin]

65. 100%

unfortunately -- with the prevalence of alternative facts, and alternate realities -- I'm not sure if the "illness" label still works. But this is 'dress up' -- and fantasy -- and as we have come to find out, 'delusion.'

[BobTheSubgenius]

74. She belongs to the militant arm of the Furries.

You have an awesome life when you can live your cosplay 24/7/365.

[reACTIONary]

38. Acording to the artcle she is a former...

... Army Ranger, served in Afghanistan, and is transgender.

She might have more going for her than just cosplay.

[Pepsidog]

59. Probably more stolen valor like Tom Cotton. Army Ranger school is open to all members but that

Last edited Sun Feb 21, 2021, 05:48 PM - Edit history (1)

makes you Ranger ready, not a part of the active regiment of fighting Rangers.

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/tom-cotton-army-ranger-school-1118418/

[Yeehah]

82. Army Ranger School is not open to all members

That statement is laughably untrue.

Ms. Watkins did not complete Ranger School, but reportedly did complete the much easier Airborne School. In which case, she was likely an enlisted member (as a male) of a Ranger battalion, who had not completed Ranger School. She served about three months overseas, from what I've read. All soldiers assigned to a Ranger battalion must graduate Ranger School or they will be assigned elsewhere.

[Pepsidog]

89. Well I am no expert, just repeating what I read in Rolling Stone Mag article that said:

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/tom-cotton-army-ranger-school-1118418/“The U.S. Army Ranger Course, on the other hand, which Cotton did attend, is described as “the Army’s premier leadership school” and is “open to all members of the military.” A school literally anyone in the military can attend is a far cry from the RASP, which the Army says is “designed to test a Soldier’s physical and mental strength under extreme conditions”.

]https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/tom-cotton-army-ranger-school-1118418/

[Yeehah]

118. The article is embarrassingly uninformed nonsense

RASP is a short course for soldiers who are assigned to the Ranger Regiment who have not completed Ranger School. Anyone who wants to remain in the Ranger Regiment must complete Ranger School or they will be assigned elsewhere. RASP is not easy but Ranger School is more difficult, and many soldiers who complete RASP do not graduate Ranger School.

Soldiers must be selected to attend Ranger School. You will not be selected unless you are in a specialty that requires small unit tactics (generally infantry and special forces) and you are in top physical condition, and you are recommended by your commander. This is a very small fraction of the military. Ranger School is “open to all members of the military,” as the public affairs person stated, but so is the Ranger Regiment. Anyone can ask for either one. But only a few actually get to go.

It is misleading for a soldier to refer to themself an "Army Ranger" if they did not serve in the Ranger Regiment, but is technically not a lie. Cotton is guilty of aggradizement but not a mistruth.

I hate Cotton and want to see him go down in flames, but this uninformed article is just as misleading as Cotton's claim to "service as an Army Ranger."

[Pepsidog]

120. Thanks for the clarification.

[reACTIONary]

100. Thanks for the info.....

.... I was quoting the article; I have no other knowledge of military affairs.

[sarge43]

115. Always turn on your smell test machine when reading

civilian newspaper articles concerning anything martial.

Almost guaranteed at least one faux pas. Confusing rank vs duty title, type of discharge: An Other Than Honorable is not the same as a Dishonorable, because two individual's rank is called the same, both have the same pay grade: There are nine enlisted pay grades in the US service and it's the pay grade that determines your place in the pecking order, not the name. The Army, Marine Corps and Air Force have the rank master sergeant. Army and Marines MSG have the pay grade of E-8, Air Force E-7. Guess who pecks whom. An Army captain (O-3) does not exist in the same universe as a Navy captain (O-6).

[reACTIONary]

121. Same with science and technology reporting...

... even with reporters who specialize in those topics.

[sarge43]

125. The NY Times classic back in 20's

Its 'science' editor in an article about Goddard's rocket tests stated that rockets would never work in outer space because the propellant would have nothing to push against.

Following Apollo 11's success the Times did allow that the then science editor was probably wrong.

[reACTIONary]

128. LOL +100 Made my day nt

[reACTIONary]

97. You could be right... I'm just quoting the article. nt

[stopdiggin]

60. and still -- total nutjob -- living in la-la land

And ..... Mike Flynn is a whack job too. Wearing a uniforrn does not inoculate people from bizarro, and the ridiculous.

I'll stick with cosplay here -- and be willing to bet that a lot of service people (current and former) would back me up.

[keithbvadu2]

72. Gen Michael Flynn and Gen Benedict Arnold both started out as patriots who served their country well

Gen Michael Flynn and Gen Benedict Arnold both started out as patriots who served their country well.

Arnold died a traitor in England.

He was not lucky enough to have a Donald Trump on his side.

[Hekate]

73. The subthread to your post has at least 4 people dismissing her outfit as cosplay. People DIED...

...at our national Capitol, and dozens of cops were maimed, including one who had his eyes gouged out. Participants brought various flags attached to heavy rods and spears so they were ready made weapons.

There were no doubt some floating in la-la land, like the “shaman,” but hundreds came in various uniforms to make them identifiable to their friends, worked in unison, and in all ways behaved like an army. Some of the uniforms were Proud Boys jackets, and some were US military surplus down to the helmets and protective eyewear.

They came seeking violence. They came bringing violence. Many were trained by the US military and American police departments. How far does this go?

Yet for whatever reason that I cannot fathom, participant Jessica Watkins with her military training and military gear is dismissed, up to and including the comment that her uniform doesn’t show her cleavage. What the everloving fck is that about?

[sop]

7. Pelosi's 9/11-style investigation of this well-orchestrated attempted Capitol coup will shock many.

I hope they follow the money trail, and the DOJ prosecutes those responsible.

[Irish_Dem]

29. Yes I agree, we are beginning to connect all the dots.

And it is not a pretty picture.

[c-rational]

47. +1 Agreed.

[Mike 03]

8. This somewhat corroborates that very early CNN report that the insurrectionists

were expressing rage on Parler at Trump because they were anticipating specific instructions/orders that never arrived. The upset Parler users were saying: They'd been told something would happen that day once they arrived at the Capitol, but it didn't happen. Some also expressed that they believed Trump actually was walking with them to the Capitol.

her client and other supporters of Trump had believed the then-President would invoke the Insurrection Act to use the military to overturn what he falsely said was the fraudulent election of Joe Biden

That was reported on CNN (broadcast, a verbal report) in the first day or two after the insurrection. Then I never heard any more about it. At the time, it sounded like evidence of conspiracy, or a rumor that got out of control.

[greenjar_01]

12. These idiots fancy themselves experts on government or something

The US government doesn't randomly and without explicit contract enlist dipshits from Ohio to provide security for anything.

It's so exhausting having to deal with this adolescent nonsense from grown people constantly.

[Irish_Dem]

32. It is clear now that Trump and others did exactly that, enlist help from these so called militia

group. To form an insurrection mob.

[stopdiggin]

67. provide security was the relevant phrase (nt)

[Irish_Dem]

77. Exactly.

[stopdiggin]

81. Would like to know what organization "contracted"

with Jessica Watkins (or her Ohio militia group) to provide 'security' -- at either the Mall, or the Capital. I'd be interesting to see a copy of that ... Or indeed any type of official 'coordination' between legitimate security and military (SS, NG, Capital police, etc.) with these outside wanna-be pretenders.

But I don't think it happened.
Watkins story, for Jan 6 and running up to it, is mostly a delusional flight of fancy.

[Irish_Dem]

83. At least a 50/50 chance she is telling the truth.

Too many other pieces of the puzzle supporting her account.

I am trained as a scientist, and I follow the data.
The data is adding up to something very sinister.

[stopdiggin]

87. Well, thankfully -- we now have some pretty sharp people

zeroing in on the scent. (and countering -- an awful lot of the "conspirators" that are obviously not the sharpest knives ... attempting to bury communications and such.) Our national security guys are pretty good at this stuff. So -- I'd say there's a pretty good chance that we will find out.

Your idea that something sinister took place is not that far fetched. I'm just contending that JWatkins (and her little band of merry thieves) had little to do with it. NOT the people I'd be counting on to plan my insurrection ....

[Irish_Dem]

96. JWatkins et al were just useful idiots. But some of them have important information.

Yes if we can start putting dots together, certainly so can the CIA and FBI.

[bottomofthehill]

20. The flaw in the logic

There needed to be insurrection, that she would be a part of, in order for the insurrection act to be invoked. Therefore she is admitting to insurrection. She was a willing pawn, and one that took part in an armed insurrection. Fuck her, try her, convict Lt her and incarcerate this little toy soldier for a long time. She is a dangerous psycho

[AnotherMother4Peace]

27. trump was communicating to "dangerous psychos" & used them as his pawns, his little toy soldiers. nt

[Irish_Dem]

33. Yes he used them in his plan to declare martial law.

He would dump them in a heartbeat.

[Justice matters.]

56. Of course. He always thought they are suckers and losers since Vietnam.

And DURING Vietnam! Of course these loonies would not believe that fact.

[Irish_Dem]

57. He only admires other dictator sociopaths like Putin and Kim Jong-un.

The rest of us are all losers.

[ashredux]

9. STUPID ..... never, never trust the Bastard....you be going to jail sweetie

[greenjar_01]

10. I think Jessica Watkins is a bit

[Irish_Dem]

35. Yes but her story meshes with other reports and the facts.

She was crazy enough to become a flying monkey for Trump.
But sane enough to tell us the truth about what happened.

[Grasswire2]

11. QUESTION. Was she armed?

Because if not, how in hell was she going to provide the security she says was her responsibility?

If she wasn't armed, she's lying.

If she was the only one, pffffffffffffft.

[UpInArms]

14. Am going to

Have to call BS on this part:

Prosecutors previously said Watkins had waited for direction from Trump -- and believed she had received it before she joined the siege, allegedly leading several others into the Capitol building to fight against Congress' certification of the Electoral College vote.

Watkins' defense attorney, Michelle Peterson, wrote on Saturday that her client and other supporters of Trump had believed the then-President would invoke the Insurrection Act to use the military to overturn what he falsely said was the fraudulent election of Joe Biden. And Watkins and others believed "they would have a role if this were to happen," the filing said.

"However misguided, her intentions were not in any way related to an intention to overthrow the government, but to support what she believed to be the lawful government. She took an oath to support the Constitution and had no intention of violating that oath or of committing any violent acts."

Watkins' attorney argued in the filing her client had worn tactical gear potentially to defend herself, and walked up the Capitol steps with other Oath Keepers in a "stack" formation because the group may have wanted to stay together in the crowd.

Eta picturs:

[Docreed2003]

23. Am I reading that correctly?

Her lawyer is arguing that she "took an Oath to protect the Constitution" and, in her mind, beecause she was doing that she's simply "misguided" and she was upholding her view of "lawful government".

What a crock of crap!!

[UpInArms]

49. Am trying to figure out how we have

two governments

her intentions were not in any way related to an intention to overthrow the government, but to support what she believed to be the lawful government.

[mezame]

15. She met with Secret Service agents.

Which ones?

[Irish_Dem]

36. I hope she will cough up names.

[stopdiggin]

70. "Howdy -- Jessica, from Ohio -- here to hep' you guys!"

"Sure, thanks .."

[greenjar_01]

132. The imaginary ones

In her fever dream.

[bucolic_frolic]

16. Well that would take the Presidency to a new art form

Invoking the Insurrection Act, used to deploy US military and National Guard troop to suppress rebellion, unrest, or insurrection, to instead suppress the actions of Congress and support his self-induced insurrection!

It is such a good thing progressives stayed home and didn't give him a chance to test fly that rocket.

I am quite surprised Trump didn't supply his own Antifa to complete the circuit.

[Irish_Dem]

37. He didn't need a fake Antifa. Dead Pence, Pelosi and other MOC, that is all he needed.

He could declare martial law then.

[bucolic_frolic]

62. Yeah, I guess if you get to that point you don't need to sort sides

The unrest and rebellion is already underway.

And we are only saved because his agents failed. He wasn't even any good at insurrection!

[Irish_Dem]

76. Right, high level dead bodies, all he needed. The Capitol Police outplayed him though.

By minutes. It was a miracle he did not win.

[erronis]

58. It certainly sounds like something Ghouliani in a drunken stupor would concoct.

But just like all the chicken-hawks of W's regime (Cheney, Rumsfeld, Woo, Ashcroft, etc.), they were fine putting the messaging out there. Not so fine on actually doing anything that would affect them personally.

Next time, let the former pee-resident put his children at the front of the mob. Dear Ivanka, Jr., Eric, Bannon/Barron - get on out and protect the Leader. (Actually, he probably couldn't care.)

[keithbvadu2]

126. His children were in the tent with him along with lapdancer.

[turbinetree]

17. They can explain all the way if they want .............they still have Blood On There Hands

Oath Keepers............sounds like some half wit right wing slogan, protecting the speakers at the insurrection gathering............ they are still fucking traitors.................

Lock "them" all up every last one of them and throw away the key, even that golf cart riding POS and has for the secret service detail...........

[matt819]

18. Others have made these observations

And I think it’s an important one.

What did they think would happen?

What was the end game?

Ok. Let’s say they killed Pence and Pelosi. Then what? They go home? Would the entirety of the military and the secret service say, well, okay then, let’s call it a day?

Did they have assurances from anyone in the government that military support was forthcoming?

By the way, I think it’s useful to describe these people not as being in military uniform but in military costume.

[Irish_Dem]

39. Martial law, Trump inaugurated as President. Flynn had some military backing.

Also I suspect some NG backing.
The insurrectionists are hailed as heroic patriots.

It was a big gamble but Trump almost won it.

[Fiendish Thingy]

46. Martial law doesn't suspend the Constitution- Trump couldn't have been lawfully inaugurated. Nt

[Irish_Dem]

48. Yes of course, but Trump never ever lets the law stop him.

He would have declared himself president and half the country would believe it.

Trump has always done what he wanted. The law matters not to him.

[ewagner]

55. Don't get it....

What was the endgame?
This is confusing.
Trump would incite the crowd.
The crowd would storm the capitol building
They would capture/kill Pence and Pelosi and maybe others like AOC.

Then

Trump imposes the insurrection act/activates National Guard or other military

Then

National Guard/military PUT DOWN the insurrectionists that Trump activated; arrest, capture or kill the people who killed Pence, Pelosi and/or others

Trump turns on the MAGATS

Doesn’t. make. Sense.

[highplainsdem]

19. Seth Abramson & Bob Cesca tweets on Alex Jones's role:

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Irish_Dem]

41. More dots being connected. A lot more people involved than we knew.

Trump almost pulled off all of this.

[UpInArms]

51. Pic from the morning of January 6

A new video has surfaced showing former President Donald Trump's longtime adviser Roger Stone in Washington, D.C., on the morning of Jan. 6, flanked by members of the Oath Keepers militia group just hours before the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building.

In the video, which was obtained and reviewed by ABC News, Stone takes pictures and mingles with supporters outside a D.C. hotel as Oath Keepers hover around him, one wearing a baseball hat and military-style vest branded with the militia group's logo.

"So, hopefully we have this today, right?" one supporter asks Stone in the video, which was posted just after 10 a.m. on the morning of the rally. "We shall see," Stone replies.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/video-surfaces-showing-trump-ally-roger-stone-flanked/story?id=75706765

[Hekate]

91. Roger Stone has a face badly in need of a fist. My gods look at his expression.

Yeah, I know the German word, too. He is a vile, vile piece of work.

[UpInArms]

116. My hope is he dies a miserable death

[Irish_Dem]

21. Trump incites an insurrection so he can declare marital law.

There you have it.
And the Secret Service were involved.
Biden was said to want a new SS detail when he became president.
He didn't trust the Trump SS detail.

[Hekate]

92. Following you thru this thread, I think we are on the same page...

Every agency needs going over with a fine tooth comb.

[Irish_Dem]

104. Yes we are facts pulling us in many directions.

So far we have data that points us to these individual or groups:

The former President of the United States
Members of Congress
Capitol Police
DOD- civilian
Military (Flynn and his cohorts)

FBI--- it was common knowledge that Jan 6th was going to be an issue, where were the FBI reports?
Why no alert?

National Guard, were they on stand by to help Trump?

And all the militia groups who had been lead to believe they would be patriots for helping to kill Pence, block the EC vote and help Trump hang onto power.

[Initech]

26. The Capitol Riot was an inside job! Pass it on!

[Irish_Dem]

42. Yes it is looking like this is the case.

[IronLionZion]

30. Believing it doesn't make it true. nt

[paleotn]

34. Some of what's she's spouting might be true...

but I think she thinks far more of herself than she should. Nuts are like that sometimes.

[Irish_Dem]

52. Trump counted on them being full of themselves. He played into their delusions.

Delusional enough to be his flying monkeys.
And he pushed home that they would be seen as heroes and loyal patriots.
They bought it hook, line and sinker.

And Trump almost pulled it off.

[Progressive Jones]

44. I'd say it's time for some "advanced interrogation" of this individual, at an

undisclosed location.

[Irish_Dem]

50. She is afraid of prison time. I think she will talk. She also thinks she was doing the right thing.

[sobenji]

45. She's regurgitating Qanon bullshit

They all believed that and talked about it and planned for it.

[Hekate]

53. KnR to read whole thing later. I hope the FBI "befriends" her and that she talks and talks and talks

[Justice matters.]

61. Many MAGA Rats are actually talking...

Link to tweet

Tweet by Glenn Kirshner:

If you’re charged by “information” (just a prosecutor signing the charging document) rather than by “indictment” (charge by the grand jury) it means the defendant likely is cooperating w/prosecutors. Also, the “sealed” cases are very likely cooperating as well

[Evolve Dammit]

63. Traito scum. Lock them Up!

[Blue Owl]

66. K&R for visibility

[SunSeeker]

69. Merrick Garland is going to be very busy. nt

[sop]

79. "Merrick Garland will tell senators on Monday that he will fight discrimination and domestic

extremism if confirmed as attorney general...'It is a fitting time to reaffirm that the role of the attorney general is to serve the Rule of Law and to ensure equal justice under the law,' Garland is expected to say at his confirmation hearing." - The Hill, 2/21/21

Garland will be their worst nightmare.

[ancianita]

80. Is he a guaranteed confirmation?

[SunSeeker]

90. He should be. Manchin has not objected to him.

And if the fucking Republicans filibuster him, we must end the anti-democratic filibuster rule right then and there. Then we must spend the next 4 years getting long delayed popular progessive legislation speedily through Congress. That is the only way we will keep the White House in 2024.

[ancianita]

94. Good. I hadn't read anything but didn't want to be complacent.

Last edited Sun Feb 21, 2021, 06:44 PM - Edit history (1)

Everything you said, too, whether there's an attempted filibustering or not. Just nuke it, get on with the mountain of democracy saving and pandemic control that's ahead.

[COL Mustard]

110. I Think If All Democrats Support Him, Yes

Maybe some Republicans too. He's not unreasonable.

[ancianita]

111. Hope so.

You could have fooled me on the "not unreasonable' point, because he's had a LOT of public pressure from back home on his minimum wage position.

Something about him is twisted when he won't vote with Democrats, yet won't represent his own state, either.

[COL Mustard]

112. Sorry, I Was Referring To Garland, Not Manchin

Garland, from what I've read, is very much in the mainstream. Manchin is...pliable. I only hope Mitch doesn't convince him to change parties.

[ancianita]

114. Okay.

The "he" might be about Garland, but Repubs are likely being whipped to vote party line on him, and it won't be hard to get there because some of them stand to be investigated if he's confirmed, because he's the most experienced domestic terrorism jurist in the US, who will investigate their constitutional jeopardy over Jan 6 and before.
Trumpcult, being unreasonable, just don't care about Garland's reasonableness, love of law or honorability.

Unless Biden has had a sitdown with Manchin, I'm thinking he might pose the cheap pretext of "representing his constituents," and threaten Garland's confirmation.
Just the thought of it pisses me off.

[COL Mustard]

122. Yup, I Agree With You

If he doesn't get confirmed this time, there is something rotten in the state of Denmark.

[keithsw]

75. Along with several of you,

I said all along this was an inside job. And it will all come out. Capitol police were very much involved as well as several other entities. And this Jessica lady is a fucking lulu nut job

[ancianita]

84. Yes.

And so did I. Now it unfolds, with much more to be revealed after further court filings. Then there will be testimony under oath before the Pelosi Commission.

The 'aid and comfort' by elected officials makes 2022 look better now.

[we can do it]

85. She is full of shit. Says she was forced to quit Army when they found out she was transgender.

Somehow they didn’t notice during all those physical exams to begin with when you join.

[louis-t]

86. Exaggerated self-importance, if you ask me.

They all wanted to believe they were part of something that was bigger than them, important to the world, chosen by the 'chosen one' to help him lead. What a bunch of fucking losers.

[Irish_Dem]

108. I believe Trump and his pals played into their delusional thinking.

He made them useful to him.

[apnu]

88. delusions of grandeur. (nt)

[orangecrush]

124. Exactly.

[stillcool]

99. Guess it sounds different coming from

a court filing. Or, maybe it's because it's the Oath Keepers, rather than the Proud Boys? Seems like the insurrection participants are talking, although probably not the elected officials this woman provided security for.

[dawn5651]

101. is it possible that idiots ss detail gave her clearance...

[Irish_Dem]

107. That is an important question I would like answered.

[LongtimeAZDem]

113. Reminds me of when the Rolling Stones hired the Hell's Angels as security for Altamont

[BigmanPigman]

119. Is this like Altamont when the Rolling Stones asked the Hells Angels

to provide security for the concert? It ended in disaster.

[orangecrush]

123. The Secret Service called bullshit on her claims.

The US Secret Service, in response to Watkins' claims in the Saturday filing, denied that private citizens were working with the Secret Service to provide security on January 6.

"To carry out its protective functions on January 6th, the U.S. Secret Service relied on the assistance of various government partners. Any assertion that the Secret Service employed private citizens to perform those functions is false," a US Secret Service spokesperson said in a statement to CNN on Sunday.



https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/02/21/politics/oath-keepers-vip-security-capitol-riot/index.html

[keithbvadu2]

127. Let's see the VIP pass.

Let's see the VIP pass.

That's not something that would be thrown away.

[intheflow]

129. So her defense is that she believed the lies 45 fed her

and so she was acting patriotically and should not be released on bond? "I'm too stupid and gullible to understand the Constitution and the peaceful transfer of power. Please let me live on the outside!"

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

130. Another nutcase