crickets
crickets's JournalThanks for that.
Glossed over in the interview is that Pelosi's laptop was stolen. Pelosi also plainly states that the search for her was no whim of the mob.
Neither Pelosi nor any of the Democrats in Congress are under any illusions at this point. Good. Go get the people responsible, find those who provided plans and guidance, and bring them to justice.
I sometimes have issues with Arnold. My opinions of him may be a mixed bag, but
I have to say this was a surprisingly moving and powerful statement from him. I do think he was sincere, and I greatly appreciate that he made this. I hope more will follow his lead and speak out.
Another reason for impeaching him anyway, and seeking Senate conviction
is that this man has committed a crime against the country so grave that merely removing him from office is not enough. There were far too many orchestrated elements involved in the events that transpired, far too many high echelon moving parts that did not move as they should have. The level of outright disloyalty displayed by trump and all others involved will require massive investigations and legal repercussions. Heavy repercussions. I know, I know. "He gets away with everything. He'll walk away." Not this time. Not for this. It will be a kindness if he spends the rest of his life in jail.
"fidelity to our Constitution"
means that the man who incited a crowd of his followers to insurrection does not just walk away from his crime untouched. The Capitol was ransacked, people died, and members of Congress had to hunker down where they could in fear for their very lives.
You want healing? Kick this man out, have him tried for his crimes against this country, and take your medicine for being part of the reason a mob was whipped into a frenzy that caused this. This is not politics as usual. Get real.
DO YOUR JOBS OR GET OUT.
Wow, what Jamie Raskin has been through in just the last week.
How horrifying to go through the riot, but to be led away while your daughter is in the gallery, and then later to have her stuck hiding under a desk in Steny Hoyer's office... It's just unreal. Yet he is still there, faithfully carrying out the duties of his office on behalf the people. After all of the stress and lack of sleep, he gives the most clear, calm and cogent explanation of what has been happening, what needs to be done, and how it can be accomplished. He is brutally honest about the reasons why trump must be removed from office:
We have a president who is egging on violent, armed insurrection against the Congress of the United States in order to block the peaceful transfer of power. This president is either unable or unwilling to faithfully execute the laws and to uphold the Constitution. Therefore he cannot successfully discharge the powers and duties of office for the next 12 days. The public has no confidence, but more importantly here, the Congress, which is charged with making sure we are secure, has no confidence that this president can do it. Those Trump die-hard sycophants still out there will say this is some kind of partisan thing, but there is broad bipartisan consensus now that Donald Trump is a lethal danger to our republic. The only person who gets new power out of this [25th Amendment] is Vice President Pence, with whom I disagree about pretty much everything. But I do think that he is a sane person and has that basic respect for the Constitution. [snip]
But if this president had committed no other transgressions against the Constitution—and of course there have been dozens—addressing a rally of violent insurrectionists and inviting people to come to Washington and to get wild, with people who broke windows and entered the Capitol complex without going through a metal detector, that in itself would be an impeachable offense. That is a high crime akin to bribery and treason. It is essentially soliciting and aiding and abetting a violent attack on the people’s representatives.
Lot more, and well worth the read - thanks for the article link elleng. I knew little to nothing about Jamie Raskin before today, but I know about him now. I will not forget him.
Thank you for connecting the dots on that point.
I had wondered about it, and now it makes perfect sense. They needed to get out of the way to allow for a clear shot. Ashli Babbitt know what she was doing, knew it was wrong, and could not have failed to see guns drawn. The outcome was inevitable. My sympathies go out to the officer who was forced to shoot her in order to stop her. That couldn't have been easy to do, or to deal with afterward.
👆 This.
Pelosi and Pence were at the top of the list of people being searched for. The would-be assassins had specific preferred targets but would have been happy to take out anyone they could get their hands on. How some Republicans seem unfazed and don't recognize that they were in dire peril is a mystery. Anyone they found would have been taken hostage, and political party was no guarantee against getting killed.
Agreed that Nancy Pelosi is well aware, and knows she cannot afford to let this go. For her safety, and the safety of every single Congressional member, shit has got to get real.
One can only hope.
It's a wonder that more Repubs haven't come out of their trump fog after being evacuated or hunkered in secure locations for hours. One of yesterday's most chilling images is the picture of a rioter vaulting a brass railing in the Capitol with a fistful of zip ties in his hand. At least one of those goons was looking for hostages.
Is there really any going back to 'business as usual' after what happened, and even worse, what could have happened?
There is no reason at all to think impeachment would take long.
Joint session to save time, play three media clips, do it live so the whole country can see and hear it:
1. The GA phone call
read the related charges
2. His speech just before sending the rabble to the Capitol
read the related charges
3. This party vid
You don't need charges for this; the court of public opinion just gets a necessary little jolt for free.
Don't even break to separate chambers: HR ready? VOTE. Senate ready? VOTE.
If the Senate balks, show them this picture:
https://twitter.com/Rebexem/status/1346924689101213696
Takes two, three hours tops. Done.
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