The Wages of Sedition: Speaker Pelosi will impeach Trump a second time
January 11, 2021 8:28 PM Subscribe

The storming of the U.S. Capitol has resulted in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi setting a hard deadline for moving forward with a 2nd impeachment of Donald Trump. Meanwhile, many of the insurrectionists caught on film are now under arrest. And the GOP has shifted from attacking the election to asking for everyone to move on and embrace unity.
posted by valkane (1999 comments total) 82 users marked this as a favorite

Republicans Are Calling For “Unity” After They Voted To Try To Overturn The Election Following The Deadly Capitol Attack -- Buzzfeed
posted by valkane at 8:32 PM on January 11, 2021 [33 favorites]

GOP be like: "We lost the House, the Senate, the Presidency, 350,000 American lives, and our integrity, which means it's time for Democrats to stop being partisan and meet us in the middle."
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 8:35 PM on January 11, 2021 [370 favorites]

This is like how when my little brother was smaller than me I used to give him noogies and whatnot, and then one day he sprouted up and became taller and stronger than me (even though I was four years older), and suddenly I was far too mature for horseplay and he needed to just grow up.
posted by supercrayon at 8:36 PM on January 11, 2021 [158 favorites]

I mean, Flash is dead, but I don't think Unity is the answer.
posted by lock robster at 8:36 PM on January 11, 2021 [66 favorites]

I just pushed my grandmother down the basement steps. My parents want to call the cops on me, but I don't know how that would unify this family.
posted by hototogisu at 8:37 PM on January 11, 2021 [60 favorites]

[From the previous thread]: I suppose we should be grateful that so far MAGA/Qanon/Trumpists (whatever they call themselves) have not manifested 'the stones' of The Weather Underground. So far.

Trump Is ‘Waking Up the Next Tim McVeigh,’ Prominent Former Neo-Nazi Says — Trump’s hysterical rhetoric could ignite another mass-casualty attack, says the man whose life was dramatized in “American History X.”, Daily Beast SpyTalk, Jeff Stein, 1/7/2021:

Frank Meeink [WP bio], the former neo-Nazi whose troubled life inspired the explosive hit movie American History X, says Donald Trump’s incendiary rhetoric is inviting “another Timothy McVeigh” [WP bio] to carry out a mass-casualty bombing of a federal facility or other kind spectacular attack.

“There are Timothy McVeighs everywhere,” ... “Every hour that this madness goes on, we are waking up more and more Timothy McVeighs.”

Meeink says his own years as a white power, neo-Nazi skinhead leader in the early 1990s gives him insight into the thinking of anti-government radicals today. “I would be planning stuff right now,” he told SpyTalk. “I mean, that’s what I did. I kidnapped people, that’s what I did in the movement…”

Meeink, now 45, says he’s not worried about the extremist protesters in Washington so much as the under-the-radar loners nursing their hatreds, building bombs or readying their stocks of automatic weapons to assassinate or kidnap government officials—all in the service of igniting a civil war.

“I know that they’re psyched for this. They’re pumped for this,” he says. The crisis over certifying Joseph Biden’s election victory is “the big game that they’ve been talking about for 30 years in The Turner Diaries”— a civil war....

posted by cenoxo at 8:38 PM on January 11, 2021 [34 favorites]

Speaker Pelosi is not the only one impeaching Trump. Give the rest of the House Democratic Caucus, especially freshmen like Jamaal Bowman, Mondaire Jones, Kai Kahele, and Cori Bush who have been pushing tirelessly for this since the 6th, a little credit also, please.
posted by Gadarene at 8:42 PM on January 11, 2021 [89 favorites]

Surely this time the Dems will stand firm.

Surely?
posted by Pouteria at 8:42 PM on January 11, 2021 [1 favorite]

I assume the GOP is talking about something more like Unity than anything else.

Other than what they usually mean, of course: their complete privilege and insulation from any of the consequences they deserve.
posted by wildblueyonder at 8:43 PM on January 11, 2021 [5 favorites]

> "In a tense AM call w Kevin McCarthy, President Trump today privately — and falsely — blamed "Antifa people" for storming the Capitol... McCarthy told him the riot “was MAGA” and he knew because he was in there, per WH official." -- Jonathan Swan

Antifa did this!
posted by homunculus at 8:45 PM on January 11, 2021 [16 favorites]

Literally anything Democrats do will be too much and too far for the GOP. The only possible thing that might make the GOP happy would be if Democrats did nothing--and then they'd gloat, even now, and use that to shut down any other criticism. As always.

I realize people are inevitably going to look back at this and say it was too divisive, no matter how it turns out, and yes there will still be bad fallout. We're going to be living with this garbage and these threats for a long time. Doing nothing about it would be even worse.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 8:48 PM on January 11, 2021 [48 favorites]

>I assume the GOP is talking about something more like Unity than anything else.

I was thinking Unity. They seem to be all about the hive mind.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 8:51 PM on January 11, 2021 [1 favorite]

To quote something I saw on Twitter: “Years of studying South Africa tells me that Reconciliation can only come after Truth and Justice.”
posted by Silvery Fish at 8:52 PM on January 11, 2021 [85 favorites]

"In a tense AM call w Kevin McCarthy, President Trump today privately — and falsely — blamed "Antifa people" for storming the Capitol...

It's never a great feeling when you read those reports about him spinning bullshit in private to people he doesn't need to lie to and you start to wonder "oh god, does he really believe this one?"

Like he's a lying liar who constantly lies but he's also built an entire world around his life where other lying liars lie to him all the time so he doesn't throw big baby tantrums (and also to lead him around by the nose for their own agendas), and the version of reality that filters through that and takes hold is terrifying to think about. Does he fully believe whatever someone like Flynn tells him about what's "really" going on? That's nightmare fuel.
posted by jason_steakums at 8:53 PM on January 11, 2021 [24 favorites]

I almost posted this in one of the insurrection-related MeTas set up for moral support, but it's just a tad too serious:

“A Socialist Christmas Carol”

Featuring President Ocasio-Cortez, with a streak of gray in her hair, as The Spirit of Protests to Come. From last month's Democratic Left, courtesy your friendly neighborhood DSA.

Also, I just realized I've been thinking this during the entire Trump Administration but never actually said it out loud or written it on the internet: the Pierson's Puppeteers are an alien species from the “Known Space” universe of author (milkshake duck “right-libertarian”, i.e. pro-organ-harvesting-from-undesirables Nazi; a moment of silence for my childhood, please) Larry Niven.

Their defining characteristic is that they are, by the standards of any other species, pathologically afraid of any personal risk whatsoever, which is a major factor that has led in the timeline of the novels to them becoming extremely rich, indecisive, deceptive, owners of layers upon layers of shell companies to obfuscate connections to themselves, and employers of others to do their dirty work.

The supreme ruler of the Pierson's Puppeteers aliens is known as “the Hindmost”, since as the most important individual, he (they all consider themselves male in human languages, Niven apparently thinking it amusing or innovative or something for biological “females” to be the non-sentient of three sexes) has the right to remain the furthest from all dangers.

So: I propose that we add “the Hindmost” to Trump's sobriquets, Trump being the diametric opposite of a leader. (Although that's an insult to fictional aliens as the “male” sexes are portrayed as hyperintelligent and having pleasant speaking voices.)
posted by XMLicious at 8:56 PM on January 11, 2021 [15 favorites]

Has anyone started looking into the criminal backgrounds of the rioters? I want to know about the domestic violence charges, specifically, but anything is good.
posted by annsunny at 8:56 PM on January 11, 2021 [13 favorites]

"Even the pubs doing great work on this story are using euphemisms and special pleading. The President got desperate pleas from the Capitol to break the siege. He said no." -- Josh Marshall
posted by valkane at 8:56 PM on January 11, 2021 [18 favorites]

An armed insurrection demands accountability, of those on the ground, and those who incited them. The rule of law demands it. Anything less — negotiation, concession, accommodation of insurrectionists in any way — takes away from the rule of law. And without the rule of law, there’s no country worth preserving. It really is that simple.
posted by Capt. Renault at 9:05 PM on January 11, 2021 [47 favorites]

Via BalloonJuice.com, an article on ArcDigital.media titled "QAnon Woke Up the Real Deep State"

Link

I sincerely hope this is true. It's short and will lift your mood. Forward.
posted by SoberHighland at 9:08 PM on January 11, 2021 [52 favorites]

“The people [of a city] should fight for their laws as they would for their city wall.”

— Heraclitus (DK22B44)
posted by Capt. Renault at 9:10 PM on January 11, 2021 [29 favorites]

Several Capitol police officers suspended, more than a dozen under investigation over actions related to rally, riot.

Damn! That police department has got to be one toxic work environment right now. Half of them are Nazis helping the rioters that were in the process of beating to death or crushing or chasing the other half. How can such a department even be functional?

Well, "half" is a figure of speech but how would you know who has your back?
posted by JackFlash at 9:25 PM on January 11, 2021 [50 favorites]

That police department has got to be one toxic work environment right now.

I would suggest that all police departments are toxic and dysfunctional, and load and stress testing it just shows it clearly.
posted by mikelieman at 9:33 PM on January 11, 2021 [42 favorites]

I would guess that most of the cops in that department already have a pretty good idea who does and doesn't have their back, and have probably known it for years.
posted by biogeo at 9:36 PM on January 11, 2021 [39 favorites]

I would imagine that there are a few cops out there who might be a little freaked out to realize how many of their fellow officers would support overturning democracy though.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 9:38 PM on January 11, 2021 [10 favorites]

The Sift: "An educator's guide to
the week in news literacy"
has a whole issue on the capitol attacks and most of the false claims made online. They especially go over the accusations that AntiFa was to blame. I've only read half of it but it seems pretty thorough.
posted by RuvaBlue at 9:40 PM on January 11, 2021 [15 favorites]

https://twitter.com/mkaplantv/status/1348642565650862084

Michael Kaplan @mkaplantv
9:46 AM · Jan 11, 2021·Twitter Web App

NEWS: The US Capitol Police has had to respond to "a couple of incidents" of officers threatening to harm themselves in the wake of the attack on Capitol Hill. This includes a female officer who turned in her own weapon for fear of what might happen.

A source told @CBSNews
the dept. is "demoralized".

"There’s tremendous moral injury, a sense of failure weighing them down. They went home to family and were asked how did this happen. And it’s very easy for those officers to interpret that as ‘how could you let this happen?’”
posted by sebastienbailard at 9:41 PM on January 11, 2021 [70 favorites]

And it’s very easy for those officers to interpret that as ‘how could you let this happen?’

That’s a not-unreasonable interpretation of a not-unreasonable question.
posted by Ice Cream Socialist at 9:44 PM on January 11, 2021 [52 favorites]

[From the previous thread]: I suppose we should be grateful that so far MAGA/Qanon/Trumpists (whatever they call themselves) have not manifested 'the stones' of The Weather Underground. So far.

First and foremost: I don't underestimate the potential for violence & harm in the current moment. I'm scared as shit, in fact. I'm also not trying to venerate The Weather Underground. They were a violent bunch and were willing to cause a lot of real harm. (Aside: Richard Avedon's photos of the principle members of the movement are well worth a look. These were young desperate and pretty much all white people.)

I guess I was just struck in the moment of posting (in the last thread) by the apparent lack of a single galvanizing coherent 'manifesto' or set of 'ten non-negotiable demands' that might give the average person an idea of what these people wanted. But on reflection I see that perhaps I just haven't been looking at a more obvious answer, that it's straight up white nationalism, communicated with dog whistles and 'secret hand shakes' amongst the faithful.
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 9:51 PM on January 11, 2021 [17 favorites]

GOP be like: "We lost the House, the Senate, the Presidency, 350,000 American lives, and our integrity, which means it's time for Democrats to stop being partisan and meet us in the middle."

I’m not surprised though, considering the Democratic response to that demand has typically been like: “okay”
posted by EmGeeJay at 9:55 PM on January 11, 2021 [88 favorites]

That’s a not-unreasonable interpretation of a not-unreasonable question.
Sure, if you didn't see anything but the stills of the shithead terrorists getting selfies with sympathetic cops. However, if you saw the "heave ho" tape, you'd know that that is a completely unreasonable question because it is blazingly obvious who let this happen, and it was not the cops. Everyone in that building and the police guarding the building were deliberately abandoned to the mob and people who had control and could have stopped it before it happened, or failing that, could have broken it up early before the tsunami of deranged, murderous cultists broke through the doors and windows and beat one person to death and crushed another person to death, everyone with the power to NOT let that happen sat back and watched it happen for hours and did not stop it.
posted by Don Pepino at 9:55 PM on January 11, 2021 [129 favorites]

him spinning bullshit in private to people he doesn't need to lie to

He's not trying to persuade them. He's telling them what their story is and modeling the conviction with which they are to tell that story. He's always done that.
posted by ctmf at 9:57 PM on January 11, 2021 [81 favorites]

"QAnon Woke Up the Real Deep State"

Conversely. from November: Trump administration removes senior defense officials and installs loyalists, triggering alarm at Pentagon

--and from a few days ago: The Pentagon blocked the DC National Guard from receiving riot gear or interacting with protesters without explicit approval from Trump's defense secretary
posted by Sing Or Swim at 10:01 PM on January 11, 2021 [24 favorites]

I'd be demoralized too if I found out the hard way how many of my sworn colleagues turned out to be fifth columnists.
posted by tclark at 10:04 PM on January 11, 2021 [9 favorites]

President Donald J. Trump Approves District of Columbia Emergency Declaration

Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that an emergency exists in the District of Columbia and ordered Federal assistance to supplement the District’s response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from the 59th Presidential Inauguration from January 11 to January 24, 2021.

I have no idea what to think of this.
posted by clawsoon at 10:06 PM on January 11, 2021 [13 favorites]

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-7th WA) Has Tested Positive for Covid

In her statement Monday night, Jayapal’s office took care to highlight that “the duration in the room was multiple hours, and several Republicans not only cruelly refused to wear a mask but mocked colleagues and staff who offered them one,” linking to video showing Delaware Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester pleading with a group of Republicans to put on the masks she was offering them.

Jayapal's been notably good on the Hill. I'm hoping she pulls through alright, but I'm also sure she won't be the last to be infected by her ostensible colleagues.
posted by CrystalDave at 10:06 PM on January 11, 2021 [84 favorites]

I guess I was just struck in the moment of posting (in the last thread) by the apparent lack of a single galvanizing coherent 'manifesto' or set of 'ten non-negotiable demands' that might give the average person an idea of what these people wanted.

Kind of reminds me of what I kept hearing during the Occupy movement, the claim that nobody knew what they wanted. (I thought it was obvious what they wanted—for the rule of law to apply uniformly so the world’s most powerful actors would not be not free to steal and destroy as they please.)
posted by maniabug at 10:16 PM on January 11, 2021 [7 favorites]

A veteran in Congress asked the military to make sure troops deploying to Biden's inauguration are not sympathetic to domestic terrorists after Capitol siege

Rep. Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat and former Army Ranger, asked on a call with Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy Sunday for the military's criminal investigation units to look into "troops deployed for the inauguration to ensure that deployed members are not sympathetic to domestic terrorists."

McCarthy agreed to take additional measures, Crow said in a statement on the call.

As for whether or not the review will take place, a Pentagon spokesperson told Insider that because inaugural support is coming from the National Guard, "the responsibility for such a review would lie with the individual states contributing service members for the support mission."

posted by clawsoon at 10:17 PM on January 11, 2021 [23 favorites]

An armed insurrection demands accountability, of those on the ground, and those who incited them. The rule of law demands it.
posted by Capt. Renault

Survival demands it.

----------------

From the article linked above:

If that isn’t what you signed up for, now would be a good time to get out.

More like the last chance.

---------------

I have no idea what to think of this.

In Trump's mind it might just be a ploy to try getting his enemies off guard and gathered together in one open space in broad daylight.

Or he has been told in no uncertain terms to do it or it's 25th time.
posted by Pouteria at 10:19 PM on January 11, 2021 [3 favorites]

House Democrats Briefed On 3 Terrifying Plots To Overthrow Government

The first is a demonstration billed as the “largest armed protest ever to take place on American soil.”

Another is a protest in honor of Ashli Babbitt, the woman killed while trying to climb into the Speaker’s Lobby during Wednesday’s pro-Trump siege of the Capitol.

And another demonstration, which three members said was by far the most concerning plot, would involve insurrectionists forming a perimeter around the Capitol, the White House and the Supreme Court, and then blocking Democrats from entering the Capitol ― perhaps even killing them ― so that Republicans could take control of the government.

posted by guiseroom at 10:26 PM on January 11, 2021 [26 favorites]

Democrats: Impeach Trump! (1st time)
Republicans: Noooo!!! LeT ThE VoTeRs DeCide!!!

Voters Decide

Republicans: Nooo!!! REVOLUTION!! SEDITION!!! INSURRECTION!!! OTHER METAL BAND NAMES!!!
Democrats: Okay, here's your 2nd helping of impeachment pie!!!!
Republicans: Nooo!!! So DiViSiVe!!!! Let ByGones be ByglyOnes!!! Oh Noes!!! My twitters!!!! ALSO, WE WILL KILL YOU ALL IN 50 STATES PLUS DC!!! DIE!! DIE!! DIE!!!

I am really worried for our nation. We could be headed to a bad, bad, place if these dipshits are even partly successful in their insane goals.
posted by smcameron at 10:26 PM on January 11, 2021 [116 favorites]

Republicans in Congress: "I have always believed robust door-closing regimes infringe on the rights of horses, but now that all the horses have escaped, I need to make clear to the American people that I am and always have been on the side of closing the barn door."
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 10:28 PM on January 11, 2021 [59 favorites]

I'm genuinely surprised that the title of this thread is not ITMFAgain.
posted by inexorably_forward at 10:31 PM on January 11, 2021 [11 favorites]

From previous thread...

during the ramp-up to the 2016 election I was working in an organic grocery store attached to a (dubiously legal but hygienically scrupulous) raw milk dairy in rural Wisconsin & our customers, while all sharing a hippie-ness on some level, absolutely ran the gamut politically in a way I wouldn't have expected if I wasn't there looking at it

Spot on. I began working at farmer's markets in Los Angeles from 2006-2010 selling raw dairy. I came to it having grown up on a farm. The buyers were a cross variety from nursing mom's looking for healthy foods and gourmet buyers ala Alice Waters to the other sovereign extremes (channels, extreme raw foodists, wild-eyed self proclaimed healers, anti-vaxxers, and off the chart nutritionists). In the beginning it was fun playing with all these characters and the farm utilizing every loophole in the state laws to sell the milk in California and across state lines. After awhile I became more and more aware of the cray-cray aspect of it all.

The commonality was a distrust of big food and big pharma. Some a wide gamut of people stopped. Many of the became associated with Weston A. Price groups and Mercola Many moms were initially attracted to the groups until they began to realize the culty aspects surrounding them. The term 'Food Politics" was bandied about alot. I decided to get out when there was a breakout of listeria in NorCal and a customer I knew was saying that raw milk couldn't have done this. It was either the family or the government. I told her that you may be right but that doesn't diminish the fact that 5 kids are still sick.

While I do feel that raw dairy has health benefits, I also know that is my bias based on my farming experience. It may not be that way for everyone.

Almost everyone I know from that period of time has gone off the rails. It's an easy bet to take that a huge amount of alternative providers, especially chiropractors, are on the Trump train.

It's all about purity....
posted by goalyeehah at 10:38 PM on January 11, 2021 [37 favorites]

somebody emphatically requested I not post anything Lincoln Project related in any of these threads a while back. Fair enough. But then I come across the following from Steve Schmidt (now a Democrat) and ... sorry, but ...

>>>

"No, Biden's rallies weren't bigger. No, you didn't see many Biden flags on houses or Biden bumper stickers on cars. No, you don't know a single person on your street or at your church who supports Biden. But guess what? We're here.

"Biden's rallies were small because people who live in reality don't want to expose themselves to the virus you continue to downplay or deny. We don't fly Biden flags because we don't want our houses burned down. We don't put Biden bumper stickers on our cars because we want to avoid becoming targets for road rage. We don't trust you. We've decided to minimize our interactions with people who cannot be reasoned with. This is for our own safety.

In private groups where you're not invited - we share our bewilderment of your descent into madness. We all have stories about how we've cut ties with you, our family and former friends, because we don't want your hatred poisoning our social media streams. We can't stand to listen to vomiting the lies of your cult, day after day. You used to be different. We liked you. But now that we know what was inside your heart all along, we've decided you don't deserve to know about our lives.

"We'll skip family reunions, even after we get the vaccine. We'll make up some excuse just to be polite. But in reality, we just don't feel like sitting around eating potato salad and making small talk with people who have such monstrous beliefs.

"To all the brothers and aunts and cousins and dads and neighbors out there who just can't wrap their heads around what this means going forward, know that these scars aren't going away anytime soon. We won't be reaching out, and we won't be mending fences. It's not up to us to apologize for the wounds you have gleefully inflicted upon us and our friends. You poured the gasoline, you lit the match. You burned this to the ground.

"So if we seem different from now on, I guess we are, in a way. We've seen your truth laid bare, and we're horrified.

"I hope Trump was worth it.""
posted by philip-random at 10:47 PM on January 11, 2021 [327 favorites]

On ABC World News Tonight a reporter said Trump is so pissed about a self-pardon being risky that he won't pardon anyone else. If he can't have one, nobody can.

This would definitely be in keeping with his style, and I hope SO MUCH this happens. Nothing from from "pals" to "just himself" to "all folks anywhere in federal jurisdiction" would surprise me.

What are the odds that, if he can't do the self-pardon bit and ends up facing charges, that he'll take the folks he's pardoned so far (Stone, etc.) with him (with dirt unrevealed until now) out of pure spite? "If I go down, you're going with me!!!"
posted by gtrwolf at 10:48 PM on January 11, 2021 [7 favorites]

I am really worried for our nation.

I am really worried for the whole world. If the USA goes down it is open slather for China and Russia and India, and every wanna be despot the world over, including our own autocratic Trump-humping prosperity-Gospel worshipping Pentecostal Prime Minister here in Australia, who is a very nasty piece of work indeed.

Furthermore, given the Panopticon of techno-surveillance now available to the state, it will be a very very hard road back indeed, and perhaps not even possible.
posted by Pouteria at 10:54 PM on January 11, 2021 [34 favorites]

That Schmidt statement is amazing, philip-random, thank you. Do you happen to have a link to the source?
posted by darkstar at 11:00 PM on January 11, 2021 [7 favorites]

State capitals face threat of armed protests, FBI warns (WaPo, Jan. 11, 2021; cached) The FBI warned Monday that armed far-right extremist groups are planning to march on state capitals this weekend, triggering a rush to fortify government buildings amid concerns that the violence that erupted at the U.S. Capitol last week could spread throughout the country. [...] In Wisconsin, state workers on Monday began boarding up ground-level windows of the Capitol in Madison in anticipation of the protesters. In Arizona, officials had erected a double-layer chain-link fence around the Capitol complex in Phoenix. In Michigan, a state that has been on edge since the FBI disrupted a plot in October to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), a state legislative committee voted Thursday to ban residents from openly carrying guns inside the Capitol in Lansing.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) called up 750 National Guard troops to help protect the Capitol, where the legislature kicked off its annual session Monday. [...] Inslee’s action followed last week’s mob assault on the governor’s mansion, on the same day that a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, resulting in the deaths of five people including a Capitol Police officer. A video of the disturbance in Olympia, Wash., shows a man with an assault rifle and a large knife standing in front of Inslee’s residence, as other demonstrators stand nearby holding Trump flags.

Gov. Jay Inslee is questioning how nearly 100 people were able to breach fencing and make it as far as the front door of the Governor’s Mansion on the Capitol Campus in Olympia on Wednesday. (Komo News, Jan. 7, 2021) Inslee revealed Thursday he and his wife were inside the residence when the breach occurred. It’s the State Patrol’s job to provide 24/7 security for the governor and the governor's mansion, which is encircled by steel fencing. Video taken during Wednesday showed protesters shaking the pedestrian gate adjacent to the main driveway into the grounds when the gate opens. People began walking unabated onto the grounds. Photos.
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:01 PM on January 11, 2021 [26 favorites]

I am seriously worried we might face some sort of redneck Cultural Revolution. Worried enough that a few months ago I bought an AR-15 rifle. Maybe more as camouflage than as a weapon (When the redneck inquisition comes: "Look, I'm no liberal, if I were a liberal, would I have this? Brandishes AR-15).
posted by smcameron at 11:02 PM on January 11, 2021 [14 favorites]

clawsoon > President Donald J. Trump Approves District of Columbia Emergency Declaration

Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that an emergency exists in the District of Columbia and ordered Federal assistance to supplement the District’s response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from the 59th Presidential Inauguration from January 11 to January 24, 2021.

I have no idea what to think of this.
- - - - - -

It's just wild speculation of course, but Trump fueled his MAGA believers, ignited his symbolic Reichstag Fire and watched it burn, thanked his loyal mob, denied any blame (and shifted it onto imaginary terrorists), accused his enemies, and has declared an emergency about what he created. Expect his enabling act soon to suspend Biden's inauguration, along with a search for the 'real' perpetrators.

This is his standard modus operandi: he does nothing unless he benefits.
posted by cenoxo at 11:05 PM on January 11, 2021 [14 favorites]

Ironic that the last Republican presidency, Bush Jr, and its anti-terrorism rules are being applied to terrorists that this Republican presidency produced.

As a Millennial I’m going to associate GOP administrations with terrorism now. With Bush Jr and Trump as the only Republican admins in living memory for young Millennials and Gen Z, it’s gonna be hard for the GOP to make a case for putting them in charge again.

The Republicans are reaping what they sow in more ways than one.
posted by ichomp at 11:07 PM on January 11, 2021 [12 favorites]

Do you happen to have a link to the source?

it showed up on a friend's Facebook.

I did a bit of googling and found nothing definitive. Just a pile of re-posts.

if it's a fake, it's a good one
posted by philip-random at 11:07 PM on January 11, 2021 [2 favorites]

I'm genuinely surprised that the title of this thread is not ITMFAgain.

ITMF 2: MAGA Boogaloo is just a little too on the nose...
posted by Big Al 8000 at 11:11 PM on January 11, 2021 [10 favorites]

I am seriously worried we might face some sort of redneck Cultural Revolution.

It is so funny to me that MAGA shrieks about communism when they share so many traits with Chinese communism than the American “Left” ever has.

-the costumes / red hats
-the devotion to a cult figure
-the rural revolution
-the populism
-the owning of elites
posted by ichomp at 11:12 PM on January 11, 2021 [41 favorites]

latest Drudge Report leading links:

200 HOURS LEFT
BANKERS BAIL
FBI WARNS OF 'HUGE UPRISING'
WEDNESDAY: DOUBLE IMPEACHMENT
TWITTER DOOMED?

we are where we are
posted by philip-random at 11:17 PM on January 11, 2021 [2 favorites]

-the costumes / red hats

In both cases, made in China.
posted by sebastienbailard at 11:27 PM on January 11, 2021 [29 favorites]

Not Schmidt; Katie Schnessel's letter to the Editor: I hope Trump was worth it, The Villages-News, December 27, 2020. The outlet:"Local. Independent. Serving The Villages, Florida." The Villages (Florida's Friendliest Home Town/America's premier Active Adult Retirement Community located in sunny central Florida) in the news before the election.
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:28 PM on January 11, 2021 [123 favorites]

The police officers who participated in the Assault on the Capitol provide the strongest argument yet for the Defund the Police movement. Let's just hope we can all get through the next couple weeks without any stronger arguments.
posted by oneswellfoop at 11:40 PM on January 11, 2021 [24 favorites]

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, asked acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller to allow military criminal investigators to join civilian law enforcement authorities in determining if troops or veterans took part in the insurrection. (USA Today, Jan. 11, 2021) Duckworth, D-Ill., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, asked by letter that military criminal investigators determine whether service members or veterans “engaged in insurrection or participated in a seditious conspiracy. [...] Our Nation must demonstrate resolve and resilience in bringing the neo-Nazis, white supremacists and conspiracy theorists who formed this mob to justice. [...] “This includes addressing deeply troubling reports that members of the U.S. Armed Forces” and veterans took part in the mayhem that resulted in five deaths.

“If criminal investigators determine that members of the U.S. Armed Forces, retired members of a regular component of the U.S. Armed Forces and members of the Fleet Reserve/Fleet Marine Corps Reserve servicemembers engaged in criminal conduct related to the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol, I urge you to take appropriate action to hold individuals accountable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Upholding good order and discipline demands that the U.S. Armed Forces root out extremists that infiltrate the military and threaten our national security,” wrote Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran, Purple Heart recipient and former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Full letter.
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:05 AM on January 12, 2021 [71 favorites]

Not Schmidt; Katie Schnessel's letter to the Editor: I hope Trump was worth it,

thanks for that. I had a feeling it might not have been Schmidt when I couldn't find an original post.
posted by philip-random at 12:12 AM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

Fuck him up, Nancy
posted by Going To Maine at 12:16 AM on January 12, 2021 [15 favorites]

somebody emphatically requested I not post anything Lincoln Project related in any of these threads a while back. Fair enough.

Personally I find the Lincoln Project stuff interesting, and I hope people aren't generally cutting it out of these threads. No, I don't trust the Lincoln Project people beyond our shared goal of destroying Trumpism, but they have an interesting perspective that's worth hearing. People who don't want to hear what they have to say can refrain from watching their videos.
posted by biogeo at 12:52 AM on January 12, 2021 [62 favorites]

I don't know anything about Secretaries of Defense to be quite honest, but I feel like Tammy Duckworth would make a pretty good one.
posted by away for regrooving at 12:55 AM on January 12, 2021 [15 favorites]

Just noting quickly, there's no site edict against Lincoln Project discussion or links.
posted by taz (staff) at 12:57 AM on January 12, 2021 [41 favorites]

Surely this time the Dems will stand firm.

A good sign that they will is that we've had several attempts at doing the usual waffling from some of the usual suspects this past week and they've all been ruthlessly quashed by the House Democrats.

Funny thing about how having been seconds from being lynched can really concentrate the mind.
posted by MartinWisse at 12:59 AM on January 12, 2021 [31 favorites]

WaPo opinion on "a better way" than impeachment:

Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, passed in the aftermath of the Civil War, bars Trump from holding another federal office if he is found to have “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against” the Constitution of the United States.

The finding could be accomplished by a simple majority vote of both houses, in contrast to the requirement in impeachment proceedings that the Senate vote to convict by a two-thirds majority. Congress would simply need to declare that Trump engaged in an act of “insurrection or rebellion” by encouraging the attack on the Capitol. Under the 14th Amendment, Trump could run for the White House again only if he were able to persuade a future Congress to, “by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

Here's what I think: why not both?

Keep the impeachment pressure on Republicans. Find out which minority of them might be brought into repudiation of Trumpism. It will be a minority because movement conservatism is disease, and honestly I don't think there's enough Romneys in the party to convict, but the pressure might be revealing and useful anyway.

If they don't cooperate by the time the House and Senate D majorities are in place, make the declaration part of impeachment proceedings, in which it'd have to come out anyway.

Every single last damn law that can be brought against Trump needs to be. The words "moral hazard" don't even begin the problem of letting him get away with this. And sure, the kind of people that choose *him* of all people over actual functioning society are going to do more stupid things just like they did on the 6th. They're going to do that anyway. No point in buying crazy down, let's make the rule of law work.
posted by wildblueyonder at 1:00 AM on January 12, 2021 [72 favorites]

I don't know anything about Secretaries of Defense to be quite honest, but I feel like Tammy Duckworth would make a pretty good one.

This is not the right direction to go.

If anything, the United States needs a stronger legislative branch than ever. We need to start reducing the powers of the President, which have been growing to the point where a dictatorship is inevitable. We need a president who's not allowed to:

- wage war indefinitely (the War Powers Act seems pretty powerless)
- pardon criminal co-conspirators
- fire cabinet members who are also supposedly judges of their character (25th Amendment)
- influence the security of other elected officials (Washington DC jurisdiction)
- make up laws (Executive Orders)

If Biden ends his term with less power than when he started, that would be a step in the right direction.
posted by meowzilla at 2:00 AM on January 12, 2021 [90 favorites]

There should be unity. Unity makes a country stronger. A house divided against itself cannot stand. That's why Republicans should join in unity with the Democrats working to protect democracy and the constitution. That's why they should disavow the months* of disunity they sowed following the election. Unity means standing united against a president who treats elections as something that exists for show.

Republicans have made a lot of hay by claiming terms like Freedom and Patriotism for their own, and ingraining their own cynical definitions of them in the culture at large. It would be nice if Democrats (and we) pushed back on this more often.

(Well, years of disunity, and the election of almost every Democrat, but who's counting.)
posted by trig at 2:17 AM on January 12, 2021 [13 favorites]

Goddamn, the news about Pramila Jayapal is really upsetting. She’s my representative and has been knocking it out of the park throughout the pandemic with constant updates and information. I’m so proud of her being our rep. I really hope it’s one of those mild cases or no symptoms ones. There’s so much to be furious about but those fuckers refusing masks makes me rage blind.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 2:20 AM on January 12, 2021 [49 favorites]

Someone needs to take Joe aside, put both hands on his shoulders and look him directly in the eyes and say 'JOE, they would have killed you. They were chanting HANG MIKE PENCE. What do you think they would have done to you?'
posted by adept256 at 2:26 AM on January 12, 2021 [44 favorites]

> I'm also not trying to venerate The Weather Underground. They were a violent bunch and were willing to cause a lot of real harm. (Aside: Richard Avedon's photos of the principle members of the movement are well worth a look. These were young desperate and pretty much all white people.)...

The most tangible distinctions between The Weather Underground and contemporary domestic terrorist cells is that the cops opposed The Weather Underground.

That's the difference between a police officer wanting to kill you on sight and wanting to help you sneak past security. It's the difference between having to live pseudonymously with no fixed address for a decade and being able to advertise and recruit openly from their privately owned home. Otherwise they're similar in many ways, including how they represent an extremely small group committed to violent activities in the name of goals that a much broader population may openly support but are (regardless of what they claim) unwilling to make any meaningful efforts toward.
posted by at by at 2:43 AM on January 12, 2021 [17 favorites]

Jayapal is my rep too, and she’s also a local of my particular slice of town. I’m proud to have voted for her and if she has long lasting symptoms from this I will be heartbroken in a way I thought I had become numb to.
posted by Mizu at 2:43 AM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

Antifa did this!

If Antifa did this there would have been medics, a first aid tent, a soup kitchen and an lgbtq squad with water bottles rinsing people's eyes.
posted by adept256 at 2:56 AM on January 12, 2021 [217 favorites]

Amen.

The other difference between the Weather Underground and the Trumpist insurrectionists is that the Weather Underground had an idea of how to run a revolution. They may have been middle class white kids but they knew who their enemies were and what the cost of fighting them would be. Sure, some elements of the Trump mob had concrete goals and plans to achieve them but most of them seemed to believe that they could just show up at the capital, march in, and magic big daddy would make it 1950 again. QAnon doesn't tell it adherents that there will generations of class warfare, blood, toil, and in the end the revolution will be won. It tells them that they just have to be spectators, fans really, until the day Trump fixes all the evil in the world. The white nationalists and the militia members hiding in the Trump crowd are very dangerous because they have plans, maybe not viable plans but plans nevertheless.
posted by rdr at 3:20 AM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

The reps who refused to wear a mask should face criminal charges for their reckless endangerment of their fellow humans.
posted by interogative mood at 3:39 AM on January 12, 2021 [57 favorites]

Well, "half" is a figure of speech but how would you know who has your back?

The National Fraternal Order of Police endorsed Trump. The majority of local Fraternal Orders also did. The cops are incredibly pro-Trump.
posted by srboisvert at 3:58 AM on January 12, 2021 [15 favorites]

Worth pointing out that Jessica Mitford may have come to her political beliefs as a kid but she spent her life as a dedicated and serious socialist writer and activist.

Yes. Jessica was very much the good Mitford, as this recent BBC radio profile of her demonstrates.
posted by Paul Slade at 4:14 AM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

Senator Duckworth using words like "insurrection" and "seditious conspiracy" warms my heart. They're ~~rightly~~ rightously pissed off at Donald Trump's assassination attempt, and this isn't going away.

Bring back the HUAC. "Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Republican party?"
posted by mikelieman at 4:22 AM on January 12, 2021 [25 favorites]

It looks as if the road to the Inauguration will be bumpy.
BBC: There are reports of armed groups planning to gather at all 50 state capitols and in Washington DC in the run-up to his 20 January inauguration.
An internal FBI note obtained by ABC News shows warnings of "a huge uprising".
These also all have the potential to be super-spreader events as the MAGA's deny the virus .
posted by adamvasco at 4:29 AM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

I don’t know why no one seems to be saying it, but anyone calling for unity needs as the BARE MINIMUM to admit that the election wasn’t stolen. That the vote was fair, and Biden won the election. Not “whatever happened, he’s President now.” If you can’t say that he won, which was affirmed by every voting authority including Republican ones, you don’t want unity - you want to keep living in a country that is okay with two versions of reality. That there’s no such thing as the truth. You can’t have unity until people actually unite.

Frankly I think we should put pressure on Schumer and Pelosi that that’s a litmus test for serving in government. People are welcome to think whatever they want to think privately, but if you want to serve in an elected position, you better damn well make it clear to your constituents that you believe in fair elections.
posted by Mchelly at 4:34 AM on January 12, 2021 [96 favorites]

Here in Texas, home of treasonous cockroach Ted Cruz and several other slithering Republicans, I wonder if we have much to worry about at our Capitol. Of course I want to be sure our remaining Dems are protected, but in general I'm not sure they're going to see any uprising. Sadly, assholes pretty much get what they want from our gerrymandered to hell state lege.
posted by emjaybee at 4:37 AM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

Skimming, it looks like she was just another contrarian troll, fueled by the desire for attention and contempt for human suffering:

Perhaps skim beyond the first section? Midford was certainly not "just another contrarian troll": "Pryce Jones reports that "She [Mitford] saw him, it seemed, more than a hundred times, no other English person could have anything like that access to Hitler"
posted by dmh at 4:39 AM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

And as a follow-up to that: The American Abyss from the NYT Magazine is worth a read. Fascism starts with a Big Lie. For the US right now, the Big Lie is that Democrats - and particularly Democrats of color - can’t be trusted to vote fairly.
posted by Mchelly at 4:39 AM on January 12, 2021 [25 favorites]

Anyone calling for "unity" right now is either willfully naive or a villain.
posted by The Card Cheat at 4:40 AM on January 12, 2021 [21 favorites]

In their Strange Days interview yesterday, Sarah Kendzior and Ruth Ben-Ghiat are both pretty blunt about the situation being unsafe to hold an inauguration as it usually would have been.
posted by progosk at 4:45 AM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

Deleted extended derail about Unity Mitford. Feel free to make a post about her if you'd like.
posted by taz (staff) at 4:57 AM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

Bring back the HUAC. "Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Republican party?"

I want to see Bernie Sanders brandishing a list of names on the Senate floor. "I have here, in my hand..."
posted by Faint of Butt at 4:59 AM on January 12, 2021 [16 favorites]

[deleted my own Mitford sister ranking comment]
posted by atrazine at 4:59 AM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

If the Ctrl-Z brigade are calling for unity then, after the reports of faeces-smearing in the federal capitol, people must require at least basic potty-training and continence from the losers.
posted by scruss at 5:01 AM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

I'm worried that with all that needs to get done, Congressional Review Act action is going to slip through the cracks, especially since its ability to undo executive rulemaking (and bar future administrations from performing similar rulemaking without explicit legislative approval) only reaches back "60 legislative days," a time frame that will keep on narrowing every day after the 20th.

When Trump took over, the republicans in congress used it to undo a slate of Obama's actions stretching back to, I believe, mid-summer. I'm not sure how to find out how far back 60 legislative days stretches this time.

It only requires 50 votes in the Senate.

Maybe those contacting their representatives about inauguration security or impeachment plans should add this to their requests?
posted by nobody at 5:06 AM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

"Citing his role in a "violent insurrectionist attack on the U.S. Capitol," the chairman of the New York State Senate's judiciary committee has made a formal request to begin the process of stripping Rudy Giuliani of his law license." -- Kyle Griffin
posted by valkane at 5:11 AM on January 12, 2021 [79 favorites]

Sheldon Adelson just died. So, there's that.
posted by bcd at 5:19 AM on January 12, 2021 [47 favorites]

Rep. Jason Crow...asked...for the military's criminal investigation units to look into "troops deployed for the inauguration to ensure that deployed members are not sympathetic to domestic terrorists."

The government can't trust itself right now. That's terrifying.
posted by PlusDistance at 5:23 AM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

The only reason I can see for letting Ivanka attend is to help ward off attacks

And that is in anyways bad? Pence will be there, probably.
posted by Chitownfats at 5:28 AM on January 12, 2021

Sheldon Adelson just died

Maybe everyone but me knows who he was without having to look him up, but if anyone doesn’t, he was a rich casino owner who was the largest Trump donor. If this isn’t relevant beyond having anything at all to do with Trump, I didn’t read far enough to find the connection.
posted by aubilenon at 5:29 AM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

If this isn’t relevant beyond having anything at all to do with Trump, I didn’t read far enough to find the connection.

Adelson repeatedly dumped reality-warpingly large sums of money into our political discourse. In 2012 he singlehandedly kept Newt Gingrich's failing campaign alive by pumping 20 million into various PACs before begrudgingly moving on to support establishment candidates.

It can definitely be argued that Trump would have had a much more difficult time getting elected if not for people like Adelson.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 5:43 AM on January 12, 2021 [36 favorites]

Der Füzz PR machine> And it’s very easy for those officers to interpret that as ‘how could you let this happen?’

> That’s a not-unreasonable interpretation of a not-unreasonable question.

Sympathy for the victims of propaganda, sympathy for the victims of all fascist and capitalist predation, but keepin' it 💯^{^}—there really will be no reasonable excuse, in less emotional moments, for any rational person who has been conscious for the last five years, much less the last twenty, to spend a little while thinking about or researching the events which led up to this yet still ask, “Dear God Almighty, what could possibly have gone wrong for us to deserve this? My burden is that of Job!^{^}” </not an actual quote from anyone>

I mean forget all of the stuff about the publicly self-identified white nationalist (←previous megathread) Nazi president of the United States leading a violent autocoup to overthrow the goverments of the same, the state governments for having sung his tune in the wrong key, after literally openly declining to accept a peaceful transfer of power... national capital disaster preparedness wise, all of the same stuff happened—indeed worse happened—on 9/11 (←previous megathread) less than two decades ago. No future historian is going to let any of us get off with “I am just shocked, completely blindsided, that twelve years of the deft helmsmanship of George W. Bush and Trump, and eight years of Obama also carrying out all POTUS duties backwards, in high heels, during the Neo-Confederate Antipatriot Birtherism onslaught and also trying to wind down the two simultaneous land wars in Asia his predecessor started, while juggling flaming bowling pins and keeping dinner plates gyroscopically spinning atop poles, did not result in an ‘A’ on our report cards for all problems and loose ends related to 9/11 like our bazillion-dollar investments in securing our capitol.” </not an actual quote>

Just to be clear, I am not merely trying to say ACAB and that there haven't, in the past week, been hero cops and others who went above and beyond the call of duty and risked the last full measure for those in their charge (or gave it, in at least that one case).

We let the “well oiled machine” guy with the nuclear codes go about his shenanigans and capers and we pretended, along with the police executives some cops feel betrayed by, that he was actually captain of some parts of an actual well oiled machine, in which honest non-Nazi Officer Friendly would need to exert herself at peak performance and with all the de-escalation training but also the non-lethal crowd control and active shooter scenarios and observation of rules for allowing free speech protests, etc., gears turning in her head, but still fulfill her duties within the tolerances of reasonable job expectations for a cog in a multi-trillion-dollar machine with uncountable levels of redundancy architected by the heretofore wealthiest and most sophisticated entity in the history of the human race. No, instead we let honest non-Nazi Officer Friendly down in regards to any reasonable expectations relative to her job description, and forced her into a position where she faced potentially having to silently say goodbye to her kids and throw herself on a grenade.

It's kind of like the opposite of systemic racism in principle... no systemic sympathy for the cops, systemically indeed they're all bastards, but individually there is indeed the needle in the haystack like Officer Eugene Goodman (←previous megathread links), and we should sympathize with the difficulties the hypothetical principled, moral cop will face while being the boot stomping on the human neck forever. If only for Buddhist compassion purposes like you'd have for a public louse who did not choose to be a public louse, on top of the tactical utility of an ability to speak to those on the other side and/or think like Nazi LEOs infiltrators and Russian GRU/GU^{^} personnel tasked with active measures and trying to shake loose something in particular.

But overall, as others have pointed out, let's keep it foremost in our mind that American citizens of color in a future hectic protest doing anything that even superficially resembled the actions of the January 6 Putsch will result in (←previous megathread) something similar to 1960 South Africa's Sharpeville massacre. And, lets be frank, quite possibly anyone else at this point; indeed it may accidentally happen to Nazis at some point (producing Horst Wessel martyrs^† for Nazi propaganda grist, undoubtedly deaths that will be attributed to Antifa assassins despite police-caliber bullet holes in their bodies, oops all the cameras were switched off) since we're into Hunger Games territory... btw thank you, thank you, thank you, Young Adult Fiction industry and related media industries for having your editorial head screwed on fairly straight during this century and green-lighting adult themes of dystopia on so many occasions (because real adults can handle dystopia maturely! not.), as far as the greedy capitalist IP sector goes.

† Horst Ludwig Georg Erich Wessel, Berlin Sturmführer Nazi party officer supposedly killed by communists in 1930; he was the lyricist responsible for the now-outlawed official Nazi German Anthem Horst-Wessel-Lied. After Hitler came to power, there were continuous show trials and other executions of communists, socialists, and other leftists. So TO BE PERFECTLY FUCKING CRYSTAL CLEAR FOR ANYONE WHO STILL HAS NOT PICKED UP ON IT this is why the Putschisten, Trump, the Republicans, and Fox News are trying to claim that it was Antifa who breached the Capitol of the Republic and did every bad thing these last few years: because after they finally crush their enemies, there will be an all-they-can-eat/murder orgy in which they label whoever they want as “Antifa” and execute them, just as during the last hundred-plus years our broader society has pointed at whoever we want *cough* brown people *cough*, called them terrorists, and executed or bombed them and their families to death.

Michael Corleone, in a tuxedo, sitting on the steps of the opera house, cradling his daughter's body in his arms, screaming; she was killed by a failed assassin's bullet that passed through his body and into hers. Nearly the last scene of the trilogy, after the characters thought it was all over, thought that they were still tough guys but out of the business. Live by the sword, die by the sword.

Help the cops, and other Americans, who suddenly at any point become able to see the blood soaking our hands and reel in horror; just don't let your guard down or assume that some coping mechanism will not subsequently assert itself and snap into place and allow us to again look away, again press the “deploy drones” button that has a “less-than-lethal munitions” label clumsily pasted over the real one and yawn and go get some lunch, or even return to the killing fields personally.
posted by XMLicious at 5:57 AM on January 12, 2021 [22 favorites]

It can definitely be argued that Trump would have had a much more difficult time getting elected if not for people like Adelson.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 9:43 PM on January 12 [+] [!]

Adelson is also largely, at some points primarily, responsible for bringing us everyone's least favorite Mitch.
posted by saysthis at 5:59 AM on January 12, 2021 [14 favorites]

Mo Brooks blames the attack on--and I swear to God this is a quote--"fascist Antifa."
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:00 AM on January 12, 2021 [69 favorites]

Wouldn't they cancel each other out? Or would there be an enormous explosion, like with matter and anti-matter?
posted by Grangousier at 6:02 AM on January 12, 2021 [16 favorites]

It's like an ouroboros of wrong-headedness.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:02 AM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

Madison Cawthorn spoke at rally before violent mob attacked Capitol. Now he’s facing backlash. -- The Charlotte Observer

“Make no mistake: There is blood on his hands. He played a role in encouraging the violence and attack on our democracy (Wednesday), going to get his picture taken and trying to get on the right-wing news by whipping up the crowd that attacked our democracy and our constitutional process. It was disgusting.”

Democratic Party officials from the 11th District sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi requesting that the House conduct an ethics investigation into whether Cawthorn’s statements constitute “acts of sedition” and calling for his expulsion or censure."
posted by valkane at 6:03 AM on January 12, 2021 [49 favorites]

interogative mood: The reps who refused to wear a mask should face criminal charges for their reckless endangerment of their fellow humans.

The fact that they didn’t put the anti-mask stance aside even when under siege speaks volumes. They must have assumed that any gunman that breached their location would target hoax virus believing demonrat mask-wearers, not Real Patriots like themselves.
posted by dr_dank at 6:08 AM on January 12, 2021 [15 favorites]

The only reason I can see for letting Ivanka attend is to help ward off attacks, and that grosses me out for multiple reasons. Otherwise she has no business being anywhere near it.
posted by emjaybee

What are the odds she makes a grab for the mike, starts speechifying, and has to be dragged away?
posted by Pouteria at 6:08 AM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

For second time in a year, Fort Bragg officer's political protest under scrutiny, Gilbert Baez, WRAL Fayetteville, 1/11/2021 [brackets added, I’ve posted this long quote for context]:

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — The Army is investigating a psychological operations officer who led a group of people from North Carolina to the rally in Washington that led up to the deadly riot in the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump. Commanders at Fort Bragg are reviewing Capt. Emily Rainey’s involvement in last week's events in the nation's capital.

It marks the second time in just months that Rainey has been in hot water for her political activity. In May she posted a video [WRAL story with video] of herself taking down yellow tape around swings and slides at a playground in Southern Pines so her children could play. Southern Pines police charged her with injury to personal property, and told WRAL News that they let her off with warnings twice before after she tore down the tape closing off the playground.Fort Bragg says it took what it calls "appropriate disciplinary action" against her for that protest, and in October, she resigned her commission as an officer in the United States Army.

Now, just months before she was scheduled to leave the Army, Fort Bragg leaders are trying to determine if Rainey broke any military laws by leading 100 members of Moore County Citizens for Freedom [Facebook] to the Washington, D.C. rally that turned into a deadly riot. Rainey’s group describes itself online as a nonpartisan network promoting conservative values.

Joe Buccino, a public affairs officer with Fort Bragg, said the command would "look at the breath, totality of that soldier’s service, the circumstances at hand and then render a judgment." He also said the command was working to determine if any other soldiers from post participated. "It's important for us to keep in mind that soldiers are allowed to participate in political rallies, provided they do so in civilian clothes, provided that they adhere to all laws," Buccino said.

...The Department of Defense directive prohibits active-duty servicemembers from sponsoring partisan organizations. It is unclear if Rainey’s participation with her group on Wednesday went against DOD policy. Rainey said she attended the Trump rally while on leave, didn’t advertise that she was an Army officer and told her bosses ahead of time that she'd be going. "We are confident justice will prevail proving our innocence” ...she didn’t know of anyone who entered the Capitol and that her group was headed back to their buses hours before an emergency curfew took effect. “I was a private citizen and doing everything right and within my rights”.

Rainey, 30, is assigned to the 4th Psychological Operations Group at Fort Bragg, according to Maj. Daniel Lessard, a spokesman for 1st Special Forces Command. Known as PSYOPS, the group uses information and misinformation to shape the emotions, decision-making and actions of American adversaries. In June, Rainey wrote an article [direct link, cached] for the [unofficial] online military publication SOFREP about navigating the regulations around political activity. “The more you know about the rules, the freer you become,” she wrote.

posted by cenoxo at 6:08 AM on January 12, 2021 [13 favorites]

Imagine being Mike Pence and doing everything you can to keep the guy who tried to get you murdered in power so that you don't become President of the United States.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:10 AM on January 12, 2021 [87 favorites]

Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that an emergency exists in the District of Columbia and ordered Federal assistance to supplement the District’s response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from the 59th Presidential Inauguration from January 11 to January 24, 2021.

I have no idea what to think of this.

The Mayor of DC (and the governors of Virginia and Maryland) requested this because with the order in place she can call up the Mayor can deploy the National Guard and get assistance from Maryland and Virginia without going through the additional steps and veto points that delayed things on the 6th. It also allows the Capitol and Supreme Court to be more throughly secured prior to inauguration, as before the order the 19th and 20th were the only dates covered. It also releases additional funds to secure those facilities and the city.

It’s pretty standard, requested by Trump’s political opponents, and not really something Trump can use for nefarious purposes. To be honest I’m 100% shocked Trump even ordered it.
posted by jmauro at 6:10 AM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

Democrats should respond to every Republican call for "national unity" that they can have it when they admit, publicly, in word and deed, that Democratic governmenance is as legitimate as their own, instead of spending every waking hour pushing the idea that it isn't.
posted by Gelatin at 6:14 AM on January 12, 2021 [13 favorites]

What are the odds she makes a grab for the mike, starts speechifying, and has to be dragged away?

I realize you're mostly kidding, but come to think of it, I don't think I have ever seen her speak extemporaneously at any point... only in video statements, strategic social media posts, teleprompter speeches, and the like. She's a "curated" presence, an "influencer." She doesn't do off the cuff.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:14 AM on January 12, 2021 [14 favorites]

Here’s the impeachment resolution, H.Res. 24. (There were 4 introduced yesterday, but this looks like the one they will go with, and it’s cosponsored by most of those representatives.)
posted by Huffy Puffy at 6:15 AM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

Another is a protest in honor of Ashli Babbitt, the woman killed while trying to climb into the Speaker’s Lobby during Wednesday’s pro-Trump siege of the Capitol.

The movement seems to have found its Horst Wessel.
posted by acb at 6:22 AM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

Metafilter: I didn’t read far enough to find the connection.
posted by bl1nk at 6:28 AM on January 12, 2021 [20 favorites]

There are so many examples of the irrational craziness that is driving so many of these insurrectionists, but for some reason this one seems emblematic to me: a doctor who was one of the invaders of the US capital last week, who despite all evidence to the contrary is an ardent advocate for hydroxychloroquine as a COVID treatment. And of course,

Gold said she was worried that photos of her inside the Capitol would distract from her advocacy work with America’s Frontline Doctors.
“I do regret being there,” Gold

posted by PhineasGage at 6:29 AM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

If Biden ends his term with less power than when he started, that would be a step in the right direction.

Let's not stop there. Ideally, strip the Presidency of all executive roles, spreading those across the legislature, and reducing the President to a ceremonial figurehead, a sort of elected constitutional monarch whose duties are cutting ribbons, existing as a symbol of continuity (for which the Presidential term should perhaps be longer than 4 years, and elections should not coincide with Congressional ones), reading the occasional government-prepared speech in an official capacity, and most importantly, officially having no opinions on day-to-day political matters.
posted by acb at 6:31 AM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

Once we get through this it will be time to address the rot that has set into our military and our police forces. The way to do that is not just by explaining, shaming, and exposing. It requires punishment. Firings, stripping of pensions, incarceration.

The Overton window can move in either direction. But to move it back you’ll need a hammer. Grab them by the balls and their hearts and minds will follow.
posted by mono blanco at 6:31 AM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

Adelson repeatedly dumped reality-warpingly large sums of money into our political discourse. In 2012 he singlehandedly kept Newt Gingrich's failing campaign alive by pumping 20 million into various PACs before begrudgingly moving on to support establishment candidates.

Didn't he also buy out a bunch of independent newspapers doing investigative reporting on local issues, sack their journalists overnight and turn them into propaganda sheets?

If there were a Hell, he'd have a prime spot reserved.
posted by acb at 6:34 AM on January 12, 2021 [13 favorites]

Yes, he did, and yes, with any luck, he does.
posted by Ghidorah at 6:41 AM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

On the one hand, we see police departments everywhere doing their very best to prove that ACAB, and that police abolition is not just a nifty slogan. On the other hand, if there's no vehicle to enforce the rules, who arrests and prosecutes the insurrectionists (not to mention the purposeful superspreaders). It's a paradox I can't see my way out of. "Reform" just isn't going to cut it.

There's a lot of heat focused on Pelosi, and rightfully so. But honestly, I don't know what she's supposed to do. She doesn't have the votes to expel the House members who are actual insurrectionists, and the 14th Amendment doesn't seem to have enough teeth and detail to not get shredded by a Trumpist SCOTUS. She's stuck with a hundred or more literal traitors.

If ever there was a time to not play by the rules, this would be it. But once you admit that not everyone is constrained by the same rules, you pretty much have to rebuild everything from scratch. You've done your own coup. I desperately don't want to be represented by literal Hitler-worshiper Madison Cawthorn, but he won the fucking election. So what recourse is there until (and unless) he is prosecuted for his role in the insurrection?

Democrats have had their heads in the sand for so long that the Republicans are just the opposition party and not a real and dangerous force for evil that now we are boxed into mostly letting most of their leadership off the hook for this (because I don't foresee Pelosi signing up for the necessary purge and revolutionary restart that the other choice demands).

We dodged a bullet with this election (and the Georgia runoff), but I have no idea what we're going to do about the sniper that's still up there with plenty of ammo.
posted by rikschell at 6:43 AM on January 12, 2021 [14 favorites]

Madison Cawthorn spoke at rally before violent mob attacked Capitol. Now he’s facing backlash.

I'm never going to be convinced that he wasn't made in some mad scientist's lab to be the perfect Republican. His name sounds like a WASPy plantation owner, he looks and talks like a robot they store in Kevin McCarthy's office closet to charge at night.
posted by jason_steakums at 6:45 AM on January 12, 2021 [18 favorites]

acb: " reducing the President to a ceremonial figurehead, a sort of elected constitutional monarch whose duties are cutting ribbons, existing as a symbol of continuity (for which the Presidential term should perhaps be longer than 4 years, and elections should not coincide with Congressional ones), reading the occasional government-prepared speech in an official capacity, and most importantly, officially having no opinions on day-to-day political matters."

Not so far from Trump, if you throw in a few rounds of golf and subtract the fascism.
posted by chavenet at 6:49 AM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

The problem is that President Donkey Kong still has a supply of flaming barrels to hurl, and can cause a lot of harm with executive orders, withdrawals from treaties and such, even when wielding those clumsily as a blunt instrument. A ceremonial figurehead president would have no barrels, flaming or otherwise.
posted by acb at 6:52 AM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

"For the 1st time in the last 10 transitions, the GOP Senate is not confirming Biden cabinet prior to inauguration. That’s right: Biden won't have DHS, AG, State, or HHS heads when he takes office in the wake of a domestic terror attack & during a pandemic" -- Tim Miller
posted by valkane at 6:52 AM on January 12, 2021 [53 favorites]

Adelson repeatedly dumped reality-warpingly large sums of money into our political discourse

When Trump entered office, the Jewish right made a deal with the devil: it ignored threats of antisemitism if it meant giving Israel carte blanche to do what it wanted, while supporting the clamp down on immigrants — particularly Muslims.

Sheldon Adelson was the face of that.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 6:54 AM on January 12, 2021 [30 favorites]

(I think it's worth amending "giving Israel carte blanche to do what it wanted" to "giving the hard-right wing in Israel carte blanche to do whatever it wanted.")
posted by nobody at 6:59 AM on January 12, 2021 [37 favorites]

Trump had almost 80% support among Israelis as of the 2020 election, so either the vast majority of the country is hard-right wing or it's not just that wing that's the problem.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 7:02 AM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

"Trump apparently not planning to aggressively fight impeachment because he's not on speaking terms with his White House Counsel" -- Josh Marshall
posted by valkane at 7:03 AM on January 12, 2021 [31 favorites]

That’s right: Biden won't have DHS, AG, State, or HHS heads when he takes office in the wake of a domestic terror attack & during a pandemic

Isn't this precisely why other nations have shadow ministers who spend their party's years in opposition still being briefed about the various goings on of departments so that when a transfer of power happens they're ready to go on day one?
posted by RonButNotStupid at 7:04 AM on January 12, 2021 [19 favorites]

QAnon Woke Up the Real Deep State

The Deep State is real, but it’s not what you think. The Deep State you worry about is mostly made up; a fiction, a lie, a product of active imaginations, grifter manipulations, and the internet. I’m telling you this now because storming the Capitol building has drawn the attention of the real Deep State — the national security bureaucracy — and it’s important you understand what that means.

You attacked America. Maybe you think it was justified — as a response to a stolen election, or a cabal of child-trafficking pedophiles, or whatever — but it was still a violent attack on the United States. No matter how you describe it, that’s how the real Deep State is going to treat it.

The impact of that will make everything else feel like a LARP.

TL;DR: In the calculus of FAAFO, the time for FA is done; the time for FO has begun.
posted by jquinby at 7:12 AM on January 12, 2021 [26 favorites]

Fascism starts with a Big Lie.

I think this has a lot to do with why Trump favored Twitter. He didn't have to answer to the press. He would tweet and they would print it; no reporters' questions like there's would be in a press conference. The media really needs to learn from this dynamic.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 7:17 AM on January 12, 2021 [67 favorites]

Biden won't have DHS, AG, State, or HHS heads when he takes office in the wake of a domestic terror attack & during a pandemic

Given the quality of the individuals involved I think this is for the best.
posted by evidenceofabsence at 7:19 AM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

And the mob threats just keep on coming:

"Trump makes first public appearance and comments since last week, tells pool on South Lawn that impeachment is a "continuation of...the witch hunt."

"I think it’s causing tremendous anger," he said." -- Eli Stokols, LA Times
posted by valkane at 7:19 AM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

I remember way back in 2016 a friend pointed me to a post on Facebook, calling out the co-owner of a restaurant we frequented as a Trump supporter. I was pretty bothered, but another friend expressed disdain, and actually referred to it as a 'witch hunt.' We stopped going, but I didn't ever go further than that.

I can't help but think such a witch hunt in 2016 might have prevented some of this bullshit.
posted by aspersioncast at 7:22 AM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

Given the quality of the individuals involved I think this is for the best.

Yep, here are the good things about Merrick Garland as Attorney General:

1) He opens up a DC Circuit seat
2) ...

I hope very much that he'll be aggressive in investigating and prosecuting Trump administration criminality, which should be one of the core priorities of this DOJ, but I'm not holding my breath. He's also lukewarm on criminal justice issues as far as I know.

But they got to own the conservatives by elevating the old centrist white guy who the Republicans blocked when Obama tried it, and he's not going to upset any big donor apple carts, so there you go.
posted by Gadarene at 7:37 AM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

Trump leaving for Alamo, Texas on Air Force One as we speak.
posted by cenoxo at 7:38 AM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Trump leaving for Alamo, Texas on Air Force One as we speak.
No one has told has told Alamo about this.
posted by neroli at 7:41 AM on January 12, 2021 [43 favorites]

I suppose there’s a certain symbolism in going to the Alamo to make your last stand. Anybody tell him how that worked out for the folks at the Alamo last time?
posted by notoriety public at 7:48 AM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

a long, disciplined line of men in body armor moves as a unit up the Capitol Building steps.

I keep thinking about how wonderful it is that their green camouflage made them stand out like a sore thumb against all the red hats and blue flags, it would have been so easy to blend in but nope.
posted by Lanark at 7:49 AM on January 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

That's the funny bit; he's going to Alamo. Not The Alamo, which is in San Antonio. Guessing a photo-op by the wall or something.
posted by jquinby at 7:49 AM on January 12, 2021 [26 favorites]

I know it was mentioned in a prior thread, but I seriously wonder if they thought they were scheduling something at THE Alamo, rather than Alamo, Texas? Can McAllen's airport handle AF1, or are they going to have to fly to San Antonio anyway?
posted by LionIndex at 7:50 AM on January 12, 2021 [15 favorites]

For the first time in more than four years I went and looked up the emails I exchanged with my dad in July 2016 after he told me on a phone call he was planning to vote for Trump.

Excerpt from one of my emails:

Anyway, no, it's not [Trump's economic proposals] what worries me. It's that he's inciting such racial, ethnic, and religious vitriol and violence among some of the most hateful and vocal groups of people in this country, and instead of denouncing it, he's relishing it, encouraging it, and making it part of his platform. This nonsense with building a wall and "rounding up Muslims" is so horrid and gross, and whether or not it could actually ever *happen* were he to get elected is beside the point. He has never turned down the opportunity to say something horrible thing about women. He's openly mocked disabled people. In the last few weeks he's been talking about forcing US troops to commit war crimes (he has actually said he would make them do it) and he's advocated torture on numerous occasions. He's saying these things, loudly and with pride, and he now has access to the biggest stage in the world. It's an embarrassment. I'm embarrassed for our country. The Republican party has cannibalized itself so much over the last few years, trying desperately to appeal to it's rapidly radicalizing base, that this disgrace of a man is a major party Presidential nominee. Economic issues aside, think for a moment how it would feel to have someone who bloviates with such blatant disregard for even the most basic of rules of human decorum as the leader of our country. What example would that set? He would be the mouthpiece of the United States, a person children are supposed to be able to look up to and a person who needs to be respected by the leaders of other countries.

Excerpt from my dad's response:

For decades, everyone wanted to be Trump’s friend and business associate and share in the rewards of the Trump Brand. Now, his brand is damaged so the rats have come out to chew on his carcass. You will find nowhere in the media anything from the past 40 years that can label Trump as anything other than probably being a sexist. Trump and the Clintons are billionaires. Trump got there by building things and employing tens of thousands of people all around the country. Clinton’s got there by selling political favors. [...] Trump is a problem for everyone because he listens to no one and cannot be bought at any price. Hillary Clinton is a problem for me because she has demonstrated over and over and over that she is an inherently dishonest person.

Coda.

posted by phunniemee at 7:50 AM on January 12, 2021 [32 favorites]

It's actually at Alamo Total Landscaping.
posted by stevis23 at 7:51 AM on January 12, 2021 [52 favorites]

Four Seasons Alamo.
posted by PhineasGage at 7:51 AM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

Of course a couple days ago (when this Alamo trip was initially announced) Twitter was wondering which Alamo Car Rental branch they would be using.
posted by soundguy99 at 7:52 AM on January 12, 2021 [26 favorites]

~ Trump leaving for Alamo, Texas on Air Force One as we speak.
~ No one has told has told Alamo about this.

Maybe he thinks he's going to The Alamo? That would make more sense vis-a-vis his delusions.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:52 AM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

*sigh* I work in a state capital capitol building and I really don't want to go to work next week.
posted by JanetLand at 7:52 AM on January 12, 2021 [55 favorites]

He may be able to visit the two Alamos – the day is still young-ish over there.
posted by Namlit at 7:56 AM on January 12, 2021

here are the good things about Merrick Garland as Attorney General

3. Maybe a minor point, but his appointment to AG means he doesn't need to be considered for Supreme court nomination if Justice Breyer resigns / another vacancy opens. Allows a new more progressive nominee for any vacancy, cutting off the "well if Garland was so great last time and you fought for him, why isn't he your nominee now?" distraction.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 7:56 AM on January 12, 2021 [15 favorites]

Maybe he just mumbled something about “a limo” and things spiralled out of control
posted by oulipian at 7:58 AM on January 12, 2021 [17 favorites]

I'm eagerly waiting for the Trump rally at Alamo Car Rental.
posted by xedrik at 7:59 AM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

Here’s the impeachment resolution, H.Res. 24. (There were 4 introduced yesterday, but this looks like the one they will go with, and it’s cosponsored by most of those representatives.)

Has anyone seen an explainer (or something like that) on HR 24, 32 (Rep Omar's), and the other ones? I'm curious as to how they differ.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 7:59 AM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

What is the confusion? I read clearly stated this morning he is visiting his precious (unfinished) border wall.
posted by tiny frying pan at 8:00 AM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

Maybe he just mumbled something about “a limo” and things spiralled out of control

Wouldn't be the first time such a thing had happened.

Legend says that once upon a time, J. Edgar Hoover scribbled "Watch the borders" on a memo, which immediately caused several car-loads of FBI agents to be dispatched towards the US-Canadian border, when the old man had actually been complaining about the margins on the document.
posted by jquinby at 8:01 AM on January 12, 2021 [30 favorites]

Isn't this precisely why other nations have shadow ministers who spend their party's years in opposition still being briefed about the various goings on of departments so that when a transfer of power happens they're ready to go on day one?

In most parliamentary systems, at least those without stupid fixed election laws, government can be dissolved and reformed in a matter of weeks so yes all parties with aspirations to control run shadow cabinets so they have people ready to run departments on day one when ever day one happens to occur.

Given the quality of the individuals involved I think this is for the best.

Too be clear it's Biden's people who aren't approved not the Trump lackeys. Normally the Senate approves all the incoming President's nominations before the inauguration.
posted by Mitheral at 8:03 AM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

> He's not trying to persuade them. He's telling them what their story is and modeling the conviction with which they are to tell that story. He's always done that.

That's a great insight. Abusers groom victims, successful^* abusers groom allies. And Trump grooms reality itself through obsequious consensus. It's sickening and horrifying.

^{* Successful at not being caught, to hell with all abusers}
posted by Godspeed.You!Black.Emperor.Penguin at 8:04 AM on January 12, 2021 [13 favorites]

I think a number of corporations are ditching the Republicans right now because of adage, "I hate reality but it's the only place to get a good steak."
If the Republicans succeed in breaking the U.S., meal tickets are going to suffer.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 8:04 AM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

he is visiting his precious (unfinished) border wall.

Maybe he misunderstood the meaning of being first against the wall when the revolution comes.
posted by Riki tiki at 8:10 AM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

It looks like Jake Angeli will be getting his organic meals while he's incarcerated.

This angers me to a degree that surprises even me.

Not because I want to see him suffer, but because:

1) There are reliable reports of American jails and prisons doing things like giving pork to Muslims and denying or slow-walking vegetarian/vegan meals to those who request to them. Angeli gets fast tracked, similar to Dylan Roof being treated to Burger King by empathetic cops.

2) The privilege people like Angeli and his fellow white right-wing terrorists have is enormous and they won't. shut. up. about how they are the real victims when you think about it . They're like dragons sleeping on a pile of treasure. They can't or won't use it, but they fly into flaming fits of rage whenever anyone else -- especially those they consider lesser beings -- gets even a tiny bit.

To paraphrase both Nina Simone and Reverend Jeremiah Wright, America goddamn.
posted by lord_wolf at 8:12 AM on January 12, 2021 [134 favorites]

3. Maybe a minor point, but his appointment to AG means he doesn't need to be considered for Supreme court nomination if Justice Breyer resigns / another vacancy opens. Allows a new more progressive nominee for any vacancy, cutting off the "well if Garland was so great last time and you fought for him, why isn't he your nominee now?" distraction.

Don't put it past them to do it anyway, but this is a valid point, thank you.
posted by Gadarene at 8:15 AM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

The closest airport to the city of Alamo, Texas is McAllen Miller International Airport [map] about 6 miles west of Allen (which Trump’s evidently not visiting on his way to the border wall).
posted by cenoxo at 8:16 AM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Ugh, yeah I saw that bit about the organic meals. Is the normal protocol for hunger-striking prisoners to cave to their demands? After a few days surely it would justify a psych eval and maybe IV nutrition? Like, for food allergies, obviously accommodate that, but this is toddler-refusing-vegetables territory, surely.

Not to mention, he could be safely at home eating whatever the hell he wants if he hadn't decided to storm his nation's capitol to overturn a legitimate election, committing many crimes in the process.
posted by Godspeed.You!Black.Emperor.Penguin at 8:19 AM on January 12, 2021 [27 favorites]

Fascism starts with a Big Lie.

The Big Lie isn’t everything of the Trump administration; it’s the lie about Covid being real and serious.

These people are living through the largest daily mass casualty event in US history, propagated by their leader, and are STILL running around maskless, fighting with managers who ask them to wear a mask and asking Nurses how they could possible have Covid if it “isn’t real” as they go on a ventilator to die.

Covid is the big lie. We’re seeing fascism rise from that.
posted by glaucon at 8:21 AM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

Yep, here are the good things about Merrick Garland as Attorney General:

1) He opens up a DC Circuit seat
2) ...

I hope very much that he'll be aggressive in investigating and prosecuting Trump administration criminality, which should be one of the core priorities of this DOJ, but I'm not holding my breath. He's also lukewarm on criminal justice issues as far as I know.

But they got to own the conservatives by elevating the old centrist white guy who the Republicans blocked when Obama tried it, and he's not going to upset any big donor apple carts, so there you go.

The speculation I read is that this opens Garland's current seat in his circuit for another judge, Ketanji Brown Jackson, a Black woman. That circuit is a feeder for the Supreme Court and would set her up to allow Breyer to retire and her to take his place.

The donor apple carts statement also seems off base - as a circuit court judge, isn't Garland much less entrenched in the donor economy than Doug Moore or Sally Yates, the other candidates for the job?
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 8:24 AM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

Cruz' communications director resigns over his refusal to certify the election and the failed insurrection.
posted by deeker at 8:28 AM on January 12, 2021 [65 favorites]

Garland has deep ties to the DoJ. He's been put in there to try and rebuild a working Justice Department after Trump's goons trashed the place. He's also unbelievably well-respected by the judiciary, so that's some huge points right there- Judges have spend the last four years becoming progressively less trusting of the DoJ not to flat-out lie to them.

He also ran the entire investigation of the Oklahoma City bombing, so he knows more than a little about the threat of homegrown terror.

There's plenty of reasons why people don't like him- I'm not saying that he was the right choice. But those are some of the reasons why he was picked. Biden did not pick him to own the cons.
posted by BungaDunga at 8:29 AM on January 12, 2021 [58 favorites]

I'd say the Big Lie we've been fed for some time is more hydra-like.. more environmental and immersive.. than "fake-news COVID" (I take your point that it's others who are embracing the Big Lie, not "us", and I challenge this as I challenge anyone who seems to think dealing with Trump is even substantively a response to the past several years).

Trump and the senseless violence, the willful ignorance, these are products of generations of deficit. It's not that I am hopeless, I just don't see people and systems that are equal to turning this ship. I'm not American and what is happening in the US is happening around me, too, just a slightly different tenor to the situation.
posted by elkevelvet at 8:29 AM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

>> If Biden ends his term with less power than when he started, that would be a step in the right direction.

> Let's not stop there. Ideally, strip the Presidency of all executive roles, spreading those across the legislature, and reducing the President to a ceremonial figurehead, a sort of elected constitutional monarch whose duties are cutting ribbons, existing as a symbol of continuity (for which the Presidential term should perhaps be longer than 4 years, and elections should not coincide with Congressional ones), reading the occasional government-prepared speech in an official capacity, and most importantly, officially having no opinions on day-to-day political matters.

Huzzah. Iceland's Birgitta Jónsdóttir interviewed on Democracy Now! in 2016 (at about 32:45, alt link, .torrent, transcript) after the initial victories of the Pirate Party:

...the parliaments in this world are so weak. They are governed and ruled by the executive branch. And that is a big problem with how we run our societies.

...the winter after the Panama Papers came out; IIRC one of the ways the story had been broken to the public by the allied journalist organizations was by the Icelandic vanguard springing uncovered personal financial details on corrupt then-Icelandic-Prime-Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson in the middle of an interview, in response to which he blinked, stood up, walked out of the room, and resigned.

...aaaand Wikipedia says that last year Gunnlaugsson claimed that Black Lives Matter is racist and is the equivalent to Mao's Cultural Revolution. (Citation in Icelandic, so I can't verify.)

Couldn't it just be financial turpitude? So much for the warm glow of my rosy fictional imagined version of Iceland synthesized from Jónsdóttir and Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.
posted by XMLicious at 8:36 AM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

I am incalculably sad at the state of the country (also mad).
posted by bluesky43 at 8:39 AM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

I was listening to a podcast yesterday about Trump (Dollop #300 in 2018), and they read extracts from the advert he placed against The Central Park Five.

It's thirty years later, but I think the time may have come for some of the points he made to be considered relevant, at least when it comes to one man who we know has lived by this sword. To paraphrase slightly:

What has happened to the respect for authority, the fear of retribution by the courts, society and the police for those who break the law, who wantonly trespass on the rights of of others? What has happened is the complete breakdown of life as we knew it.

Many New York families - White, Black, Hispanic and Asian - have had to give up [their pleasures] - given them up as hostages to a world ruled by the law of the streets, as roving bands of wild criminals roam our neighbourhoods, dispensing their own vicious brand of twisted hatred on whomever they encounter. At what point did we cross the line from the fine and noble pursuit of of genuine civil liberties to the reckless and dangerously permissive atmosphere which allows criminals to [incite sedition] and then laugh at [the] anguish? They laugh because they know that soon, very soon, they will be returned to the streets to [incite violence] once again - and yet face no great personal risk to themselves. [...]

They should be forced to suffer, [...]. They must serve as examples so that others will think long and hard before committing a crime or an act of violence. [...] If the punishment is strong, the attacks on innocent people will stop.

posted by MattWPBS at 8:40 AM on January 12, 2021 [16 favorites]

In first public appearance since the Capitol siege, Trump expresses no contrition for inciting the mob. (nyt)

“People thought what I said was totally appropriate,” Mr. Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews, en route to Alamo, Texas, where he was set to visit the border wall. Instead, Mr. Trump claimed that racial justice protests over the summer were “the real problem.”

“If you look at what other people have said, politicians at a high level about the riots during the summer, the horrible riots in Portland and Seattle and various other places, that was a real problem,” he said.
posted by bluesky43 at 8:43 AM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

I decided to check what George Will was saying about this. He has not been a Trump fan, sometimes I felt that was more because Trump is a vulgarian than because he is a fascist.

So on, January 5th, Will wrote: ". . . on Wednesday, the members of the Hawley-Cruz cohort will violate the oath of office in which they swore to defend the Constitution from enemies “foreign and domestic.” They are its most dangerous domestic enemies." Pretty good stuff.

On January 6th he wrote, "The three repulsive architects [elsewhere identified as Cruz, Hawley, and Trump] of Wednesday’s heartbreaking spectacle — mobs desecrating the Republic’s noblest building and preventing the completion of a constitutional process — must be named, and forevermore shunned." Shunning? Even Hester Prynne is face-palming.

He hasn't tweeted since January 6th.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 8:43 AM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

Article on Deutsche Bank and others cutting ties with Trump at The Guardian.
posted by history_denier at 8:43 AM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

Wish there was a way his bankers could call in his loans now.
posted by suelac at 8:45 AM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

(nyt) On Tuesday, Representative Brad Schneider, Democrat of Illinois, said that he had received a positive virus test, following similar statements from two other Democrats, Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey and Pramila Jayapal of Washington.

All three Democratic lawmakers have pointed at Republican counterparts who refused to wear masks while members of Congress were sheltering in place.
posted by bluesky43 at 8:49 AM on January 12, 2021 [20 favorites]

Trump leaving for Alamo, Texas on Air Force One as we speak.

This is a man in despair who still cannot believe how everything crumbled around him. He is mentally trying to go back to that first glorious day when he rode down the golden escalator and announced he would build a wall and Mexico would pay for it. He's regressing to the past because the future is too despairing. Nobody cares about the wall anymore except Donald.
posted by JackFlash at 8:53 AM on January 12, 2021 [20 favorites]

Jesus. From the Washington Post article.

McCarthy did eventually reach Trump, but later told allies that he found the president distracted. So McCarthy repeatedly appeared on television to describe the mayhem, an adviser said, in an effort to explain just how dire the situation was.

The middle of a crisis, and the House Minority Leader has to try to get the gravity across via television.
posted by MattWPBS at 8:55 AM on January 12, 2021 [61 favorites]

reps jayapal, schneider and coleman need to name the unmasked colleagues sheltering with them. unmask the unmasked!
posted by 20 year lurk at 9:01 AM on January 12, 2021 [38 favorites]

> Nobody cares about the wall anymore except Donald.

So it's finished, right? Every foot of the border between the U.S., completely walled off and impregnable, and paid for by Mexico to boot? You can't blame Trump for wanting to bask in such a triumphant achievement for one afternoon.

/ sarcasm
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:04 AM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

Have there been any intimations from big corporations that, as with those who opposed Electoral College certification, they'll withhold contributions to any member of Congress who votes to acquit Trump?
posted by Epixonti at 9:06 AM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

“If you look at what other people have said, politicians at a high level about the riots during the summer, the horrible riots in Portland and Seattle and various other places, that was a real problem,” he said.

First of all, fuck this guy. JFC.

Now, it's beginning to make sense why he hid in his bunker and called upon Barr's goons when BLM protests came to the White House. He hid in his bunker because in his mind the protesters would murder him if they could. That's why he thinks his actually murderous mob is no worse. Since that's as he understands it, he knew damn well what he was really commanding them to do when he sent them down the road.
posted by adept256 at 9:07 AM on January 12, 2021 [31 favorites]

In first public appearance since the Capitol siege, Trump expresses no contrition for inciting the mob. (nyt)

“People thought what I said was totally appropriate,” Mr. Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews, en route to Alamo, Texas, where he was set to visit the border wall. Instead, Mr. Trump claimed that racial justice protests over the summer were “the real problem.”

“If you look at what other people have said, politicians at a high level about the riots during the summer, the horrible riots in Portland and Seattle and various other places, that was a real problem,” he said.

Thank you Maine voters.
posted by leotrotsky at 9:13 AM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

"Sen. Lindsey Graham, who last week said he and President Trump had a "hell of a journey" but it was time to "count me out" because "enough was enough," is flying to Texas on Air Force One today, per the pool." -- Kaitlan Collins, CNN

The Onion was once again prophetic: ‘This Apology Is Bullshit And I Am Lying To You,’ Says GOP Senator To Widespread Media Praise.
posted by jedicus at 9:15 AM on January 12, 2021 [96 favorites]

Suddenly corporations are announcing they will no longer make political donations… at least to Republicans. Judd Legum and Tesnim Zekeria at Popular Information yesterday broke the story that Marriott, BlueCross BlueShield, and Commerce Bank would not contribute to the 147 Republicans who objected to the counting of the electoral votes in Congress. That’s more than half the Republicans in Congress. Verizon, AT&T, and Amazon have now joined that boycott. Citigroup, 3M, Facebook, Microsoft, Google, and JPMorgan Chase have all halted political giving for several months, and a number of other companies say they are reevaluating their giving.

posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 9:18 AM on January 12, 2021 [23 favorites]

As for Mitch's feet of clay, I've never seen a turtle move so fucking fast as when RBG died.
posted by adept256 at 9:19 AM on January 12, 2021 [51 favorites]

history_denier: "Article on Deutsche Bank and others cutting ties with Trump at The Guardian."

Bank had propped up Trump Organization for years despite being sued by president but acted after Capitol attack

Such bravery.
posted by chavenet at 9:19 AM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

In first public appearance since the Capitol siege, Trump expresses no contrition for inciting the mob. (nyt)

“People thought what I said was totally appropriate,” Mr. Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews, en route to Alamo, Texas, where he was set to visit the border wall. Instead, Mr. Trump claimed that racial justice protests over the summer were “the real problem.”

“If you look at what other people have said, politicians at a high level about the riots during the summer, the horrible riots in Portland and Seattle and various other places, that was a real problem,” he said.

Ah yes, the Trumpoborous abides.
posted by lazaruslong at 9:20 AM on January 12, 2021

I can't wait until the Senate reconvenes so they can all have another chance to chuckle at Lindsay Graham's funny jokes together.
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:21 AM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

Ideally, strip the Presidency of all executive roles, spreading those across the legislature

It's not like that has done much to keep Orban or Modi in check. It's cool to want to completely overhaul the government structure so it moves to a parliamentary system but it's not a way out of our problems.
posted by mark k at 9:25 AM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

Adam Serwer (the guy who coined "The cruelty is the point") points out that the Trump base is the respectable white middle class.

Throughout American history, political violence has often been guided, initiated, and perpetrated by respectable people from educated middle- and upper-class backgrounds. The belief that only impoverished people engage in political violence—particularly right-wing political violence—is a misconception often cultivated by the very elites who benefit from that violence.

posted by suelac at 9:26 AM on January 12, 2021 [61 favorites]

The son of a Brooklyn judge was arrested over his role in the Capitol riot
posted by gwint at 9:29 AM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

Did not see this in the last thread or this one but Snopes is saying that the people getting dragged off of airplanes are mostly anti-maskers and not people on no fly lists.
posted by jessamyn at 9:37 AM on January 12, 2021 [13 favorites]

> Adam Serwer (the guy who coined "The cruelty is the point") points out that the Trump base is the respectable white middle class.

So when they said "those people do not represent america", they were actually correct, albeit their reason was almost exactly opposite to the reason why it was correct.
posted by runcifex at 9:39 AM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

mostly anti-maskers and not people on no fly lists

That Venn diagram is nearly a circle.
posted by Fleebnork at 9:39 AM on January 12, 2021 [29 favorites]

Adam Serwer (the guy who coined "The cruelty is the point") points out that the Trump base is the respectable white middle class.
So true. And yet we have had to suffer through miles and miles of reports about the White Working Class.
posted by mumimor at 9:40 AM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

So often we hear "if only we had a different form of democracy everything would be different." Musings about whether the U.S. needs a parliamentary system are not new, and wherever there's a shitty parliamentary government there are advocates for a directly elected executive and/or legislative districts.

But in the American example right now, after years of an egregiously gerrymandered House of Representatives and Mitch McConnell's iron rule of the Senate, I'm surprised anyone here wants Congress to have more power.
posted by PhineasGage at 9:42 AM on January 12, 2021 [13 favorites]

It looks like Jake Angeli will be getting his organic meals while he's incarcerated.

With say vegan or vegetarian meals i can see how one could say 'hey this isn't what I requested!' but how does one get handed a glass of milk and know it's not organic???
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 9:45 AM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

Adam Serwer (the guy who coined "The cruelty is the point") points out that the Trump base is the respectable white middle class.

It's upsetting just how few comfortable centrists/liberals, most of them white, don't want to hear this. Heavily upgraded rifles and pickup trucks are expensive. I guess it's more comforting to assume the problem is with poor white people who live far away and not one's own coworkers and neighbors.

These people don't want to pay taxes and to a lesser degree, they are terrified of being displaced from the top of the American dream (even though that won't actually happen). That's all it takes for them to warp patriotism into an attempted armed insurrection.
posted by Ouverture at 9:45 AM on January 12, 2021 [27 favorites]

I mean parliamentary democracy is working great for Britain what could be the downside? /s
posted by Huffy Puffy at 9:45 AM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

The belief that only impoverished people engage in political violence—particularly right-wing political violence—is a misconception

on the evening of the putsch, in a newsroom-style segment on washingtonpost, james hohmann, as part of his explanation for violence directed against members of the press, offered "these people" and then he lowered his voice a bit like one might while self-consciously uttering a cuss amid other speech at normal volume, "many of them didn't graduate from college..." and so don't understand the president's anti-press statements as empty demagoguery.

i tweeted (selftwitterlink) at him and the post about the offensive stupidity of such a statement to no response or avail. it was exceptionally disappointing -- and terribly discrediting -- to hear from a journalist, even during that distressing day, such misdirected proxy classism. of course, since then, many college-graduates and others of the bourgeois have been identified among the putschists.
posted by 20 year lurk at 9:46 AM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

That Venn diagram is nearly a circle.

The same type of people, sure, but I think it's important to know that people aren't being disallowed to fly out of DC (or elsewhere) because of activities at the Capitol, it's just because they are anti-maskers. That's an important distinction. No-fly lists are either the main one maintained by the FBI (which were notorious for being racist and for profiling people and which do not seem to include these new terrorists) or individual ones maintained by airlines, which can be for any number of things (usually being "disorderly" in some ways) but so far it doesn't appear that either of these tools are what is being used against the people in the widely-circulated videos. Which is a good news/bad news situation at some level.
posted by jessamyn at 9:46 AM on January 12, 2021 [15 favorites]

"Without taking questions, Trump says, "We want no violence, never violence...On impeachment...it's ridiculous...This impeachment is causing tremendous anger. For Pelosi & Schumer to continue...I think it's causing tremendous danger to this country...I want no violence."

Translation: Please don’t indict me

One of the tells that Trump has been briefed to be sure to emphasize a point ("Be sure to mention that you don't want violence!") is that he repeats it over and over and over and...
posted by Gelatin at 9:47 AM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

The organic meals thing sounds like the Van Halen no-brown-M&Ms tour rider: as a test and/or demonstration of how much deference one commands.
posted by acb at 9:47 AM on January 12, 2021 [22 favorites]

Adam Serwer (the guy who coined "The cruelty is the point") points out that the Trump base is the respectable white middle class.

Yes, similar conclusions have been drawn about members of Al-Qaeda and other violent groups that use terrorism tactics, that they are middle or upper-middle class movements. A pretty good overview here: "A Matter of Pride," Democracy Journal, 2007
posted by sk932 at 9:48 AM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

These people don't want to pay taxes and to a lesser degree, they are terrified of being displaced from the top of the American dream (even though that won't actually happen).

Proving that nothing much changes; those are the reasons behind the USA's historical middle-class political violence (Revolution/War of Independence: "we don't like paying taxes"; Southern "redemptionists" c. 1876: "we must forcefully establish white supremacy").
posted by Pseudonymous Cognomen at 9:48 AM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

I dislike being cynical and negative. It doesn't do any good really. However, a friend the other day opined that this divide goes back to Reagan. I said one could make a case for our country's fractured state having its roots in what we did to indigenous native Americans ('1491' is a good book) and importing slaves to this country.

I don't think it is cynical nor negative to acknowledge that everything we have seen happen in the last few years has roots in slavery, indigenous genocide, post-WW2 neoconservatism, and most recently, bipartisan neoliberalism.

To think that there are no macroscopic or historical factors at play here is to think that Trump was the root problem all along.
posted by Ouverture at 9:49 AM on January 12, 2021 [24 favorites]

brown M&Ms derail: That's not why Van Halen had that in their tour rider. It has more to do with "What other instructions did you fail to read?" and less to do with deference.
posted by emelenjr at 9:56 AM on January 12, 2021 [74 favorites]

Adam Serwer (the guy who coined "The cruelty is the point") points out that the Trump base is the respectable white middle class.

It's upsetting just how few comfortable centrists/liberals, most of them white, don't want to hear this.

Worth noting that Serwer's article largely seems to be a response to another Atlantic writer portraying the coup as being made up of rednecks and "slow students" (her actual words). It should not be surprising that the author of that article is yet another Harper's signatory who feels like this is really ultimately the fault of (or a valid response to) "wokeness". It's turning into a pattern with these folks.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 9:58 AM on January 12, 2021 [17 favorites]

Madison Cawthorn spoke at rally before violent mob attacked Capitol. Now he’s facing backlash.

I'm never going to be convinced that he wasn't made in some mad scientist's lab to be the perfect Republican. His name sounds like a WASPy plantation owner, he looks and talks like a robot they store in Kevin McCarthy's office closet to charge at night.

And he is a college dropout who quit after pulling straight D's in his first year. So he seems like the logical choice for the Republican's next presidential candidate.
posted by srboisvert at 10:00 AM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

It should not be surprising that the author of that article is yet another Harper's signatory who feels like this is really ultimately the fault of (or a valid response to) "wokeness". It's turning into a pattern with these folks.

When all these people have is an irrational grievance, the entire world looks like a tragedy to be framed through said grievance.
posted by Ouverture at 10:00 AM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

These people don't want to pay taxes and to a lesser degree, they are terrified of being displaced from the top of the American dream (even though that won't actually happen). That's all it takes for them to warp patriotism into an attempted armed insurrection.

My working theory is that underlying a lot of the MAGA stuff is the tendency that the more comfortable you are the more trivial shit you focus your frustrations on, so now we get a whole middle class conservative subculture whipped up into a frenzy about things that don't even really affect their comfort.
posted by jason_steakums at 10:01 AM on January 12, 2021 [46 favorites]

The same type of people, sure, but I think it's important to know that people aren't being disallowed to fly out of DC (or elsewhere) because of activities at the Capitol, it's just because they are anti-maskers.

But they will be put on a no-fly list maintained by that airline. I don't know if airlines share their internal lists.
posted by JackFlash at 10:02 AM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

So since I can't call my elected Representative about this, I'm calling the other 434. That's a lot of phone calls, even though they only take about a minute apiece. Did you know that 434 is evenly divisible by 62? It's very interesting to take this cross-country journey and visit with heroes like Cori Bush and villains like Mo Brooks. I've left a lot of messages, talked to some very nice people (including a couple of Republican staffers who voiced their agreement!) as well as a couple of dicks. Here's my script:

My name is Rik Schell, and I'm calling you from Asheville North Carolina, because I can’t call my own House Representative. (I am calling all the other 434 members.) Madison Cawthorn is an insurrectionist, a serial liar, an abuser, and a literal fascist. I would rather have no representation in the House than have him represent me. As a citizen of the 11th District of North Carolina, I humbly beg you to expel him from the legislature. He did win his election, but he doesn’t believe in democracy and encouraged the violent overthrow of our legitimately elected leaders. HE DIRECTED THE MOB AT YOU. He should have no place in government, and if you agree with him, neither should you.

(Did I mention it's a lot of calls?)
posted by rikschell at 10:05 AM on January 12, 2021 [140 favorites]

So there are well-off people in Trump riots, well-off people in ISIS, and I'm pretty sure there are well-off people in BLM protests, too. I've heard there were well-off people involved in the French Revolution and in the violent suppression of the Chartists. I guess we shouldn't be surprised when well-off people take to the streets to push for political changes.
posted by clawsoon at 10:05 AM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

I'm officially taking off from work on Inauguration Day, my boss okayed it. I just don't think I can even pretend to care about work drama while wondering if the capital is going to be blown up and/or waiting for it to blow up, whether literally or figuratively. I really just want them to move the ceremony to an "undisclosed location" already under the circumstances.
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:09 AM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

“People thought what I said was totally appropriate,” Mr. Trump told reporters

OK, everyone needs to stop letting him get away with this--especially the media. He refers to "people" a lot. Which people? Who? Who qualifies them? Do they look at the whole country, or just his supporters? What did they say? Was it a survey?

I can talk about how "people" feel I need a raise, or that "people" feel I'm the greatest Metafilterer of all time. The undescribed "people" attempts to suggest some credential that isn't there.

STOP LETTING HIM GET AWAY WITH IT!!!! "When you say 'people said it was totally appropriate,' which 'people' are those?"

"This impeachment is causing tremendous anger. For Pelosi & Schumer to continue...I think it's causing tremendous danger to this country...I want no violence."

The lack of impeachment is causing tremendous anger. But that's not what I want to say. This sounds like the situation where a killer has a gun to the head of a hostage: "take one more step and I kill her. That will be your fault." This could easily be read as "if there is an impeachment, my supporters should do violence."
posted by MrGuilt at 10:09 AM on January 12, 2021 [42 favorites]

20 year lurk: reps jayapal, schneider and coleman need to name the unmasked colleagues sheltering with them. unmask the unmasked!

Republican members of Congress refuse to wear masks during Capitol insurrection, CNN:

Six House Republicans were captured on video refusing masks offered by a colleague during the US Capitol insurrection on Wednesday.

Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, a Delaware Democrat, was shown approaching the group of colleagues and offering blue surgical masks. The video, shot from inside a safe room where the lawmakers gathered during the chaos, was published on Twitter by Punchbowl News.

Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Oklahoma Rep. Markwayne Mullin, Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry, Texas Rep. Michael Cloud and California Rep. Doug LaMalfa were captured unmasked and gathered closely together. They all refused the masks.

posted by kristi at 10:11 AM on January 12, 2021 [51 favorites]

One comment delete for violating the Content Policy. Cursing is fine, cursing at someone else is not.
posted by loup (staff) at 10:11 AM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

From Nov. The Atlantic
''That’s a nice transition, ISIS to us'', Rhodes said when I first called him, in February, and told him what had led me to the Oath Keepers.
posted by adamvasco at 10:12 AM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

After 4 years and literally tens of thousands of lies, what does "don't let him get away with" saying baseless things even mean? He didn't take questions. The only ones who can "not let him get away with it" are Congress.
posted by PhineasGage at 10:13 AM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

Washington Post: FBI report warned of ‘war’ at Capitol, contradicting claims there was no sign of looming violence.

“[...]specific calls for violence [included] stating ‘Be ready to fight. Congress needs to hear glass breaking, doors being kicked in, and blood from their BLM and Pantifa slave soldiers being spilled. Get violent. Stop calling this a march, or rally, or a protest. Go there ready for war. We get our President or we die. NOTHING else will achieve this goal.”

(I'm afraid to look up what "Pantifa" is supposed to mean exactly. Panty fascists? Pantry fascists?)
posted by nobody at 10:14 AM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

From the WaPo article:

But as senators and House members trapped inside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday begged for immediate help during the siege, they struggled to get through to the president, who — safely ensconced in the West Wing — was too busy watching fiery TV images of the crisis unfolding around them to act or even bother to hear their pleas.

“He was hard to reach, and you know why? Because it was live TV,” said one close Trump adviser. “If it’s TiVo, he just hits pause and takes the calls. If it’s live TV, he watches it, and he was just watching it all unfold.”

Even as he did so, Trump did not move to act. And the message from those around him — that he needed to call off the angry mob he had egged on just hours earlier, or lives could be lost — was one to which he was not initially receptive.

“It took him awhile to appreciate the gravity of the situation,” Graham said in an interview. “The president saw these people as allies in his journey and sympathetic to the idea that the election was stolen.”

Trump ultimately — and begrudgingly — urged his supporters to “go home in peace.” But the six hours between when the Capitol was breached shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon and when it was finally declared secure around 8 p.m. that evening reveal a president paralyzed — more passive viewer than resolute leader, repeatedly failing to perform even the basic duties of his job.

I think we need to call out this kind of narrative as bullshit. The facts are true but the narrative is being shaped into Trump is a compulsive live TV watcher he just couldn't pull himself away from the screen to take action. While for a normal administration this would be damning enough -- a president who is such a couch potato he's willing to watch TV rather than save lives -- it does not go far enough.

Trump was not watching TV because he's addicted to it. He was waiting to see if the coup succeeded, Pence or Pelosi was killed, and the voting disrupted. This was a coup attempted through deliberate military and leadership inaction. He was a fire chief who threw lit matches, and now is watching his ex-wife's house burn down, while multiple firemen are asking him for permission to do something about the fire. It may not be murder but it sure is sedition and manslaughter.
posted by benzenedream at 10:14 AM on January 12, 2021 [83 favorites]

The Onion was once again prophetic: ‘This Apology Is Bullshit And I Am Lying To You,’ Says GOP Senator To Widespread Media Praise

I was pleased to discover that The Onion has consistently been referring to the putschists as "Trump rioters".
posted by J.K. Seazer at 10:15 AM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

I'm afraid to look up what "Pantifa" is supposed to mean exactly.

Looks like "Antifa" with an extra dose of misogyny and lol-underwear. And I say this as someone who is typically a big fan of lol-underwear comedy.
posted by Faint of Butt at 10:17 AM on January 12, 2021 [15 favorites]

The great thing about being a disease carrier is you have full deniability as long as you're not tested for it.
posted by at by at 10:17 AM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

Freshman Republican Rep. Peter Meijer wrote a piece calling for other Republicans to take responsibility for the insurrection. It included this:

after the Capitol was cleared of insurrectionists, with windows shattered and the smell of tear gas lingering, the consequences of his dangerous lies became clear. As we moved to accept Arizona’s electors, a fellow freshman lingered near a voting terminal, voting card in hand.

My colleague told me that efforts to overturn the election were wrong, and that voting to certify was a constitutional duty. But my colleague feared for family members, and the danger the vote would put them in. Profoundly shaken, my colleague voted to overturn.

An angry mob succeeded in threatening at least one member of Congress from performing what that member understood was a constitutional responsibility.

ALL threats against public officials need to be reported and prosecuted. It needs to become the highest law enforcement priority.
posted by kristi at 10:17 AM on January 12, 2021 [57 favorites]

If you don't want to watch Trump's two speeches so far today, here's the transcript.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 10:17 AM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

But my colleague feared for family members, and the danger the vote would put them in. Profoundly shaken, my colleague voted to overturn.

That coward should resign, public service is not for them.
posted by Groundhog Week at 10:20 AM on January 12, 2021 [69 favorites]

The facts are true but the narrative is being shaped into Trump is a compulsive live TV watcher he just couldn't pull himself away from the screen to take action

It's absolutely bullshit, obviously, but if we take it to be true then it's a powerful argument for the cabinet to remove him. If he can't look away from a live television feed in order to take literally any action, then he's incapable of performing his duties. Sure, it's not like he was interested in taking any helpful actions, but if he couldn't turn his attention away from the television then we are deep into some form of fairly severe inability.

Either he was unwilling, in which case he should obviously be impeached, or he really is incapable, in which case he has to be removed for inability.
posted by BungaDunga at 10:22 AM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

My earlier post was (properly) deleted for swearing at someone.

Right now Schumer is being heckled while trying to brief the press on why he's calling for domestic terrorists to be placed on the no fly list. The talking heads are wondering aloud whether it's possible to have a safe and public inauguration ceremony. Trump and the RNC are willing to push the country to the brink of war, never mind handing out plenty of intelligence to anyone who wants to disrupt our elections in the future.

I try to avoid vulgarity for it's own sake. I try to come up with rational arguments that might change someone's mind.

But at this point in history, if you still support the RNC: bless your heart.
posted by nicoffeine at 10:22 AM on January 12, 2021 [31 favorites]

How do you force someone to put a mask on? Get up close and personal with their head and breathing trying to drag it onto their head?
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:22 AM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

I'm afraid to look up what "Pantifa" is supposed to mean exactly.
You... really don't want to go down the rabbithole of political 'forced feminization' that's popular in those circles. Just know it's out there and it's got a lot of baggage with it. (If it's your thing it's your thing, but the political layer is an extra issue, imho)
posted by CrystalDave at 10:23 AM on January 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

After 4 years and literally tens of thousands of lies, what does "don't let him get away with" saying baseless things even mean? He didn't take questions.

I'd be rich if I had a dollar for every time NPR reported on something completely ludicrous, self-contradictory, or just plan made up that Trump said by bringing in one of his surrogates or even another NPR staffer to answer the question "what did the president mean to say?".

The news media routinely criticizes elected officials and candidates for being too wonkish or unapproachable, yet the past four years they've been going to extreme lengths to not point out just how obviously incompetent, irresponsible, and utterly incomprehensible Trump is.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 10:25 AM on January 12, 2021 [41 favorites]

I think we need to call out this kind of narrative as bullshit. The facts are true but the narrative is being shaped into Trump is a compulsive live TV watcher he just couldn't pull himself away from the screen to take action.

Yeah. This would mean either that POTUS is not immediately aware and responding in the chain of command when the VP is under siege and hidden away by Secret Service, or it means that he doesn't care / that it was intentional. Either are grounds for removal.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 10:27 AM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

Nobody cares about the wall anymore except Donald.

There are many good reasons to care about the wall.

Trump's Border Wall Has Destroyed Indigenous Sacred Sites for Good

As President Donald Trump’s attempts to reverse the results of the U.S. election continue to make headlines, construction of his signature undertaking—the border wall with Mexico—is ramping up in the final weeks of his presidency.

Along the way, contractors and border patrol agents are bulldozing and dynamiting ancestral and sacred lands, causing irreparable damage along the Texas and Arizona borders with Mexico, which will only worsen until President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20, Indigenous leaders say.

How the Trump border wall sapped a desert oasis dry: Ancient springs might not survive unchecked construction during the pandemic.

Amidst the towering saguaro and pronged organ pipe cacti of southern Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, a 30-foot-tall fence snakes through the vegetation, shadowed by a barren strip of land that’s been carved into the mountainsides. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s been a flurry of activity in these borderlands, particularly in the area’s Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. In the last months of the Trump administration, a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) construction crew has been dynamiting and drilling their way through nature refuges and cultural relics to make room for the new border wall. A 30-mile-long spine of steel poles filled with concrete now chokes the monument’s southern edge. Mixing the raw materials for this structure requires a lot of water—some 84,000 gallons a day, by CBP’s own estimates—a dwindling resource that’s being siphoned from the already arid landscape.

posted by Lexica at 10:28 AM on January 12, 2021 [37 favorites]

PA election fuckery interlude, news from Marc Elias:

NEW: A Pennsylvania federal judge appointed by Trump issued a decision today in a case involving the state legislature that squarely rejects the GOP lie that the PA Supreme Court "changed the rules" in the election.

I assume this means the State leg will immediately swear in the Dem senator, Jim Brewster, they refused to last week? (she asks, rhetorically).
posted by Dashy at 10:34 AM on January 12, 2021 [13 favorites]

I'd be rich if I had a dollar for every time NPR reported on something completely ludicrous, self-contradictory, or just plan made up that Trump said by bringing in one of his surrogates or even another NPR staffer to answer the question "what did the president mean to say?".

I've been complaining to NPR about their coverage of Trump since Day 1. Back before the 2016 election, they routinely invited on Jerry Falwell Jr. and other detestable surrogates to tee off on softball questions about Trump and his campaign.

The ombudsperson literally responded to one of my complaints with, "We have stations in Trump country too, you know!"
posted by mikeand1 at 10:34 AM on January 12, 2021 [20 favorites]

I care. Mr. Biden, tear down that wall.
posted by Dashy at 10:35 AM on January 12, 2021 [17 favorites]

How do you force someone to put a mask on? Get up close and personal with their head and breathing trying to drag it onto their head?

I got you, fam. Mask gun.
posted by loquacious at 10:37 AM on January 12, 2021 [21 favorites]

Aaron Mostofsky's arrest documents have been posted on the link someone added in an earlier megathread installment to Lawfare Blog. He was identified (among other methods) after they subpoena'd his instagram account and someone DM'd him a meme of one of his in-Capitol photos.

It would be hilarious if any of this were funny.

First indictment has also been posted (Mark Leffingwell) and there are more charges than originally arrested on.
posted by pixiecrinkle at 10:40 AM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

I do find it interesting that before the Supreme Court thing, Garland was best known for his investigation into and prosecution of the Oklahoma City bombers. He basically made his name going after domestic terrorism.

I'm looking for more on this, but I read somewhere (can't remember where now) that the prosecution of McVeigh was a huge disappointment to anyone who had been tracking the white power movement because of how narrow it was. McVeigh wasn't a lone wolf; he was part of an extended network of white power criminals and terrorists who trained and equipped him, and those people weren't prosecuted.

I don't know enough to be able to evaluate that claim, and I don't know enough to evaluate whether the scope of the prosecution would have been Merrick Garland's call or if that politically sensitive decision would have been made somewhere over his head.

But if we don't cast a wide net now, we are fucked.
posted by schadenfrau at 10:46 AM on January 12, 2021 [41 favorites]

"First indictment has also been posted (Mark Leffingwell) and there are more charges than originally arrested on."

Until they get charged with felony rioting, just like the J20 protestors...

who gives a shit?

The charges they are hitting them with are pathetic in comparison.

They added one charge for Leffingwell. Civil Disorder.
posted by deadaluspark at 10:46 AM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

Also a second count of assaulting a federal officer. Not that I disagree with you (or that that specific charge isn't telling.)
posted by pixiecrinkle at 10:50 AM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

I am holding out for sedition and felony murder. If there's anything more they can be charged with, do it. Maximal charges. For Trump, too. Godfuckingdammit.
posted by schadenfrau at 10:52 AM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

‘We Must Protect The Pure Aryan Bloodline,’ Says Child After 9 Minutes Of Unsupervised Facebook Access
posted by lalochezia at 10:54 AM on January 12, 2021 [19 favorites]

Regarding cabinet appointments and confirmation hearing delays. McConnell basically said back in December that they were going to be slow with Biden’s nominees because Democrats held up some of Trump’s nominees. It is also not true that the entire cabinet has been approved prior to a President taking office;most of them are often in place but usually one or two is often held up, Two examples that spring to mind are Zoë Baird under Clinton, John Tower under Bush Sr were both nominated and the President their term without an AG (Baird) or Sec Defense (Tower) in those instances.

Also because Senate control wasn’t clear until after the Georgia runoff there was a waiting game by Democrats and Republicans on holding hearings since Democrats didn’t want someone voted down who they might be able to get through after the election and Republicans might be able to cut some deals if they kept control.
posted by interogative mood at 10:55 AM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

I am holding out for sedition and felony murder.

I am too but I also don't think the Trump DOJ in its remaining time is going to go there and in fact may have been ordered not to go there. I'm trying to not let myself get frustrated about charges until Biden's Attorney General is in place.
posted by jason_steakums at 10:59 AM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

During a briefing on security threats, House Democrats were reminded that the purchase of a bulletproof vest is a "reimbursable expense."
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:04 AM on January 12, 2021 [17 favorites]

“It took him awhile to appreciate the gravity of the situation,” Graham said in an interview. “The president saw these people as allies in his journey

Which is enough, in and of itself, to justify Trump's impeachment and Graham's expulsion, among others.

The President of the United States watched an angry mob attempt to bully its way into the US Capitol Building to physically harass and threaten the Congresspersons inside, beating on and spraying chemicals at Capitol police, and he saw these people as allies.

And lickspittles like Graham still see TRUMP as an ally.

Clear that entire side of the room and start over.
posted by delfin at 11:14 AM on January 12, 2021 [14 favorites]

from Reuters, via John Harwood of CNN:

“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cancelled his Europe trip at the last minute on Tuesday after Luxembourg's foreign minister and top European Union officials declined to meet him, European diplomats and other people familiar with the matter said”
posted by valkane at 11:16 AM on January 12, 2021 [55 favorites]

Three lawmakers who sheltered during Capitol attack test positive for Covid

The previously mentioned Bonnie Watson Coleman, Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), and Brad Schneider (D-IL)

That brown m&m retcon doesn't hold water. What does the green room have to do with the stage?
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 11:17 AM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

Hey cortex, can you post that ha ha gif again?
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:17 AM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

I listened to NPR on my drive home yesterday and they interviewed a Republican talking head (sorry I don't remember who) who complained that the president was being silenced by Twitter, and the host said that the president could hold a press conference or do an interview at any time if he wanted to get a message out, and I practically cheered that they had pushed back on their nonsense for once, and then the guy said something about BLM's violent riots (or words to that effect) and the host didn't challenge that at all and I went back to hating them.

Their news reporting when they weren't interviewing anybody was straightforwardly referring to this as an attempted coup and used the term "insurrection," so at least there's that.
posted by joannemerriam at 11:18 AM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

the charges may not be sufficiently severe (yet?), but reading those complaints and supporting affidavits is gratifying.
posted by 20 year lurk at 11:21 AM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Reps. Dingell, Brown want to fine members $1,000 a day for not wearing masks in Capitol (See segment at 12:15 p.m.)
posted by NotLost at 11:24 AM on January 12, 2021 [84 favorites]

I'll admit that this gave me a slight chuckle. (See relevant content in the "bonus material" about 1:07 in with the dipshit scaling the Capitol wall. Also, you just know that this isn't the first anti-masker that guard has dealt with in the first segment).
posted by gtrwolf at 11:30 AM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

“What does the green room have to do with the stage?“

Brown m&ms won’t kill you. Badly secured overhead lighting or stage panels will, and that’s what the clause was designed to uncover.
posted by _Mona_ at 11:31 AM on January 12, 2021 [42 favorites]

Pramila Jayapal needs to immediately get an injection of "bam bam" or Bamlanivimab. It must be given right now as it will be useless once she gets in the inflammatory phase of the disease where there is pretty much no more active virus replication. Same for any chemical antiviral too.
posted by RuvaBlue at 11:33 AM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

The only mention I see of this is from McConnell himself, so I presume it is a willful misreading to his own party's benefit but:

Unless 100 senators agree, impeachment will not be entertained in Senate before inauguration.

Of course I support the grounds for impeachment, and the value of such a conviction and prevention from holding future office seems sound, but what's the actual use of the current tactic if the senate won't unanimously agree to entertain business during the pro forma sessions? Can they choose to change their rules to do so?
posted by abulafa at 11:34 AM on January 12, 2021

Through 1/20/21 the Senate is controlled by Mitch McConnell. NOTHING will happen in the Senate before the Biden-Harris Inauguration, no matter how much fan fiction we write.
posted by PhineasGage at 11:37 AM on January 12, 2021 [13 favorites]

Schumer is rumoured to be working on some parliamentary arcana to try for an earlier vote. But it's unlikely to work.
posted by saturday_morning at 11:42 AM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

What does the green room have to do with the stage?

To reiterate what others have said: If the band walked into the green room and saw that the brown M&Ms were missing, that means the promoter and venue read the rider in detail and followed it to the letter. If they came in and it was just regular M&Ms, or there were no M&Ms at all, the band knew they should assume everyone involved had a real shit sense of attention to detail, at the very least.

The major of any artist's/band's rider is requirements about lighting, electrical, safety, and the like. These are things the band and their people need to trust with their lives (seriously), so an extreme attention to detail is required. If they won't even pick out the "wrong" M&Ms, they probably aren't making your electrical system requirements are met.
posted by sideshow at 11:44 AM on January 12, 2021 [29 favorites]

Through 1/20/21 the Senate is controlled by Mitch McConnell. NOTHING will happen in the Senate before the Biden-Harris Inauguration, no matter how much fan fiction we write.

Absolutely true. But in a year or so, Democrats running for senate will be able to point to the Republicans' unwillingness to take responsibility during a national crisis. And if we are lucky they will even be able to run those ads on the background of a succesful ending of the corona pandemic and a beginning economic recovery.
posted by mumimor at 11:50 AM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

Reps. Dingell, Brown want to fine members $1,000 a day for not wearing masks in Capitol

At this point, it may be simpler for DC Mayor Bowser to remove the gov't employee exemption from July's mask order.
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:51 AM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

Correction — The closest airport to the city of Alamo, Texas is McAllen Miller International Airport [map] about 6 miles west of ~~Allen~~ Alamo (which Trump’s evidently not visiting on his way to the border wall).
posted by cenoxo at 11:51 AM on January 12, 2021

a friend the other day opined that this divide goes back to Reagan

A friend of mine runs the Galactic Journey blog, scifi news/etc. of 55 years ago. He tracks it back to Goldwater. He's said you can see those politics metastasize as the Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act started to actually make a difference in people's lives.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 11:52 AM on January 12, 2021 [14 favorites]

Last I checked, Congress is part of the federal government. No order from the DC Mayor can force Congress members to wear masks in the Capitol.
posted by PhineasGage at 11:53 AM on January 12, 2021

Unfortunately for the fascist-in-chief McAllen's longest runway is 7,120', which is not long enough.
posted by phliar at 11:54 AM on January 12, 2021

Schumer is rumoured to be working on some parliamentary arcana to try for an earlier vote. But it's unlikely to work.

Apparently there's a rule that allows the majority and minority leader to call an emergency session, but you need both of them. So McConnell can just choose not to concur with Schumer's maneuver and it will go nowhere:

The resolution, which passed the Senate unanimously in February 2004, allows the chamber’s majority and minority leaders to reconvene at a time when, “in their opinion, such action is warranted by intervening circumstances,” according to a legislative summary.

posted by BungaDunga at 11:55 AM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

I mean, so Air Force One will be landing somewhere farther away....
posted by phliar at 11:56 AM on January 12, 2021

Acting US attorney and FBI to provide an update on the Capitol attack investigation in just about a minute (3pm ET).
posted by MiraK at 11:58 AM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

A couple of great links from the previous thread, arguing that it all started when America became a full democracy 55 years ago. It's a young, recently decolonialized democracy, going through all the racial growing pains that so many other slightly older democracies have gone through. Many Americans are still uncomfortable with all the changes that full democracy has brought.
posted by clawsoon at 11:59 AM on January 12, 2021 [20 favorites]

and more details on that rule:

When the Senate is out of session, the majority and minority leaders, or their designees, may, acting jointly... modify any order for the time or place of the convening of the Senate when, in their opinion, such action is warranted by intervening circumstances.

So, McConnell is just talking out of his ass w/r/t needing unanimous consent. If he wanted to reconvene the Senate, he absolutely could, unanimous consent or not.
posted by BungaDunga at 12:00 PM on January 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

how does one get handed a glass of milk and know it's not organic???

Prisoners aren't handed a 'glass' of anything. If it's milk they're getting, it'll be in the little carton, with all the usual nutrition labels.

From the previous thread, concerning the armed 'protesters' coming to each state capital:

A "protest" that wanted to get good optics would focus on the biggest cities in each state.

Yeah, but where, exactly? Dunno the layout in New York, but I've always found big protests in LA kinda lame since their usual focus is that Federal office building in Westwood, which isn't at all military or strategic and has none of the 'optics' of a demonstration with a capitol dome in the background.
posted by Rash at 12:02 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

WATCH LIVE: President Trump Speaks About Border Security in Alamo, Texas.
By Space Coast Daily // January 12, 2021
TRUMP IS EXPECTED TO SPEAK AT 3 P.M. ET
posted by cenoxo at 12:04 PM on January 12, 2021

Many Americans are still uncomfortable with all the changes that full democracy has brought.

...and many are willing to try the politics of racial violence that has characterized so many other young democracies with racial divides.
posted by clawsoon at 12:05 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

TRUMP IS EXPECTED TO SPEAK AT 3 P.M. ET

Acting US attorney and FBI to provide an update on the Capitol attack investigation in just about a minute (3pm ET).

Which one to watch hmmmmm
posted by saturday_morning at 12:06 PM on January 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

Politico: Anti-Trump group pledges $50 million effort to defend Republican impeachment supporters

The effort is led by Defending Democracy Together, an umbrella organization that includes Republicans for the Rule of Law and Republican Voters Against Trump, groups that campaigned against the president during his unsuccessful reelection bid.

“We want to say to any Republican who votes to impeach or remove Donald Trump: You will not be left alone,” said Bill Kristol, a leading conservative critic of Trump’s, in a release. “We will help you against primary challenges. And before the challenges emerge, we will help explain your vote to your constituents.”

This is pretty solid and may help change some votes. The sad reality is that it might be even more effective to be offering to pay for bodyguards.
posted by jedicus at 12:06 PM on January 12, 2021 [30 favorites]

Oh I'm sure it's a coincidence that this urgent speech on border security that he flew to Texas to deliver happens to conflict with an update on the Capitol attack.
posted by Riki tiki at 12:07 PM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

My house "representative" published this op-ed [nyt]. TL;DR blah blah unity, blah blah damage democracy. While I'm not at all surprised, nonetheless I am incandescent.
posted by wordless reply at 12:07 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

I hope very much that he'll be aggressive in investigating and prosecuting Trump administration criminality, which should be one of the core priorities of this DOJ, but I'm not holding my breath. He's also lukewarm on criminal justice issues as far as I know.

I suspect the appointment of AOC and other Squad members/sympathists to the House Oversight Committee is expressly a choice to let them be the attack dogs for the Democrats for the next two years and to dig up the evidence necessary for other government agencies, like DoJ, to prosecute Trumpists.
posted by mightygodking at 12:11 PM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

Yeah, but where, exactly? Dunno the layout in New York, but I've always found big protests in LA kinda lame since their usual focus is that Federal office building in Westwood, which isn't at all military or strategic and has none of the 'optics' of a demonstration with a capitol dome in the background.

New York City has a big, imposing Federal courthouse on Foley square, which is a great spot for a protest. It's across the street from a big Federal building.
posted by BungaDunga at 12:11 PM on January 12, 2021

I don't know why I'm watching but Trump is headlong into inciting violence again.

Okay, I'm done, I can't watch him do this anymore. Just had to make sure that he was pathetically trying to cling to any win he can, and he didn't disappoint on that front.
posted by deadaluspark at 12:13 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Oh I'm sure it's a coincidence that this urgent speech on border security that he flew to Texas to deliver happens to conflict with an update on the Capitol attack.

A fig leaf so Fox can edit the video from the FBI presser to more easily conform the "news" to the RNC's current talking points. I, too, am incandescent.
posted by nicoffeine at 12:13 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

My house "representative" published this op-ed [nyt]. TL;DR blah blah unity, blah blah damage democracy. While I'm not at all surprised, nonetheless I am incandescent.

My old district in upstate NY. Reed is a mealy mouthed liar and I wish there had been a strong candidate running against him.
posted by bluesky43 at 12:17 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

AntiFash Gordon:

In an unprecedented move, @telegram removed HateLab, a Neo-Nazi channel on the service. They have not previously banned Nazi content.

If you’re on Telegram, follow @gwensnyderPHL’s instructions and report Corona Chan News, one of the virulent far-right channels on the service.

posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 12:19 PM on January 12, 2021 [25 favorites]

FBI briefer guy sure is braying a lot about how great the FBI is at preventing violence, while completely neglecting to address their failure here.
posted by lazaruslong at 12:20 PM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

I “love” the dystopian reality of working from home during a pandemic raging totally out of control, while the President is STILL the guy who invited a group of followers less than a week ago to storm our legislative body in order to somehow change the results of a democratic election, is doing it AGAIN with support of what, at least 40% of the country?

He must have the absolute most disgusting Kompromat on the GOP. We know they were hacked and nothing leaked out. We can assume they’ve accepted foreign money, too. But there must be something incredibly sinister he knows that gives him this untouchable ability to do everything he does.

I’m tired of pretending this country is anything other than what it is.
posted by glaucon at 12:20 PM on January 12, 2021 [20 favorites]

FBI briefing - over 170 cases so far over the 'destruction and violence' at the Capitol, FBI has a long memory and a broad reach, and will find you if you were involved. Appeal for more digital evidence. Expect cases to grow exponentially into the hundreds. Citing charges coming including felony murder.

Does not sound like they are planning to go soft on this, or are prepared to minimise it at all.

Brown M&Ms - Van Halen were the first band to bring this scale of tour to a lot places, to the point of the stage sinking into the floor.
posted by MattWPBS at 12:23 PM on January 12, 2021 [38 favorites]

FBI briefing listed the types of cases they're investigating. Missing from the list: Anything like sedition or interference with vote.
posted by joeyh at 12:24 PM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

I’m full of rage at the democrats calling for unity and healing and all this bullshit, but I also pity them tbh. They really seem unable to grasp that things have changed, and that many of their colleagues are fucking pod people from planet MAGA. They are not reasonable, they are not just playing politics, they are dangerous violent zealots. There’s no going back to the way things were.

I wanted to touch briefly on the George W Bush derail. I wanted to remind people that he laid the blueprint for what’s happening now. He was incompetent. He stole an election. It was during his tenure that we started really ramping up the whole “patriotism” and “if you’re not with us you’re not an American” dialogue. He let people die and it was likely highly racially motivated (Hurricane Katrina). He also tried to dismantle the government and install cronies (heckuva job Brownie anyone?). He looted the treasury and gave billions away to the ultra rich and then left a giant mess that hamstrung the next administration. I haven’t even touched Iraq or Afghanistan yet.

Remember this?:

“The aide said that guys like me [Suskind] were "in what we call the reality-based community," which he defined as people who "believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality." I nodded and murmured something about enlightenment principles and empiricism. He cut me off. "That's not the way the world really works anymore," he continued. "We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality — judiciously, as you will — we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors ... and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.”

And now the right just lives in their own warped reality, delusional and divorced from logic and reason. And we’re just studying what they do.

So not to be rude but please miss me with any defense of that jackass. He and his enablers are just as responsible for today in their way as Trump. They laid the groundwork for this. Trump is worse. If we don’t stop this now what comes after Trump will be worse again.
posted by supercrayon at 12:24 PM on January 12, 2021 [69 favorites]

FBI briefer guy sure is braying a lot about how great the FBI is at preventing violence, while completely neglecting to address their failure here.

The FBI is incredibly good at setting up the mentally ill with the tools to commit terrorist acts, egging them into it, and then swooping in at the last second to say "We stopped terrorism" so they can go to Congress for further anti-terrorism funding.

They are not actually very good at really stopping real terrorists.
posted by deadaluspark at 12:25 PM on January 12, 2021 [18 favorites]

"sedition and conspiracy"
posted by little onion at 12:26 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

Sedition and conspiracy strike force set up.
posted by MattWPBS at 12:26 PM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

Looks like this briefing is entirely focused on what the FBI plans to do with regards to arresting and charging the rioters. Not so much a post-mortem on what went "wrong" that allowed the rioters to waltz into the Capitol. I wonder when / if we will get that.
posted by lazaruslong at 12:26 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

Ok, a bit later on the FBI does say they're investigating sedition and conspiracy.
posted by joeyh at 12:26 PM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

Acting US Attorney just used the words "sedition and conspiracy" in terms of upcoming charges they are working on.
posted by pixiecrinkle at 12:26 PM on January 12, 2021 [16 favorites]

"If you planted a pipe bomb or if you just trespassed on the Capitol, you will be found and you will be charged."

Strike force going after people who assaulted the media.
posted by MattWPBS at 12:28 PM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

Specific prosecutors are dedicated to working on assaults on the media.
posted by pixiecrinkle at 12:28 PM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

glaucon: "He must have the absolute most disgusting Kompromat on the GOP."

This is the myth we have to come to terms with now. He doesn't have dirt on the GOP, he is the GOP. He's only saying the things the politicians can't say out loud. He's not an aberration, he's the soul of the party.
posted by team lowkey at 12:30 PM on January 12, 2021 [66 favorites]

Sounds to me like the FBI is dumping responsibility for the colossal security failure on...anyone else. Basically saying yeah, we got a ton of intel prior to the riot that this stuff might happen, and we shared with all of our law enforcement partners on the joint terrorism task force which includes capitol police, park police et al.
posted by lazaruslong at 12:30 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

From that briefing they are going to be going after everyone who was involved in any way hard.

Michael Sherwin (Acting US Attorney) sounded furious.
posted by MattWPBS at 12:31 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

Michael Sherwin (Acting US Attorney) sounded furious.

I've seen plenty and heard plenty of people who looked and sounded serious. Their furrowed brows and dark tones rarely actually lead to real justice.

Like with Mueller, I'll wait until the results are in before I start expecting the FBI to be my savior in this scenario. (Just in case everyone forgot how miserably the FBI has already failed us in regard to Trump)

Sounds to me like the FBI is dumping responsibility for the colossal security failure on...anyone else.

Sounds like the general modus operandi for law enforcement in the US.
posted by deadaluspark at 12:34 PM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

Lazurus, the responsilibility isn't with the FBI. They did their part, then the Capitol Police was supposed to get their own backup in place.
posted by frecklefaerie at 12:34 PM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

"SHERWIN says people will be "shocked" by some of the non-public details of things that happened inside the Capitol." -- Kyle Cheney, Politico
posted by valkane at 12:35 PM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

The Texas speech just ended. I missed the beginning, but I caught the middle and end:

Free speech is under attack. The 25th Amendment is of no danger to him, but might be of danger to Joe Biden. 'Sir, a vaccine will take seven years, five years, ten years, maybe.' Texas and Florida are doing great with vaccine rollout. Time for respect for law enforcement, it's the foundation of the MAGA agenda.

Trump: 'Do you feel like a hero?'
LEO guy: 'I do.'
Trump: Because you do, and you are.'

Thanks various LEO people. 'We took on the cartels, the coyotes, and the special interests.' Claims that someone wanted to build a wall ten years ago. '450 miles, nobody realizes how big that is.' The wall is finished, except for the pieces that are in construction, or in pre-construction, and the places where you don't need a wall after all.

Goes on about illegal aliens for a while. Used coronavirus to justify removing migrants more quickly. Talks about the 24 names for coronavirus, including China virus, China plague, and invisible enemy. 'We empowered our wonderful ICE.' Many people crossing the US-Mexico border are from the Middle East. Describes groups of thousands of people forming south of the border. 'Change the name from the caravans, which I think we came up with, to the gravy train, because that's what they're looking for.' 'Smugglers and coyotes are preparing to surge the border.'

Hispanic people understand the border--I won Texas, including the border towns. The governor of Texas, Greg, great guy, called and said you've had numbers nobody has had since Reconstruction. ICE, CBP, etc., you have no idea how much our nation loves and respects you. God bless America.

Trump walks offstage, cue 'YMCA,' Trump walks directly to the limo.

In the words of George W. Bush, that was some weird shit.
posted by box at 12:35 PM on January 12, 2021 [20 favorites]

I've always found big protests in LA kinda lame since their usual focus is that Federal office building in Westwood, which isn't at all military or strategic and has none of the 'optics' of a demonstration with a capitol dome in the background.

I'm talking "optics" in the sense of "they're in a city that people are more likely to have heard of".

Also -

Hey cortex, can you post that ha ha gif again?

Er, was this in response to the news that three Congress reps now have Covid from sheltering in place? If so, I think at least 2 of them were people who WERE wearing masks....
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:36 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Lazurus, the responsilibility isn't with the FBI.

FBI>What We Investigate>Terrorism

"Protecting the United States from terrorist attacks is the FBI’s number one priority."

I don't know, sounds like stopping terrorism is exactly what they describe as their top priority.

edit: Jinx
posted by deadaluspark at 12:36 PM on January 12, 2021

Lazurus, the responsilibility isn't with the FBI. They did their part, then the Capitol Police was supposed to get their own backup in place.

I'm not sure I buy that. From the FBI's mission page:
Combat significant violent crime
Protect the U.S. from terrorist attack
Protect civil rights
posted by lazaruslong at 12:37 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

"Trump delivered a low energy speech, then bizarrely was serenaded off the stage by the thumping beat of "YMCA" (he didn't dance this time though)." -- Aaron Rupar, Vox
posted by valkane at 12:38 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

The Texas speech just ended. I missed the beginning, but I caught the middle and end:

Thank you for your service, box.
posted by Faint of Butt at 12:40 PM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

Trump's comments on the insurrection: "I want to address what happened"...briefly referred to it as a "mob", expresses that he wants "peace", and then after literally three sentences, moves directly into the "witch hunt" impeachment, then over to vaccines, then back to the border wall.

OK, I can already hear a Trumper acquaintance or two say "he has to say that, he doesn't mean it" and it reminds me of something I'm just noticing: how often "they have to say that, they don't mean it" comes up among some of the shittiest conservatives I've known.

For a long time I thought it was just a convenient argument for them, and I'm still sure that plays a role, that there is some part of the conservative psychology that is extra DGAF about whether an argument actually describes reality, just whether it's plausible enough to function, give even belief-of-the-gaps possibility... or even just *sound* like an argument.

But now I think it's also something else: these people are telling us something about how they've operated their entire lives. Sure, everyone sometimes goes along to get along, but it's a way of life. They all have things they know they have to say all the time, they resent it but they care about their status waaaay more than frank self-expression so as much as they resent the sheer unfair persecution of not being able to have their views (and where possible, their identity) expressed unfiltered if not outright privileged, they say what they have to say and have gotten used to it. Then comes Donald Trump who "says what people are thinking" and they recognize a kindred spirit, just someone who's climbed far enough up some ladder that a lot of the time, he doesn't have to say that.

You'd think watching him say something he clearly doesn't want to would take him down a peg, but then again that's actually the enemy of understanding for this kind of psychology. You can't take Trump down a peg. That's an attack on the fundamental narcissism of the worldview (and why Trump's narcissism appeals so heavily inside it). There has to be another explanation. He's being clever. He's temporarily playing the game. Or he's setting a trap and mass arrests are coming, just you wait, Pelosi is already in custody and Clinton will be locked up and WE can be the ones putting liberals in the concentration camps of our most fervent fantasies instead of being scared that our opposition is going to carry out our most fervent fantasies, all thanks to the cleverness of Trump.

Who has to say that. Of course. He doesn't want any violence. *wink*
posted by wildblueyonder at 12:42 PM on January 12, 2021 [15 favorites]

"FBI and Justice Dept were NOT asked whether investigation is underway into President Trump or White House into "incitement" of insurrection. (They cut off questions before a bunch of reporters were set to ask)." -- Scott MacFarlane, NBC
posted by valkane at 12:42 PM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

Like with Mueller, I'll wait until the results are in before I start expecting the FBI to be my savior in this scenario.

I wouldn't suggest that you expect them to be your saviour, but there was some nervousness that they were only looking for low level charges in these threads, and weren't going to go after people for sedition and similar serious offences. That definitely doesn't seem to be the case.
posted by MattWPBS at 12:44 PM on January 12, 2021 [13 favorites]

All of 4 questions or so during that FBI news conference? I've been in dozens of government calls that are moderated like that, and aside from when a snowstorm struck, I've never heard that few questions, granted it wasn't by media members. I don't know how much more the FBI spokespersons would have said today, but it just seems like there's no way there should be 4 whole questioners.

I was pleased with what they said when they did talk, and I do feel like there is a robust reaction going on and a lot of action on the side of how America in the real world should be reacting, but I still could have used more information.

But I'll be satisfied if they just prevent whatever is coming in these 9 days, from happening. I've finally managed to compose myself since being rattled by everything that has happened, but I'm still on edge each time I see things like that Correa video, or the Jim Jordan video. Stay safe yall.
posted by cashman at 12:44 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

That Space Coast live feed for Trump’s Texas broke off. I switched to The Independent’s live You Tube feed but it’s apparently over.
posted by cenoxo at 12:44 PM on January 12, 2021

They cut off questions before a bunch of reporters were set to ask).

Well that answers that. Great. That's just great.
posted by cashman at 12:44 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

I wouldn't suggest that you expect them to be your saviour, but there was some nervousness that they were only looking for low level charges in these threads, and weren't going to go after people for sedition and similar serious offences. That definitely doesn't seem to be the case.

Yeah, I would take the FBI response so far as "necessary, though not yet sufficient." Much more must be done, but so far they haven't dropped the ball or collaborated with the insurrectionists.
posted by jedicus at 12:45 PM on January 12, 2021

Fox did in fact carry the FBI briefing. Aftewards, Gowdy on saying if you are in the party of law and order, share information about anyone you know with law enforcement. Some other dude riffs for a minute on how it's "interesting" that there are charges of sedition, though he is taking everything pretty seriously.

A few minutes later, a cut to commercial before Rove discusses Trump's impeachment.

I remain incandescent.
posted by nicoffeine at 12:48 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

"Whether or not they intended it, the absence of acting AG Rosen and FBI director Wray from that law enforcement press conference risks sending the signal that the Trump administration is NOT taking this terrorist attack on the US with the utmost seriousness." -- Jake Tapper, CNN
posted by valkane at 12:48 PM on January 12, 2021 [15 favorites]

Once again: why YMCA? Does he still not know what that's referring to?
posted by jenfullmoon at 12:49 PM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

"Risks" sending?
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:50 PM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

"Trump delivered a low energy speech, then bizarrely was serenaded off the stage by the thumping beat of "YMCA"

What? So this wasn't just a speech. It was a campaign rally -- in the wake of an insurrection attempt.
posted by JackFlash at 12:52 PM on January 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

Once again: why YMCA? Does he still not know what that's referring to?

With the caveat that there may be some hidden nazi meaning, I think the reason they play it at Trump rallies is the same reason they play it at sporting events - it's fun and it get the listeners/participants all moving in the same way together. To wit, it is (ugh) unifying, which is useful when you're trying to create a mob.
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:53 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

Trump news - live: President blames MAGA mob on Covid in rambling speech after autographing border wall, The Independent, Jon Sharman, & Justin Vallejo, 1/12/2021.

But did he really blame “MAGA”?
posted by cenoxo at 12:53 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Reps. Dingell, Brown want to fine members $1,000 a day for not wearing masks in Capitol (See segment at 12:15 p.m.)

Yeah, no, that's not gonna work with these people. They'll turn their fines into badges of honor and crowdfund them in a day.

Fucking expel them. Or charge them with something. Jesus fucking Christ, this is not a goddamn game.
posted by schadenfrau at 12:57 PM on January 12, 2021 [36 favorites]

Trump's favorite rally songs are "YMCA," "Macho Man," "We Are the Champions," and "Tiny Dancer," and I'm convinced that he has some kind of weird but relatively harmless prejudice about gays making the best music.
posted by theodolite at 12:57 PM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

450 miles, nobody realizes how big that is

It's about 23% of the 1,954-mile-long (3,145 km) border between the United States and Mexico.
¡Pobre México! ¡Tan lejos de Dios y tan cerca de los Estados Unidos!

The 40 miles or so of new wall IMPOTUSx2 built is about 2% of the border. (Estimates range between 12 and 80 miles so I split the difference.)
posted by kirkaracha at 12:58 PM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

Once again: why YMCA? Does he still not know what that's referring to?

I've been wondering the same damn thing. I thought it was possible that they're just scraping the bottom of the barrel since so many musicians have complained about Trump's use of their music at his events, but apparently it's not even clear WHAT the Village People think about this, based on Rob Sheffield's essay for Rolling Stone. I swear, I feel like it's just laziness at this point all round.

Aside: When the pre-rally video surfaced a couple days ago one of my first thoughts was sorrow that Laura Branigan was dead and couldn't complain about the use of "Gloria." I was tickled to learn that her estate/representative did, in fact, complain.
posted by dlugoczaj at 1:00 PM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

I'm personally not prepared to give Trump the benefit of the doubt that anything about his psyche can be described as "weird but relatively harmless."
posted by Spathe Cadet at 1:00 PM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

Happened 12 hours / seven centuries ago, but Trump Lawyer Lin Wood had his privilege to argue a case in Delaware revoked by a judge because of his "toxic stew of mendacity, prevarication, and surprising incompetence."
posted by nicoffeine at 1:01 PM on January 12, 2021 [62 favorites]

Trump probably just likes that music because it reminds of him of when he was young, kicking up his heels with Jeff Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
posted by valkane at 1:01 PM on January 12, 2021 [26 favorites]

They cut off questions before a bunch of reporters were set to ask).

Well that answers that. Great. That's just great.

If there is (hypothetically) an investigation into incitement to sedition against Trump, the White House or speakers at the rally, would you want that to be headline news before the 20th?
posted by MattWPBS at 1:03 PM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

Trump probably just likes that music

45 doesn't like any music. It's a well-known signifier of his complete lack of (a) soul. Somebody else makes these selections. His kids?
posted by Rash at 1:03 PM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

Derail but why are any members of Congress relying on 5-cent surgical masks ("I protect you and you protect me") when they are stuck in a building with people who clearly don't want to protect anyone else? Michigan is shipping all their residents KN95 respirators which work to both capture people's germs and protect themselves from others' germs. I can buy legit US-made N95 respirators and plenty of KN95s and KF94s for not more than a few dollars each from a variety of reputable sources. Are we stuck on some excuse of "optics" for people who are still in the June 2020 mindset?
posted by meowzilla at 1:05 PM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

Jordan Klepper Sees It All at The Capitol Insurrection

He's done a lot of these Trump rally segments for The Daily Show, but this is the first one I've seen that had an air of real menace alongside the buffoonery (still plenty of that too, though).
posted by Rhaomi at 1:08 PM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

Have his rallies ever played the song long enough to get to the "No man does it all by himself/I said, young man, put your pride on the shelf" part? Or do they just record scratch over that so they can get back to "you can do whatever you feel"?
posted by Riki tiki at 1:09 PM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

45 doesn't like any music. It's a well-known signifier of his total lack of soul.

As is his being the first president since James K. Polk, the Napoleon of the Stump, to not have a pet.
posted by kirkaracha at 1:09 PM on January 12, 2021 [13 favorites]

I actually feel a little better seeing that our dipshit President ran off to the border wall for a boring replay of his greatest hits including golden oldies like "caravan panic" which I haven't heard since 2018, it makes it seem like he doesn't think he has a lot of other moves available to him and he's scrambling.
posted by jason_steakums at 1:11 PM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

Both the New York Times and the Washington Post have published thoughtful articles about the courage of Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, who lost a son to suicide on December 31, endured a violent insurrection in his workplace on January 6 with family members in tow, yet still has taken on a leading role in crafting the articles of impeachment. I couldn't be more pleased that a man with this level of bravery, intelligence, and courage represents some of my fellow Marylanders. He stands in sharp contrast to his fellow Maryland Representative Andy Harris and the other cowardly Republicans who've aided and abetted sedition.
posted by cheapskatebay at 1:11 PM on January 12, 2021 [83 favorites]

I am in some distant way related to James K. Polk. This never fails to make me sort of sad and ashamed whenever I remember it. I guess on the bright side there are now far worse presidents one could be related to...
posted by Alterscape at 1:11 PM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

"My guess is the FBI and DOJ sent no-name officials to do this press briefing so Trump wouldn't get any ideas about firing anyone over it. If they'd sent a recognizable face out there like Chris Wray, he could have been fired by the end of the day." -- Palmer Report

Could also be why they scheduled at the same time as Trump's wall speech, so he couldn't watch it live.
posted by valkane at 1:11 PM on January 12, 2021 [31 favorites]

Michigan is shipping all their residents KN95 respirators which work to both capture people's germs and protect themselves from others' germs.

link?
posted by LionIndex at 1:15 PM on January 12, 2021

As is his being the first president since James K. Polk, the Napoleon of the Stump, to not have a pet.

well, he has Lindsey Graham

(I stole that from somewhere, not sure where)
posted by schadenfrau at 1:15 PM on January 12, 2021 [21 favorites]

I just wish they'd stop calling them "Trump supporters" and start calling them "Republicans." That's how they vote and that's who they are. Make the party own the fact that a large faction are domestic terrorists.
posted by valkane at 1:20 PM on January 12, 2021 [67 favorites]

Michigan is shipping all their residents KN95 respirators which work to both capture people's germs and protect themselves from others' germs.

link?

MaskUpMichigan

But worth stating that the state is not shipping us all masks to our homes, you still have to go to one of several local distribution centers to pick one up.
posted by Preserver at 1:24 PM on January 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

Gov. Whitmer announces MI Mask Aid: 4 million free masks to protect vulnerable populations from COVID-19

Bleh, I read the news too optimistically. It looks like there are only 4 million available for a population of 10 million, and you have to get them yourself which a lot of people are unlikely to do.
posted by meowzilla at 1:25 PM on January 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

If anyone missed it, Sky News (YouTube) has Trump’s entire Texas border wall speech, about 30 (boring) minutes long.
posted by cenoxo at 1:26 PM on January 12, 2021

I am in some distant way related to James K. Polk. This never fails to make me sort of sad and ashamed whenever I remember it. I guess on the bright side there are now far worse presidents one could be related to...

Being distantly related to Richard Nixon, I share your feelings.
posted by inexorably_forward at 1:33 PM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

Trump does say that the 25th amendment is no threat to him, which I would interpret to mean it's absolutely a threat to him.
posted by Riki tiki at 1:34 PM on January 12, 2021 [22 favorites]

Gizmodo: Parler Users Breached Deep Inside U.S. Capitol Building, GPS Data Shows
posted by soundguy99 at 1:35 PM on January 12, 2021 [23 favorites]

"Breaking NYT: Mitch McConnell has told associates he believes Trump committed impeachable offenses and that he is pleased that Democrats are moving to impeach him, believing that it will make it easier to purge him from the GOP." -- Kyle Griffin

Holy shit.
posted by valkane at 1:38 PM on January 12, 2021 [76 favorites]

There is clear video of that judge's son, breaking the capitol window out with the clear riot shield he somehow got hold of. You know, there was an officer murdered you might ask, did he get the shield off the dead officer, and was he involved in the murder?
posted by Oyéah at 1:38 PM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

Something I missed on the first listen through the FBI/DoJ press briefing. Sherwin said that the sedition and conspiracy strike force consists of "very senior national security prosecutors and public corruption prosecutors".

Involvement of public corruption prosecutors significant, or would people say that's standard?
posted by MattWPBS at 1:40 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

I believe exactly no words out of McConnell’s mouth.
posted by kerf at 1:40 PM on January 12, 2021 [80 favorites]

"Breaking NYT: Mitch McConnell has told associates he believes Trump committed impeachable offenses and that he is pleased that Democrats are moving to impeach him, believing that it will make it easier to purge him from the GOP." -- Kyle Griffin

...surely this?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 1:41 PM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

So, you could split up the Senate days to do impeachment in the afternoon and legislation in the evening. Or you could have a couple of 2/3 test votes to skip to a verdict, right at the start and again after opening arguments.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 1:42 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

Yeah I just heard the McConnell news on MSNBC and jumped on this thread to see what the latest intel is. If true, huge. Still has to make it to a vote, but wow.
posted by andruwjones26 at 1:42 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Derail but why are any members of Congress relying on 5-cent surgical masks.

They were told to take off their masks and put on the gas masks when they were attacked according to The Cut's interview Rep. Jayapal. My guess is that many had better quality masks before that (though some probably didn't because even people who are trying are often inscrutably weird in this pandemic). The cheap masks were what they were given afterwards.
posted by srboisvert at 1:43 PM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

Until McConnell says, publicly, that he wants Trump removed I am uninterested in his attempts to salvage the GOP from the wreckage.
posted by Riki tiki at 1:43 PM on January 12, 2021 [35 favorites]

...believing that it will make it easier to purge him from the GOP.

Trump's usefulness to Mitch McConnell has officially ended.
posted by charred husk at 1:43 PM on January 12, 2021 [42 favorites]

They have to purge him or it will be internal GOP civil war until Trump dies. Unfortunately for them, it can be a bit hard to break a cult... their dear leader will never shut up though I guess now he can't tweet.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 1:43 PM on January 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

If nothing else, the NYT report about Mitch will send Trump into a rage, and he has no Twitter with which to vent.
posted by martin q blank at 1:47 PM on January 12, 2021 [14 favorites]

Unfortunately for the fascist-in-chief McAllen's longest runway is 7,120', which is not long enough.

An air dropped crate would suffice. Parachute optional.
posted by y2karl at 1:48 PM on January 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

I lied. I am very interested in McConnell's attempts to salvage the GOP from the wreckage. I'm just pushing back on selective leaks that might be part of that effort. Hi, Ms. Haberman!
posted by Riki tiki at 1:49 PM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

Trump's usefulness to Mitch McConnell has officially ended.

my feeling is that happened when Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the Supreme Court (end of September). Everything McConnell has done since then has been masters level dis-entanglement. How to cut this clown loose without losing any votes ...
posted by philip-random at 1:51 PM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

Unfortunately for the fascist-in-chief McAllen's longest runway is 7,120', which is not long enough.

An air dropped crate would suffice. Parachute optional.

Operation Dumbass Drop
posted by jason_steakums at 1:52 PM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

Rep. John Katko (NY-24) becomes first House Republican to back Trump impeachment
posted by gwint at 1:54 PM on January 12, 2021 [49 favorites]

but apparently it's not even clear WHAT the Village People think about this,

Victor Willis told him before the election to stop playing it.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 1:56 PM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

Per Erica Werner at WaPo:

Dem staffers briefed today by Biden team ahead of covid plan roll-out Thurs -- per sources Biden does *not* want to use reconciliation, hopes for bipartisan deal instead

At a certain point this obsession with bipartisanship becomes unhealthy, and that point was two years ago.
posted by mightygodking at 1:58 PM on January 12, 2021 [18 favorites]

At a certain point this obsession with bipartisanship becomes unhealthy, and that point was two years ago.

That point was when Biden screwed us on the fiscal cliff by going behind Reid's back to broker an awful deal, but yes.
posted by Gadarene at 2:01 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

At the risk of sounding Q-ish on the opposite extreme, I've got to feel like a lot of this Twitter/Facebook/Google/Amazon sudden epiphany has a lot less to do with awakening morals and "crossing a line" than it does with someone going hard in the background with not-fucking-around threats. I think the Biden administration has already been quietly "new sheriff in town and you WILL get with the program" in key pressure points. Police departments investigating officers? Police union officials being forced out? Yeah, no. Any few of those I could believe, all together is too much coincidence. We'll see I guess.

Upthread: "Here's a mask."
"Oh, no thanks."
"We're not asking. Put the fucking mask on."

I agree 100% with the sentiment, but play it out.
"No."

What then, a fistfight? Make yourself the spectacle, get yourself sanctioned and possibly arrested? There's nothing you can do if nobody will make anti-masking a crime and enforce it.
posted by ctmf at 2:01 PM on January 12, 2021 [13 favorites]

"Biden called McConnell yesterday and asked if Senate could dual track impeachment trial and cabinet confirmations. Far from telling Biden he would not discuss the impeachment, McConnell said he would check with the parliamentarian and get back to Biden."

I'll give credence to speculation about McConnell ever doing the right thing after it has actually happened and verified and too late to undo with the Infinity Gauntlet. My first instinct is McConnell already knows the parliamentarian's answer is no. But even McConnell just not using every procedural tool to be a jerk for the hell of it would be a shift.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 2:04 PM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

Military Joint Chiefs condemn "sedition and insurrection" at US Capitol.
posted by adamvasco at 2:04 PM on January 12, 2021 [27 favorites]

If nothing else, the NYT report about Mitch will send Trump into a rage, and he has no Twitter with which to vent.

There is a part of me that wishes he could have Twitter while being banned from Twitter, just for the popcorn of the meltdown.
posted by MattWPBS at 2:05 PM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

Omfg can people stop saying "surely this."
posted by JenMarie at 2:06 PM on January 12, 2021 [30 favorites]

I'm trying to figure out what McConnell's angle is because prior to today, he would bring the impeachment charge to the Senate for trial on the 19th. So what gives? The NYT article doesn't do a deep enough dive on this. Is Mitch just mad about Georgia?

Mr. McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, has indicated that he wants to see the specific article of impeachment that the House is set to approve on Wednesday, which is expected to draw support from as many as a dozen Republicans, potentially including Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the party’s No. 3 in the House. But he has made clear in private discussions that he believes now is the moment to move on from the weakened lame duck, whom he blames for causing Republicans to lose the Senate.
posted by bluesky43 at 2:07 PM on January 12, 2021

When sentiment is moving against you, hurrying up and getting it decided is the best chance you're ever going to get.
posted by ctmf at 2:10 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

Sorry to harp back on the point of the FBI's involvement, but they did their duty by reporting the threat to the other authorities. It was then up to the others to act on that information. FBI enforcers can't just go on federal grounds as agents, just like how the National Guard couldn't go in without approval. There was one strike team enabled to go in, and they did, and no one else was authorized. Can't find the links now.
posted by frecklefaerie at 2:10 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

‘It was not to make friends but to save our lives up in there’ — Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester spoke out after video circulated of two GOP reps appearing to mock her for passing out masks during lockdown
posted by bluesky43 at 2:11 PM on January 12, 2021 [23 favorites]

Military Joint Chiefs condemn "sedition and insurrection" at US Capitol.

Given all the fears we have about servicemen and women infiltrated into the Republican terrorist movement, this is very good news. Insurrection within the military will be dealt with very harshly.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 2:12 PM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

Has there been any talk of why the Park Police were letting protesters bring items they aren't normally allowed? This seems like more than "oh white people, don't have to worry about them and their flag spears!" given everything else.
posted by sepviva at 2:13 PM on January 12, 2021 [21 favorites]

About McConnell and some other Republicans:
first of all, it is human for them to take some time to truly understand what happened, because it is so insane.
McConnell is not so much human, but he is very attached to money. And if you look at how the donors are reacting, that might have some influence, not least now when Adelson is dead.
posted by mumimor at 2:13 PM on January 12, 2021 [22 favorites]

I've got to feel like a lot of this Twitter/Facebook/Google/Amazon sudden epiphany has a lot less to do with awakening morals and "crossing a line" than it does with someone going hard in the background with not-fucking-around threats.

Possible, but I think they've simply decided that open civil war would be bad for their profitability.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 2:09 PM on January 12

Nope. They're facing a Democratic government and they don't want to be regulated by the government, a move much more likely in a Democratic government. It's purely self interest and I find it among the most cynical moves I've seen by these companies (even though I agree with their actions).
posted by bluesky43 at 2:13 PM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

Realizing that the house and the senate are both democrat controlled and will be VERY interested to hear about how social media spread sedition may have had something to do with it. It's not necessary to construct a complicated answer when a very simple one is before us.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 2:14 PM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

FBI: ‘In 6 days, we have opened more than 160 case files and that’s just the tip of the iceberg … Even if you’ve left D.C., agents from our local field offices will be knocking on your door if we find out that you were part of the criminal activity at the Capitol’
posted by bluesky43 at 2:18 PM on January 12, 2021 [23 favorites]

Out of curiousity, I know that the FBI is often called in for crimes that involve crossing state lines. Since most of these people weren't DC locals, did the fact that they would have traveled to commit these crimes play into the role of the FBI being involved or did the simple facts of the location and target(s) of the crime automatically mean that this was FBI jurisdiction? I'm just curious if crossing state lines has any weight whatsoever.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 2:21 PM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

Jim Acosta was just reporting that McConnell is angry that he had to take shelter during the coup attempt and “hates Trump now.”

Something something “I have use the face eating leopard carefully to create a chaotic landscape of fear and uncertainty that has allowed me to get exactly what I want for the last four years. However, recently, the leopard ate my face, and I am very unhappy about that.”
posted by Ghidorah at 2:24 PM on January 12, 2021 [78 favorites]

It's not necessary to construct a complicated answer

I've considered that, I'm not all the way down the "trust the plan" rabbit hole. But it seems more complicated to me that they all came to this pretty big, weighty strategic decision that must have taken a lot of consideration, all on the same day. (To exaggerate a little bit). Rather than someone making the rounds saying "there WILL be consequences" and making the decision much easier.
posted by ctmf at 2:24 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Remember this?: “The aide said that guys like me [Suskind] were "in what we call the reality-based community," which he defined as people who "believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality."

The aide was Karl Rove, GWB's deputy chief of staff; Rove was on Fox News less than an hour ago w/ "Pelosi bid for Trump impeachment not in Americans' interest."

posted by Iris Gambol at 2:25 PM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

It’s a small fraternity of senior tech leadership, and their employees are largely educated leftist. But yeah, no one wanted to go first, and they likely hoped someone in government would do something in the last four years.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 2:27 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

What then, a fistfight? Make yourself the spectacle, get yourself sanctioned and possibly arrested? There's nothing you can do if nobody will make anti-masking a crime and enforce it.

I’m honestly shocked that the house and senate have not mandated mask use on the floor, with a clause about the sergeant at arms removing any member who refuses to wear one. In the heightened circumstances of being locked in close quarters together, to me, the proper response is wear the mask or try your luck out in the hallways.
posted by Ghidorah at 2:27 PM on January 12, 2021 [17 favorites]

Rove is one of the Reichministers, like Hannity and Limbaugh, who all need to be shamed (if that’s possible) into inconsequence.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 2:28 PM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

I mean, something pretty big did happen that all the tech companies could see. This wasn't a babbling State of the Union, it was a terrorist attack and a coup attempt. It's not hard to picture all the tech companies responding similarly to that huge external stimulus.
posted by stevis23 at 2:29 PM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

I mean parliamentary democracy is working great for Britain what could be the downside? /s
posted by Huffy Puffy

Not working too well here in Australia either, with our special sauce preferential voting system that is supposed to negate (or at least limit) the problems caused by first past the post systems like those in the US and UK. We have massive and rapidly expanding corruption, abuse of power, and straight thuggery under the current hard right government, led by a Prime Minister who clearly wants to install a fascist feudalist theocracy.

The clear lesson from all this seems that it is impossible to fully codify robust protections against such behaviour. All forms of democratic government rely on goodwill and norms, and they are too easy to circumvent, exploit, and shit all over by bad faith actors.

Don't look to us for any answers to the problem.
posted by Pouteria at 2:29 PM on January 12, 2021 [13 favorites]

I know that Fox isn't the best place to link to, but watching new Republican rep Nancy Mace steamroll over the host as the host tries to politely cut off her explanation of why she's no longer supporting Trump, and why what Trump did and said is in fact bad and did in fact promote violence, is nice.

Mace was on CNN yesterday arguing that impeachment was a step too far and that the House should settle for a censure resolution, so let's not jump to celebrate her.
posted by mightygodking at 2:30 PM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

But it seems more complicated to me that they all came to this pretty big, weighty strategic decision that must have taken a lot of consideration, all on the same day.

Eh. It was the day after a terrorist attack on the Capitol building. The execs of these companies have surely had innumerable meetings about how to handle Trump, and exactly what line-crossing would result in a ban.

On preview, what stevis23 said.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 2:31 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

impeachment was a step too far and that the House should settle for a censure resolution

Heated debate over a thing that will have no effect vs. a thing that will probably have no effect. 2021
posted by ctmf at 2:33 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

I'm now picturing all the major tech CEOs on a conference call. Entire conversation: "Surely this?" "Surely this?" "Surely this?" "Surely this?" "Surely this." "Surely this." "Surely this?" "Surely this." "Surely this." "Surely this."
posted by clawsoon at 2:33 PM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

Josh Dawsey (waPo)
@jdawsey1
Confirming NYT: McConnell has told others that Trump probably committed impeachable offenses but wants to hear case before making a final decision, per person who has spoken with him. Would not whip votes for or against impeachment. Hasn't talked to Trump since Dec. 14.
5:27 PM · Jan 12, 2021
posted by bluesky43 at 2:34 PM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

It's not necessary to construct a complicated answer

I've considered that, I'm not all the way down the "trust the plan" rabbit hole. But it seems more complicated to me that they all came to this pretty big, weighty strategic decision that must have taken a lot of consideration, all on the same day. (To exaggerate a little bit). Rather than someone making the rounds saying "there WILL be consequences" and making the decision much easier.

I think it's more than a little exaggerated to say 'all on the same day'. Twitter, Google and Facebook were umming and aahing for a few days about suspending Trump's account, locking it for 24 hours, etc, etc. Before that I think we had weeks or even months with discussions about how he'd probably lose his special interest protections after leaving office.

Then we had the storming of the Capitol.

They've all been slowly edging closer to the line of action, and as soon as that meant one jumped it was easier for another to follow. Once you've got a few big movers, then the momentum makes doing nothing the harder option for the smaller players.
posted by MattWPBS at 2:36 PM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

but wants to hear case before making a final decision

Well that's a nice change
posted by clawsoon at 2:36 PM on January 12, 2021 [20 favorites]

Maybe we should start numbering some of the overused (by me, among others!) MeFi Drollery Greatest Hits, so we could use them in shorthand:
"surely this" = 32
"leopard ate my face" = 33
posted by PhineasGage at 2:36 PM on January 12, 2021 [32 favorites]

> I know that Fox isn't the best place to link to, but watching new Republican rep Nancy Mace steamroll over the host as the host tries to politely cut off her explanation of why she's no longer supporting Trump, and why what Trump did and said is in fact bad and did in fact promote violence, is nice.

I noped out of this after the part where she said she wanted both Democrats and Republicans to take responsibility for "the violence leading up to this". If that's the GOP's idea of meeting in the middle, I'm thinking some more cycles of truth and reconciliation are in order.
posted by tonycpsu at 2:37 PM on January 12, 2021 [39 favorites]

>Has there been any talk of why the Park Police were letting protesters bring items they aren't normally allowed? This seems like more than "oh white people, don't have to worry about them and their flag spears!" given everything else.

I don't have an answer to this, but it's the one thing I keep coming back to again and again. Especially since I learned that the officer who died took a blow to the head from a fire extinguisher -- except it was probably not a fire extinguisher but a canister of bear repellent that a protester brought. (Though I have no solid confirmation of that and I feel like I'll explode if I look into it further.)

Jordan Klepper has an interview with a guy who brought a for-real pitchfork. How was this allowed at all?
posted by Catblack at 2:38 PM on January 12, 2021 [14 favorites]

Joint Chiefs call riot a "direct assault" on the constitutional process, affirm Biden as next commander in chief (waPo)

The Joint Chiefs of Staff, the group of the most senior uniformed leaders at the Pentagon, issued a force-wide statement Tuesday condemning the riot at the Capitol as a “direct assault” on Congress and the constitutional process and affirming President-elect Joe Biden will become the nation’s 46th commander in chief on Jan 20.
The memo represented a rare step for a U.S. military leadership that has sought to keep the American armed forces out of the nation’s rancorous partisan politics in recent years.
posted by bluesky43 at 2:38 PM on January 12, 2021 [28 favorites]

Maybe we should start numbering some of the overused

Metafilter: Maybe we should start numbering...
posted by ctmf at 2:39 PM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

And if you look at how the donors are reacting, that might have some influence, not least now when Adelson is dead.
posted by mumimor

Society progresses one death at a time.
posted by Pouteria at 2:40 PM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

Katy Tur has the full statement

Liz Cheney, number 3 Republican in House, is a YES on impeachment.

posted by Brainy at 2:45 PM on January 12, 2021 [52 favorites]

mightygodking: "per sources Biden does *not* want to use reconciliation, hopes for bipartisan deal instead"

Reconciliation is a budgetary maneuver that (per wikipedia) can only be used up to three times per year: one each for issues related to spending, revenue, and the federal debt limit. It took a lot of acrobatics to use it for the ACA, which was better than not passing the ACA but weakened the bill and made it more vulnerable to legal challenges.

I can absolutely understand Biden not wanting this to require those same distortions or have that same fragility, or to blow one of his limited opportunities to use this method. This is boring process stuff, but it matters.
posted by Riki tiki at 2:46 PM on January 12, 2021 [22 favorites]

Not working too well here in Australia either, with our special sauce preferential voting system that is supposed to negate (or at least limit) the problems caused by first past the post systems like those in the US and UK.

Funny that you should mention that, as some of Australia's governing conservatives are talking about moving part of the way back towards first-past-the-post, by making second and further preferences optional.

And so, the Murdosphere converges towards a common set of values.
posted by acb at 2:47 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

Metafilter: Maybe we should start numbering...

So instead of Gödel numbers we'd have Mathowie numbers?
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 2:47 PM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY): Donald Trump Jr. is now under criminal investigation in the District of Columbia.

Sweet.
posted by Dashy at 2:48 PM on January 12, 2021 [74 favorites]

But it seems more complicated to me that they all came to this pretty big, weighty strategic decision that must have taken a lot of consideration, all on the same day.

Tipping point, domino effect, snowball effect, cluster effect. Pretty common human patterns of behavior.

Judd Apatow gets a hit movie, suddenly there's R-rated manchild comedies everywhere. The White Stripes break big, now all the labels are signing garage rock bands and the price of crappy 60's department store guitars are shooting through the roof.

Hell, the damn tech companies all look to each other (to put it politely) for cues and ideas anyway - how many of them have tried to add or boost a social media video element after TikTok captured the kids?

Complicated seems unnecessary.
posted by soundguy99 at 2:48 PM on January 12, 2021 [18 favorites]

Losing both the military and the industrial wings of the military-industrial complex, along with professional fucking golf, is a pretty staggering profile in failure to be even a marginally competent Republican:

Northrop Grumman on Monday became the first major defense contractor to pause political donations to members of Congress, as a wave of corporate entities react after the Jan. 6 riot on Capitol Hill. But it does not seem to be the last.

“We are pausing political action committee giving and evaluating the way forward,” Northrop spokesman Tim Paynter told Defense News Monday evening.

On Tuesday morning, Leidos — the 23rd largest defense firm in the world, according to the annual Defense News Top 100 — followed suit. In a statement, Leidos chairman and CEO Roger Krone said “Violence, lawlessness, and anarchy have no place in our nation. We believe in civil political discourse and the fundamental right to peacefully protest, but strongly condemn violence or intimidation. In light of these events, Leidos’ Political Action Committee (PAC) has decided to temporarily pause all political donations.”

Then Tuesday afternoon, Raytheon Technologies had joined in as well, with spokesman Chris Johnson saying “We have paused all political action committee contributions to reflect on the current environment and determine appropriate next steps.”

And by that, I mean losing their support for all the wrong reasons.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 2:50 PM on January 12, 2021 [16 favorites]

"Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY): Donald Trump Jr. is now under criminal investigation in the District of Columbia."

Genuine question: is it in relation to the riot or to other criminal activity?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 2:51 PM on January 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

por que no los dos?

Sure hope discovery is productive.
posted by Dashy at 2:53 PM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

Rep. John Katko becomes first House Republican to back Trump impeachment (Rep from upstate NY, Syracuse area)

Katko, R-Camillus, is the first House Republican to acknowledge that he will join at least 218 House Democrats who signed onto an impeachment resolution. A vote is expected Wednesday, a week before President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn into office.

Katko said he felt compelled to uphold his oath of office and defend the Constitution by impeaching Trump.

“To allow the president of the United States to incite this attack without consequence is a direct threat to the future of our democracy,” Katko said in a statement. “For that reason, I cannot sit by without taking action. I will vote to impeach this president.”
posted by bluesky43 at 2:54 PM on January 12, 2021 [25 favorites]

Oyeah - There is clear video of that judge's son, breaking the capitol window out with the clear riot shield he somehow got hold of. You know, there was an officer murdered you might ask, did he get the shield off the dead officer, and was he involved in the murder

There may be many reasons for his mode of speach, but Aaron Mostofsky doesn't come across as a violent person, he comes across as a vulnerable person. He says he found the sheild on the floor and doesn't know whose it is because it doesn't have a name on it. During the 2m interview he complains that his backpack is heavy. To me, he seems the type of vulnerable adult that needs protecting from the likes of Trump. Mostofsky seems to me to be a great argument for deplatforming toxic people.

He has been arrested in Brooklyn, so he managed to get back home successfully.

The people who need to be identified aren't the jesters in fur outfits, they aren't the idiots complaining that they got 'maced' for entering the Capitol building, these are not the instigators of violence.

Has anyone seen any interview with any of the seditionists that shows them comprehending the implications of the action they are taking part in? Anyone who shows any understanding of democracy, how law is a pillar of society, what white privilege is? Anyone...Bueller

Here's a fellow who seems to grok the palpable lack of justifiable motivation for the insurrection.
posted by asok at 2:56 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

(McConnell) Would not whip votes for or against impeachment.

I wonder if this means that he knows the votes are there.
posted by Ruki at 2:58 PM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

McConnell has told others that Trump probably committed impeachable offenses but wants to hear case before making a final decision, per person who has spoken with him.

Nancy Pelosi should tell him to put his money where his mouth is by publicly describing what charges he'd vote to convict on so they can be included in the articles of impeachment.
posted by The Tensor at 2:58 PM on January 12, 2021 [15 favorites]

Maggie Haberman
@maggieNYT
The White House is expecting roughly two dozen defections among Republicans who will vote to support impeachment, a senior administration official said
posted by bluesky43 at 2:58 PM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

And so, the Murdosphere converges towards a common set of values.
posted by acb

Murdoch has an awful lot to answer for. He is one of the most destructive humans in history, IMHO, and he has faced precisely zero serious consequences for it.

I am not holding my breath he ever will.
posted by Pouteria at 2:59 PM on January 12, 2021 [25 favorites]

"Now that we're going to be in the minority and have to negotiate for every scrap of political benefit to our ~~donors~~ beloved constituents, let's remind everyone of the integrity and strong moral principles we ~~don't~~ have. We stand firmly against any violence that might endanger The Agents of Democracy, which is to say, us personally."
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 2:59 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Catblack

Apparently none of the usual security was present, here is a report from a citizen observer, historian Terry Bouton. Normally anything that can be used as a weapon (sometimes including water bottles) is confiscated at the security barrier. There was no security barrier on 6th January.

'There is no doubt the Capitol was left purposefully understaffed as far as law enforcement and there was no federal effort to provide support even as things turned very dark. This contrasts sharply with all of other major protests we have attended. A lot has been made of the contrast to the overwhelming police presence at Black Lives Matters protests in the fall, and this is certainly true. But there was also A LOT more federal law enforcement presence at every single previous protest we have attended in DC. '
posted by asok at 3:03 PM on January 12, 2021 [42 favorites]

McConnell is the Vicar of Bray once again.

And this be law, that I'll maintain until my dying day, sir
That whatsoever king may reign, Still I'll be the Vicar of Bray, sir.
posted by ocschwar at 3:03 PM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

‘It was not to make friends but to save our lives up in there’ — Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester spoke out after video circulated of two GOP reps appearing to mock her for passing out masks during lockdown

GOP reps: Oh, isn't that cute, the Democrats think they're going to live through this.
posted by jointhedance at 3:05 PM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

Seth Abramson @SethAbramson
CNN is reporting that Mitch McConnell has no intention whatsoever of speaking to Trump again at any time in the foreseeable future, and *also* that he is in touch with president-elect Joe Biden about how to structure the coming impeachment trial.

/also Mitch McConnell can go to hell.
posted by bluesky43 at 3:06 PM on January 12, 2021 [20 favorites]

>There may be many reasons for his mode of speach, but Aaron Mostofsky doesn't come across as a violent person...

So that's why he carried a stick, helped break a window, put on an officer's vest, carried around a riot shield. Screw him and his brother.
posted by Catblack at 3:07 PM on January 12, 2021 [32 favorites]

So that's why he carried a stick, helped break a window, put on an officer's vest, carried around a riot shield. Screw him and his brother.

Are you saying don't judge a book by its cover story?
posted by clawsoon at 3:10 PM on January 12, 2021 [23 favorites]

Those congressional representatives violating protocol by refusing to wear masks (especially in confined spaces for extended periods of time) need to be severely censured. Does Pelosi have any available options to send them packing? Their flagrant violations put their colleagues at risk.
Personally, I think we are the point of the pandemic where this kind of behavior can reasonably be called bioterrorism.

If I even joked about doing this with another brown person, we would be disappeared faster than you can say "extraordinary rendition". I don't understand how anyone can watch this level of cruelty and think bipartisanship is something worth even trying.
posted by Ouverture at 3:10 PM on January 12, 2021 [18 favorites]

McConnell has told others that Trump probably committed impeachable offenses

Impeach him now so they can start the "Trump wasn't really a Republican and I certainly never really supported him" train.
posted by kirkaracha at 3:13 PM on January 12, 2021 [15 favorites]

Liz Cheney from deepest red Wyoming just came out in favor to impeachment. She’s the number 2 Republican in the House.
posted by interogative mood at 3:15 PM on January 12, 2021 [14 favorites]

To me, he seems the type of vulnerable adult that needs protecting from the likes of Trump. Mostofsky seems to me to be a great argument for deplatforming toxic people.

When Mostofsky appeared in court, he seemed cognizant of what he had done but at no point did he say or do anything approaching something like genuine remorse or shame for his actions. He's out on bail, somehow allowed to be remanded to the custody of a man whose Twitter account is currently vacillating between the coup being a patriotic duty or the work of antifa false flag operatives. He's not the victim here.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 3:16 PM on January 12, 2021 [14 favorites]

Re: McConnell and impeachment, Michael Steele (former chair of RNC) is on MSNBC saying this is probably due to some big news on the horizon and McConnell is trying to stay a head of it. Rats, sinking ships, etc. But I don't care as long as impeachment happens.
posted by nicoffeine at 3:17 PM on January 12, 2021 [20 favorites]

“We are pausing political action committee giving and evaluating the way forward,” Northrop spokesman Tim Paynter told Defense News Monday evening.

Leidos’ Political Action Committee (PAC) has decided to temporarily pause all political donations.”

Raytheon Technologies...Chris Johnson saying “We have paused all political action committee contributions to reflect on the current environment and determine appropriate next steps.”

Note that they are all pulling money from all PACs. Not Republican PACs. All PACs. Corporate both-siderism. If they were actually concerned, they’d pull the trough away from the Republican PACs only, and drive home the message that if they want the green, they need to cut out the bullshit. This is just marketing.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:17 PM on January 12, 2021 [51 favorites]

One of my friends put it pretty concisely: "Megacorps have really similar drivers. If a customer does something to burn through the patience of one megacorp, nobody else is gonna be ok with it either."
posted by tavella at 3:22 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

Re: McConnell and impeachment, Michael Steele (former chair of RNC) is on MSNBC saying this is probably due to some big news on the horizon and McConnell is trying to stay a head of it. Rats, sinking ships, etc.

I have $20 on evidence of overt collusion between the White House and/or other Republicans and insurrectionists
posted by schadenfrau at 3:25 PM on January 12, 2021 [53 favorites]

Cheney's actions could be better explained by Chevron "reviewing their contributions"
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 3:25 PM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

An interesting detail about what the Constitution says about the Senate trial during impeachment:

@McDeereUSA: Remember — conviction only requires 2/3 of members present.

Senate Rs like Tillis would be better off staying home and letting Trump get convicted by largely D senate. Avoids having to cast an acquittal vote *and* gets rid of the Trump nightmare/headache forever.

(The Quorum requirement for a Senate impeachment trial is 51 senators.)
posted by Atom Eyes at 3:28 PM on January 12, 2021 [29 favorites]

I have $20 on evidence of overt collusion between the White House and/or other Republicans and insurrectionists

Jim Acosta reported the day of the riot that someone at the White House was in direct contact with some of the rioters. I don't understand why this hasn't gotten more attention.
posted by suelac at 3:30 PM on January 12, 2021 [30 favorites]

Unfortunately for the fascist-in-chief McAllen's longest runway is 7,120', which is not long enough.

Good point, I took a quick guess. Trump actually flew in & out of Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Texas (Wikipedia, map). Their longest runway is 8,301 feet.
posted by cenoxo at 3:30 PM on January 12, 2021

CNN is reporting that Mitch McConnell has no intention whatsoever of speaking to Trump again at any time in the foreseeable future

Someone on one of my facebook pages just called this The Tortoise vs. The Hair.
posted by Mchelly at 3:30 PM on January 12, 2021 [104 favorites]

re YMCA, i have long derided the magahat crowd as being bad at both dancing and spelling, but on inspection, i'm pretty sure they're taking advantage of the well-known dance (?) to misspell those four particular letters on purpose, YMCA isn't spelled MAGA!

the seventies playlist spin-up music at the putschist rally was ... deuced odd. i suspect it is calculated to appeal to the attending demographic while offering the veneer of broadly-accepted americana.
posted by 20 year lurk at 3:32 PM on January 12, 2021

conviction only requires 2/3 of members present.

Ugh, I would definitely take removing Trump for a couple extra days even if it means the Democrats take almost all the heat for it, but if that's the only way for it to happen then bless those Republican cowardly cowards' hearts forever and ever amen.
posted by Riki tiki at 3:32 PM on January 12, 2021

Jim Acosta reported the day of the riot that someone at the White House was in direct contact with some of the rioters. I don't understand why this hasn't gotten more attention.

my totally uneducated guess is that this is one of those things that law enforcement and possibly high level elected officials would ask to keep under wraps while they're actively investigating it

and / or the kind of thing where you really need to nail your reporting
posted by schadenfrau at 3:34 PM on January 12, 2021 [23 favorites]

Jim Acosta reported the day of the riot that someone at the White House was in direct contact with some of the rioters. I don't understand why this hasn't gotten more attention.

(a) same, and (b) my money's on that someone being Stephen Miller.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 3:35 PM on January 12, 2021 [43 favorites]

That little Ratfuck has been very very quiet, hasn't he?
posted by schadenfrau at 3:36 PM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

a friend the other day opined that this divide goes back to Reagan

A friend of mine [tracks] it back to Goldwater.

Yes. I'm reading Ted White's The Making of the President 1964, and the discussion of the Republican party "primitive" branch reminds me of today.
posted by jgirl at 3:36 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

There is a part of me that wishes he could have Twitter while being banned from Twitter, just for the popcorn of the meltdown.

I like to imagine that they shadow-banned him, and he is still furiously tweeting into the void!
posted by Lanark at 3:37 PM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

"The House Judiciary Committee just released a 76-page impeachment report. Here's how it ends:

"President Trump remains a clear and present danger to the Constitution and our democracy." -- Adam Klasfeld

It's like a Tom Clancy novel. Only written by a lefty. (in my head it's William Gibson)
posted by valkane at 3:39 PM on January 12, 2021 [27 favorites]

The recent Behind the Bastards episodes on the John Birch Society (1, 2) dig into the Goldwater thing and the Phyllis Schlafly episodes (1, 2) offer related context. They're all great listens.
posted by Riki tiki at 3:41 PM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

Hey Donnie, be careful who you step on on the way up the ladder. It’s a long fall.

Except of course for Ted Cruz, that coward will be throwing the palantir to the hobbits any moment now.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 3:42 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

Interesting update Glegrinof the Pig-Man. Is it his brother Neil that you are referring to? I am not saying Aaron is a victim, but I am saying that he is as far from a ring leader as it is possible to get. If his brother is anything to go by, he is not getting high quality information on what is going on in the world.

Aaron Mostofsky is looking at a maximum sentence of 10 years for theft of government property, along with three other charges. He said in an Instagram conversation “But it was like I’m here now how did I get there.”

Catblack, did you watch the interview I linked before you posted? I understand that you are angry, but I suggest that this particular person is unlikely to be a worthy target of your ire, given the plethora of others available. He is an easy target, less nasty than Jacob Angeli, more clueless than Elizabeth from Tenessee. These people have all been arrested, but they are not the people who made this happen.

Nachman Mostofsky does sound like a nasty piece of work, but he is also defending his brother from possible incarceration, so he is likely to say anything he thinks will help. It is possible that he is delusional enough to believe what he is saying, which would mean he is another conduit for toxicity.

These people are navigating the same world that we are navigating, but they are choosing different information sources and trusting different people. As Baron Cohen said, we need to get back to a place where we have a shared reality.
posted by asok at 3:42 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

"Mitch McConnell has no intention whatsoever of speaking to Trump again at any time in the foreseeable future"

Probably the most relatable thing McConnell has ever expressed.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 3:44 PM on January 12, 2021 [14 favorites]

Jim Acosta reported the day of the riot that someone at the White House was in direct contact with some of the rioters.

Hakeem Jeffries: "Donald Trump Jr. is now under criminal investigation in the District of Columbia.

Keep the pressure on every single person who incited the violent attack on the Capitol."

Please feel free to imagine me connecting these two possibly unconnected things with some red string on the cork board of theorizing that is this thread.
posted by yasaman at 3:46 PM on January 12, 2021 [52 favorites]

As Baron Cohen said, we need to get back to a place where we have a shared reality.

Nah, not buying it. I'm sitting here, trying to make decisions from discernible reality. I'm not into the spellcasting that the MAGA crowd dabbles in, trying to make reality by force of will and repetition. They're welcome back anytime, so long as they come in honest repentance that's as loud and long lasting as their evildoing.
posted by tclark at 3:47 PM on January 12, 2021 [21 favorites]

asok, maybe there's some sympathy to be had for gullible people who were excited about some mayhem, but let's put them down the list way past children separated from their parents and put in cages, after Portland protesters abducted in unmarked vans by federal law enforcement, and then also past all the people who didn't literally break into the Capitol at the direction of their orange god.
posted by Riki tiki at 3:47 PM on January 12, 2021 [74 favorites]

Republican house and senate leaders are looking to their future - "how can we get votes from the middle to get house and senate majorities?" - they're doing the calculus and realising that that's getting harder and harder as Trump polarises things more and more - my guess is that they want him gone from any future elections, 2/4 years from now they don't want to be running Trumpist slates of terrorist redneck yahoos they'll lose seats, they probably understand that there's a chance that it might be a generation before the GOP finds its way back from the weeds
posted by mbo at 3:48 PM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

My guess is despite whatever McConnell and other GOP say about how they've suddenly seen the light, and there is now evidence of X, Y, or Z, they are actually doing this for 2 reasons (assuming he does follow through): first, the corporate donor class turning on Trump will soon spread to the rest of them, and second, Trump's Twitter army has been disbanded. If the stories are true about what all the GOP say behind closed doors being the opposite of what they say in public, then this is probably their one chance to dump Trump with minimal blowback while right wing social media is still in temporary blackout/brownout.
posted by p3t3 at 3:48 PM on January 12, 2021 [18 favorites]

re: corporate campaign contributions and "Note that they are all pulling money from all PACs. Not Republican PACs. All PACs. Corporate both-siderism. If they were actually concerned, they’d pull the trough away from the Republican PACs only ... "

Some corporations are stopping contributions to specifically the 147 Republicans who betrayed their Constitutional duty by opposing certification of Electoral College votes. (Other corps are, indeed, "reviewing all contributions," and I totally agree that that is appalling both-sides-ism.)

Corporate America halts donations to Republicans who voted to overturn the election, CNN, lists these companies as ONLY cutting off the 147 Republicans:

AirBnB, Amazon, American Express, AT&T, BlueCross BlueShield, Comcast, Commerce Bank, Dow, Marriott, Mastercard, Verizon, and Walmart.

Then there are others suspending all PAC donations, including 3M, Bank of America, Citigroup, Coca-Cola, Facebook, and others.

And this Bloomberg article, Fund Managers Donated $1 Million to GOP Election Deniers , lists specific donation totals from fund managers to those 147 Republicans.
posted by kristi at 3:49 PM on January 12, 2021 [22 favorites]

General request: to anyone posting news, please please scroll up and see if it's already posted. These threads get long fast.
posted by Dashy at 3:51 PM on January 12, 2021 [18 favorites]

What then, a fistfight? Make yourself the spectacle, get yourself sanctioned and possibly arrested?

Way upthread, but yes. I would happily believe in something again to see Congresswoman Jayapal punching Josh Hawley in the dick.
posted by aspersioncast at 3:52 PM on January 12, 2021 [33 favorites]

The do seem to get mega long, mega fast.
posted by vrakatar at 3:54 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

I would happily believe in something again to see Congresswoman Jayapal punching Josh Hawley in the dick.

There's your fanfiction right there.
posted by Horkus at 3:54 PM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

Given how much speculation and other chaff gets posted in these threads, to be honest I appreciate when important news is linked more than once. I suppose it depends on whether you're following the thread in real time or trying to catch up periodically.
posted by DingoMutt at 3:54 PM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

General request: to anyone posting news, please please scroll up and see if it's already posted. These threads get long fast.

Also, double check MF on a separate tab to make sure said newsitem hadn't already been posted while you were typing up your post.

Trust me as someone who learned this the hard way.
posted by gtrwolf at 3:55 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

It seems like Democrats should be "divisive" more often!

Love to see it. And also love the pressure everyone is putting on.
posted by ichomp at 3:57 PM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

Unity through impeachment!
posted by Huffy Puffy at 3:58 PM on January 12, 2021 [21 favorites]

Donny Deutsch on MSNBC: "When you think about the logo of Trump's business going forward, it's people storming the Capitol. No brand in any way shape or form will be associated with him. His brand is castrated. It's over."
posted by valkane at 3:59 PM on January 12, 2021 [19 favorites]

Since the corporate PAC’s tend to give more to Republicans than Democrats I don’t care about their both sides nonsense. Also it’s a long time till the next election they don’t need to have their PACs doing anything right now.
posted by interogative mood at 4:02 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

If there is (hypothetically) an investigation into incitement to sedition against Trump, the White House or speakers at the rally, would you want that to be headline news before the 20th?

FBI director Robert Mueller, 2 days after 9/11, answered the same amount of questions. Not a single arrest had been made at that point, so anything could have been planned, but he gave a lot of specificity.

But it's cool, as long as at the end of the day law enforcement and our justice system prevents any further violence of this nature, arrests and charges and convicts the perpetrators and helps stabilize the country, I'm fine with them being strategic. I don't believe that's the case, but at the end of the day, get the job done and keep people safe and maybe they can explain what needs to be explained.
posted by cashman at 4:03 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

"Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) becomes the third Republican to vote for impeachment, following Reps. Cheney (R-WY) and Katko (R-NY)." -- Brian Tyler Cohen
posted by valkane at 3:36 PM on January 12 [5 favorites +] [!]

Wait. Are they voting today? There is just so much going on, oh my.
posted by Snowishberlin at 4:04 PM on January 12, 2021

The corporate money is more important than usual as the Trump fan club is going to continue to donate money to Trump and his associated grifters. It's not going to be switched to the normal Republican coffers after a Republican president leaves office.
posted by meowzilla at 4:05 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

Wait. Are they voting today? There is just so much going on, oh my.

I think the vote itself is tomorrow. I think these are just people publicly saying how they will vote.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 4:07 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Republicans speaking on the house floor are wearing masks. What is this bizarro world?
posted by joeyh at 4:07 PM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

McConnell has told others that Trump probably committed impeachable offenses but wants to hear case before making a final decision, per person who has spoken with him.

Conducting a trial and hearing evidence is literally the Senate's role in impeachments.
posted by mikelieman at 4:07 PM on January 12, 2021 [22 favorites]

"Several GOP sources say tonight that if McConnell supports conviction, Trump almost certainly will be convicted by 67 senators in impeachment trial.

"If Mitch is a yes, he's done," said one Senate Republican who asked (not) to be named. Many Rs are staying mum." -- Manu Raju, CNN
posted by valkane at 4:08 PM on January 12, 2021 [21 favorites]

my guess is that they want him gone from any future elections, 2/4 years from now they don't want to be running Trumpist slates of terrorist redneck yahoos they'll lose seats, they probably understand that there's a chance that it might be a generation before the GOP finds its way back from the weeds

And yet they probably can't get anybody but MAGA candidates past primaries - here's hoping for some more Akin vs McCaskill reruns in general elections coming up.
posted by jason_steakums at 4:12 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

"Conducting a trial and hearing evidence is literally the Senate's role in impeachments."

Too bad the Senate Republicans refused to do their jobs and hear witnesses the last time Trump was impeached.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 4:13 PM on January 12, 2021 [34 favorites]

And yet they probably can't get anybody but MAGA candidates past primaries

Eh, they can just cheat, the Democrats know how and would be willing to help. /s
posted by ctmf at 4:14 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

Mitch is thinking "Should I have impeached him then? Naw, then I wouldn't have got that last Supreme!"
posted by valkane at 4:15 PM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

And yet they probably can't get anybody but MAGA candidates past primaries - here's hoping for some more Akin vs McCaskill reruns in general elections coming up.

This same gambit got us Hawley vs. McCaskill, which is to say: it got us Hawley.
posted by Chef Flamboyardee at 4:16 PM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

Note that they are all pulling money from all PACs. Not Republican PACs. All PACs. Corporate both-siderism. If they were actually concerned, they’d pull the trough away from the Republican PACs only ...

The neutrality stuff is bullshit, yes. It's cowardly, and it's also real hard to imagine this will last. But in general, and specifically in the case of defense industry types like Northrop-Grumman and Raytheon as mentioned, I'd be super happy if their money got out of the system entirely and stayed out.

Never gonna happen, but it would be an absolute good thing.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 4:17 PM on January 12, 2021 [19 favorites]

Has anyone seen any interview with any of the seditionists that shows them comprehending the implications of the action they are taking part in?

You know, I see where you're coming from with this entire comment, but it doesn't matter much. Intentionality doesn't matter. Actions matter. People's deeply-held personal beliefs are inconsequential when they are beating you with a flag.
posted by aspersioncast at 4:20 PM on January 12, 2021 [25 favorites]

Do you think it is a coincidence that these Republicans have suddenly shown "courage" the day after Trump's Twitter account is blocked? It seems that they have been cowering for four years in fear that Trump might make a mean tweet about them. Oh, the humanity.
posted by JackFlash at 4:21 PM on January 12, 2021 [24 favorites]

If Mitch is a yes, he's done.

I'm almost certain that Trump has been as abusive toi McConnell as he is to everyone, so now that Mitch really has nothing left to lose, he can take a measure of revenge.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 4:23 PM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

Do you think it is a coincidence that these Republicans have suddenly shown "courage" the day after Trump's Twitter account is blocked?
It's not Twitter. Hint: follow the money.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 4:24 PM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

This same gambit got us Hawley vs. McCaskill, which is to say: it got us Hawley.

You don't always win with the "hope the other party nominates an extremist" gambit, but it's always the right play to take. McCaskill had a much better shot to win against Hawley than a moderate replacement-level Republican, and that's the right trade-off to make every time.

The only thing that matters is the political stance of the median Senator. Electing anyone to the left of Joe Manchin, which is nearly any living human willing to put a (D) next to their name, makes them the deciding vote in the Senate and expands the window of possibilities leftward.

Conversely, it doesn't matter at all if it's Hawley or Rob Portman sitting in that seat, because only Murkowski and Collins are remotely likely to tip the scales.

Focus on the median, not the average. Don't take your eye off the ball.
posted by 0xFCAF at 4:24 PM on January 12, 2021 [18 favorites]

Just out of curiosity, why hasn't Mitch run for president if he likes to literally run everything and everybody?
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:27 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

"The second I realized our "safe room" from the violent white supremacist mob included treasonous, white supremacist, anti masker Members of Congress who incited the mob in the first place, I exited. Furious that more of my colleagues by the day are testing positive." -- Rep. Ayanna Pressley
posted by valkane at 4:27 PM on January 12, 2021 [93 favorites]

Just out of curiosity, why hasn't Mitch run for president if he likes to literally run everything and everybody?

My guess, there are no term limits in congress.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 4:29 PM on January 12, 2021 [21 favorites]

Just out of curiosity, why hasn't Mitch run for president if he likes to literally run everything and everybody?

His kink is getting re-elected and fundraising massive amounts of money. More so than any other politician. He'e obsessed.
posted by ichomp at 4:32 PM on January 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

I exited

uh...to where?
posted by schadenfrau at 4:33 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

I'm almost certain that Trump has been as abusive to McConnell as he is to everyone, so now that Mitch really has nothing left to lose, he can take a measure of revenge.

I was gonna say, if there is ANY truth to the reporting about McConnell being willing to convict, something else has to be going on. I don't feel like the political calculus has changed--there's no downside to his waiting until the 20th, and there's no downside to his playing wait-and-see until Biden takes office. Trump must have said something pretty egregious to him. It's not like he suddenly grew a conscience.
posted by Room 101 at 4:33 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

It might not have been Trump himself but the PACs withdrawing money that turned McConnell.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 4:35 PM on January 12, 2021 [17 favorites]

Just out of curiosity, why hasn't Mitch run for president if he likes to literally run everything and everybody?

To quote Lex Luthor, "Do you know how much power I’d have to give up to be president?"
posted by jason_steakums at 4:38 PM on January 12, 2021 [77 favorites]

Josh Marshall @joshtpm: "The DC US attorney said today that people will be shocked when they learn what happened in the Capitol. Keep in mind, top congressional leaders have quite likely been briefed what they've found."

I'm imagining that this might have something to do with the about-face from Mitch and Co. When whatever this is becomes public knowledge (and therefore public outrage), the R's will want to be able to be in a position to condemn it.
posted by metaxa at 4:40 PM on January 12, 2021 [13 favorites]

> why hasn't Mitch run for president if he likes to literally run everything and everybody?

He's very good at his job (from the POV of his side of things) and Senate Majority Leader is one of the most powerful roles in national government, without many of the downsides that come with being President.

It also requires a different set of skills than being President does, and is also a more stable job (6 year terms, no formal limits).
posted by at by at 4:40 PM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

If it turns out that this was pre-planned on a more professional level this is even worse than what we saw with our own eyes. And we have already heard/read reports that some Capitol Police seemed to collaborate with the rioters, and of course there is the conspicuous lack of police, compared to other demonstrations. McConnell and several other Republicans were targets.
posted by mumimor at 4:42 PM on January 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

Yeah, and that also explains why he has daggers out for Trump; Trump just lost him Senate Majority Leader status.
posted by valkane at 4:42 PM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

I think we owe that outcome to the voters of Georgia.
posted by Rash at 4:45 PM on January 12, 2021 [51 favorites]

"Lauren Boebert is refusing to comply with the metal detector or allow a bag search. Now standing in the House doorway. Security is refusing to allow her to enter. Appears to be a standstill." -- Marc Rod

This is too much.
posted by valkane at 4:45 PM on January 12, 2021 [53 favorites]

I know we need the Republicans to follow through on conviction but I'm already so tired of the argument Mitch and Lindsay will be making in a month about how their one too-little too-late act of bipartisanship out of desperate self preservation means Democrats are the real extremists and that's why they're filibustering everything
posted by jason_steakums at 4:46 PM on January 12, 2021 [15 favorites]

There doesn't seem to be a lot of long-term US Congressmen recently becoming President. Biden is an outlier. You have to go back 57 years to LBJ to find anyone who comes close.

*Biden - 36 years Senate
Trump - zero political experience
Obama - half a US Senate term
GW - TX Gov
Clinton - AR Gov
HW - US House term, various committees
Reagan - CA Gov
Carter - GA Gov
*Ford - never elected but was in House for 20 years
*Nixon - one term in House, half term in Senate
*LBJ - ten years Senate, 11 years House
*JFK - 7 years Senate, 7 years House

McConnell - 35 years Senate
(all years very poorly rounded)
posted by meowzilla at 4:47 PM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

I imagine the Dems met McConnell's asking price (which probably involves not pursuing McConnell himself, Elaine Chao, and/or Todd Inman for some evil[s] done during Trump's term).
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:47 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

> "Mitch is thinking 'Should I have impeached him then? Naw, then I wouldn't have got that last Supreme!'"

I mean, he would have. It's not like Mike Pence wouldn't have nominated the exact same person or someone just like her.

But you're not wrong that not convicting Trump for his crimes the last one was a completely calculated political maneuver having nothing to do with actual justice. It was just a different calculation.
posted by kyrademon at 4:48 PM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

"RIGHT NOW-> Congresswoman Lauren Boebert, who has bragged about her desire to carry a weapon on Capital Hill is currently in a standoff with Capitol Police at the newly installed Metal Detectors outside the chamber doors." -- Ryan Nobles, CNN
posted by valkane at 4:49 PM on January 12, 2021 [19 favorites]

If it turns out that this was pre-planned on a more professional level

I don't know about "professional" level, but it's looking more and more that it being planned on a wider, coordinated, premeditated level is not just hyperbolic speculation. Inside job at Capitol Police, strategic holding back of mutual aid, premeditated foot-dragging with the National Guard, coordinating of communications between the WH, inciters on the front line, and key members in the crowd, Lauren Boebert literally live-tweeting Pelosi's location in the capitol building (seriously wtf, criminal assistance), all of it. It may not be military-level effective-professional, but a lot of work went into planning and executing it. This was not just Parler cranks egging each other on.

Or I'll eat a cake
posted by ctmf at 4:49 PM on January 12, 2021 [24 favorites]

Via dKos: Biden makes inspired pick in career diplomat William Burns to head CIA
posted by darkstar at 4:49 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Heather Caygle on Twitter

NEW: Speaker Pelosi implementing FINES for members who don't wear a mask on the House floor

$500 fine for first offense.

$2,500 for second office.

Fines will be deducted from Member pay (no use of campaign funds or MRA for fines).

Brown m&ms: The story is a retcon. Crew and hospitality are normally different, often unrelated, groups. Testing one is a nonsensical way to evaluate the other.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 4:49 PM on January 12, 2021 [26 favorites]

Rep. Boebert did pledge to carry a Glock handgun to work just last week. (Prior to the insurrection.)
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:50 PM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

She also kept tweeting Nancy Pelosi's physical location during the insurrection.
posted by valkane at 4:51 PM on January 12, 2021 [36 favorites]

That explains the masks they were wearing earlier. $500 is all it takes, good to know
posted by joeyh at 4:51 PM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

Or I'll eat a cake

Something something threatening with a good time.
posted by Kadin2048 at 4:52 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

Heh, this is the freeze-frame image from the FBI press conference when I got back to my laptop. Seems about right.
posted by Riki tiki at 4:53 PM on January 12, 2021 [20 favorites]

"In a new letter, Pence tells Pelosi he won’t invoke the 25th Amendment. While the move was seen as incredibly unlikely, he had not put out a definitive statement until now." -- Kaitlan Collins, CNN
posted by valkane at 4:53 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

Josh Marshall again:

Facebook rep told Michigan AG "I'm worried" about Michigan, based on right wing chatter on Facebook. Michigan AG just said this on CNN. #TrumpersDeterminedToStrikeinUS

posted by schadenfrau at 4:56 PM on January 12, 2021 [14 favorites]

"Boebert has now been let into the chamber it was unclear from my vantage point if the Capitol Police searched her bag before she went in." -- Ryan Nobles
posted by valkane at 4:56 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Nixon was also Vice President for 8 years under Eisenhower. LBJ wasn’t just in the Senate, he was the Senate.
posted by interogative mood at 5:01 PM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

"Boebert has now been let into the chamber it was unclear from my vantage point if the Capitol Police searched her bag before she went in." -- Ryan Nobles

Well, that's the most nerve-wracking statement I've read in quite some time. I really hope they disarmed Boebert.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 5:02 PM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

Multiple reports on Twitter that Drew Griffin of CNN has just aired a piece:

Reporting from @DrewGriffinCNN, on air, that Stop the Steal organizer Ali Alexander confirms he was getting help with getting Trump supporters to DC on Wed. from three members of Congress -Reps. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), and Mo Brooks (R-AL).
posted by soundguy99 at 5:02 PM on January 12, 2021 [44 favorites]

Louie Gohmert just walked around the magnetometer.

“You can’t stop me; I’m on my way to a vote,” he said as he passed the cops.

Party of law and order.
posted by Rhaomi at 5:02 PM on January 12, 2021 [54 favorites]

Another member — didn’t catch who it was — sets off the metal detector.

He doesn’t stop to get wanded and the Capitol Police don’t stop him.
posted by Rhaomi at 5:03 PM on January 12, 2021 [16 favorites]

maybe there's some sympathy to be had for gullible people who were excited about some mayhem

If they actually exist, I'd have sympathy for people who got swept into the Capitol by the rest of the mob and then left of their own accord without confronting police or damaging property as soon as they were able. Or someone who actively attempted to stop the batteries by pulling the victims to safety or attempting to calm or redirect the mob, but not by exhorting the officers to abandon their posts. Otherwise, they made their bed and now they can lie in the goddamn thing like the rest of us

As far as Republicans wearing masks in the House chamber goes, it's required by rule and they can be ejected for refusing to do so. An amendment was filed tonight to allow fines to be levied as well.
posted by wierdo at 5:05 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

one thing I haven't seen mentioned in various deplatforming discussions is that Twitter and Facebook have all the DMs

They're likely in a way better sigint position than the alphabet agencies.
posted by Sauce Trough at 5:05 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

My Rep (D-Huffman) just finished a town hall wherein he said, "Also those who just stood down, looked the other way, none of that is acceptable, they let down their country & fellow Capitol Police . . . . Gotta tell you the Sgt at Arms [who resigned after the insurrection] is not somebody I've ever had confidence in. 2 years I've been working on him to do something about firearms [in the Capitol] & privately he told me he was concerned, but he was more concerned about the optics. Not surprising that he declined National Guard assistance on the day [of the insurrection] because of "optics" instead of doing his job to keep Capitol safe. I'm glad he's gone." [quick & dirty transcript from me]
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 5:07 PM on January 12, 2021 [13 favorites]

So we are counting three Republicans who are possibly carrying guns? This is growing terribly scary.
posted by mumimor at 5:08 PM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

That explains the masks they were wearing earlier. $500 is all it takes, good to know

I am reminded of an anecdote variously attributed to George Bernard Shaw and Winston Churchill whose upshot was they had established what the other party was, and now were just haggling over price.
posted by Gelatin at 5:09 PM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

This thread lays out some of the online interaction between Ali Alexander and Gosar leading up to January 6th.
posted by LostInUbe at 5:10 PM on January 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

BREAKING: Pence tells Pelosi he will not invoke 25th Amendment to remove Trump (NBC)
"Breaking" because he finally took her call? He caught up with Trump yesterday.
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:10 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

500$ same as in Senate.
posted by clavdivs at 5:14 PM on January 12, 2021 [17 favorites]

This just made me laugh and I needed it.
posted by vrakatar at 5:14 PM on January 12, 2021 [17 favorites]

>> That Venn diagram is nearly a circle.

> The same type of people, sure, but I think it's important to know that people aren't being disallowed to fly out of DC (or elsewhere) because of activities at the Capitol, it's just because they are anti-maskers. That's an important distinction.

Security theater in the age of COVID: the security theater will be televised.^{^}

On another note, the comments above indicating that the phrase “witch hunt” is still in vogue now that even an open Nazi insurrection has occurred prompted me to realize that the response to this should be, “So was Simon Wiesenthal hunting witches? Y'know, the Austrian Jewish Holocaust survivor?”

Though on second thought, offering Nazis and the Nazi-curious the opportunity to freestyle a response mixing Judaism, witchcraft, and the Holocaust may not be the best idea...
posted by XMLicious at 5:15 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

So we are counting three Republicans who are possibly carrying guns? This is growing terribly scary.

No, it's over a dozen and counting:

Just watched about 10 Republicans walk around the magnetometer.
posted by meowzilla at 5:17 PM on January 12, 2021 [25 favorites]

"The fact that Republican members of Congress think that they are too important to go through metal detectors tells you everything you need to know about them." -- Marc E. Elias
posted by valkane at 5:19 PM on January 12, 2021 [78 favorites]

is that Twitter and Facebook have all the DMs
They're likely in a way better sigint position than the alphabet agencies.

At some point when you have intel like that you call the alphabet agencies yourself and volunteer it. Twitter and Facebook are pretty big and untouchable, but I would not be the manager who sat on something like that. It would have to come all the way from Zuck and Jack themselves.

More likely, nobody DMs on Twitter and Facebook. They're mass communications tools, not internal ones. That's what Signal, etc. are for.
posted by ctmf at 5:19 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

I hate these people so fucking much.
posted by schadenfrau at 5:19 PM on January 12, 2021 [55 favorites]

What I hate is that nobody with the authority to do so seems to have the balls to hold them accountable.

That they are enabled steams me far more.
posted by deadaluspark at 5:20 PM on January 12, 2021 [18 favorites]

meowzilla: "Just watched about 10 Republicans walk around the magnetometer."

From the same account:

The metal detectors are going to be useless if they’re just going to let the members who don’t want to go through the magnetometer sidestep it.

I’m watching Democrats and about 4/5ths of Republicans comply. It’s really causing tension between police and members.
posted by Rhaomi at 5:21 PM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

Those who refused the metal detectors should be banned from business today.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 5:21 PM on January 12, 2021 [42 favorites]

Those who refused the metal detectors should be banned ~~from business today.~~
posted by deadaluspark at 5:21 PM on January 12, 2021 [44 favorites]

Just watched about 10 Republicans walk around the magnetometer.

These are people who argue with a straight face that the solution to school shootings is to arm teachers. I am certain that they feel that bringing a gun into the chambers isn't just their Constitutionally-protected right, it's them being smart and self-protective.

I also think it's pretty chicken shit. If you're going to bring a gun in, admit it and argue your case. Bypassing the metal detectors just to be coy about whether or not you have one is pathetic.
posted by Mchelly at 5:22 PM on January 12, 2021 [36 favorites]

They'd need to stop everything and sweep the building for firearms.
posted by Marticus at 5:22 PM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

Just watched about 10 Republicans walk around the magnetometer.

I bet half of them went to sleep imaging themselves the good-guys-with-a-gun who heroically (and single-handedly) fend off another attack on the Capitol before deciding to carry today.

And the other half went to sleep imagining themselves... well...
posted by clawsoon at 5:23 PM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

The metal detectors are going to be useless if they’re just going to let the members who don’t want to go through the magnetometer sidestep it.

Fine them $500. We know it works!
posted by saturday_morning at 5:24 PM on January 12, 2021 [18 favorites]

And set up barriers so you can't just walk around them.
posted by Marticus at 5:25 PM on January 12, 2021 [13 favorites]

More likely, nobody DMs on Twitter and Facebook. They're mass communications tools, not internal ones. That's what Signal, etc. are for.

Counterpoint - some of these people live streamed themselves storming the Capitol. We may not be talking about good security practices.
posted by MattWPBS at 5:25 PM on January 12, 2021 [19 favorites]

I guess the real question is whose side will they be shooting at if there's another invasion of the Capitol.
posted by kokaku at 5:25 PM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

I am certain that they feel that bringing a gun into the chambers isn't just their Constitutionally-protected right, it's them being smart and self-protective.

Doubt it.

2/3 chance: it's a stunt. They know they're on their back foot and would loooove to either be the Tough Guys who carried in congress or aggrieved victims who were FORCED by the GUBMINT to momentarily give up the totem of their one true gun-god.

1/3 chance: they intend to off some fellow members of congress and start The BoogaKrakeStorm or something.
posted by wildblueyonder at 5:27 PM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

It’s really causing tension between police and members

Police, most of whom battled to keep rioters from overrunning the chamber a short time ago. As well as escorting members to safety. You know, the little people.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:27 PM on January 12, 2021 [23 favorites]

One of the people carrying a gun was the same one keeping rioters up to date on where Pelosi was being kept. She wants the Speaker of the House killed and cannot be trusted.
posted by at by at 5:27 PM on January 12, 2021 [70 favorites]

Whenever Republicans act like this I am reminded of this Tim and Eric segment.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 5:28 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

I guess the real question is whose side will they be shooting at if there's another invasion of the Capitol.

Arguably they are the next invasion of the Capitol.
posted by notoriety public at 5:30 PM on January 12, 2021 [16 favorites]

Meanwhile, on Tucker Carlson, Glenn Beck is talking about shoes and internment camps. Do you think we ought to let them know there's an impeachment vote tomorrow? (I know appearance is out of bounds, but I seriously did not recognize Glenn Beck. Guys changed. A Lot.
posted by valkane at 5:31 PM on January 12, 2021

Gotta tell you the Sgt at Arms [who resigned after the insurrection] is not somebody I've ever had confidence in. 2 years I've been working on him to do something about firearms [in the Capitol] & privately he told me he was concerned, but he was more concerned about the optics.
It concerns me that the 15-year veteran of Capitol Police Force who died by suicide over the weekend was the son of former Senate Sergeant at Arms (serving from 1981-1983). After 1983, the dad, a lawyer, became a prominent lobbyist and chief of staff for Senator Fred Thompson (R-Tennessee) (they were friends at Vanderbilt law school, and they'd partnered in a law firm) and, after Thompson's retirement, for Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tennessee). A month after his own retirement, the dad died of a heart attack at age 62.
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:31 PM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

Oh man, I always love a good Fred Thompson ref. Even if it is somber.
posted by valkane at 5:34 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

There are no confirmed guns in the House, people. Just assholes who refused to go through the metal detector. Let's not be crazier than we have to be, everything is already completely ....I don't even know what to call it. 2020 on bath salts?
posted by schadenfrau at 5:34 PM on January 12, 2021 [21 favorites]

I am very confused. Why are the R members suddenly bringing weapons into the Capitol? Is this just some last-ditch 2nd amendment dog whistling, I.e. symbolically 'going out fighting' in the final days of Trump or are they genuinely expecting violence? If so who are they defending themselves against - the rioters want Republican rule so what the hell are the members worried about?
posted by freya_lamb at 5:34 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

They probably didn't do it "suddenly," is my guess.
posted by tiny frying pan at 5:35 PM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

The detectors are new, the guns may have been there all along. So be reassured by that.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 5:36 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Per this article, I'm not sure that the detectors are actually new - it sounds like they've been permitted to walk around them all along.
posted by sagc at 5:39 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

'Bathsalt Revolution' sounds like biker band.
posted by clavdivs at 5:39 PM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

Refusing a test =/= to packing heat, and while it's worrisome and I sure as fuck want some repercussions for this, the mere act of refusing to comply is entirely within their chosen optics, all the more so if they can spin it multiple ways to the 'armed teachers are safe teachers' and 'Qanon hopefuls' and people with 'last honest republican going down blazing defending a bastion of Democracy!' crowds, which all exist to varying levels.

Mostly it's the same shit as them not wanting to wear masks, and I'm sure some of them try and maybe win this game at TSA checkpoints and shit, idk. Refusing a test, any test, is admirable if it thumbs the nose at government that cares about stuff.
posted by neonrev at 5:42 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Ignore the metal detector tantrum. It’s all they have left.
posted by interogative mood at 5:44 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

It's not the grumpy old senators, but the fresh Qanon house members that are the worry here.
posted by Marticus at 5:45 PM on January 12, 2021 [40 favorites]

There are no confirmed guns in the House, people.

How can anybody be sure, if the metal detectors can be so easily bypassed?
posted by Rash at 5:45 PM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

Senators refusing to go through a metal detector aren't showing much inclination to compromise for 'unity'.

I think the poo flinging of the rioters should be featured in every press mention. People should be reminded that the insurrectionists were shitty. That's the kind of detail that upsets the otherwise impervious middle class conservatives.

On the subject of white supremacy, some observations from Ajay Parasram.

'If you were to ask those rioters if they were doing something wrong, they’d probably tell you no. They feel entitled to that space, their president called upon them to take that space and to “never surrender” as if they were extras in a Chuck Norris flick. The police response shows that white people are not seen as “threats” in the same way that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) are. White activism is seen as safe, and the police response is maybe to scold and otherwise excuse the behavior and send people home. BIPOC activism terrifies the white settler state because it almost always exposes the fact that deep structural changes are needed, not a few more diverse looking politicians.

To understand the difference between police response to Floyd and the response to the MAGA rioters you have to put aside the extreme fringes and focus on the “normal” folks who think and are led to think that society is built for them. Society isn’t built for BIPOC, and that’s why the police can choke the life out George Floyd in broad daylight but they cannot stop white people from laying siege to the epicentre of American political institutions.'
posted by asok at 5:48 PM on January 12, 2021 [32 favorites]

confirmed
posted by saturday_morning at 5:49 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

Totally, asok, I was not trying to imply that Gohmert was any less of a humanoid festering anal fistula.
posted by Marticus at 5:49 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

we have declined in our propriety and civil manners - can't any of these members get a cane?
posted by pyramid termite at 5:50 PM on January 12, 2021 [15 favorites]

“There’s terrorism and there’s crime,” ....“You never know when either one is going to happen. You can rely on terrorists and criminals not to hurt you, or you can prepare yourself so they don’t hurt you. I trust myself more than the terrorist.”

-Rep.Mo Brooks.

some desert
"The purpose of the Second Amendment was to ensure that the citizenry could protect itself from a dictatorial and out-of-control government,” Brooks told TheDCNF."

“It has long been a primary goal of kings, dictators, communists, fascists and the like to disarm the citizenry so that there is minimal risk of opposition to centralized government, dictating to the citizenry that is unarmed and defenseless, and unable to assert their rights,” he said.
posted by clavdivs at 5:50 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

For quite a while, I've been thinking, and commenting about the fact that Trump is probably desperate and has been for a while, at least since when the second corona-wave arrived and he realized that his presidency might be ending. Trump outside the White House is a very vulnerable man, even if one disregards the possibility that the Russian Mafia wants their money back etc. He has indictments coming up, he has debts coming up, he has lots of properties running with a loss.
Now, he has brought his followers into the same desparate mindset. Hundreds, and maybe even thousands are going to jail, maybe ranging from mentally unstable MAGA hats to high-level officials. Many of them have already lost their jobs, just from the association with the events on the 6th. And with their jobs goes their healthcare, and perhaps other things, like their houses, their families. So they are desperate like Trump. And that makes them dangerous, not least because he inspires their choices in that situation. He mirrors their fear and their anger.
I don't think millions of Trumpists are desperate. But you don't need millions for it to be dangerous.
posted by mumimor at 5:52 PM on January 12, 2021 [15 favorites]

can't any of these members get a cane?

riposte!
posted by clavdivs at 5:52 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

If you were to ask those rioters if they were doing something wrong, they’d probably tell you no. They feel entitled to that space, their president called upon them to take that space and to “never surrender” as if they were extras in a Chuck Norris flick. The police response shows that white people are not seen as “threats” in the same way that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) are.

And the disabled. Even white ones, IIRC.
posted by Pouteria at 5:53 PM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

valkane, in 1973, when Thompson became minority counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee, he rang up his old friend to come help out. Friend wound up co-authoring the Baker report. (When Sen. Baker became majority leader, he became sgt. at arms.)
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:54 PM on January 12, 2021

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know whether gun rights whackjobs generally think duelling should be allowed? That's the first thing that came to mind in the context of weapons in Congress.
posted by XMLicious at 5:54 PM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

When the republicans are losing, they perform these little charades. I'm getting definite whiffs here of them wanting to argue about metal detectors as opposed to arguing about the other republicans who stormed the capitol.
posted by valkane at 5:55 PM on January 12, 2021 [19 favorites]

I'm getting definite whiffs here of them wanting to argue about metal detectors as opposed to arguing about the other republicans who stormed the capitol.

Send them home and they can argue with themselves.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 5:57 PM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

"I have one message to members of Congress who amplified lies to undermine our democracy, encouraged an attack on our Capitol, and tried to overturn our election:

Resign.

If your lust for power exceeds your dedication to democracy, there is simply no place for you in Congress." -- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
posted by valkane at 5:59 PM on January 12, 2021 [111 favorites]

It's frustrating to have to say this in light of the divide that was on full display last Wednesday, but the metric for understanding what Rep Boebert is doing and the reaction (or lack thereof) from law enforcement/security has got to be "How would this situation have played out if the person in question were black?"

I have a lot of trouble believing the Capitol Police would have behaved the same if a newly elected black woman with professed attachments to Farrakhan's Nation of Islam, a stated intent to carry a Glock while in Congress, and who had been live-tweeting the location of Sen McConnell during the terrorist attack had attempted to bypass the metal detectors.

I've had clerks at stores lose their shit if I enter with a bag or backpack and don't immediately make a beeline for the counter to check it. So...yeah.
posted by lord_wolf at 6:01 PM on January 12, 2021 [82 favorites]

Gun toting liberal here.

Duels?

Fuck no.

But I gotta say after the complete conspiratorial failure of all their security, I think the Democrats should be carrying too.
posted by butterstick at 6:04 PM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

Yes, Pouteria, you do remember correctly.

'Contrast with 2017 when 140 were arrested in the Capitol building for peacefully protesting cuts to Medicaid. They were mostly disabled so yeah they were peaceful protests.'
posted by asok at 6:05 PM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

And the disabled. Even white ones, IIRC.

There was an essay linked in a recent thread about ableism being at the core of all oppressions, because it's the justification used for other oppressions. That the core idea of hierarchies is manifest in the very idea that people have worth based on their ability. So you get the familiar eugenicist arguments, you get claims of female intellectual or moral inferiority, etc etc.

I would like to read more on this, but what I kept thinking about as I read was that the disabled were the first to be exterminated in Nazi Germany, and my impression, as I learned about that years ago, was that it was because everyone kind of agreed that that made sense. And at the time that felt shocking and revelatory to me, that utilitarianism as applied to human worth was necessarily bound up in genocidal mania.

It doesn't really feel shocking anymore.
posted by schadenfrau at 6:09 PM on January 12, 2021 [46 favorites]

Pelosi should just instruct the Sergeant at Arms to throw these chuds in the Congressional clink for shits and giggles. Let them call Mitch to bail 'em out. Rake them over the coals via the Ethics committee for months after their warm glow has faded.

It will play at least as well nationally as their bullshit plays at home.
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:09 PM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

House member Katie Porter talks about her experience during the siege on a radio interview on KQED's Forum (51 min. audio)
posted by JDC8 at 6:12 PM on January 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

If your lust for power exceeds your dedication to democracy, there is simply no place for you in Congress

The point that needs to be hammered over and over again. We have chosen to have a (flawed pretense of) democracy. You do not get to claim to represent any populace in it while actively, vocally working to destroy it.
posted by aspersioncast at 6:13 PM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

A long time ago I did a very stupid thing. I was old enough to be charged as an adult, I got cuffed and stuffed. No one was hurt, it was a stupid situation that got way out of control and I was a fool.

I spent the night in jail, appeared before the judge, and was released. Got a court date for a couple of months later. Thing is, one of the charges I was charged with carried a maximum of five years in jail.

Five years in jail.

And for those couple of months as I waited for my day in court, and kept all this secret from my folks (whole other story) the pressure, dread, and shame I felt, well it was gigantic, ever present, and painful.

That is what president shitstain is feeling now. On steroids. Delivered by Dracula and Godzilla.

My case got continued without a finding and I started getting better. I'm much better now.
posted by vrakatar at 6:13 PM on January 12, 2021 [59 favorites]

Oh gods, I thought the talk of poo-flinging was metaphorical.

Pro-Trump rioters smeared poop in U.S. Capitol hallways during belligerent attack

Some of the unhinged pro-Trump rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday defecated inside the historic building and “tracked” their feces in several hallways, the Daily News has learned.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 6:17 PM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

Their little metal detector stunt just reminded me that while donors are dumping them, amazing human being and NY AG Letitia James is still working to make damn sure that the NRA isn't gonna be of much help going forward. I can't believe I forgot about that in all the craziness of the last few months. I can't even imagine the dynamics of a post-Trump GOP without the NRA.
posted by jason_steakums at 6:19 PM on January 12, 2021 [33 favorites]

Okay, Pence didn't take Pelosi's call about invoking the 25th; there's a letter. (Full text via The Hill). In part: "Last week, I did not yield to pressure to exert power beyond my constitutional authority to determine the outcome of the election, and I will not now yield to efforts in the House of Representatives to play political games at a time so serious in the life of our Nation." It's several lines of similar obnoxiousness, with a religious crackle-glaze featuring a dollop of Ecclesiastes 3 (or, if you prefer, The Byrds' Turn! Turn! Turn!). I'm starting to come around to the idea that his life was never truly in danger last Wednesday.

Also, Pence has the signature of a serial killer.
posted by Iris Gambol at 6:22 PM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

That is the shit, ChurchHatesTucker! It's not metaphorical, it's just regular poop.

Word to MF, schadenfrau.
posted by asok at 6:23 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

"Today, I am an inquisitor. I shall not sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution."

-Barbara Jordan, 1974.
posted by clavdivs at 6:24 PM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

Maddow just showed video of a congresswoman who disclosed a litany of injuries suffered by the Capital Police. It was a lot more violent than i had previously seen discribed.
posted by bluesky43 at 6:25 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

I disagree with Pence, but I also think it is a valid stance to say "he's not impaired or has an inability to do his job." The right time for the 25th Amendment was 10pm on the 6th, and after a couple days, the argument got weak fast.

I would contend that not being able to command the confidence of your executive agencies is indication of inability, but I also think that after about 24 hours, there was no point in waiting on a 25th Amendment action.
posted by tclark at 6:25 PM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

Pence isn't necessarily wrong in his thoughts about the limits of the 25th in that letter, but jesus christ the condescension dripping off of that guy when he gets a chance to talk down to a woman.
posted by jason_steakums at 6:26 PM on January 12, 2021 [28 favorites]

The biggest problem is that both sides point to the Constitution, but only one side has actually read it.
posted by valkane at 6:26 PM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

Maddow just showed video of a congresswoman who disclosed a litany of injuries suffered by the Capital Police.

Rep. Scanlon (D-PA) described one officer nearly being shot with his own gun.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 6:29 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

Speaker Pelosi (in the discussion about the 25th amendment resolution) being really clear that Trump incited "treasonous activity", and "who knows what he might do next". Well done.
posted by Riki tiki at 6:29 PM on January 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

I half suspect Pence's opposition to the 25th has mostly to do with not wanting to be President rather than wanting Trump to continue being President.
posted by at by at 6:29 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

Fine them $500. We know it works!

Make it $600. For the symmetry.
posted by srboisvert at 6:30 PM on January 12, 2021 [21 favorites]

Pelosi: Tonight, I have the solemn privilege of naming the Managers of the impeachment trial of Donald Trump.

@RepRaskin
@RepDianaDeGette
@RepCicilline
@JoaquinCastrotx
@RepSwalwell
@StaceyPlaskett
@RepDean
@RepJoeNeguse
posted by bluesky43 at 6:31 PM on January 12, 2021 [22 favorites]

Sorry, I thought the Capitol urine and feces rampage was common knowledge? The outgoing president’s rioters smeared “their extremist excrement around the building,” said sources in Senator Chuck Schumer’s office. According to Rep. Hakeem Jeffries on WNYC public radio, the stench of urine from at least one protester still emanated inside the building (variety of pics at link). Seeing a glove-less Rep. Andy Kim, cleaning up at 1am on Thursday morning, was worrisome.

Other corners of the internet hellscape are urging authorities to run DNA tests on the excrement, the way analysis is run on dog turds littering certain neighborhoods.
posted by Iris Gambol at 6:31 PM on January 12, 2021 [45 favorites]

I would favorite that, Iris Gambol, but I don't want to touch it.
posted by valkane at 6:32 PM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

It has been cited in several of these threads, but any time we're talking about swinging canes or packing heat in the halls of Congress, I recommend the definitive book on how this ended badly last time, Yale historian Joanne Freeman's The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War .
posted by PhineasGage at 6:33 PM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

"What is "Sedition, Alex""
posted by Windopaene at 6:33 PM on January 12, 2021

I agree with you tclark — there's a very fair argument that the 25th isn't the right way to do this. Course, it's hard to respect Pence when he doesn't follow that up with support for impeachment or any other way to deal with the situation.
posted by saturday_morning at 6:33 PM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

the way analysis is run on dog turds littering certain neighborhoods.

We as a society definitely have too much money.
posted by jason_steakums at 6:34 PM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

Lindsay Wise @lindsaywise (WSJ)
Michigan Republican @RepFredUpton will vote to impeach President Trump, his office confirms. Statement coming.
9:17 PM · Jan 12, 2021
posted by bluesky43 at 6:37 PM on January 12, 2021 [27 favorites]

Oh man, I always love a good Fred Thompson ref.
Russians don't take a dump, son, without a plan.
posted by kirkaracha at 6:38 PM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

Pence, probably: "I talked with Trump. He's as sane as he's been for the past four years."

Everybody else: "That's the problem."
posted by clawsoon at 6:39 PM on January 12, 2021 [28 favorites]

I half suspect Pence's opposition to the 25th has mostly to do with not wanting to be President rather than wanting Trump to continue being President.

Nah. Pence thinks Trump is God's Champion and doesn't want to interfere with His plan.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 6:40 PM on January 12, 2021

"Devin Nunes: Look, the President makes a lot of mistakes. All presidents make mistakes..."

"Uh-huh. A mistake. "Insurrection? Whoops!" -- Bob Cesca, Salon
posted by valkane at 6:41 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

Must be rough when God's Champion calls you a pussy for refusing to go along with his plan.
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:42 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

Pence's late in the game mea culpa doesn't mean diddly squat to me. It's just one more cynical act by a cynical politician looking out for himself.
posted by bluesky43 at 6:42 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Who among us hasn't accidentally waged violent sedition on a bad hair day?
posted by Pouteria at 6:42 PM on January 12, 2021 [34 favorites]

Frankly, I've been of the opinion that Impeachment, from a political, historical, and "send a message" perspective, was a better option than the 25th (the ideal would be a 1-2 punch of the 25th (to "take away the keys") followed by impeachment). Then 25th could be spun as a coup, or a power grab. Since impeachment will take votes from Republicans, though there will be some dead-end MAGAites, it would give removal more legitimacy.

Perhaps Pence agrees and/or doesn't want to have the cross-hairs solely on him (can't say I blame him). If he has a signal from McConnell that he'll get removed and ASAP, Pence may feel he can stand down.

Or Trump pulled out photos yesterday, and threatened to show mother. It really could go either way. Who said 2021 was going to be dull?
posted by MrGuilt at 6:43 PM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

Devin Nunes: Look, the President makes a lot of mistakes. All presidents make mistakes... (sound off because it's Fox and he's disgusting)
posted by bluesky43 at 6:47 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

"Devin Nunes: Look, the President makes a lot of mistakes. All presidents make mistakes..."

Considering Nunes' history of being Trump's pet Congressional lackey, I can't imagine he wasn't directly involved in all of this.
posted by jason_steakums at 6:47 PM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

Just out of curiosity, why hasn't Mitch run for president if he likes to literally run everything and everybody?

Being able to win 51% of the active voter pool in Kentucky is much, much easier than winning 51% of the active voter pool in 270 electoral votes' worth of states. And Sen Maj Speaker, as we've noted, has political power comparable to the President.

Currently, Mitch gets his power and influence without having to convince voters in swing states that he's their guy.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 6:49 PM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

Yeah, the cows are definitely coming home to roost for Devin.
posted by valkane at 6:49 PM on January 12, 2021 [42 favorites]

"Pence looked for legal advice on whether he could upset the election, and John Yoo, Mike Luttig, and Pence's counsel Greg Jacob agreed he had no such power. Only John Eastman disagreed (although was he acting as Trump's lawyer when he made that arg?)" -- Orin Kerr

Torture Lawyer: You can't.
Other two lawyers: Torture lawyer is right!
Torture Lawyer: You can waterboard him, but you can't make him President again.
posted by valkane at 7:01 PM on January 12, 2021 [15 favorites]

Don't read the Pence letter to Pelosi unless you want to pull your hair out.

Accuses Pelosi of politcal games.
Says congress must not divide and inflame passions of the insurrectionists.
Calls for unity.
Some Bible shit.
posted by JackFlash at 7:02 PM on January 12, 2021 [14 favorites]

Says congress must not divide and inflame passions of the insurrectionists.

So, appeasement then?
posted by Slothrup at 7:05 PM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

Trump told him they were going to spare him all along. Credulous toady he is, and hearty helping of wanting to believe he wasn't betrayed, he said, "whew, that's a relief! What do you want me to do next?"
posted by ctmf at 7:06 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Pence looked for legal advice on whether he could upset the election

That's too damn far before he even got to the advice of the torture lawyer.
posted by jason_steakums at 7:08 PM on January 12, 2021 [11 favorites]

I wish they'd spray people who won't go through metal detectors with that dye they use to tag bank robbers. Then everyone would know which asshole to keep an eye on.
posted by emjaybee at 7:11 PM on January 12, 2021 [34 favorites]

That's too damn far before he even got to the advice of the torture lawyer.

Or Eastman, who is such a craven limp noodle without discernible motivation other than naked partisanship that he'd tell Pence he can overturn the election but would say Gore couldn't have done the exact same thing.
posted by tclark at 7:11 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

The New Yorker on Twitter

Good News! He'll be gone in a week!

Remember Jeffery Toobin jokes?
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 7:24 PM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

Sorry, I thought the Capitol urine and feces rampage was common knowledge? The outgoing president’s rioters smeared “their extremist excrement around the building,” said sources in Senator Chuck Schumer’s office.

"where we go one, we go all."

Did the rioters keep their shit in their pants?

Depends.
posted by lalochezia at 7:29 PM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

congress must not divide and inflame passions of the insurrectionists.

I know this is paraphrasing to some degree, and I can't be arsed to read Pence's letter to determine the degree, but this sure sounds like a shitty abusive threat.
posted by nickmark at 7:42 PM on January 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

Army Will Not Screen All National Guardsmen Deploying to DC for Extremist Sympathies, Military.com, Matthew Cox, 12 Jan 2021:

The U.S. Army will not grant a Democratic lawmaker's request to have the service's Criminal Investigation Command (CID) screen thousands of National Guard troops deploying to Washington, D.C., to find possible supporters of extremists planning to disrupt Inauguration Day.

In the aftermath of a violent breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., made the request to Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy on Sunday "to ensure that deployed members are not sympathetic to domestic terrorists," according to a readout of the call.

McCarthy agreed to take "additional measures," but they do not include the massive CID effort needed to investigate the 10,000 Guard members expected to arrive in the District of Columbia this weekend, a force that could grow to 15,000 before President-elect Joe Biden's Jan. 20 inauguration....

Related: Lawmaker to Army Secretary: Investigate Troops Deploying to Inauguration for Domestic Terror Sympathies
posted by cenoxo at 7:43 PM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

Accuses Pelosi of politcal games.
Says congress must not divide and inflame passions of the insurrectionists.
Calls for unity.
Some Bible shit.

They want us to turn the other cheek because they're not done abusing us.
posted by deadaluspark at 7:43 PM on January 12, 2021 [26 favorites]

In fairness: investigating and rooting out white nationalists in the armed forces isn't going to be a quick or easy job. It's going to take years. It really isn't realistic to try to investigate an entire division or more in less than a week.

Also, if extremists compose more than half of that division, the USA is fucked no matter what, so there's that.
posted by mightygodking at 7:47 PM on January 12, 2021 [25 favorites]

Mike Pence has always been a coward, and he's not bright, and when he fucks up, he only has one move: Set up a photo op with a bunch of religious leaders standing behind him, and refuse to take press questions during the photo op.

This is the letter equivalent of that. Complete with grossly self-serving eisegetical Biblical quotes.

(Wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross, as they say.)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:47 PM on January 12, 2021 [24 favorites]

Accuses Pelosi of politcal games.
Says congress must not divide and inflame passions of the insurrectionists.
Calls for unity.
Some Bible shit.

They want us to turn the other cheek because they're not done abusing us.

@MattGlassman: This Pence letter is reasonable. I agree that the 25th amendment isn’t designed for the current situation. I disagree that letting Trump finish his term is the best course. But it’s nice to see the VP working to strengthen the system, especially as POTUS is trying to destroy it.

@SusanHennesey: This is a defensible view from Pence. He says he does not believe that Trump is currently incapacitated within the meaning of the 25th Amendment. Members of Congress and even some White House staff might not agree, but Pence seems to have reached his conclusion in good faith.

My hot take is that the President isn’t a crazy person or mentally debilitated, just a sociopath and an extreme narcissist, so the 25th amendment is the wrong tool and we shouldn’t have wasted time with it, but that’s me.
posted by Going To Maine at 7:49 PM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

Through 1/20/21 the Senate is controlled by Mitch McConnell. NOTHING will happen in the Senate before the Biden-Harris Inauguration, no matter how much fan fiction we write.

Unless there's a sudden SCOTUS vacancy, then we'll see how fast Mitch can go.
posted by adept256 at 7:50 PM on January 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

Eisegesis is when a reader imposes their interpretation of the text. Thus exegesis tends to be objective; and eisegesis, highly subjective. The plural of eisegesis is eisegeses (/ˌaɪsɪˈdʒiːsiːz/). Someone who practices eisegesis is known as an eisegete (/ˌaɪsɪˈdʒiːt/); this is also the verb form.
posted by valkane at 7:51 PM on January 12, 2021 [21 favorites]

Previously on Metafilter: Van Halen's "No brown M&Ms" concert rider found
posted by obscure simpsons reference at 7:53 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

My hot take is that the President isn’t a crazy person or mentally debilitated, just a sociopath and an extreme narcissist, so the 25th amendment is the wrong tool and we shouldn’t have wasted time with it, but that’s me.

Why in the fresh living hell is the argument "he's not crazy, he's only just as much of a monster as you think he is" in any way a sound argument for not getting this motherfucker in restraints fucking last week.

Because guess what, if he's not looney tunes off his rocker, that makes him a fucking murderous, fascist monster, which is frankly a lot more scary to have in charge than a crazy pants on head idiot.

I don't want to live on this planet anymore.
posted by deadaluspark at 7:54 PM on January 12, 2021 [18 favorites]

"A loyal friend, hounded without mercy by Democrats intent on destroying him from Day 1. Then he lost the election. It made him crazy or revealed a dysfunction I had refused to see. He then unleashed a mob to make war on their own government. 5 to their doom. @LizCheney is right" -- Geraldo Rivera

"Fuck you." -- Frank Coniff
posted by valkane at 7:55 PM on January 12, 2021 [48 favorites]

Why in the fresh living hell is the argument "he's not crazy, he's just as much of a monster as you think he is" in any way a sound argument for not getting this motherfucker in restraints fucking last week.

Agree but if SCOTUS rejects the use of 25th in a month as the original intent was medical incapacitation, not Impeachment Lite, then the uprising from the MAGA crowd would be massive, violent and completely to Trump’s advantage. In our fucked up Looney Tunes world with civil awareness being the cesspool it is for the general American public.
posted by glaucon at 7:58 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

MetaFilter: Surely this.
posted by New Frontier at 7:58 PM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

members of Congress led groups of people through the Capitol Building on a "reconnaissance" tour one day before the riot that laid a deadly siege

wait just a god damn minute
posted by vrakatar at 8:00 PM on January 12, 2021 [53 favorites]

Unless there's a sudden SCOTUS vacancy, then we'll see how fast Mitch can go.

Bite your dang tongue. I think that may be the only way this can get significantly worse.
posted by MrGuilt at 8:04 PM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

members of Congress led groups of people through the Capitol Building on a "reconnaissance" tour one day before the riot that laid a deadly siege

what
posted by medusa at 8:05 PM on January 12, 2021 [13 favorites]

the President isn’t a crazy person or mentally debilitated, just a sociopath and an extreme narcissist, so the 25th amendment is the wrong tool

He's a domestic enemy of the Constitution and therefore incapable of performing his duties. It's the right tool, and has been since he was elected. (Although it likely needs further modification to account for craven VPs .)

I'm not saying people aren't following the m&m myth now that it's been established. I'm saying VH were just being dicks with their rider and someone came up with a cover story that doesn't really make sense. Check your equipment, not the green room.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 8:08 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

Will be nteresting if those tours (already closed before Jan. 6th, for COVID reasons?) were members of Congress escorting constituents, donors, lobbyists, military... the security camera video will tell.

Gold medalist Olympic swimmer recognized amid Capitol mob (The Hill, Jan. 11, 2020) Klete Keller, a swimmer and two-time Olympic gold medal winner for the United States, was recognized by former teammates and coaches as one of the participants in the deadly pro-Trumb mob that overtook the Capitol last week. In the clip, the man recognized as the 6-foot-6 Keller is seen wearing a U.S. Olympic team jacket with “USA” printed on the back and down the sleeves as he stands over a crowd that was pushing and shoving police officers attempting to clear the Capitol Rotunda. [...]

Keller, 38, was on three U.S. Olympic teams, winning golds at the Athens Games in 2004 and at the Beijing Games in 2008 as a member of the 4 x 200-meter relay team. He also won silver in the event at the 2000 Sydney Games.
posted by Iris Gambol at 8:11 PM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

"Rep. Mikie Sherrill says that some members of Congress led groups of people through the Capitol Building on a "reconnaissance" tour one day before the riot that laid a deadly siege on the government's legislative branch."

This may explain how they found Jim Clyburn's unmarked office.
posted by cape at 8:16 PM on January 12, 2021 [40 favorites]

He’s a domestic enemy of the Constitution and therefore incapable of performing his duties. It's the right tool, and has been since he was elected. (Although it likely needs further modification to account for craven VPs .)

I dunno, I’m not a lawyer, I’m just a dude who is trying to keep up with how people talk about it and the historians whose views I read on the Twitter seem more miffed that Congress is wasting time with it. The notion that it would be appropriate for a conniving VP to ride the ticket onto election day and then conspire with cabinet members to boot a bad president on day 1 of their term seems also kind of sub-par.
posted by Going To Maine at 8:22 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Someone needs to get their Olympic medals stripped.
posted by darkstar at 8:22 PM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

Yeah they probably were there to kill people. The big crowd of yokels doing stupid shit like live-streaming themselves and literally shitting on things gave cover to the small group of scary ex/current-military and ex/current-law enforcement fuckers with tactical gear and zip ties. And some current members of congress probably colluded with them. Wonder if that’s all about to come out? Maybe why Mitch is acting like a human being suddenly.

Hail hydra 🙃.
posted by supercrayon at 8:23 PM on January 12, 2021 [40 favorites]

members of Congress led groups of people through the Capitol Building on a "reconnaissance" tour one day before the riot that laid a deadly siege

I have expressed this in other places: something big, huge, and scary caused Google, Apple, Amazon, Shopify, etc to set aside every concern about lawsuits and loss of marketshare to shut pro-Trump media down, all within hours of each other after 1/6.

McConnell is rumored to be trying to stay a head of yet-broken story by supporting impeachment.

This could be a shadow of that thing.
posted by nicoffeine at 8:25 PM on January 12, 2021 [42 favorites]

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Is Unlikely to Face Court-Martial in Capitol Riot, Experts Say, Military.com, Oriana Pawlyk, 11 Jan 2021:

It's unlikely an Air Force veteran who entered the Senate Chamber during the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., will face a military court-martial, according to legal experts.

Larry Rendall Brock Jr., seen brandishing zip-tie handcuffs during the pro-Trump siege, was arrested Sunday in Texas and charged with knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful authority, along with one count of "violent entry and disorderly conduct," according to the Justice Department.

Brock retired from the Air Force Reserve in 2014 as a lieutenant colonel, according to the service. While he faces civilian charges, he is unlikely to be recalled to go through the military justice system, experts say.

Zachary Spilman, the lead contributor for the military justice blog CAAFlog [*], explained Monday that Brock is not subject to a court-martial, despite his past military service....

Details follow in the article.

*CAAFlog (About) has a PDF of the signed Joint Chiefs of Staff "Memorandum for the Joint Force" about the riot in Washington, D.C..
posted by cenoxo at 8:25 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

From that The Hill article: Swimming news website SwimSwam on Monday was the first to report on Keller’s apparent presence at the riot, noting that at least a dozen people in the swimming community had identified him in video footage posted on social media by a reporter from a conservative outlet, Townhall.

Linus's law - Wikipedia

In software development, Linus's law is the assertion that "given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow".
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 8:26 PM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

Watching the 25th amendment hearings, John Kasich blathers on about cancel culture and how Republicans might be getting cancelled but know that 'cancel culture will come for you Democrats as well' (I paraphrase).

Jamie Raskin's turn to speak, "the cancel culture of violent white supremacy tried to cancel all our lives last Wednesday."

*Snaps fingers* I see you, Jamie Raskin, not mincing words.

Resolution 21 at least passed vote muster this evening.
posted by erattacorrige at 8:27 PM on January 12, 2021 [68 favorites]

I had never heard of Raskin before 1/6 but he's definitely someone I'm going to pay attention to going forward!
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 8:35 PM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

Bwahaha youtube has suspended Trumps channel for seven days

Twitter

CNN
posted by supercrayon at 8:36 PM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

youtube has suspended Trumps channel for seven days

It's a start, I guess.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 8:39 PM on January 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

Political correctness = Civilized behavior

Locker-room talk = Sexism

Platform = Privately-owned media outlet

Election integrity = Only Republican votes count

Thug = Person of color

Cancel culture = Indictment

It's really pretty easy when you've got the code key.
posted by valkane at 8:40 PM on January 12, 2021 [66 favorites]

"NEW: Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler will vote to impeach Trump. She is now the fifth House Republican." -- Kyle Griffin
posted by valkane at 8:42 PM on January 12, 2021 [17 favorites]

To be clear, the US house votes to APPROVE the 25th amendment resolution just a few minutes ago. Final vote count: 223:205 with 1 republican voting in favor and no Democrats voting against.
posted by erattacorrige at 8:43 PM on January 12, 2021 [10 favorites]

It's really pretty easy when you've got the code key.

You forgot:

Patriot = White GOP supporter
Very Fine People = Racist
Pro Life = Christian Zealot
Religious Freedom = Ability to disregard laws in order to force my belief on you
posted by MrGuilt at 8:44 PM on January 12, 2021 [23 favorites]

Sorry, I thought the Capitol urine and feces rampage was common knowledge?
Owning the libs by, uh, shitting into your own hands in public, I guess.
posted by evidenceofabsence at 8:51 PM on January 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

States' Rights = [Nothing. That has no meaning whatsoever]
posted by ctmf at 8:51 PM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

John Kasich blathers on about cancel culture and how Republicans might be getting cancelled but know that 'cancel culture will come for you Democrats as well'

john kasich is the governor of ohio.
that pustulent asshole paraphrasing justice kavanaugh's "reap the whirlwind" bullshit is representative for ohio's 4th district, jim jordan.

in the unlikely event you need to see it, find it at 2:46:15 - 2:48:38 here.
but, really, don't expose yourself to jordan if you can help it.
posted by 20 year lurk at 8:52 PM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

"The purpose of the Second Amendment was to ensure that the citizenry could protect itself from a dictatorial and out-of-control government,” Brooks told TheDCNF."

“It has long been a primary goal of kings, dictators, communists, fascists and the like to disarm the citizenry so that there is minimal risk of opposition to centralized government, dictating to the citizenry that is unarmed and defenseless, and unable to assert their rights,” he said

Even accepting this framework as true, the point of bearing arms against a tyrannical government was not to allow insurrectionists to take government property by force, it was to defend oneself when they came for you in your home. The argument has been twisted from one of actual defense into some kind of veto over the democratic process. It's sick.

Of course, if one looks to history it's quite clear that the Second Amendment was never meant to be a protection against the government, it was meant to avoid having a standing Army. The Whiskey Rebellion happened while George Washington was still President and nobody said the Second Amendment gave those insurrectionists the right to shoot at lawful authorities.
posted by wierdo at 8:52 PM on January 12, 2021 [35 favorites]

Right, the idea that a bunch of dudes with ARs and F250s is going to inconvenience the Army is ludicrous. The guns are just for being intimidating and threatening to your neighbors.
posted by ctmf at 8:55 PM on January 12, 2021 [8 favorites]

"During her live stream, Ocasio-Cortez spoke at length about the attempted coup, asking what the end game of political nihilism is. "What claim will you have? That you rule over a destroyed society? That the ashes belong to you?"" -- Kyle Griffin
posted by valkane at 9:00 PM on January 12, 2021 [78 favorites]

The Whiskey Rebellion happened while George Washington was still President and nobody said the Second Amendment gave those insurrectionists the right to shoot at lawful authorities.

N.B., VOA: Trump Has Power to Pardon Mob That Attacked US Capitol

America’s first president pardoned two men sentenced to die in connection with an insurrection that came to be known as the Whiskey Rebellion. The men were part of an uprising of distillers protesting a costly tax on spirits.

“And so, in that case it worked the way they had hoped it would,” Kalt says.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 9:01 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

The problem is that the Army couldn’t control Iraq, which is about the size of Ohio, Virginia, and North Carolina. They can do a lot of damage, as insurrectionist sized cells. You know, like the KKK did for about 100 years.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 9:06 PM on January 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

I just couldn't help myself, I had to look up Kevin McCarthy. This guy hasn't had a real job his entire life.
posted by valkane at 9:11 PM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

the President isn’t a crazy person or mentally debilitated, just a sociopath and an extreme narcissist, so the 25th amendment is the wrong tool.

Being a sociopath or an extreme narcissist *is* a mental disability. It is exactly what you might call "crazy" or "mentally debilitated" though it might be impolite to say "crazy". Being a narcissist screws up a person's thinking, same as any other mental illness, and that is precisely why the 25th was always appropriate, even though it was never invoked, and it will continue to be appropriate until Trump is no longer president.
posted by surlyben at 9:29 PM on January 12, 2021 [33 favorites]

Josh Gerstein on Twitter:

BREAKING: Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen takes to YouTube just as president is removed from it. In 1st on camera appearance since Capitol riot, Rosen vows 'no tolerance whatsoever' for violence and other criminality at Biden inauguration.

posted by non canadian guy at 9:34 PM on January 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

There may be many reasons for his mode of speach, but Aaron Mostofsky yt doesn't come across as a violent person, he comes across as a vulnerable person. He says he found the sheild on the floor and doesn't know whose it is because it doesn't have a name on it.

I don't think it's a good idea to try to infer intent or vulnerability from the way Mostofsky talks in a video, and outside of that, he might not be as vulnerable as you think. Mostofsky just made $100k bail. At his hearing he smartly responded in one-word answers and let his lawyer do the rest. Meanwhile, his father is a Brooklyn judge, which means dad is incredibly well connected. Our local judicial system is trash; judges are theoretically elected, but because they generally run unopposed they're effectively and undemocratically appointed by the local Democratic party. So judgeships are usually plum positions handed to party loyalists.

Which is not to mention that "I picked it up and didn't know what to do with it" doesn't sound all that different to me than the folks who've been saying, "I didn't mean to break in to that office I was smugly lounging around in, I was pushed in."

If he's vulnerable for some reason that will come up at and can be addressed at trial. Until then, he's already gotten better treatment and had more privileges than thousands of NYC protesters who weren't involved in an attempt to overthrow the US government. The answer is to treat everyone better, but in the meantime, I don't think he particularly needs to be singled out for sympathy.
posted by evidenceofabsence at 9:36 PM on January 12, 2021 [36 favorites]

MetaFilter: Surely this.

I think you mean 32
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 9:40 PM on January 12, 2021 [26 favorites]

BREAKING: Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen takes to YouTube just as president is removed

Just want to point out that this is where the line break happened to fall on my screen and my heart almost skipped a beat before reaching the rest of the sentence.
posted by nobody at 10:17 PM on January 12, 2021 [9 favorites]

Profiles of some of the profiles of the insurrection attendees are wild - Fort Bragg captain questioned over attendance at rally - "The Army is investigating Rainey, a psychological operations officer, who led a group of people from North Carolina to the rally in Washington".

Imagine being a psyops specialist and not knowing you've been played?!
posted by phigmov at 10:18 PM on January 12, 2021 [20 favorites]

Imagine being a psyops specialist and not knowing you've been played?!

For that reason alone I can't see her next performance review being too favourable.

I can hear distant but unmistakable howls of laughter from the direction of Russia.
posted by Pouteria at 10:21 PM on January 12, 2021 [12 favorites]

From Ayanna Pressley's CoS: when she hid from the howling mob, she discovered that “every panic button in my office had been torn out.”
posted by tavella at 10:24 PM on January 12, 2021 [59 favorites]

john kasich is the governor of ohio.

WAS the governor of Ohio, please. (Although our current R Gov, DeWine, is cut from the same cloth, albeit slightly less cranky.)

Kasich is currently a private citizen, what the fuck would he be doing in a House discussion/debate/vote on the resolution to ask Pence to use the 25th?

Unless the OP means that Kasich was a commentator on CNN or somewhere - which makes more sense, and if he's popping his head up again that means he smells Trump blood in the water, and thinks it's a good time to stake out his "reasonable Republican" territory.

representative for ohio's 4th district, jim jordan.

Jordan is the single best argument for "what's wrong with gerrymandering?" His district looks like a fucking duck, makes absolutely no geographic, social, cultural, or economic sense, and clearly just exists to overwhelm several potentially blue/purple large towns and small cities and suburbs with rural red voters.
posted by soundguy99 at 10:27 PM on January 12, 2021 [15 favorites]

Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen takes to YouTube

My gut instinct is that I like this guy, and I am happy that he is getting this clear and unambiguous message out. But... the video is unlisted? And has only 2830 views? How is that going to make a difference? Am I missing something here?
posted by brambleboy at 10:29 PM on January 12, 2021

RE: Ayanna Pressley (Massachusetts) - I hope she and the rest of the Squad (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan) are having their offices independently inspected, my god.
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:31 PM on January 12, 2021 [32 favorites]

sorry soundguy99. thanks for the correction.
posted by 20 year lurk at 10:32 PM on January 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

So what does the timeline look like now? Tomorrow they'll have the vote on impeachment which looks likely to go through and then it gets sent to the Senate at some point. And then...we wait for McConnell to say when the trial starts?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 10:37 PM on January 12, 2021

I really fear for the Squad's lives. Do they have security?
posted by ichomp at 10:41 PM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

As I understand it the House has control of the timeline in terms of when they choose to send the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate. Basically Trump will stand indicted but untried. You know like most folks awaiting a criminal trial.
posted by Ignorantsavage at 10:51 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

The argument has been twisted from one of actual defense into some kind of veto over the democratic process..

I know, right? Coming from Mo in '16 is ironically apt.

Second Amendment was never meant to be a protection against the government, it was meant to avoid having a standing Army. The Whiskey Rebellion

I avoid the hard liquor and powered fire arms discussion but the citizens have more guns, now. And we have one of the largest armies in history with presidential powers, consolidated in the 20th C. that allows a president to prevent states from using there guard if in the national interest. or in Trump's case not use it. The Whiskey Rebellion was the national army doing local authorities could not. Ya know, protect the fucking booze, forget the SLAVES. The right to carry arms was meant to protect the status quo from tryanny. See, everyone (white male of voting status) gets a gun.
posted by clavdivs at 10:55 PM on January 12, 2021

"Rep. Mikie Sherrill says that some members of Congress led groups of people through the Capitol Building on a "reconnaissance" tour one day before the riot that laid a deadly siege on the government's legislative branch." -- Kyle Griffin

Kyle Griffin is misrepresenting what Rep. Sherrill said. The quote: "I also intend to see that [...] those members of Congress who had groups coming through the Capitol that I saw on Jan. 5 – a reconnaissance for the next day; those members of Congress that incited this violent crowd; those members of Congress that attempted to help our president undermine our democracy; I'm going to see they are held accountable [...]"

It's very routine for staffers to give tours of the Capitol to visiting constituents. I've been on more than one myself and they're easy to arrange. It appears this is the kind of thing she's referencing -- she doesn't say the members themselves led tours, which would be unusual, just that they "had groups coming through" and that these groups must have been doing reconnaissance for the next day.

The extent to which members colluded with people planning a riot should be investigated fully of course. But the tweet is misleading.
posted by Emily's Fist at 11:09 PM on January 12, 2021 [18 favorites]

Unknown, Pouteria, but Sarah Groh says she had used them successfully before and had not changed offices since. So someone tore them out - she said the whole unit was gone, not just broken. It would be quite odd if some planned update happened to co-incide with this attack, and I would think that they would notify the office residents if they were pulled out for renovation. So at the very least it was extremely poor security communication and frankly given that it appears some USCP officers and MoC were accessories to the insurrection, I'm finding the worse interpretations much more likely.
posted by tavella at 11:10 PM on January 12, 2021 [29 favorites]

Seth Abramson has a new thread talking about the possible/likely conspiracy.
posted by wierdo at 11:26 PM on January 12, 2021 [7 favorites]

An official website of the United States government.

FBI
Most Wanted

U.S. Capitol Violence
https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/capitol-violence

The FBI is seeking information that will assist in identifying individuals who are actively instigating violence in Washington, D.C. The FBI is accepting tips and digital media depicting rioting and violence in the U.S. Capitol building and surrounding area in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021.

We have deployed our full investigative resources and are working closely with our federal, state, and local partners to aggressively pursue those involved in criminal activity during the events of January 6.

If you have witnessed unlawful violent actions, or have any information about the cases below, we urge you to submit any information, photos, or videos that could be relevant at fbi.gov/USCapitol.

You may also call ‪1-800-CALL-FBI (1-‪800-225-5324) to verbally report tips and/or information related to this investigation.

If you do not have an attachment but have information to provide, please submit it at tips.fbi.gov.

Seeking Information
Select tiles below to view all images and related Seeking Information posters...

[Filtered photos and descriptions follow on this FBI website.]
posted by cenoxo at 11:35 PM on January 12, 2021 [14 favorites]

I am trying (and succeeding) not getting ahead of the facts in my judgement. Things can be explained away, and almost always are. But this feels like a lot of drips, right?
posted by Brainy at 11:38 PM on January 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

Director Wray’s Statement on Violent Activity at the U.S. Capitol Building

January 7, 2021

The violence and destruction of property at the U.S. Capitol building yesterday showed a blatant and appalling disregard for our institutions of government and the orderly administration of the democratic process. As we’ve said consistently, we do not tolerate violent agitators and extremists who use the guise of First Amendment-protected activity to incite violence and wreak havoc. Such behavior betrays the values of our democracy. Make no mistake: With our partners, we will hold accountable those who participated in yesterday’s siege of the Capitol.

Let me assure the American people the FBI has deployed our full investigative resources and is working closely with our federal, state, and local partners to aggressively pursue those involved in criminal activity during the events of January 6. Our agents and analysts have been hard at work through the night gathering evidence, sharing intelligence, and working with federal prosecutors to bring charges. Members of the public can help by providing tips, information, and videos of illegal activity at fbi.gov/USCapitol. We are determined to find those responsible and ensure justice is served.
posted by cenoxo at 11:40 PM on January 12, 2021 [4 favorites]

Seth Abramson has a new thread talking about the possible/likely conspiracy.

Threadreader unrolled version.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 11:56 PM on January 12, 2021 [28 favorites]

McSweeneys: Grendel Should Not Have Rampaged Through Our Capitol, But Slaying Him Will Only Further Divide Our Clans.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 11:59 PM on January 12, 2021 [38 favorites]

So at the very least it was extremely poor security communication and frankly given that it appears some USCP officers and MoC were accessories to the insurrection, I'm finding the worse interpretations much more likely.
posted by tavella

I am trying (and succeeding) not getting ahead of the facts in my judgement. Things can be explained away, and almost always are. But this feels like a lot of drips, right?
posted by Brainy

Difficult to come up with an interpretation of all this that is benign.
posted by Pouteria at 12:11 AM on January 13, 2021 [6 favorites]

From the BBC: Rioters are being urged to turn themselves into police.

Oops.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 12:13 AM on January 13, 2021 [30 favorites]

Pouteria I agree, the only reason I’m taking it slow is because I don’t want to get ahead of the evidence. But I had a lengthy list of all the things we’re seeing (plus others! Acting GA posting a video at midnight?? Liz Cheney saying more will come out??)

But it is feeling like there’s a lot of dots to connect and that maybe they’re being connected in classified settings?
posted by Brainy at 12:26 AM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

He is undoubtedly going to pardon himself, which then gives the Democrats open season to relitigate all the terrible shit he has done and utterly undermine the “law & order” party. With the now pariah status that he and his followers will have, you can turn the screws as hard as you want.

They are demoralized, splintered, and have no forum to communicate where they can scream the N word anymore.

Most of the people involved in this shit are small business tyrants, who are in no way capable of dealing with an actual insurgency and have everything to lose. The “insurrectionists” will dry up like a puddle in the sun and, with the capitol riot, managed to green light our massive security state to purge it’s ranks of white nationalists and punish other random psychos with all the tools at their disposal.

Also, Trump now has a RAPE TRIAL and any number of fraud cases as well as the families of the dead from Wednesday all drooling to sue him.

This is essentially a liberal wet dream. I fully understand why many think it was staged, but I frankly do not care and for the first time I a while I feel just the slightest bit of relief. Deride me as a pathetic lib (I totally am), but he was a very bad person in charge of thousands of nuclear weapons. I’m happy it’s ending like this.

Anyway, I’m gonna go get drunk
posted by lattiboy at 12:30 AM on January 13, 2021 [29 favorites]

United States Capitol Police Arrests, Weekly Summary Reports, excerpted [R/O = Reporting Officer; Unlawful Entry is a misdemeanor charge]
"As of March 12, 2020, access to Capitol Complex buildings is limited to Members of Congress, staff, credentialed press and official business visitors (with appointments)."
Activity in the Capitol complex, Dec. 14 through Jan. 5:

12/14/2020 07:15 UNLAWFUL ENTRY - R/O was on post at the South Door of the U.S. Capitol Building when he observed an individual entering a restricted area. R/O advised the Suspect that entry was prohibited to the general public. The Suspect refused to leave and became combative. The Suspect was placed under arrest and transported to Headquarters for processing.

12/21/2020 09:57 UNLAWFUL ENTRY - R/O responded to the West Front of the U.S. Capitol Building where a Suspect was observed climbing the fence with marked "Area Closed" signs and walking inside the restricted perimeter adjacent to Peace Circle. The Suspect was placed under arrest and transported to Headquarters for processing.

12/22/2020 07:01 UNLAWFUL ENTRY - R/O responded to the West Front of the U.S. Capitol Building for a report of an individual who climbed over a fence marked with "Area Closed" signs, and was observed walking inside the restricted perimeter adjacent to Peace Circle. R/O located the Suspect in the restricted area. The Suspect was placed under arrest and transported to USCP Headquarters for processing.

12/24/2020 16:00 UNLAWFUL ENTRY - R/O responded to the 100 block of Independence Avenue, SW, for a report of an unauthorized individual attempting to gain access to the U.S. Botanic Garden. R/O observed the Suspect inside the loading dock area and conducted a stop. The Suspect was placed under arrest and transported to USCP Headquarters for processing.

12/28/2020 11:24 ASSAULT ON A POLICE/FIRE – FELONY DC CODE 22-405, ADDITIONAL CHARGES: THREATS TO DO BODILY HARM - FELONY - R/O was on post outside of the Northwest Door of the Dirksen Senate Office Building when he was approached by an individual. The Suspect spat at R/O and made threatening statements and stabbing gestures toward the Officer. The Suspect then threw a lit lighter at R/O and fled the scene. The Suspect was apprehended by responding units at the intersection of Fourth Street and Maryland Avenue, NE. The Suspect was placed under arrest and transported to USCP Headquarters for processing.

01/04/2021 12:45 UNLAWFUL ENTRY, ADDITIONAL CHARGE: RESISTING ARREST - R/O was on post at the Northwest Door of the Cannon House Office Building when an individual attempted to gain entry. R/O advised the Suspect that access to the building was prohibited to the general public due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Suspect refused to leave. While attempting to handcuff the Suspect, they became limp and refused to place their hands behind their back. The Suspect was placed under arrest and transported to USCP Headquarters for processing.
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:34 AM on January 13, 2021 [13 favorites]

Don't forget they also need to swear in Kamala's replacement too before they can elect a new Senate Majority Leader
posted by mbo at 12:37 AM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

But it is feeling like there’s a lot of dots to connect and that maybe they’re being connected in classified settings?
posted by Brainy

The alphabet agencies may not be overly inclined to liberal views, but like the business sector they prefer order and predictability to violent incompetent chaos, which is all Trump is offering.
posted by Pouteria at 12:48 AM on January 13, 2021 [6 favorites]

Also - if Trump can pardon himself can the Senate apply its conviction retroactively, say to after the Senate invasion but before the pardons were signed?
posted by mbo at 12:49 AM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

One thing the Boston Globe article linked further up makes clear is how close the mob came, and how Ashli Babbitt came to be shot. The video of the shooting shows the last of the Representatives being evacuated at the end of the hallway.

One of the last of roughly 50 members swept out of the House chamber, McGovern saw rioters had shattered windows in the adjacent lobby and were banging on the doors.

“It was like looking at evil,” the Worcester Democrat said.

In videos since released, McGovern is seen just moments before one of the rioters, Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, 35, attempts to jump in through a broken window and is fatally shot by police. McGovern said he probably heard those shots, but didn’t register them in the din of shouts from protesters and commands from officers as he escaped down a marble staircase.

posted by MattWPBS at 1:33 AM on January 13, 2021 [6 favorites]

Trump Alamo speech transcript.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 1:36 AM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

I hope journalists dig into the transcripts that Iris Gambol reposted. Among others, at minimum, they seem to provide further evidence of reconnaissance in a larger conspiracy to overthrow the government.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 2:12 AM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

https://twitter.com/brianschatz/status/1348846469768351744

Brian Schatz @brianschatz·Jan 11

We were specifically instructed by those protecting us not to tell anyone, including our family, where exactly we were, for reasons that remain obvious.

Quote Tweet
Lauren Boebert @laurenboebert · Jan 6

The Speaker has been removed from the chambers.

posted by sebastienbailard at 2:57 AM on January 13, 2021 [33 favorites]

Evidenceofabsence, I concur, but I would also recommend watching the video clip of the interview. In all of the footage from the Capitol he looks very alone.

Mostofsky comes from an incredibly privileged background, and is being given the red carpet version of US Justice afforded by white privilege, the 'gold ticket of entitlement in settler-societies'. He will be getting the best possible council as regards court appearances (perhaps not in the sartorial department). Obviously, this doesn't garner sympathy from the impartial observer, never mind anyone who has experienced, or witnessed, the gross imbalance in the application of force by the police for those who are BIPOC (or BIPOC sympathetic), or perceived as anti establishment in some other way.

Judging by the media presence of the Mostofsky brothers, there seem to be a lot of toxic beliefs in that family. It is interesting to me that they would be involved in this white supremacist movement, which is explicitly anti-Jewish.

The catharsis that the arrest of these buffoons offers is delicious. What I am trying to communicate is that the buffoons are easy, media friendly, and most of all safe for the establisment, targets for righteous fury. These are flotsam pulled along by the current, not those making the waves. The sedition illustrates a few things, some noted in the thread from eyewitness Bouton, there is a problem with white supremacists permeating US society that needs to be addressed, systemic racism permeates many organisations and affords incredible privilege to white people, as is the way in settler societies. The establishment is incriminated in this and will seek to distract from this fact.

The people at the Capitol riot are likely to be some of the people who donated to the 'legal' defense/campaign fund post election, which has raised over $500m. People are far down the track to Jonestown with this, it is going to take a lot of work to reverse this trend. There are a lot of people who are emotionally, as well as financially invested in this delusion.

This is one of the reasons why I think the poo smearing should be associated with Trump supporters in the media, it gives a plausible route out for those cultists who are realising that they are 'the baddies'. They don't have to denounce their erstwhile confederates, but they can disentangle themselves from this mindset via their established conservative values. Polite society frowns on public defecation (in the Capitol, of all places), the poop chute is a safe exit route for the disenchanted Trump supporter. Once the initial inertia is overcome, the effects of pluralistic ignorance will be lessened.
posted by asok at 3:06 AM on January 13, 2021 [7 favorites]

This is essentially a liberal wet dream. I fully understand why many think it was staged, but I frankly do not care and for the first time I a while I feel just the slightest bit of relief. Deride me as a pathetic lib (I totally am), but he was a very bad person in charge of thousands of nuclear weapons. I’m happy it’s ending like this.

I am not relieved. I remember thinking Sandy Hook was the beginning of the end for the gun lobby. A tragedy so awful, and clearly the result of Second Amendment absolutism, that it would have to be an inflection point.

It was, but in the worst way possible: confronted with an atrocity that confirmed what their opponents had been saying for years, with a reality that put the lie to their ideology....many chose to reject reality, to seek out sources that would call it a hoax, to double down.

We kept having mass shootings. It took massive internal corruption to put a dent in the NRA, and even that became a rallying cry when it got (justified) legal attention.

And the cry of "false flag" became part of the far-0right, and eventually just the right-wing repertoire. When reality confounds their expectations, it's merely proof of a conspiracy, a lie, a staged event to discredit them.

We are a week past an open, seditious attack visibly fomented by years of right-wing lies and denials of reality, an plenty of people -- up to and including the president, including a QAnon conspiracy contingent in Congress -- are still lying about it.

Attacks are being planned on nearly every state capitol. Additional attacks are being planned on D.C. And the "stolen election" life is still widely believed, a deeply entrenched denial of reality for literally millions.

I hope this is the beginning of the end for all of that. I hope it's not the beginning of a bad end.
posted by kewb at 3:10 AM on January 13, 2021 [65 favorites]

Boebert should be in an interrogation room, until we find out exactly what happened.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 3:28 AM on January 13, 2021 [21 favorites]

if Trump can pardon himself can the Senate apply its conviction retroactively, say to after the Senate invasion but before the pardons were signed?

I'm not sure if this is what you meant, but a pardon can't protect Trump from impeachment.
posted by ultraviolet catastrophe at 3:50 AM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

I wish the Federal Bureau of Investigation could figure out how to present high-resolution images of seditionists, in an easy-to-view and easy-to-share manner, as well as the apps that we use to share photos of our lunches and our pets doing dumb things.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 3:54 AM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

ultraviolet catastrophe: I read it as "could it strike the pardons Trump has thrown up (or will still shit out) since the insurrection?".
posted by Stoneshop at 4:07 AM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

The Seth Abrams thread that wierdo linked to upthread is really terrifying (threadreader also posted here by TheophileEscargot) .

His point 34 really stood out to me: 34/ During a speech at a rally he'd set up with Alexander, Biggs, and Gosar—using Stone's tagline and Manafort's event-planning company—Brooks *explicitly* told the mob to go to the Capitol and "kick ass." His full speech is absolutely terrifying. It is seditious, and incitement.

Was that speech filmed or just transcribed? Is there an accessible copy out there?
posted by Mchelly at 4:15 AM on January 13, 2021 [10 favorites]

Was that speech filmed or just transcribed? Is there an accessible copy out there?
This one?
posted by rongorongo at 4:29 AM on January 13, 2021

Mchelly:
C-Span has video of the entire rally here. Mo Brooks begins at about 37:45 and speaks for a bit over ten minutes.
posted by theory at 4:33 AM on January 13, 2021 [7 favorites]

As chilling as the events themselves were - armed, angry mob roaming the halls of the Capitol searching for members of congress to take hostage (presumably, but a reasonable presumption - they did kill a police officer) and pooping and peeing on everything... stirred to action by the President... The idea that some of the instigators of this attack might walk free is the real doozy.

Details coming out are making it sound like they won't get off easy. Multiple police officers were tased, one might lose an eye, one was shot with his own gun, several officers sustained head injuries from being struck by what they think were lead pipes. The attack is now sounding much worse, more premeditated and more consequential than initially portrayed. The Republican Party came within a few yards of pulling an U.S. Iranian embassy seizure ....on their own country!
posted by srboisvert at 4:54 AM on January 13, 2021 [31 favorites]

> Boebert should be in an interrogation room, until we find out exactly what happened.

Her colleagues agree:

Rep. Eric Swalwell @RepSwalwell · Jan 11
Replying to @brianschatz and @gtconway3dg

So were we in the House. @laurenboebert was told by the Sergeant of Arms in the chamber to not make any social media posts. It was said repeatedly. She defied it because she is more closely aligned with the terrorists than the patriots.

posted by sebastienbailard at 4:56 AM on January 13, 2021 [101 favorites]

Mostofsky comes from an incredibly privileged background, and is being given the red carpet version of US Justice afforded by white privilege, the 'gold ticket of entitlement in settler-societies'. He will be getting the best possible council as regards court appearances (perhaps not in the sartorial department). [...]

Judging by the media presence of the Mostofsky brothers, there seem to be a lot of toxic beliefs in that family. It is interesting to me that they would be involved in this white supremacist movement, which is explicitly anti-Jewish.

Mostowski absolutely should be prosecuted fully for his crimes (and I don’t care if he found his police vest and shield in a pile with a sign that says “take me!” - the second he put them on, his motives don’t matter - that’s an additional crime) But at the same time, as yet he wasn’t implicated in any of the violence, and he wasn’t implicated (as yet) in the planning. He stands out largely because of his ridiculous fur suit and the prominence of this photo in the early hours of the rampage. I think we really need to be careful about framing his story as more deserving of punishment or censure based on his family being well-connected Jews with high media presence. I know that’s not what you meant in your comment - I’m not calling you out - but I think it’s something we should be aware of.

Many Orthodox Jews are pro-Trump because his policies about Israel align with their own, and they share the right’s Islamophobia. I talk with Trumpist Jews all the time (there are some in my husband’s family) and I keep coming back to how they can possibly align themselves with white supremacists. They persist in believing that it’s just a few wackos who won’t do anything (I’m hoping the events of the 6th change some minds about this). But most of them believe that the left-wing anti-semitism they see is worse and more dangerous. A lot of Jewish-owned businesses were destroyed during the BLM protests, especially in California - in a couple of instances on blocks where other shops were left untouched. Synagogues were defaced. It got a lot of press at the time in Jewish publications, which were already heavily pro-Trump. This is not the time (and absolutely not the place) to go into criticizing Democratic leadership, but pretending that anti-semitism is only on the right is not true.

I often feel alone here, as a liberal Orthodox Jew, and I’d like to encourage people to be careful about inadvertently othering my community or singling them out for special attention. Fundamentalism loves authoritarianism across the board, and aligns perfectly with current GOP goals.
posted by Mchelly at 4:59 AM on January 13, 2021 [76 favorites]

There was nothing in it for Pence to invoke the 25th. He would be president for a few days, but he would be in mortal danger for years. I think his chat with Trump was in the style of the mob. Better to have someone else take responsibility.

It's hard to look at all the little hints coming up and not know anything. This is so much like 9-11, if you remember those first hours and days. Including seeing the whole thing play out on live TV, and still not know what the heck is going on. One thing we have learnt from that is, that even if we learnt what happened, that never stopped the conspiracy theories on both sides. Of course this time round we won't get the US waging wars against countries with no relation to the attack, but I can think of a lot of other terrible things that can happen globally (which I am not posting because no reason for speculative doomsaying). And of course within the US, this will have huge consequences, regardless of what is discovered and how it is dealt with. Consequences we can't know yet, but which are certainly on the scale of 9-11, or even the civil war.
posted by mumimor at 5:00 AM on January 13, 2021 [6 favorites]

Just out of curiosity, why hasn't Mitch run for president if he likes to literally run everything and everybody?

He already had the job where he got to run everything and everybody.
posted by atrazine at 5:01 AM on January 13, 2021 [21 favorites]

Juan Cole: The armed Accelerationists are Coming.
These groups are what social scientists call “accelerationists.” They believe that through direct action and spectacles of violence they can increase the speed of polarization in society.
Accelerationism was the tool that al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia and then ISIL used to take over 40 percent of Iraq. They have also had some success in pushing France to the far right and in damaging French traditions of civil liberties and tolerance.
There are about 940 distinct hate groups in the US, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center which has gathered information on 25,000 militiamen.
posted by adamvasco at 5:04 AM on January 13, 2021 [15 favorites]

Boebert should be in an interrogation room, until we find out exactly what happened.

Just imagine her surprise when she finds the real qanon was the seditions we made along the way.
posted by gusottertrout at 5:04 AM on January 13, 2021 [21 favorites]

Mo Brooks would like you to know that any attempt to link him to the failed insurrection is "vicious and scurrilous." Mo Brooks would like you to know that literally the worst thing he has ever done is "misjudge a traffic light." Mo Brooks doesn't know it, but Mo Brooks would further like you to know that he's not necessarily the best at writing - mendacious self-pity, yes, writing, not so much.
posted by deeker at 5:05 AM on January 13, 2021 [17 favorites]

All the photos on the FBI website were taken by other rioters and the media who posted them online. I assume that there are security cameras throughout the building? maybe just the usual b/w low res kind but footage that would place people in specific corridors outside difficult-to-find offices?
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:09 AM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

De Blasio on Morning Joe saying the City of New York, on the advice of their lawyers, is severing all contracts with the Trump Organization for their connection with "inciting an insurrection." Also, I missed it until this morning, but the NYT reported a couple of days ago that Deutsche bank, Trump's "lender of last resort," is ditching him as well.

Not sure if this is a sign that no capable lawyer will now be associated with Trump, or the big, scary thing is making the rounds in the legal community.
posted by nicoffeine at 5:34 AM on January 13, 2021 [10 favorites]

I read it as "could it strike the pardons Trump has thrown up (or will still shit out) since the insurrection?".

That makes more sense, and I suspect the answer is no, unfortunately.
posted by ultraviolet catastrophe at 5:35 AM on January 13, 2021

He already had the job where he got to run everything and everybody.

And for longer (Senate R leader since 2007, after four years of senate R whip), with less unrelated duties than a president would.
posted by Stoneshop at 5:45 AM on January 13, 2021

To be clear, I think Mostofsky, and the rest of the Capitol invaders, should face the most severe consequences for their actions. The state has set a precedent for the treatment of non-violent protesters, so these people who where involved in violent sedition should be treated accordingly.

I agree in part but worry about the state turning around and producing legislation that will be used exclusively against the left and POC with 1,000 times more ferocity.

Some thread here or Twitter or elsewhere pointed out there are enough existing laws to charge what happened. Leaning on those laws, as you point out, makes sense. Just feel strongly we must be extremely wary of Democrats “looking strong” and enacting legislation that twists the knife into the far left and minority communities even further, as law enforcement who would be enforcing those laws is proven again and again to be extremely sympathetic to the Proud Boys and nazis.
posted by glaucon at 5:45 AM on January 13, 2021 [17 favorites]

Calls for Lauren Boebert's Expulsion Go National, Westword, Michael Roberts, 1/11/2021 [brackets added]:

Only a few days into her term as U.S. Representative for Colorado's 3rd Congressional District [WP], Lauren Boebert [WP] is already being inundated with calls for her to resign the position or risk being expelled by her new colleagues for allegedly helping to incite the violence that took place in Washington, D.C., on January 6. And these efforts are getting national attention, with CNN putting a report [CNN Politics] about the controversial firebrand [The Independent] in heavy rotation over this past weekend.

For her part, Boebert has made it clear that she doesn't plan to go anywhere despite the furor created by Coloradans who voted against her and those who wish they could have.

Boebert's election was an indication that while Colorado may be a largely blue state at this point, it's hardly monochromatic. While the 3rd CD is not as conservative as it once was, it remains a GOP stronghold loaded with longtime residents who see Boebert — a fervent Second Amendment advocate [NRA] from Rifle [WP] who co-owns Shooter's Grill [Yelp], a restaurant at which the waitstaff packs heat — as a bold and charismatic figure....

More in the article. It’s the wild, Wild West, pardner.
posted by cenoxo at 5:48 AM on January 13, 2021 [19 favorites]

Charismatics Are At War With Each Other Over Failed Prophecies Of Trump Victory

“I’ve been called the servant of Satan and spawn of Baal because I caved and am not standing with the prophets,” Brown said. “I’ve been called Deep State and that I’m a Mossad agent.”

Certainly, the bulk of Pentecostal-charismatics who follow the prophets are in for a shock when Biden gets inaugurated Jan. 20. Rather than admit their error, Brown says some prophets have already concocted a scenario where Trump will be inaugurated “in heaven” and that God will replace Biden with Trump sometime this spring.

posted by clawsoon at 5:50 AM on January 13, 2021 [20 favorites]

Imagine believing Trump is aligned with heaven. White supremacy is a hell of a drug.
posted by supercrayon at 5:58 AM on January 13, 2021 [53 favorites]

A lot of Jewish-owned businesses were destroyed during the BLM protests, especially in California - in a couple of instances on blocks where other shops were left untouched. Synagogues were defaced. It got a lot of press at the time in Jewish publications, which were already heavily pro-Trump. This is not the time (and absolutely not the place) to go into criticizing Democratic leadership, but pretending that anti-semitism is only on the right is not true.

As a Jew myself, I have to push back here: I have yet to see any follow-up on the destruction of Jewish-owned businesses that was committed as an act of antisemitism instead of being destroyed alongside gentile-owned ones, at least not outside of the usual racist rags that think that BLM is being run by Louis Farrakhan. Now, this is an entire other FPP's worth of conversation, but Jewish leftists and liberals have been talking about the rise of white supremacy and nationalism in the community (and especially among the Orthodox) for years now. Up until basically the day of the coup, white nationalist Jews been had been involved a months-long harassment campaign against Jews of Color, LGBTQ+ Jews, patrilineal Jews, and Jewish converts, among other vulnerable Jewish groups. Many of us have been aghast that prominent Jewish publications have not only completely ignored this happening, but have repeatedly platformed many of these same bigots during the same time period, often times in the name of "balanced" reporting or opinion. Less than four months ago, several Jewish organizations, including large mainstream civil rights organizations like the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League angrily lashed out at Jewish Democrats for making comparisons to 1933 Germany, an act that looks almost comically ignorant given the last week's events. The problem goes all the way up to the Conference of Presidents (an umbrella organization for most of the national and local Jewish orgs), who let an avowed white nationalist parroting the Poway Synagogue shooter's manifesto have say over the seating of their new leader. Not only is this organization (and ones like it) still attacking the Jewish left with language right out of Nazi playbooks, they are apparently under no threat of being expelled.

There is absolutely a need to confront antisemitism on the right, but that has already been going on for decades. It's beyond time for my community to start looking inwards and asking itself why white nationalism is ignored or embraced by Jewish community organizations, and begin the process of denying them access to the ears, eyes, and resources of the larger Jewish American population.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 5:59 AM on January 13, 2021 [73 favorites]

Interesting news from Minneapolis: noted white-supremacist/Trumper police union president Bob Kroll, after ignoring years of criticism and months of intense pressure to step down, has suddenly announced he's retiring at the end of January, two months before the trial of George Floyd's murderer.

Oh, and the city is also investigating two as-yet unidentified employees who were at the rally.

Really makes a person think, it does.
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 6:03 AM on January 13, 2021 [29 favorites]

I am not arguing with you about any of this, and I suspect you miss my point. Right-wing anti-semitism is ubiquitous, it’s poisonous, and a lot of right-wing Jews are willing to ignore it in order to fight what they see as wider anti-semitism on the left. My point is that it’s on both sides, and if you think there aren’t liberal Jews who use anti-Semitic canards to attack Jews on the right, you’re mistaken. I’d love to see our community address that as well.

My point is that it exists on both sides of the political spectrum, it always has and it always will, and that there are religious Jews (in all Jewish denominations) on both sides as well.
posted by Mchelly at 6:07 AM on January 13, 2021 [12 favorites]

There was nothing in it for Pence to invoke the 25th. He would be president for a few days, but he would be in mortal danger for years. I think his chat with Trump was in the style of the mob. Better to have someone else take responsibility.

I'm probably being simplistic, but I don't understand why Trump doesn't cut a deal with Pence where he resigns and then immediately gets pardoned. That pardon would stand up in court, unlike the self-pardon which might or might not. Pence is toast with the pro-Trump segment of the voters no matter what he does at this point; I'm not sure there is much difference in any of these outcomes in terms of his political future.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:07 AM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

"Good morning! Here's how Trump's SECOND impeachment trial SHOULD go today:

• U.S. House convenes at 9AM
• 1-hr of debate on rule setting debate time
• Vote on rule
• Another procedural vote
• 2-hrs of debate on impeachment resolution
• Vote on impeachment"

-- Democracy Docket
posted by valkane at 6:11 AM on January 13, 2021 [12 favorites]

Trump has never honored an agreement in his life. Why would he think Pence would? For that matter why would Pence honor the deal?
posted by rdr at 6:12 AM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

These fuckers are the same ones that cheered on suspension of civil liberties with the Patriot Act, warrantless surveillance, etc.

They aren't pro-freedom, they're white supremacists.

Remember the concept that conservatives want society to be an in-group whom the laws protect but do not bind and an out-group whom the laws bind but do not protect. They'll pass the most Draconian laws, knowing -- or at least believing -- that they'll be exempt.

As such, they are not to be trusted with other people's lives, property, or freedom.
posted by Gelatin at 6:12 AM on January 13, 2021 [33 favorites]

My point is that it’s on both sides, and if you think there aren’t liberal Jews who use anti-Semitic canards to attack Jews on the right, you’re mistaken. I’d love to see our community address that as well.

My point is that it exists on both sides of the political spectrum, it always has and it always will, and that there are religious Jews (in all Jewish denominations) on both sides as well.

It's mind-boggling that, in the wake of an attempted coup by people wearing Auschwitz memorabalia, you are really trying to both-sides the conversation here. Right now, in this moment, the argument about fighting violent antisemitism and the physical threat to Jewish Americans should be and must be dominated with the discussion of the right. This is not a 50-50 or even a 75-25 moment here, this is a 99-1 moment on which our very survival may depend.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 6:15 AM on January 13, 2021 [39 favorites]

I think the chatter around Bob Kroll is that he's retiring early because that Parler hack is going to be very very bad for him, but that he was not in D.C. on 6 January. Regardless, that detestable man is not retiring early to "spend more time with his family". Something is afoot.
posted by mcstayinskool at 6:15 AM on January 13, 2021 [10 favorites]

I'm probably being simplistic, but I don't understand why Trump doesn't cut a deal with Pence where he resigns and then immediately gets pardoned.
That is about Trump, not Pence. Trump doesn't want to resign and get pardoned by Pence, because he cannot admit failure. I'm not thinking about this as a psychological thing, though it might be, but as part of the Trump narrative. Trump is the Great White Victim as well as the Great White Saviour. Right now he and his ilk are constructing a modern American "Dolkstosslegende", where the Democrats along with establishment Republicans sold out the American Dream to Jewish cosmopolitans and Latin immigrants.
These guys are following the Nazi playbook very closely. And Pence is just a pawn in this game, they will have no scruples killing him. He knows that now.

I don't think Trump will be able to run for presidency in 2024, but the movement he is leading will, and how this attempted coup is handled now will have a great impact on their chances for success.
posted by mumimor at 6:19 AM on January 13, 2021 [10 favorites]

A comment from the Charismatics at War... article:

Jeremiah 23: 25-30

“I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ 26 How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? 27 They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal worship. 28 Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord. 29 “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?

30 “Therefore,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me. 31 Yes,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The Lord declares.’ 32 Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” declares the Lord. “They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least,” declares the Lord.

posted by cenoxo at 6:19 AM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

I hope this is the beginning of the end for all of that. I hope it's not the beginning of a bad end.

I am sorry to say I think it's the beginning of a bad end (or really, a fully developed terminal case of the late-stage white supremacist colonialist-imperialist capitalism we constantly talk about, but evidently we didn't really believe ourselves?) and I think I've finally figured out why the reactions of almost everyone other than the Nazis, even here on MeFi, have seemed bizarrely divergent from reality to me in a “mime pretending to be stuck in a box” way. (←previous megathread link)

So the United States really actually was founded as a slave empire carved into land stolen from Indigenous people, by people like Thomas Jefferson who owned his own children as slaves despite some peripheral non-redeeming nerd qualities: specifically, an integral part of the United States was stable white supremacy in which white people enforcing the racial hierarchy was consistently rewarded, right up to almost the present—it was in 1966 that the last state Democratic party removed the phrase “white supremacy” from its logo.

Whites just barely beginning to wake from moral slumber in the 1960s realized the incongruousness of a “land of the free, home of the brave” former slave empire where Black people and other people of color could not vote. But, in the same way that post-Civil-War Reconstruction failed by giving Black American citizens and other PoC some things while not even remotely attempting anything like East and West Germany's post-WWII de-Nazification measures (which were far from adequate anyways) the oft-hyped changes of the 1960s were wholly inadequate and white Americans failed, collectively, to confront their own continued complicity and participation in white supremacy, despite achievements like the Civil Rights Acts and other things (it warms my shriveled heart in a despairing FML way, as a Gen Xer, to be root-cause-analysis blaming Baby Boomers here, but I would have done no better in their shoes: this is just what happened.) Also, I have to imagine that on some level it translates into, while intellectually recognizing some of the incongruousness, being simultaneously unwilling to actually give up most of the privileges delivered to them by white supremacy.

We became a bit like Pinocchio after only the slightest whiff of Tinkerbell's (racist fascist Disney, anyways) pixie dust: able to stand up and walk around and start working the torpor out of our creaky joints, but never a real boy, because we never prove our humanity to the Blue Fairy by actually acting like humans. Then the twenty-first century is some kind of mixed metaphor about playing with the fire of Nazism while being made of the wood of white supremacy, and/or shooting off our giant mile-long nose/dick/nuclear button while playing with improperly secured firearms on the way to Pleasure Island that were supposed to be for well-regulating militias anyways. And in the latter scenario Democrats and donkey ears fit in somehow.

The result overall tl;dr: we no longer had stable white supremacy, we just had white supremacy. All kinds of racist things still happened at all levels of society, BIPoC were still horrifyingly oppressed (and LGBTQIA+ and others, and intersectionality, our cup overfloweth), but some of the reward mechanisms for whites who supported all of that happening were broken.

I haven't thought it through yet, but I'll bet that upon closer look it's going to specifically be white supremacy reward mechanisms for lower class whites which were broken, while most things for the middle and upper classes of that era remained intact: hence the “working class voter” of the 2010s, implicitly white, and unlike their forebears no longer particularly lower class because of the rising tide of socialist reforms of the (yes still white supremacist) previous century's New Deal.

Despite their reprehensible values and cowardice and general incompetence and inability to deal with most facts (and what, I must say as an atheist, seems like an obsession with buying their immortal souls an express ticket to Hell on the part of Christofascists: helping the bunch who abetted Jamal Khashoggi being chopped up—on the explicit rationale that, sure, he was chopped up, but he was chopped up on the altar of Mammon—rush through American death row executions, because of their sterling Biblical authority and judgment on when governments should kill their citizens) this is the aspect of reality which Trump and the other Nazis are more in touch with than everyone else. They believe lots of bullshit, but that does not mean they do not themselves have bullshit detectors: they can see that a great deal of ostensible respect for BIPoC is superficial or entirely fake, because they themselves spend lots of time faking it (even more poorly), and their concomitant complaint is that they aren't being properly compensated any more for properly supporting the racial hierarchy. On this count, all the other white people of 2021 are out-doublethinking the Orwellians.

Consider this: remove all of the Nazi and twenty-first century context for a moment: the Trumpists are simply trying to steal everything for themselves. But this is hardly a new idea, one group stealing everything else for itself: conventional American historigraphy is to characterize much of our political system's history as repeated spoils and plunder. And it's kind of the American Way: stealing Indigenous land, stealing Black peoples' bodies, going through Monroe Doctrine^{^} “protected from European colonialism” Latin America and persuading everyone to shoot each other while we steal their guano and gold and oil and now Elon Musk steals their lithium, rounding up all American citizens of East Asian descent into concentration camps and stealing their homes and businesses and possessions while they can't fight back, and so on, and so forth...

What's the difference between that and 2021? In the past, the cosa nostra^{^} was that white American groups didn't steal all the stuff from other white American groups: the conventions of white supremacy ensured some measure of Magna Carta enforced sharing of wealth and fairness in dealings between those of the privileged class, with the English barony being replaced by the totality of those who qualified as white at any given point in time. These latest of the monsters the American system has created recognize that the previous privileged social contract to which they were a party is dead and gone, and they are expected to make due with the same crumbs and trickle-downs of late-stage capitalism everyone else gets, so they want it all now.

Hence the “mime in an invisible box” effect I'm personally experiencing watching other people react to the insurrection is that to me, the coup d'état finally happening after years of anticipation during which I'd almost immediately started reading up on things like the Insurrection Act (←brief comment in January 2017 megathread which probably isn't worth clicking on) should have been freeing and should have dramatically increased our range of possible responses to Nazism and white supremacist things like police killings of unarmed Black citizens, because it's basically the formal end to a bunch of American social contracts which, for the rest of us to participate in and hold up our end of the bargain, involved implicitly endorsing and abetting white supremacy. But everyone is acting like they're still bound by those white supremacist social contracts the Putschisten formally ended, but which were already long gone.

The reason why Trump and the GOP are blatantly lying to everyone's faces using immediately disprovable facile lies, obviously not even trying or intending to decieve any more but sort of putting placeholder or filler content into zombie processes^{^}, and openly breaking laws, is because our obeisance to the social contracts no longer obligates them to reciprocate: the social contracts do not exist any more.

I think perhaps people of color figured all of this out back in 2016 on some level (though I don't want to promote any equivalent to “digital nativism” of Millenials—it's not like, merely by being BIPoC, someone is going to necessarily have a sophisticated current-events-understanding grasp of all facets of American racism and white supremacy) and (on top of other aspects of racism here at MeFi) maybe that's why I haven't been seeing many user names from peak #poctakeover #drowningoutwhitevoices days in among the megathreads and megathread favorites. (Though a few of you I have seen commenting and favoriting, and your presence and opinions and news links have been reassuring.)

Speaking of which, the phrase “liberal wet dream” is used above: to try to add some optimism to the “bad end” talk, the significance of what I say above is that I believe the end of the social contracts our white supremacist civilization was based upon really does present the potential to achieve great things if we carpe diem. Because of their sole connection to reality being having a better sense of what's going on with white supremacy, Trumpists are a sort of dowsing rod—their most terrifying pathological fears point to things that are actually good for the country.

Particularly, AOC becoming president or something like that; not because AOC has answers necessarily, but because AOC and Democrats like her have a better sense of what they don't know. And not to be ageist, but the leadership, while often being excellent politicians and superb at what they do, are basically maladapted to the current crisis: as top-shelf products of a machine designed to turn out finely-honed meritocratic late-twentieth-century politicians, they are so deeply embedded in and of the ancien régime that they can't see anything else.
posted by XMLicious at 6:21 AM on January 13, 2021 [104 favorites]

Trump doesn't want to resign and get pardoned by Pence, because he cannot admit failure.

I've been getting the impression that Trump's instinct is not to ask, "Does this harm my long-term interest", but rather, "Does this make me look weak?"
posted by clawsoon at 6:23 AM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

Speaking of premeditation.. (Twitter video link)
posted by wierdo at 6:25 AM on January 13, 2021 [35 favorites]

Terrifying.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 6:32 AM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

"NEW: President Trump won't even be able to run a children's carousel anymore.

As backlash against Trump Org grows, NYC says it's terminating Trump's contracts to run a carousel, two ice rinks and a golf course in city parks." -- David Fahrenthold, Washington Post
posted by valkane at 6:32 AM on January 13, 2021 [15 favorites]

I don't think Trump will be able to run for presidency in 2024, but the movement he is leading will, and how this attempted coup is handled now will have a great impact on their chances for success.

It's this point that gives me chills. Ever since the Oklahoma City bombing (yeah, that long ago) there's been this pulse of white nationalist/supremacist/neo-nazi in the background that has, in the last four years, grown louder and louder. Somewhere in the last few days I read an opinion that what we were seeing was the result of economic insecurity and while I don't think that's the whole enchilada by a long shot - it's a point that only does everyone good to take a long hard look at. And by long hard look I mean a living minimum wage / health care / tighter inheritance laws. Poverty is an enormous stressor and under stress people make all kinds of bad decisions.
posted by From Bklyn at 6:36 AM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

I've been meaning to post this but :::waves arms around neighborhood:::

This is an excerpt from the House chaplain's opening prayer on January 6:

O God, our refuge and our strength, a very present help in times of discord and trouble. Mountains crumble, waters rage, nations roar, and yet we need not be afraid, for even now You abide with us in these times of great discord, uncertainty, and unrest.

We, who have pledged to defend our Constitution against all enemies, we pray Your hedge of protection around this Nation. Defend us from
those adversaries, both foreign and domestic, outside these walls and perhaps within these Chambers, who sow seeds of acrimony to divide
colleagues and conspire to undermine trust in Your divine authority over all things. [...]

posted by jgirl at 6:38 AM on January 13, 2021 [28 favorites]

Ugh. I was listening to the NPR coverage of the hearing, and I had to turn it off at only the second speaker, some republican yammering on about "unity" and "moving on" and whatnot and castigating the Dems for rushing the impeachment without knowing all the facts. I just can't.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:40 AM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

This is just the debate on passing the rule. The actual impeachment vote won't be until around 3pm at the earliest, they'll have a 2-hour ~~bloviating session~~ debate before that.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 6:46 AM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

Trump business backlash part of ‘cancel culture,’ son says

The story is exactly what you'd expect it to be ('cancel culture,' whining, everybody actually loves Trump), save for:

1) the son is Eric, not Don Jr.
2) the last paragraph:

Asked directly in his interview if he felt his father incited the crowd, Eric Trump paused and then the line went dead.

posted by Spathe Cadet at 6:47 AM on January 13, 2021 [47 favorites]

What happened when she used them before? I was a little surprised and disturbed that there was a "before".

From a USA Today interview with Pressley and Groh on Jan. 3:

“The reality is that these death threats, violent phone calls, the need for private security hires, coordination with Capitol Police and the FBI, this has become part of our daily negotiation of how to serve the people who sent us to Washington,” said Sarah Groh, Pressley’s chief of staff.

Groh said she used to print out mugshots sent by Capitol Police and post them on the office walls so that the team could memorize their faces. Now, she said, there are so many that she needs a binder to hold them.

posted by adamg at 6:55 AM on January 13, 2021 [20 favorites]

Eric Trump paused

His whole life is a great pause of goofy, out-of-place forced grins in the shadow of a monster
posted by glaucon at 6:55 AM on January 13, 2021 [7 favorites]

Edit to my above comment: not John Kasich, I think Steve Stivers. IDRK they're all aging white guys with side parts from where I'm standing
posted by erattacorrige at 6:57 AM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

Speaking of which, the phrase “liberal wet dream” is used above: to try to add some optimism to the “bad end” talk, the significance of what I say above is that I believe the end of the social contracts our white supremacist civilization was based upon really does present the potential to achieve great things if we carpe diem.

I've flagged this whole comment as fantastic -- the idea of a stable white supremacy giving way to an unstable white supremacy, and that this takes the form of white supremacist rewards being removed from the bottom of the white hierarchy first is, I think, just...so fucking explanatory -- but I wanted to offer some more words of optimism.

Optimism isn't my usual bag, really -- my experience of the last four years has been as one of those people who keeps being like, "NO THERE IS A FUCKING NAZI VAMPIRE IN THE HOUSE," and everyone is like, oh stop being so hysterical, Klausferatu doesn't mean it-- but I do have this sense that an age of bullshit is coming to an end. I don't think this has anything to do with any one person, though some people will be the right person for the moment and will manifest this cultural change (thinking of John Fetterman, and to a lesser extent, entirely because of misogyny, AOC). I think it has to do with a cultural cycle where we are at first overrun by new modes of communication and then, slowly, develop an immune response to that new mode of communication. In this case, it's the internet, and in particular social media.

The historical Nazis used radio to rise to power; that they did this in the context of the Weimar devastation was probably helpful. I have been dreading what will happen as climate catastrophe accelerates, because holy shit, if this is what rich people, white people, and men are willing to do to to hold onto their power when things are comfortable for them, what the fuck are they going to do when things get scary? I mean, we know what they will do; it'll be tanks in the streets and fascist authoritarianism and social control. It'll be the same, but different, as it always is.

But if we develop an immune system to the newest iteration of bullshit before shit hits the fan, if we are able to organize using the same tools as the nazis and beat them back down to ash before the worst hits...

Well, we're not going to be "ok." The best case scenario still involves figuring out how to deal with a rapidly contracting inhabitable Earth and mass human migration and many, many disasters, and this might come after we have to fight a low-level civil war. But it might not be nazis figuring out how to deal with all that. And that would be a massive fucking improvement over what I've feared will happen the last four years.
posted by schadenfrau at 6:57 AM on January 13, 2021 [35 favorites]

'cancel culture'

He says that like it is a bad thing. But some aspects of culture should be cancelled.

Nazis, for example.
posted by Pouteria at 6:59 AM on January 13, 2021 [44 favorites]

Florida's Rep. Val Demings is in a quiet rage when asked if House members collaborated with the terrorists.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 7:00 AM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

cancel culture...

Trump isn't being cancelled. He is an asset which is being declared unprofitable by the system which put him in power, and is being sold off. This is the free market at work.
posted by JohnFromGR at 7:04 AM on January 13, 2021 [27 favorites]

'cancel culture'

He says that like it is a bad thing. But some aspects of culture should be cancelled.

Nazis, for example.

I was thinking along the same lines. These guys love their Roman history and the nonsensical analogies they derive from it, so they should be all in for "Carthago (Trump) Delenda Est".
posted by Chitownfats at 7:05 AM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

Speaking of premeditation..

I can't believe some fool filmed this.

I mean Stringer Bell's only been quoted once in these posts since last week but ... words fail me
posted by glasseyes at 7:10 AM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

Nazi who wore ‘Camp Auschwitz’ shirt arrested
posted by gwint at 7:14 AM on January 13, 2021 [41 favorites]

Is there anywhere liveblogging the proceedings today?
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 7:16 AM on January 13, 2021

NYT live blog
posted by gwint at 7:18 AM on January 13, 2021

The “FloorCast” on live.house.gov isn’t always up and running, but it at least documents what’s on the floor. There’s also a link to video.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 7:19 AM on January 13, 2021

Asked directly in his interview if he felt his father incited the crowd, Eric Trump paused and then the line went dead.

I'm genuinely curious what the various style guides / house practices have to say about when and where to include details like this because this seems unusually candid. I would have expected that question to have either been omitted entirely in deference to the interviewee or the sentence rephrased to something more neutral about technical difficulties.

I ask because we almost never see things like "Trump hesitated when asked which specific doctors had praised his coronavirus response and went on to ignore the question entirely and repeat the same unsubstantiated claims" in print.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 7:23 AM on January 13, 2021 [7 favorites]

I was thinking along the same lines. These guys love their Roman history and the nonsensical analogies they derive from it, so they should be all in for "Carthago (Trump) Delenda Est".

Or go Athenian. A lot to be said for scratching "Trump" onto a shard of pottery.
posted by atrazine at 7:27 AM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

Better they carve the name into pottery than into an endangered manatee.
posted by peppermind at 7:31 AM on January 13, 2021 [21 favorites]

Learning from the Failure of Reconstruction is an interview with Reconstruction historian Eric Foner.

Q: "There’s been a lot of talk about a kind of reconciliation and unity, especially from Republicans, in the past few days. And there’s been a lot of talk about punishment for this bad behavior, both for the people that did it and for President Trump. What does Reconstruction teach us about that?"

A: "I think the lesson of Reconstruction, sadly, is that it requires a lot of vigor, I suppose, to actually enforce a kind of a new regime. Reconstruction in our modern terminology was an attempt at regime change. Remember how we used to talk about regime change in Iraq and that kind of thing? Changing a regime based on slavery to one based on racial equality, that was a pretty big job to do. And it required force. President Grant was elected in 1868 with the slogan, “Let us have peace.” He wanted reconciliation. Three years later, he’s sending troops into South Carolina to crush the Ku Klux Klan. You can’t have peace when the other side is out there acting as a terrorist body, assassinating people if they try to vote and things like that. So the tragedy of Reconstruction is that the commitment to enforce it waned much too soon.

It was a national problem, not just a Southern one. And eventually, with the acquiescence of the North, with the acquiescence of the Supreme Court, you get the overthrow of this ideal of equality and the imposition of a new system of white supremacy. It’s not the same as slavery, it’s different, but it’s still a deeply unequal system in the South that then lasts well into the middle of the twentieth century. So, yeah, reconciliation is a wonderful idea, but it takes two to tango. And if Southern whites were irreconcilable, that made it very difficult."
posted by Groundhog Week at 7:34 AM on January 13, 2021 [55 favorites]

I'm pretty sure "carve the name into pottery in Athens" is a reference to voting for ostracism (exile for ten years). But yeah, that manatee thing is pretty awful, on top of the general early 2021 plague-coup shit sandwich.
posted by Alterscape at 7:34 AM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

The parade of cowardice by the GOP on the house floor this morning is unbelievable. They have appealed for the rule of law, quoted MLK arguing for unity, and brought up case law from the 19th Century arguing about process.

Rep. Tom Cole just closed with an appeal "not to rush to judgement."

The party of law and order, unable to muster the courage to stand up to an attempted coup. What a fucking disgrace to our country.
posted by nicoffeine at 7:34 AM on January 13, 2021 [38 favorites]

These guys love their Roman history and the nonsensical analogies they derive from it, so they should be all in for "Carthago (Trump) Delenda Est".
posted by Chitownfats

Not to mention Julius Caesar's fate.
posted by Pouteria at 7:35 AM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

I can't believe some fool filmed this.

From their POV, this was going to be the equivalent of footage of the captures of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. They probably expected it to end up in the Smithsonian.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 7:36 AM on January 13, 2021 [14 favorites]

Maybe the person filming was a mole with a concealed camera ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ? But then plenty of them are waving cameras about
posted by glasseyes at 7:39 AM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

They probably expected it to end up in the Smithsonian.

Which it may, just not for the reasons they were thinking.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 7:39 AM on January 13, 2021 [14 favorites]

Evidenceofabsence, I concur, but I would also recommend watching the video clip of the interview.
I had already watched the video. In general, I think it's kind of inappropriate to assess whether someone is vulnerable or has the capacity for violence from their speech patterns. I know your intent is to be considerate and compassionate, but to me, the speculation verges on armchair diagnosis and feels inherently kind of ableist.

I think we really need to be careful about framing his story as more deserving of punishment or censure based on his family being well-connected Jews with high media presence.
This is a good point and I think it's important to be careful in discussing this, since it's dangerous to play into anti-semetic tropes. My comments about Mostofsky's father weren't intended to suggest that he is any more deserving of punishment, just not any less either. He's one person among many and should only be held responsible to the extent of his engagement. That will hopefully become clear at trial, and, I think, shouldn't be inferred from mannerisms or appearance.
posted by evidenceofabsence at 7:40 AM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

"Once you block a vote on a Democratic Supreme Court Justice and then rush a vote on your own Supreme Court Justice, you don't get to talk about fairness and process.

And once you try to overturn a lawful election, you don't get to lecture anyone about unity and civility." -- Keith Boykin, CNN
posted by valkane at 7:41 AM on January 13, 2021 [95 favorites]

This is a photo that Member of Congress Lauren Boebert posted on her Instagram page on Jan 5. This is the group she then took on a guided tour of the Capitol after this photo was taken. These people participated in the insurrection the following day. At least one has been charged.
Several congressional Democrats claim the January 6 Capitol insurrection was aided by 'insiders'.
2 Capitol Police officers suspended and at least 10 more under investigation for alleged roles in riot.
posted by adamvasco at 7:41 AM on January 13, 2021 [88 favorites]

I ask because we almost never see things like "Trump hesitated when asked which specific doctors had praised his coronavirus response and went on to ignore the question entirely and repeat the same unsubstantiated claims" in print.

If we'd seen reporting like this, Trump wouldn't have become president.

This is a point I made earlier: Trump, and his supporters, are allowed to get away with this. He's allowed to cite "people" or "doctors" who support his view, but he never says who, or invites them on stage with him. There are "rumors" of voter fraud in Georgia, but no evidence to suggest it goes beyond that.

Trump is never pressed on this. When his supporters are pressed, they become indigent: "everyone knows this," or they expect the person challenging the claim to go off and try to find who the original source is. Or, "the mainstream media doesn't want you to see it!"

Personally, I'm no longer tolerating this. Someone makes such a claim to me, I'm calling BS, and saying it's their responsibility to cite their source.
posted by MrGuilt at 7:42 AM on January 13, 2021 [16 favorites]

This is a photo that Member of Congress Lauren Boebert posted on her Instagram page on Jan 5. This is the group she then took on a guided tour of the Capitol after this photo was taken. These people participated in the insurrection the following day. At least one has been charged.

Every single one of the ones identified as participants is throwing up the "OK" white power signal.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 7:44 AM on January 13, 2021 [32 favorites]

"Lauren Boebert has been locked out of Twitter for 1 week." -- Parlertakes
posted by valkane at 7:44 AM on January 13, 2021 [34 favorites]

Better they carve the name into pottery than into an endangered manatee.

Huh?

Federal officials seek information on manatee harassment
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is searching for information on the person or persons responsible for the harassment of a manatee discovered Sunday in the headwaters of the Homosassa River. The animal had the word “Trump” scraped into its back.

*nervous laughter* what the fuck
posted by adept256 at 7:46 AM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

Anyone know what exactly they are voting on now? (Text reads: "On ordering the previous question")
posted by piyushnz at 7:47 AM on January 13, 2021

The Internet is forever, Lauren.
posted by all about eevee at 7:47 AM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

They are voting on the rules of debate.
posted by all about eevee at 7:48 AM on January 13, 2021

One of the weirder sidebars on this past week is Pizza Inn's Twitter account.

On January 5, their PR department issued a press release (since retracted) and posted it to their Twitter account (archived). Using a bunch of hash tags including, for some difficult-to-ignore reason #January6 the tweetstorm begins: "Pizza Inn Takes Bold Stand For Election Reform Widespread concerns over fraud demand commonsense changes to rebuild unity and confidence."

And then across two dozen tweets proceeds to dig themselves a very, very deep hole before concluding with two final messages consisting only of atting Trump, the congresspeople opposing the election certification, plus a few extra namedrops for good measure such as @anncoulter, @tuckercarlson, and a sprinkling of hashtags like #electionfraud and, again, since for some reason since this went out on January 5, #january6.

Oh well, their pizza was okay, in that "this is bad pizza but it adequately fulfills my need for pizza" way. But now I'll have to do my part to ensure they never see money again.
posted by at by at 7:50 AM on January 13, 2021 [14 favorites]

Pizza Parler?
posted by ZenMasterThis at 7:52 AM on January 13, 2021 [54 favorites]

Incidentally, the intrepid journalists bringing this Pizza Inn expose to the masses is the McElroy Brothers on this week's MBMBAM podcast.
posted by at by at 7:52 AM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

The animal had the word “Trump” scraped into its back.

I read the manatee story. While it's illegal to harass manatee in any way, if it makes anyone feel better the word was just scraped into the algae that are always covering the manatee, not like carved into its flesh.
posted by jessamyn at 7:56 AM on January 13, 2021 [162 favorites]

ABC 7 News - WJLA (@ABC7News)

JUST IN: @Airbnb announces it will cancel reservations in the Washington, D.C. metro area during the Inauguration week, and will prevent any new reservations in the Washington, D.C. area from being booked during that time.
posted by Spathe Cadet at 7:57 AM on January 13, 2021 [47 favorites]

The “previous question” is a motion to end debate and proceed to a vote. In this case, proceed to a vote on H.Res. 41, which is the rule defining how they will consider H.Res. 24, which is the impeachment resolution.

Just about every bill or resolution that goes to the floor of the House is preceded by a “rule” (a resolution from the Rules Committee) that defines how long the debate will be, and any amendments that may be offered. This is a “closed rule”, meaning there aren’t any amendments coming up.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 7:58 AM on January 13, 2021 [6 favorites]

Thank you, Jessamyn, that actually does make me feel better. At least about that.
posted by probably not that Karen Blair at 7:58 AM on January 13, 2021 [47 favorites]

Somewhere in the last few days I read an opinion that what we were seeing was the result of economic insecurity and while I don't think that's the whole enchilada by a long shot - it's a point that only does everyone good to take a long hard look at.

"Economic insecurity" has become a joke at this point. I mean, if you think that no one has been paying attention to the "economic insecurity" of Trump supporters, you've missed a lot. It's been offered up as an excuse/explanation for Trumpism since the beginning of the campaign. It's been the theme of countless cowardly stories about Trump supporters - stories that were too afraid to tackle their racism.

And it doesn't really work because Trumpism is the result of white racial resentment*, not economic insecurity. Support for Trump is high among white people across economic lines, especially white men*. The mob that attacked the capitol was not working class. Some flew there on a private jet. These people are not hurting and lashing out at the wrong people. They're just racial bullies who are angry that the people they're bullying aren't giving up their lunch money without a fight.

Inequality is a huge issue in the US, but Trump's base is primarily white people, not primarily poor people. Trump campaigned mostly on racism. He made (and broke) promises to the working class too, but many of those promises were also couched in racist terms (e.g. fighting trade globalists and giving jobs to "real" Americans).

* I want to mention gender resentment too, especially backlash against feminism and toxic masculinity. I do think that's important when you figure in why support among white men is higher, but I don't want to excuse or ignore the women who support Trump. So it goes down here.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 7:58 AM on January 13, 2021 [45 favorites]

Hold-up on that Boebert photo tweet!

"This viral photo is from a Colorado gun rights rally in December 2019, not from last week in Washington. (The tweeter deleted it after I messaged him; he said he’d been sent the inaccurate info by a Boebert constituent.)" -- Daniel Dale
posted by valkane at 8:01 AM on January 13, 2021 [25 favorites]

the word was just scraped into the algae
Clearly a false flag operation by Manatifa.
posted by neroli at 8:01 AM on January 13, 2021 [65 favorites]

This is a photo that Member of Congress Lauren Boebert posted on her Instagram page on Jan 5.

This was taken in 2019 (the original Tweet has been deleted).
posted by joethefob at 8:03 AM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

If our reps have time, I would love to see a vote on H.Res. 25, which forbids Republicans from ever mentioning MLK's name, ever again, in any context.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 8:03 AM on January 13, 2021 [17 favorites]

From Georgia: The Jolt: Election deniers in state Senate stripped of chairmanships

The Republican rift in the state Senate came to a head Tuesday when Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan demoted three Republican senators who have backed attempts to overturn the presidential vote in Georgia over baseless allegations of irregularities.

When the bloodletting was over, state Sens. Brandon Beach of Alpharetta, Matt Brass of Newnan and Burt Jones of Jackson were sapped of their political influence on the second day of the winter session.

As our AJC colleague Maya T. Prabhu reports, Duncan stripped Beach of his chairmanship of the Transportation Committee, while Jones will no longer lead the Insurance and Labor Committee. Neither will serve as even a rank-and-file member on the two panels they once led.

And though state Sen. Matt Brass of Newnan will still be a committee chairman this term, he was shelved to a lesser posting. Instead of serving as chairman of the committee that is set to redraw the political map later this year, he’ll oversee a banking committee.

posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 8:05 AM on January 13, 2021 [33 favorites]

Rep. Ilhan Omar: ‘We as a nation can no longer look away. The president not only incited an insurrection against our government, but has in word and deed led a rebellion. We cannot simply move past this or turn the page.’
posted by bluesky43 at 8:05 AM on January 13, 2021 [75 favorites]

We should address economic insecurity for the sake of addressing economic insecurity, not because of this.

Also, some of those people you're seeing on videos showed up on private jets, which we know because they bragged about it. There are business owners, lawyers, and other professionals in those crowds. Their engagement is often obscured by discussions about economic insecurity, but they are a huge part of this story.
posted by evidenceofabsence at 8:07 AM on January 13, 2021 [20 favorites]

> JUST IN: @Airbnb announces it will cancel reservations in the Washington, D.C. metro area during the Inauguration week, and will prevent any new reservations in the Washington, D.C. area from being booked during that time.

What about freedom of sleep!?
posted by guiseroom at 8:07 AM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

I can't believe some fool filmed this

What's giving me the most clarity as we hear the Republicans whining about "healing" and "unity", and as we wring our hands over which of those murderous insurrectionists was too "vulnerable" to be held responsible, is the fact that these people expected everyone they hate to be dead or rounded up by now. They thought The Storm they'd been fantasizing about was starting. They did not expect to have to cope with us as equals again after January 6th. They don't know what happens next, because they were expecting to be celebrating all the lynchings by now. They did not expect laws they were breaking to exist by now. Keeping this in mind is helping me keep things in perspective.
posted by EatTheWeek at 8:08 AM on January 13, 2021 [103 favorites]

I've been avoiding clicking through to that manatee story this whole time because animal abuse is something I find viscerally upsetting, so I am also very relieved to hear that the word was just scraped into the algae on the surface of the manatee.
posted by confluency at 8:08 AM on January 13, 2021 [39 favorites]

Being a sociopath or an extreme narcissist *is* a mental disability. It is exactly what you might call "crazy" or "mentally debilitated" though it might be impolite to say "crazy". Being a narcissist screws up a person's thinking, same as any other mental illness, and that is precisely why the 25th was always appropriate, even though it was never invoked, and it will continue to be appropriate until Trump is no longer president.

Flagged as fantastic.
posted by Gelatin at 8:09 AM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

I said to my wife over the weekend that the more I read and learned, the more it felt like what happened on the 6th came closer to being a successful coup than we wanted to believe. So far this week, I feel like that’s only becoming more clear.

There can be no unity moving forward withoutPpl a full accounting of what happened, who was involved, and justice and accountability for those involved. I don’t know how you get there, given how hyper partisan everything is right now on the Republican side.
posted by nubs at 8:11 AM on January 13, 2021 [18 favorites]

They did not expect to have to cope with us as equals again after January 6th.

Perfectly put. I think this was indeed the prevailing mindset of much of this treacherous mob.
posted by SoberHighland at 8:14 AM on January 13, 2021 [10 favorites]

Trump remains largely invisible after Kushner squashes attempts at building fringe social media presence -- CNN

"On the day he will be impeached for a history-making second time, President Donald Trump lacks a comprehensive legal strategy, has nothing on his public schedule and is without his preferred social media methods of responding -- in part because his son-in-law put a stop to efforts establishing his presence on fringe platforms after he was banned from Twitter.

It amounts to near-invisibility for the President at the most perilous moment of his presidency, which is ending in tumult and dramatic rebuke from members of his own party.

Aides expect Trump to mostly watch the proceedings on television throughout the day. But without Twitter, a campaign rally, a team of lawyers or Republicans willing to defend his actions, Trump is set to weather the historic shaming in subdued fashion."
posted by valkane at 8:14 AM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

I said to my wife over the weekend that the more I read and learned, the more it felt like what happened on the 6th came closer to being a successful coup than we wanted to believe. So far this week, I feel like that’s only becoming more clear.

I don’t know about that. A successful ATTACK, sure. But an actually successful coup would require MILLIONS of people to just give up and go along with it.
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:15 AM on January 13, 2021 [13 favorites]

the word was just scraped into the algae

As always, quality investigative journalism by Algae Zeera
posted by oulipian at 8:15 AM on January 13, 2021 [93 favorites]

VF: Ivanka appears to understand that the insurrection situation is not ideal for her brand
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:18 AM on January 13, 2021 [13 favorites]

But an actually successful coup would require MILLIONS of people to just give up and go along with it.

Sadly, I think there's little doubt that millions would indeed.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 8:19 AM on January 13, 2021 [13 favorites]

I don't have the time/money to actually to this, but if I did, I would form a PAC called "Clowns for Trump." The point would be to organize rainbow themed miming clowns to attend every GOP function -- no talking, no slogans, no signs other than riffs on trump slogans (also rainbow themed). Just the honking of their noses and pretending to cry every time someone starts to yell.

I want the attachment of Trump to the GOP to be permanent until they officially expel him from the party.
posted by nicoffeine at 8:19 AM on January 13, 2021 [17 favorites]

Re: Pizza Inn, I have a very faint connection. Back in the late 1970's and early 1980's my father was the manager for a Pizza Inn, and I still remember him talking about how the owners were missing the boat by refusing to do delivery.

He quit after his store was robbed and corporate was angry that their dinner buffet revenue for that day was down.

So apparently Pizza Inn has always been owned by jerks who make poor business decisions and the tweets are nothing new or out of character.
posted by sotonohito at 8:23 AM on January 13, 2021 [12 favorites]

don’t know about that. A successful ATTACK, sure. But an actually successful coup would require MILLIONS of people to just give up and go along with it.

Fair enough; maybe coup is the wrong word. But the world would be a very different place today if those gallows had been used, and I think it came very close.
posted by nubs at 8:24 AM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

Acting Washington, DC, US Attorney Michael Sherwin details how new federal task forces will go after the Capitol attackers for a range of crimes -- some of which Sherwin says the American people don't even know about yet.
(SL Youtube). If this is a double feel free to flag it.
posted by bluesky43 at 8:26 AM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

I want the attachment of Trump to the GOP to be permanent until they officially expel him from the party.

Until they stop espousing the same things as him in different language too. Basically until the GOP can do the equivalent of intentionally rebuking and giving up the votes of their most racist supporters like the passage of the Civil Rights Act did for the Dems, they're the party of Trump, long after Trump's gone.
posted by jason_steakums at 8:29 AM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

@DavidCornDC: “House Republicans did not use all the time they had in the first part of the #impeachment debate. This means that they ran out of GOPers who wanted to speak. How often does a House member not want television/debate time? Never. This is telling.”
posted by glaucon at 8:29 AM on January 13, 2021 [79 favorites]

The animal had the word “Trump” scraped into its back.

Oh the hewn manatee!

(Sorry. And I'm relieved to read further down that it was only in its surface algae. Still rather off, though.)
posted by Major Clanger at 8:31 AM on January 13, 2021 [51 favorites]

I don't think it's telling at all. It's simply a debate on the rules; the actual debate on impeachment will come later.
As usual, this first vote will be along party lines as it is a procedural vote. Even Rs in favor of impeachment will almost certainly vote 'Nay' in this first round.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 8:32 AM on January 13, 2021

@b_fung (CNN tech reporter):

Google bans all political advertising until "at least" Jan. 21, designating the Capitol riots, the impeachment, and inauguration as a "sensitive event" under its policies.

Google told advertisers in a letter obtained by CNN that it won't allow ads about "candidates, the election, its outcome, the upcoming presidential inauguration, the ongoing presidential impeachment process, violence at the US Capitol, or future planned protests on these topics."

The ban applies to multiple platforms, including YouTube, according to the letter.

posted by gwint at 8:37 AM on January 13, 2021 [22 favorites]

They’re voting on the rule now. “15-minute” (minimum) votes already took way longer than 15 actual minutes, but the House has implemented proxy voting on the floor for COVID reasons. So these votes take even longer than normal. The guy on C-SPAN estimated about 45-50 minutes.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 8:37 AM on January 13, 2021

Judd Legum's Popular Information email list is covering some of the same stuff that Seth Abramson is tweeting about, including the director of the Republican Attorneys General Association's sudden resignation yesterday.
posted by box at 8:39 AM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

And it doesn't really work because Trumpism is the result of white racial resentment*

Yes. And no. As mentioned a few comments later - this should be addressed not just because of this... but to circle around... I could well have lost sight of the forest for the trees. That said, if people understand that (were it the case) and how "big G Gov." is taking care of them, less anger and less lashing out. It's not a perfect formulation, I know that, ...

no, fuckit. You're right. Racists gonna racist.
posted by From Bklyn at 8:39 AM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

Why do I have a feeling that Ivanka is going to come out with a new perfume called "Insurrection."
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 8:40 AM on January 13, 2021 [12 favorites]

All the photos on the FBI website were taken by other rioters and the media who posted them online. I assume that there are security cameras throughout the building? maybe just the usual b/w low res kind but footage that would place people in specific corridors outside difficult-to-find offices?

A few possibilities as to why those images aren't being distributed

As is so often the case with police equipment the cameras or recording equipment were mysteriously off or malfunctioning or the data was erased
The FBI is hiding the capabilities and/or location of internal security recording equipment
The crowd photos, being up close and at head level rather than far away and overhead are just better

posted by Mitheral at 8:41 AM on January 13, 2021 [13 favorites]

For a deeper dive on the intersecting issues of gender, race and economic insecurity that Kutsuwamushi noted above, and how they play into Trumpism, Thomas Edsall has a very good (and characteristically in-depth) column today: "White Riot: How racism, grievance, resentment and the fear of diminished status came together to fuel violence and mayhem on Jan. 6."
posted by PhineasGage at 8:43 AM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

Just out of curiosity, why hasn't Mitch run for president

does Mitch look like someone anyone would want to have a beer with?
posted by philip-random at 8:44 AM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

Just an aside, but I wonder what geo-tags in the Parler leak data have to say about who was in the Capitol building on the 5th.
posted by Catblack at 8:46 AM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

does Mitch look like someone anyone would want to have a beer with?

He looks like someone you could lay eggs on a beach with.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 8:47 AM on January 13, 2021 [87 favorites]

JUST IN: @Airbnb announces it will cancel reservations in the Washington, D.C. metro area during the Inauguration week, and will prevent any new reservations in the Washington, D.C. area from being booked during that time.

All of a sudden Airbnb have a problem with people shitting all over other people's property?
posted by Cardinal Fang at 8:48 AM on January 13, 2021 [34 favorites]

Apologogies for posting something not factually correct.
However what the picture does show is that Boebert is quite happy to associate with and presumably therefore push the views of White Nationalists.
Like the man who bought a shotgun, an assault rifle, a crossbow, a stun gun, and Molotov cocktails to the Capitol. the Molotov cocktails were made of gasoline and melted Styrofoam, a combination designed to ensure they stuck to their targets as they burned.
Sorry America your country is crazed (you know that).
To put this into context:
I don't feel sorry for congress at all. Oh, I'm sorry, did you have to hide under your desk because of guns? Wah wah wah. I've only had to do that six times since kindergarten. School is terrifying. Maybe now they'll pass gun reform." - one of my 9th grade students, today.
Meanwhile; The Pro-Trump Riot Renews Concerns About Extremism in the Military which has a hate group problem.
posted by adamvasco at 8:48 AM on January 13, 2021 [20 favorites]

Apologogies for posting something not factually correct.

That's one of the worst apologies I've ever seen...
posted by Cardinal Fang at 8:50 AM on January 13, 2021 [14 favorites]

Jake Sherman: "NEW .. the right moves on ⁦@RepLizCheney. Just got my hands on this petition which is calling for a special conference to oust the no 3 Republican for supporting impeachment."
posted by cashman at 8:50 AM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

The host on CSPAN notes that military troops haven't been bivouacked in the Capitol building since the US Civil War.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 8:52 AM on January 13, 2021 [23 favorites]

> the right moves on ⁦@RepLizCheney. Just got my hands on this petition which is calling for a special conference to oust the no 3 Republican for supporting impeachment.

Unity! Don't rush to judgement! There's not enough time for this process!

Is hypocrisy the only value left in the GOP?
posted by nicoffeine at 8:54 AM on January 13, 2021 [29 favorites]

Klete Keller, a swimmer and two-time Olympic gold medal winner for the United States, was recognized by former teammates and coaches as one of the participants in the deadly pro-Trumb mob that overtook the Capitol last week

this thread is moving at lightspeed, but I can't believe we're not pausing to speculate on Mr. Keller's middle initial.
posted by martin q blank at 8:56 AM on January 13, 2021 [48 favorites]

"The guy behind Home Depot dumps Trump (side note: he already pocketed his super-rich folks tax cut so surely it's much easier to be outraged now...) but this does signal Trump's isolation will be profound after January 20th." -- Joy Reid
posted by valkane at 8:57 AM on January 13, 2021 [10 favorites]

Is hypocrisy the only value left in the GOP?

Yes, yes it is.
posted by deadaluspark at 8:57 AM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

I can't believe we're not pausing to speculate on Mr. Keller's middle initial.

It’s D! He’s a Democrat! Antifa was there!!! /s
posted by glaucon at 8:59 AM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

Would it be possible to tone down the jokes and sarcasm in this particular discussion? I know that they're coping mechanisms and we all desperately need as much help coping with these events as we can get but it makes it difficult to follow the incredibly serious information that is being uncovered and analyzed on what appears to be a pivotal historical series of events that are still unfolding. Thanks!
posted by ElKevbo at 9:04 AM on January 13, 2021 [53 favorites]

Assuming the impeachment resolution is passed today, what's the timetable for the next steps? Last I heard, McConnell said they wouldn't even have them presented to the Senate until the 20th at the earliest (due to their current calendar), but I also saw references to a variety of procedural options to accelerate that. Is there some guide to the variety of scenarios?
posted by MrGuilt at 9:07 AM on January 13, 2021

Imagine being so afraid of the leader of *your own* political party and his murderously violent followers that you're afraid to publicly cast a vote to remove him from office.
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:08 AM on January 13, 2021 [49 favorites]

I assume that there are security cameras throughout the building?

MSNBC, at least, was showing quality live video from the rotunda during the attack. One commentator joked that it was the Franklin (or whomever) cam. That is, from a particular statue's POV. At some point they lost the feed.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 9:09 AM on January 13, 2021

Andy Biggs (AZ) drafted the petition and, naturally, Jim Jordan is first out the gate in support...
posted by deeker at 9:10 AM on January 13, 2021

If you want to joke or vent, please head over to the fuckity fuck fuck fuck this shit thread.
posted by tiny frying pan at 9:12 AM on January 13, 2021 [20 favorites]

The events of the past week have been destructive in a million different ways, but one of them is that the chaos has overshadowed all of the advocacy and planning aimed at implementing policy changes and fixing things from day one. For instance, a group of public defenders is presenting a plan for immigration justice right now, but many if not most of the people who would be listening have their attention elsewhere. We are very effectively being held hostage and prevented from getting to the staggering amount of work that needs to be done.
posted by evidenceofabsence at 9:17 AM on January 13, 2021 [30 favorites]

Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC)

Massive barricade and fencing went up overnight at the @VP residence. The entire perimeter of the Naval Observatory is now behind the barricades. I am from here, never seen this before in my life.

-

Disney won't make political donations to lawmakers who voted to object to Electoral College certification. . . . for one whole non-election year (only 2021).

In the 2020 cycle, Disney donated $1000 to Rick Scott and $2000 to Josh Hawley's Leadership PAC. (Ref. 1, 2. Emphasis mine.)

-

Chris Stanton Georgia, a bank manager (confusingly from Georgia as well as named Georgia) who had been charged in the Capitol insurrection thing, has killed himself in his home. He had been charged with misdemeanor unlawful entry of public property, and had given a plea of not guilty. (Ref.)
posted by Spathe Cadet at 9:17 AM on January 13, 2021 [17 favorites]

Hey mefites, I'm going to need that impeach cobbler recipe you were all talking about in the Georgia threads.
posted by adept256 at 9:19 AM on January 13, 2021 [21 favorites]

If You Don't Like These Principles, McConnell Has Others

McConnell's move will, however, probably persuade wealthy donors who are wary of the GOP after last week's riot that the party has nothing whatsoever to do with those awful MAGA types. It will also persuade the mainstream media that Republicans aren't the Trump party, even though they were until just a week ago.

So Democrats will do the heavy lifting, a few Republicans in the House and Senate will join them, Trump won't be convicted, but the GOP will get brownie points for distancing itself from Trump even as the majority of its members continue to back him, tacitly or overtly. I guess that's what McConnell wants.

I do hope this analysis is wrong, but I am not counting any votes until they're recorded.
posted by tonycpsu at 9:20 AM on January 13, 2021 [15 favorites]

Chris Stanton Georgia, a bank manager (confusingly from Georgia as well as named Georgia) who had been charged in the Capitol insurrection thing, has killed himself in his home. He had been charged with misdemeanor unlawful entry of public property, and had given a plea of not guilty. (Ref.)

This is blood on Trump's hands. He deluded the vulnerable into thinking they were soldiers on the side of the righteous, and they aren't able to handle it when their entire world crashes down. I expect there will be more like this.
posted by schoolgirl report at 9:24 AM on January 13, 2021 [28 favorites]

naturally, Jim Jordan is first out the gate in support

Jordan was given valuable time this morning by his party, which he used to again to allege election fraud, instead of dealing with the issue of last week's terrorist attack and why Trump is being impeached. His most recent act of treachery again reminds me that the GOP will never act in good faith, by putting up these people to speak for their party, but it is even more shocking to witness when America faces such a serious, existential crisis.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 9:26 AM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

Earlier in thread in was asked about the Parler GPS data and the insurrection. Gizmodo has a piece about this that’s worth reading. The Parler hack was seriously brilliant.
posted by misterpatrick at 9:28 AM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

I expect there will be more like this.

Regarding this man's suicide, sure, this happens when a cult collapses. God help them.

He was lied to by people he should have been able to trust. Fucking liars.
posted by adept256 at 9:29 AM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

Follow-up on the AirBnB news above:

Kaelyn Forde (@kaelynforde)

#AirBnB announced in a statement Wednesday it had also removed the accounts of "individuals who are either associated with known hate groups or otherwise involved in the criminal activity at the Capitol Building, and they have been banned from Airbnb’s platform."
posted by Spathe Cadet at 9:30 AM on January 13, 2021 [22 favorites]

schoolgirl report: "This is blood on Trump's hands. He deluded the vulnerable into thinking they were soldiers on the side of the righteous, and they aren't able to handle it when their entire world crashes down. I expect there will be more like this."

The double quote at the end of that article is the most succint summary of white panic at losing status and privilege I think I've ever seen:

A neighbor told The Sun, “He was a loving father. I never heard him speak badly to anyone about anyone. Always had a smile and loved cutting his own grass.”

His ex-mother-in-law told the publication, “He wasn’t political at all then that I remember but that was not a political time, times have changed.”

For pretty much everyone else in the US, 'that was not a political time' has never been true.
posted by Happy Dave at 9:32 AM on January 13, 2021 [44 favorites]

The Parler hack was seriously brilliant.

The Hacker Who Archived Parler Explains How She Did It (and What Comes Next)
The hacker, donk_enby, explained that she only scraped what was publicly available: "I hope that it can be used to hold people accountable and to prevent more death."

Ironically, I hope we never find out who donk_enby is, for their own sake. We owe them a lot for a job well done.
posted by adept256 at 9:33 AM on January 13, 2021 [56 favorites]

I just wanted to note something about Seth Abramson, who was referred to way above several times thanks to a theory he has about the Capitol riots. He may be right. Still, people who take shortcuts or are sloppy make me uncomfortable.

Below I have highlighted the shortcut Abramson took in his long thread. Notice how he went from, essentially, "we don't know if that creepy dude was actually invited to the White House" to "dude was totally invited" in two sentences across the end of one tweet and the beginning of another.

That alone makes me suspicious of relying too heavily on anything he says. IMHO, we all need to be careful about trusting the sources of any seemingly important information, including this guy, unless we know they are good at their jobs/information gathering/whatevs. Because even the experienced folks screw up.

19/ On December 12, the leader of the Proud Boys went to the White House, saying in advance of his trip (on social media) he had been "invited" there. Team Trump claimed that he had merely been on a Christmas tour of the White House. The truth of the matter still remains unknown.

20/ 7 days after the Proud Boy leader visited the White House by invitation, a Trump rally scheduled by a pro-Trump dark money group was moved to January 6. Within minutes, Trump was promoting it, saying that it'd be "wild." It had Proud Boy ally Stone's "tagline" attached to it.
posted by Bella Donna at 9:33 AM on January 13, 2021 [41 favorites]

Just letting people know there's a separate thread about the Parler hack.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:36 AM on January 13, 2021 [14 favorites]

A process/protocol question if anyone knows the answer: In today's debate both Steny Hoyer and Nancy Pelosi were yielded "one minute" to speak but spoke more than that, clearly with the approval of the entire House. Is that a way of giving the leaders extra time to speak while the clock is stopped, or what?
posted by mono blanco at 9:39 AM on January 13, 2021

Every single one of the ones identified as participants is throwing up the "OK" white power signal.

I know this is a nitpick -- and ultimately a distinction without a difference -- but the "III%-er" symbol, which predates the use of the "OK" white power symbol is the one they're throwing here. The distinction generally is the III%-er symbol is palm facing inward, and the "OK" symbol is typically palm facing outward. It's a fine distinction, especially since the III%-ers are part and parcel of the white supremacist movement, but probably worth noting. This is per JJ McNab on twitter (whose opinion on such things I generally trust).
posted by tclark at 9:40 AM on January 13, 2021 [7 favorites]

They don’t ever cut off the Majority Leader, the Minority Leader, or the Speaker.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 9:43 AM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

“The House impeachment process seeks to legitimize a snap impeachment totally void of due process,” [Lindsey] Graham said in a statement Wednesday. “No hearings. No witnesses. It is a rushed process that, over time, will become a threat to future presidents. As to Senate leadership, I fear they are making the problem worse, not better.” He added: “The last thing the country needs is an impeachment trial of a president who is leaving office in one week.”

[snip]

Graham, meanwhile, cited the potential for even more violence as among the reasons why lawmakers should hold off on impeaching the president. “Supporting the impeachment of President Trump under these circumstances will do great damage to the institutions of government and could invite further violence at a time the President is calling for calm,” he said. “If there was a time for America’s political leaders to bend a knee and ask for God’s counsel and guidance, it is now.”

Graham also took aim at fellow Republicans who have thrown their support behind impeachment, arguing that they “are doing great damage not only to the country, the future of the presidency, but also to the party.”

YOU are a witness, Senator Graham, you addled centipede. You literally witnessed an insurrection that put your personal safety in grave danger.

The President is not calling for calm. God is not in charge of guiding the political leadership of this country. And WTF damage can impeachment do to the government that is worse than tolerating an armed mob attacking the Capitol? Goddamn, I know Lindsey Graham is the undisputed champion of talking out both sides of his mouth, but this cowardice is beyond the pale even for him.
posted by desuetude at 9:44 AM on January 13, 2021 [44 favorites]

Can't watch Jim Jordan speak because is honestly driving my blood pressure to unhealthy levels. If anyone can stomach it and he actually says something significant (although who are we kidding) please recap here.

Here is my plea to all the Democrats: please keep it simple. Repetition is important, and even though you all have the same general talking point, parsing it in different ways makes it harder for the message to be 100% crystal clear. No unnecessary tangents. Stick within the timeline that is presented: "The president voluntarily held an event and assembled a large crowd the same day the election was to be certified. He whipped that crowd into a frenzy and they became a violent mob. That mob stormed the Capitol while screaming 'Hang Mike Pence' and threatened the entire Congress. They murdered a police officer. They MURDERED a police officer."

Stick to the most salient, simplest points. Because every idiot in this country is going to both sides this the minute someone says something "slightly" different and oh my god what if this is just partisan and oh no? Stick to simplicity, repeat, repeat, repeat. Let's beat them at their own game with clear, vindictive soundbites.
posted by andruwjones26 at 9:44 AM on January 13, 2021 [30 favorites]

Oh man, why did it have to be Gymnasium Jordan? I had enough of him the last time we did this.
posted by Gray Duck at 9:44 AM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

While DC barricades itself after a coup attempt that breached the Capitol building, Jim Jordan is on the floor of that same building talking about the Wright Brothers and the dangers of "cancel culture".
posted by nicoffeine at 9:46 AM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

"This is blood on Trump's hands. He deluded the vulnerable into thinking they were soldiers on the side of the righteous, and they aren't able to handle it when their entire world crashes down. I expect there will be more like this."

Kool-Aid may have been involved.
posted by JackFlash at 9:47 AM on January 13, 2021

Wow, real touch of class with that mask of yours, McClintock. Death cult.
posted by wordless reply at 9:50 AM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

If cancel culture worked, Jim Jordan, aider and abettor of the sexual abuse of OSU athletes, would not hold a position in government.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 9:51 AM on January 13, 2021 [77 favorites]

Can't watch Jim Jordan speak because is honestly driving my blood pressure to unhealthy levels. If anyone can stomach it and he actually says something significant (although who are we kidding) please recap here.

I turned it off right at the beginning when he said something about how there was going to be a "peaceful transition" between administrations. That ship has sailed, dude. The transition has officially not been peaceful.
posted by damayanti at 9:51 AM on January 13, 2021 [36 favorites]

Lindsay Graham and Jim Jordan and all the rest sure use a lot of nonsense words to pretend not to say "we wish that the coup succeeded and we believe that we're the rightful rulers of America and the world at large."
posted by jason_steakums at 9:52 AM on January 13, 2021 [7 favorites]

I just wanted to note something about Seth Abramson, who was referred to way above several times thanks to a theory he has about the Capitol riots. He may be right. Still, people who take shortcuts or are sloppy make me uncomfortable.

Below I have highlighted the shortcut Abramson took in his long thread. Notice how he went from, essentially, "we don't know if that creepy dude was actually invited to the White House" to "dude was totally invited" in two sentences across the end of one tweet and the beginning of another.

I read Seth Abramson's 'Proof of Collusion,' and he uses these kinds of shortcuts with... let's call it noticeable regularity. He's good about sourcing, but he has a tendency to draw solid lines where I'd probably use a dotted.

After compare-and-contrasting it with a few other Trump/Russia books, I declined to read Abramson's follow-ups, 'Proof of Conspiracy' and 'Proof of Corruption.' I still follow him on Twitter, though.

(If you must read a Trump/Russia book, I suggest either Craig Unger's 'House of Trump, House of Putin' or Isikoff/Corn's 'Russian Roulette.' Harding's 'Collusion' was overtaken by current events, 'The Apprentice' and 'Trump/Russia: A Definitive History' not as well-written, and, if in 2021, you feel like you must read a Trump /Russia book, 'Dirty Rubles' is too short.)
posted by box at 9:52 AM on January 13, 2021 [13 favorites]

Jesus, Trump sat for 6 hours watching a house burn down and did nothing even as multiple people entreated him to do so. If that is not evidence of either culpability or malice I don't know what is.
posted by benzenedream at 9:53 AM on January 13, 2021 [18 favorites]

“Every panic button in my office had been torn out — the whole unit,” she said, though they could come up with no rationale as to why. She had used them before and hadn’t switched offices since then.

Regarding the missing panic buttons, my experience with these devices in a professional corporate capacity (mostly conducting monthly checks and responding when they are activated) suggests a few thoughts to consider.

These panic buttons would certainly send a signal to a central law enforcement location, probably monitored by a dispatch staff. There are probably many other sensor inputs connected to this network, including glass-break sensors, door alarms, fire alarms, etc.

If these panic buttons function like the ones I have interacted with, then their removal would almost certainly show a "device offline" status in the security system, including date and time of the offline status.

If these panic buttons were offline for legitimate reasons, such as a furniture/office move or a device failure, then there would be a service case record, combined with a notification to the central office of the offline device.

In the absence of additional facts about this particular detail, I hope that more information is forthcoming, to more clearly depict what may have happened there. It's also possible that this may not get any more pubic discussion, since it would get into some pretty specific details about security infrastructure.
posted by JDC8 at 9:54 AM on January 13, 2021 [72 favorites]

"Surreal split-screen right now:

1. Rep. Jim Jordan blaming liberals for the end of free expression in America, because tech companies are removing social media accounts

2. Republican lawmakers saying they’re afraid of being killed if they vote their conscience to impeach" -- Derek Thompson, The Atlantic
posted by valkane at 9:57 AM on January 13, 2021 [36 favorites]

It's easy to resolve - Republican lawmakers are afraid of being killed by the free expression of Jim Jordan and Trump's ideas
posted by benzenedream at 10:01 AM on January 13, 2021 [15 favorites]

Someone in McConnell's office just leaked that he won't reconvene the Senate on Friday. If so, no trial until the inauguration.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 10:02 AM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

Dems seem to be keeping it simple: There was insurrection. It was conducted by a mob. The mob was led by Trump. He violated his oath to the Constitution. He is a danger to the public and the country and needs to be impeached.

We may well need more impeachment trials, when this is all over, but this is a good start.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 10:02 AM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

CNN:

DC Police Chief Robert Contee said on Wednesday that more than 20,000 National Guard members could be expected in the District for President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, though he noted the final numbers will be provided by the United States Secret Service.

Multiple defense officials tell CNN that the total request for National Guard is close to 30,000 guardsmen to support US Capitol Police, Park Police and Washington Metropolitan Police Department but officials believe that the actual number needed is closer to 20,000.
posted by Spathe Cadet at 10:04 AM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

Rep. Lesko from Arizona arguing that it's wrong to rush something through the house at the eleventh hour purely for political reasons. Amy Coney Barrett, anyone?
posted by essexjan at 10:06 AM on January 13, 2021 [26 favorites]

Mo Brooks would like you to know that any attempt to link him to the failed insurrection is "vicious and scurrilous."

This isn't his first rodeo. Remember back in October 2019, Brooks and Jordan and two dozen other House Republicans in a mob stormed the confidential hearing in a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) where Republican and Democratic congressional members had been taking testimony from Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper.

Brooks gave an incendiary speech before joining the non-committee Republicans forcing their way into the hearing in which he demanded, "By golly, if they are going to do it, do it in public. Don’t hide it from the American people" as the conservatives rammed into the top secret SCIF with prohibited cell phones taking selfies.

One committee member said, "It was the closest thing I've seen around here to mass civil unrest as a member of Congress."

The closest thing? Well things just got a hell of a lot closer. They keep moving the window for irresponsible behavior with no consequences and here we are.

Speech of incitement followed by angry mob attack. I think I see a pattern here.
posted by JackFlash at 10:07 AM on January 13, 2021 [55 favorites]

Someone in McConnell's office just leaked that he won't reconvene the Senate on Friday. If so, no trial until the inauguration.

McConnell is a coward (we knew this) who is trying to have it both ways. He can claim to hold Trump accountable by having the trial and even finding him guilty (but with what consequences), but he doesn't have to actively do it (he'll be minority leader by then). It also allows Trump supporters to say this is a "Biden Witch Hunt of the prior administration." They even can open the door to retroactive impeachment of Biden, just 'cause.
posted by MrGuilt at 10:11 AM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

> Rep. Lesko from Arizona arguing that it's wrong to rush something through the house at the eleventh hour purely for political reasons. Amy Coney Barrett, anyone?

Of course it's for political reasons. That's how...having a government...works. Do any of these Republicans remember what words mean?
posted by desuetude at 10:12 AM on January 13, 2021 [17 favorites]

> Rep. Lesko from Arizona arguing that it's wrong to rush something through the house at the eleventh hour purely for political reasons. Amy Coney Barrett, anyone?

"If it wasn't for bad faith, I wouldn't have no faith at all."
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:14 AM on January 13, 2021 [26 favorites]

I am very interested in McConnell's attempts to salvage the GOP from the wreckage. I'm just pushing back on selective leaks that might be part of that effort. Hi, Ms. Haberman!

Whenever Maggie starts to anthropomorphize Republicans, you know they're up to no good. They're like the toys in Toy Story.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 10:17 AM on January 13, 2021 [10 favorites]

WaPo has been killin' it with the subtle sarcasm. From their post on Jim Jordan's comments:

"You can’t have a debate in this country,” he added as he opened Wednesday’s floor debate. He bemoaned “the cancel culture that only allows one side to talk."
posted by desuetude at 10:17 AM on January 13, 2021 [43 favorites]

woah, Jamie Raskin is a rising star!
posted by mumimor at 10:19 AM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

Matt Gaetz is Trevor from "The Good Place", full-stop.
posted by riverlife at 10:23 AM on January 13, 2021 [17 favorites]

My suspicion is that McConnell will not only stall the Senate trial until Biden's term begins, he'll make sure it goes slow so Biden can't accomplish anything for the first six to ten weeks.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:27 AM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

McConnell won't be Majority Leader shortly.
posted by PhineasGage at 10:27 AM on January 13, 2021 [22 favorites]

McConnell is a coward (we knew this) who is trying to have it both ways. He can claim to hold Trump accountable by having the trial and even finding him guilty (but with what consequences), but he doesn't have to actively do it (he'll be minority leader by then).

Yeah, I can't believe I remotely got my hopes up that he was going to hold a trial before Jan 20. He was never going to do anything bold, at least not before the new boss gets in town.

The only hope I have for the timing of him saying it now, while the debate is underway and well before the voting, is perhaps this allows Rs in more purple districts to vote for impeachment. They can retroactively justify it like "I had to vote my conscience, but was assured there would not be a trial this week" or some other BS. At the end of the day, McConnell et al will never hand the Democrats anything close to a win. They'll both-sides this to death and continue to hold the football like Lucy setting up the kick, and treat us like Charley Brown the minute they can get away with it (and enough donors have been convinced). These people will never change.
posted by andruwjones26 at 10:27 AM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

I am very impressed by Raskin.
posted by all about eevee at 10:28 AM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

I think Raskin has been named Lead Impeachment Manager.
posted by all about eevee at 10:31 AM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

McConnell's actions should be interpreted through the lens of what he wants to do -- punish Trump and scrape off the people who said the quiet part out loud with their signs and their fists. He wants the money and respectability back, and he will cooperate with the Democrats just as far and no farther.

The next few weeks will be full of unrest, I'm afraid, because either some powerful people will get arrested, enraging the mob, or they will not get arrested, allowing the infection to set in and destroy the country in as soon as two years.
posted by Countess Elena at 10:32 AM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

I am not okay with all of these passive-voice references to "the loss" of officers in the insurrection who "died." For fuck's sake, Officer Sicknick was murdered by a mob; he was beaten to death.
posted by desuetude at 10:36 AM on January 13, 2021 [53 favorites]

i see valkane's link to a tweet about it, but don't see a direct link to Materials in Support of H. Res. 24, Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for High Crimes and Misdemeanors, Report By the Majority Staff of the House Committee on the Judiciary, in this thread.
posted by 20 year lurk at 10:37 AM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

Pro tip: If you want to know what Mitch McConnell is going to do, try to imagine whatever will give the greatest advantage to the Republican Party. I literally laughed out loud when reading speculation that McConnell was leaking word he might support impeachment because he had finally reached the end of his patience with Trump, or because Trump had 'insulted' him.

Just as Trump has no shame, McConnell has no feelings. He's the most disciplined cultivator and exerciser of political power in our lifetimes. The only reason he would turn on Trump is because he knows he has squeezed the last drop of political juice out of the desiccated orange.
posted by PhineasGage at 10:40 AM on January 13, 2021 [37 favorites]

Matt Gaetz is Trevor from "The Good Place", full-stop.

Strikes me as more of a Brent, personally. Trevor was at least devious and tricky.
posted by lazaruslong at 10:41 AM on January 13, 2021 [6 favorites]

Lauren Boebert is terrifying. Starting her 1 minute with "Glory To God!" and then saying that the Democrats are the ones requesting unity.
posted by austinetsu at 10:43 AM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

Pro tip: If you want to know what Mitch McConnell is going to do, try to imagine whatever will give the greatest advantage to the Republican Party.

How do you account for him blocking the $2k COVID assistance? It seems like a decision that cost the GOP Georgia and the Senate majority. To be clear, I think McConnell is a craven operative who will do whatever most benefits himself and is only jumping on the impeachment train becasue he thinks it's useful, but I struggle to reconcile the COVID aid decision with the political mastermind described in this thread.
posted by Emily's Fist at 10:46 AM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

Pro tip: If you want to know what Mitch McConnell is going to do, try to imagine whatever will give the greatest advantage to the Republican Party

Removing Trump from office and starting the clock on fading him from memory would be the greatest advantage to the Republican Party. So Mitch is fucking his team up by sitting on this.
posted by sideshow at 10:46 AM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

Matt Gaetz looks like the new VP the company hires six days before layoffs start.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:46 AM on January 13, 2021 [31 favorites]

Matt Gaetz is Trevor from "The Good Place", full-stop.

I've always seen him as Jonah Ryan from Veep...
posted by sriracha at 10:46 AM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

From the House judiciary committee PDF linked by 20 year lurk (p. 36), with emphasis mine:

Simply put, President Trump has no free speech defense. President Trump is not a private citizen, free to say whatever he wants without accepting the consequences or recognizing the effects it might have on our system of government. As the head of the Executive Branch, his words can shake the nation — and so he is held to a higher standard than private citizens. Moreover, when it comes to the impeachment power, the question is not whether the President was free to say what he said. It is whether he has engaged in conduct that threatens the constitutional order.

posted by runcifex at 10:46 AM on January 13, 2021 [23 favorites]

Watching the impeachment conversation not long ago, a Repub from Oklahoma said something about 'sad loss of 6 lives' - is that including the erstwhile suicide of the above linked 53 yo man in his basement, do you think?

Speaking of suicide, I can't believe how tenacious Jamie Raskin is throughout all this, as his son Tommy recently completed suicide a week ago or so. Unbelievably sad. I can't image coping with that, meanwhile, your colleagues are attempting further gaslighting regarding "healing" etc.
posted by erattacorrige at 10:46 AM on January 13, 2021 [17 favorites]

Republican lawmakers saying they’re afraid of being killed if they vote their conscience to impeach

Any Representative who votes against impeachment needs to be asked, point blank: "Did you vote against impeachment because you believe Trump is innocent? Or did you vote against impeachment because you feared violence against you and your family?"
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:47 AM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

Lauren Boebert bringing some real Sarah Palin energy.
posted by all about eevee at 10:48 AM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

Whoa, Newhouse (my rep) voting against party. Way to go Dan!
posted by St. Oops at 10:48 AM on January 13, 2021 [16 favorites]

Massive barricade and fencing went up overnight at the @VP residence. The entire perimeter of the Naval Observatory is now behind the barricades. I am from here, never seen this before in my life.

It's bad enough that the Vice President should need this kind of protection from anyone.

It's utterly horrific that the Vice President should need this kind of protection from supporters of the President.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 10:49 AM on January 13, 2021 [21 favorites]

I was born and raised in Colorado's third district, which even all these 40+ years later still contains fewer humans than DC, where I live now. It's a great big messy place, full of some incredible people and some amazing territory. I am just so saddened that with the opportunity for significantly more meaningful and powerful representation in Congress than I currently have, these people chose Lauren Boebert.
posted by aspersioncast at 10:49 AM on January 13, 2021 [14 favorites]

Watching the impeachment conversation not long ago, a Repub from Oklahoma said something about 'sad loss of 6 lives' - is that including the erstwhile suicide of the above linked 53 yo man in his basement, do you think?

I think/hope he was referring to the cop who was on duty that day who later killed himself. Of course, the ambiguity might be intended...
posted by gtrwolf at 10:52 AM on January 13, 2021

[Graham] added: “The last thing the country needs is an impeachment trial of a president who is leaving office in one week.”

No. The last thing the country needed was an incitement to insurrection by a president who was leaving office in two weeks.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 10:56 AM on January 13, 2021 [86 favorites]

Upthread, I said I was curious about the Republican excuses for not voting for impeachment. Well, that curiosity is now stuffed to the point of nausea. I had to turn off the live stream for the sake of my health -- I didn't sleep last night and it can't happen again. I'm not religious, but when I see something like that, I really hope I am wrong and that there is a hell for them.
posted by mumimor at 10:59 AM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

Matt Gaetz is Trevor from "The Good Place", full-stop.

I've always seen him as Jonah Ryan from Veep...

So a caricature of a caricature of Ted Cruz then.
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 11:03 AM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

How do you account for him blocking the $2k COVID assistance?

The GOP's message is that the government directly helping it's citizens doesn't benefit the nation. Any interference in the free market will ~~make the potato famine worse~~ only make the economy worse.

That message is bullshit and allowing the government to make $2k stimulus payments would show it for the lie that it is MUCH more clearly than $600 payments costing the GOP votes.
posted by VTX at 11:09 AM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

How do you account for him blocking the $2k COVID assistance? It seems like a decision that cost the GOP Georgia and the Senate majority. To be clear, I think McConnell is a craven operative who will do whatever most benefits himself and is only jumping on the impeachment train becasue he thinks it's useful, but I struggle to reconcile the COVID aid decision with the political mastermind described in this thread.

My guess is he thought Georgia would pull through and was queuing up for deficit hawking.
posted by leotrotsky at 11:13 AM on January 13, 2021 [6 favorites]

How do you account for him blocking the $2k COVID assistance?

I've been trying to figure that one out as well. McConnell is no idiot, and he is among the absolute tip-top of savvy political schemers in pursuit of his party and its agenda. The only explanation I have is he flubbed this one.
posted by tclark at 11:15 AM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

I feel like calls for "unity" translate into "shut up, bitches." It's kinda like when your ex wants to be "friends" and that really means "you're not mad at me, right?" except so much worse.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:16 AM on January 13, 2021 [20 favorites]

Because if you give people money they have choices. They don't want us to have choices.
posted by winna at 11:17 AM on January 13, 2021 [17 favorites]

Department of Defense says they will review troops deployed to Biden inauguration to ensure they don’t have sympathies to domestic terrorists — meaning the US govt is now trying to prevent a military coup.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:17 AM on January 13, 2021 [55 favorites]

dismiss him, now, as a caricature at risk.

Yeah, I have this horrible feeling that if we go with the "Healing/Unity/Forward Not Backward" thing, we're pretty much guaranteeing a President Gaetz or Hawley or Cotton in the very near future.
posted by lord_wolf at 11:17 AM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

Army Will Not Screen All National Guardsmen Deploying to DC for Extremist Sympathies
posted by CrystalDave at 11:18 AM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

"Unity" is really disingenuous, yeah. Unity in...what...exactly? Unity in returning to their regularly-scheduled partisan fighting over legislation?
posted by desuetude at 11:20 AM on January 13, 2021

To me, unity 2021 is conceding that not all white people are evil. If anyone wants more than that, they can start putting in the effort to prove it.
posted by snofoam at 11:24 AM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

CrystalDave, I saw that too but it's from the day before the reports saying they now will screen after all. Lowell, whose tweet I linked, is a reporter, but I have no source yet from a publication or official source.

EDIT: a daily newspaper out of SLC has this as a story.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:24 AM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

"Unity", ie we tell people the election was a fraud and the government is illegitimate, meet us half-way here.
posted by adept256 at 11:25 AM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

Lawmakers speak out about Capitol safety concerns following violent riot (CNN):

Democratic Rep. André Carson of Indiana also shared how law enforcement failed him because he had to learn through press reports of court proceedings that he was the target of a man accused of bringing bombs and an arsenal to the Capitol last week. Prosecutors found Carson's name on a handwritten note in the possession of Lonnie Leroy Coffman whose truck was parked near the Capitol for hours last Wednesday and contained guns and bombs. Next to Carson's name, the note read, "one of two Muslims in House of Reps." Carson is Muslim.

"It is extremely disturbing to learn from press reports that I was one of several individuals identified in a list of 'good guys' and 'bad guys' targeted for attacks," Carson said in a statement provided to CNN. "As a former law enforcement officer, it is especially disappointing to see the failure of law enforcement officials, including the US Capitol Police, to notify individuals like myself that we were targeted and at risk from the indicted terrorist and his co-conspirators."

I will be asking my reps to push for legislation and/or oversight to make sure that violent threats - against anyone, but especially public officials - are assumed to be serious and credible, and to give them the highest priority for investigation and prosecution.
posted by kristi at 11:25 AM on January 13, 2021 [25 favorites]

i enjoy demeaning jokes about these people too, but gaetz (and many others among those skin-suits filled with vermin) is a _real_ bad guy. he's charismatic, a fairly good speaker, a talented denier of erstwhile-consensual reality, and young. hopefully he'll burn out in corruption and absurdity without harming others (more than he has as a dedicated house rep attack dog), but dismiss him, now, as a caricature at risk.

Same reason I was all like "that's how you get Hawley" and was not impressed with getting a pat on the head. Hawley may have overreached, I dearly hope, but Cotton is also charismatic. When telegenic extremists run and win, I don't think you should shrug and say "oh well, keep your eyes on the median." The clever fascists may only need to get lucky once.
posted by Chef Flamboyardee at 11:25 AM on January 13, 2021 [13 favorites]

[On threats against Republicans who vote in favor of impeachment] "I get it, but some of us just spent the last 2 years taking stances that have led to repeated attempts on our lives - for demanding guaranteed healthcare, immigrant justice, etc.

Sorry if this lacks empathy, but it’s a privilege if this is their first time. They can do one vote." — @AOC
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 11:25 AM on January 13, 2021 [104 favorites]

"Unity" is really disingenuous, yeah. Unity in...what...exactly? Unity in returning to their regularly-scheduled partisan fighting over legislation?

I am reminded in this moment by Daddy H.W. Bush's call for a 'kinder and gentler America' (a million years ago) and the unspoken question it seemed to beg: 'Kinder & gentler than what, exactly?' It still begs the question only we appear to now be less kind and less gentle.
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 11:26 AM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

As someone put it upthread the GoP's idea of "unity" is "we just tried to overthrow the government, now we want you to meet us half way"
posted by mbo at 11:26 AM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

Republican lawmakers saying they’re afraid of being killed if they vote their conscience to impeach

We could've been out of this mess a long time ago if they were able to vote anonymously.
posted by Liquidwolf at 11:27 AM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

The irony of Marjorie Taylor-Greene wearing a mask that says "CENSORED" while she speaks to the nation.
posted by woodvine at 11:29 AM on January 13, 2021 [18 favorites]

"Meet me in the middle," says the unjust man.

You take one step forward.

He takes one step back.

"Meet me in the middle," says the unjust man.
posted by Faint of Butt at 11:29 AM on January 13, 2021 [146 favorites]

DirtyOldTown, the tweet you linked is dated 11 January; CrystalDave's is from 12 January.
posted by Spathe Cadet at 11:30 AM on January 13, 2021

DirtyOldTown, the tweet you linked is dated 11 January; CrystalDave's is from 12 January

Yes. But the follow-up link is from a newspaper article today.

Not much clarity on this, but I sure hope it's the case.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:32 AM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

Trump has released a statement asking his supporters to refrain from a second attempted insurrection...
posted by deeker at 11:32 AM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

We could've been out of this mess a long time ago if they were able to vote anonymously.

This doesn't seem like such a great idea to me, lawmakers are elected and therefore their constituents need to know how they vote in order to make an informed decision about whether to re-elect them.

It seems to me that the republican lawmakers complaining that they're receiving death threats could instead have avoided this situation by either (1) not throwing in with the psycho fringe in the first place or (2) displaying some leadership and steering the party away from sedition. The only way to make amends for not doing anything sooner is do the right thing later (i.e., now).
posted by axiom at 11:34 AM on January 13, 2021 [15 favorites]

>We are very effectively being held hostage and prevented from getting to the staggering amount of work that needs to be done.

This is what narcissist abusers do, Trump will not let go until he is kicked off a metaphorical ledge, and when he catches the ledge, his fingers smashed until he falls; same for all who enable and support him. The whole country (world) is experiencing what abused women have known and experienced forever.

>McConnell is no idiot, and he is among the absolute tip-top of savvy political schemers in pursuit of his party and its agenda. The only explanation I have is he flubbed this one.

Or that even McConnell can't control reality and the actions of millions of people. He had to roll the dice at some point in this whole situation, and I think he took the (pretty good) bet that Georgia would stay red. I don't think he flubbed: I think he got beat.
posted by LooseFilter at 11:34 AM on January 13, 2021 [19 favorites]

I'm really unimpressed with all these twitter hot takes. Every time I click through a source, if one exists, it shows that the twitter user is misrepresenting what has actually been reported. It's one thing to speculate or editorialize but pretty egregious to report speculation as if it's factual.
posted by Emily's Fist at 11:35 AM on January 13, 2021 [28 favorites]

We could've been out of this mess a long time ago if they were able to vote anonymously.

Pressed to imagine a worse idea if at all concerned about accountability to constituents.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 11:36 AM on January 13, 2021 [14 favorites]

Trump has released a statement asking his supporters to refrain from a second attempted insurrection...

A written statement, obviously authored by someone else. (He's definitely, like, tied down and/or drugged in the basement, right? I hope?)
posted by LooseFilter at 11:37 AM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

He's definitely, like, tied down and/or drugged in the basement, right? I hope?

Or, up in the residence trying to kick as many holes in the walls as he can before Biden moves in.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:38 AM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

I wish I shared the confidence and optimism of the people who are stating that this is the beginning of the end of the Republican Party, or that their defense of Trump/the coup attempt is going to damage the GOP's electoral prospects.
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:39 AM on January 13, 2021 [27 favorites]

Ceterum autem censeo Titiatio esse delendam
posted by kirkaracha at 11:41 AM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

re: republicans not voting their conscience because of death threats / threats against their families.

So democrats aren't receiving death threats and/or threats against their families?! Isn't receiving threats kinda like their Thursday if they're men, and just Tuesday if they're women?
posted by nobeagle at 11:41 AM on January 13, 2021 [18 favorites]

We could've been out of this mess a long time ago if they were able to vote anonymously.

Pressed to imagine a worse idea if at all concerned about accountability to constituents.

his doesn't seem like such a great idea to me, lawmakers are elected and therefore their constituents need to know how they vote in order to make an informed decision about whether to re-elect them.

Yeah of course.. I wasn't completely serious.

But the reason many republicans haven't voted for impeachment before now is because they fear trump voters. Hypothetically If they were anonymous they'd have enough courage to do the right thing.
posted by Liquidwolf at 11:44 AM on January 13, 2021

rump has released a statement asking his supporters to refrain from a second attempted insurrection...

"I implore you not to be violent, not to bring two or three knives and gather at the North entrance of the Capitol building. Please don't break through that door and proceed to the third passageway on the right. I ask you not to make a left there and station yourselves at the top of the staircase next to the elevators. By no means should you go downstairs two floors and look for a door that says "Lounge" just to the left of the elevators there..."
posted by rhizome at 11:45 AM on January 13, 2021 [30 favorites]

AirBNB cancels all DC-area reservations for Inauguration week
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:48 AM on January 13, 2021 [13 favorites]

Yeah of course.. I wasn't completely serious.

True—and in all fairness, I do recall this idea of an anonymous vote at the level of the senate being batted around prior to the previous impeachment trial.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 11:51 AM on January 13, 2021

How do you account for him blocking the $2k COVID assistance?

Maybe he's still stuck in the mindset where it's the "blue states" that are having the most trouble with COVID and so it's only the "blue state voters" who actually need the money so screw 'em.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:52 AM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

bet their insurance doesn't cover the FBI/National Guard breaking down the door
posted by mbo at 11:52 AM on January 13, 2021

Trump has released a statement

271 characters; tweeting by press release.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 11:53 AM on January 13, 2021 [19 favorites]

RE: The Turtle and Covid relief. See GOP governors rejecting medicare expansion. It's all drown the government in a bathtub virtue signalling.
posted by Mitheral at 11:54 AM on January 13, 2021 [6 favorites]

271 characters; tweeting by press release.

'Thank you very much' at the end would have been 280 characters exactly. There's how we know Trump didn't write it himself.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 11:58 AM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

Trump has released a statement

Notably it does not tell his supporters to stay home. They will interpret it as "just something he has to say", if they pay any attention to it at all.
posted by jedicus at 11:59 AM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

Whitehouse.gov link, filed under "Law and Justice":

Statement from the President
Issued on: January 13, 2021

In light of reports of more demonstrations, I urge that there must be NO violence, NO lawbreaking and NO vandalism of any kind. That is not what I stand for, and it is not what America stands for. I call on ALL Americans to help ease tensions and calm tempers. Thank You.
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:05 PM on January 13, 2021

The statement doesn’t even say “Donald Trump” anywhere.

This was 100% written as a statement to Congress that he’s playing nice now and they can trust him and to keep pretending his hands are clean and it was all a misunderstanding.
posted by Mchelly at 12:07 PM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

Trump's statement is aimed specifically at reducing his liability. A real call to unity would have stated, at the very least, that the election was not stolen, and call for trials and accountability for anyone who was involved in the insurrection, including anyone who helped plan it.

Pathetic narcissism to the bitter end.
posted by nicoffeine at 12:07 PM on January 13, 2021 [36 favorites]

Real talk how would Trumpies even know about this since it wasn't rage-tweeted by the prez? It's not like they're following Jim Acosta, and you know Fox will mostly ignore it.
posted by aspersioncast at 12:09 PM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

Trump supporters will interpret anything that contradicts them as “he had to say that.”

They are divorced from reality and reality will not bring them back.

It’s like how pointing out all the bad shit Trump does is ineffective against his supporters no matter how depraved he is. They like that he’s depraved, that’s the point.

This is why arguing with his supporters is the wrong tactic. If Trump supporters bring up one of their mendacious circular talking points the correct response is not a rebuttle using facts and figures. They will laugh at you and gleefully warp their own arguments into an incoherent tangle you cannot hope to keep up with.

The correct response to a Trump supporter who tries to bait you into arguing with them is: “Fuck you, nazi.”

These people need to be beat back not reasoned with.
posted by supercrayon at 12:10 PM on January 13, 2021 [32 favorites]

Why are these people incapable of keeping their masks over their little noses?
posted by all about eevee at 12:13 PM on January 13, 2021 [10 favorites]

There's some manic out there counting the letters or measuring the margins in the press release, and finding some hidden message about the STORM or something.
posted by meowzilla at 12:14 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

Calls for Unity make my blood boil. Similar to how during the protests over the summer, the messaging from Biden's camp was how America was "crying out for leadership."

I'm really not interested in Unity, and I'm not crying out for leadership. I want JUSTICE.

The America United inauguration with High Profile Republicans on hand is a mistake. The inauguration should be held virtually in an undisclosed location. Republicans are actively circumventing the metal detectors when entering the Capitol and bragging about being armed, for fuck's sake. This is not the time for Unity. This is the time for Accountability and Justice.
posted by lazaruslong at 12:15 PM on January 13, 2021 [59 favorites]

If there was any seriousness behind the statement, it wouldn't be a short press release -- there would be a signed executive order with the full weight of the office behind it, then a press release about that order.
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:17 PM on January 13, 2021 [15 favorites]

I hear Presidents could easily get TV time to really hammer a message home.
posted by mazola at 12:18 PM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

The Trumpist interpretation of that statement would surely be, “But he didn’t tell us not to come,” and heard as a dog whistle to do exactly that.
posted by blue suede stockings at 12:18 PM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

"It's been impossible to miss today that Republicans have been far more likely to jeer Black women who speak than anyone else." -- Aaron Rupar, Vox
posted by valkane at 12:19 PM on January 13, 2021 [63 favorites]

He didn't even say "leave the guns at home". Seven days is plenty for a change of heart.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 12:19 PM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

I'm really not interested in Unity, and I'm not crying out for leadership. I want JUSTICE.

I am mashing the favorite button so hard on this statement
posted by supercrayon at 12:22 PM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

Capitol rioter pictured with Pelosi lectern promises not to return to DC as lawyer says only a ‘magician’ could get him off (The Independent, Jan. 13, 2021) Adam Christian Johnson, 36, who belongs to Florida, was released on Monday on a bond of $25,000. He was taken into custody last Friday on charges of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and theft of government property, like other rioters. Mr Johnson is supposed to attend the next court hearing [in D.C.] on 19 January, a day before president-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. However, his lawyer Dan Eckhart said that Mr Johnson will not try to attend the inauguration. [...]

More than 160 case files have been opened in relation to the Capitol riots and 70 people have been charged so far, said Michael Sherwin, US Attorney for the District of Columbia in a press conference on Tuesday.
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:23 PM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

I can think of no better way to bring the country to gather than punishing Donald Trump. If you disagree then you are not interested in unifying the country.
posted by interogative mood at 12:24 PM on January 13, 2021 [40 favorites]

If you disagree then you are not interested in unifying the country

The insurrection made it pretty clear that these folks think they _are_ the country.
posted by bfranklin at 12:26 PM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

"What does it mean when they boo the Black congresswoman denouncing white supremacy?" -- Rep. Cori Bush
posted by valkane at 12:27 PM on January 13, 2021 [108 favorites]

Department of Defense says they will review troops deployed to Biden inauguration to ensure they don’t have sympathies to domestic terrorists — meaning the US govt is now trying to prevent a military coup.

if they have any brains they'll outsource this to the kpop fandom ecosystem
posted by Caxton1476 at 12:27 PM on January 13, 2021 [32 favorites]

Mitch McConnell, perpetual political all-star and Hall of Famer, showing the kids how it's done:

Shockingly, Mitch says FETCH, press gives him splash headlines that make him look reasonable, then Mitch backs away quietly. It's almost as if it were completely, 100% predictable and none of these people should get any credit until the check is cashed.

posted by PhineasGage at 12:31 PM on January 13, 2021 [41 favorites]

Mr Johnson is supposed to attend the next court hearing [in D.C.] on 19 January, a day before president-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.

They're scheduling hearings for these insurrectionists on the 19th? IN D.C.?!? What could possibly go wrong with that idea...
posted by mcstayinskool at 12:31 PM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

To the Republican politicians who cite a fear of death threats and violence as a result of voting their conscience: What the fuck do you think your Democratic colleagues are dealing with for bringing it up in the first place? What the fuck do you think the entire event on January 6th was if not a gigantic threat of death?

What the fuck do you think so many less prominent people face on a daily basis for doing something so bold as visibly existing as a woman or person of color or marginalized group in this society?

Grow a conscience and join the fucking club. That's the god damn membership fee, apparently.
posted by Arson Lupine at 12:31 PM on January 13, 2021 [48 favorites]

Aaron Rupar on Twitter

Rep. Richmond's last floor speech: "In the first impeachment, Republicans said, 'we don't need to impeach him because he learned his lesson.' We said if we didn't remove him, he would do it again. Simply put, we told you so. Richmond out."
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 12:32 PM on January 13, 2021 [120 favorites]

/"What does it mean when they boo the Black congresswoman denouncing white supremacy?"

That Republicans are still who they decided to become back in 1964 when they nominated Barry Goldwater on an anti-Civil Rights Act platform.
posted by Pseudonymous Cognomen at 12:34 PM on January 13, 2021 [22 favorites]

Rep. Richmond, as in Cedric, as in Biden's new senior adviser and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:35 PM on January 13, 2021 [17 favorites]

If you disagree then you are not interested in unifying the country

Quo usque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra? Quam diu etiam furor iste tuus nos eludet? Quem ad finem sese effrenata iactabit audacia?

-Cicero
posted by clavdivs at 12:36 PM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

Two of Washington state's three Republicans say they'll vote to impeach. Dan Newhouse (noted above) of Yakima & central WA, and Herrera-Beutler of Vancouver (on the border just north of Portland, OR). I guess we haven't heard from McMorris-Rogers of Spokane, yet.

Analysis on KUOW in Seattle says this is probably a significant political risk for Newhouse as his district is deeply conservative. Herrera-Beutler less so, they think, but I'll note a whole lot of the Proud Boy garbage that hits Portland comes out of her district.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 12:36 PM on January 13, 2021 [12 favorites]

Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill): Never in my time as a criminal defense attorney did I say, "Sure your honor, my guy robbed a bank, but now is a time for healing."
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:38 PM on January 13, 2021 [127 favorites]

The insurrection made it pretty clear that these folks think they _are_ the country.
I think I've described it before, but I'm fairly convinced that conservatism in the US operates under an extension of Herrenvolk Democratic beliefs. (And the 'democratic' part is optional)

They are True/Real Americans. We are not.
What they enact politically is justified, because it's enacted by and for Real Americans. What Obama enacted was not, no matter how much he sought bipartisanship, because he can never be a Real American.
What they want is what's good for America, because they are True Americans. What we want is to be discarded, etc.

By this model, the idea of bipartisan unity only existed while it was helpful to them, and until they thought they could safely discard it. If we keep acting like they're behaving in good faith, it'll only be to our loss.
posted by CrystalDave at 12:43 PM on January 13, 2021 [30 favorites]

Democratic lawmakers warn Capitol rioters had ‘inside assistance’ as details emerge from insurrection (The Independent, Jan. 13, 2021) Probe underway to identify GOP members who gave tours details emerges from 6 January attack. Within the article:

New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said that she avoided sheltering with "QAnon and white-supremacist sympathizers and, frankly, white supremacist members of Congress ... who I know and who I have felt would disclose my location” over fears that lawmakers could “create opportunities to allow me to be hurt, kidnapped, etc.” She said she “didn’t feel safe around other members of Congress.”

“I can tell you that I had a very close encounter where I thought I was going to die,” she said during an Instagram Live broadcast on Tuesday night. “I did not know if I was going to make it to the end of that day alive.”

For the last week, all of these traumatized people have had to be in rooms, on conference calls, and (right now, arguing) at the crime scene with these same bloodthirsty colleagues.
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:44 PM on January 13, 2021 [69 favorites]

And don't forget getting exposed to virus daily as well.
posted by jenfullmoon at 12:51 PM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

For the last week, all of these traumatized people have had to be in rooms, on conference calls, and (right now, arguing) at the crime scene with these same bloodthirsty colleagues.

This. I am still stuck on how they have to see, hear, and be in the same room as the monsters who plotted their murder.

Medals of honor for every House Democrat.
posted by ichomp at 12:51 PM on January 13, 2021 [25 favorites]

non canadian guy: Josh Gerstein on Twitter: BREAKING: Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen takes to YouTube just as president is removed from it. In 1st on camera appearance since Capitol riot, Rosen vows 'no tolerance whatsoever' for violence and other criminality at Biden inauguration.

This was posted yesterday. At the time, I watched Rosen's statement, which was a very strong condemnation of violence and warning, and I thought it was a message that ought to go out. I even thought I liked they guy -- until I looked into him more and saw that the expectation was that he would support Trump even where Barr wouldn't, and which point I was just glad that he had a line he wouldn't cross.

But it was odd that the video was unlisted and had fewer than 3000 views -- hardly the way to get out a warning about how seriously the Department of Justice is taking this issue. Commenters on the thread had a similar take, e.g.

“Why YouTube? He can’t go on TV where the majority of the population will see it? Something is up with this. It’s just utterly bizarre.”

“Because he wasn’t authorized to do it. Trump heads out of town and up goes YouTube, the only mass media his minders can’t physically keep him away from.”

Now, the video has been removed entirely. Perhaps Rosen recorded the video and sent the unlisted (but leaked) link for approval -- and approval was denied. I know that's Seth Abramson-esque reasoning and shouldn't be trusted, but I would like to know what went on there.
posted by brambleboy at 12:52 PM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

Several dozen congressmembers are asking for investigations into the tour groups on January 5.
posted by pixiecrinkle at 12:52 PM on January 13, 2021 [64 favorites]

But the reason many republicans haven't voted for impeachment before now is because they fear trump voters. Hypothetically If they were anonymous they'd have enough courage to do the right thing.

They just had their chance to vote anonymously during the voice vote. But Jim Jordan called for a roll call vote.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 12:56 PM on January 13, 2021 [16 favorites]

Biden's team would be smart to keep all the Trumps far away from the scene, in case he tries an inauguration day "wouldn't it be weird if i was actually still president" move rallying his mob.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 12:57 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

I think I've described it before, but I'm fairly convinced that conservatism in the US operates under an extension of Herrenvolk Democratic beliefs.

I have come to basically this same understanding and it totally fits with US/UK history.

As the colonies grew, back in England society was basically organized into four groups:
1. Kings
2. "Men" (Read: White men who deserve to be in charge)
3. Those that support "Men"
4. Poor people, women, people of color, and everyone else who must be managed by "Men" for their own good

The founders just realized that kings weren't really any different from "Men". And those darn poors just had to come over and start surviving their indentured servitude contracts, striking out on their own, finding success and building wealth. Well damn, now we can't very well argue that the poors are poor because they're just lazy and dumb like we could back in England. So what to do?

~~1. Kings~~
1. "Men" and those that support "Men"
~~3. Those that support "Men"~~ (now merged with 2)
2. Poor people, people of color and women (the latter two basically viewed as property)

And that's basically how it's been ever since and what we're STILL fighting against.
posted by VTX at 1:04 PM on January 13, 2021 [29 favorites]

When imps say "unity" they mean impunity.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 1:07 PM on January 13, 2021 [38 favorites]

AP Exclusive: MLB suspends political donations after DC riot (Jan. 13, 2021) MLB is the first of the major professional sports leagues to say it would alter its lobbying strategy in the wake of the deadly Capitol riots.
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:07 PM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

overheard on my Facebook:

"Just so we’re all clear, Trump committed impeachable offenses from the time he was sworn in. What changed is he became a mortal threat to figures of the white elite."
posted by philip-random at 1:09 PM on January 13, 2021 [64 favorites]

"We're suspending political donations" is some weaselly both-sides bullshit when the insurrectionists are all in one party.
posted by Pseudonymous Cognomen at 1:12 PM on January 13, 2021 [49 favorites]

"We're suspending political donations" is some weaselly both-sides bullshit when the insurrectionists are all in one party.

Absolutely. But money in politics is evil and needs to stop.
posted by mumimor at 1:14 PM on January 13, 2021 [19 favorites]

Corporate money in politics is always a corrosive force, so this type of broad campaign finance reform is a win-win.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 1:17 PM on January 13, 2021 [10 favorites]

Ayanna Pressley's husband, who took shelter in that room with the Sedition Caucus members, has tested positive for Covid-19.
posted by adamg at 1:18 PM on January 13, 2021 [21 favorites]

Just so we’re all clear, Trump committed impeachable offenses from the time he was sworn in. What changed is he became a mortal threat to figures of the white elite.

Originally from Bree Newsome, I think.
posted by Spathe Cadet at 1:18 PM on January 13, 2021 [12 favorites]

(Which way to the fucking fuck thread again? I just went over to CNN, which gave me a choice of Covid Pandemic Live or House Impeachment Vote Live. I feel like one of those is much better than the other, so there's that. Off to bed, hang in there MeFites.)
posted by Bella Donna at 1:22 PM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

Looks like it's official. Now what?
posted by Chaffinch at 1:23 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

What are the chances that today's announcement that US Space Command will move to Huntsville, AL is part of a quid pro quo reward for alleged seditious co-conspirator Mo Brooks?
posted by SpaceBass at 1:23 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

Ayanna Pressley's husband, who took shelter in that room with the Sedition Caucus members, has tested positive for Covid-19.

We just have to assume for the rest of the pandemic that any given Republican has it and is spreading it. We must avoid them like the plague because they are very likely literally carrying it.
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:24 PM on January 13, 2021 [13 favorites]

And, over the top. Donald Trump is responsible for 50% of all presidential impeachments.
posted by stevis23 at 1:25 PM on January 13, 2021 [52 favorites]

So despised they impeached him twice!
posted by oulipian at 1:27 PM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

> Looks like it's official. Now what?

Same thing as the last time Trump was impeached, probably. Bravo to everyone who voted to remove Trump from office, even if it's almost certainly not going to work.
posted by The Card Cheat at 1:27 PM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

Donnie Two-scoops.
posted by valkane at 1:28 PM on January 13, 2021 [51 favorites]

Huntsville Al has been the lead area for rocket research going back to Verner Von Braun.

But yes, all those military bases and NASA being in the south are federally subsidized charity to keep the region afloat.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 1:28 PM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

The President so nice, they impeached him twice.
posted by Going To Maine at 1:28 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

> What are the chances that today's announcement that US Space Command will move to Huntsville, AL is part of a quid pro quo reward for alleged seditious co-conspirator Mo Brooks?

Not much because NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is already there.
posted by at by at 1:29 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

Ah dang it
posted by Going To Maine at 1:29 PM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

Which Dem chose not to vote?
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 1:30 PM on January 13, 2021

This is now the most bipartisan presidential impeachment in American history. - @Alex_Panetta
posted by piyushnz at 1:30 PM on January 13, 2021 [20 favorites]

q: do you remember where you were when president t[nope] was impeached?

a: can you be more specific?
posted by 20 year lurk at 1:30 PM on January 13, 2021 [33 favorites]

This is just a regular reminder that on top of his abhorrent politics, Matt Gaetz is the sort of person who received 16 speeding tickets in a 15 year period and was arrested for driving drunk but was able to use his political connections to get the charges dropped and his driver's license reinstated, despite having refused a breathalyzer test which under Florida law is supposed to result in an automatic one-year suspension. He is as perfect an example of the corrupt good-old-boy as exists, and an exemplar of why even small corruption needs to be taken seriously and rooted out whenever it's found, before it has a chance to fester.
posted by biogeo at 1:31 PM on January 13, 2021 [85 favorites]

Donnie Two-scoops.

Wow, it's been a long 4 years.

Thats_a_name_Ive_not_heard_in_a_long_time.gif
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 1:31 PM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

Hope Hicks has resigned too. Good riddance! - Palmer Report (Twitter)
posted by rambling wanderlust at 1:32 PM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

Which Dem chose not to vote?

I'm not sure they're done yet...are they?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:32 PM on January 13, 2021

They itmfa x2
posted by supercrayon at 1:32 PM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

It’s 231-197 so far, with 10 Republicans voting in favor. (There are 2 vacant seats, and we’re waiting on 5 members to vote.) (Final total 232-197.)

The rule for this resolution also included appointment of managers (H.Res. 40), so there won’t be a separate vote there. Now they have to wait for the Senate to come to work so they can “exhibit the article” and start the trial.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 1:32 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

They sucked his brains out!: "Which Dem chose not to vote?"

I think the livestream showing "1" under "no vote" just means "vote not recorded yet". The NV numbers are going down as yea or nay is announced.
posted by caution live frogs at 1:33 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

Hope Hicks has resigned too.

Fitting that the day of the second impeachment was when this administration finally lost Hope.
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:33 PM on January 13, 2021 [67 favorites]

Jerk former Clinton impeachment manager on PBS immediately pivoting to claiming that, y’know, there really was something fishy in those ballots and we still need to investigate them and have hearings. Just awful.
posted by Going To Maine at 1:34 PM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

(PS: Please stop using small tags here so folks with vision problems can read the comments. Link to relevant MetaTalk here. Thanks again.)
posted by Bella Donna at 1:34 PM on January 13, 2021 [30 favorites]

O great! Other dude pushing back entirely, I am copacetic.
posted by Going To Maine at 1:35 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

Massive barricade and fencing went up overnight at the @VP residence. The entire perimeter of the Naval Observatory is now behind the barricades. I am from here, never seen this before in my life.

It believe Pence really is terrified of Trump and his gangs. Ex-VPs only get six months of Secret Service protection. Those guy who whisked him and his family to safety when the mob attacked are gone in six months. Might explain why he doesn't want to do to much to piss him off.
posted by JackFlash at 1:37 PM on January 13, 2021 [6 favorites]

Pelosi just hit the gavel. 5 Reps didn't vote.
posted by ceejaytee at 1:37 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

I can't believe it. It happened a second time!

James Harden has been traded!
posted by Groundhog Week at 1:37 PM on January 13, 2021 [10 favorites]

Looked like four republicans didn't vote.
posted by valkane at 1:37 PM on January 13, 2021

Better to not vote than vote no under duress.
posted by benzenedream at 1:42 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

The House did their duty.
posted by mazola at 1:44 PM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

I can't believe that I was the first person to update the list of presidential impeachments on Wikipedia. Adding "and again in 2021" kinda made my day.
posted by caution live frogs at 1:44 PM on January 13, 2021 [146 favorites]

Massive barricade and fencing went up overnight at the @VP residence. The entire perimeter of the Naval Observatory is now behind the barricades. I am from here, never seen this before in my life.

-It's awful, but new VP Harris is going to need this more than friggin' Pence.
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:47 PM on January 13, 2021 [34 favorites]

First in popular vote losses
First in impeachments
Last in the hearts of his countrymen
posted by kirkaracha at 1:50 PM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

Two impeachments is going to look really awkward on Donnie's C.V.

Or loan application.

Or application for day parole.
posted by Capt. Renault at 1:51 PM on January 13, 2021 [7 favorites]

>How do you account for him blocking the $2k COVID assistance?
I've been trying to figure that one out as well. McConnell is no idiot, and he is among the absolute tip-top of savvy political schemers in pursuit of his party and its agenda. The only explanation I have is he flubbed this one.

My guesses are:
1) He doesn't personally know anyone for whom $2000 is substantial. He doesn't personally know anyone for whom $2000 is the difference between a roof over their head or homelessness, much less the difference between life and death.

2) He doesn't personally know anyone who's been hard-hit by the shutdowns. Doesn't know anyone who's been trying to find a job for seven months and is increasingly frantic as the six-month unemployment checks have dried up; doesn't know anyone who's trying to work from home with an 8-year-old trying to attend school on a 13" laptop; doesn't know anyone who couldn't visit dying loved ones in the hospital.

In short: he's out of touch with the country at large, in a way that normally doesn't matter for him politically--but became obvious at just the right moment to spur voters in a state he doesn't normally pay much attention to.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 1:56 PM on January 13, 2021 [12 favorites]

In the United States' 243 years, Half of all Presidential Impeachments have been given to Donald John Trump.
posted by Twain Device at 1:57 PM on January 13, 2021 [52 favorites]

Does he get two asterisks after his name now?
posted by May Kasahara at 1:59 PM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

Winning!
posted by Windopaene at 2:00 PM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

History.com: How Many US Presidents Have Faced Impeachment?

Only three U.S. presidents have been formally impeached by Congress—Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. One of those presidents, Donald Trump, was impeached twice during his single term.

UPDATED: JAN 13, 2021 ORIGINAL: OCT 21, 2019
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 2:03 PM on January 13, 2021 [24 favorites]

He's going down in history alright!
posted by symbioid at 2:03 PM on January 13, 2021

Make America Impeach Again
posted by Ahmad Khani at 2:05 PM on January 13, 2021 [7 favorites]

Also re: McConnell and the $2k checks, his talents are smoke-filled-room politics and parliamentary tactics, not so much electoral politics and legislation. He basically runs on being an incumbent Republican in Kentucky using stock Republican talking points so he doesn't need to understand voters any deeper, and his usual trick is just letting Republicans avoid going on the record entirely by just not voting on things, but that wasn't an option with COVID relief legislation.

Like, he's good at his awful work, but like gerrymandering he's good at getting results within the typical parameters and quickly overwhelmed if things get outside of that comfort zone. The man filibustered his own bill when Reid called his bluff.
posted by jason_steakums at 2:06 PM on January 13, 2021 [10 favorites]

I'm taking some real comfort in the fact that if he just could have kept his fucking face shut for two more weeks, he could have retired into the right-wing grift machine and managed to prop up his flailing empire somehow. But now he's doomed his brand and doomed Ivanka's brand and rendered everything called "Trump" so incredibly toxic that he won't be able to do business again (except with dictators and terrorists, and I somehow doubt the US is going to continue to let that shit slide from him like they did the time he laundered money for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards).
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 2:07 PM on January 13, 2021 [51 favorites]

Pseudonymous Cognomen: ""We're suspending political donations" is some weaselly both-sides bullshit when the insurrectionists are all in one party."

Glegrinof the Pig-Man: "Corporate money in politics is always a corrosive force, so this type of broad campaign finance reform is a win-win."

During the ACA fight I said this, that the difference is not in what was paid but what was being sold:

The republicans are selling their devotion to the health care status quo. They sell fearmongering about wait times and people leeching off your hard-earned tax dollars.

Democrats are simply offering their apathy. No one gives them lobbying money expecting them to cry out about the socialist boogeyman; it will suffice to just stay out of the spotlight and let the republicans own the discourse.

Suspending political donations can make republicans less powerful and democrats more progressive.

But it doesn't necessarily do that, which is why we have to impress upon democratic politicans that they can compensate for being defunded by being active advocates for policies that help people.
posted by Riki tiki at 2:07 PM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

This is now the most bipartisan presidential impeachment in American history.

I just looked this up and it's true. Not nearly enough, but I'll fucking take it.
posted by widdershins at 2:08 PM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

Aaaaaand the Honey Drippers are on repeat tonight, baybeeee!
posted by sucre at 2:08 PM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

Something I hadn't seen before - 34 House Democrats call for investigation into Jan. 5 tours by fellow members ahead of attack:

“The tours being conducted on Tuesday, January 5, were a noticeable and concerning departure from the procedures in place as of March 2020 that limited the number of visitors to the Capitol. These tours were so concerning that they were reported to the Sergeant at Arms on January 5,” Sherrill and others wrote.

The tour groups on Jan. 5 were unusual enough that members of Congress noticed and reported them.

Also mentions how no one can find Majority Whip James Clyburn's office ... but the terrorists knew right where it was.
posted by kristi at 2:09 PM on January 13, 2021 [58 favorites]

Twinpeached!
posted by murphy slaw at 2:10 PM on January 13, 2021 [10 favorites]

Meanwhile, Trump is giving a medal to Toby Keith. Words fail me.
posted by TheCoug at 2:10 PM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

"This is STILL all part of the plan."

QAnon, probably
posted by vverse23 at 2:10 PM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

Same thing as the last time Trump was impeached, probably. Bravo to everyone who voted to remove Trump from office, even if it's almost certainly not going to work.

Forgive the no doubt stupid question from an overseas viewer: Won't it be different this time because the trial will be held in a senate where the Dems hold the balance of power?
posted by penguin pie at 2:12 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

Surprised that McConnell won't bring this to a quick vote; it seems the last grift that Trump has is to get the GOP to help him out, or he tears that operation down, as well. Not a good situation for McConnell, when Trump is allowed to keep reminding everyone that the Republican Party is the party of sedition and treason, just as it gets minority status.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 2:12 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

Oh, sorry, my brain answered that the minute I posted it. They need 2/3 of the senate, right?
posted by penguin pie at 2:12 PM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

And that Boebert and all those other reps need to be voted the fuck out for both endangering their cohorts by locking themselves in without a mask and frankly, if I were there, i would have forcibly pushed them out the chamber to meet their wonderful friendly smiling happy constituents who just love them so much.

These fuckers are shady and a fifth column and very rightly so need to be watched constantly.
posted by symbioid at 2:13 PM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

Speaking of telegenics, I literally couldn't hear the Democratic speakers on tv unless I made an effort. The Republican speakers were LOUD and their voices cut through everything else I'm doing (at work), and their message got across. At first I thought it was just Pelosi being old, but even Schiff was quieter and I really wanted to hear him. I have no idea how that happens and I don't feel good about this at all.
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 2:13 PM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

Jesus, did he hand out any arts medals before this? This is a deliberate finger in the eye to the concept of good music. (Before you argue, I am part from Tennessee, a bluegrass fan, and like old country songs.)
posted by Countess Elena at 2:14 PM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

Forgive the no doubt stupid question from an overseas viewer: Won't it be different this time because the trial will be held in a senate where the Dems hold the balance of power?

The trial in the Senate won't begin until after Trump is out of office.
Also it requires a 2/3rds majority to convict, which may be too much. But it may likely be more than one Republican voting to convict this time, anyway.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 2:14 PM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

So, if Trump had led Putin into the Capitol in a failed coup attempt, would the number of Republicans to vote yes on impeachment have grown to, say, 11?

How is it that in the face of this outrageous, planned attack on our governnment by its president less than ten percent of his party's representatives could bring themselves to vote for his impeachment?!? What the actual fuck?!?
posted by riverlife at 2:14 PM on January 13, 2021 [22 favorites]

Hey...if you think you're sharing news here....please double check the thread before posting. It's like deja vu watching people post the same links and news every 20 comments. You are likely not going to be first to post it. That's okay.
posted by tiny frying pan at 2:14 PM on January 13, 2021 [23 favorites]

Penguin Pie no. It takes a 2/3 majority in the Senate to actually punish someone who is impeached.

More important, right now McConnell will have a majority until the two Democrats from Georgia are seated AND whoever is appointed to replace Sen Harris is appointed.

So Mitch and the Republicans will be firmly in control of the Senate of they take up the impeachment quickly. And even if they weren't there still aren't the 66 votes it takes to punish Trump.
posted by sotonohito at 2:15 PM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

He must be totally pumped to have finally beaten a Clinton in something for reals.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:15 PM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

he's doomed his brand and doomed Ivanka's brand

I don't count on that latter. Unless someone brings charges against her, I really am worried about Ivanka running in 2024. She is spot-on for Republican brand of "pretty blonde woman who exists to be someone else's mouthpiece," and they might be able to sell her as "look, her name will be on the paperwork, but you all know who'll really be running the show."

And they'd leave that person unnamed, but vaguely described so's to fit the preferences of each target audience differently.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 2:17 PM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

Speaking of telegenics, I literally couldn't hear the Democratic speakers on tv unless I made an effort. The Republican speakers were LOUD and their voices cut through everything else I'm doing (at work), and their message got across.

Then it is a problem with the audio at your end.

Was perfectly fine—and indeed very audible—on both the NY Times and C-Span stream.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 2:20 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

Ivanka could be imprisoned by 2024.
posted by kiwi-epitome at 2:21 PM on January 13, 2021 [10 favorites]

Now what about all those appointed enablers being held to account?
Amidst all of the Chaos of the past week, one voice inside the White House has remained silent.
Arguably the President's most loyal advisor and one of his longest-tenured employees, Stephen Miller has been in hiding since the aftermath of the January 6th siege on the Capitol. According to a senior White House Official who wished to remain anonymous, Miller entered the private elevator inside the Presidential residence following the day's events, pressed the 'down' button and has not been seen or heard from since. The 'down button' remains illuminated.
posted by adamvasco at 2:22 PM on January 13, 2021 [37 favorites]

this is probably a significant political risk for Newhouse

Yeah, he'll probably get a challenge from the right, but my district's ceiling for dems is maybe 30% and with Washington's primary system, with only two candidates qualifying for final ballot regardless of party he may figure he can squeak by. I gritted my teeth and voted for him when he was up against a nutso Tea-partier a few years ago.

Or maybe he's gunning for Murray's senate seat in 2022.
posted by St. Oops at 2:22 PM on January 13, 2021

And even if they weren't there still aren't the 66 votes it takes to punish Trump.

Keep in mind the last Senate impeachment trial was a farce. If/when the Democrats execute the trial there is going to be all sorts of bad for the GOP evidence presented.
posted by Mitheral at 2:23 PM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

That tracks, Miller has to sleep in his home soil
posted by Countess Elena at 2:24 PM on January 13, 2021 [15 favorites]

None of this in any way "ends" with impeachment or even Trump leaving, except the immediate danger of Trump and a serious deflation of his critical monied support.

There will be violent tragedies which we will all go through. There are millions of fully activated fascists, hundreds of millions of guns, and an empires worth of military equipment just floating about. The only thing that gives me hope is that the large bulk of the security apparatus appears to be quite against this and is publicly outing and reprimanding/arresting their members who took part. Also, if you read between the lines I feel there seems to be some kind of a real purge happening behind the scenes. This interregnum between Trump and Biden is a kind of perfect time to do some other politically difficult house cleaning under the banner of NATIONAL SECURITY. Press out the craziest, internally chastise and/or punish the sympathetic. Again, this is amateur tea leaf reading, but the silence kind of speaks volumes. I'm sure there will be massive volumes written about the last few days, but the juicy shit probably won't come out for a while.

However, the situation Jan 5th was untenable. Just muddling through and pretending that people would abandon Trump and fascism because reasons was shattered into a million pieces in the Senate gallery. The lines aren't so blurry anymore, and the Georgia wins (which we barley had time to talk about) showed the power players in the DNC how you win. Now, whether or not current leadership will fully embrace this is to be seen, but the things Biden is saying about MMT and child bonds, and the people who will chair committees leads me to believe a kind of built-up damn has broken with the Dems.

Additionally, I think "Trumpism without Trump" doesn't have the purchase people think. Hawley, Cruz, et al are just plain unlikeable. Same with the more loon-ish House members. As a figure from a certain podcast about a kind of house said recently, "It all started with these people just liking him", which is such an obviously true and completely underappreciated part of all of this. The man had charisma! Quite obviously I don't fully understand it, but when you watched him talk, especially during the 2016 primaries, he was so very different. I'll never actually get it, but I can kind of see why a lot of people did.

The thing that I still can hardly believe (I say it out loud a few times a day) is "Chairman of the Budget Committee Bernard Sanders". That is some leftist Sorkin shit.
posted by lattiboy at 2:24 PM on January 13, 2021 [31 favorites]

Or maybe he's gunning for Murray's senate seat in 2022.

I’m VERY skeptical that there’s any chance of that happening given WA’s demographics.
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 2:24 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

until the two Democrats from Georgia are seated AND whoever is appointed to replace Sen Harris is appointed

For the record, that is going to be Alex Padilla, the current CA secretary of state.
posted by albion moonlight at 2:28 PM on January 13, 2021 [6 favorites]

I’m VERY skeptical that there’s any chance of that happening given WA’s demographics.

I agree with you but then again the 2000 senate race was within about 2000 votes, maybe he figures...?
posted by St. Oops at 2:31 PM on January 13, 2021

And even if they weren't there still aren't the 66 votes it takes to punish Trump.

I believe it was pointed out earlier that conviction on impeachment requires 2/3 of the members present. They only need 51 present for a quorum.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:33 PM on January 13, 2021 [7 favorites]

Hawley, Cruz, et al are just plain unlikeable.

At Scalia's funeral Cruz--who was a clerk for Rehnquist--asked to sit with the Scalia clerks and they said no. You know no one likes you if you get shunned at a funeral.
posted by kirkaracha at 2:33 PM on January 13, 2021 [51 favorites]

I'll never actually get it, but I can kind of see why a lot of people did.

Not just a certain confrontational charisma, he had literally over a decade of straight-up propaganda on prime time television that sold the fiction that he was competent, principled (in his own way), a talented executive, and good at business.
posted by tclark at 2:34 PM on January 13, 2021 [23 favorites]

I didn't actually mean Ivanka's political brand, I meant her actual brand-brand that she sells things with. One of the most delightful parts of the past week is how thoroughly and quickly businesses that do business with the Trumps are dumping them and running away as fast as they can.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 2:37 PM on January 13, 2021 [10 favorites]

Not going to link, but here's the chaff Fox is throwing up right now:
PBS lawyer suggested sending children of Trump voters to 'reeducation camps' where 'they watch PBS all day' by our good friends at Project Veritas. Guess they were keeping this headline in the cupboard for an emergency.
posted by benzenedream at 2:39 PM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

How is it that in the face of this outrageous, planned attack on our governnment by its president less than ten percent of his party's representatives could bring themselves to vote for his impeachment?!?

Don't give them too much credit. It's actually less than 5% of Republicans voted for impeachment. Just a week ago 66% voted for the coup -- after the insurrection.
posted by JackFlash at 2:41 PM on January 13, 2021 [17 favorites]

Only takes 50% in each house for a joint resolution declaring that he engaged in insurrection or rebellion and invoking section 3 of the 14th amendment on his ass - on its own that would do nothing concrete, but it would provide a basis for state level court challenges against his candidature in future elections.

This would be a great backstop after a failure in the Senate
posted by mbo at 2:44 PM on January 13, 2021 [18 favorites]

PBS lawyer suggested sending children of Trump voters to 'reeducation camps' where 'they watch PBS all day'

I hadn't thought of that, but there's a pretty damn good idea in there. More Muppets teaching love, understanding, and the letter D!
posted by Countess Elena at 2:47 PM on January 13, 2021 [24 favorites]

“ After a deeply divisive struggle, there can be no durable unity if one side continues to propagate myths, if those who have ripped a nation apart refuse to acknowledge their role in deepening its schisms, if crimes committed are swept under a rug woven from the threads of politically convenient forgetfulness.

The effort to create a new order of racial justice in the South after our Civil War was thwarted for nearly a century because of myths spun by Confederates who cast a war for slavery as a noble lost cause and Reconstruction, an effort to democratize an unjust society, as oppressive. The Weimar Republic, Germany’s noble democratic experiment, failed because large parts of the country’s political elite refused to acknowledge its own failures in World War I and never accepted the new regime.
In our time, the United States will move forward only if Trump’s radical attacks on democracy itself are recognized and condemned, only if his false claims are repudiated by his own party, only if every form of false equivalence aimed at diminishing or relativizing Trump’s shameful behavior is thoroughly and completely discredited.“

Want unity? Impeaching Trump was the first step.
posted by supercrayon at 2:55 PM on January 13, 2021 [26 favorites]

"It was like a Dukakis-on-the-tank moment," one Republican strategist said about the viral photo of Josh Hawley raising his fist toward the gathered pro-Trump crowd, "in that he just looked phony and out of place and like a doofus."

Sen. Josh Hawley becomes a pariah on Capitol Hill -- NBC

"The Missouri freshman is under fire from Democrats and members of his own party after the riot at the Capitol."
posted by valkane at 2:55 PM on January 13, 2021 [31 favorites]

against his candidature in future elections.

Speaking of, if (I know, I know) the Senate bars him from holding office in the future, how is that enforced? We all know that he would just declare candidacy again anyway. I think they need signatures to get on the ballot, and so what if he gets that? Or what if 70 million people write him in? In either situation do we end up right back where we are now, with 70 million people believing he won the 2024 election fair and square and they start marching and rioting and committing insurrection again? Honest procedural questions.
posted by Snowishberlin at 2:56 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

This is not the first coup to happen in America. The first successful coup in America was the 1898 Wilmington insurrection... - TikTok calling out the white supremacy.
posted by Lanark at 2:57 PM on January 13, 2021 [24 favorites]

Telegram Finally Takes Down Neo-Nazi Channels

Since Tuesday, a wave of neo-Nazi and white nationalist accounts have come down. The removals follow an online campaign by activists, including extremist researcher Gwen Snyder, who pushed over the last week for Apple and Google to ban Telegram from their app stores, and for the app’s users to undertake reporting campaigns to prompt such channels removal.

While Telegram did start taking down neo-Nazi channels on Wednesday, neither Apple nor Google have publicly acknowledged putting pressure on Telegram to delete the channels, nor is it clear if the mass reporting campaign played a role. Telegram has not released the exact number of accounts taken down. Snyder says she’s seen roughly two dozen banned in the last two days, most of which had between 2,000 and 10,000 followers.

posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 2:59 PM on January 13, 2021 [14 favorites]

^You can tell it's a Republican strategist by the way they manage to slam the Dems (about a failed photo op in 1988*) in a dig against Hawley.

CNN's Chief White House correspondent, Jim Acosta (who knows a thing or seventeen about the commander-in-chief encouraging deranged followers to murder you) tweets: WH is planning on releasing some sort of video statement from Trump this evening. Aides are concerned that the video will be blocked by youtube if it is placed on the WH web site, as Trump is still hamstrung by social media restrictions put in place.

Trump could obviously make a statement in front of WH press. The briefing room is up and running. But he wants to avoid that because he knows the questions that will be asked.

I think the WH wants to avoid a live/unedited broadcast.
After 8 years, Acosta's off the WH beat after the current administration exits.

*“Should I have been in the tank?” [Dukakis] told U.S. News & World Report in 2008. “Probably not, in retrospect. But these days when people ask me, ‘Did you get here in a tank?’ I always respond by saying, ‘No, and I’ve never thrown up all over the Japanese prime minister’”—a jab at Bush, who did just that at a banquet in 1992. “But, you know, things happen.” (Politico, Nov. 2013)
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:02 PM on January 13, 2021 [12 favorites]

PBS lawyer suggested sending children of Trump voters to 'reeducation camps' where 'they watch PBS all day'

I hope this results in a huge defamation lawsuit against Fox News and the Murdoch’s.
posted by interogative mood at 3:02 PM on January 13, 2021 [13 favorites]

Narrator: it most certainly will not
posted by Ahmad Khani at 3:03 PM on January 13, 2021 [7 favorites]

"Sequels better than the original:

Godfather Part 2
Evil Dead 2
Trump Impeachment 2"

-- Frank Coniff
posted by valkane at 3:05 PM on January 13, 2021 [21 favorites]

You can tell it's a Republican strategist by the way they manage to slam the Dems (about a failed photo op in 1988*) in a dig against Hawley.

Probably, but come on. Dukakis did look stupid. The media played it up a TON, but he looked really dumb in that photo op. A better example of a Dem whose bad-moment was ginned up almost entirely out of whole cloth was the Howard Dean "scream" -- now that was entirely manufactured.
posted by tclark at 3:07 PM on January 13, 2021 [24 favorites]

"It was like a Dukakis-on-the-tank moment," one Republican strategist said about the viral photo of Josh Hawley raising his fist toward the gathered pro-Trump crowd, "in that he just looked phony and out of place and like a doofus."

Sen. Josh Hawley becomes a pariah on Capitol Hill -- NBC

No. Dukakis looked like a dork. Hawley looks like a nazi. These are not even in the same solar system. The fact that a republican hack thinks they can draw a false equivalence between a faux pas and fascism is just them telling on themselves.
posted by supercrayon at 3:09 PM on January 13, 2021 [105 favorites]

Wow, Michael Dukakis is now 87!
posted by Crane Shot at 3:10 PM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

After reading about Jim Jordan's utter lies during the impeachment debate, I'm wondering if there's any way to get a rule in place that members' statements to the chamber are under oath (or to get members treated the way officers of the court are treated).

It's a crime for anyone else to lie to Congress; it should be a crime for a member of Congress to lie to Congress.
posted by kristi at 3:11 PM on January 13, 2021 [58 favorites]

I did a quick bit of research about the second-most bipartisan impeachment vote (President Clinton in 1998). Five Democratic House Members voted to impeach President Clinton (on three of the four charges).

Here are their names and ultimate political fates:

Virgil Goode (VA-5): Switched to an Independent representative in 2000, then became a Republican in 2002; he remained in office until 2008, when he was defeated by a Democrat. Ran for president in 2012 as the Constitution Party candidate.

Ralph Hall (TX-4): Switched to the Republican Party in 2004, after 50 years as a Democrat. Hall remained in office until 2015--he was 91 when he left office after losing in 2014.

Paul McHale (PA-15): Defeated by Pat Toomey (R) in 1998; McHale was a lame-duck Democrat when he voted to impeach. A Gulf War I veteran, he later served as Assistant Secretary of Defense (Homeland Defense) in the G.W. Bush Administration from 2003-2009.

Charles Stenholm (TX-17): His district was redrawn after the 2000 Census; splitting most of his voters into two other nearby Republican districts. He gained 40% of the vote in the newly-drawn 19th district in 2004 and was defeated.

Gene Taylor (MS-4): A conservative "Blue Dog" Democrat, Rep. Taylor voted for all four articles of impeachment. Defeated in 2010 by a Republican, Taylor's 2008 vote for President Obama was a key campaign issue. Taylor became a Republican in 2014 and attempted to retake his seat in a primary challenge, which did not succeed.

It will be interesting to see what happens to the 10 Republicans who voted for President Trump's impeachment.
posted by JDC8 at 3:12 PM on January 13, 2021 [24 favorites]

"The fist looked silly. Hawley should have done a proper Bellamy salute like real patriots" - Republican strategists, probably (fake)
posted by BungaDunga at 3:13 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

Wow, Michael Dukakis is now 87!

And doesn't want your turkey carcass, thank you very much.
posted by waitingtoderail at 3:13 PM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

it should be a crime for a member of Congress to lie to Congress

Pretty sure that would require disbanding Congress.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:13 PM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

Wilmington insurrection of 1898:

The Wilmington insurrection of 1898… was a mass riot and insurrection carried out by white supremacists in Wilmington, North Carolina, United States, on Thursday, November 10, 1898. Though the white press in Wilmington originally described the event as a race riot caused by blacks, as more facts were publicized over time, it came to be seen as a coup d'état, the violent overthrow of a duly elected government, by a group of white supremacists.

Multiple causes brought it about. The coup occurred after the state's white Southern Democrats conspired and led a mob of 2,000 white men to overthrow the legitimately elected local Fusionist government. They expelled opposition black and white political leaders from the city, destroyed the property and businesses of black citizens built up since the Civil War, including the only black newspaper in the city, and killed an estimated 60 to more than 300 people. It has been described as the only incident of its kind in American history, because other incidents of late-Reconstruction Era violence did not result in the direct removal and replacement of elected officials by unelected individuals.

Good to remember this stuff now and then.
posted by danielparks at 3:14 PM on January 13, 2021 [42 favorites]

it should be a crime for a member of Congress to lie to Congress

that's expressly forbidden (pdf) by the Constitution's "speech or debate" clause
posted by BungaDunga at 3:15 PM on January 13, 2021 [7 favorites]

"So Trump has a new video. As Trump vids go, not the worst, not a lot of very fine people. But sort of breezes over the fact that he incited the riot while condemning it. Whatever. Tells me he’s now pretty worried about doing time. Let this be over." -- Josh Marshall

(link in the tweet)
posted by valkane at 3:16 PM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

So many numbers...
Impeachment, 25th, 14th!?
Eric Foner of Columbia lays out how to prevent Trump from holding future federal office through other means.
posted by rubatan at 3:16 PM on January 13, 2021

METAFILTER: (Before you argue, I am part from Tennessee, a bluegrass fan, and like old country songs.)
posted by philip-random at 3:17 PM on January 13, 2021 [7 favorites]

Aides are concerned that the video will be blocked by youtube if it is placed on the WH web site

Can whitehouse.gov not host an mp4 or what? Did the USG outsource any video hosting to YouTube? because, yikes if so
posted by BungaDunga at 3:18 PM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

Here's the youtube link. All Parlers & Q folks prolly won't like this.
posted by valkane at 3:18 PM on January 13, 2021

"Twice-impeached President follows lawyers orders, reads speech on camera"
posted by valkane at 3:20 PM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

"The fist looked silly. Hawley should have done a proper Bellamy salute like real patriots" - Republican strategists, probably (fake)

Every symbol associated with Nazis and fascists started out as something innocuous. Including the Bellamy salute. And the words nazi and fascist.
posted by ocschwar at 3:21 PM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

Only took a week and an impeachment to get that message out.
posted by mazola at 3:21 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

Breaking news: Ivanka will not be attending the inauguration to which she was not invited.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 3:22 PM on January 13, 2021 [64 favorites]

Three-peach! Three-peach!
posted by PhineasGage at 3:23 PM on January 13, 2021 [7 favorites]

"So Trump has a new video..."

I don't care. I've been done with the guy since I dropped my ballot in the mail.

Actually long before, but that was the point where I just didn't want to hear his voice ever again. I think his face looks like vomit smells.
posted by Catblack at 3:25 PM on January 13, 2021 [40 favorites]

"No true supporter of mine could ever endorse political violence. No true supporter of mine could ever disrespect law enforcement or our great American flag. No true supporter of mine could ever threaten or harass their fellow Americans."

He said 'ease tensions, calm tempers' again, too.

"But I cannot emphasize that there must be no violence, no lawbreaking, and no vandalism of any kind."

He meant to say 'cannot emphasize enough,' but not everyone's going to hear it that way. But for that one screw-up, I suspect he stuck to the TelePrompTer.
posted by box at 3:25 PM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

Wow, the security briefings must have been something for him to make a video like that.
posted by amarynth at 3:26 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

The scariest part was when he said "I've been briefed by the Secret Service". Shouldn't he be questioned by the Secret Service?
posted by Crane Shot at 3:26 PM on January 13, 2021 [19 favorites]

They had to impeach him twice to get him to tell his army to stand down and stop attacking democracy.
posted by valkane at 3:29 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

"I absolutely condemn the violence... (but not, you know, the intimidation attempt)."
posted by Capt. Renault at 3:30 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

No. Dukakis looked like a dork. Hawley looks like a nazi. These are not even in the same solar system. The fact that a republican hack thinks they can draw a false equivalence between a faux pas and fascism is just them telling on themselves.

Well, Dukakis was actually a former soldier, so he wasn't actually out of place in the tank, and Hawley actually is a Nazi, so he wasn't out of place giving a salute to Nazis.
posted by mightygodking at 3:31 PM on January 13, 2021 [65 favorites]

Wow, Michael Dukakis is now 87!

I mean, I was in 2nd grade during that election, and now I'm 40. So yeah.
posted by sideshow at 3:31 PM on January 13, 2021 [10 favorites]

Holy crap the comments on that video.
posted by Mchelly at 3:31 PM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

Andrei Iancu's email to USPTO staff on the day the US Capitol was stormed (World Trademark Review, Jan. 9, 2021) The US Patent and Trademark Office is in Alexandria, VA, roughly 9 miles from the Capitol; per its director, the USPTO is "the guardian of the American intellectual property system, which has its origin in the Constitution;" since 2018, that director has been Andrei Iancu; a Trump appointee, Iancu also serves as Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property; Iancu was born in Romania in '68. Excerpts:

The violence and anarchy earlier today at the U.S. Capitol were simply unacceptable, and I condemn them in the strongest possible terms.

I and this agency take our constitutional duties extremely seriously.

I am heartbroken to see this affront to our constitutional electoral process. For over 200 years, America has set the example for the peaceful transition of power. This is, in large part, why we always have been the beacon of hope and freedom to the world. This must never change.

Despite today’s events, I remain hopeful. Our nation is strong enough to overcome the current divisions, come together, and grow stronger still, as it always has in the face of adversity. For I am reminded of what Frederick Douglass concluded near the end of a lifetime of struggle and leadership, when he stated: “[Our] Republic will stand and flourish forever” because of our “eternal principles of truth, justice, and humanity.” I am confident that our best days are yet to come.
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:31 PM on January 13, 2021 [6 favorites]

Twinpeached
A week ago: peach cobbler, today: impeach cobbler (stickier, double baked, bitter, still pretty tasty).
posted by rongorongo at 3:32 PM on January 13, 2021 [6 favorites]

"More lies in Trump video. Says “no true supporters of mine could ever endorse political violence.” (These were his supporters of his at rally. He told them to come. He said he was with them as they marched to Capitol. Also he has stoked violence before calling press “enemy,” etc)" -- Jim Acosta
posted by valkane at 3:36 PM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

The only real digression was begging Twitter to take him back.
After that abusive relationship, I hope (s)he doesn't.
posted by rubatan at 3:37 PM on January 13, 2021

This is now the most bipartisan presidential impeachment in American history.

Got to hand it to Trump, he's proven he can bring the parties together in his final days.

Also, who the hell decided to leave the comments on on that video?
posted by MattWPBS at 3:38 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

"Trump tore our democracy. I'm going to tear him to shreds in court." -- E. Jean Carroll
posted by valkane at 3:39 PM on January 13, 2021 [22 favorites]

how to prevent Trump from holding future federal office through other means.

I suppose "not electing him" is just a pipe dream, isn't it?
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 3:45 PM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

No. Dukakis looked like a dork.

The Army's mission isn't to advance the state of fashion. Lots of soldiers on duty look like dorks, especially those made to wear "birth control glasses" and those selected for the ease with which they fit into tanks.
posted by ocschwar at 3:45 PM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

Yeah, those comments are crazy AF
posted by Windopaene at 3:51 PM on January 13, 2021

"Mob violence goes against everything I believe in." --trump

Two ways to take this one: 1) you're a fucking liar; 2) you don't believe in anything anyway
posted by rhizome at 3:52 PM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

"Mob violence goes against everything I believe in." --trump

If mob violence goes against everything you believe in, you'd never find yourself having to say this.
posted by ocschwar at 3:53 PM on January 13, 2021 [20 favorites]

Yeah, those comments are crazy AF

And the White House just learned how to turn them off.
posted by HyperBlue at 3:54 PM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

Question: How many more impeachments until he gets the free froyo?
posted by PlusDistance at 3:55 PM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

The wackos are just going to call this video a hostage video.

"I was shocked and deeply saddened by the...calamity at the capitol last week."

While dancing to Laura Branigan's "Gloria," from what I understand.
posted by rhizome at 3:58 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

I don't see any comments on the video...did they figure out how to turn them off?
posted by tiny frying pan at 3:59 PM on January 13, 2021

I thought yesterday's "unity" discourse exhibited a terminal case of chutzpah, but this video blows that away.
posted by rhizome at 3:59 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

"I was shocked and deeply saddened by the...calamity at the capitol last week."

While dancing to Laura Branigan's "Gloria," from what I understand.

No. And stop making me defend the dude, of all people. The clip of him dancing to "Gloria" was from before the rally began. Not during the insurrection.
posted by cooker girl at 4:01 PM on January 13, 2021 [16 favorites]

"The unprecedented assault of free speech in recent days, ...not to silence one another...." -Trump
"They're inciting violence in the comments section, turn it off, turn it off!!!!!"-WH
posted by rubatan at 4:02 PM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

While dancing to Laura Branigan's "Gloria," from what I understand.
NOOOOO, the Laura Branigan rockout was BEFOOOOOOOOREomg. During he gazed raptly at the screens on which the violence unfolded and couldn't get his attention off the gloriously shocking and deeply saddening calamity long enough to call in the troops to stop it.
posted by Don Pepino at 4:02 PM on January 13, 2021 [13 favorites]

It is a hostage video. Legal question: is it relevant for the impeachment trial, or is it to avoid liability for any future attacks? Or is the trial one of those purely political, facts don't matter deals where it's up to the senators to decide what they want to consider?
posted by Wrinkled Stumpskin at 4:04 PM on January 13, 2021

"No True Supporter of Mine"...

"No True Supporter of Mine"...

"No True Supporter of Mine"...
posted by mikelieman at 4:05 PM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

This is actually a… good statement from the President? The false equivocating between left and right is obviously garbage, no doubt its content will be quickly undermined by future events, the cancel culture stuff is nonsense, and he is surely just performing rather than expecting his true feelings, but it’s a straightforward condemnation of violence and that’s something we needed. I’ll be interested in seeing the backstory of how it came to be.
posted by Going To Maine at 4:07 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

Laura Branigan's legacy manager and representative, Kathy Golik, was appalled. When a fan pointed out that Trump has regularly been playing the song at rallies, Golik noted that she's made multiple public statements about the use of "Gloria" since September when it was played at Trump's pre-election events, clarifying that "his use of 'Gloria' neither implies, nor constitutes, any endorsement of any candidate, & that holds true for use of it when he spoke in GA recently too."
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:08 PM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

"The four House Republicans who didn't vote on impeachment, even as during COVID-19 the House is allowing remote (or proxy) voting:

Granger
Harris
Murphy (NC)
Webster (FL)"

-- Matt Laslo
posted by valkane at 4:09 PM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

Trump supporters watching that video will hear "it wasn't us, it was antifa". That's what "No True Supporter of Mine" means.
posted by sainttoad at 4:09 PM on January 13, 2021 [32 favorites]

"No True Supporter of Mine"
Scotsmen don't exist! I thought one time I saw one, but turned out to be just an antifa bigfoot.
posted by Don Pepino at 4:13 PM on January 13, 2021 [13 favorites]

As of today, at least 26 sworn members of U.S. law enforcement agencies from at least 11 states have been identified by law enforcement agencies and local reporting as attendees of the Jan. 6 rally in support of President Trump that sparked a riot at the U.S. Capitol.
posted by adamvasco at 4:14 PM on January 13, 2021 [25 favorites]

Activists and labor representatives are ratcheting up pressure on D.C.-area hotel operators to shut their doors around Inauguration Day, warning of potential health and safety risks posed by right-wing extremists who may travel to the city to protest — or disrupt — the inaugural ceremony. (DCist, Jan. 13, 2020) D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is also feeling the heat as activists and residents press her administration to use emergency powers to close hotels or enforce strict health measures.
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:15 PM on January 13, 2021 [16 favorites]

Queue self-pardon in 3, 2 ..
posted by piyushnz at 4:16 PM on January 13, 2021

Black Lives Matter D.C. and ShutDownDC statement, calling for closure of all DC-area hotels between January 15-21 2021: We are facing an unprecedented threat of white nationalist violence and COVID spread. We know from last week that white nationalists chose downtown DC hotels for their proximity to the Capitol and BLM Plaza. We also know that staff and other guests at these hotels were verbally attacked and harassed, mask orders were ignored, and everyone’s safety was placed in jeopardy.

posted by Iris Gambol at 4:17 PM on January 13, 2021 [27 favorites]

Lost Cause II: Electoral Boogaloo
posted by CynicalKnight at 4:18 PM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

"I was shocked and deeply saddened by the...calamity at the capitol last week."

And, by “calamity” he means “the poorly-organized failed coup.”
posted by Thorzdad at 4:18 PM on January 13, 2021 [7 favorites]

Trump supporters watching that video will hear "it wasn't us, it was antifa". That's what "No True Supporter of Mine" means.

Though does that mean that the supporters that rioted that day will go, "wait, he's calling us ANTIFA now?!?". Wonder how many supporters are starting to get the feeling they've been cheated (like the one mentioned upthread that killed himself for an extreme example).

Then again, the hardcore Three Percent Oath Keepers or whatnot are probably beyond being "led" by him at this point. Hell, I'm not even sure the Q folk "need" him anymore to justify their actions.
posted by gtrwolf at 4:18 PM on January 13, 2021

Oh man, poor DC. Can't we just have a Zoom inauguration? There was a Zoom convention. It worked fine.
posted by Don Pepino at 4:19 PM on January 13, 2021 [14 favorites]

Since adamvasco posted that 4 minutes ago, "Two more law enforcement officers have been reported as having attended the Jan. 6 rally, bringing the total to 28 officers from 12 states." The article links to a spreadsheet of law enforcement officers at the riot.
posted by kristi at 4:20 PM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

"While Fox hosts have uttered the words "protest that got out of hand" in last hour, CNN reports via law enforcement official that evidence uncovered so far suggests level of planning that has led investigators to believe attack was not just a protest that spiraled out of control." -- Oliver Darcy, CNN
posted by valkane at 4:21 PM on January 13, 2021 [19 favorites]

I’ll be interested in seeing the backstory of how it came to be.

My bet is - Mark Meadows: "I've been in touch with Mitch. If you don't at least seem to make an effort to calm things down he'll push to convict, which could lose you your pension, your travel expenses, your chance to run again, maybe even your Secret Service protection."

(Probably not the protection, tbh.)
posted by soundguy99 at 4:22 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

While dancing to Laura Branigan's "Gloria," from what I understand.

Huh, I've been hearing all week that they've been using Gloria as hype music, and I always thought it was the Them song, written by one Van Morrison.
posted by sideshow at 4:29 PM on January 13, 2021

Oh man, poor DC. Can't we just have a Zoom inauguration? There was a Zoom convention. It worked fine.

I know it's ultimately just optics, but if we can't have a safe and secure inauguration ceremony in Washington DC, we are in deep, terrible trouble. I believe someone from the floor today spoke about former Representative and holocaust survivor Tom Lantos, who said: “The veneer of civilization is paper thin. We are its guardians, and we can never rest.”

It's not that I don't want to forgive the RNC for the damage it's done. I can't. Not if I want my child to live in a democracy.
posted by nicoffeine at 4:29 PM on January 13, 2021 [13 favorites]

"Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) just promised Newsmax to introduce articles of impeachment against Joe Biden on Jan. 21." -- Jack Schafer, Politico
posted by valkane at 4:33 PM on January 13, 2021 [6 favorites]

You know, I always suspected they'd try impeaching Hillary on her first day if she had been elected.
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:35 PM on January 13, 2021 [29 favorites]

I’ll be interested in seeing the backstory of how it came to be.

Given this timeline, we'll probably find out that American democracy was ultimately saved by the PGA.
posted by clawsoon at 4:35 PM on January 13, 2021 [19 favorites]

"Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) just promised Newsmax to introduce articles of impeachment against Joe Biden on Jan. 21." -- Jack Schafer, Politico

LET THE HEALING BEGIN
posted by Going To Maine at 4:36 PM on January 13, 2021 [84 favorites]

Just a reminder that whenever you see Marjorie Taylor Greene, think QAnon. She's been a diehard Q cultist for a while.
posted by The demon that lives in the air at 4:39 PM on January 13, 2021 [25 favorites]

No. And stop making me defend the dude, of all people. The clip of him dancing to "Gloria" was from before the rally began. Not during the insurrection.

In other words, the dancing was part of the insurrection incitement.
posted by JackFlash at 4:40 PM on January 13, 2021 [10 favorites]

Incredibly, Trump's approval rating is 40%, which is still about 3.5% higher than its low point in mid-December 2017, just before the government shutdown. Goddamn America.
posted by jedicus at 4:40 PM on January 13, 2021 [25 favorites]

You know, I always suspected they'd try impeaching Hillary on her first day if she had been elected.

Remember when just after Clinton lost and all of the spurious congressional investigations to Benghazi were ended?
posted by Groundhog Week at 4:41 PM on January 13, 2021 [22 favorites]

On September 3, 2020, Greene shared a meme to her Facebook page depicting herself holding an AR-15 style rifle next to a collage of pictures of Democratic congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. Greene claimed that it was time for Republicans to "go on the offense against these socialists who want to rip our country apart". The caption underneath the images read "Squad’s worst nightmare."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi described the meme as a "dangerous threat of violence," and Omar demanded that the meme be deleted after claiming it had already triggered death threats. In response to questions from Forbes about whether the meme was a threat, a spokesperson for the Greene campaign called the suggestion "paranoid and ridiculous" and a "conspiracy theory". Facebook deleted the meme the following day for violating its policies on inciting violence, prompting Greene to claim that Democrats were "trying to cancel me out before I've even taken the oath of office". - Wikipedia summary w/footnotes to reporting. Greene also caused a ruckus on Jan 3, at her swearing in (Georgia Republican’s refusal to wear a mask set off a “screaming match” between Democratic and Republican staffers), and took part in the bs GA election lawsuit.
Honor your oath of office or GTFO, lady.
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:42 PM on January 13, 2021 [24 favorites]

Already calling for impeachment on Biden?? He's not even in office! Did the dems do that to trump? Serious question.

(I love that the word 'impeachment' has the word peach, nod to Georgia)
posted by kiwi-epitome at 4:45 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

I love that the word 'impeachment' has the word peach, nod to Georgia

It also has the word "ent", nod to it usually taking too long to do anything.
posted by Riki tiki at 4:48 PM on January 13, 2021 [37 favorites]

From Slate, "A Federalist Society Star Helped Foment the Capitol Riot":

The Capitol mob didn’t come out of nowhere. It was a response to the concerted attack on 2020’s election results crafted by elite right-wing politicians, academics, and attorneys. No law professor played a bigger role in Donald Trump’s plot to overturn the election than John Eastman. As the president’s actual attorneys backed away from his coup, Eastman rushed in to fill the void, attempting to bolster the scheme with incoherent legal theories. When Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton urged the Supreme Court to overturn the election by nullifying millions of votes, it was Eastman who intervened on Trump’s behalf to endorse Paxton’s suit. When Trump exhorted Vice President Mike Pence to award him a second term by unilaterally disqualifying electoral votes, it was Eastman who advised Pence that he could, indeed, throw the election to Trump. And when Trump needed a putative legal scholar to lend credence to his pre-insurrection rally, he brought out Eastman to deliver a speech alongside Rudy Giuliani, ringleader of the president’s efforts to steal the election.

It is no surprise that Eastman, a white supremacist on the far-right fringe of the conservative legal movement, played a major role in the president’s failed coup. What is remarkable—and, with each passing day, extraordinarily damning—is the Federalist Society’s refusal to address Eastman’s role in the insurrection. Eastman is not only a member of the Federalist Society, the network of conservative attorneys that provided the legal scaffolding for Trumpism. He is the chairman of the organization’s Federalism and Separation of Powers practice group and a frequent participant in its public events. The Federalist Society’s refusal to expel, condemn, or distance itself from Eastman in any way indicates that the organization is untroubled by the subversion of American democracy.

posted by mhum at 4:48 PM on January 13, 2021 [38 favorites]

Not sure about US Congress, but every session of every state house has just wild things introduce. Like that Nebraska lawmaker whose always trying to do stuff like get the state to sue God.

Did the dems do that to trump? Serious question.

Yes, other articles were introduced. But without Pelosi backing them, they went no where.

Not on the first day though.
posted by sideshow at 4:50 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

The National Guard Slept On The Floor Of The Capitol To Protect Lawmakers Ahead Of Impeachment (BuzzFeed, Jan. 13, 2021) BuzzFeed News reporter Paul McLeod reported Wednesday that about 3,000 troops were sheltering in the building and had to stay overnight because there was nowhere else for them to go. Pics at link, this is unbelievable.

Here's the plan for DC's armed National Guard on Inauguration Day (WUSA9, Jan. 13, 2021) This will be Maj. Gen. William Walker's fifth inauguration, but the first time in his tenure that the guard will be armed. WUSA9 spoke to him one-on-one.
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:52 PM on January 13, 2021 [12 favorites]

Incredibly, Trump's approval rating is 40%, which is still about 3.5% higher than its low point in mid-December 2017, just before the government shutdown.

There was a Politico/Morning Consult poll this morning putting him at 34%, an all-time low.
posted by mr_roboto at 4:53 PM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) just promised Newsmax to introduce articles of impeachment against Joe Biden on Jan. 21

She might want to hurry. If she and Boebert are arrested for providing the terrorists with information and money, it might be harder to introduce those articles from a jail cell.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 4:54 PM on January 13, 2021 [37 favorites]

If she and Boebert are arrested for providing the terrorists with information and money, it might be harder to introduce those articles from a jail cell.

Do Congress members have any sort of immunity to various sorts of prosecution?
posted by clawsoon at 4:56 PM on January 13, 2021

Already calling for impeachment on Biden?? He's not even in office! Did the dems do that to trump? Serious question.

Yes, actually. Jamie Raskin was calling for it before the inauguration. Was at least tempered by the qualifier "may", and obviously there was GOOD FUCKING REASON based on Trump's unwillingness to divest from very arguable emoluments conflicts.

Other than that, no. Not until May when he openly committed multiple counts of obstruction of justice.
posted by Room 101 at 4:57 PM on January 13, 2021 [7 favorites]

"Since adamvasco posted that 4 minutes ago, "Two more law enforcement officers have been reported as having attended the Jan. 6 rally, bringing the total to 28 officers from 12 states." The article links to a spreadsheet of law enforcement officers at the riot."

Jesus, at this point I'm starting to wonder who wasn't a cop in that mob. That also saddens me because the chances are growing higher that the violence against the Capitol police members who were seriously injured and killed were being done by fellow cops. That's just an extra layer of awful in this horrible insurrection layer cake. Blue lives matter, indeed...
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 4:59 PM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

Bruised And Battered Proud Boys Should Skip Upcoming Demonstrations, Leader Says

Tarrio isn’t alone in worrying about the feds. In several Telegram channels and other venues for extremist talk, participants have referred to the protests as a potential “false flag” event, or otherwise an excuse to make easy arrests of violent extremists.

“Paranoia is very common during moments like this in extremist groups,” said Jared Holt, a visiting fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab focused on domestic extremism.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 5:01 PM on January 13, 2021

Do Congress members have any sort of immunity to various sorts of prosecution?

The speech or debate clause does immunize them from liability for various things related to doing their job.
posted by BungaDunga at 5:05 PM on January 13, 2021

My mistake on the "Gloria!"
posted by rhizome at 5:05 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

Looks like one sweet cake. Hope there's enough to share!
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 5:08 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

Do Congress members have any sort of immunity to various sorts of prosecution?

Yes -- "legislative immunity" and the Speech & Debate Clause. The further the conduct from a session in the chamber the weaker the protection (literally and figuratively).

I think Pelosi could order members refusing screening to be taken into custody, or at least barred from entry. They might scream about the privilege, but her power to enforce the rules banning weapons from the chamber is literally more proximate to speech and debate than refusing a search while entering, and the so the same privilege should deprive the refusing member of any remedy.

At that point the result is controlled by who's running the chamber and its committees.
posted by snuffleupagus at 5:09 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

Not sure I follow the requests to close DC area hotels. Changes in administration require staff turnover... a lot of the incoming Biden and Congressional staffers who weren't local to DC will be needing places to stay while they look for housing. I'd worry about mass hotel closures undermining that transition. I imagine there are also unhoused or vulnerable people who rely on hotels in the middle of winter.
posted by Emily's Fist at 5:12 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

Speaking of hotels...can we force trump out of the old post office?
posted by maxwelton at 5:18 PM on January 13, 2021 [14 favorites]

My mistake on the "Gloria!"

official history is full of lies, half-truths, convolutions etc. For instance, Nero probably didn't play his fiddle while Rome was burning.

If Trump gets stuck with dancing to Gloria while the Capitol building was being ransacked and stained with excrement -- I'm okay with that.
posted by philip-random at 5:24 PM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

I mean, there's a much more appropriate Gloria song for the moment
posted by StarkRoads at 5:26 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

I understand there are good reasons for going through with the public inauguration ceremony. But surely it would be wise for Kamala Harris to be 1000 miles away in a secure secret bunker for the duration?
posted by Pouteria at 5:28 PM on January 13, 2021 [16 favorites]

Hopefully if asked about the plan to impeach Biden, Democrats have memorized the exact wording of Republican appeals for unity and looking forward.
posted by ctmf at 5:28 PM on January 13, 2021 [12 favorites]

"After some Republicans balked at going through House metal detectors, Pelosi announces stiff fines.

“The fine for the first offense will be $5,000 and $10,000 for the second offense. The fines will be deducted directly from Members’ salaries by the Chief Administrative Officer” -- Manu Raju
posted by valkane at 5:33 PM on January 13, 2021 [93 favorites]

Security Officials Face the Possibility of a Threat from the Inside on Inauguration Day (Time, Jan. 13, 2021);
A Major Militia Group [Oath Keepers] Said Its Website Was Taken Down Days After It Sent Members To The Capitol Riots (BuzzFeed, Jan. 13, 2021) Oath Keepers [founded 2009], one of the largest right-wing paramilitary groups in the country, had its website suddenly shut down this week, temporarily closing one of its last remaining avenues to recruit and organize its ranks. The group, which sent members and “security teams” to DC during the insurrection that left five people dead, claimed its hosting service, LiquidWeb, “caved to the Loony Left.” LiquidWeb did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

oathkeepers.org placeholder via Google search: "5 hours ago — Oath Keepers has been attacked by the hostile radical left. Our server ... We will recover and are working to rebuild a communications and membership website."

In the aftermath of the January 6 assault on the US Capitol by a mob of pro-Trump insurrectionists, a Twitter video posted on January 10 caught the eye of social media sleuths trying to identify the perpetrators of the assault. In it, a line of men equipped with combat helmets, bullet-proof vests, and radios move steadily up the Capitol steps amid cheering protesters. They are members of the Oath Keepers — one of the largest radical anti-government militia groups in the US readying themselves for a civil war. (France24, Jan. 12, 2021)

Southern Poverty Law Center: The Oath Keepers, which claims tens of thousands of present and former law enforcement officials and military veterans as members, is one of the largest radical antigovernment groups in the U.S. today. While it claims only to be defending the Constitution, the entire organization is based on a set of baseless conspiracy theories about the federal government working to destroy the liberties of Americans.

This morning, Pelosi thanked the troops protecting the Capitol, and gave them all her challenge coin as a wearable button pin; can't help thinking that the city's flooding with National Guard members, and at least one person has posed as National Guard in recent memory -- perhaps it's not a solely a thank-you gift. Roll Call's Jim Saksa: members of the National Guard are sleeping inside the Capitol and "don't know how long they'll be here."
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:34 PM on January 13, 2021 [21 favorites]

States begin activating National Guard after FBI warns of armed protests at capitols (Military Times, Jan. 13, 2021) Governors around the country began ramping up security at their state capitols, including activating their states’ National Guards, in preparation for what the FBI identified as massive armed protests planned in every state capital in the country leading up to Inauguration Day.

The activations come in the wake of the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection by pro-Trump supporters at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., and ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. They are in addition to National Guard forces mobilized to D.C., where there are already about 6,200 National Guard soldiers and airmen from six states and the District of Columbia on the ground supporting civilian authorities, said Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, Chief of the National Guard Bureau.

Accordingly, social media is circulating hoax "National Guard" letters detailing martial law plans, a retread of spring and summer fakery:
Kansas National Guard warns of false rumor concerning military intervention, ‘mandatory quarantine’ (KWCH Local CBS, Jan. 12, 2021)
The Ohio National Guard is trying to quell a rumor circulating on social media that troops will be mobilized to enforce a federally mandated two-week quarantine across America. The fragmented sentences in the letter say the Department of Homeland Security is preparing to dispatch the military, National Guard, and first responders across the country to close businesses and quarantine people at home for two weeks. The letter says that the President will evoke the “Stafford Act within two or three days.” (WFMJ.com, Youngstown-Warren Ohio, Jan. 13, 2021)
The Missouri National Guard is warning of a false letter circulating social media that bares the National Guard logo and consists of multiple false claims including that Homeland Security is preparing to "mobilize the National Guard," deploy troops to "prevent looters and rioters," and implement a mandatory two-week quarantine for all citizens. (KHQA, Local ABC outlet in Missouri, Jan. 13, 2021)
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:35 PM on January 13, 2021 [12 favorites]

I suspect the only reason Trump hasn't pardoned himself, is that he can't get a lawyer to write it up for him - he knows that a bare-bones statement of "I, DJT, do hereby pardon myself for all federal crimes I may ever have committed" won't work.*

Oh, and he may have trouble with things like "actually get it onto paper" and "get it added to the official records." He relies on a staff for that, and if the staff is not willing to do it for him, he's stuck. It's not like he knows how to update the official WH website. Can he even type? Can he operate a computer with a keyboard?

*It's possible he'll try that anyway, on the 19th.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 5:36 PM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

After some Republicans balked at going through House metal detectors, Pelosi announces stiff fines.

CALLED IT
posted by saturday_morning at 5:39 PM on January 13, 2021 [18 favorites]

Umm, I think the impeachment may have broken Tucker Carlson:

"Tucker Carlson: "The Democratic coalition is built on shared genetics. The basic idea is that everyone who is not a straight white man must be united as one in unshakable solidarity." -- Andrew Lawrence, Media Matters
posted by valkane at 5:41 PM on January 13, 2021 [16 favorites]

Even Giuliani or one of the kids could use the Ford 1-pager for Tricky as a pardon template.
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:41 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

I always forget Tiff finished law school. We're practically family, in that way.
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:43 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

"Umm, I think the impeachment may have broken Tucker Carlson:

"Tucker Carlson: "The Democratic coalition is built on shared genetics. The basic idea is that everyone who is not a straight white man must be united as one in unshakable solidarity." -- Andrew Lawrence, Media Matters"

So that just broke my brain.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 5:43 PM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

“no true supporters of mine could ever endorse political violence.”

JFC, they literally have this asshole on video multiple times EXPLICITLY encouraging his supporters to commit violence against the press and his political opponents.

He even offered to cover their legal expenses once!
posted by darkstar at 5:49 PM on January 13, 2021 [17 favorites]

"Trump has instructed aides not to pay Giuliani’s legal fees, and has demanded that he personally approve any reimbursements for the expenses Giuliani incurred while traveling on the president’s behalf to challenge election results in key states." -- Washington Post, via John FitzGerald
posted by valkane at 5:51 PM on January 13, 2021 [51 favorites]

DC Police Chief Robert Contee said on Wednesday that more than 20,000 National Guard members could be expected in the District for President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, though he noted the final numbers will be provided by the United States Secret Service.

Trump finally gets his military parade.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 5:54 PM on January 13, 2021 [39 favorites]

Trump has instructed aides not to pay Giuliani’s legal fees

Ah yes, it’s that time in the river crossing for the scorpion’s sting.
posted by darkstar at 5:54 PM on January 13, 2021 [88 favorites]

Two questions from this afternoon:

1. Who was the GOP representative who said Trump had committed impeachable offenses but was voting “No” because of how the resolution was written? How did he, in fact, vote?

2. Which representatives didn’t vote at all and do we know why?
posted by Big Al 8000 at 5:55 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

Trump has instructed aides not to pay Giuliani’s legal fees

33
posted by J.K. Seazer at 5:55 PM on January 13, 2021 [46 favorites]

"Trump has instructed aides not to pay Giuliani’s legal fees"

On the one hand, he's unsurprisingly screwing over someone who has tried to help him.

On the other hand, Giuliani has been so bad at his job that he frankly doesn't deserve to get paid.

On the other, other hand, they deserve each other.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 5:57 PM on January 13, 2021 [51 favorites]

Even Giuliani or one of the kids could use the Ford 1-pager for Tricky as a pardon template.

You wouldn’t even need the whole page. Most of it is just offering background and rationale. But just adapting the last two paragraphs would do it:

Now, THEREFORE, I, GERALD R. FORD, President of the United States, pursuant to the pardon power conferred upon me by Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, have granted and by these presents do grant a full, free, and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 20, 1969 through August 9,1974.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and seventy-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and ninety-ninth.

GERALD R. FORD

posted by darkstar at 6:03 PM on January 13, 2021

twofer:

"John Eastman, the attorney who falsely told Trump that Pence could block the certification of Biden's win, is out at Chapman University, the school has announced, saying they "reached an agreement pursuant to which he will retire from Chapman, effective immediately."" -- Kaitlan Collins, CNN

Acting ICE director is resigning, DHS official says -- CNN
posted by valkane at 6:04 PM on January 13, 2021 [32 favorites]

As his administration collapses around him, Trump is sitting at the Resolute Desk poring over Giuliani’s T&E reports. His last words as president will be, “I need the original receipt, not a copy.”
posted by theory at 6:05 PM on January 13, 2021 [31 favorites]

"Trump has instructed aides not to pay Giuliani’s legal fees,

This is like the final line of text you put on the screen at the end of a documentary.

Which I hope means that this is the end and we roll credits next.
posted by nubs at 6:05 PM on January 13, 2021 [50 favorites]

"Trump has instructed aides not to pay Giuliani’s legal fees"

The title of this post was prophetic in a literal way that I didn't expect.
posted by clawsoon at 6:06 PM on January 13, 2021 [32 favorites]

I always thought it was the Them song, written by one Van Morrison.

Glad it wasn't the U2
posted by Rash at 6:08 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

More Rudy Giuliani!

abovethelaw.com:

Rudy has an answer for anyone who thought he was calling for violence when he explicitly called for violence:* blame “Game of Thrones.”

“I was referencing the kind of trial that took place for Tyrion in that very famous documentary about fictitious medieval England,” Giuliani told Samuels. “When Tyrion, who is a very small man, is accused of murder. He didn’t commit murder, he can’t defend himself, and he hires a champion to defend him.”

-

* ("trial by combat")
posted by Spathe Cadet at 6:08 PM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

reached an agreement pursuant to which he will retire from Chapman, effective immediately.

Which is kind of odd, because Chapman University is right in Central OC, and fairly dominated by the Trump-friendly folks.
posted by tclark at 6:08 PM on January 13, 2021

I'm confused by the Giuliani/Game of Thrones thing. That's not satire? That's not a like a legal version of The Onion?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 6:10 PM on January 13, 2021 [16 favorites]

Okay, I found the following representatives didn’t vote:

Kay Granger R-Texas
Andy Harris R-Md.
Greg Murphy R-N.C.
Daniel Webster R-Fla.

Anyone know why?
posted by Big Al 8000 at 6:11 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

Cowardice?
posted by valkane at 6:13 PM on January 13, 2021 [14 favorites]

“When Tyrion, who is a very small man, is accused of murder. He didn’t commit murder, he can’t defend himself, and he hires a champion to defend him."

Which time? Because there were two very different outcomes for Tyrions champion.
posted by nubs at 6:16 PM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

Regardless, in both cases, it was actual combat. Which destroys the analogy if it’s intended to exculpate him from inciting the mob to violence.
posted by darkstar at 6:17 PM on January 13, 2021 [10 favorites]

Anyone know why?

Emiily Brooks: Murphy was caring for his wife post-back surgery, Webster said family medical obligations kept him away. Harris, an MD, said his "constituents were better served by my work in the operating room today.” TX Rep Kay Granger tested positive for COVID last week.
posted by JoeZydeco at 6:18 PM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

Maybe Trump said he wouldn't pay Giuliani until it was clear he'd be able to appeal because of his incompetent council.
posted by Riki tiki at 6:18 PM on January 13, 2021

Cowardice?

careerism?

same difference
posted by philip-random at 6:19 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

"Hannity calls on McConnell to stop enabling Democrats on impeachment. He goes on to suggest the President shouldn’t even send lawyers" -- Acyn Torabi

Hmm, well let's see. I don't think Rudy's gonna be too happy to read that WaPo piece, and Trump's not on speaking terms with the White House counsel, so that leaves Dersh, if he'll show up. So yeah. Hannity's probably right on this one.
posted by valkane at 6:20 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

Giuliani blaming Game of Thrones is the same sort of lie as "oh I was just carrying these zipties I found to return them." One so paper thin as to demonstrate their complete contempt for those they are lying to.
posted by EatTheWeek at 6:20 PM on January 13, 2021 [6 favorites]

I think Giuliani is consciously leaning hard into the mad-prophet-who's-words-illuminate-a-different-world-than-this-one archetype.
He's relying on the reverence and awe humans have always felt towards those who dance on the edge of the real. He's becoming a liminal trickster for legal reasons.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 6:21 PM on January 13, 2021 [15 favorites]

So if Giuliani gets disbarred over his part in the President's illegal actions, and considering Trump hadn't paid him, would that pierce any confidentiality that might exist between them?
posted by Mitheral at 6:21 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

I think Giuliani is consciously leaning hard into the mad-prophet-who's-words-illuminate-a-different-world-than-this-one archetype

Nah, he's always like that.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 6:22 PM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

Murphy was caring for his wife post-back surgery, Webster said family medical obligations kept him away. Harris, an MD, said his "constituents were better served by my work in the operating room today.” TX Rep Kay Granger tested positive for COVID last week.

Sorry, just... can't... quite... reach this... proxy!

Which is interesting because Captain America Dan Crenshaw voted by proxy, even though he made commercials claiming they were for non-Captain America types.
posted by valkane at 6:29 PM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

"So if Giuliani gets disbarred over his part in the President's illegal actions, and considering Trump hadn't paid him, would that pierce any confidentiality that might exist between them?"

I would love to see some legal action that forces all of Trump's NDAs to be rendered moot.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 6:31 PM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

One of the many good things about this second impeachment: it’s part of our collective history now.

The whole alt-reality nonsense of whether it was AntiFa, or whether it was even a real “insurrection”, or whether Trump was really inciting his followers to violence...all of that BS just got officially relegated to an untenable absurdity. It won’t continue to thrive as just another alternate fact in the soon-to-be-forgotten political froth and the amnesiac news cycle.

The cold, hard truth that President Trump incited his own followers to engage in violent insurrection and lay siege to the US Capitol in an attempt to overthrow the government by invalidating our democratic election is now etched in stone. Anyone trying to argue against it now has a much heavier burden, as it should be.
posted by darkstar at 6:32 PM on January 13, 2021 [28 favorites]

Also his DNA. Which is how I read NDA, because ah brain is broke after this last week.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 6:32 PM on January 13, 2021 [6 favorites]

~~His DNAs, too.~~ Edit: dangit!
posted by Riki tiki at 6:32 PM on January 13, 2021

Jinx
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 6:33 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

The cold, hard truth that President Trump incited his own followers to engage in violent insurrection and lay siege to the US Capitol in an attempt to overthrow the government by invalidating our democratic election is now etched in stone. Anyone trying to argue against it now has a much heavier burden, as it should be.

Yes, just as everyone accepts the findings of the 9/11 Commission, the certified ballot counts from the 2020 election, and vaccine research.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 6:36 PM on January 13, 2021 [18 favorites]

"Also his DNA. Which is how I read NDA, because ah brain is broke after this last week."

I don't want to render his DNA moot - I want samples collected for all the rape cases against him.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 6:36 PM on January 13, 2021 [6 favorites]

That's not satire? That's not a like a legal version of The Onion?

Why would anyone attempt to satirize Rudy "Four Seasons Total Landscaping" Giuliani, of all people?

(I found it through Mike Dunford's Twitter account; I'm betting he would know if the site were satirical. Also I didn't find any indications on the site itself that it's intended as satire.)

(Also I'm surprised people aren't focusing on "that very famous documentary about fictitious medieval England," which was what I thought was the main takeaway.)
posted by Spathe Cadet at 6:36 PM on January 13, 2021 [15 favorites]

latest Drudge Report big headlines:

160 HOURS LEFT
IMPEACHED AGAIN
HISTORIC DISGRACE
'FLIGHT RISK'

I don't rate the Drudge Report that highly. But I do like to track what's going on there precisely because its bias is pretty far to the right, and it gets a MIXED rating for its factuality. But it's not lunatic right. It's not MAGA. It's not Qanon. Yet it remains a very popular news source. How and where it leans is significant.
posted by philip-random at 6:39 PM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

Yes, just as everyone accepts the findings of the 9/11 Commission, the certified ballot counts from the 2020 election, and vaccine research.

Note that I made no assertions about what’s everyone accepts. But each of those positions has become the standard explanation, and as such, they now require those conspiracy-minded folk who would reject the standard explanations to take a more untenable path, and engage in significant contortions to do so. For the majority of straightforwardly reasonable people, the facts are at least well documented and standardized.
posted by darkstar at 6:39 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

"that very famous documentary about fictitious medieval England,"

Me too, and it's legit, I've seen it vetted on several other reputable sources.
posted by valkane at 6:40 PM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

So by Giuliani's analogy, Trump is the very small man.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 6:47 PM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

trial by combat is without question an explicit call for violence.

i think i'm on record suggesting any words from rudy be disregarded lest they prove to be a vector for the infectious brain worms, but there are two more salient points about trial-by-combat:

that it is undertaken in lieu of other forms of trial, to many instances of which rudy had already availed himself and already lost: you don't get to lose your trial by court and then call for trial by combat.
that it is performed by the principles or their consenting champions with notice.
posted by 20 year lurk at 6:48 PM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

I would love to see some legal action that forces all of Trump's NDAs to be rendered moot.

I would like to see Rudy sue Trump, represented by Wood and Powell. The quarterfinals of moon law.

Seriously, though, it's more insult than effect. Rudy's doing fine with all the previous and ongoing grift, he doesn't need Trump's $20,000 a day or whatever. He'd be an idiot to think he was really ever going to get that anyway.
posted by ctmf at 6:48 PM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

"He'd be an idiot to think he was really ever going to get that anyway."

Is there evidence to show that he isn't?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 6:50 PM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

"The legal team is disintegrating before it’s even been formed. Trump has told people, “Talk to Dershowitz.”" -- Kaitlan Collins

"Dershowitz says POTUS hasn't asked him and indicates he's not inclined to do it. "I'm not an actor, I'm a lawyer, and this will be a show trial," he told me. "My plan is to keep defending the First Amendment in the marketplace of ideas." -- Annie Karni

Called it.
posted by valkane at 6:52 PM on January 13, 2021 [6 favorites]

I think Giuliani is consciously leaning hard into the mad-prophet-who's-words-illuminate-a-different-world-than-this-one archetype.

Say what you will about the United States, but we deserve a better Rasputin.
posted by evidenceofabsence at 6:57 PM on January 13, 2021 [28 favorites]

That AG Rosen YouTube video that was unlisted and was then removed is now available again.

Still not a lot of views, but it no longer says that it's unlisted.
posted by tllaya at 7:00 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

Say what you will about the United States, but we deserve a better Rasputin.

Requires 430 mana, which you no longer have.
posted by dmh at 7:06 PM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

> And as a follow-up to that: The American Abyss from the NYT Magazine is worth a read. Fascism starts with a Big Lie. For the US right now, the Big Lie is that Democrats - and particularly Democrats of color - can’t be trusted to vote fairly.

Democracy Now interview: “American Abyss”: Fascism Historian Tim Snyder on Trump’s Coup Attempt, Impeachment & What’s Next
posted by homunculus at 7:06 PM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

"maybe even your Secret Service protection." (Probably not the protection, tbh.)"

I mean, it seems redundant to have Secret Service protection when there are perfectly good prison guards at Rikers.

"What is remarkable—and, with each passing day, extraordinarily damning—is the Federalist Society’s refusal to address Eastman’s role in the insurrection. ... The Federalist Society’s refusal to expel, condemn, or distance itself from Eastman in any way indicates that the organization is untroubled by the subversion of American democracy."

This is NOT remarkable; the Federalist Society is a cancer on the American legal profession, and membership should be absolutely disqualifying for the bench. Their SOLE PURPOSE is to undermine American democracy; they have no other reason to exist.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:06 PM on January 13, 2021 [45 favorites]

AP is reporting that Biden won't be taking Amtrak into DC for the inauguration after all, for the obvious reasons.

Say what you will about the United States, but we deserve a better Rasputin.

Or a worse one.
posted by Spathe Cadet at 7:09 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

waltb31 on Twitter

Point to ponder:
America currently has more troops in Washington DC to protect the US Capitol from Trump’s domestic terrorists (20,000) than Afghanistan (13,000) or Iraq (5,000) COMBINED. Let that sink in. #TrumpTerrorism #DomesticTerrorism #ImpeachX2
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 7:13 PM on January 13, 2021 [45 favorites]

So if Giuliani gets disbarred over his part in the President's illegal actions, and considering Trump hadn't paid him, would that pierce any confidentiality that might exist between them?

Trump could hypothetically sue for actual damages, but yeah, the biggest threat would be moot. However, "you can't be disbarred for speaking" is not the same as "the contract that you signed, agreeing not to disclose these things, is now void." Maybe if there's some language tying the NDA to payment - "for the sum of $X per [hour/day] for his legal services, Guliani agrees to keep confidential any information..." etc., in which case, lack of payment would nullify the contract.

Generally, however, lawyers who are disbarred aren't free to disclose confidential client info at will.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 7:13 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

I must say, things are turning out better than I would have imagined, post-insurrection.

The FBI tracking down and arresting those involved. Accountability for the LEO leadership. A second Presidential impeachment! Twitter and Facebook banning Trump! Parler deplatformed. GOP donors backing out. Heightened security in the Capitol and fines for those not wearing a mask or walking around the metal detectors. Souring attitudes on the elected Reps and Senators involved in this BS.

With just a little less motivation and pressure from the good people, this past week could have gone much differently and been much more disappointing.
posted by darkstar at 7:13 PM on January 13, 2021 [51 favorites]

It's bunker time, folks!

"Confirming on Trump wanting to stiff Rudy, and a few new details - White House officials blocking Rudy calls to Trump; Trump said repeatedly on AF1 yesterday about the election: "I won;" Pence/others had to convince Trump to do the video today." -- Maggie Haberman, NYT
posted by valkane at 7:14 PM on January 13, 2021 [11 favorites]

"Trump has instructed aides not to pay Giuliani’s legal fees, and has demanded that he personally approve any reimbursements for the expenses Giuliani incurred while traveling on the president’s behalf to challenge election results in key states." -- Washington Post, via John FitzGerald

While it may be utterly predictable, and may not make any material difference to Rudi's finances, it is still prime cut schadenfreude.
posted by Pouteria at 7:18 PM on January 13, 2021 [27 favorites]

Pence/others had to convince Trump to do the video today

Oh come on. Not even "sources (one skinny white guy and one blond woman) say Jared and Ivanka had been pleading with him"?
posted by ctmf at 7:26 PM on January 13, 2021 [2 favorites]

I used to work at a train station. I’m a little sad that Joe doesn’t get to make his Amtrak trip, but probably not as sad as Joe is.
posted by Ruki at 7:30 PM on January 13, 2021 [50 favorites]

"I used to work at a train station. I’m a little sad that Joe doesn’t get to make his Amtrak trip, but probably not as sad as Joe is."

I have no doubt that every single aspect of his inauguration is vastly different from what he dreamed of and wanted.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 7:31 PM on January 13, 2021 [62 favorites]

I think Giuliani is consciously I mean I'm trying to avoid all the joking and riffing but lemme stop you right there.
posted by aspersioncast at 7:34 PM on January 13, 2021 [12 favorites]

Has Seth Myers done Josh Hawley on SNL yet?
posted by goalyeehah at 7:35 PM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

This is like the final line of text you put on the screen at the end of a documentary.

No, the final, final line would be "Trump later went on to be convicted of multiple crimes and serve over 20 years in jail"
posted by greenhornet at 7:39 PM on January 13, 2021 [16 favorites]

I don't suppose we get to rid ourselves of Trump whisperers like Haberman, do we, as part of all of this?
posted by maxwelton at 7:41 PM on January 13, 2021 [10 favorites]

'This isn't the final chapter': Analyst warns, again, about rise of right-wing extremists

In April 2009, a senior Homeland Security intelligence analyst named Daryl Johnson wrote an internal report warning that right-wing extremism was on the rise in the United States and that it could lead to violence.

The report leaked, and the backlash was swift. Republican lawmakers were furious...

Nearly 11 years later, a mob of right-wing extremists, spurred by President Donald Trump, stormed the U.S. Capitol in a deadly riot that highlighted the magnitude of the threat.

"This Capitol insurrection that we just had last week — some people were like OK, this is the climax of the story. No, it's not. This is ushering in a new phase of violence and hostility," Johnson said in an interview. "This isn't the final chapter of a movement that's dying out."...

"If you've got family members, neighbors, co-workers that are part of these movements, rather than ostracize and debate and criticize and isolate them, we need to love them, have compassion and bring them into the mainstream. The only way you're going to get rid of hate is through love. Every person I've ever known about that's been a white supremacist has left the movement through an act of compassion or love. They didn't leave it because someone convinced them that their belief systems were wrong."

posted by clawsoon at 7:43 PM on January 13, 2021 [37 favorites]

This is like the final line of text you put on the screen at the end of a documentary.

The credit cookie in the documentary about the end of America will be Sarah Palin dancing to Baby Got Back in that furry costume.
posted by nushustu at 7:45 PM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

On the subject of all of the hate-filled, fanciful stories that Q, Trump, and others like them make up: they seem to not really be ever intended to make up a believable story. I.e. these stories and speeches are 100% intended to make the speaker and that audience *feel* something and that is *all*. So, Q hates Democrats so much that they **feel** that they must be as terrible as child-eating monsters because that is their **feeling**. If people actually act on these stories, all the better, but at least people know the hate burning inside them.

Today's THUNK goes over what seems to be the case.
posted by RuvaBlue at 7:48 PM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

"Today's THUNK yt goes over what seems to be the case."

The poster of the video uses "truthlikeness" in the title and I just want to scream that Colbert coined a much better word, "truthiness" 15 years ago.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 7:51 PM on January 13, 2021 [19 favorites]

I'm sure this has been mentioned elsewhere, but if you Google Image search domestic terrorist the Capitol insurrectionists are the first results to appear.
posted by lock robster at 7:52 PM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

Note that while John Eastman has "retired" from Chapman University, he remains a visiting professor at the University of Colorado, despite having had his spring courses cancelled due to low enrollment.
posted by medusa at 7:53 PM on January 13, 2021 [6 favorites]

rather than ostracize and debate and criticize and isolate them, we need to love them, have compassion and bring them into the mainstream.

I mean come on. Been tried for decades, doesn't work. These are people who claim to be Christians after all; that spiel is like JC 101. Their own love and compassion drops at anyone who doesn't basically look like them having the audacity to disagree with them, and there ain't any amount of love and compassion from their perceived opponents that's gonna change that. The most compassionate thing we can do with these fuckers is hold them at arm's length while we try to make things better for everyone else, firm in the understanding that it also mostly makes things better for them.
posted by aspersioncast at 7:55 PM on January 13, 2021 [22 favorites]

Every person I've ever known about that's been a white supremacist has left the movement through an act of compassion or love

Maybe he just watched American History X too many times.
posted by valkane at 7:59 PM on January 13, 2021 [3 favorites]

I mean come on. Been tried for decades, doesn't work. These are people who claim to be Christians after all; that spiel is like JC 101.

The thing is, over the long term and with enough personal investment, it actually has been shown to be one of the most effective methods of deradicalization.

But I'll leave it to someone with more patience than me. Perhaps I should be a better man, but I'm going to stick with ostracism.
posted by tclark at 8:08 PM on January 13, 2021 [22 favorites]

if you Google Image search domestic terrorist the Capitol insurrectionists are the first results to appear

Really sucks that Silicon Valley is cancelling domestic terrorism.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 8:14 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

Following up on the story of the two Rocky Mount, VA officers who were inside the Capitol that some of us talked about a few days ago:

2 Rocky Mount police officers who were in Capitol during riot face federal charges

It's kind of a microcosm of how I imagine this is playing out all over the country. One was a Marine, and for now is a Guardsman. In their own words, the men are true patriots, not racist, not violent, and willing to lay down their lives for any of their countrymen. For your Insurrection Bingo card, it includes incoherent defenses of their actions, they did nothing illegal, saw nor participated in any violence, bullshit macho posturing, gloating, and threats.

Also, "according to Robertson, Capitol Police allowed the two men into the building, served them bottled water and told them to stay within cordoned areas."
posted by glonous keming at 8:15 PM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

If Antifa did this there would have been medics, a first aid tent, a soup kitchen and an lgbtq squad with water bottles rinsing people's eyes.
posted by adept256 at 5:56 AM on January 12
[205 favorites −] [!]

So it was antifa all along. I KNEW IT!
posted by ZenMasterThis at 8:18 PM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

“I suspect the only reason Trump hasn't pardoned himself, is that he can't get a lawyer to write it up for him - he knows that a bare-bones statement of "I, DJT, do hereby pardon myself for all federal crimes I may ever have committed" won't work.*”

My guess is that he’s already done it, it just hasn’t been announced.
posted by Capt. Renault at 8:21 PM on January 13, 2021 [6 favorites]

Pardons can't cover crimes yet to be committed, right? He's going to sign at 11:59:59AM, 20 JAN for max coverage..
posted by Alterscape at 8:23 PM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

If true, this is awesome:

@allisonnorris: "I know a friend of a friend who changed her preference on Bumble to Conservative. She’s matching with MAGA bros and they’re bragging and sending her pics and videos of them in the Capitol. She’s sending them to the FBI."
posted by JoeZydeco at 8:23 PM on January 13, 2021 [150 favorites]

My plan is to keep defending the First Amendment in the marketplace of ideas

"My plan is to stay right here in my weird Hereditary-ass office before I blow any more holes in what's left of my reputation."
posted by snuffleupagus at 8:24 PM on January 13, 2021 [4 favorites]

Pardons can't cover crimes yet to be committed, right? He's going to sign at 11:59:59AM, 20 JAN for max coverage..

He could just write one any time he thinks it's a good stopping point, then write a new one and tear up the old one every time he achieves a new crime. Like a save game.
posted by ctmf at 8:37 PM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

Maybe he'll try to post-date it (hopefully past his term limit, if so).
posted by Marticus at 8:39 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

"I know a friend of a friend who changed her preference on Bumble to Conservative. She’s matching with MAGA bros and they’re bragging and sending her pics and videos of them in the Capitol. She’s sending them to the FBI."

Best honeypot ever.
posted by vrakatar at 8:41 PM on January 13, 2021 [27 favorites]

I believe everyone is redeemable, but we have to triage those we are going to spend our time on. We're not all Helen Prejean.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 8:41 PM on January 13, 2021 [24 favorites]

@allisonnorris: "I know a friend of a friend who changed her preference on Bumble to Conservative. She’s matching with MAGA bros and they’re bragging and sending her pics and videos of them in the Capitol. She’s sending them to the FBI."

Not all heroes wear capes.
posted by gtrwolf at 8:43 PM on January 13, 2021 [33 favorites]

I believe everyone is redeemable

I don't, particularly the people in question, but I guess this is turning into a derail.
posted by aspersioncast at 8:45 PM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

"Donald says and I do, that I am heretofore and therefore pardoned for everything I've ever done, and I've done a lot, people are saying more than anyone ever before, and on this date, which is now, you can't touch me, and no backsies, or take-backs, those aren't allowed. And this paper, written in ink, and mailed to me in a letter, a bigly letter, allows me to go on and keep doing as I have therefore and heretofor done. So help me god. I pray the lord my soul to keep. It was those other people. They did it."
posted by valkane at 8:45 PM on January 13, 2021 [29 favorites]

Valkane, you forgot the bit where someone entreaties him by calling him "sir"--important part, not many people know that.
posted by maxwelton at 8:47 PM on January 13, 2021 [17 favorites]

Not all heroes wear capes.

Not all villains wear masks???
posted by aubilenon at 8:47 PM on January 13, 2021 [24 favorites]

In an interview with BBC News to promote his new book Saving Justice, former FBI Director James Comey said President-elect Joe Biden should “consider” pardoning his predecessor Donald Trump when he takes office on Jan. 20th.

“As part of healing the country and getting us to a place where we can focus on things that are going to matter over the next four years, I think Joe Biden is going to have to at least think about that.”

As the single person most responsible for inflicting four years of Donald Trump on the nation, James Comey should just shut the fuck up.

And Mr. Hubris has a book called Saving Justice? Is that a sick joke?
posted by JackFlash at 8:49 PM on January 13, 2021 [127 favorites]

Fuck off forever, Comey.
posted by EatTheWeek at 8:59 PM on January 13, 2021 [95 favorites]

Like in "save justice for later in case we want to use it," presumably.
posted by Spathe Cadet at 9:05 PM on January 13, 2021 [7 favorites]

Fuck off forever, Comey.

Seconding that.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 9:15 PM on January 13, 2021 [14 favorites]

I have family, whom I love, whom I have lovingly attempted, many times, to convince that conservatism and Trump will harm them and their loved ones. And is nothing like what Jesus taught.

It bounces off the wall of fear, ignorance, and self-satisfaction they have build around them. Fox News talks to them every day; I only see them a few times a year.

The amount of emotional labor it would take to pull them and others like them from the dark side would be like the amount of energy it takes to run bitcoin farms, far more than you'd think, and unsustainable. And just as likely to leave you disappointed.

BUT. Loving compassion has a place. You can love them by voting for policies that will help them as well as "others." You can give your energy and loving attention to younger people you know, who are not so hardened in their ideas, so the bad stuff stops dripping down the generations.

The lives of progressive people have value beyond their ability to redeem their hate-filled family members. We have a lot of work to do. We have to take care of ourselves so we don't burn out. We need to contain and disarm this hatred, learn to teach our kids how to keep rooting it out, and settle for making sure our angry racist relatives will still have healthcare and food and shelter, along with everyone else.
posted by emjaybee at 9:16 PM on January 13, 2021 [134 favorites]

"I know a friend of a friend who changed her preference on Bumble to Conservative. She’s matching with MAGA bros and they’re bragging and sending her pics and videos of them in the Capitol. She’s sending them to the FBI."

Washington Post article:
One way women in D.C. are trying to identify pro-Trump rioters? Dating apps.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:22 PM on January 13, 2021 [36 favorites]

"But I cannot emphasize that there must be no violence, no lawbreaking, and no vandalism of any kind."

He meant to say 'cannot emphasize enough,'

{cite required}

stand back and stand by
posted by flabdablet at 9:31 PM on January 13, 2021 [16 favorites]

I'd love to believe in a world that will just suddenly stop giving Comey any kind of airtime, but Scaramucci is still being given time to give his thoughts based on the cup of coffee he had at the White House, and Santorum continues to get his face on CNN based on having held an elected office well over a decade ago.
posted by Ghidorah at 9:36 PM on January 13, 2021 [13 favorites]

Fuck off forever, Comey.

oh to be a wikipedia editor
posted by jointhedance at 9:40 PM on January 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

we now know it takes about a day for the house to impeach Trump - they could keep doing that every day until the clock runs out ....

really though we need them to be working on legislation to help Biden move on Covid stuff so that they can pass stuff as soon as they have a Senate majority
posted by mbo at 9:43 PM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

Is the House remaining in session from now until Inauguration Day?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 9:50 PM on January 13, 2021

As the president’s actual attorneys backed away from his coup, Eastman rushed in to fill the void

The president has gone through more attorneys than I’ve had hot lunches.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 9:56 PM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

>The amount of emotional labor it would take to pull them and others like them from the dark side would be like the amount of energy it takes to run bitcoin farms, far more than you'd think, and unsustainable. And just as likely to leave you disappointed.

Thank you. Yes. The old saying goes that you can’t reason someone out of a belief he didn’t reason himself into. If he’s declared empathy similarly off-limits, then the same goes. Such is the cult of Trump.

I say this as one of those liberal mainline Protestants who are quickly going extinct, and as a woman who’s already spent a lifetime throwing logic and compassion at people who’ve exempted themselves from either. I haven’t changed any minds, just wasted precious hours as a captive audience and unpaid counselor.

Loneliness is the consequence they’ve earned and it’s the only one I have left in me to give.
posted by armeowda at 10:00 PM on January 13, 2021 [62 favorites]

I think if there's any chance to help anyone out of these toxic thought patterns is to first get them out of the echo chamber they live in that reinforces those thoughts. And that starts by deplatforming nazis. At the very least we can continue the fight to not allow these hate groups to easily spread their rhetoric. That includes far-right wing media such as Fox News. Only then is there a chance to actually reach people. It's not going to work if they only have one or two people preaching love if they're also hearing dozens preaching hate.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 10:05 PM on January 13, 2021 [36 favorites]

At the end of the impeachment vote, they said the house would be back in session Friday, confirmed on the congressional calendars.
posted by ktkt at 10:12 PM on January 13, 2021 [5 favorites]

So by Giuliani's analogy, Trump is the very small man.

We are the small men
We are the MAGA men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw. Alas!
Our dried voices, when
We whisper together
Are quiet and meaningless
As wind in dry grass
Or rats' feet over broken glass
In our dry cellar
posted by kirkaracha at 10:28 PM on January 13, 2021 [13 favorites]

I wonder if the techniques of street epistemology could be applied to de-radicalize the Q-trumpists.
posted by smcameron at 10:49 PM on January 13, 2021 [9 favorites]

Impeach me once, shame on you. Impeach me twice, shame on me.
posted by Joey Michaels at 10:50 PM on January 13, 2021 [8 favorites]

I thought it was, “Impeach me once, shame on… shame on you. Impeach me—can’t get impeached again.”

With a bit—okay, a lot—of luck, we’ll get a conviction and we won’t have to impeach him again.
posted by danielparks at 10:59 PM on January 13, 2021 [12 favorites]

The president has gone through more attorneys than I’ve had hot lunches.

but I've still got him on acid trips.
posted by philip-random at 11:04 PM on January 13, 2021 [15 favorites]

The poster of the video uses "truthlikeness" in the title and I just want to scream that Colbert coined a much better word, "truthiness" 15 years ago.

"Truthiness" gets all the attention, but years earlier on The Daily Show when Colbert was but a correspondent and rocking a sort of embryonic version of his talk show persona, he reported on some widely believed but unlikely claim. Jon pressed him on whether or not that was really true. "Jon, it's widely believed. That makes it... factesque."

I don't know if we can thank Colbert for that or some anonymous contributor in the writers' room, but *chef's kiss*
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:06 PM on January 13, 2021 [45 favorites]

With the comments about the law enforcement and ex-military personnel participating in the Capitol siege, I thought back to the excellent Justice League Unlimited cartoon from the early 2000's. The show's second season was a long story arc about increasing U.S. Government concerns about the power of the JLU, and the conflict that simmers, then erupts between them.

One episode focuses on the efforts of the government's "Task Force X" (aka the Suicide Squad) to infiltrate the JLU satellite to steal a weapon. These non-powered villains impersonate the JLU support staff; they succeed in breaching the satellite, cause a distracting reactor malfunction, steal the weapon and escape.

The heroes gather in the command center and comment that they may not be able to trust some of their staff after this; they look out at the dozens of staff members going about their business and fall silent as the episode ends.

That's where I am at right now.
posted by JDC8 at 11:18 PM on January 13, 2021 [10 favorites]

Words fail me, so I'll just leave this here:

"Kenosha County prosecutors are attempting to modify Kyle Rittenhouse's bond agreement after they say the 18-year-old flashed white-power signs while posing for photos, drank several beers and was 'loudly serenaded' with the Proud Boys' official song at a Mount Pleasant bar."
posted by bcd at 12:07 AM on January 14, 2021 [35 favorites]

Read that Rittenhouse article and first of all, I'll just say, "ugh" and as a WI resident I say that with every fiber of my being.

But I want to highlight this section:

"Within a few minutes of entering the bar, Rittenhouse was also "loudly serenaded" by five adult men in his group with the song, "Proud of Your Boy" - an obscure song written for the 1992 Disney film "Aladdin," prosecutors state."

"The white supremacist group, the Proud Boys, was in fact named after this song, and the song is sung by members of the group, the motion says."

TIL that The Proud Boys got their moniker from Aladdin. WTF
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:33 AM on January 14, 2021 [69 favorites]

no true supporters of mine could ever endorse political violence

All through the speech; I Me Mine, I Me Mine, I Me Mine.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 12:37 AM on January 14, 2021 [14 favorites]

Here's a transcript of last night's Trump video, for those who don't want to watch it.

And here's three minutes of Cockapoo puppies, for those who neither want to watch the Trump video nor read the transcript.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 12:51 AM on January 14, 2021 [17 favorites]

Oh, hell no; I draw the line at Trump Rule 34.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 1:09 AM on January 14, 2021 [27 favorites]

Is there not some constant of nature for maximum isolation? I mean, his isolation has been increasing for four years now, we are assured. It must hit a moral equivalent of the speed of light somewhere. An isolation singularity, perhaps?

Feh. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Rittenhouse's mother took him to that bar, wearing a "Free As Fuck" t-shirt, to drink and meet up with a bunch of Proud Boys. I have just presumed (and not cared to consider further) that he was radicalized online, but that suggests he learned to be an evil little shit the old-fashioned way.

Nope, still don't have actual words for it.
posted by bcd at 1:11 AM on January 14, 2021 [31 favorites]

Oh, hell no; I draw the line at Trump Rule 34.

Probably just as well that all that stuff is behind NDAs then.
posted by flabdablet at 1:15 AM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

Oh, hell no; I draw the line at Trump Rule 34.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 5:09 PM on January 14 [2 favorites +] [!]

No one asked for this, but I googled "Trump porn", and now I know the parody film "Erection 2016" exists, and it also has Hillary and Bernie, and the wigs are ridiculous, and it is everything you imagine it to be.

*Edit: Not ACTUALLY Hillary and Bernie, just performers playing them.
posted by saysthis at 1:30 AM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]

I must say, things are turning out better than I would have imagined, post-insurrection.
For god's sake darkstar, take that back and cross your fingers
posted by glasseyes at 1:35 AM on January 14, 2021 [18 favorites]

Well, it’s definitely a sentence I never imagined I would ever write.
posted by darkstar at 1:38 AM on January 14, 2021 [7 favorites]

There's already a gay porn parody of buffalo-horns guy.

The Oathkeepers, who are much more dangerous clowns, not so much.

Guardian: Revealed: walkie-talkie app Zello hosted far-right groups who stormed Capitol - Audio and chat logs show insurrectionists communicated via the app, which has avoided proactive content moderation
posted by sebastienbailard at 1:41 AM on January 14, 2021 [14 favorites]

*Edit: Not ACTUALLY Hillary and Bernie, just performers playing them.

Oh. Never mind then.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:17 AM on January 14, 2021 [20 favorites]

> Is there not some constant of nature for maximum isolation? I mean, his isolation has been increasing for four years now, we are assured. It must hit a moral equivalent of the speed of light somewhere. An isolation singularity, perhaps?

The microcanonical administration.
posted by runcifex at 2:27 AM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]

"Generations will discuss Trump’s descent into madness.

Schoolchildren, decades from now, will ask their teacher: What went wrong with him at the end?"

- much as I hate to quote from it, from the Australian
posted by mbo at 2:38 AM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]

All through the speech; I Me Mine, I Me Mine, I Me Mine.

What I heard: "our movement." There's some weird phrasing going on:

"Violence and vandalism have absolutely no place in our country and no place in our movement."

"Mob violence goes against everything I believe in and everything our movement stands for. No true supporter of mine could ever endorse political violence."

"If you do any of these things, you are not supporting our movement, you are attacking it and you are attacking our country."

Trump's "movement" definitely isn't a synonym for "everybody."
posted by rhizome at 2:43 AM on January 14, 2021 [9 favorites]

I just noticed the following announcement posted on the library of congress home page.

Notice: Limited researcher access to restricted digital resources is available on-site by appointment only. Online services, resources available. Library buildings otherwise closed to the public. Public events on-site canceled until further notice. Virtual events ongoing.

I don't guess it's too surprising, but I was a little taken aback by the "until further notice" wording. I'm curious what else is shut down (Smithsonian, Air & Space, National Art, Gallery, etc?) but I'm too frazzled to check further right now.
posted by TwoToneRow at 2:44 AM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

but I was a little taken aback by the "until further notice"

If you click through, it's for Covid reasons -
"Out of an abundance of caution, all Library of Congress buildings and facilities will be closed to the public, including researchers and others with reader identification cards, starting at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 12 until further notice to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19 coronavirus"
posted by scorbet at 2:48 AM on January 14, 2021 [7 favorites]

If you click through, it's for Covid reasons -

If I was making that call I would use that for the cover story, even if it is also true.

No point in inflaming the nutters by stating it is because of the nutters.
posted by Pouteria at 2:57 AM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

re the 1898 Wilmington insurrection, Im wondering if instead of "The Capitol siege/ Capitol riots /Capitol insurrection" we should instead call this the "2021 Republican insurrection at the Capitol", make them own it.
posted by Lanark at 2:58 AM on January 14, 2021 [20 favorites]

"We're suspending political donations" is some weaselly both-sides bullshit when the insurrectionists are all in one party.

Coincidentally, I am sure, we are also as far from federal elections as one can get in this period. I'd assume this is when they normally pause and review who they are going to donate to as they wait to see who gets on what committee.
posted by srboisvert at 3:13 AM on January 14, 2021 [12 favorites]

TwoToneRow I just noticed the following announcement posted on the library of congress home page.

Along the lines of what scorbet is saying, I can confirm that that message has appeared on loc.gov for at least the last six months. (And, I'd assume, since the indicated last-March timeline; but six months ago is when I started doing increased bibliographic work on Wikipedia, and encountered it every time I went to loc.gov, and every time the crazy antiquated search pages' timeout mechanism annoyingly wipes all of the search results you were referring to and dumps you back at the home page.)
posted by Charles Bronson Pinchot at 3:30 AM on January 14, 2021 [12 favorites]

> I don't rate the Drudge Report that highly. [...] But it's not lunatic right.

The Overton Window has shifted so far to the right that it has torn itself out of the framework of this house and flown down the street to attach itself, like a curse, to another house.
posted by at by at 4:26 AM on January 14, 2021 [75 favorites]

In 'read the room' news, GitHub have apparently fired an engineer for posting "stay safe homies, Nazis are about" in their internal Slack.
posted by MattWPBS at 4:29 AM on January 14, 2021 [16 favorites]

Sometimes I use Zello, the walkie talkie ap, at work. When I picked up phone this morning there's a Zello notification that they have updated their policy to no longer permit "Militarized Social Movements" from using the app.
posted by glonous keming at 4:40 AM on January 14, 2021 [20 favorites]

"Generations will discuss Trump’s descent into madness.

Schoolchildren, decades from now, will ask their teacher: What went wrong with him at the end?"

People thinking that he only "went wrong" at the end is part of the reason he got four years in office in the first place. He showed us who he was in 2015. The horror so many felt four years ago was in anticipation of just the sort of president he became. As his niece Mary Trump has told us again and again, the man you see now is who he's always been. And who he's always been, as Sarah Kendzior and Andrea Chalupa have also been telling us, is a kleptocratic grifter and wannabe dictator.

The problem was that too many people in the middle saw him as something else: someone whose mind could be changed, who would rise to the challenges of office, who would play the usual game. But he doesn't even play his favourite game the usual way: he cheats.
posted by rory at 4:57 AM on January 14, 2021 [85 favorites]

It’s a local story for me and I already posted about it earlier in the thread, so I apologize if anyone else doesn’t find it as interesting as I do, but I continue to be morbidly fascinated and deeply disturbed by the contrast between Maryland Reps. Raskin and Harris. To wit, this article in today’s Baltimore Sun:

Republican Rep. Andy Harris skips Trump impeachment vote, as rest of Maryland congressmen vote yes

Raskin has been heroic in leading the impeachment process in the House. But Harris? Imagine being his constituent/patient and having Harris as your anesthesiologist for a surgical procedure yesterday, rather than seeing him, you know, actually represent you in D.C. Imagine entrusting your individual health and well-being in that OR to a coward who won’t uphold his sworn duty to his country. How can a physician who won’t stand behind the oath of office be trusted to adhere to the Hippocratic oath? He’s a loathsome, vile, repulsive hypocrite.
posted by cheapskatebay at 5:05 AM on January 14, 2021 [13 favorites]

The problem was that too many people in the middle saw him as something else: someone whose mind could be changed, who would rise to the challenges of office, who would play the usual game.

they saw him as someone who could be controlled enough to get what they wanted - a tax cut and supreme court justices - without too many negative consequences - up until he realized he was losing the election, he didn't go too far for them

they didn't realize what his personal philosophy was, even though he recited it time after time - that sad story about the lady and the snake ...
posted by pyramid termite at 5:07 AM on January 14, 2021 [13 favorites]

> Imagine entrusting your individual health and well-being in that OR to a coward who won’t uphold his sworn duty to his country.

Imagine a doctor who lacks the staff to manage a scheduling conflict.
posted by at by at 5:11 AM on January 14, 2021 [9 favorites]

Imagine entrusting your individual health and well-being in that OR to a coward who won’t uphold his sworn duty to his country.

Imagine a doctor who lacks the staff to manage a scheduling conflict.

Imagine having a representative who either is not aware of or will not avail themselves of a procedure to vote by proxy in one of the most important votes of their career.
posted by deeker at 5:27 AM on January 14, 2021 [21 favorites]

they saw him as someone who could be controlled enough to get what they wanted - a tax cut and supreme court justices

Well to that extent it pretty much worked out as planned.
posted by freya_lamb at 5:29 AM on January 14, 2021 [10 favorites]

Turned the TV on and got distracted about changing the channel, so I just saw some of the local ABC station's morning news rather than what I usually watch in the a.m.; they showed amazing excerpts of an interview with Jacob Blake, the one who lived, that's evidently going to be on Nightline tonight, interviewer Michael Strahan.

In the clips Blake seems calm, with a grave and sober demeanor, accepting his paralysis but ready to indict the people and the system who tried to murder him, and saying that he wished it hadn't happened in front of his little kids.

This is the kind of thing we should base a re-dedicated Union on, along with Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Indigenous genocide, and everything else—some of the old “born in strife” conceptualization of the nation, but the real deal rather than 1776 elite revolution (even recognized in some conservative corners) stuff calling taxation and merchantile regulation issues “slavery” (while not caring about the actual slavery, of course), synthesized with the post-Holocaust “never again”.
posted by XMLicious at 5:30 AM on January 14, 2021 [9 favorites]

"ABC: Impeached Twice
CNN: Impeached Twice
Cartoon Network: Impeached Twice
Animal Planet: Impeached Twice
Fox News: Tips to Treat Dry Elbows
24 Hour Elbow Channel: Impeached Twice"
-- Quinn Sutherland
posted by valkane at 5:31 AM on January 14, 2021 [77 favorites]

Is being a Representative really not a full-time job?
posted by trig at 5:46 AM on January 14, 2021 [5 favorites]

we need to love them, have compassion and bring them into the mainstream.

I guess this is harder when they've created their own alternate mainstream where they're receiving plenty of compassion and affirmation. Probably worked better when the movement was made up of isolated, angry young men. Now it seems to be suburban tech ceos, firefighters, megachurch attendees, transit workers, police officers... lots of people who seem to be perfectly content with themselves.
posted by clawsoon at 5:49 AM on January 14, 2021 [16 favorites]

Fox News: Tips to Treat Dry Elbows

Actual Fox News: Dems in Disarray
posted by clawsoon at 5:50 AM on January 14, 2021 [9 favorites]

The Gadsden flag meme I needed today
posted by srboisvert at 5:53 AM on January 14, 2021 [36 favorites]

Is being a Representative really not a full-time job?
posted by trig at 8:46 AM on January 14

You'd think so. Harris treats it like a side hustle.
posted by cheapskatebay at 5:55 AM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

“ Now it seems to be suburban tech ceos, firefighters, megachurch attendees, transit workers, police officers... lots of people who seem to be perfectly content with themselves.”

I am in close (virtual) contact with members of a few of these groups who are outspoken 45 supporters.* I can say definitively that there is no shortage of arrogant belief that everyone in their orbit loves them and every last utterance out of their mouths. There’s plenty of circle jerking happening where everyone praises each other so they get the same praise in return. Sadly, some of these groups were like that before 2016 so the behavior is nothing new, even if the topics of discussion are.

* Yes, I hate it. No, I can’t do anything about it for Reasons.
posted by _Mona_ at 6:03 AM on January 14, 2021 [7 favorites]

ProPublica reports, to absolutely nobody's surprise, that Capitol police have a long-standing racism problem.

“No One Took Us Seriously”: Black Cops Warned About Racist Capitol Police Officers for Years
posted by deeker at 6:10 AM on January 14, 2021 [53 favorites]

There are more US troops in Germany (40,000) than the above COMBINED. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I mean Germany is like the size of Montana and DC is < 70 square miles; it's a lot more noticeable here.
posted by aspersioncast at 6:10 AM on January 14, 2021 [9 favorites]

That ProPublica report above is something.

Sharon Blackmon-Malloy, a former Capitol Police officer who was the lead plaintiff in the 2001 discrimination lawsuit filed against the department, said she was not surprised that pro-Trump rioters burst into the Capitol last week.

In her 25 years with the Capitol Police, Blackmon-Malloy spent decades trying to raise the alarm about what she saw as endemic racism within the force, even organizing demonstrations where Black officers would return to the Capitol off-duty, protesting outside the building they usually protect.

The 2001 case, which started with more than 250 plaintiffs, remains pending. As recently as 2016, a Black female officer filed a racial discrimination complaint against the department.

“Nothing ever really was resolved. Congress turned a blind eye to racism on the Hill,” Blackmon-Malloy, who retired as a lieutenant in 2007, told ProPublica. She is now vice president of the U.S. Capitol Black Police Association, which held 16 demonstrations protesting alleged discrimination between 2013 and 2018. “We got Jan. 6 because no one took us seriously.”
posted by Bella Donna at 6:16 AM on January 14, 2021 [40 favorites]

Just as reminder, can Congress impeach Trump every other year from now on? So that an update on Wikipedia in 2061 states "Donald Trump was impeached for the 22nd time. His next scheduled impeachment will be in 2063."
posted by LostInUbe at 6:19 AM on January 14, 2021 [13 favorites]

I would rather him be relegated to the role of historical object lesson rather than allow him to continue to occupy my mind uninvited the way he has for the past thirty years.
posted by at by at 6:29 AM on January 14, 2021 [46 favorites]

People thinking that he only "went wrong" at the end is part of the reason he got four years in office in the first place

And the Murdoch press, including The Australian, is a big part of the reason people think he only went wrong at the end.

But it's still only part of the reason. The bigger part is that his utterly appalling lack of anything even vaguely resembling taste and his utterly vile lack of anything even vaguely resembling decorum are admired by far too many people, most of whom have no excuse for not knowing better.

Seriously. Anybody who can walk into the lobby of Trump Tower and not be instantly and viscerally revolted by the knowledge that it's supposed to look like that needs to take a good hard look at themselves.
posted by flabdablet at 6:31 AM on January 14, 2021 [11 favorites]

Well he's certainly racked up enough Impeachable offenses to get one every day for the remainder of his term.
posted by whuppy at 6:31 AM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

@18airborneco
Capitol police officer Eugene Goodman is rightfully being hailed as a hero after singlehandedly holding back rioters from entering the Senate chambers last week.

An Iraq combat vet and member of this Corps, Eugene was a hero long before last Wednesday.

We celebrate his valor.

/I'll say it again. Biden should give this man the Medal of Freedom.
posted by bluesky43 at 6:41 AM on January 14, 2021 [113 favorites]

I guess this is harder when they've created their own alternate mainstream

I love 'alternate mainstream'. I really hope they pick it up and start using it to describe themselves without having a clue about the oxymoron.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 6:42 AM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]

there's a Zello notification that they have updated their policy to no longer permit "Militarized Social Movements" from using the app.

I like 'Militarized Social Movements' as well, and I hope they start using it as an abbreviation.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 6:46 AM on January 14, 2021 [22 favorites]

my wife (heatherlogan): "I realized just now that I've been confusing the Oath Keepers with the evangelical Christian youth group the Promise Keepers. I was like, when did they become a paramilitary group?"
posted by sebastienbailard at 6:52 AM on January 14, 2021 [55 favorites]

You'd think so. Harris treats it like a side hustle.

I mean, he literally could not be bothered to even phone it in.
posted by notoriety public at 6:52 AM on January 14, 2021 [11 favorites]

"I realized just now that I've been confusing the Oath Keepers with the evangelical Christian youth group the Promise Keepers. I was like, when did they become a paramilitary group?"

At this point I wouldn't be surprised if there's a pipeline.
posted by Alterscape at 6:56 AM on January 14, 2021 [56 favorites]

Black ring for Dad, promise ring for Daddy's little girl.

🤮
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:59 AM on January 14, 2021 [7 favorites]

Is Crypt Keepers the end of the pipeline?
posted by clawsoon at 7:00 AM on January 14, 2021 [20 favorites]

I love 'alternate mainstream'. I really hope they pick it up and start using it to describe themselves without having a clue about the oxymoron.

"Alternate mainstream" suggests that they've made a whole separate river.
posted by clawsoon at 7:02 AM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

Have you seen Ghostbusters II?
posted by snuffleupagus at 7:02 AM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]

From The New Yorker: First-hand account of the breach from Pelosi's floor director. (h/t to Anne Helen Petersen.)
posted by soundguy99 at 7:08 AM on January 14, 2021 [19 favorites]

Michael Beschloss @BeschlossDC
"Harding was not a bad man, he was just a slob,” said Alice Roosevelt Longworth. She did not live to see a President who was both.
posted by bluesky43 at 7:08 AM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

Biden should give this man the Medal of Freedom.

Fully cosign. Along with Stacey Abrams.
posted by Dashy at 7:15 AM on January 14, 2021 [13 favorites]

Can they be stripped after they're awarded? Specifically, to Gym Jordan.
posted by snuffleupagus at 7:19 AM on January 14, 2021 [7 favorites]

"Good morning from the White House. The president has no public events scheduled. Moving boxes are laid out near some offices, others are empty already and staff are taking goodbye photos." -- Josh Wingrove, Bloomberg
posted by valkane at 7:22 AM on January 14, 2021 [11 favorites]

I wonder if revoking medals might come in under the Congressional Review Act.
posted by notoriety public at 7:22 AM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

Can they be stripped after they're awarded? Specifically, to Gym Jordan.

Revoking the medal has come up before, specifically with Bill Cosby, but to date it hasn't happened.
posted by nathan_teske at 7:25 AM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]

A good point when considering expulsion or primarying of the 197, from Jelani Cobb:

The personal safety argument doesn’t come close to justifying the 197 non-impeachment votes in the House.

A person too fearful to vote their conscience should resign immediately. You’ve just told the nation’s enemies that a well-placed threat can compromise your vote.
posted by Dashy at 7:25 AM on January 14, 2021 [117 favorites]

So this morning while cruising /r/all on reddit I ran across this. Googling "Rachel Rodriguez election fraud" showed me a full basket of deplorable websites running with the story, (mostly FOX News channel affiliates, go figure,) before I ran across this backgrounder debunking it. Expect to have to debunk it yourself to those who are looking to justify the violence last week. It appears to be the work of Project Veritas.
posted by Catblack at 7:27 AM on January 14, 2021 [16 favorites]

"Election deniers in the Georgia state Senate have been stripped of their chairmanships: Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan demoted three Republican senators who backed attempts to overturn the presidential vote over baseless allegations of irregularities." -- Kyle Griffin, MSNBC
posted by valkane at 7:39 AM on January 14, 2021 [30 favorites]

"Moving boxes are laid out near some offices, others are empty already and staff are taking goodbye photos."

Ah, here we have it, the long-promised "smooth transition of power". Couldn't have asked for less.
posted by clawsoon at 7:47 AM on January 14, 2021 [10 favorites]

> We got Jan. 6 because no one took us seriously.

American history and not taking marginalized people seriously; name a more iconic duo
posted by J.K. Seazer at 7:50 AM on January 14, 2021 [23 favorites]

American History and White Supremacy?

edit: I guess that's maybe just the same flavor under a different branding.
posted by absalom at 7:54 AM on January 14, 2021 [5 favorites]

>"The white supremacist group, the Proud Boys, was in fact named after this song, and the song is sung by members of the group, the motion says."

TIL that The Proud Boys got their moniker from Aladdin. WTF

WAIT WAIT WAIT hold on a minute, we need to circle back around on this: the militant, murderous White supremacy group the Proud Boys is not only named for a song from an animated Disney musical, it's a deep cut track that never made it into the movie and was only re-inserted for the Broadway show.*

This is where the name 'Proud Boys' comes from? And they sing this song, like, to rally themselves?? Like it's a Broadway sing-along in a family tavern? In a deeply weird time, this may be the actual weirdest thing I've learned, that one of the most prominent White supremacist hate groups in the U.S. is named for, and bonds through, a Disney show tune. Of all the places I didn't expect to find fans of musical theater...and also, FUCK THEM for using a Howard Ashman song to give voice to their hate, he is surely spinning in his grave.

* - [The only place I've ever heard "Proud of Your Boy" prior to the Broadway show is on a memorial collection (The Music Behind the Magic, very hard to get and expensive these days), which Disney issued on CD not long after Howard Ashman's death, to commemorate his phenomenal and legendary collaboration with Alan Menken in creating the so-called Disney Renaissance. That original demo is available to stream now, but is a little hard to find and not part of that collection anymore. The song was cut, along with a couple of others, because the characters of Aladdin's mother and boyhood friends were dropped as the movie developed, but Ashman had written some lovely stuff for that so the songs were preserved and shared, given his tragic waaaaay-too-early death, and ultimately included in the expanded version for the stage.)]
posted by LooseFilter at 8:12 AM on January 14, 2021 [29 favorites]

Imagine having a representative who either is not aware of or will not avail themselves of a procedure to vote by proxy in one of the most important votes of their career.

Harris got out of the way. Weird that he's picking up more flak here than the ones who actually voted against impeachment.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 8:15 AM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]

Nancy Pelosi wore the same dress for both impeachments.

She literally has a Trump impeachment outfit.

She's pretty good at the subtle shade. The clip of her ripping up the SOTU speech should be on replay at the White House.
posted by Dashy at 8:19 AM on January 14, 2021 [60 favorites]

EARP: "Get to fighting, or get away!"

He should've skipped the hamfisted tech support excuses and taken it on the chin if he didn't want to vote.
posted by snuffleupagus at 8:24 AM on January 14, 2021

From The New Yorker: First-hand account of the breach from Pelosi's floor director. (h/t to Anne Helen Petersen.)

I don't know why, exactly, but it feel like that article is worth a FPP, on its own. At the very least, I hope your link doesn't get too lost in all the comments, here.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 8:27 AM on January 14, 2021 [8 favorites]

Weird that he's picking up more flak here than the ones who actually voted against impeachment.

No. It isn't:

Harris, a physician and six-term Baltimore County Republican, tweeted that the “divisive, hastily called and politically motivated snap impeachment,” was “a waste of time,” and said he instead spent Wednesday caring for patients in his district.

“While I certainly would have voted against impeachment, and the Congressional Record will reflect that, my constituents were better served by my work in the operating room today than by taking part in this pointless exercise,” the Republican congressman wrote.

He could have just abstained and issued a simple statement about whatever misgivings he might have. Instead, he just skipped the vote and let people know how he would have voted if he wasn't so cowardly. He's trying to have it both ways without having to commit his name to either. At least the rest of his treasonous colleagues were willing to put their name to their treason.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 8:28 AM on January 14, 2021 [15 favorites]

Whelp, Navarro got his souvenir:

"'White House advisor Peter Navarro leaves the West Wing of the White House with a photograph of U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, in Washington, U.S., January 13, 2021.'" -- Michael Kelly
posted by valkane at 8:28 AM on January 14, 2021 [5 favorites]

That photo was most likely printed and framed using taxpayer's dollars.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 8:36 AM on January 14, 2021 [7 favorites]

Question: What about the ballot boxes? An aid grabbed them, but what if protesters had gotten ahold of the ballots and burned them, for example? Would that seriously have prevented Biden from being legally certified as the winner?

And what happens to the ballots after being certified? Are they stored somewhere, for the record?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:37 AM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

"Proud of Your Boy" isn't even very good. It is just a watered-down "I want" song that went into the Broadway musical to add color. He's singing about making his dead mom proud of him, and there's absolutely nothing in it to make it this century's "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" -- nothing, I suppose, but an in-joke.

It's probably not politically possible, but it would be best to rename the last few Medals of Freedom or put an asterisk in the official records for medals given in Trump's years. Or perhaps let it fall into abeyance and create a new medal that is more prestigious --
posted by Countess Elena at 8:38 AM on January 14, 2021 [5 favorites]

As I recall those were not actually the only copies.
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:38 AM on January 14, 2021 [10 favorites]

I think I read something saying there were copies and multiple places the ballots were stored, but it would have given the idiots more ammunition for rigged, fake votes, and other related nonsense.
posted by phunniemee at 8:39 AM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]

I don't get the stuff about the ballot copies being so critical. There are additional physical sets, and there were certified copies publicly viewable online the whole time. One would expect that at worse their destruction would have meant a longer delay before reconvening, maybe having to re-start from the beginning of the Congressional procedure.

It seems like the actual plan for a power grab, to the extent there was one, was for things to get bad enough for Trump to invoke the insurrection act and shutter the Capitol indefinitely, paralyzing Pelosi and calling for the elections to be finalized by the statehouses instead. That would have been the actual coup. Not ripping up Congress' homework.
posted by snuffleupagus at 8:43 AM on January 14, 2021 [25 favorites]

Oh good, 'cause only having a single physical copy that could be destroyed and throw the election into question sounds...not well considered.

Thx y'all!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:48 AM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]

"NEW: The guy carrying the Confederate flag is in custody." -- Adam Goldman, NYT
posted by valkane at 8:49 AM on January 14, 2021 [66 favorites]

Weird that he's picking up more flak here than the ones who actually voted against impeachment.

I think a lot of us think of "the opposition" as people with either no principles, or principles that diverge so strongly from ours that we have basically no common ground anyway. They can frustrate our efforts to improve the world, but we accept them as essentially lost causes (an especially appropriate term in this case).

So when we see one of them do something closer to our side, like abstaining from the impeachment vote instead of voting "nay", our reaction is "wait, if you had enough principles to do that, then why would you stop there?!"

In other words, since they're not clearly in that "lost cause" group anymore, we've become emotionally invested in them to some extent. This makes it all the more disappointing to see that investment lost, and we lash out.

I suspect this is one of the reasons democrats and progressives in general are so prone to circular firing squads. It's hard to understand why someone who shows the ability to be better, isn't already there.

That's not always bad: it reduces the incentive to take a craven position like Harris's. As RonButNotStupid points out, without this type of criticism Harris would enjoy the best of both worlds. Positions that don't offend anyone become the de facto middle, and it is not okay for the centrist response to an attempted coup to be not having an opinion on it at all.
posted by Riki tiki at 8:54 AM on January 14, 2021 [7 favorites]

There are 6 original certificates that each state’s electors fill out and sign.
1 goes to the President of the Senate
2 go to the state’s Secretary of State
2 go to the Archivist of the United States
1 goes to the local federal district judge.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 8:54 AM on January 14, 2021 [15 favorites]

Question: What about the ballot boxes? An aid grabbed them, but what if protesters had gotten ahold of the ballots and burned them, for example? Would that seriously have prevented Biden from being legally certified as the winner?

Canadian here, willing to be corrected, but my understanding is that there are multiple copies of the votes sent to DC, stemming from a tile they would have been sent by boat and horseback and prone to getting lost.
posted by Paladin1138 at 8:56 AM on January 14, 2021

To jail, they drove the Dixie clown
And all the cells were clinkin'
To jail, they drove the Dixie clown
And all the MeFites were singin'
They went "ha, ha ha ha ha ha"
posted by tonycpsu at 8:56 AM on January 14, 2021 [22 favorites]

Delta won’t allow DC-bound passengers to check guns ahead of Biden’s inauguration

On one hand, I'm glad. On the other, I can't believe our own government hasn't taken legal action to prevent flying to DC with guns after an attempted coup.
posted by nicoffeine at 9:04 AM on January 14, 2021 [51 favorites]

It appears to be the work of Project Veritas.

I would like to add "Project Veritas" to the long list of "delenda est" items.
posted by ishmael at 9:05 AM on January 14, 2021 [14 favorites]

What's most infuriating to me about McConnell stalling the impeachment trial is that if Trump is convicted after he leaves office, he retains all the privileges of an ex-president: salary, office space and staff, Secret Service protection for life (or $1M/year for security and travel, and $500K for Melania) – and the right to send non-political mail for free, without restriction on quantity, size, or weight, which I can imagine him really abusing.
posted by nicwolff at 9:06 AM on January 14, 2021 [12 favorites]

With all the speculation and updates (hope here, anger there, disgust and resignation a heartbeat later) I'm struck by the details that have impacted over time: the former Ranger who leant a moment of comfort to a Congressional colleague then retrieved her shoe; the Representative who did not wish to remove her pin while others were instructed to do so, because when you're black your survival rulebook will differ from your white colleagues; the way a white male photographed scaling a wall can supply "I got carried away in the moment" as a defense (if we needed any further proof of how absurdly wrong things are).

And last night--I know I'm late to the party--watching the documentary on Kushner, where a family known for its crooked dealings moved into the Manhattan real estate market by acquiring this building. I'm as tired as the rest of you about the jokes about lazy script writers, but just when I couldn't be surprised any longer something hits me again. The next time this happens the people will not be so appallingly stupid, they will hide the enormity of their vileness much more effectively, and things will be much worse.
posted by elkevelvet at 9:07 AM on January 14, 2021 [16 favorites]

/u/BasedEaglePede is the name
and I posted in /pol/ on main
'til the DC takeover came
now I can't own a gun again

Divorced from my wife in Tennessee
When one day the chuds called to me
They said, bruh quick come see, here come Steve and Rudy
Now I don't mind that my bitcoin won't trade
Or that the Covid I caught tore a hole in my brain
Listen, I don't really hate
my old friends on the left
its so lonely here
wont you accept my friend request
posted by snuffleupagus at 9:08 AM on January 14, 2021 [8 favorites]

The next time this happens the people will not be so appallingly stupid, they will hide the enormity of their vileness much more effectively, and things will be much worse.

They had already wised up by the next day. Here in Washington, the next day the protestors were out in suits because when they heard Trump thought they were "low class" they decided they needed to make themselves "look nice" to be taken more seriously.

Of course, at least one went way too far and looked like he thought he was cosplaying Red Dead Redemption II. Honestly, surprised he didn't have a bolo tie.
posted by deadaluspark at 9:09 AM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]

Speaking of SS protection, because the Kushner's wouldn't allow SS officers into their own home to use the bathroom:

"Secret Service agents who guard Jared Kushner & Ivanka Trump's 6.5 bathroom house had to use a toilet in the Obamas' garage.

Until a supervisor made a big mess, forcing taxpayers to rent a $3,000-a-month studio so the protective detail has a bathroom." -- Fenit Nirappil, NYT
posted by valkane at 9:13 AM on January 14, 2021 [29 favorites]

Until a supervisor made a big mess, forcing taxpayers to rent a $3,000-a-month studio so the protective detail has a bathroom."

So the smearing shit on the walls means the shit apple doesn't fall too far from the shit tree?
posted by deadaluspark at 9:14 AM on January 14, 2021 [5 favorites]

The next time this happens the people will not be so appallingly stupid, they will hide the enormity of their vileness much more effectively, and things will be much worse.

Saw a comment on the web that said: A lot of the insurrectionists are realizing why their ancestors wore hoods.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 9:15 AM on January 14, 2021 [40 favorites]

> Weird that he's picking up more flak here than the ones who actually voted against impeachment.

We can complain about both. We have time.
posted by at by at 9:17 AM on January 14, 2021 [10 favorites]

Speaking of SS protection, because the Kushner's wouldn't allow SS officers into their own home to use the bathroom:

spitballing, of course, but given the 666 stuff, is it too much of a leap to assume that the plumbing in any Kushner joint is a direct conduit to hell?
posted by philip-random at 9:22 AM on January 14, 2021

> The point was to cause delay of game, such that inauguration would have to be delayed, leading to ... 4 more years, somehow.

And for the accelerationists, any win is a win.
posted by sebastienbailard at 9:23 AM on January 14, 2021

A few weeks ago, one of my guesses was that there would be an unexplained firing of the responsible person at the National Archives, who would have been replaced by a Trump loyalist who would then create bogus electoral ballot challenges at that stage of the process.

As it turned out, that never happened. I'm not saying it would have worked, but it could have been another delaying tactic that would have had to be swatted down.
posted by gimonca at 9:24 AM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

From Rudy's stupid voicemail left on the wrong Senator's phone it sounds like the plan was that delaying a day would get them "evidence" from state legislatures that they could introduce. Surprising nobody that "evidence" has not been forthcoming - it's not like they wouldn't wave it around after certification anyways if it existed. It really does sound like the kind of terrible plan that his post-election brain trust would concoct.
posted by jason_steakums at 9:27 AM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

A few weeks ago, one of my guesses was that there would be an unexplained firing of the responsible person at the National Archives

If there is anyone I trust through all of this nonsense, it's the head of the National Archives. He's not perfect, but he's been absolutely critical of all of Trump's nonsense and weirdness this entire time.
posted by jessamyn at 9:28 AM on January 14, 2021 [18 favorites]

As a taxpaying resident of the District of Columbia, I have a deep seated loathing for Andy Harris. He's one of the louder sorts of people who believe they should meddle in the affairs of the DC Government, and he made a crusade of interference in DC's efforts to legalize marijuana. I feel the same way about him that I feel about the literal human shit rioters spread in the Capitol building.
posted by fedward at 9:28 AM on January 14, 2021 [15 favorites]

The Kushners are not as superstitious as the Reagans, who, when they bought a house at 666 St. Cloud Road in Bel-Air (LA Times, 1988), had the house number changed to 668. Which I find interesting, considering that some people at the time thought Reagan was himself somehow Satan-adjacent (WaPo, 1980).
posted by box at 9:30 AM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

> 1 goes to the President of the Senate
2 go to the state’s Secretary of State
2 go to the Archivist of the United States
1 goes to the local federal district judge.

I'm inclined to believe Trump and possibly Giuliani were not aware of this. Or that Giuliani was but at $20k a day he was happy to go on fool's errands.

In either case, it seems pretty clear that whichever rioters had the idea of stealing the certificates had no idea that the system keeps backups.
posted by at by at 9:31 AM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

What's most infuriating to me about McConnell stalling the impeachment trial is that if Trump is convicted after he leaves office, he retains all the privileges of an ex-president: salary, office space and staff, Secret Service protection for life (or $1M/year for security and travel, and $500K for Melania)

Not necessarily - see this article from BuzzFeedNews I posted above.

The TL:DR being that conviction for impeachment gets you removed from office. All of the other stuff (cutting off pension/travel expenses, etc.) would happen in a second simple majority vote by the Senate after conviction.

Obviously we're in uncharted territory here if he gets convicted by the Senate after he leaves office, but there are certainly legal experts who think that the removal of benefits (probably not including SS protection) could happen regardless of when he's convicted.
posted by soundguy99 at 9:36 AM on January 14, 2021 [7 favorites]

>From Rudy's stupid voicemail left on the wrong Senator's phone it sounds like the plan was that delaying a day would get them "evidence" from state legislatures that they could introduce.

It's entirely possible that Rudy was lying about that, and the plan was to just incite violence and have congress get attacked. Having a plan for the next day is such a charming benefit of the doubt for us to give him given the reality of the events that unfolded. I begin to believe more and more that yes, Rudy is capable of lying to Tuberville in that voice mail, sure as shit.
posted by Catblack at 9:36 AM on January 14, 2021 [5 favorites]

The Kushners own 666 5th Avenue.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 9:36 AM on January 14, 2021

"NEW: The guy carrying the Confederate flag is in custody." -- Adam Goldman, NYT

This is not a repeat from 1865
posted by stevis23 at 9:37 AM on January 14, 2021 [19 favorites]

AZ GOP Chair Kelli Ward on Twitter, January 6th: "Congress is adjourned. Send the elector choice back to the legislatures."

I won't credit these goons with the forethought implied by the word "plan", but there were many in GOP leadership who were extremely willing to use the interruption of Congress by a rioting mob as an excuse to cancel the election results and install Trump for a second term. They weren't trying to hide it at all.
posted by 0xFCAF at 9:45 AM on January 14, 2021 [40 favorites]

This is not a repeat from 1865

Aye, but it rhymes.
posted by clawsoon at 9:45 AM on January 14, 2021 [10 favorites]

More seditionists from SW Virginia. This from the "biblical conservative" Bob Good, recently elected to the House of Rep VA05

Executive Director at Interfaith Alliance for Climate Justice Weston Mathews: "Bob Good is a white Christian nationalist and white supremacist. He is a threat to national security and he needs to be removed from Congress."
posted by bluesky43 at 9:46 AM on January 14, 2021 [23 favorites]

America currently has more troops in Washington DC to protect the US Capitol from Trump’s domestic terrorists (20,000) than Afghanistan (13,000) or Iraq (5,000) COMBINED. Let that sink in. #TrumpTerrorism #DomesticTerrorism #ImpeachX2

There are more US troops in Germany (40,000) than the above COMBINED. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

And there are more US troops in Japan than Germany. Looking at the pattern I'd say the troop numbers are related to places were the US has defeated an enemy. So high number of troops stationed in the capital seems apropos at the moment since the US just won its second civil war.
posted by srboisvert at 9:47 AM on January 14, 2021 [12 favorites]

@jaketapper: Neal Kirby, the son of Captain America co-creator Jack Kirby, was distressed to see some of the January 6 terrorists/rioters wearing shirts with versions of his dad’s creation corrupted by the image of the outgoing president. His message to them:

If Donald Trump had the qualities and character of Captain America, the White House would be a shining symbol of truth and integrity, not a festering cesspool of lies and hypocrisy. Several of our presidents held the same values as Captain America. Trump is not one of them.

posted by tonycpsu at 9:50 AM on January 14, 2021 [61 favorites]

now I know the parody film "Erection 2016" exists

Previously

Although I no longer have a working DVD player in the house, I think somewhere I still have my Farenheit 69 DVD...
posted by nickmark at 9:51 AM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]

yesterday, the congressional black caucus held an emergency meeting (cspan) on the capitol putsch.
posted by 20 year lurk at 9:52 AM on January 14, 2021 [8 favorites]

.- .--. .--. .- .-. . -. - .-.. -.-- / - .-. ..- -- .--. / .. ... / -. --- .-- / ..- ... .. -. --. / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . / - --- / -.-. --- -- -- ..- -. .. -.-. .- - . / .-- .. - .... / --.- .- -. --- -. / ..-. --- .-.. .-.. --- .-- . .-. ... .-.-.-
posted by MattWPBS at 10:01 AM on January 14, 2021 [21 favorites]

since the US just won its second civil war

I think a lot of us are still really worried that saying this now is like if someone had declared everything was all wrapped up after Fort Sumter. Or Harper's Ferry, or something. You get my point.

I'm scared is what I'm saying.
posted by nickmark at 10:03 AM on January 14, 2021 [31 favorites]

@fakedansavage
"While it's true Trump supporter Kevin Greeson didn't die of a heart attack after accidentally tasering himself in the balls, millions of hard-working, tax-paying Americans believe Greeson died of a heart attack after tasering himself in the balls and our voices must be heard."
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 10:09 AM on January 14, 2021 [98 favorites]

> He could have just abstained and issued a simple statement about whatever misgivings he might have. Instead, he just skipped the vote and let people know how he would have voted if he wasn't so cowardly. He's trying to have it both ways without having to commit his name to either. At least the rest of his treasonous colleagues were willing to put their name to their treason.

The deal with Andy Harris is that he's an "originalist" who is very into this idea that elected office was not meant to be a career. He loves to call himself a "citizen-legislator." (As if other legislators are not also citizens?)

He's not being too cowardly to put his name to impeachment, he's being arrogantly dismissive of his responsibility in the impeachment process. This is weird and hypocritical, yes. Using the excuse that he had important doctoring to do is an argument AGAINST his ability to maintain his outside professional career while serving as a US Representative.
posted by desuetude at 10:10 AM on January 14, 2021 [7 favorites]

If anyone isn't up to speed with their Morse code and wants to decode the above, or I guess talk with QAnon supporters now, this translator works well.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 10:14 AM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]

He's not being too cowardly ... he's being arrogantly dismissive

This is an excellent example of the transformative power of shifting from "either/or" to "both/and" thinking.
posted by solotoro at 10:16 AM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

nickmark new too. I live in a very white and quite conservative part of San Antonio. Many of my neighbors still have Trump flags up. And despite the fact that their first attempt to murder Congress and overthrow the government failed the MAGA cultists don't seem to be backing down from anything.

I'm going to be worried until Biden has been in office for a few months. And then we all have to worry that they'll put in a smarter Fascist next election.
posted by sotonohito at 10:16 AM on January 14, 2021 [9 favorites]

It feels like it's all over, that four years from now there will be still more Democrat voters than there were this time. That the people furious with Trump will never vote GOP again; it will take a generation or more for them to recover, if ever, that they may never hold power again.

With corporate donations drying up, I fully expected them to remove him, as the chance to take back their party from the Trumpists. They need to make a break, they need that money and they need to take back control of the party; Trump has no real power now: influence, yes, but actual power? No. He's an ex-president. They don't need him, necessarily, at least not in his useful idiot sense. They need to take back the messaging, the platform, the policy, so that they can rebuild from what was a catastrophic loss. (Presidency and Senate). I assumed they would see the writing on the wall for their party and do this.

But. Only 5% of the GOP voted to impeach this president for insurrection and sedition. An attempted armed takeover "soft coup". (A "soft coup" is when an elected leader refuses to leave). We know it doesn't matter, Trump lost, in a few days he's gone, everything goes back to "normal" now. Except. Only 5% of the GOP voted to impeach this president for insurrection and sedition.

The message the GOP is sending us is clear: the Next Time this happens, the GOP will stand down and stand by. They will do nothing. They will not stop you, and if you try, they will not punish you. The GOP has always been the "power by any means" party but they always offer that "law and order" rhetoric. They are saying the quiet part out loud this time: we are in favor of armed insurrection, of taking over by force; power for the sake of power, by any means necessary.

This is more dangerous than Trump. Whoever rises next to fill his power vacuum has carte fucking blanche from these fucks.
posted by cape at 10:21 AM on January 14, 2021 [31 favorites]

"One thing that always astounds me is the GOP’s talent for neglecting key issues until it affects them personally.

"They couldn’t care less when Trump used his mob to put their colleagues’ lives in danger, yet are only noticing how bad it is when the threat’s been turned on them.

"For two years many of us have been subject to extremely violent threats, attempts, stalkers, & targeted misinfo.

"When I went to the border, there was a mob w/ knives & guns feet away and CBP refused to protect the delegation. What did we do? We did the press conference anyways." -- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
posted by valkane at 10:21 AM on January 14, 2021 [54 favorites]

"NEW: D.C. Attorney General seeks to interview Donald Trump Jr., as part of an investigation into the use of charity money (from Trump's 2017 inaugural committee) to benefit Trump Org." -- David Fahrenthold
posted by valkane at 10:25 AM on January 14, 2021 [23 favorites]

.- .--. .--. .- .-. . -. - .-.. -.-- / - .-. ..- -- .--. / .. ... / -. --- .-- / ..- ... .. -. --. / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . / - --- / -.-. --- -- -- ..- -. .. -.-. .- - . / .-- .. - .... / --.- .- -. --- -. / ..-. --- .-.. .-.. --- .-- . .-. ... .-.-.-

Even if he had the decency and good sense to wave a white flag they would think it was semaphore.
posted by phunniemee at 10:29 AM on January 14, 2021 [7 favorites]

>The deal with Andy Harris is that he's an "originalist" who is very into this idea that elected office was not meant to be a career. He loves to call himself a "citizen-legislator." (As if other legislators are not also citizens?)

He's a physician who caucuses with people that don't wear masks. And kneels at the feet of a president who systematically mishandled a pandemic.
posted by sebastienbailard at 10:31 AM on January 14, 2021 [27 favorites]

Earlier today I was wondering how extensive the police investigations were into the people involved in the storming of the capital as I had not seen anything about search warrants and computer seizures but today I see this story out of Chicago: Chicago man was inside Pelosi's office, feds say; Jefferson Park home raided [Jeff Park is one of Chicago's 'Copland' neighborhoods]. It looks like they are doing pretty intensive investigations as the video shows them carting out banker boxes of evidence from this guy's home.
posted by srboisvert at 10:36 AM on January 14, 2021 [20 favorites]

"Nancy Pelosi wore the same dress for both impeachments. She literally has a Trump impeachment outfit" via TravisAllen on Twitter
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:37 AM on January 14, 2021 [9 favorites]

And despite the fact that their first attempt to murder Congress and overthrow the government failed the MAGA cultists don't seem to be backing down from anything.

I found this informative in that regard ...

Let's talk about how the FBI may be countering Trump supporters....

c/o Beau of the Fifth Column. His basic pitch is that the events of last Wednesday woke the FBI the f*** up (and various others whose job it is to protect American democracy). So now they're digging deep, doing what they do best which is identifying perpetrators and moving on them, the logical place to start being all the available video and photo evidence that's been posted on line. As he puts it, if you were there, even if you were just watching, don't be surprised to get a knock on the door anytime soon. In fact, the wisest move in terms of mitigating what could be coming at you from The Law is to turn yourself in before you're contacted, offer to help them with their investigations.
posted by philip-random at 10:39 AM on January 14, 2021 [14 favorites]

"Reps. Crist, Cleaver, and Mace have introduced a bill to award U.S. Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman with the Congressional Gold Medal "for his bravery and quick thinking."

Goodman lured away a group of rioters from the entrance to the Senate chambers." -- Kyle Griffin, MSNBC
posted by valkane at 10:41 AM on January 14, 2021 [75 favorites]

One company is going further than stopping donations to those who opposed election certification: Hallmark Cards asks Hawley, Marshall to return donations.
posted by kristi at 10:41 AM on January 14, 2021 [16 favorites]

The personal safety argument doesn’t come close to justifying the 197 non-impeachment votes in the House.

A person too fearful to vote their conscience should resign immediately. You’ve just told the nation’s enemies that a well-placed threat can compromise your vote.

To be fair, in many cases (*cough*Devin Nunes*cough*), our nation's enemies probably already know it.
posted by Gelatin at 10:44 AM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

A judge has denied a request to revoke the bail of two men who were arrested during the vote-counting process in Philadelphia back in November. ... The commonwealth tried to revoke bail because of their presence at the Capitol during last week's riot, but a judge denied the motion. ....
The two defendants were arrested in November after a law enforcement bulletin alerted police to look for a Hummer coming to Philadelphia with people intent on interfering with the vote count at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Both were armed with handguns, and an assault rifle was found in the Hummer just steps from the convention center. ....
"It would have been a very different case had there been evidence of planned mass shooting," said Asst. District Attorney Andrew Wellbrock.
The judge ordered both men to refrain from any activity like that at the Capitol or he'll hold them in contempt of court.

This seems like exactly the kind of people bail is for? And I am horrified that this guy doesn't think this was evidence of planned mass shooting.
posted by sepviva at 10:46 AM on January 14, 2021 [18 favorites]

You know, Trump left behind quite a gift, inciting so many of his violent supporters and exposing them, sending them to jail.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 10:49 AM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

"Reps. Crist, Cleaver, and Mace have introduced a bill to award U.S. Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman with the Congressional Gold Medal "for his bravery and quick thinking."

Goddamn right. A black cop facing an angry white mob hits all sorts of buttons for me and I'm glad as hell he kept his cool.

The man had nothing but a baton he picked up off the floor, goddamn right we should be sending all sorts of medals his way.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:49 AM on January 14, 2021 [71 favorites]

50 States of Impeachment (hint: AGAIN features prominently)
posted by bluesky43 at 10:55 AM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

The Kushners are not as superstitious as the Reagans, who, when they bought a house at 666 St. Cloud Road in Bel-Air (LA Times, 1988), had the house number changed to 668. Which I find interesting, considering that some people at the time thought Reagan was himself somehow Satan-adjacent

You can't get more adjacent than that.

668, the Neighbour of the Beast.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 10:55 AM on January 14, 2021 [25 favorites]

The New York Times
@nytimes
A man who carried a Confederate flag inside the Capitol last week during the riot was arrested on Thursday. Kevin Seefried was wanted by the FBI, which had sought help from the public to identify him and had widely circulated a dispatch with his photo.
posted by bluesky43 at 10:58 AM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

As he puts it, if you were there, even if you were just watching, don't be surprised to get a knock on the door anytime soon. In fact, the wisest move in terms of mitigating what could be coming at you from The Law is to turn yourself in before you're contacted, offer to help them with their investigations.

To quote from the FBI/DoJ press briefing the other day, "regardless of if it was just a trespass in the Capitol, or if someone planted a pipe bomb, you will be charged and you will be found."
posted by MattWPBS at 10:59 AM on January 14, 2021 [5 favorites]

What's funny to me is that when you start reading about Q (and I haven't read much), the key takeaway seems to be that this is all leading up to the Storm, where all the Democratic leadership go to jail, the wrong-thinkers are all swept up and indicted, terror attacks are revealed to actually be the work of Democrats, and they're also taken down for being global pedophiles.

So maybe the Storm was actually real, Q just pegged the wrong party as culprits? And now we're witnessing it DO THE RESEARCH!

(file the pedophilia revelations under Epstein, Jeffrey)
posted by Mchelly at 11:00 AM on January 14, 2021 [11 favorites]

Looking over 18 USC 3056, does "authorized" mean "required"? Can the Secretary of Homeland Security decide that Donald Trump wouldn't want to be dependent on government handouts, and should make his own choices on how best to protect himself, so he can hire his own security?

From Title 18-CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART II-CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
CHAPTER 203-ARREST AND COMMITMENT
§3056. Powers, authorities, and duties of United States Secret Service

(a) Under the direction of the Secretary of Homeland Security, the United States Secret Service is authorized to protect the following persons:

(1) The President, the Vice President (or other officer next in the order of succession to the Office of President), the President-elect, and the Vice President-elect.

(2) The immediate families of those individuals listed in paragraph (1).

(3) Former Presidents and their spouses for their lifetimes, except that protection of a spouse shall terminate in the event of remarriage.

(4) Children of a former President who are under 16 years of age.

(5) Visiting heads of foreign states or foreign governments....

(emphasis mine)
posted by mikelieman at 11:03 AM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

"BREAKING: Department of Justice officials respond to new Inspector General report, which says DOJ was "driving force" behind family separations, by blaming Trump, expressing regret." -- Jacob Soboroff, NBC

I expect we'll see a lot of stories like this over next few months... as the Biden folks move in, so many atrocities are going to come to light.
posted by valkane at 11:03 AM on January 14, 2021 [27 favorites]

i'll entertain that charming reverse q storm idea when guiliani, gosar, brooks, biggs, cawthorn, and several t[nope]s are charged.
posted by 20 year lurk at 11:05 AM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

"NEW: The guy carrying the Confederate flag is in custody."
'The'??? There was only one?
posted by MtDewd at 11:05 AM on January 14, 2021 [9 favorites]

"respond ... by blaming Trump, expressing regret."

Party of Personal Responsibility, folks.
posted by deadaluspark at 11:07 AM on January 14, 2021 [13 favorites]

The S. 3056 statutory authorization that enables Secret Service protection is separate from the lifetime protection mandated for former Presidents by the Former President's Act.
posted by snuffleupagus at 11:10 AM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

668, the Neighbour of the Beast.

Hide-li-ho, neighborini. (Stupid, sexy antichrist)
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 11:11 AM on January 14, 2021 [10 favorites]

Earlier there was the most bizarre Onionesque “news” story on my local NPR station... okay, here it is: “Why Didn't The FBI And DHS Produce A Threat Report Ahead of The Capitol Insurrection? FBI, Homeland Security Failed To Issue Intelligence Report Before Insurrection The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security wrote detailed threat assessments before Black Lives Matter demonstrations last summer, but offered only general warnings before the events on Jan. 6.”

The answer is not, as you might expect, “because the FBI and DHS are themselves populated by Nazis and as the counterparts to state secret police in other societies are not actually interested in investigations or public security, but like J. Edgar Hoover accumulating a dossier for framing and blackmailing MLK are simply intent on enforcing the status quo and existing power structures, without even the individual people in those power structures being important, because what are they going to do, not have secret police? The jobs of the FBI and DHS are secure.” (←not an actual quote from anywhere)

No, instead the reason is something which “a former U.S. counterterrorism official” calls “the invisible obvious”, which means that the fact the insurrection was going to happen is both completely obvious but also all public officials and anyone who should in principle be held accountable are in fact blameless because it was simultaneously invisible. Invisible Pink Unicorn^{^} Orwellian newspeak much?

1 Corinthians 13:12 says (in translation from Pauline Greek, pick different translations at that site),

For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known.

Which inspired the titles of twenty-first century dystopian science fiction works such as the episode of Star Trek: Enterprise “In a Mirror, Darkly”^{^} and the British series Black Mirror^{^}.

It's only a peculiar institution^{^} that “dark” and “black” mean “abnormal” or “corrupted”, of course, rather than “perfectly normal”.
posted by XMLicious at 11:13 AM on January 14, 2021 [10 favorites]

not to mention pkd's a scanner darkly
posted by 20 year lurk at 11:19 AM on January 14, 2021 [7 favorites]

The S. 3056 statutory authorization that enables Secret Service protection is separate from the lifetime protection mandated for former Presidents by the Former President's Act.

Ok, so by amending 3 USC 2 Former Presidents; Allowance; we can make that a one-time buy out. Here's 4 million dollars, go away.
posted by mikelieman at 11:20 AM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

Harris is one of the reps that's joined the lawsuit trying to stop democrats using proxy voting during the pandemic. The GOP recommended that the reps signed on to that suit (which they're still appealing) abstain rather to protect the case.
posted by Garm at 11:22 AM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]

(a) Under the direction of the Secretary of Homeland Security, the United States Secret Service is authorized to protect the following persons:
(3) Former Presidents and their spouses for their lifetimes, except that protection of a spouse shall terminate in the event of remarriage.
(4) Children of a former President who are under 16 years of age.

Even if the security detail doesn't get revoked or limited at all - I am so looking forward to Trump not being surrounded by his choice of security people. I want them managed by someone who can say, "Security detail will be wearing masks, and they'll be staying 6' away if Trump and Melania aren't wearing masks." No more spreading COVID through the agency.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 11:25 AM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

not to mention pkd's a scanner darkly

My sentence above actually mentions this too the way I typed it, because come on, who could forget something that obvious, but Rotoscoped Keanu Reeves,^{^} who works for a different media conglomerate now, snuck in and put a scramble suit on the comment so you can't see it.
posted by XMLicious at 11:27 AM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]

Ok, so by amending 3 USC 2 Former Presidents; Allowance; we can make that a one-time buy out. Here's 4 million dollars, go away.

We can make Trump reject it for free by making former-pres protective details mandatory reporters.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 11:30 AM on January 14, 2021 [8 favorites]

So maybe the Storm was actually real, Q just pegged the wrong party as culprits? And now we're witnessing it DO THE RESEARCH!

There was always a lot of projection going on there.
posted by acb at 11:31 AM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]

> XMLicious: "Earlier there was the most bizarre Onionesque “news” story on my local NPR station... okay, here it is"

I think the link above may not be pointing to what was intended. I suspect it was meant to be pointing to something like this article on WBEZ's site.
posted by mhum at 11:32 AM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]

More on the Trump Crime Family
D.C. attorney general seeks to interview president’s son in inauguration spending suit (WaPo)

The D.C. Attorney General’s office has notified Donald Trump Jr. that it wishes to interview him as part of a lawsuit alleging that President Trump’s 2017 inaugural committee improperly funneled money to the president’s business, an official in the attorney general’s office said Thursday.

D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine’s lawsuit, filed in January 2020, alleges that the Trump Inaugural Committee — a tax-exempt nonprofit — wasted $1 million of donors’ money on an overpriced, little used ballroom at the president’s D.C. hotel, and then paid a $49,000 hotel bill that should have gone to the Trump Organization.
posted by bluesky43 at 11:33 AM on January 14, 2021 [7 favorites]

“What’s the plan?” asked one of the innumerable videographers whose footage I’ve watched in the past few days—sorry I can’t remember which one but it’s the one in which a woman in a pink knit cap was explaining how to break out of the room they were cornered in, and the other rioter basically blows him off.

If they had found the certification boxes abandoned in the House chamber, I have no doubt that they were unaware of the duplicates, and even if they were, piling all the paper atop a desk and setting fire to it would’ve been an irresistible symbolic social media photo. Even if cooler heads had intervened about not causing more physical damage, those ballots would’ve been scooped up and tossed out windows or shredded from the balconies à la Pelosi ripping up the State of the Union speech because those two things are the same. /s
posted by TWinbrook8 at 11:35 AM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

Arrgh, yes, I managed to screw the link up too, thanks mhum. Here is the actual link to “the invisible obvious” story on NPR's web site if a mod wants to swap it in.
posted by XMLicious at 11:37 AM on January 14, 2021

yesterday, the congressional black caucus held an emergency meeting (cspan) on the capitol putsch.

popping back in, having watched, to offer annotation: the meeting, chaired by Rep. Joyce Beatty, features Rep. James, Clyburn (at 5:54), Rev. Al Sharpton (at 14:43), Marc Morial (at 23:55), Mayor Muriel Bowser (at 31:37), Malcolm Nance (at 38:15), Alicia Garza (at 47:33), Rep. Maxine Waters (at 53:18), Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (at 1:00:39), Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (at 1:05:44), and Rep. Bennie Thompson (at 1:09:55), and closes with "one minute congressional statements" from Reps. Horsford, Lawrence, Demings, Brown, Carson, Pressley, Lee, Johnson and Wilson, starting at about 1:15:05.
posted by 20 year lurk at 11:43 AM on January 14, 2021 [5 favorites]

I was also upset by how uncritical that NPR story was about the privilege and structural racism at the heart of why these obvious terrorists were "invisible". I thought Masha Gessen's piece from the 7th, The Capitol Invaders Enjoyed the Privilege of Not Being Taken Seriously did a better job (although they framed it as failures of the Capitol police rather than higher orgs).

Black Lives Matter protesters are other to the Capitol Police. So are survivors of sexual assault or women who protest for the right to choose. But an armed mob storming the Capitol, and their Instigator-in-Chief, are, apparently, familiar enough to be dismissed as clowns... The invaders may be full of contempt for a system that they think doesn’t represent them, but on Wednesday they managed to prove that it does.
posted by little onion at 11:50 AM on January 14, 2021 [12 favorites]

“What’s the plan?” asked one of the innumerable videographers whose footage I’ve watched in the past few days

So there were some useful idiots, but it is reasonable to expect the Oath Keepers each had a pistol on them and a worked-out plan.
posted by sebastienbailard at 11:53 AM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

'The'??? There was only one?

A friend sent me a photograph of terrorists hanging a Celtic Cross (white power) flag in upper halls in Congress, between a confederate flag and another flag showing a Boy Scouts-like three-finger salute. But I can't find its provenance to verify. I can't verify what the three-finger flag represents, either — three percenter?

Still, there were plenty of terrorists running about with their own Nazi/Norse/white supremacist/crucifix tattoos, and having multiple terrorists photographed with Confederate and Christofascist flags is evidence that white power flags were almost certainly flown, as well, even if the mainstream media is reluctant to report on that degree of extremism to the public.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 11:56 AM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]

Dozens of people on FBI terrorist watch list came to D.C. the day of Capitol riot (Washington Post)

The majority of the watchlisted individuals in Washington that day are suspected white supremacists whose past conduct so alarmed investigators that their names had been previously entered into the national Terrorist Screening Database, or TSDB, a massive set of names flagged as potential security risks, these people said. The watch list is larger and separate from the “no-fly” list the government maintains to prevent terrorism suspects from boarding airplanes, and those listed are not automatically barred from any public or commercial spaces, current and former officials said.

The presence of so many watch-listed individuals in one place — without more robust security measures to protect the public — is another example of the intelligence failures preceding last week’s assault that sent lawmakers running for their lives and left five others dead, some current and former law enforcement officials argued.

The article later describes how the list works:

Placing someone’s name on the watch list does not mean they will be watched all of the time, or even much of the time, for reasons of both practicality and fairness, but it can alert different parts of the government, such as border agents or state police, to look more closely at certain individuals they encounter.
[…]
The watch list can be used as both an investigative and early warning tool, but its primary purpose is to help various government agencies keep abreast of what individuals seen as potential risks are doing and where they travel, according to people familiar with the work who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity because the work is sensitive.

Often that can be done as a “silent hit,” meaning if someone on the watch list is stopped for speeding, that information is typically entered into the database without the individual or even the officer who wrote the ticket ever knowing, one person said.

Makes me think of how Timothy McVeigh was pulled over for speeding.
posted by fedward at 11:57 AM on January 14, 2021 [24 favorites]

I think the reason law enforcement appeared to be surprised by the attack on the capitol is two-fold, 1) the thoroughly discussed bias that white people surely wouldn’t resort to such violence and 2) the hard core extremists used the general trump base as a shield - they hid in plain sight amongst a bunch of tough-talking, pseudo-insurrectionists. I would go so far as to say they used them as a weapon. Riled them up and then pointed the crowd directly at the target.
posted by double bubble at 12:02 PM on January 14, 2021 [10 favorites]

wait a minute, i thought oathkeepers announced they'd be there to provide security!

(am unsurprised to see that pages linked at their website from search results seeking that statement for some reason now don't exist)
posted by 20 year lurk at 12:02 PM on January 14, 2021

In a way, they even used trump himself as a weapon. He loves it when his base gets fired up and they were more than willing to keep him juiced up. None of this excuses trump or his less radicalized base.
posted by double bubble at 12:03 PM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

Speaking of Oath Keepers, Ronan Farrow interviewed one of them (an ex-Marine) and published one of the wilder pieces I've read in the New Yorker:

Crowl identified himself to me as a member of both the Oath Keepers and the Ohio State Regular Militia, and said that he had attended events representing those groups. “I went to Columbus, Ohio,” he said. “I’ve been to Louisville, when the B.L.M., when they came.” He acknowledged his criminal charges, and said that he struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder. He said that, at the Capitol, “I expelled three fucking people,” whom he refused to identify but said had been injured. He acknowledged that there had been violence, saying “patriots dragged this fucking maggot off the wall and started beating his ass.” Crowl made vague threats during the interview, telling me, “I already know where you live.” He repeatedly denied that he harbored racist views or had made racist comments, but he said that he believed in phrenology, the discredited pseudoscience that infers intellectual ability from skull shape, and told me that he had responded to The New Yorker’s request for comment after examining pictures of my head.

posted by theodolite at 12:12 PM on January 14, 2021 [41 favorites]

another flag showing a Boy Scouts-like three-finger salute. But I can't find its provenance to verify. I can't verify what the three-finger flag represents, either — three percenter?

Was it the "OK sign" that's become a white power symbol?
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 12:18 PM on January 14, 2021

Yes, the Farrow interview is eye-popping, but I was a little surprised that so little from an 80-minute conversation actually made it into the article. Assuming mostly incoherent profanities...
posted by AwkwardPause at 12:22 PM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]

This kind of three finger salute? SLPC post showing the 3% one.
posted by MattWPBS at 12:24 PM on January 14, 2021

I just want to say, a bit over a week out from the attack on the Capitol building, how impressed I am with how Nancy Pelosi has responded to all of this. She's an amazing leader and we're lucky to have her as the Speaker. Now that there's been enough time for at least some information to have become public, and for events to have played out, it's clear that an awful lot of the criticisms that have been levied at her for things she hadn't done, or wouldn't do, in response to the attack were completely wrong.
posted by biogeo at 12:32 PM on January 14, 2021 [72 favorites]

Still, there were plenty of terrorists running about with their own Nazi/Norse/white supremacist/crucifix tattoos...

Note on the dizzying variety of these: there have always been tons of them and they're intentionally changed constantly for camouflage and deniability, but as soon as the Trumpening happened there was an extra-special effort to hunker down and fly under the radar, thus a confusio linguarum^{^} of American Nazi symbology under Trump.

Southern Poverty Law Center's Hatewatch, May 2017 (NSM being “National Socialist” i.e. Nazis, of course, rather than actual socialists, without even the fig leaf the German Nazis had of some socialist members and genuine labor movement affiliations back in 1920):

Nationalist Front Chumming up to Klan Members Once Again

Since last fall, the Nationalist Socialist Movement (NSM) has attempted to hide its admiration for Adolf Hitler by removing the swastika from NSM uniforms, banners, patches and shields.

“We are enacting another change...to best launch our party into the mainstream and out of the so-called fringes.... [of] American politics,” NSM leader Jeff Schoep wrote in a public announcement. This decision coincided with Schoep changing the name of his coalition Aryan Nationalist Alliance to the Nationalist Front (NF), a move more than likely encouraged by Matthew Heimbach, leader of the white nationalist group Traditionalist Worker Party (TWP).

posted by XMLicious at 12:39 PM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

> >The deal with Andy Harris is that he's an "originalist" who is very into this idea that elected office was not meant to be a career. He loves to call himself a "citizen-legislator." (As if other legislators are not also citizens?)

He's a physician who caucuses with people that don't wear masks. And kneels at the feet of a president who systematically mishandled a pandemic.

That is also true. I'm certainly not defending him or validating his misguided philosophies about elected office, I was just providing some background on his excuse for not voting.
posted by desuetude at 12:46 PM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

Rudy Giuliani goes on Bannon's War Room show and claims that two antifa members pushed Ashli Babbit up into the window where she was shot.

This is the president's lawyer. The senate impeachment trial is gonna be wild.
posted by JackFlash at 12:46 PM on January 14, 2021 [27 favorites]

Say what you will about Harris, I'll be very happy if ~17 Senators follow his lead and don't show up for their vote. (The threshold for conviction is 2/3 of Senators present.)
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 12:54 PM on January 14, 2021 [20 favorites]

For a change, a heartwarming story (WaPo link):

Upset by veterans who stormed the Capitol, these vets decided to clean up trash the mob left on the streets of D.C.

... On his commute home to Germantown, Md., Smith spotted remnants of Wednesday’s riot strewn around the streets. Trash littered Pennsylvania Avenue and adjacent areas, and signs and stickers with racist and fascist symbols and messages were “all over the place,” he recalled.

Smith decided he wanted to do something about it, calling on a group of fellow veterans and volunteers to do a thorough sweep of the area around the Capitol and downtown D.C. Beyond ridding the area of hateful markings, Smith hoped to reinforce that the veterans who participated in the siege do not represent them all.

On Jan. 10, close to 200 volunteers congregated at McPherson Square, trash bags in hand. They fanned out and spent two hours collecting “Stop the Steal” and other pro-Trump paraphernalia that had been littered during the riots, and also used scrapers and adhesive remover to peel off signs and stickers featuring logos and symbols from various neo-Nazi and alt-right groups.

The organizer, David Smith, is also a founder of Continue to Serve, a veterans' social justice group supporting BLM and immigrant rights.
posted by Kat Allison at 12:58 PM on January 14, 2021 [108 favorites]

Trump admin. kills LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections on his way out the door

With the nation poised to give Donald Trump the old heave-ho from the White House–one way or another–the Trump administration has issued a new, 11th-hour declaration stripping LGBTQ people of non-discrimination protections.

Reporter Dan Avery (formerly of Queerty) writes for NBC News that the Department of Health and Human Services issued a new rule on Tuesday that will allow for social service providers to discriminate based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The rule will have far-reaching consequences, affecting anything from adoption services to housing services to elder care.

posted by clawsoon at 1:06 PM on January 14, 2021 [29 favorites]

I linked the U.S. Capitol Police [USCP] weekly arrest reports in this comment, with possible casing-the-joint instances in the weeks leading up the insurrection. The latest USCP arrest report posted, covering activity on Wednesday Jan. 6th. Multiple law-enforcement agencies were eventually on the scene, the DC attorney's office file cases in local and federal courts, and this report is sparse: 11 suspects arrested for unlawful entry in the Capitol's restricted areas (with one suspect, "identified as a participant in the riot inside the U.S. Capitol Building [...] through his social media posts," removed from his flight and arrested at the airport on Friday 1/8) and two officers assaulted (one shoved and repeatedly punched, and one struck with "a lacrosse-type stick").

[Monday, Oct. 12, 8:36 a.m.: USCP placed 21 demonstrators under arrest for blocking entry into the NW door of the Dirksen Senate Office Building]

In one Jan. 6 entry, at 15:00 (two-ish hours into the siege), "two Suspects were placed under arrest, decontaminated, and transported to Headquarters for processing." What does "decontaminated" mean here? Absent other information, it's two mad shitters who needed wet wipes.
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:08 PM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

Trump admin. kills LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections on his way out the door

Is this the kind of thing that can be reversed by the new HHS secretary on day 1?
posted by saturday_morning at 1:08 PM on January 14, 2021 [12 favorites]

This is the president's lawyer.

Well, this was the president's lawyer. If Trump's refusing to pay him, he may not be representing Trump in the Senate trial. I am fascinated by the idea that not paying him doesn't mean he's unhappy with him.

Trump's campaign senior adviser Jason Miller seemed to push back on reports Trump was souring on Giuliani, though did not deny the President had told associates not to pay him.

(Also, does it have to be "increasingly isolated" exactly, or does "more isolated than ever" count?)
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 1:10 PM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

WHO EFFING CARES IF HE'S 'ISOLATED?' HE DID IT TO HIMSELF. BY BEING A MORON.
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:13 PM on January 14, 2021 [8 favorites]

> Is this the kind of thing that can be reversed by the new HHS secretary on day 1?

There won't be an HHS secretary on Day 1, thanks to Republicans stonewalling the Biden cabinet. But yes, it can be reversed as Yet One More Bullshit Task That Shouldn't Have Been Necessary once appointments are made. Hopefully before February 11, when the new rule goes into effect.
posted by at by at 1:14 PM on January 14, 2021 [16 favorites]

What does "decontaminated" mean here? Absent other information, it's two mad shitters who needed wet wipes.

I've seen the term used (in protests over the summer) when people have been tear-gassed.
posted by creepygirl at 1:16 PM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

Smith hoped to reinforce that the veterans who participated in the siege do not represent them all.

JFC, this is not what any of this is about. It's like all the feel-good police stories now coming out every day, it seems certain groups of people normally assumed to be patriotic have guilty minds like, "yes, there are a lot of whacked out ex- and current-military, and many of them helped invade the capitol," but pride/vanity/whatever prevents them from acting from the good side, preferring to try rehabilitating the group from the inside. Quick, call a reporter about a meter maid's 19½ yeear service anniversary. Did you know they like dogs?
posted by rhizome at 1:17 PM on January 14, 2021 [9 favorites]

WHO EFFING CARES IF HE'S 'ISOLATED?' HE DID IT TO HIMSELF. BY BEING A MORON.

I think it's more of a BINGO game at this point, in which you have to say something like this in every article about people quitting, getting fired, etc.
posted by Snowishberlin at 1:17 PM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

not sure if mentioned but Trump also placed Cuba a state sponspering terrorism.

"The United States will continue to support the Cuban people in their desire for a democratic government and respect for human rights, including freedom of religion, expression, and association. Until these rights and freedoms are respected, we will continue to hold the regime accountable."

regime... accountable.
posted by clavdivs at 1:17 PM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

Smith hoped to reinforce that the veterans who participated in the siege do not represent them all.

Oh, I forgot to add: you want to reinforce something like that? The cure is the same as with police: snitch on the bad ones. All of them. Spend political points, don't just collect them.
posted by rhizome at 1:24 PM on January 14, 2021 [25 favorites]

@JenniferJJacobs: "Trump has repeatedly spoken by phone with Steve Bannon in recent weeks to seek advice on his campaign to overturn his re-election defeat, reconciling with his once-estranged ex White House strategist, sources tell me. ... Trump and Bannon have been talking regularly, multiple sources tell me. They've been in communication FOR WEEKS now, patching up earlier rift as Trump sought advice from anyone willing to help him fight his election defeat."

Because of course. Of course he's taking advice from Steve Bannon.

Full story at Bloomberg (may be paywalled)
posted by gwint at 1:30 PM on January 14, 2021 [9 favorites]

It looks like they are doing pretty intensive investigations as the video shows them carting out banker boxes of evidence from this guy's home.

A secret computer went missing. Chances are every electronic device the people identified as being in the building all have to be ruled out for espionage, including going through all their electronic devices and communications history.

The D.C. Attorney General’s office has notified Donald Trump Jr. that it wishes to interview him

Remember, Donny! 90% of the questions they ask you, they already know the answer. And you don't know which 90%.
posted by ctmf at 1:34 PM on January 14, 2021 [8 favorites]

Rudy Giuliani goes on Bannon's War Room show and claims that two antifa members pushed Ashli Babbit up into the window where she was shot.

In complete confidence that they wouldn't get shot themselves, either by security forces defending the room or just a stray bullet. Or mobbed by the MAGAs themselves.

Why is the most tough-talkin' pro-Second Amendment jerks have no idea how guns actually work?
posted by Gelatin at 1:36 PM on January 14, 2021 [5 favorites]

I have the sense that not knowing things is something Donald Jr. is extremely familiar with and also that this is one of the things that he doesn't know.
posted by biogeo at 1:39 PM on January 14, 2021 [20 favorites]

Trump admin. kills LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections on his way out the door

Is this the kind of thing that can be reversed by the new HHS secretary on day 1?

haven't brushed up on my admin proc. act since wilbur ross lost his census case (seemingly last century) at the supreme court, but, assuming the HHS rule was promulgated in compliance with that act, it may take 90 or more days to rescind. not clear on whether a new secretary, if confirmed before the rule becomes effective feb. 12, can rescind the rule before it is effective. probably need to mobilize some amici to file briefs opposing it in pending Fulton case at supreme court, or other implicated active litigation, and launch fresh challenges pronto.
posted by 20 year lurk at 1:39 PM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]

It's complete bullshit new rules can be made up out of whole cloth, but those same rules have to go through extensive BS to be rescinded. It should be difficult to add new rules which remove protections and difficult to remove old rules which provide protections.
posted by maxwelton at 1:53 PM on January 14, 2021 [15 favorites]

also that this is one of the things that he doesn't know

Also known as an unknown unknown.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 1:54 PM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

New rules cannot (legally) be "made up out of whole cloth." That's why so many of the decisions made by Trump appointees and cronies have been overturned. They have consistently tripped over their own incompetence and ignorance. It just really, really sucks that it takes time and money to have these bullshit proclamations overturned or ruled invalid.
posted by ElKevbo at 1:58 PM on January 14, 2021 [8 favorites]

Dear rhizome, please be aware that maybe some of us who are vets do like get pointed to organization where we can help social justice causes. And the way you framed your two response comments really makes me feel -again- that some of us just aren’t welcome on the blue.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 1:59 PM on January 14, 2021 [88 favorites]

Speaking of Oath Keepers, Ronan Farrow interviewed one of them (an ex-Marine) and published one of the wilder pieces I've read in the New Yorker:

This interview makes me unspeakably sad; this man is clearly deranged and that Trump has exploited the mental illness of people is horrific. (please know, I am not excusing any of what happened or anyone involved, it's just this interview makes it clear that the Trumpists have people like this in their midst).
posted by bluesky43 at 2:09 PM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]

Goodman lured away a group of rioters from the entrance to the Senate chambers."

He's fully entitled to add 'Very' in front of his surname.
And damn right he should get that medal.
posted by Stoneshop at 2:12 PM on January 14, 2021 [11 favorites]

National Guard at Capitol Authorized to Use Lethal Force in Aftermath of Mob
posted by merriment at 2:14 PM on January 14, 2021 [12 favorites]

Abehammerbe Lincoln, you and your fellow vets are very welcome to MetaFilter as far as I’m concerned, and I hope you continue to enrich our community with your contributions.
posted by Bella Donna at 2:15 PM on January 14, 2021 [114 favorites]

It's like all the feel-good police stories now coming out every day
I hate the "look at the cop hug this Black child" stories and the "look at all the [fake] thank-you notes our cops get" stories

but I'm happy to see "this is what actual good community service from cops/military looks like" stories amplified, so
posted by daisystomper at 2:19 PM on January 14, 2021 [35 favorites]

Oh, I forgot to add: you want to reinforce something like that? The cure is the same as with police: snitch on the bad ones. All of them. Spend political points, don't just collect them.

How is this kind of comment different from those who tell the same thing to Muslims?
Especially since vets are not always vets by choice (there are still tons of vets who were drafted).

I can see the argument for current police officers differently, since thats an ongoing choice.
posted by thefoxgod at 2:25 PM on January 14, 2021 [8 favorites]

"Trump administration staffers are getting snubbed while hunting for jobs. One recruiter tried to place six of them and couldn't land any interviews." Hahahahahahahahaha...
posted by PhineasGage at 2:32 PM on January 14, 2021 [65 favorites]

Trump admin. kills LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections on his way out the door

I would imagine that any long-term gov't employees are going to look at these changes, know for a fact they will be switched back shortly, and just ignore them. It's like when the people who've been at the org for decades get the memo from the new manager to switch things up, and they ignore it because this is the sixth manager they've outlasted so why change what works?
posted by nushustu at 2:32 PM on January 14, 2021 [9 favorites]

National Guard at Capitol Authorized to Use Lethal Force in Aftermath of Mob

And with that, I would expect that most of these right-wing cowardly fucks will call off their protests.
posted by nushustu at 2:34 PM on January 14, 2021 [7 favorites]

PhineasGage, are you able to paste an excerpt from that article? It's paywalled.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 2:41 PM on January 14, 2021

FYI: the lethal force order is to allow carrying live ammunition (and the permission to use it within rules of engagement eg if assaulted), not "Shoot on Sight." Which is a good thing. That our military must be approved to carry ammunition is also a very good thing.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 2:44 PM on January 14, 2021 [35 favorites]

Possibly the same article, not paywalled.

One PR recruiter told Insider they had received inquiries from at least 15 people from the White House looking for jobs. The recruiter took on six people as clients but none were able to even secure an interview with corporations they had applied to.

“It’s just very hard,” the recruiter said. “You’re supposed to put anyone in front of a job that has the credentials. Morally, it’s hard for people to want to work with them.”

This person added: “They’re all very all about themselves with narcissistic attitudes, thinking any company in the country will want to hire me. I listened to one for about 20 minutes and it was so much baloney, what he was spewing out to me.”

posted by ErisLordFreedom at 2:45 PM on January 14, 2021 [44 favorites]

Not PhineasGage, but here's a quote:

"It's just very hard," the recruiter said. "You're supposed to put anyone in front of a job that has the credentials. Morally, it's hard for people to want to work with them."

This person added: "They're all very all about themselves with narcissistic attitudes, thinking any company in the country will want to hire me. I listened to one for about 20 minutes, and it was so much baloney, what he was spewing out to me."

Forbes Chief Content Officer Randall Lane said he would not recommend hiring any of the four press secretaries for Trump. He told NPR in an interview: "The job of press secretaries sometimes is a lie of omission or it's a spin. But never have we had, in modern history, an administration where up was down, blue is yellow."

One mainstream news network executive told Insider: "We're not taking people who have no credibility. Very few of them have real value beyond Fox News, OAN, and Newsmax."

posted by Lexica at 2:45 PM on January 14, 2021 [34 favorites]

One more:

Hilary Rosen, the vice chair of the public-affairs firm SKDK, said to Insider about the prospects of the Trump media team: "None of them are going to be TV commentators anytime soon. They really have a scarlet letter, particularly the most visible ones. There is a perception that companies are most worried about their public reputation, and they are, but really they worry about their employees too. So it's not worth it to companies to bring on people with a bad reputation to represent the company in any way if it's going to create employee revolt."

Okay, two more:

"Hope is a cipher but could easily get a deal if she wanted one. Kayleigh may be too buffoonish a figure."

posted by box at 2:48 PM on January 14, 2021 [12 favorites]

"Trump administration staffers are getting snubbed while hunting for jobs. One recruiter tried to place six of them and couldn't land any interviews."

One fascist for sale!
One fascist for sale!
One crying, whining old fascist for sale!
I’m really not kidding
So who’ll start the bidding?
Do I hear the dollar?
A nickel?
A penny?
Oh, isn’t there, isn’t there, isn’t there any
One corp that will buy this old fascist for sale
This crying and lying old fascist for sale?
posted by kaibutsu at 2:49 PM on January 14, 2021 [43 favorites]

Hey maybe we could get UBI by promising the families of these failsons and -daughters that it woul allow them to survive even though everyone hates them.
posted by emjaybee at 2:51 PM on January 14, 2021 [9 favorites]

National Guard at Capitol Authorized to Use Lethal Force in Aftermath of Mob
I'm hoping they've been vetted as not potentially part of the mob?
posted by MtDewd at 2:53 PM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]

Trump admin. kills LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections on his way out the door

Is this the kind of thing that can be reversed by the new HHS secretary on day 1?

haven't brushed up on my admin proc. act since wilbur ross lost his census case (seemingly last century) at the supreme court, but, assuming the HHS rule was promulgated in compliance with that act, it may take 90 or more days to rescind.

This is a perfect example of a rule the Congressional Review Act should be used to rescind! (Write your congressperson!) Simple majority in the House and Senate immediately rescinds the recently enacted rule (and, supposedly -- though I wonder if it would hold up at the Supreme Court -- restricts future administrations from enacting functionally identical rules in the future without legislative consent).
posted by nobody at 2:53 PM on January 14, 2021 [25 favorites]

(I should add: simple majority in the House and Senate plus the President's signature. So this is pretty much only a viable option right after the presidency changes hands.)
posted by nobody at 2:59 PM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

Done with the Capitol for now looters moved on to the White House ....
posted by mbo at 3:06 PM on January 14, 2021 [5 favorites]

Hold on he hasn't signed the pardon papers yet
posted by mbo at 3:15 PM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]

National Guard at Capitol Authorized to Use Lethal Force in Aftermath of Mob
I'm hoping they've been vetted as not potentially part of the mob?

Good point. So NG is comprised of part time military, some trying it prior to full active duty, some just in the role, many after regular active duty service. The NCOs are normally former active duty personnel, often college students needing a little more than just GIBill (I did exactly this for the second 4 years of my service). So it is a fairly diverse group...maybe more so than even active duty.

There are two dangerous situations:
The likelihood of someone threatening their unit, people that are practically siblings, is extremely doubtful. But officers and non commissioned officers (NCOs)will be actively watching for this. Like they are for real giving the stink eye to their people.

The chance of an entire unit “going crazy” as a team is even more unlikely as they would probably have to kill half their team before recovering to attack whatever target they had, in which time other units (this force is not a monolith or even one state’s troops) would forcefully intervene. But at that point we’re in for real state vs state civil war. Again...this is extremely unlikely, I’m just trying to illustrate from a former insiders POV.

Also any time anyone has live rounds, they are very very closely watched by the even more serious professionals. I once decked a private who was getting a little to loose with a loaded rifle, as I thought that he might be getting squirrelly. That’s what NCOs are for.

And I’m sure they have all been reminded of their oath to defend the Constitution. Repeatedly and at great length. They will also likely have thoroughly vetted regular duty officer observers embedded as advisors.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 3:15 PM on January 14, 2021 [52 favorites]

XMLicious: Note on the dizzying variety of these: there have always been tons of them and they're intentionally changed constantly for camouflage and deniability, but as soon as the Trumpening happened there was an extra-special effort to hunker down and fly under the radar, thus a confusio linguarum^ of American Nazi symbology under Trump.

Brings to mind a Q&A (scroll down slightly to find it) about his short (7-minute) documentary A Night at the Garden, Marshall Curry says this:

Q: Why do you think that most Americans have never heard of this group or this event?

A: The footage is so powerful, it seems amazing that it isn’t a stock part of every high school history class. But I think the rally has slipped out of our collective memory in part because it’s scary and embarrassing. It tells a story about our country that we’d prefer to forget. We’d like to think that when Nazism rose up, all Americans were instantly appalled. But while the vast majority of Americans were appalled by the Nazis, there was also a significant group of Americans who were sympathetic to their white supremacist, anti-Semitic message. When you see 20,000 Americans gathering in Madison Square Garden, you can be sure that many times more were passively supportive.

[...]

As Halford E. Luccock famously said, “When and if fascism comes to America it will not be labeled ‘made in Germany’; it will not be marked with a swastika; it will not even be called fascism; it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism.’”
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 3:19 PM on January 14, 2021 [46 favorites]

Done with the Capitol for now looters moved on to the White House ....

They're not looting. The museums from which these artifacts were lent are coming to collect them. The pieces that are in the White House during the president's term are chosen by the president and are returned to where they came from at the end of the term. Biden will choose his own to display and they'll be installed once his term begins.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 3:19 PM on January 14, 2021 [43 favorites]

"Done with the Capitol for now looters moved on to the White House ...."

"They're not looting. The museums from which these artifacts were lent are coming to collect them. The pieces that are in the White House during the president's term are chosen by the president and are returned to where they came from at the end of the term. Biden will choose his own to display and they'll be installed once his term begins."

Thanks for that clarification! I always forget that the WH serves as a sort of museum in and of itself and that some of the pieces in it are borrowed from other institutions.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 3:23 PM on January 14, 2021 [11 favorites]

You're probably right, Your Childhood Pet Rock, but if we can't see the Smithsonian ID badge on those folks carrying objects away, we probably shouldn't feel 100% certain.
posted by PhineasGage at 3:30 PM on January 14, 2021 [11 favorites]

"People really twist themselves into knots giving platforms to white supremacists and their enablers like “come on everyone, we must listen to both sides equally: fact and fiction” -- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
posted by valkane at 3:33 PM on January 14, 2021 [46 favorites]

PhineasGage's actual article on archive.is
posted by Ten Cold Hot Dogs at 3:34 PM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]

we probably shouldn't feel 100% certain.

Also, do museum folk just carry stuff out in their arms, loose and chuck it into the back of a minivan? I would think at the very least there would be some bubble wrap and a reinforced carton along with a dolly involved in transporting priceless pieces of art.
posted by valkane at 3:35 PM on January 14, 2021 [16 favorites]

wait a minute, i thought oathkeepers announced they'd be there to provide security!

See also: Hell’s Angels at Altamont.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:35 PM on January 14, 2021 [19 favorites]

"To all the Trumpists drawing a false equivalency between last summer's protests and the insurrection at the Capitol: White supremacy is the reason for *both.*" -- Jesse Damiani
posted by valkane at 3:39 PM on January 14, 2021 [50 favorites]

Jim Acosta @Acosta
FBI Director Wray to Pence: FBI has already identified 200 suspects from Capitol riots on January 6th and arrested more than 100 people.
posted by bluesky43 at 3:40 PM on January 14, 2021 [31 favorites]

Rep. Paul Gosar’s brother Tim Gosar just said on Lawrence O’Donnell’s show that his brother “organized, masterminded and put into effect” the Jan. 6 insurrection.
posted by clawsoon at 3:42 PM on January 14, 2021 [73 favorites]

Does Debbie Meadows work for the Smithsonian?

"Debbie Meadows, wife of chief of staff Mark Meadows, carries a stuffed bird out of the White House. 6 days left." -- Josh Dawsey, Washington Post

I mean, maybe they loaned the bird to the President?
posted by valkane at 3:44 PM on January 14, 2021 [7 favorites]

Also, do museum folk just carry stuff out in their arms, loose and chuck it into the back of a minivan? I would think at the very least there would be some bubble wrap and a reinforced carton along with a dolly involved in transporting priceless pieces of art.

I am not an American museum person, but I am a museum person, and I cannot imagine someone walking around with one of our objects like that. That said, if that were an original bronze bust, the guy carrying it would have to be the Incredible Hulk, so it's probably just a plaster copy, polished up to look like a bronze. That said, even a plaster copy can be quite valuable, depending on who made it and when.

A Night at the Garden, you have to think Trump's dad was a part of that, don't you?
posted by mumimor at 3:45 PM on January 14, 2021 [12 favorites]

Done with the Capitol for now looters moved on to the White House ....

They're not looting. The museums from which these artifacts were lent are coming to collect them. The pieces that are in the White House during the president's term are chosen by the president and are returned to where they came from at the end of the term. Biden will choose his own to display and they'll be installed once his term begins.

What's remarkable about the Trump Administration is that images like this - which probably look so normal during any other transition that we'd never even see them - immediately make us think it's yet another horrifying sign of their ongoing thievery... and at the same time I'll bet right now that same photo is on MAGA forums with people cheering Trump on for keeping all the White House art as payback for Biden stealing the election.
posted by Mchelly at 3:45 PM on January 14, 2021 [15 favorites]

Rep. Paul Gosar’s brother Tim Gosar just said on Lawrence O’Donnell’s show that his brother “organized, masterminded and put into effect” the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Back when we were watching the whole thing live and commenting in real time here on the Blue, I asked if Gosar was ill (because he was acting really strange). This confirms to me that he was actually nervous and "out of himself", because he was in the middle of committing treason.
posted by mumimor at 3:50 PM on January 14, 2021 [52 favorites]

I also thought that Paul Gosar was acting really strangely when I was watching it live last week. Here's the moment where he starts speaking (1:18:08 in case the timestamp url doesn't work). The rioters actually make it to the House chamber in the middle of his speech: you can see the people behind him start looking to the side at 1:18:40, thirty seconds into his speech, and he's permanently interrupted at around 1:20:23, after which things start getting really chaotic.
posted by theodolite at 4:00 PM on January 14, 2021 [24 favorites]

you can see the people behind him start looking to the side at 1:18:40, thirty seconds into his speech, and he's permanently interrupted at around 1:20:23, after which things start getting really chaotic.

Thanks for posting this. It seemed overwhelming to me to go through all the footage. Has Speaker Pelosi already been taken to a safe place by security at this point? Which would then be when that horrible Q congresswoman tweeted about it?
posted by mumimor at 4:09 PM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]

I have been following these threads a little more closely than may be good for sanity but in the process I've been keeping an eye out for this and haven't seen it yet:

The Julia calls The Donald (slyt)
posted by hearthpig at 4:10 PM on January 14, 2021 [9 favorites]

Does Gosar always swivel his neck in that weird way?
posted by emjaybee at 4:11 PM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

It may just be confirmation bias on my part but Gosar does look a lot like he's trying not to vomit. But then as things start escalating outside he asks for the House to be in order. Ugh. He knew what was happening and he wanted them all to stay in the chamber, didn't he? Now I want to vomit.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 4:14 PM on January 14, 2021 [17 favorites]

Rep. Paul Gosar’s brother Tim Gosar just said on Lawrence O’Donnell’s show

Hope he's got receipts for the FBI. They're probably waiting at his house right now.
posted by ctmf at 4:15 PM on January 14, 2021 [5 favorites]

Here he is speaking about the Green New Deal last year. Some of the same movements and speech patterns, though less exaggerated to my eye.
posted by clawsoon at 4:21 PM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]

Gosar sounds rushed. Why is he speaking so quickly and messing up Madam and Mister Speaker? Ohhhh, well yeah if he planned all this, he knew what was happening.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 4:22 PM on January 14, 2021

Because Nancy Polosi left in the middle of his speech and her replacement is Mr Speaker.
posted by joeyh at 4:24 PM on January 14, 2021 [9 favorites]

Was Trump's speech scheduled to end later than it did? Did the attackers arrive earlier than Gosar anticipated?
posted by Slackermagee at 4:24 PM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

Biden's speech has started. Talking about the pandemic, the loss of life, the economic struggle, how working families' pain isn't showing up on Wall Street, talking about pain economic inequality.

I'm in tears. I don't expect things to change overnight, but dear God, I have hope that it can get better.
posted by nicoffeine at 4:25 PM on January 14, 2021 [22 favorites]

Madam Speaker recognized him to speak. She had been (presumably removed and) replaced by Mister Speaker in those few neck jerking moments.
posted by phunniemee at 4:26 PM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]

People who watch congress more closely than me would be better placed to say, but I didn't think Gosar's behavior was evident of anything other than just as he got going on his speech lots of activity started happening around him. He could have known what was coming or he could be just distracted by Pelosi getting whisked away.
posted by double bubble at 4:28 PM on January 14, 2021 [5 favorites]

It looks like the head-swinging is just a Paul Gosar thing (he's doing it in this 2019 speech ). The "uh, is he okay?" stuff I was thinking about is the way he's choking on his words in the last 30 seconds of that House speech, which reminds me of times I was so nervous I threw up.

I was wondering about the head-swinging, but also about the sweat, which looked to me like that cold sweat really, really ill people get. I was thinking he might have the corona, because people don't always get the cough first.

The sweat was there before the unrest. He didn't notice Pelosi was gone before he addressed the speaker. And since back then we were watching it in real time, and the camera was on him, I wasn't aware that Pelosi was gone.

It's really damning if this is when Lauren Boebert tweeted about Nancy Pelosi, because at this point, no-one could know what was going on, if they weren't in on it.
posted by mumimor at 4:35 PM on January 14, 2021 [15 favorites]

This Biden speech is plain, straight-forward, well-planned, workmanlike, and PRESIDENTIAL. So THAT's what that's like...
posted by PhineasGage at 4:35 PM on January 14, 2021 [15 favorites]

I believe the medical term for Gosar's behavior is "the treason wiggles."
posted by schadenfrau at 4:38 PM on January 14, 2021 [39 favorites]

"This Biden speech is plain, straight-forward, well-planned, workmanlike, and PRESIDENTIAL. So THAT's what it's like..."

Remember how, after 8 years of GWB we were so relieved to have Obama, a POTUS who could actually speak well? Definitely experiencing that kind of thing again.

I mean, we shouldn't only judge a POTUS by how they speak but considering what we've had this century...
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 4:39 PM on January 14, 2021 [19 favorites]

One mainstream news network executive told Insider: "We're not taking people who have no credibility. Very few of them have real value beyond Fox News, OAN, and Newsmax."

By coincidence, the UK is spinning up not one but two right-wing pseudonews TV channels. Perhaps they could get visas and find work there?
posted by acb at 4:40 PM on January 14, 2021

Beyond the general competence of this speech, what he's proposing is - dare I say it - truly populist.
posted by PhineasGage at 4:41 PM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]

Let us not forget that Paul Gosar’s primary claim to fame up to this point is being such a rancid sack of shit that all six of his siblings came together to endorse his opponent during his last re-election bid.

If he’s perfectly fine abandoning his own family in the name of advancing fascism I have no doubt that he’d be similarly okay in selling out the entire US.
posted by ActionPopulated at 4:46 PM on January 14, 2021 [48 favorites]

I sent IMPOTUSx2 two copies of The Constitution for Dummies so I've got dibs on those.
Used: Like New
posted by kirkaracha at 4:47 PM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]

In a briefing on Thursday, one Biden official added that the existing national planning and infrastructure for mass vaccinations and testing was far less developed than the incoming White House team had anticipated.

Different context, but I suddenly had a mad vision of infrastructure weeks that improve infrastructure.

[should have kept reading! The second package is expected to be centered on job creation and infrastructure, including hundreds of billions of dollars of spending on clean-energy projects like electric vehicle charging stations, along with health care and education spending.]
posted by trig at 4:51 PM on January 14, 2021 [10 favorites]

I suddenly had a mad vision of infrastructure weeks that improve infrastructure

Gotta say, a serious investment in actual infrastructure would be such a fucking boon to this country!
posted by suelac at 4:54 PM on January 14, 2021 [11 favorites]

Alex Jones TURNS On Q

WARNING: contains Alex Jones shouting about how Qanon is lying, full of shit etc
posted by philip-random at 4:55 PM on January 14, 2021 [14 favorites]

This is the second time I’ve started crying upon hearing a mature speaker voice the magic words, “My fellow Americans.” The night the election was called was the first.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 4:56 PM on January 14, 2021 [13 favorites]

Alex smells the grift turning, huh? Maybe he’ll start peddling long knives.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 4:57 PM on January 14, 2021 [21 favorites]

Biden's speech hit me with its decency, its kindness, its compassion. I cried, recognizing clearly after so long, how much indecency we have suffered.

Is it normal for a president elect to give this many speeches before taking office?
posted by meese at 4:59 PM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]

>I also thought that Paul Gosar was acting really strangely when I was watching it live last week. Here's the moment where he starts speaking (1:18:08 in case the timestamp url doesn't work)

Thanks for that, theodolite.

To me that looks like a prodrome of, or outright Parkinson's, but Gosar denies that. Whatever it is, it's been going on for years, and Gosar has been trying to conceal it.
posted by jamjam at 5:01 PM on January 14, 2021 [6 favorites]

Is it normal for a president elect to give this many speeches before taking office?

Only in armed insurrection years.
posted by PhineasGage at 5:02 PM on January 14, 2021 [40 favorites]

Is it normal for a president elect to give this many speeches before taking office?

It seems unusual to me, but there are not opportunities for him to meet in person with local or state leaders or policy groups that would then generate coverage.
posted by jgirl at 5:05 PM on January 14, 2021 [5 favorites]

Alex Jones TURNS On Q

No way am I going to click that link on anything other than an incognito window, because the algorithm will contaminate my recommendations.
posted by tclark at 5:05 PM on January 14, 2021 [15 favorites]

Alex Jones would be out of a job if last week's coup attempt had succeeded. His money's made on selling palliatives (like, idk, tactical sunglasses or whatever) for the anxiety he whips up about the dangers of the secret left-wing government. So if right-wing insurgents took over, he wouldn't have a pitch any more.
posted by at by at 5:05 PM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

Is it normal for a president elect to give this many speeches before taking office?

Usually they're busy with transition stuff, but...
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 5:08 PM on January 14, 2021 [6 favorites]

That's assuming that the right-wing insurgents' reign decreased the anxiety of his followers. In a country where the majority rejects the incoming fascist regime, he could whip up all the anxiety he needs by talking about Antifa assassins hiding behind every tree or similar.
posted by acb at 5:09 PM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

Alex Jones TURNS On Q yt

WARNING: contains Alex Jones shouting about how Qanon is lying, full of shit etc

Well now I need to watch and see which bumper sticker comes off the nazi down the street's car first.
posted by jason_steakums at 5:14 PM on January 14, 2021 [31 favorites]

the US just won its second civil war

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
posted by flabdablet at 5:21 PM on January 14, 2021 [16 favorites]

Is it normal for a president elect to give this many speeches before taking office?

He's the adult (almost) in the room. My take is, he recognizes the leadership vacuum and is stepping up in a way that's uncommon in other transition years because it's never been needed. Maybe I'm giving Biden too much credit, but I truly believe he cares about the country and other people and is trying his best to be the leader American needs now, not just when his term starts.
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 5:27 PM on January 14, 2021 [41 favorites]

METAFILTER: now I need to watch and see which bumper sticker comes off the nazi down the street's car first.
posted by philip-random at 5:30 PM on January 14, 2021 [6 favorites]

Someone asked upthread:

Lawmakers who conspired with Capitol attackers in legal peril

Unlike with the president, there’s no Justice Department policy shielding members of Congress from legal accountability while in office.
“I’d say those are potentially viable prosecutions,” added Peter Zeidenberg, another former federal prosecutor in Washington. “I’d say those guys should be worried.”
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 5:33 PM on January 14, 2021 [39 favorites]

"Lawmakers who conspired with Capitol attackers in legal peril"

Y'know, I think Trump finally managed to drain the swamp.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 5:36 PM on January 14, 2021 [17 favorites]

Half one in the morning here and I'm off to bed, but is the Coronavirus package and 1.6k comments a good point for someone to transition us into a new, more hopeful future and thread?
posted by MattWPBS at 5:41 PM on January 14, 2021 [11 favorites]

Alex Jones TURNS On Q

Make no mistake, this isn't Alex Jones finally saying sane things. Alex will still happily spin lies about deepstate plots. Alex will still happily talk about the "stolen" election. Alex will still happily talk about Democratic politicians being literal demons who are part of a Satanic conspiracy to kill babies for their blood. He's not rejecting the underlying narrative. He's just rejecting that Q is at the head of that movement rather than him.

Alex was there in DC on the 6th and will still claim that him and his "patriot" buddies are blameless. Alex has been blaming Q for the violence in DC. That's a handy way of scapegoating a movement that is peeling off his listeners while denying his own role in contributing to the lies that culminated in the events of the 6th.
posted by Avelwood at 5:43 PM on January 14, 2021 [25 favorites]

"Lawmakers who conspired with Capitol attackers in legal peril"

And I also want to add in regard to anyone in Congress who may have actually been involved in planning and executing this coup attempt:

From these rioters and Trump's administration, we've seen an awful lot of not only sheer incompetence but arrogance in that they would never suffer consequences so I wouldn't be surprised at all if damning evidence of their crimes could be easily found.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 5:48 PM on January 14, 2021 [11 favorites]

Trump explodes at Nixon comparisons as he prepares to leave office

He told one adviser during an expletive-laden conversation recently never to bring up the ex-president ever again. During the passing mention of resigning this week, Trump told people he couldn't count on Vice President Mike Pence to pardon him like Gerald Ford did Nixon, anyway.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 5:51 PM on January 14, 2021 [19 favorites]

From these rioters and Trump's administration, we've seen an awful lot of not only sheer incompetence but arrogance in that they would never suffer consequences so I wouldn't be surprised at all if damning evidence of their crimes could be easily found.

All the opsec of a toddler closing their eyes.
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 5:52 PM on January 14, 2021 [15 favorites]

Biden Climate Team Says It Underestimated Trump’s Damage: Agency reviews have found greater budget cuts, staff losses and elimination of climate programs than initially thought [Adam Aton, Scientific American, Jan 13 2021]
posted by MrVisible at 5:54 PM on January 14, 2021 [40 favorites]

> He told one adviser during an expletive-laden conversation recently never to bring up the ex-president ever again.

No more visits to the Russian baths with Roger Stone, I guess.
posted by at by at 6:05 PM on January 14, 2021 [22 favorites]

This is the truth: last night I dreamed I was ascending a staircase, and I saw Tehhund up ahead of me, and I started chasing after him, waving my arms to get his attention.

Here in the depths of my forgotten agency, we are fairly optimistic that things will finally get better. However, our purchasing has just been thrown for a loop by a new requirement that we only buy from companies that sign a pledge not to deal with certain Chinese companies. I won't argue the merits of that, I'll only say that it means we might not be able to buy gas from franchised gas stations, or pick up supplies from local stores. We may not be able to deal with European companies or publish in European journals. We don't yet know how this will turn out.
posted by acrasis at 6:07 PM on January 14, 2021 [24 favorites]

Maybe I'm giving Biden too much credit, but I truly believe he cares about the country and other people and is trying his best to be the leader American needs now, not just when his term starts.

I completely believe he cares about the country and wants to mend the damage and improve living conditions for everyone.

I don't exactly trust his judgment on that; I strongly suspect he thinks "help employers = help employees," and that extended copyrights mostly serve to help artistic creators, and that UBI would result in too many lazy people and the country might collapse from it. I suspect he thinks you can have 1950s "prosperity" without the racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression that allowed white suburbs to thrive. (I think we can have that much prosperity; I don't think you can get there by reestablishing the laws we had then + some antidiscrimination laws.) I don't know if Biden understands that minimum wage used to be a living wage, and now it is very much not, and even the proposed increases don't push it back to that level.

I trust that he wants a better America for everyone. I don't trust that he's getting info from and about the people who've been hurt worst by the last couple decades of capitalist expansion. I worry that we are all going to be so relieved by basic competence that it'll be hard to keep pushing for something actually better than we had 4 years ago.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 6:08 PM on January 14, 2021 [47 favorites]

Nixon never accessorized with office supplies.

The Biggest Lie: Why Mainstream Media Is Telling the Whitewashed Version of the MAGA Insurrection (The Root, Jan. 14, 2021) The story of the Capitol siege cannot be told without mentioning the root cause of the event. America’s history of suppressing Black votes is not even part of the Jan. 6 account, it is the entire story. Anyone who is recounting the event without mentioning the most important cause is getting the whole story wrong.[...] [T]o uphold white supremacy and maintain power by decreasing the Black vote, conservatives created the myth of widespread voter fraud. [...] There is no widespread voter fraud. There never has been. And the proof is this: When Black people were allowed to participate in the most secure election in history, they changed the entire political makeup of America’s government. And they did it without bloodshed, violence or an organized lynch mob. [...]

The story of the Capitol siege is that there was an election where, finally, voter suppression was erased and Black voters voted in the same percentage that white voters did. And the only way most of white America could explain it was to believe that state legislators, secretaries of states, voting machine companies, invisible voters, Hugo Chavez, Democrats and the sequential nature of the numerical system all conspired to steal an election. It was easier to believe in that improbable scenario than to believe that America was racist this whole time.
posted by Iris Gambol at 6:11 PM on January 14, 2021 [100 favorites]

During the passing mention of resigning this week, Trump told people he couldn't count on Vice President Mike Pence to pardon him like Gerald Ford did Nixon, anyway.

poor donnie - didn't anyone ever tell you that the toes you step on today may be attached to the ass you have to kiss tomorrow?

you don't try to get people killed and then beg them for favors
posted by pyramid termite at 6:13 PM on January 14, 2021 [8 favorites]

Biden Climate Team Says It Underestimated Trump’s Damage: Agency reviews have found greater budget cuts, staff losses and elimination of climate programs than initially thought

I think that’s a headline template we’re going to see used many, many, many times in the next few weeks.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:13 PM on January 14, 2021 [49 favorites]

MetaFilter: Hope is a cipher
posted by Riki tiki at 6:16 PM on January 14, 2021 [9 favorites]

“In Cleveland County, Okla., the chairman of the local Republican Party openly wondered “why violence is unacceptable,” just hours before a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol last week.”
posted by jgirl at 6:24 PM on January 14, 2021 [18 favorites]

To me that looks like a prodrome of, or outright Parkinson's, but Gosar denies that.

I know diagnosing people over the Internet is bound to go poorly, but for what it's worth, members of my family have Huntington's disease and his movements look very much like the symptoms of that.
posted by mmoncur at 6:52 PM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]

Lawmakers propose Congressional Gold Medal for Capitol officer who led rioters away
posted by jgirl at 7:03 PM on January 14, 2021 [18 favorites]

I think that’s a headline template we’re going to see used many, many, many times in the next few weeks.

Decades, maybe. Trump cost humanity time that we'll never get back.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 7:13 PM on January 14, 2021 [25 favorites]

Massachusetts Woman Fired From Hospital After Being Identified in Capitol Coup Photo by Her Own Daughter

“hi mom remember the time you told me I shouldn’t go to BLM protests bc they could get violent...this you?”

posted by clawsoon at 7:13 PM on January 14, 2021 [88 favorites]

CNN main page right now has a headline that says, "President Trump's World Shrinks" (unfortunately, the actual article uses a different headline from what the main page is using so who knows how long it'll be up).

Anyway, I mention it because I think CNN is officially tired of saying, "increasingly isolated" and is trying out new phrases.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 7:15 PM on January 14, 2021 [7 favorites]

Trump damnatio memoriæ^{^} fuck yeah

In this scenario Macaulay Culkin is Ramesses II, having his name chiseled at the bottom of another pharaoh's statue.
posted by XMLicious at 7:18 PM on January 14, 2021 [5 favorites]

Boston Globe: Boston police investigating whether officer attended Capitol siege, posted threats on social media.
posted by adamg at 7:19 PM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

Trump's world never shrinks, it just gets refilled with increasingly shitty people. Replace "Trump grows increasingly isolated" with "Trump grows increasingly surrounded by shit" every time you read it.
posted by clawsoon at 7:19 PM on January 14, 2021 [16 favorites]

What to expect on Twitter on US Inauguration Day 2021

Citing “multiple challenging circumstances,“ Twitter notes much of the public will view the ceremony virtually.

“Twitter will transfer current institutional accounts to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) where the Tweets and account history will remain publicly available and the account usernames will be updated to reflect their archived status.

[...]

Once [the] archival process is completed, Twitter will transfer the institutional accounts to the Biden administration to assume ownership, along with a new account: @SecondGentleman.

People on Twitter will be able to watch the transition of power take place in real-time as accounts for the White House, President, Vice President, First Lady and White House Press Secretary inherit their new institutional usernames: @Transition46 will become @WhiteHouse, @PresElectBiden will become @POTUS, @SenKamalaHarris will become @VP, @FLOTUSBiden will become @FLOTUS, and @PressSecPsaki will become @PressSec. The Tweets, account history, and followers will transition between these accounts.”

It’ll be fun to see the switch, in more ways than one!
posted by jgirl at 7:21 PM on January 14, 2021 [12 favorites]

>Massachusetts Woman Fired From Hospital After Being Identified in Capitol Coup Photo by Her Own Daughter

Helene said in an interview with CBC’s As It Happens that her mother was fired from UMass Memorial, not because of her involvement in the protest-turned-whitey-rampage, but “because she does work at a hospital and she obviously went to a protest with many people and she wasn’t wearing a mask.”
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 7:21 PM on January 14, 2021 [5 favorites]

The hospital itself, however, referred to mom's role in "violent events".
posted by adamg at 7:27 PM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]

Ha, snap. Vice: The Guy Who Flew a Confederate Flag in the Capitol Has Predictably Surrendered
posted by ctmf at 7:28 PM on January 14, 2021 [38 favorites]

File under all politics is local: Jerry Nadler brought a babka to the impeachment hearings.
posted by Mchelly at 7:28 PM on January 14, 2021 [17 favorites]

Biden Climate Team Says It Underestimated Trump’s Damage

Well there's a surprise.

Simple fact is, and always was, that full commitment to a Green New Deal has been required since well before Turnip took office, and anything short of it now cannot possibly be anywhere near enough. The Democratic progressive faction has always understood this. Biden really really needs to work with the Squad to engineer an acceptable re-branding and then just get it done.

The most galling part about the polarized politicization of climate change policy is that no serious variant of a Green New Deal actually costs anything. Having governments get behind genuinely sustainable energy tech and push it even harder than market forces are doing already both grows economies and distributes that growth more equitably. The damn thing makes money.

The only reason there's so much resistance has the same piss-poor root cause as always - a complete failure of imagination from policy dinosaurs in the C suites of the fossil fuel majors. Which would be kind of understandable if it were not so completely fucking stupid. These are huge multinationals with privileged access to all the world's energy markets, and if they can't make better returns from investing in clean energy than by continuing to dig up their dead relatives then they're Doing It Wrong and every shareholder needs to tell them so.
posted by flabdablet at 7:29 PM on January 14, 2021 [44 favorites]

President-elect Biden on Twitter

Folks — This will be the account for my official duties as President. At 12:01 PM on January 20th, it will become @POTUS. Until then, I'll be using @JoeBiden. And while you're here, follow @FLOTUSBiden @SenKamalaHarris @SecondGentleman and @Transition46.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 7:31 PM on January 14, 2021 [11 favorites]

That story from The Root that clawsoon linked above is pure gold, and if you're just skimming the thread for the highlights I definitely recommend clicking through for that one.
posted by biogeo at 7:35 PM on January 14, 2021 [11 favorites]

Massachusetts Woman Fired From Hospital After Being Identified in Capitol Coup Photo by Her Own Daughter

The security guard who punched her mom was arrested, charged with assault, and lost her job. GoFundMe link is at the end of the story, if you'd like to contribute to her defense.
posted by clawsoon at 7:35 PM on January 14, 2021 [16 favorites]

@SecondGentleman and @Transition46

Hell of a double-bill. One of the best shows I saw last year.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:38 PM on January 14, 2021 [8 favorites]

Sen. James Lankford apologizes to Black Tulsans for questioning presidential election results

"I can assure you," he said, "my intent to give a voice to Oklahomans who had questions was never also an intent to diminish the voice of any Black American.

"I should have recognized how what I said and what I did could be interpreted by many of you," he said. "I deeply regret my blindness to that perception, and for that I am sorry."

Lankford (for the moment) is on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 7:46 PM on January 14, 2021 [19 favorites]

clawsoon, that article just says she was "relieved [of] her duties" -- I hope that means she was only suspended while they investigate and will be able to return to work once she's cleared, if she still wants (or can do) the job following such a traumatic event. Sadly there's no guarantee of that though.
posted by biogeo at 7:47 PM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]

All the opsec of a toddler closing their eyes

we have here remarked on the white privilege evident in aspects of actors attempting the coup. in addition to their penchant for granting interviews, one factor striking me, in perusing many of the charging documents collated at lawfareblog (posted courtesy of some mefite some iterations of this thread ago, above), is the preponderance of subjects who elected to talk freely with investigating/arresting officers and consent to searches as though no one has ever told them not to talk to cops: they never got the talk. nobody who cared about them ever considered they might need it. or, convinced they're blessed and that law enforcement will agree with, support, and exonerate them, they disregarded that advice.

somewhat relatedly, that day's events really challenge my vision of and hope for a world where a polity of responsible individuals can enjoy society without government there to keep them from eating each other.
posted by 20 year lurk at 8:04 PM on January 14, 2021 [22 favorites]

abcnews.go: Ahead of the inauguration, government contracts reveal White House deep cleaning.

More than $200,000 will be spent on additional cleaning services beyond what is usually done by White House staff for a presidential transition. The article says that’s because of the Covid infiltration, but we all know the real reason.
posted by darkstar at 8:06 PM on January 14, 2021 [35 favorites]

“hi mom remember the time you told me I shouldn’t go to BLM protests bc they could get violent...this you?”

omg I thought this was a joke by clawsoon but no, this was her actual tweet! Hahahahaha! So great.
posted by HotToddy at 8:15 PM on January 14, 2021 [23 favorites]

Jerry Nadler brought a babka to the impeachment hearings.

I whispered “Zabars’s” before clicking the link and was not disappointed. I miss my old hood sometimes.
posted by kimdog at 8:20 PM on January 14, 2021 [11 favorites]

but we all know the real reason

Blacklights?
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 8:26 PM on January 14, 2021 [9 favorites]

John Sullivan, aka Activist John, aka Jayden-X, update: Man who claims to be a journalist arrested after filming Capitol breach, cheering on rioters (The Hill, Jan. 14, 2020) Sullivan – who claims to be an activist, journalist and protest organizer – published online an unedited recording of the breach of the Capitol on Jan. 6, where a mob of pro-Trump supporters violently stormed the building in an effort to disrupt the certification of the electoral college results affirming President-elect Joe Biden's victory. Sullivan’s recording provided stark images of how some events unfolded amid the chaos, with clear pictures of some of those who participated and culminating in the fatal shooting of a woman, Ashli Babbitt.

Published yesterday morning, now with an editorial note preceding the interview, ‘I Don’t Think She Deserved to Die’: Black Activist Who Filmed Ashli Babbitt Shooting Speaks Out (Rolling Stone, Jan. 13, 2020) Activist and video journalist John Sullivan describes how he captured raw, comprehensive footage of the chaos and violence at the storming of the U.S. Capitol. Closing lines:
[RS:] But you didn’t feel like they [the FBI] were after you?
[JS:] I haven’t done anything incriminating. If they were after me, I’d already have been arrested. That’s for sure.

Utah Man Charged in Federal Court Following Events at the United States Capitol (Justice.gov, Jan. 14, 2021) John Earle Sullivan was charged by complaint with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and one count of interfering with law enforcement engaged in the lawful performance of their official duties incident to and during the commission of civil disorder. The defendant was arrested today in Utah. The Complaint alleges that during the events at the U.S. Capitol, Sullivan, wearing a ballistics vest and gas mask, entered the U.S. Capitol through a window that had been broken out, pushing past U.S. Capitol Police once inside. The Complaint also alleges that Sullivan admits to filming and being depicted in video footage that shows him present, outside of the Speaker’s Lobby within the U.S. Capitol, at the shooting of a woman by a U.S. Capitol Police officer.
posted by Iris Gambol at 8:38 PM on January 14, 2021 [15 favorites]

they never got the talk. nobody who cared about them ever considered they might need it. or, convinced they're blessed and that law enforcement will agree with, support, and exonerate them, they disregarded that advice.

I understand it. I have that instinct as well. I can sit here all day laughing "ha, what a maroon" at people talking to cops. I've even been trained in resistance in POW-type situations. But when the situation comes up unexpectedly, boom, my instinct is to do it too. (I resist, but I recognize it was my first reaction. Luckily, I'm a quiet, slow to speak, choose my words carefully kind of person already by nature.)

It's the way it's always been with police for me, from a child. When the cops come, it's the bad guys who have something to worry about, the good guys can be relived. Helping the cops in any way you can is a good thing. And my experiences with cops only reinforce that. As you might imagine, I'm a white male and only in the last decade or so have I really internalized that those two things aren't a coincidence. And that's not even bringing into it the knowing "we're in the same club *wink wink*" aspect that these morons have going on. The habit is *really* hard to overcome.

These guys are schoolkids boxing Mike Tyson if a trained interrogator starts trying to get them for real, without the *wink wink* stuff.
posted by ctmf at 8:38 PM on January 14, 2021 [19 favorites]

but we all know the real reason.

Does this cleaning company have suspiciously highly-paid employees who all seem to have too much of a background in electronics to be a housekeeper?
posted by ctmf at 8:41 PM on January 14, 2021 [24 favorites]

[JS:] I haven’t done anything incriminating.

That well known robust protection in the USA.
posted by Pouteria at 8:45 PM on January 14, 2021 [6 favorites]

affidavit in support of criminal complaint against sullivan. via lawfareblog.
posted by 20 year lurk at 8:57 PM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

All this talk about the rioters and others talking to the cops put me in mind of this excellent segment from an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street where all the show's detectives demonstrate exactly why one should utilize one's "right to remain silent."
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 9:00 PM on January 14, 2021 [14 favorites]

A sworn FBI affidavit shows that Parler gave information that helped FBI agents identify, locate, and arrest a Proud Boys supporter making threats on Parler.
posted by nicoffeine at 9:04 PM on January 14, 2021 [13 favorites]

@carter_glascock
As far back as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a patriot. (humor video, so well done)
posted by Gorgik at 9:06 PM on January 14, 2021 [7 favorites]

Lady Gaga to Sing National Anthem for Biden-Harris Inauguration (Variety, Jan. 14, 2021) In addition to the swearing-in ceremony, a virtual parade and other events are scheduled for live streams on Jan. 20. There’s also a primetime network special that night. Gaga appeared in a PSA with Biden in 2017, and campaigned for him during his most recent presidential bid.

Oh, no -- What Lady Gaga's Trump-Supporting Dad Has to Say About Her Biden Inauguration Gig (Billboard, Jan. 14, 2021) Whew: "I'm extremely proud that she's able to participate," he told Fox News in an interview following the announcement. "I'm looking forward to watching it."[...] On Inauguration Day, the Grammy-winning singer will join fellow A-listers Jennifer Lopez, Jon Bon Jovi, Justin Timberlake, Demi Lovato and Ant Clemons performing at the primetime Celebrating America special, hosted by Tom Hanks. The 90-minute special will air on NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN and MSNBC at 8:30 p.m. ET, as well as on the committee's social media feeds, Amazon Prime Video, Twitch and Fox's NewsNOW.

Yes, organizers, please overstuff an evening variety program, and make day events as 'virtual' as possible. The Wikipedia entry on Chroma key even uses a green-screen East Room as its example.
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:15 PM on January 14, 2021 [8 favorites]

affidavit in support of criminal complaint against sullivan. via lawfareblog.

he was doing okay until ...

b. After the crowd broke through the last barricade, and as SULLIVAN and the others approach the Capitol Building, SULLIVAN can be heard in the video saying at various points: “There are so many people. Let’s go. This shit is ours! Fuck yeah,” “We accomplished this shit. We did this together. Fuck yeah! We are all a part of this history,” and “Let’s burn this shit down.”
posted by philip-random at 9:16 PM on January 14, 2021 [21 favorites]

'Kill him with his own gun': Police describe facing the mob at the Capitol

But Fanone, who said he'd rather be shot than be pulled into a crowd where he had no control, was suddenly in his biggest nightmare as an officer. And in those few moments, Fanone considered using deadly force. He thought about using his gun but knew that he didn't have enough fire power and he'd soon be overpowered again, except this time they would probably use his gun against him and they'd have all the reason to end his life.

"So, the other option I thought of was to try to appeal to somebody's humanity. And I just remember yelling out that I have kids. And it seemed to work," said the 40-year-old father of four. A group within the rioters circled Fanone and protected him until help arrived, saving his life.

"Thank you, but f*** you for being there," Fanone said of the rioters who protected him in that moment.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 9:32 PM on January 14, 2021 [61 favorites]

Oh hey, while looking up a list of billionaires that supported Trump I came across this article about how the Mercers have scaled back their Republican donations but seem to have invested in a social media platform called Parler.

But for you amusement in these times: Are We the Baddies
posted by jadepearl at 9:36 PM on January 14, 2021 [7 favorites]

My friend David on Twitter made this great witticism:

The big lesson that is coming: You cannot try to overthrow a country and expect to settle out of court.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 9:45 PM on January 14, 2021 [68 favorites]

The guy who was beating a police officer with a flagpole (with an American flag affixed!) outside the Capitol has been arrested. The article notes that there are probably more charges coming. FBI ain't playing around.
posted by wierdo at 11:10 PM on January 14, 2021 [21 favorites]

“hi mom remember the time you told me I shouldn’t go to BLM protests bc they could get violent...this you?”

I'm going to have to go with

A second video shows Therese, with a bloodied face, explaining that she had been punched by “the black girl,” referring to Smith. Helene commented “mom I think you mean to say that powerful black woman punched you for harassment...” while sharing the second video.

posted by away for regrooving at 11:51 PM on January 14, 2021 [26 favorites]

business insider: A man who stormed the US Capitol said, 'How are they going to arrest every single person?' in a video before the FBI arrested him a few days later
posted by sebastienbailard at 1:10 AM on January 15, 2021 [55 favorites]

ACOUP historian Bret Devereaux applies lessons from the Greek world to the Capitol insurrection: Insurrections, Ancient and Modern. (Previously 1, 2, 3).
posted by TheophileEscargot at 1:11 AM on January 15, 2021 [7 favorites]

John Sullivan, aka Activist John, aka Jayden-X

Isn't this Sullivan character used to support the "ANTIFA did it" bullshit? The Rolling Stone piece profiles him as follows:

he found purpose in the street protests that followed the killing of George Floyd, even founding an activist group called Insurgence USA that fights for racial justice. Sullivan’s activism has brought him legal trouble: He faces riot and criminal mischief charges stemming from a BLM protest in Provo, Utah, last June. He says he’s also become a target of far-right militants he calls “chuds.”

posted by dmh at 1:39 AM on January 15, 2021

Isn't this Sullivan character used to support the "ANTIFA did it" bullshit?

The probable cause affidavit makes it quite clear that he's "just" a shitty accelerationist who is happy to latch on to anything that involves criminal mischief. There are quite a few choice quotes from the video in there that make clear he is neither a journalist nor anti-fascist. In addition to breaking a window himself after crawling into the building, he was directly inciting the rioters.

I would be unsurprised to find that he's Qanon-adjacent. Not literally all of them buy into the pedophilia ring shit, the real common thread is their belief in the Storm.
posted by wierdo at 1:51 AM on January 15, 2021 [6 favorites]

Anybody wanting to understand Sullivan who hasn't seen the movie Nightcrawler: I think you really should.
posted by flabdablet at 2:35 AM on January 15, 2021 [6 favorites]

Trump damnatio memoriæ^ fuck yeah

If that happens, Home Alone 2 will join Cats as the only other movie that has a no longer available butthole cut.
posted by acb at 2:47 AM on January 15, 2021 [27 favorites]

Re Florea: Also in 2014, a criminal complaint against Florea alleged he choked his wife while holding his infant daughter and threatened to kill them both with a knife, according to The Times. His lawyer reportedly said those charges were dismissed and Florea reconciled with his wife after counseling.
So .. would not have been free to be out on the streets if the law operated to protect the innocent. No. Words.
Sorry, link
posted by glasseyes at 2:54 AM on January 15, 2021 [11 favorites]

For speeches such as Gosar's where hes refering to charts and numbers and something about how the voting machines operate...is there some place where the transcriptions of these speeches have citations and a bibliography attached? Like i had no idea what charts he was talking about, would like to know where the info about voting machines is from (a manual, some kind of programming documentation, etc). I'm not trying to be sarcastic, serious question. I know Gosar is likely talking out of his ass / using non credible sources / misinterpreting or twisting facts, but his speech made me wonder if a member of congress can just spew a bunch of made up on the spot crap with no accountability because theres no way to review the source info. Its work we make 3rd graders do so i dont think it should be considered too burdensome to have people speaking submit sources for their quoted facts and figures.
posted by WeekendJen at 3:34 AM on January 15, 2021 [6 favorites]

> i dont think it should be considered too burdensome to have people speaking submit sources for their quoted facts and figures.

Counterexample: The Trump presidency.

Politicians only get called out on contra-factual statements when they're being interviews by British journalists, for some reason.
posted by sebastienbailard at 3:38 AM on January 15, 2021 [10 favorites]

me wonder if a member of congress can just spew a bunch of made up on the spot crap with no accountability

Yes; that's hard-coded into the US Constitution. Like many of the weirder parts, probably a reaction to something that had happened to Parliament at least once. The only entity that can discipline an MC for something they said on the floor is their own chamber.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 3:40 AM on January 15, 2021 [5 favorites]

sebastienbailard, do you mean Jonathan Swan? I think he's Australian. (His Dad, Dr Norman Swan is a physician journalist who has been doing good work re covid)

Jake Angeli has apparently asked for a presidential pardon because he was answering the call and was peaceful.
posted by freethefeet at 3:52 AM on January 15, 2021

Well that seems dangerous and ripe for abuse to spread misinformation. Maybe they should have some timeframe to submit their sources and anything not backed up with a source can be marked with an asterisk or something. Arming constituents with sources for more info should be a bipartisan goal, but alas i dont rule the world.
posted by WeekendJen at 3:53 AM on January 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

Retired firefighter accused of throwing extinguisher at police during Capitol riot is arrested, NBC News:

Robert Sanford, 55, allegedly threw the extinguisher at a group of officers. His attorney said he made "a split-second decision" and was caught up in the crowd...
posted by cenoxo at 4:02 AM on January 15, 2021 [6 favorites]

Unfortunately, the Constitution, as well as much of the rules governing Congress, were written in an age where there were societal rules obliging one to be a "gentleman" in all things and no gentleman would deign to simply lie to his fellows, and to make a rule forbidding lying (let alone requiring proof that their words were true!) would simply be unheard of.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:05 AM on January 15, 2021 [9 favorites]

The only entity that can discipline an MC for something they said on the floor is their own chamber

And because one side has chosen to be assholes and weaponize those decorum rules, we get things like Elizabeth Warren being sanctioned for reading a letter from Corretta Scott King which lightly condemned Jeff Sessions' work as a US Attorney (Nevertheness, she persisted)
posted by RonButNotStupid at 4:13 AM on January 15, 2021 [29 favorites]

For speeches such as Gosar's where hes refering to charts and numbers and something about how the voting machines operate...is there some place where the transcriptions of these speeches have citations and a bibliography attached?

He's talking about well debunked bullshit misapplication of mathematical principles that would work if there weren't correlations between voting behavior in various precincts.

The easier debunk is that Dominion machines print out paper copies of the ballots, which is what was used in the Georgia recount. A recount which only confirmed the results.
posted by wierdo at 4:20 AM on January 15, 2021 [4 favorites]

Honestly i was having a really hard time following what he was talking about and i wasnt sure if it was because i was having a slow processing moment or because he actually wasnt making sense. I feel like a competant speech giver would say things like "according to the voting records for district 10 blah blah blah" and he was just mentioning charts and numbers and i felt like i wasnt keeping up or he's not doing a good job. I mean this was after my alarm went off and i had just rolled over still in bed so i wasnt quite on yet, but still.
posted by WeekendJen at 4:50 AM on January 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

Robert Sanford, 55, allegedly threw the extinguisher at a group of officers. His attorney said he made "a split-second decision" and was caught up in the crowd...

I know when I hurl a fire extinguisher at a police officer in the middle of a riot, it's a decision accompanied by weeks of research and careful trajectory calculations.
posted by PlusDistance at 4:59 AM on January 15, 2021 [65 favorites]

Now, that seems eponysterical.
posted by Ice Cream Socialist at 5:06 AM on January 15, 2021 [27 favorites]

Chauncey Devega writes in Salon: Media suddenly shifts its tone on Trump — but that's not courage, it's cowardice.

"During last week's siege of the U.S. Capitol, the "hope peddlers" and other professional centrists abruptly appropriated the language of "the Resistance," spontaneously finding last-minute courage to tell the truth about Trump's presidency and his movement. Now those same public voices are pretending they never denied the real dangers of Trumpism and American fascism, playing their new role as imposter defenders of democracy.

Such a shift in speech, tone and thought is patently insincere: it is the worst sort of cowardice and self-serving behavior, driven by the fear that history will remember one's errors.

...

With such claims, mainstream journalists are adopting a version of the royal first-person plural, speaking of how "we" have finally woken up to the dangers of Donald Trump, or saying that "we" have ignored" the dangers of right-wing extremism in the United States for too long.

In the world as it actually exists, Black and brown Americans have long understood that Donald Trump and his movement are an existential threat to the United States. Because of their personal or historical experience there are other individuals and groups, such as Muslims, Jewish people and recent immigrants and refugees, who also possess similar insights and instincts.

...

When prominent pundits, journalists and others in that sphere make the specious claim that Trump's coup attack and other examples of right-wing terrorism are "unthinkable," they are really pursuing a reclamation project for the reputation and authority of the mainstream media, in an era when that institution has consistently failed to defend democracy."

The whole piece deserves a read.
posted by deeker at 5:18 AM on January 15, 2021 [43 favorites]

I don't want this to become a derail, so please feel free to respond via PM, but: do folks think there would be any value in maintaining a comprehensive public list of individual rioters who have been charged (or who are sought by authorities)?

I'm imagining that each person would have a simple profile, with name, photo(s), city/state, nature of offense, notable biographical details (e.g., if they hold elected office, or are current/former police/military), links to news stories, and current status (wanted, arrested, indicted, etc.)

Maybe there's no particular value except as a two-minutes hate / public-shaming kind of thing. To me, that's not a good reason. But maybe it would make the investigations (and general federal response) a little more transparent, and allow citizens to judge whether rioters as a group are being held appropriately accountable?

Perhaps something already exists. I've seen a couple of sorta-similar projects, but nothing comprehensive. It'd be a big job to keep up with it, so (unless someone has a lot of free time and energy) it would probably need to be crowdsourced.

Just a thought. I might be too tired right now to take on a side project.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 5:20 AM on January 15, 2021 [8 favorites]

a world where a polity of responsible individuals can enjoy society without government there to keep them from eating each other

I've always understood the justification for government to be that there needs to be some overarching organization that makes living as a polity of responsible individuals sustainable despite the disproportionately corrosive efforts of arseholes who refuse to be responsible.

To my way of thinking, societies where arseholes often end up being the government for extended periods are object lessons in poor ways to organize governments, not evidence that the idea of government per se is ill-conceived.

My own ideal world is one in which Wilhoit conservatism is seen for what it is wherever it shows up and is actively resisted by everybody not generally considered an arsehole.
posted by flabdablet at 5:23 AM on January 15, 2021 [10 favorites]

They’ve Been Calling for Bloodshed the Whole Time. Some on the right have supported violence for years now; the party has built its power on them. Rebecca Traister, for The Cut. "All of which means that when armed terrorists break into the Capitol Building after years of advocating for a violent uprising, bringing a noose, wearing Auschwitz sweatshirts, carrying zip ties — and when the people who wind up most endangered by their incursion are the Black, brown, and female people who have been most targeted and villainized in an outsize way — somehow, too many people can still be shocked."
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:33 AM on January 15, 2021 [38 favorites]

> where there were societal rules obliging one to be a "gentleman" in all things and no gentleman would deign to simply lie to his fellows

With dueling as a final backstop. Bringing it back would probably make things worse, now, but Trump's libel and slander would eventually have been cut short.
posted by sebastienbailard at 5:45 AM on January 15, 2021 [5 favorites]

Robert Sanford fire extguisher video.
posted by cenoxo at 5:49 AM on January 15, 2021

If we listened to people of color about... everything we wouldn't be here.
If we listened to women about domestic abuse, lots of these men and most mass shooters would have not been able to do what they did.
posted by emjaybee at 5:54 AM on January 15, 2021 [59 favorites]

Seamus Hughes on Twitter: And so it begins. THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. AFFIDAVIT IN SUPPORT OF CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AND ARREST WARRANT.

It chronicles each rioter arrested. (some with identifying photos). I’m having a hard time seeing the full pages on my iPad though.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 6:01 AM on January 15, 2021 [17 favorites]

I am sadly amused by a recurring excuse for insurrections: "I got caught up in the moment"

Oh, so you got all emotional, is that it?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:13 AM on January 15, 2021 [30 favorites]

oh, in light of that Homicide clip posted above, this gem (paraphrased): ALBERTS waived his Miranda rights and stated that his firearm was for his personal protection and he did not intend to harm anyone. This was post curfew, not inside the building, so maybe he wasn’t part of the mob that forced their way inside or maybe he just hasn’t been identified yet on the hours of footage the rioters so helpfully shot.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 6:13 AM on January 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

Several of these arrested rioters make it clear from their own statements that they acted after being riled up--i.e. incited--by Trump.

When Trump is tried in the Senate I hope fifteen or twenty of them are paraded through as witnesses, each one of them saying, "I did it because the President urged me to." That drumbeat of proof would be deafening.
posted by mono blanco at 6:15 AM on January 15, 2021 [32 favorites]

Anyone know of a website that takes on all or many of the supposed irregularities and refutes them with links to proof?

Asking for myself, hoping to make an upcoming familial conversations/fb posts more lively and interesting.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:19 AM on January 15, 2021 [2 favorites]

Oh, so you got all emotional, is that it?

... and then I gleefully reply "fuck your feelings, snowflake."
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:22 AM on January 15, 2021 [9 favorites]

Among the Insurrectionists (NewYorker)
The Capitol was breached by Trump supporters who had been declaring, at rally after rally, that they would go to violent lengths to keep the President in power. A chronicle of an attack foretold.
By Luke Mogelson January 15, 2021

/this is a very harrowing account of what happened
posted by bluesky43 at 6:26 AM on January 15, 2021 [42 favorites]

Anyone know of a website that takes on all or many of the supposed irregularities and refutes them with links to proof?

If you're talking about the election, Washington Post's election integrity page is regularly updated with allegations, facts, and legal rulings.
posted by mixedmetaphors at 6:31 AM on January 15, 2021 [4 favorites]

"To all the Trumpists drawing a false equivalency between last summer's protests and the insurrection at the Capitol: White supremacy is the reason for *both.*" -- Jesse Damiani

In all fairness, if conservatives didn't have false equivalence, they wouldn't have anything.

Any call for "civility" has to start with the return of good faith. Arguing in bad faith is inherently uncivil, no matter how polite the language.
posted by Gelatin at 6:32 AM on January 15, 2021 [15 favorites]

Apparently everyone's leaving this administration behind - NY Times: Dr. Harold N. Bornstein, who for a time was President Donald J. Trump’s personal physician and who had attested that Mr. Trump would be “the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency,” died on Friday.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 6:33 AM on January 15, 2021 [16 favorites]

Apparently everyone's leaving this administration behind

I'm looking forward to him having no one around to do his hair. Can't wait to see his true pate.
posted by popcassady at 6:37 AM on January 15, 2021 [6 favorites]

It's the way it's always been with police for me, from a child. When the cops come, it's the bad guys who have something to worry about, the good guys can be relived. Helping the cops in any way you can is a good thing. And my experiences with cops only reinforce that. As you might imagine, I'm a white male and only in the last decade or so have I really internalized that those two things aren't a coincidence.

A thousand times yes, as white damsel here (said in bitter sarcasm).

Last time I was pulled over for going thru an intersection on a verrry yellow light, the whole entire encounter I was sitting there thinking "this is how they died. this is how they died. this is how they died".

I was let off with a warning, of course.
posted by Dashy at 6:39 AM on January 15, 2021 [22 favorites]

(to be very clear I was not at all concerned with dying myself. Cop was uber polite to me. I was thinking very much of people for whom that whole thing went so very differently)
posted by Dashy at 6:42 AM on January 15, 2021 [8 favorites]

I’m having a hard time seeing the full pages on my iPad though.
TWinbrook8, can you 'view image' using a double tap on an ipad? When reading the twitter stream on my mac, 'view image' brings up a bigger image file which can be further enlarged.
posted by glasseyes at 6:51 AM on January 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

That New Yorker article linked by bluesky43 is an incredible piece of work. I'm halfway through it and sweating.
posted by patternocker at 6:57 AM on January 15, 2021 [11 favorites]

>> Sorry, I thought the Capitol urine and feces rampage was common knowledge?

> Owning the libs by, uh, shitting into your own hands in public, I guess.

...and then washing your hands in a socialist public bathroom, at a sink connected to the socialist public water and sewer systems. No really, actual direct products of American socialism, because this country has always been socialist.

> wonder if a member of congress can just spew a bunch of made up on the spot crap with no accountability

An ancient and hallowed tradition of the Republic: see for example Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) in 2011 simply lying about Planned Parenthood on the floor of the Senate and then having his staff read into the record that what he said was “not intended to be a factual statement”. And that was back before they were all dignity wraiths.

This is the same era, IIRC, when a Republican clown show had dragged Cecile Richards (previous president of Planned Parenthood) up on Capitol Hill and one lawmaker was going through a PowerPoint and shouting, “These are your numbers! Your numbers!” and Richards was like, “Actually, sir, in the corner of your slide it says, ‘Data from «extremist anti-abortion group»’.”
posted by XMLicious at 7:12 AM on January 15, 2021 [33 favorites]

When Trump is tried in the Senate I hope fifteen or twenty of them are paraded through as witnesses, each one of them saying, "I did it because the President urged me to." That drumbeat of proof would be deafening.

I was really wondering about this too and what Trump’s defense would be? Either he would have to deny he ordered them to do any such thing and they all misunderstood - throwing them and and all the rest of his supporters under the bus or he would have to admit that he is in control of them and knew what would happen.

I assume he would take the stance that all the arrested rioters misunderstood him and took things too far. Are these supporters so far gone they would accept that or would they consider it a betrayal from their Dear Leader?
posted by like_neon at 7:15 AM on January 15, 2021

‘We got to hold this door’ How battered D.C. police made a stand against the Capitol mob (Washington Post)
posted by gudrun at 7:26 AM on January 15, 2021 [17 favorites]

A true believer could testify that they believed Trump didn't intend people to riot, they took it on themselves to do it on his behalf.
posted by at by at 7:27 AM on January 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

Any word on whether Trump himself will be subpoenaed to testify before the Senate? I can’t make up my mind if that would be a good idea or not.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:27 AM on January 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

Isn't this Sullivan character used to support the "ANTIFA did it" bullshit?

Whatever he is, you are going to be hearing a lot about him in the impeachment trial. Giuliani is already using him as evidence that antifa or BLM was responsible for instigating the insurrection. He's connecting him to the Ashli Babbit shooting. Sullivan's ambiguous statements about his alliances and motivations are going to be used to blow a lot of smoke.
posted by JackFlash at 7:29 AM on January 15, 2021 [2 favorites]

New video from the perspective of the crowd shows the mob confrontation with CP officer Eugene Goodman. Key bit from this is someone repeatedly asking "Where are they counting the votes" as they converge on Goodman.

IMO, this adds further proof for Goodman getting an armful of medals, along with the chaotic nature of the insurrectionist traitors.

They clearly had a plan (stopthe vote count, but doubtful that would have prevented the certification), but it wasn't well thought out and this particular group at least didn't know the schematic of the building's layout. Plus they had no real leadership and ideas 'cause part of the mob could have easily gone the entrance to the Senate chamber, yet they all stupidly followed this one cop as he lead them exactly to where his backup was coming.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:33 AM on January 15, 2021 [35 favorites]

No, Trump can’t pardon himself or other insurrectionists. Impeachment would strip him of that power. (WaPo)

...The Constitution makes clear that the president has the power to grant pardons, “except in cases of impeachment.” Some scholars have long seen that clause as an anemic power, only preventing a president from pardoning someone from facing impeachment or undoing the penalties that result from a Senate conviction.

We and other legal scholars understand the clause to mean something different — that the president cannot pardon himself or others in matters directly associated with his own impeachment. Under this view, Trump could issue no pardon for himself or the insurrectionists for criminal charges related to the events of last week.

('We' = Corey Brettschneider is a professor of political science at Brown University and the author of “The Oath and the Office: A Guide To The Constitution For Future Presidents.” He is also the editor of “On Impeachment: The Presidency On Trial.”
Jeffery K. Tulis is a professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of “The Rhetorical Presidency.”)
posted by bluesky43 at 7:38 AM on January 15, 2021 [23 favorites]

WaPo - How the rioters who stormed the Capitol came dangerously close to Pence

The violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 came perilously close to Vice President Pence, who was not evacuated from the Senate chamber for about 14 minutes after the Capitol Police reported an initial attempted breach of the complex...

About one minute after Pence was hustled out of the chamber, a group charged up the stairs to a second-floor landing in the Senate, chasing a Capitol Police officer who drew them away from the Senate.

Pence and his family had just ducked into a hideaway less than 100 feet from that landing, according to three people familiar with his whereabouts, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. If the pro-Trump mob had arrived seconds earlier, the attackers would have been in eyesight of the vice president as he was rushed across a reception hall into the office.

posted by nicoffeine at 7:40 AM on January 15, 2021 [32 favorites]

Jamelle Bouie, NYTimes: ‘Stop the Steal’ Didn’t Start With Trump
Mainstream Republicans and conservative commentators have been pushing the idea that Democrats can only win through fraud for decades.
posted by mumimor at 7:47 AM on January 15, 2021 [15 favorites]

Robert Sanford, 55, allegedly threw the extinguisher at a group of officers. His attorney said he made "a split-second decision" and was caught up in the crowd...

Okayyyy, so his crime wasn't premeditated. So what?
posted by Gelatin at 7:47 AM on January 15, 2021 [10 favorites]

Listen to this entire interview from an officer who was assaulted at the Capitol. (to those in the mob that helped him: "thank you but fuck you for being there").
posted by bluesky43 at 7:48 AM on January 15, 2021 [8 favorites]

Chauncey Devega in Salon: During last week's siege of the U.S. Capitol, the "hope peddlers" and other professional centrists abruptly appropriated the language of "the Resistance," spontaneously finding last-minute courage to tell the truth about Trump's presidency and his movement. Now those same public voices are pretending they never denied the real dangers of Trumpism and American fascism, playing their new role as imposter defenders of democracy.

Such a shift in speech, tone and thought is patently insincere: it is the worst sort of cowardice and self-serving behavior, driven by the fear that history will remember one's errors.

In 2016, Hillary Clinton said in so many words that Donald Trump was unfit for the presidency. Which he was, obviously. But no, they couldn't listen to her.
posted by Gelatin at 7:56 AM on January 15, 2021 [17 favorites]

the justification for government to be that there needs to be some overarching organization

yeah, flabdablet, my understanding too. just reflecting that this group of avatars of those who routinely rail against the "socialists" and "anarchists" of the left have, in this riot particularly, finally delivered their most potent argument against anarchism yet, and struggling with my own notions of aspirational anarchism which, attenuated as they are, would probably make emma goldman cry, or spit nails.

made me wonder if a member of congress can just spew a bunch of made up on the spot crap with no accountability

have you ever seen congress. that's how a not insignificant proportion of them routinely roll.

If the ... mob had arrived seconds earlier, the attackers would have been in eyesight of the vice president

but they probably wouldn't have recognized him because a) low civic engagement and b) he looks just like an unadorned wall.
posted by 20 year lurk at 7:57 AM on January 15, 2021 [4 favorites]

He's not easy to recognize, especially because, contrary to widespread and enduring popular belief, Pence is not always accompanied by Marlon Bundo.
posted by box at 8:06 AM on January 15, 2021 [3 favorites]

"thank you but fuck you for being there"

I'm fascinated by how this simple and heartfelt statement can be applied to so much of what bedevils us. From the VP to the rioters (and in countless cases beyond this riot and this administration), people are able to perform essential, life-saving functions that no remotely moral person could perform, because no remotely moral person would ever be in their position to begin with.

There isn't anything particularly new about this little puzzle, obviously, but Fanone puts it in very clear words.
posted by Not A Thing at 8:09 AM on January 15, 2021 [11 favorites]

Retired firefighter accused of throwing extinguisher at police during Capitol riot is arrested, NBC News:

Robert Sanford, 55...

Man you know you have it rough and definitely deserve to protest the injustices you've had to face when you get to retire by the ripe young age of 55.
posted by nushustu at 8:10 AM on January 15, 2021 [59 favorites]

Has there been any coverage of the question of UCMJ charges against the ex-military people in the crowd? I'd have to imagine many are shitting bricks knowing that even the most trivial seeming offenses related to what they've done can be capital crimes in that context. I'm guessing the immediate resignation of the active duty officer afterwards was related to a similar reality check.
posted by feloniousmonk at 8:15 AM on January 15, 2021 [5 favorites]

Not a lot, and mostly by military-adjacent news sites.

Tammy Duckworth wants to see it happen (Military Times, 1/11), but it's unlikely to happen to retired troops (Military.com, 1/11). Active-duty, though? Maybe (Military.com, 1/12).

Just Security has a longer legal analysis. Jeet Heer, writing for The Nation, says we should court-martial them. Jonah Walters, writing for Jacobin, disagrees.
posted by box at 8:29 AM on January 15, 2021 [5 favorites]

Huh – the DOJ built the Terrorist Tracker that I described. Convenient!
posted by escape from the potato planet at 8:43 AM on January 15, 2021 [13 favorites]

Among the Insurrectionists (NewYorker)

Thanks for linking. I got 3/4 of the way through, and then I had to stop.

For many of us, the coup has a big 'I Told You So' attached to it. The article makes it clear that no, it was/is actually far worse.
posted by Capt. Renault at 8:46 AM on January 15, 2021 [2 favorites]

More, ahem, praise for the vast, socialist spending program Biden just announced: "Biden Proposal Hijacks Recession for Liberal Wishlist. His plan for economic relief would use the pandemic to enact large, unrelated, permanent expansions of the federal government."
posted by PhineasGage at 8:49 AM on January 15, 2021 [11 favorites]

Pelosi: Retired three star General Honoré -- yes, that General Honoré -- has accepted the task of reviewing security situation in DC.
posted by nicoffeine at 8:51 AM on January 15, 2021 [14 favorites]

Hijacking the recession?

I'm good with that. And did they just say they want us to suffer through a recession out loud?

Mainstream Republicans and conservative commentators have been pushing the idea that Democrats can only win through fraud for decades.

As always, projection.
posted by ichomp at 8:54 AM on January 15, 2021 [8 favorites]

Humorous Facebook video that highlight the insurrection and upcoming inauguration:
Dude, we stormed the Capitol!

Bummer you gotta work on during the Inauguration.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:56 AM on January 15, 2021

I don't want this to become a derail, so please feel free to respond via PM, but: do folks think there would be any value in maintaining a comprehensive public list of individual rioters who have been charged (or who are sought by authorities)?

This thread is titled "The Wages of Sedition" and I think what you are proposing is hardly a derail. As people are taken into custody and cases are brought to courtrooms, and sentences announced.. This will take a lot of time. The list you describe would help us remain focused on what happened here.. Focused on the people who allowed this to happen, and took part in the violence.. Focused on whether they face real consequences for the decisions they made. If I'm hopeful this will all become highly documented and preserved in such a way that we can look back to see that moment when the most powerful democracy in the world almost slid off the rails, but righted itself. We will say "Look, this was one of the darkest moments and here is how we started to turn to the light and make real changes for the better."

The alarmist in me thinks any citizen actions of this nature (preserving history, tracking so-called justice) will end up on the lists and radar of the fascists who are poised to seize everything and finally shape the world they way they want it. These are not good times.
posted by elkevelvet at 9:00 AM on January 15, 2021 [4 favorites]

I am sadly amused by a recurring excuse for insurrections: "I got caught up in the moment"

The phrase is suspiciously reminiscent of "We were just following orders."
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:01 AM on January 15, 2021 [17 favorites]

One one hand, 55 is pretty young to retire. On the other hand, a year as a firefighter is like 2-3 desk-jockey years of body wear. That shit is hard, hard work.

So while yes this person is a chud, I don't think it's right to jump on someone for not working at 55. Separate their chudness from the rest of their circumstances.

Also, just in general, working all your life sucks. Thanks for listening.
posted by seanmpuckett at 9:02 AM on January 15, 2021 [64 favorites]

(Brandon Blatcher, neither of those links work.)
posted by Catblack at 9:03 AM on January 15, 2021

"Beau" on the "highly trained" participants in the riot.

Beau knows combat training, and those dudes did not have any. So far only two men known to have special forces training have been identified in the riots, and all the others you see are people who bought really expensive combat-adjacent fashion accessories and did not know how to use them. It's important for the public to know that these are LARPers, and actual operators are not touching this shit with a 10 foot pole.

(Rule of thumb: actual veterans don't actually own much tactical gear, and what they have they take on hikes and it shows. Brand new tacticool means someone is a LARPer.)
posted by ocschwar at 9:11 AM on January 15, 2021 [16 favorites]

Robert Sanford, 55, allegedly threw the extinguisher at a group of officers. His attorney said he made "a split-second decision" and was caught up in the crowd...

I think that a retired fire fighter may have a difficult time convincing a judge that he got caught up in the moment and couldn't keep his head in the crowd. That's kind-of the job...
posted by wintermind at 9:14 AM on January 15, 2021 [23 favorites]

Sullivan has been disavowed by the Utah chapter of BLM. He's a pariah who exists to antagonize and stir up shit. I think his involvement as the "BLM Inciter" has been pushed heavily by Andy Ngo which should tell you as much as you need to know about how reputable that is.
posted by msbutah at 9:16 AM on January 15, 2021 [18 favorites]

I can barely parse this, but I think Rudy just tweeted a DM from him to a Proud Boy conspiring with Kash Patel to redirect blame to "antifa"

https://twitter.com/MeidasTouch/status/1350111406004215816

He tweeted (now deleted) a message to James Sullivan (Proud Boy) "I'm currently working with the FBI to expose and place total blame on John and the 226 members of antifa that instigated the Capitol "riot" I was able to get my agent out of trouble along with three other uthan's. I can see what I can do with Kash, I wish I had".

Sure hope he's indeed getting worked over by the FBI. Good luck there, Rudy.
posted by Dashy at 9:19 AM on January 15, 2021 [26 favorites]

So while yes this person is a chud, I don't think it's right to jump on someone for not working at 55.

I don't think anyone is jumping on a firefighter for retiring at 55 with a pension. They are pointing out that the entire white male "economic anxiety" thing we've heard repeatedly as an excuse for Trump populism is total bullshit.
posted by JackFlash at 9:23 AM on January 15, 2021 [55 favorites]

"Beau" on the "highly trained" participants in the riot.

They may be LARPers, but they were organized, they had goals and a plan, and they were part of the conspiracy.
posted by hypnogogue at 9:24 AM on January 15, 2021 [9 favorites]

A casual look over Sullivan's website set off red flags when I first looked at it a few days back. I'm not making firm accusations but it reads like a MAGA-head's version of what an Antifa protestor sounds like. Also, super commodified with the store he has on the site. I sent the link to friends because with a "WTF" message it was so hinky. I wasn't surprised to hear he's been disavowed.
posted by Hutch at 9:24 AM on January 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

LARPing is just LARPing right up until it's not.
posted by deadaluspark at 9:25 AM on January 15, 2021 [15 favorites]

With respect to security, probably the easiest thing is just to have an Order that the Secret Service shall not pay for any Trump Organization facilities, but shall instead utilize the closest unrelated commercial hotels (Emoluments Clause!). Want the guards next door? Then they're staying for free.

...he'll waive protection in six months if he's not getting his little slice.

Once he is no longer a sitting president I imagine they might also feel inclined report lawbreaking so he will probably waive it faster than even six months. The secret service reporting visits from Mob bosses, Putin associated oligarchs, and various dictators and their lackeys to the FBI/CIA/NSA would cramp almost all of Trump's financial style.
posted by srboisvert at 9:26 AM on January 15, 2021 [7 favorites]

I believe the website has been updated since then though...
posted by Hutch at 9:26 AM on January 15, 2021

"Beau" is a Youtuber broadcasting from what appears to be his garage. Here in the real world, we currently have a dozen Capitol Police, plus still-increasing numbers of state/local police and active-duty military, under investigation for their parts in the coup. It's wildly irresponsible to state who is or isn't "LARPing" when we haven't even discovered how many of the insurrectionists were people that the military and police departments had already trained extensively on violently infiltrating buildings and shooting people.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 9:27 AM on January 15, 2021 [25 favorites]

I think comparisons to the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898 have previously been made in these threads - but this piece in The Literary Hub does a good job of drawing out the alarming, and numerous, parallels: American Legacy: When White Supremacist Mobs Threaten Democracy.
posted by deeker at 9:27 AM on January 15, 2021 [7 favorites]

> The secret service reporting visits from Mob bosses, Putin associated oligarchs, and various dictators and their lackeys to the FBI/CIA/NSA would cramp almost all of Trump's financial style.

They've had four years of opportunities to do that and haven't yet. I don't think they'll start once he's out of office.
posted by at by at 9:31 AM on January 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

Rudy just tweeted a DM from him to a Proud Boy conspiring with Kash Patel

over at emptywheel, marcy wheeler speculated it might be kash patel, but retracted that when persuaded it was probably kash lee kelly. also, it appears to be a message _from_ rather than _to_ james sullivan, who, at emptywheel, is presumed to be john sullivan's brother.
posted by 20 year lurk at 9:35 AM on January 15, 2021 [2 favorites]

I can barely parse this, but I think Rudy just tweeted a DM from him to a Proud Boy conspiring with Kash Patel to redirect blame to "antifa"

the text reference a "Kash", but arguably probably not Kash Patel.
posted by BungaDunga at 9:35 AM on January 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

You would think a firefighter would know how to hang on to a fire extinguisher, of all things. Maybe that firefighter was pushed toward early retirement because they were tired of having to replace perfectly good fire extinguishers.
posted by emelenjr at 9:37 AM on January 15, 2021 [22 favorites]

"I got caught up in the moment"

This is what the (privileged) abuser has always said to his less-powerful abusee.
posted by riverlife at 9:42 AM on January 15, 2021 [33 favorites]

"Trump's departure ceremony at Joint Base Andrews on the morning of the 20th is expected to be like a state visit departure event, per admin official familiar with planning. Color guard, military band, 21 gun salute and red carpet all under consideration for event, at the moment." -- Jim Acosta
posted by valkane at 9:43 AM on January 15, 2021

It's frustrating that the media isn't discussing this entire things in terms of abuse. The entire party apparatus of the GOP has been participating in nationwide abuse.
posted by deadaluspark at 9:44 AM on January 15, 2021 [18 favorites]

Three percent of Americans possess 50% of the personally owned firearms in America. And yes; it’s mostly white men.:

These are men who are anxious about their ability to protect their families, insecure about their place in the job market, and beset by racial fears. They tend to be less educated. For the most part, they don’t appear to be religious—and, suggests one study, faith seems to reduce their attachment to guns. In fact, stockpiling guns seems to be a symptom of a much deeper crisis in meaning and purpose in their lives. Taken together, these studies describe a population that is struggling to find a new story—one in which they are once again the heroes.

Swap out “heroes”, replace it with “publicly recognized racially dominant group.”

Ever since America became a fully-functioning democracy during the late 20th century Civil Rights Movement, White Supremacy as a movement has known that time and demographics are against them.

Therefore, guns.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 9:44 AM on January 15, 2021 [26 favorites]

Figured we could all use a more hopeful title.
posted by MattWPBS at 9:44 AM on January 15, 2021 [6 favorites]

Sanford was a member of the Chester Fire Department from January 1994 until February 2020. Chester Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland said that while Sanford wore a hat with the fire department's logo, he is not a current employee of the city of Chester.

The defense added that allegations that [Sanford] traveled to D.C. to commit crimes are inaccurate and he is not part of any extremist groups. Prosecutors challenged that claim, saying authorities found a t-shirt associated with the far-right group Proud Boys at Sanford's home after executing a search warrant. (6ABC News Philadelphia)
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:45 AM on January 15, 2021 [7 favorites]

I wouldn't trust for a moment that he's going to AAFB and then go away quietly. He has five days to change his mind.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 9:45 AM on January 15, 2021

U.S. Says Rioters At Capitol Aimed 'To Capture And Assassinate Elected Officials' -- NPR

"Members of the pro-Trump mob that staged an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week intended "to capture and assassinate elected officials," federal prosecutors say, in a new court filing against Jacob Chansley, also known as the "QAnon Shaman."

"Chansley wore horns, face paint and fur as he stood on the Senate dais – where he left a threatening note for Vice President Mike Pence, prosecutors say."
posted by valkane at 9:46 AM on January 15, 2021 [4 favorites]

New Thread.

New Thread.

New Thread.

New Thread.

New Thread.

New Thread.

New Thread.

New Thread.

New Thread.
posted by MattWPBS at 9:49 AM on January 15, 2021 [4 favorites]

I had wondered if "Kash" was Kash Lee Kelly of Hammond IN, so it's interesting to see that picked up on (if not exactly confirmed at this point).

The cover story appears to be that Kelly had recently turned his life around and left the Latin Kings behind in favor of Trumpism. That may be true. But having spent many years in and near Hammond, I can say that the town is notable for the unusual degree of political power wielded by (a) the nakedly fascistic right wing, and (b) the Latin Kings. It sure would be interesting if Kelly's prosecution happened to expose some direct links between the two groups.
posted by Not A Thing at 9:53 AM on January 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

NEW THREAD
NEW THREAD
NEW THREAD
NEW THREAD
NEW THREAD
NEW THREAD
posted by valkane at 9:54 AM on January 15, 2021 [2 favorites]

"Beau" on the "highly trained" participants in the riot.

They may be LARPers, but they were organized, they had goals and a plan, and they were part of the conspiracy.

[...]

"Beau" is a Youtuber broadcasting from what appears to be his garage. [...] It's wildly irresponsible to state who is or isn't "LARPing" when we haven't even discovered how many of the insurrectionists were people that the military and police departments had already trained extensively on violently infiltrating buildings and shooting people.

Definitely a conspiracy.

I think Beau's points are pretty solid, starting with, unless they were all left-handed, they're amateurs play-acting. Because when you do that hand-on-the-shoulder-of-the-guy-in-front-of-you thing, it should never be your good hand, your shooting hand. I realize he's just a guy in a garage but that's not grounds for dismissing what feels like clear-eyed and informed analysis.
posted by philip-random at 9:55 AM on January 15, 2021 [9 favorites]

> ...recently turned his life around and left the Latin Kings behind in favor of Trumpism.

That's a weird use of "turned his life around", unless you mean an full 360 spin.
posted by at by at 9:56 AM on January 15, 2021 [7 favorites]

NEW THREAD
Seems like Biden's Covid response is a very different subject from the Capitol insurrection and the impeachment. If we're not going to get back into Megathread territory, maybe the two threads can run in parallel rather than everyone just switching over?
posted by neroli at 10:01 AM on January 15, 2021 [15 favorites]

Yeah, at 1800+ comments this thread is creaky so a different Insurrection thread would probably also be okay.
posted by jessamyn at 10:02 AM on January 15, 2021 [8 favorites]

The new thread - which works on mobile! - was just given a more optimistic title; the thread intro makes it clear that it's a continuation of this one and the one before and the one before that. We're clearly deep in Megathread country. Pretty please use the new thread!
posted by deeker at 10:04 AM on January 15, 2021 [5 favorites]

ABANDON THREAD!!!!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:11 AM on January 15, 2021 [9 favorites]

Yeah, the new one is a continuation of this, just with a naked attempt to give the tab title less of the current doom and more of the hopeful changes.

Nude Thread.

Nude Thread.

Nude Thread.

Nude Thread.

Nude Thread.

Nude Thread.

Nude Thread.

Nude Thread.

Nude Thread.

Nude Thread.

Nude Thread.
posted by MattWPBS at 10:12 AM on January 15, 2021 [9 favorites]

🥛🍪🍪🍏
posted by Too-Ticky at 10:13 AM on January 15, 2021 [6 favorites]

"Beau" is a Youtuber broadcasting from what appears to be his garage. Here in the real world

Where do you think Beau lives, Narnia? Is 30 Rock in a "realer" world?

I guarantee you that Beau and the rest of Bread Tube have accomplished more over the last four years than shitposting on metafilter has.
posted by snuffleupagus at 10:40 AM on January 15, 2021 [6 favorites]

It's wildly irresponsible to state who is or isn't "LARPing" when we haven't even discovered how many of the insurrectionists were people that the military and police departments had already trained extensively on violently infiltrating buildings and shooting people.

Also, this is a pretty ironic way to toss out this specific allegation.

"Beau" is actually Justin King, a bona fide independent journalist, and among other things a former security contractor and police trainer. He started reporting on Anonymous and online extremism years ago. What he's talking about is what you'd look for to spot people with training.

But I guess it's only through DOJ that we're permitted to "discover" these things? Because that's worked so well?

Plenty of the insurrectionists weren't just trained, but were in fact former military who are the people offering that training to active duty forces. We already know that, and this is exactly the kind of person with the background to talk about it.
posted by snuffleupagus at 11:07 AM on January 15, 2021 [10 favorites]

(Rule of thumb: actual veterans don't actually own much tactical gear, and what they have they take on hikes and it shows. Brand new tacticool means someone is a LARPer.)

Most actual veterans are not combat veterans. The bulk of the U.S. Military (~80%) is non-combat roles. So even most veterans who roll up in pseudo-military gear are LARPing as well.
posted by srboisvert at 11:10 AM on January 15, 2021 [10 favorites]

And lots of the veterans (combat vets and REMFs alike) who have gone into business either mining the security state or fetishizing it embody tacticool and make money selling it.

Witness Black Rifle Coffee, etc.
posted by snuffleupagus at 11:23 AM on January 15, 2021 [5 favorites]

The 3% owning 50% sounds all scary but Hollywood not withstanding even the most nutty of gun nuts can only use a couple fire arms at a time.
posted by Mitheral at 11:35 AM on January 15, 2021 [3 favorites]

final though on Beau, which I'll give to Beau. The final few words of his address:

>>>>

"... there are tens of thousands of people in this country that have that level of (combat) training. They were not there.

They were not there.

Casting the image that they were will make their movement grow. If the media does not stop this and stop it soon. That folk hero A-Team image -- that's going to make people interested.

Aside from it being bad for the country, it is factually inaccurate. Even though they were unarmed, if they had ever trained, muscle memory would have made them use their left hand to do that*. They were pretending.

They were pretending.

Don't make them out to be heroes. That's the image that is coming across: that there is this group of America's elite that is in opposition. That's probably really bad for the country."

* putting one's hand on the shoulder of the guy in front as you move through a chaotic situation, so that you don't lose track of each other.
posted by philip-random at 11:38 AM on January 15, 2021 [8 favorites]

The 3% owning 50% sounds all scary but Hollywood not withstanding even the most nutty of gun nuts can only use a couple fire arms at a time.

Unfortunately, note that the same argument would apply to international arms dealers. Throne of Weapons...
posted by XMLicious at 11:43 AM on January 15, 2021

File under all politics is local: Jerry Nadler brought a babka to the impeachment hearings.

Babka is delicious. If I could import some from the Upper West Side, I would. Or I could make a trip down to the local What-A-Bagel.

(Also I wish this conversation could just focus on yummy baked goods, but the world is still very unstable and so I will keep scrolling and worrying ...)
posted by jb at 11:45 AM on January 15, 2021 [6 favorites]

I see there are a variety of babka recipes out there, but not being Jewish nor a very competent baker, I don't trust my judgement here. They seem to have a difficulty rating and a range of preparations that preclude a) picking at random; and b) finding the "average" recipe (often a winning strategy).
posted by rhizome at 12:11 PM on January 15, 2021

This Pew poll is an outlier, but it's a pleasant one: Donald Trump is leaving the White House with the lowest job approval of his presidency (29%)...
posted by clawsoon at 12:27 PM on January 15, 2021 [3 favorites]

Since we’re at the tail end of this thread, and I don’t want to clog up the new one with shitposting, I can’t stop thinking about the Jared and Ivanka toilet story.

First because holy shit why would you piss off the people who protect you?

But also, what kind of mess could the agent(s) have left in the Obama’s spare bathroom that would get them all kicked out? After one incident? It sounds more like it could have been a deliberate thing, because ... Obama?

Not that we’ll ever get to the bottom of it.
posted by Mchelly at 12:31 PM on January 15, 2021 [13 favorites]

I made the Binging with Babish babka (the chocolate version) and it came out great.
posted by ssmith at 12:43 PM on January 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

rhizome I've made this babka recipe twice and it has come out perfectly both times.
posted by SeedStitch at 12:50 PM on January 15, 2021 [2 favorites]

I think Zabar's ships babka.
posted by evidenceofabsence at 2:01 PM on January 15, 2021 [2 favorites]

rhizome I've made this babka recipe twice and it has come out perfectly both times.
posted by SeedStitch at 12:50 PM on January 15

Smitten Kitchen! (I think it therapeutic to end this on a hopeful SK post)
posted by bluesky43 at 2:48 PM on January 15, 2021 [5 favorites]

rhizome I've made this babka recipe twice and it has come out perfectly both times.

I have also made it twice, to great acclaim from the babka-lover in my life who is marooned in the sad, babkaless north.

/babka derail, my only contribution to a politics thread in...at least a year.
posted by charmedimsure at 3:27 PM on January 15, 2021 [6 favorites]

But also, what kind of mess could the agent(s) have left in the Obama’s spare bathroom that would get them all kicked out? After one incident? It sounds more like it could have been a deliberate thing, because ... Obama?

There was a litany of Secret Service scandals during Obama's time in office. The Secret Service are cops and the president was a black man. I know there is some media presentation of them being like Spartan 300 honor above all but it is clearly not the case. Advance Secret Service teams for foreign visits were caught out whoring and drinking themselves into oblivion. The Secret Service let people penetrate the White House perimeter and even all the way into the White House - twice - once a nut with a knife. They let someone fire an automatic rifle at the White House and only noticed it after they found the bullet holes days later. They let a felon with a gun into an elevator with President Obama.

They even recently had to rotate out Biden's Secret Service detail because of concerns the ones he had were Trumpy. They are not professionals they are portrayed to be in the movies.

TLDR: ACAB.
posted by srboisvert at 3:40 PM on January 15, 2021 [31 favorites]

The 3% owning 50% sounds all scary but Hollywood not withstanding even the most nutty of gun nuts can only use a couple fire arms at a time.

“Those people [i.e. Charles Whitman and Lee Harvey Oswald] showed what one motivated marine and his rifle can do!”
- Full Metal Jacket

Also, my fellow music festival bartenders in Las Vegas were on the receiving end of what one man and his rifle can accomplish
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 3:53 PM on January 15, 2021 [5 favorites]

The left has also been arming up for the last few years at least, though not nearly as much as the right. Should the shooting start in earnest, I expect both sides will be awash in guns. It's not great!
posted by ryanrs at 4:15 PM on January 15, 2021 [2 favorites]

The left has also been arming up for the last few years at least,

Citation?
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 4:32 PM on January 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

The Secret Service are cops and the president was a black man [...] They are not professionals they are portrayed to be in the movies.

Well, they are... it's just that it's hard to see that in In the Line of Fire the protagonist had both the personality of the written character and also that of the actor Clint Eastwood, and consequently could have started talking to an empty chair at a Republican National Convention at any point in the film. </kidding>
posted by XMLicious at 4:34 PM on January 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

Trump plotting martial law with My pillow guy according to notes he was seen carrying when leaving White House. /REAL
posted by euphorb at 5:13 PM on January 15, 2021 [2 favorites]

Trump plotting martial law with My pillow guy according to notes he was seen carrying when leaving White House. /REAL

You say that like it's an incredibly nightmarish and horrifying thing.
posted by kirkaracha at 5:25 PM on January 15, 2021 [2 favorites]

The left has also been arming up for the last few years at least,

Citation?

There have been a ton of articles over the past year about increased gun buying by liberals and minorities. A brief sampling:

nymag: ‘Self-Defense Is Self-Care’: How the Growing Ranks of Left-Wing Gun Owners See the Election

LA Times: Gun sales are soaring. And it’s not just conservatives stocking up

npr: Some Black Americans Buying Guns: 'I'd Rather Go To Trial Than Go To The Cemetery'

Black Enterprise: BLACK AMERICANS NOW ACCOUNT FOR THE HIGHEST INCREASE IN GUN SALES OF ANY DEMOGRAPHIC

Sacramento Bee: Some Asian Americans become first-time gun owners for protection amid the coronavirus

AsAmNews: Racist anti-Asian attacks spur guns purchases by foreign Chinese students in U.S.

CNN: Tired of living in fear, some Latinos are buying guns to feel more safe

Guardian: In El Paso, scared Hispanic Americans rush to buy guns
posted by ActingTheGoat at 5:30 PM on January 15, 2021 [4 favorites]

Trump plotting martial law with My Pillow guy according to notes he was seen carrying when leaving White House.

That is not what I thought a "soft coup" was.
posted by Nerd of the North at 5:59 PM on January 15, 2021 [10 favorites]

Citation?

It's not the sort of thing for which there will be a convenient citation until it's well established. You don't have to list your party affiliation when buying a gun.

I went from thinking I'd only ever have an dorky interest in the technological and social history of firearms to owning a few, specifically in reaction to the militarism on the right, and their visible activities.

I've heard similar things from lots of both liberal and more left-aligned people in other online spaces that are less cloistered than MeFi.
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:14 PM on January 15, 2021 [2 favorites]

This year has seen a massive surge in gun purchases in both Republican and Democratic states.

they got graphs!
I'd be venture a majority are publikin.
A family member offered to buy anyone a sig Sauer for x- mas. I don't need or want a gun, my philosophy on guns, if I need one, which I don't see why, it will be handed to me. But I hear in upper Michigan, a box of shells or bullets is hard to come by and that has really never happened.
posted by clavdivs at 6:59 PM on January 15, 2021 [2 favorites]

And Trump's incitement re. "China virus" led to a lots of new people buying guns in the Asian community.

clavdivs: get the gun then sell it to a communist ha ha
posted by ryanrs at 7:02 PM on January 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

Paraphrasing a great point by Frank Figliuzzi on MSNBC: When there’s a threat to the US Government, the first thing the Secret Service does is get the President into a bunker. That didn’t happen here. Everything indicates he continued watching television. We need the Secret Service detail to tell us why they were so certain the President was not a target of this insurrection. (It would be similar to wondering if Richard Nixon was on Richard Nixon’s Enemies List.)
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 7:25 PM on January 15, 2021 [25 favorites]

We just need to keep repeating: Why did he keep watching TV? Because it was his coup.

These questions are not being asked in good faith and do not need to be debunked in good faith. Repeating baseless claims and questions just gives them more oxygen.
posted by benzenedream at 7:32 PM on January 15, 2021 [8 favorites]

The left has also been arming up for the last few years at least,

Citation?

Well, from the outside and a long way away, NFAC looks as compelling a citation as any. IDK how widespread they are but they're sure different from the rambo/cosplayers/PBs who just tried to turn you over. AFAC seems to be very un-performative, almost no badges or identifers and near-uniform attire-wise. From the outside we found their stance a much more profound statement of the state of your union.
posted by unearthed at 7:35 PM on January 15, 2021

“Though the NFAC has clearly drawn several hundred people to their rallies, the membership size just like much of Johnson's life remains unknown.”

This is a tiny organization. In the American right-wing, supporting expanded gun rights is a shibboleth. On the left it is more often an antishibboleth, or thelobbish
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 7:59 PM on January 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

clavdivs: get the gun then sell it to a communist ha ha

ERT. Ryan, I used to be a communist, I will not make myself into lumpenproletariat gun toting, hip, leathered wannabe.
posted by clavdivs at 8:19 PM on January 15, 2021

That is not what I thought a "soft coup" was.

More like a cushy and plush coup.
posted by kirkaracha at 10:06 PM on January 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

Over the last decade there's also been a steady stream of new gun people coming from the hunting side of things, via urban foraging, bushcraft, catch and cook, and similar movements/youtube channels. Steven Rinella, Hank Shaw, and others have been getting city people interested in hunting again.
posted by ryanrs at 11:57 PM on January 15, 2021 [2 favorites]

I assume he would take the stance that all the arrested rioters misunderstood him and took things too far. Are these supporters so far gone they would accept that or would they consider it a betrayal from their Dear Leader?

You are thinking like a lib. Part of Donald's appeal to the neo-fascists is that he is completely willing to betray everyone. Being the ultimate bully is a sign of great power and leadership to them. They are loyal to him and the relationship is not, and must not be, reciprocal because the kind of power they want is not reciprocal.

It is kind of like his sexual assault/rape allegations. They are not bothered by it because being able to do things to others without consent is a display of the kind of power they worship. Getting away with crimes, ripping off vendors/contractors, being dumb, violating the constitution...all of it is a manifestation of power. This is the power his followers seek in their own daily lives. They want to be bullies in their own little domains.

They will only turn on him when he shows that his power is waning....like when he is turfed out of the white house or if he experiences any consequences greater than a fine or legal settlement. So he can betray individuals without a concern in the world because a betrayal of particular followers will only bother those particular followers. For others it would enhance his status as the best bully ever.
posted by srboisvert at 2:59 AM on January 16, 2021 [29 favorites]

More like a cushy and plush coup.

“MyPillow: Smother Democracy.”
posted by acb at 3:55 AM on January 16, 2021 [7 favorites]

Trump's brand has taken such a hit Canada’s Donald Trump, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada Erin O’Toole, pleads "Don’t call me Canada’s Donald Trump".
posted by Mitheral at 8:51 AM on January 16, 2021 [11 favorites]

Daniel Dale, noted Trump statement fact checker, selects in his opinion The 15 most notable lies of Donald Trump's presidency
posted by Mitheral at 11:42 AM on January 16, 2021 [8 favorites]

Wolf Blitzer
@wolfblitzer
There's very disturbing breaking news here in Washington.
@CNN reports U.S. Capitol Police arrested a Virginia man with fake inaugural credentials, a loaded gun and over 500 rounds of ammunition.
posted by bluesky43 at 12:23 PM on January 16, 2021 [4 favorites]

More details about the Man Arrested at U.S. Capitol with ‘Unauthorized Inauguration Credential’ Held Active Security License, Said He Was Employed to Guard Media Equipment, Law & Crime, Aaron Keller, 1/16/2021. Summary:

• Wesley Allen Beeler, 31, of Front Royal, Virginia.
• He showed a non-government issued credential at a checkpoint, but he wasn’t on the authorized inaugural list.
• His Ford F-150 pickup had pro-gun stickers “Assault Life” and “If they come for your guns Give ‘Em your bullets first.”.
• A search of his truck found a Glock 17 9mm handgun (plainly visible in the truck) with a round in its chamber, high-capacity magazine, 509 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and 21 shotgun shells.
• Beeler was arrested on three gun charges and held for processing.

As it turns out, he was a private security guard protecting media equipment who had taken a wrong turn in downtown Washington. A judge released Beeler on personal recognizance and ordered him to stay away from D.C..

Sounds like good advice for January 20, 2021.
posted by cenoxo at 10:17 PM on January 16, 2021 [7 favorites]

Trump's brand has taken such a hit Canada’s Donald Trump, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada Erin O’Toole, pleads "Don’t call me Canada’s Donald Trump".

I cannot now locate it, but it seems to me when the Tories had their leadership convention to replace Andrew Scheer, The Beaverton ran a piece with a headline to the effect of "Conservative Party to Select Next Andrew Scheer, Who Would Prefer You Did Not Call Them That."
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:53 AM on January 17, 2021 [3 favorites]

Donald Trump's Masculinity is an Empty Spectacle (Megan Garber, The Atlantic (she also wrote 'Dwight Schrute Was a Warning'))

Trump’s is a Potemkin masculinity. It glorifies dominance, while taking refuge in cowardice. (“I’ll be there with you,” he told the crowd on January 6, encouraging them to march on the Capitol, before returning to the White House to watch television.) Trump lavishes autocratic strongmen with praise, yet behaves subserviently to them. (He reportedly failed to act on intelligence that Russia bribed Afghan militants to kill American soldiers.) He loves the swagger of military parades, but is disgusted by the notion of self-sacrifice for one’s country. (Those who died in battle are “losers” and “suckers” to him.)

posted by box at 12:35 PM on January 17, 2021 [6 favorites]

Graham Asks Schumer to Hold Senate Vote on Canceling Impeachment Trial (Politico, also covered by The Hill, but their page has autoplay video)

Graham said that Vice President Mike Pence “stood in the breach against unconstitutional calls for him to overturn the 2020 election and violate his oath to defend the Constitution,” and that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) “likewise rejected those same calls.”

“Virtually all of us rejected further challenges to the 2020 election,” he said of the Senate Republican Caucus, though eight of his GOP colleagues in the chamber supported at least one objection to certification.

Graham's letter doesn't appear to mention 147 House members, Rudy Giuliani, two Trump sons, a daughter-in-law, or Trump himself.
posted by box at 2:09 PM on January 17, 2021 [2 favorites]

Graham is probably still trying to distract everyone from the felony he committed.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 2:17 PM on January 17, 2021 [12 favorites]

Graham: "History will judge us harshly, as it should, if we do not rise to the occasion of this historic moment in our history."

Is competent editing partisan too?
posted by jason_steakums at 2:22 PM on January 17, 2021 [6 favorites]

I really have to admire Lindsey Graham's work ethic. I can barely find the energy to suck in the ways that I already suck. To continually find new ways to dishonor one's self and the concepts of justice, truth, and public service speaks to a single-minded effort that, while questionably directed, I can still only marvel at. It takes real work, 24/7, to be so comprehensibly reprehensible.

If I understand it correctly, the basis of his argument seems to be that because attempts to overturn the results of the election were unsuccessful there is nothing to punish. If instead the attempts had been successful, in that case, too, there would have been nothing to punish. Who knew that attempting to overturn an election was so benign? Apart from the gentleman from South Carolina, I mean..

In fact he has multiple remarkable conclusions to offer in that letter, such as the idea that impeachment after the subject leaves office is unconstitutional (apparently because Senator Graham says so; no other rationale is offered.)

I am just so very, very exhausted by these people. Does anybody have any idea how we get back to a world where truthfulness matters?
posted by Nerd of the North at 3:23 PM on January 17, 2021 [21 favorites]

It's so transparent that all Graham wants is for Trump to be able to run again in case that's the only way the GOP can compete. He's awfully cavalier about playing with fire when he'd so be among the first in the party betrayed by it if they got the chance to start the same internal purity tests and purges facists always do after getting control. The guy whose whole deal is shameless lack of loyalty would win his stupid prizes pretty much day 2 of the reich because he's by his nature an untrustworthy threat and was always a tool to be discarded.
posted by jason_steakums at 3:36 PM on January 17, 2021 [8 favorites]

~Graham's letter doesn't appear to mention 147 House members, Rudy Giuliani, two Trump sons, a daughter-in-law, or Trump himself.
~Graham is probably still trying to distract everyone from the felony he committed.

I think Graham's scared that Trump's going to throw everyone under the bus if a trial and conviction happens. He's exactly the kind of guy who keeps all the receipts.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:04 AM on January 18, 2021 [5 favorites]

I think Graham's hoping for a pardon.
posted by nubs at 8:12 AM on January 18, 2021 [2 favorites]

(“I’ll be there with you,” he told the crowd on January 6, encouraging them to march on the Capitol, before returning to the White House to watch television.)

Having set the unmasked superspreader insurrection in motion, Trump flu the coup.
posted by oulipian at 8:34 AM on January 18, 2021 [25 favorites]

The Trump Movement's Break with Reality Will Outlive His Presidency (Rosie Gray, Buzzfeed), in which Trump supporters believe the Capitol invasion was committed by BLM and antifa, Trump is headed for a second term with Michael Flynn as VP, and Trump's biggest accomplishments include 'getting rid of the adrenochrome junkies.'
posted by box at 9:22 AM on January 18, 2021 [6 favorites]

I think Graham's scared that Trump's going to throw everyone under the bus if a trial and conviction happens.
Which is entirely reasonable.

I think Graham's hoping for a pardon.
Also reasonable, especially considering that whole, "Lemme just call up the Georgia S.o.S. and see if can't straighten out this little misunderstanding about the votes. One white man to another."
posted by From Bklyn at 9:36 AM on January 18, 2021 [2 favorites]

One day I hope the public knows what Trump knows about Lindsay Graham. He's earned it.
posted by benzenedream at 9:58 AM on January 18, 2021 [11 favorites]

The call Graham made was probably a violation of Georgia State law, so a Trump pardon won't help him.
posted by interogative mood at 2:44 PM on January 18, 2021 [9 favorites]

and Trump's biggest accomplishments include 'getting rid of the adrenochrome junkies.'

Turns out that HST was not just colourfully blustering, but was describing a utopian future that we would all get to inhabit!
posted by Meatbomb at 2:53 PM on January 18, 2021 [2 favorites]

The Honey Drippers - Impeach the President, mentioned above, some (45) of the songs that sampled it, and an interesting 7 minute presentation on Impeach the President sampling tracks.
posted by asok at 3:37 PM on January 18, 2021 [1 favorite]

If you like those 45, here's another 700-something.
posted by box at 3:49 PM on January 18, 2021 [2 favorites]

The call Graham made was probably a violation of Georgia State law, so a Trump pardon won't help him.

Georgia will help Graham. As much as he is almost certainly guilty of conspiracy, the right-wing mobsters will protect their own.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 2:14 AM on January 19, 2021 [2 favorites]

Trump's brand has taken such a hit

In years to come it would make me very happy if "trump" came into wide use as the word you reach for when you need something near the middle of that cluster where "tawdry", "ersatz", "tacky" and "overblown" hang out.

Here in Australia we have the word "Claytons" that serves roughly this function and has done ever since the disastrous 1970s advertising slogan for the eponymous product. It's really useful. Trump was absolutely a Claytons President; it would be completely fitting for his name to end up used this way, especially if the word never ever got capitalized so it became completely non-obvious that it ever was somebody's name.

So a trump steak would be served on a huge white plate with an artistic swirl of what ought to be jus but is actually just ranch dressing, and the steak is a tasteless and gristly 50 cent cut that's been microwaved to death and then had grill stripes spray-painted on with a stencil. And a trump university would be one of those outfits that advertises in the back of comic books and sends you a completely worthless master's degree when you mail them $7.50, and a trump Rolex would be a fake Rolex but the band is gold-coloured plastic and it falls apart like five seconds after you first put it on.
posted by flabdablet at 6:04 AM on January 19, 2021 [9 favorites]

Tawdry, ersatz, tacky and overblown?

E.g. yesterday's executive order about the National Garden of American Heroes (whitehouse.gov), or, as Trump would stylize it, the 'Trump National Garden of American [heroes]' (NPR), including such luminaries as Kobe Bryant, Whittaker Chambers, Peter Drucker, Barry Goldwater, Whitney Houston, Antonin Scalia, and Alex Trebek.
posted by box at 6:16 AM on January 19, 2021 [2 favorites]

Dave Barry, 1989:
I'm going to start my own airline. Hey, why not? This is America, right? Anybody can have an airline. They even let Donald Trump have one, which he immediately renamed after himself, as is his usual classy practice despite the fact that "Trump" sounds like the noise emitted by livestock with gastric disorders ("Stand back, Earl! That cow's starting to Trump!").
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:17 AM on January 19, 2021 [3 favorites]

("Stand back, Earl! That cow's starting to Trump!").

Well, in the UK, 'trump' is already literally what little kids call their farts. "I just trumped!"
posted by penguin pie at 6:21 AM on January 19, 2021 [5 favorites]

Has that always been so? Like, we've had four years of the Evil Fart President with his Fart Steaks and U-Fart and Fart Sons and somehow we went with Cheeto Hitler?
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:23 AM on January 19, 2021 [2 favorites]

Has that always been so?

Since approximately forever, to my knowledge. Paging Wordshore...
posted by flabdablet at 6:28 AM on January 19, 2021

King James Bible clocks in at 1611 with the use of "trump" to mean the sounding of trumpets. It's not that much of a semantic leap from a horn blast to a fart, and was probably already being used that way by then.

Bonus round: The Encyclopedia Britannica of 1911 cites the use of "trumpery" to mean "...properly deceit, imposture, hence idle talk, gossip, now chiefly used as an adjective, worthless, trivial. This is an adaptation of French tromper, to deceive..."
posted by at by at 6:53 AM on January 19, 2021 [7 favorites]

Can someone remind me, do we have any further updates on impeachment scheduling in the Senate?
posted by Dashy at 9:03 AM on January 19, 2021 [1 favorite]

That Executive Order on the National Garden contains a huge long list of people that "should" have their statues included in the garden, some of which are eyebrow-raising. Presidents (and other prominent politicians), athletes, film stars, authors, businessmen, Native Americans, war heroes; just all over the board.
posted by achrise at 12:42 AM on January 20 [+] [!]

Is this garden just a given now, or can we decide not to have it?

I want no monuments for Trump. Ever. Especially not a gross list of people some failed fascist decided are heroes. Maybe some of them even are heroes, but the hell if I want that turd deciding who my heroes are.
posted by saysthis at 9:38 AM on January 19, 2021 [3 favorites]

The inauguration is tomorrow. Any sense of when the last chance Trump has to either fuck things up, or pardon more people? I keep telling myself it's today. Although hopefully he's called everything off for a pity party.
posted by rebent at 9:44 AM on January 19, 2021

Assume he keeps fucking things up well after his death, but his last chance to pardon anyone is today, and he plans to use it (WaPo).
posted by aspersioncast at 10:02 AM on January 19, 2021

How It Started: “MAGA and Fascism”:

“Is MAGA a movement based on ultra-nationalism, race-based and religion-based divisions, and an obsession with the past? If it is, then we need to stop avoiding what that is called...”

How It’s Going: Where Do We Go From Here?

“Following the events of January 6 at the United States Capitol, we need to figure out how to prevent this from happening again.”

posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 10:04 AM on January 19, 2021

Capitol police leadership had no plan for Jan. 6 protest, despite warnings, officers say

One specific order came from Lt. Tarik Johnson, who told officers not to use deadly force outside the building as the rioters descended, the officers recounted. The order almost certainly prevented deaths and more chaos, but it meant officers didn’t pull their weapons and were fighting back with fists and batons.

Johnson has been suspended after being captured on video wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat while moving through crowds of rioters. Johnson told colleagues he wore the hat as a tactic to gain the crowd’s confidence as he tried to reach other officers who were pinned down by rioters, one of the officers said. A video of the incident obtained by the Wall Street Journal shows Johnson asking rioters for help in getting his colleagues.

Johnson, who could not be reached for comment, was heard by an officer on the radio repeatedly asking, “Does anybody have a plan?”

Is this garden just a given now, or can we decide not to have it?

It's an executive order issued two days before his last day in office. There's not a lot of time to make any of this happen, no site picked, no budget allocated to doing it, and Biden could undo the whole plan, such as it is, on the first day.

(Though I would personally prefer to see him rip up this hacky list of tokens and conservatives and boomer icons (and some very fine people) and sooo maaany white dudes and start again--a national garden in itself isn't a bad idea, especially if the statues are complimented by endangered native plants and heirloom orchards and the like.)

On a scale of real-ness, I would say it's more real than any of the Infrastructure Weeks, but less real than the presidential library. Or, in NPR's words, 'highly unlikely.'
posted by box at 10:28 AM on January 19, 2021

A suitably trump presidential library would be a Cheetos vending machine that's been repurposed to sell MAGA-branded USB sticks with a complete collection of his tweets. The coin slot has been vandalized with a big screwdriver and putting coins in it doesn't actually dispense product any more, but you can just kick it and two or three will fall out.

The USB sticks it sells were bought in a bulk lot off eBay and are only a quarter of the capacity they're supposed to be, so they're all corrupted and unreadable except for the hidden auto-playing Russian ransomware, which works perfectly. Also the plugs are all out of tolerance so you have to use a lot of force to get them in and out of the sockets on your computer, which permanently damages the sockets and makes all subsequent USB connections loose and unreliable.
posted by flabdablet at 11:26 AM on January 19, 2021 [21 favorites]

Honestly, I've wondered for years what a Trump library would look like. I've only been to one other presidential (LBJ), and it's a mix of artifacts and relics (a moon rock, his limo, an animatronic version of LBJ telling tales at his ranch, various letters from the public, a scaled-down recreation of the oval office, gifts from foreign dignitaries, sections dedicated to the civil rights movement and the Vietnam war, etc), as well as the actual library archive of his presidency, which is not open to the public.

I've imagined something like a poster-type display/rack for all his tweets, printed out and framed, that visitors can flip through in chronological order.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 11:54 AM on January 19, 2021 [2 favorites]

Has that always been so?

Since approximately forever, to my knowledge. Paging Wordshore...

Certainly for all of my 40+ years on the planet trump has meant fart (both verb and noun). I mean, it’s one of many words on offer to kids that like talking about their farts, but it’s a popular one.
posted by penguin pie at 11:57 AM on January 19, 2021

I'm kind of glad that they didn't respond with deadly force because turning the storming of the US Capitol into a fucking Waco or Ruby Ridge is not on my plans for keeping insurrectionists cold. But JFC if we're not defunding the police at the minimum we need to go through police forces with a fine toothed comb on all their social media and fire any fucker with even a whiff of fascist tendencies.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 2:27 AM on January 20 [3 favorites +] [!]

Agree generally on both your points, but on the specific subject of Lt. Tarik Johnson, after reading the whole article, I'm not sure I'd fire that guy for fascist tendencies. I'm curious where he got the MAGA hat (did he bring it or get it from someone in the crowd), and I'd like to see the WaPo video, but it isn't linked. From the few paragraphs on him, he sounds like he was maybe trying to be resourceful in freeing pinned officers.

It's the kind of whiff I'd consider suspicious but not damning on its own.
posted by saysthis at 12:04 PM on January 19, 2021

One specific order came from Lt. Tarik Johnson, who told officers not to use deadly force outside the building as the rioters descended, the officers recounted. The order almost certainly prevented deaths and more chaos, but it meant officers didn’t pull their weapons and were fighting back with fists and batons.

Ok, I can get not using deadly force, but I still can't wrap my head around why -- the moment the Capitol's windows were broken -- a barrage of of 40mm CS grenades weren't fired through the hole into the crowd outside.to disperse them from the window.
posted by mikelieman at 12:10 PM on January 19, 2021

I still can't wrap my head around why -- the moment the Capitol's windows were broken -- a barrage of of 40mm CS grenades weren't fired through the hole into the crowd outside.to disperse them from the window.

The article makes it sound like they probably didn't even bring grenades.

“During the 4th of July concerts and the Memorial Day concerts, we don’t have people come up and say, ‘We’re going to seize the Capitol,‘” one officer said. “But yet, you bring everybody in, you meet before. That never happened for this event.”

Another officer said he was only told that morning to pick up a riot helmet. He said he had training on dealing with large crowds, but not on how to handle a riot.

“We were under the impression it was just going to be a lot of yelling, cursing,” he said.

posted by saysthis at 12:25 PM on January 19, 2021 [5 favorites]

Because they could not, cannot, will not imagine white people yelling, to be dangerous.

Even when those white people are armed to the teeth: "just a lot of yelling".

Just another reminder of blatant systemic white privilege.
posted by Dashy at 12:42 PM on January 19, 2021 [22 favorites]

The New York Times @nytimes
How do Trump supporters view the attack on the Capitol and how are they feeling before Joe Biden’s inauguration? Listen to today’s episode of The Daily.

Systemic white privilege is like a fucking addict looking for a fix.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 3:13 PM on January 19, 2021 [5 favorites]

A suitably trump presidential library would be a Cheetos vending machine that's been repurposed to sell MAGA-branded USB sticks with a complete collection of his tweets.

I was thinking of an oversized version of one of those book share booths on a post with the tweets individually printed sheet by sheet on rolls of toilet paper.

However...

The only presidential library I ever saw was Eisenhower's in Abilene, Kansas when I was 13. It had ample examples of major historical swag, like a huge gold fringed vermillion velvet Soviet battle flag once planted in Berlin in 1945 and an incredible gold sheared scimitar from the Shah of Iran, for example, so there is that to consider.

And will we ever see any of that sort of stuff given to Trump? I rather doubt it.
posted by y2karl at 3:25 PM on January 19, 2021

The other thing I remember about the Eisenhower library was it had these reflecting pools in front into which had been released khoi goldfish which had grown to massive misshapened monsters the size of small suitcases. Surely the Trump library's equivalent would require Lovecraftian horrors.
posted by y2karl at 3:36 PM on January 19, 2021 [2 favorites]

"And will we ever see any of that sort of stuff given to Trump? I rather doubt it."

Maybe we'll see that stuff on eBay: The Financial Minefield Awaiting an Ex-President Trump - Baseless election fraud claims and the Capitol riot have compounded already-looming threats to his bottom line. And the cash lifelines he once relied on are gone. (SLNYT)
posted by Hairy Lobster at 4:26 PM on January 19, 2021

This vision of the Trump Presidential Library is the only one I'd be happy to see in the world
posted by Mchelly at 4:29 PM on January 19, 2021 [3 favorites]

Trump has delivered his farewell address.. He lists some co-conspirators, goes down the list of his greatest crimes, complains about twitter, brags about some stuff, and poof, he's gone.
posted by rebent at 4:31 PM on January 19, 2021 [1 favorite]

Surely the Trump library's equivalent would require Lovecraftian horrors.

Kraken would fit right in the Trump reflecting pool.
posted by Rumple at 5:25 PM on January 19, 2021

How President Trump's Rhetoric Has Affected U.S. Politics

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Jennifer Mercieca, a historian of American political rhetoric, about how President Trump has changed the way Americans talk about politics, the government and each other.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 5:30 PM on January 19, 2021

So... this morning I saw a bunch of headlines that were like "Trump expected to spend final day issuing flurry of pardons," but then heard nothing else about it. Did that just not happen?
posted by oulipian at 7:42 PM on January 19, 2021

As much as the sound of his voice scratches the blackboards of my soul, I watched that farewell speech. Heavily redundant, repetitive. Delivered with an amateurish insincerity. Interrupted with a strange edit to put down political violence as an afterthought. Concludes with a false modesty. More a pastiche of a political speech than an actual expression of an original thought or actual feeling.

And on a different note, I would like to thank all the many MeFites who kept all these mega threads full of insight, humor, anger, links to current events, and sanity during these past five years, which tonight feel like just a few weeks. I know that things ain’t over until someone sings us out the door, and that the nation, the world we would like to be living in isn’t here yet, and that there are many people out there who can’t yet just walk down the street safe in being who they are, this blue community at least provides some hope that there are enough people out there thinking and heading in a better direction. Thank you. And may the future not require as much typing as the past few years did.
posted by njohnson23 at 8:43 PM on January 19, 2021 [11 favorites]

So... this morning I saw a bunch of headlines that were like "Trump expected to spend final day issuing flurry of pardons," but then heard nothing else about it. Did that just not happen?

Apparently there's no obligation to make them public; those who received them can wait to reveal them when needed. That being said, it doesn't seem to fit Trumps style to play it like that...but I can also see him and his cronies yukking it up over their secret get out of jail free cards.
posted by nubs at 9:36 PM on January 19, 2021

Trump grants clemency to 143 people in late-night pardon blast

President Trump on Tuesday granted clemency to 143 people, using a final act of presidential power to extend mercy to former White House strategist Stephen K. Bannon, well-connected celebrities and nonviolent drug offenders — but did not preemptively pardon himself or his family.

No word yet on whether private-jet Karen got the pardon she demanded.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 10:20 PM on January 19, 2021 [2 favorites]

"Steve Bannon is getting a pardon from Trump after defrauding Trump’s own supporters into paying for a wall that Trump promised Mexico would pay for.

And if that all sounds crazy, that’s because it is.

Thank God we have only 12 more hours of this den of thieves." -- Adam Schiff
posted by valkane at 10:26 PM on January 19, 2021 [7 favorites]

Al Jazeera has the full list of pardons and commutations, complete with the official accompanying text.

Some highlights :-

Bannon: contains no expressions of remorse, acceptance of responsibility, or demonstrations of positive contributions to society
Paul Erickson: clearly written by Trump himself, and appears to have been included unedited; if anyone wondered whether Trump was going to use official channels to pout and flounce until the very end, there's the answer
Kenneth Kurson: written at least partially by Trump
Steven Benjamin Floyd: blandly refers to the Capitol riots as 'the recent unrest'
Tommaso Buti: who he?
posted by Cardinal Fang at 12:02 AM on January 20, 2021 [2 favorites]

Anthony Levandowski: oh that ego turd and all his Palmer Luckey buds.

Boy there's some cut-and-paste feel in the text of this. TRUMP INJECTION

(I have to admit that I'm surprised that quite a number of these are for cases like Jawad Musa, addressing draconian mandatory minimums and real injustice in the criminal law system. Like, how does this make Trump look classy? I guess either it makes him look powerful, or there's an against-Them sympathy possibly. Well, good work whoever put these particular War on Drugs injustices in a way that got them ended too late but better than never.)
posted by away for regrooving at 12:30 AM on January 20, 2021 [1 favorite]

I know very little of Schumer, but my fantasy has him going all Bill Lumberg on Mitch's ass after 8 years of Senate foot dragging and sloth.

"Hey Mitch, how's it going, great. So hey, listen, I am going to need you to come in on Saturday, we have lots of work to do, behind schedule, and just so you know it is not a half day or anything, we are starting like normal at 8. Thaanks. And then I am going to also need you to come in on Sunday."
posted by Meatbomb at 2:36 AM on January 20, 2021 [8 favorites]

And Trump has left the White House.

CNN: "He looks small. He just looks like a small man."

I'm trying to think of something pithy to say but I guess there's no need to gild the lily. He's gone.
posted by penguin pie at 5:22 AM on January 20, 2021 [3 favorites]

Now we Yub Nub?
posted by jquinby at 5:46 AM on January 20, 2021 [7 favorites]

A shrunken man shrunkenly bragged to a shrunken crowd. Then the cameras cut away. How fitting.
posted by y2karl at 5:53 AM on January 20, 2021 [1 favorite]

"What do you MEAN, 'he didn't take Lindsey Graham with him?'"
posted by delfin at 5:57 AM on January 20, 2021 [4 favorites]

🥂🍾
posted by Too-Ticky at 6:02 AM on January 20, 2021 [2 favorites]

DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU ON THE WAY OUT ASSHOLE
posted by lalochezia at 6:21 AM on January 20, 2021 [2 favorites]

It is Wednesday morning. The greatest failure of a President in American history -- the first to be impeached twice, the first to instigate a coup, the first to run for office three times without winning a popular majority -- has left at last and for good, living as he lead: A coward and sore loser.

Because the attorneys preparing felony charges against him are the only people in New York who welcome his return to his home state, he has diverted himself to his second home in Florida. He will temporarily live at his McMansion in a community that finds him so terrible they have won a court injunction limiting his stay to three non-consecutive weeks per year, a rule he is likely flout beginning next Thursday and adding one more court case to the many he is anticipating this year.

He will have time there to contemplate his record as President: The pandemic he failed to respond to; The border wall he failed to make Mexico pay for; The election he relentlessly and delusionally litigated for so long even his business interests began turning against him. His public tantrums on Twitter helped galvanized his base, and once his social media access was turned off he was effectively and weirdly silenced, despite standing at the bully pulpit of American governance and having the world's press at his fingertips. His string of failures extend even to the coup he instigated, a dramatic final act to cap four years of mostly pointless vengeance, exploitation and drama.

He will be remembered for his cabinet, which may have had the most churn in history. He repeatedly fired anybody insufficiently sycophantic, who failed to fulfill his demands, or merely as a form of kicking the dog when he failed to accomplish something himself. His final weeks in office have ended with his cabinet (for that matter, all his enablers in government, business and media) turning on him, defying him and fleeing as his power over them waned. His ineptitude in politics was readily apparent, because despite his self-marketed reputation as a savvy and successful negotiator he proved himself actually weak when attempting negotiations with anybody who wasn't interested playing the role of the star-struck admirer or the cowed antagonist in his own cosplay of the constructed heroic version of himself. And this also showed in international relations, as he managed to turn the nation away from all its traditional allies while he expressed open admiration for the worst despots living today. We can be thankful that his skills in diplomacy were as keen as his political acumen, for he was demonstrably too disinterested, too lazy, or merely too incompetent to follow through on his own expressed desires which would have made things even worse.

He has left behind him a nation pushed towards ruin by himself, his enablers, and the people he's installed in government, many of whom will be able to malinger for decades, treating their tenures as sinecures or vehicles for personal enrichment and retribution, as they see fit. A nation whose health has been literally hobbled by a pandemic he only responded to as an opportunity to enlarge his extended family's fortunes, hijacking resources for resale, using his position to peddle quack cures, but otherwise indifferent to the power his position had to coordinate a national response and thus exacerbating rather than ameliorating the worst health crisis the country has seen.

In fact his only accomplishments may be the destructive ones. He did build a wall -- fifty miles of it along a border over a thousand miles long, costing billions of dollars and evadable by simply walking a little farther. His administration presided over the executions of more prisoners than any President before him. The policies he was able to create were all divisive ones, increasing racial and economic disparity and segregation, diminishing the United States' role in the global brain trust, exacerbating global climate change. During the largest and potentially most significant race riots in US history his Justice Department's only pertinent action was to support a racial discrimination suit against Harvard University for not admitting enough white people.

So this failson, husband of many trophy wives, sire of many more failsons, flies into the sunset and good riddance. The US never really punishes its villains, but it never wholly fulfills their desires either. While we can hope that the many pending legal cases against him succeed, and we can hope he never sees the sun again except through iron bars, we may have to settle for him to sink further into his delusions of competency, success, and popular support but be endlessly pricked by the reminders of his failures and of how little he is loved. There are many more epithets we could try on him but maybe it's best to think of him as the ultimate Florida Man: Somebody who blithely violated laws, protocols and social norms any time he found them inconvenient, while unsympathetically demanding retribution against anyone who behaved similarly; A subject of derision for his endless and humiliatingly visible bad decisions all while believing he was the best that anyone could be.

Maybe he departs in the most appropriate way possible: Fucking off out of Washington DC in the wee hours to avoid the man he lost to, in a ceremony before a threadbare audience of true believers and bootlickers, the rare few who responded to his office's panicked invitations to the many fired cabinet members and staff to fill out the crowd and make him believe, for one last time, that he was popular and loved.
posted by at by at 6:27 AM on January 20, 2021 [16 favorites]

Today, America is waking up, turning on the bedroom light, and rolling over in hopes of seeing Emily Hartley next to it.
posted by delfin at 6:35 AM on January 20, 2021 [3 favorites]

Little elvis has left the building. Finally.
posted by y2karl at 6:47 AM on January 20, 2021 [1 favorite]

The thing I have never understood and probably never will understand is how so many people can look at somebody so visibly, essentially, ludicrously fake and think of them as in any way impressive.

Doesn't matter whether it's trump or bojo or our own Scotty from Marketing or that absurd little blowhard Copeland or the spittle-flecked lunacy of an Alex Jones. All these idiots get followings. What the fuck, humanity? How is a semi-functional bullshit detector not standard issue?
posted by flabdablet at 8:34 AM on January 20, 2021 [11 favorites]

Nope. Still mostly apes looking for a silverback and a pack that looks like us.
posted by benzenedream at 8:46 AM on January 20, 2021 [3 favorites]

Ook.
posted by flabdablet at 8:54 AM on January 20, 2021 [4 favorites]

we do tend to forget that an IQ of 100 is the mean. For every reasonably smart person out there, there's a reasonably unsmart person ... and so on out to the extremes.
posted by philip-random at 9:41 AM on January 20, 2021

I can see how IQ might have something to do with the speed at which somebody catches onto the fact that they're being lied to by a totally obvious liar, but it still astonishes me just how many people don't get it at any speed.
posted by flabdablet at 10:23 AM on January 20, 2021

There are big benefits from being a hive organism of true believers vs. being a bunch of squabbling hermits.
posted by benzenedream at 10:31 AM on January 20, 2021 [1 favorite]

DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU ON THE WAY OUT ASSHOLE

Yeah. We don't want the White House door to have marks from that poorly applied wood stainer he thinks is a tan.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 10:42 AM on January 20, 2021 [2 favorites]

we do tend to forget that an IQ of 100 is the mean. For every reasonably smart person out there, there's a reasonably unsmart person ... and so on out to the extremes.

There's plenty of white male "intellectuals" that will happily boast their 187 IQ that have swallowed the bullshit hook, line, and sphincter.

Which just goes to show IQ is a fucking bullshit metric that should have died as the 20th century's version phrenology.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 10:45 AM on January 20, 2021 [10 favorites]

Which just goes to show IQ is a fucking bullshit metric that should have died as the 20th century's version phrenology.

I was very briefly in MENSA (mainly because when I first realized I qualified, I thought that fact utterly ridiculous and signed up as a goof), and when questioned about this I would point out that IQ is only a measurement of capacity - it's like how a gallon-size pitcher is bigger than a quart size. But capacity is only part of the thing - what you do with that capacity is as important, if not more important, than the size. Most people would way more interested in a quart of sangria than they would be in a gallon of rancid strawberry Yoo-hoo.

What we have with the Q-anon crowd is Exhibit A for "a gallon of rancid strawberry Yoo-hoo".
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:14 PM on January 20, 2021 [6 favorites]

The thing I have never understood and probably never will understand is how so many people can look at somebody so visibly, essentially, ludicrously fake and think of them as in any way impressive.

Image. He presents an image of strength, confdence, BDE...all of that stereotypically straight male-coded machista (not masculinist, which includes gays) stuff. That's all a lot of people need to follow. The coach says "we are going to win!" and the fans say "YEAHH!" That's 90% of it right there, team sports fandom. How many sports fans calibrate their attachment to a team based on statistics and potential? The pundits and some of the bettors. Everybody else just likes that there's a black-base colorway for the new uniforms because it looks "tough."
posted by rhizome at 12:28 PM on January 20, 2021 [3 favorites]

At some point in the early 80s when Omni magazine first featured the MENSA test, it seemed like every adult in my life was taking the IQ test "on a lark". And everyone scored right around 150. I could be wrong, but I assumed the MENSA test was designed to flatter the test taker with an inflated score in order to sell more magazines or memberships. It's just that there were suddenly quite a few more geniuses than anyone had realized (one of which had just been professionally IQ tested in school with a finding of 139. Mensa's score? 150).
posted by marimeko at 4:01 PM on January 20, 2021 [4 favorites]

But capacity is only part of the thing

"It's not about how big your IQ is, its about how you use it."
posted by pwnguin at 6:17 PM on January 20, 2021 [2 favorites]

That's 90% of it right there, team sports fandom.

I think you're right. I think that accounts nicely for both the thing, and my own ability not to comprehend the thing. Because I never really got whole passionate support for a sports team thing. To an extent that I've ever felt any need at all to declare a preference for one sports team over another, that's always been for protective social camouflage purposes and not because I actually give a shit about the sport or where the team is from.

Chomsky, as he so often does, nailed this.
posted by flabdablet at 9:06 PM on January 20, 2021 [2 favorites]

I was very briefly in MENSA

My late mother joined up some time in the 1950s, having looked forward to an opportunity to hang around with really smart people on a regular basis.

What she found at her first MENSA meeting was a pack of backbiting up-themselves pseudo-intellectuals who spent more time bragging about their own amazingness and jockeying for social rank by putting other people down than talking about anything interesting. She didn't go back.

IQ is a fucking bullshit metric that should have died as the 20th century's version phrenology

I have no doubt that IQ tests measure something, and I think the parallel with phrenology is well drawn. Phrenology involves measuring something too, and perhaps those measurements might have some use (perhaps to hat designers?) but just as in the case of IQ, I have yet to see good evidence of reliable correlations between anything the measurements are generally claimed to predict and what they actually do.

And perhaps it's just my own confirmation bias at work, but I have seen good evidence of a correlation between a willingness to take IQ at face value and a willingness to act as if a manifestly empty suit like trump or bojo or Scotty from Marketing were actually some kind of leader.
posted by flabdablet at 9:34 PM on January 20, 2021 [5 favorites]

Chomsky, as he so often does, nailed this.

A. I agree with Chomsky.

B. way back when I drove cab, I realized that it was worth my trouble to peruse the sports page every now and then. Because some people, all they can talk about is sports. Sure, they're damaged, sadly under actualized souls ... but I've still gotta cross town with them. And I'd far rather discuss the Yankees or the Leafs than get into their f***king politics.
posted by philip-random at 9:44 PM on January 20, 2021 [8 favorites]

“Orange Man Indeed Bad: 100 Years of Trump”—Some More News, 19 January 2021
posted by ob1quixote at 9:06 AM on January 21, 2021

Which just goes to show IQ is a fucking bullshit metric that should have died as the 20th century's version phrenology.
Which is not to mention that IQ tests were pioneered by eugenicists as a means of exclusion and might have more to do with assessing the performance of whiteness than anything else.
posted by evidenceofabsence at 9:31 AM on January 21, 2021 [6 favorites]

Because some people, all they can talk about is sports. Sure, they're damaged, sadly under actualized souls

Let people like things. I don't think there's anything damaged or underactualized about belonging to a fandom, whether someone is obsessing over the Cthulhu Mythos, birding, K-pop, scrapbooking, Nixie tubes, or baseball.

Machismo is a problem. People being excited about something isn't.
posted by evidenceofabsence at 9:43 AM on January 21, 2021 [13 favorites]

I think a lot of people's backlash against sports is (largely) men who are always presumed to be interested and invested in sports reflexively. It's annoying, and machismo is indeed the problem there, but more generally it's cultural assumptions. Like, maybe it's just the people I hang out with, but it seems like the MCU is the new sports, and it's tiresome to always be presumed to have a stake in it and an opinion on this or that.

But yeah, "damaged, sadly under actualized souls" is harsh.
posted by rikschell at 10:14 AM on January 21, 2021 [4 favorites]

To be fair, describing the professional footballers I once had in the back of my own cab as "damaged, sadly under actualized souls" would have been far kinder than their behaviour that night could possibly have warranted.

"Insufferable useless up-themselves wankers" would be closer to the mark.
posted by flabdablet at 10:53 AM on January 21, 2021 [1 favorite]

Black athletes and women athletes both white and Black played a huge role in knocking Trump out of office.

White male athletes are a whole 'nother story, unfortunately.

But it is almost laughably easy to blow Trumpists and white supremacists out of the water by talking sports.
posted by jamjam at 12:09 PM on January 21, 2021 [3 favorites]

MetaFilter: a toxic stew of mendacity, prevarication, and surprising incompetence.
posted by kirkaracha at 4:09 PM on January 21, 2021 [3 favorites]

White male athletes are a whole 'nother story, unfortunately

Can confirm that the shitheels in the back of the cab were all three of those things plus sharp suits and hair gel.
posted by flabdablet at 9:09 PM on January 21, 2021

I don't think there's anything damaged or underactualized about belonging to a fandom, whether someone is obsessing over the Cthulhu Mythos, birding, K-pop, scrapbooking, Nixie tubes, or baseball.

It's not about fandom, it's about team sports as a zero-sum competition that is also war by other means. It's a very short hop from Stan'ing the Cleveland Losers to fighting for the success of President Baby over the Evil Whoozits (Democrats in this case).
posted by rhizome at 9:50 PM on January 21, 2021 [2 favorites]

I was on the wrong side of fact check today. I swore to a guy Trump started the riot then left to go watch the destruction occur on TV from a tent and showed him the video I found on Twitter and Metafilter.

He did claim he was going to march with them, then he left and went to watch destruction occur on TV from the White House.
posted by PenDevil at 3:46 AM on January 22, 2021 [7 favorites]

MetaFilter: a toxic stew of mendacity, prevarication, and surprising incompetence.

Needs more Burl Ives.
posted by y2karl at 2:48 AM on January 23, 2021 [1 favorite]

It's a very short hop from Stan'ing the Cleveland Losers to fighting for the success of President Baby over the Evil Whoozits (Democrats in this case)

Oh for goodness sake, no it isn't. This is a foolish to say.
posted by Ipsifendus at 5:49 AM on January 23, 2021 [11 favorites]

MetaFilter: It's disgusting the way fan culture causes people to root for politicians like they're sports teams

Also MetaFilter: Hillary Clinton is my close personal friend
posted by MrBadExample at 2:48 PM on January 23, 2021 [1 favorite]

Eponysterical.
posted by biogeo at 3:02 PM on January 23, 2021 [4 favorites]

Oh for goodness sake, no it isn't. This is a foolish to say.

Maybe a "very" short hop is overstating things, but they do push the same buttons. I don't think anybody knows why some people respond differently to the buttons being pushed and by whom, but the relationships between sports and war are long-studied [PDF] and AFAICT tend to conclude closer to my short-hop theory, or: nurture more than nature.

It has been said of sport, "It does not create the conditions for war, but it does maintain the possibility of those conditions, and adds its own efficiency to the other forces which produce a social order in which trails of strength are seen as part of the natural course of things" (Holt, 2000, p. 88).

George Orwell (1950) once made the observation, "Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence; in other words it is war minus the shooting." [via]

The lead-up to Jan 6th was fairly similar to the cultural crescendos before your Super Bowls and World Cups. "Will the Texyltucky Stop-the-steals pull out a victory? Do they have the clutch gene?"
posted by rhizome at 3:10 PM on January 23, 2021 [3 favorites]

The Pentagon Could Use a Course in Basic Citizenship
20% of the Arrested Capitol Insurrectionists Have Military Backgrounds; Top Brass Need to Teach Enlistees What They Are Defending
posted by asra at 3:40 PM on January 23, 2021 [6 favorites]

Your confidence in your team is high, but rest assured, you will suffer humiliation when the sports team from my area defeats the sports team from your area.

You can tell I truly believe this, since I have officially-branded sports team merchandise.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 3:42 PM on January 23, 2021 [1 favorite]

Also MetaFilter: Hillary Clinton is my close personal friend

Well, she used to be sure, and I certainly still respect and admire her.

But asking for swiss cheese and a cheesesteak?! You went too far with that and I can no longer take your calls.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 9:05 AM on January 25, 2021

Funny enough, I met Bill when I was 7 or 8 years old and once worked for people who were close enough friends with the Clintons that they stayed in their home when they were in town, much to the annoyance of the neighbors.

Politicians are just people, so putting them on a pedestal is a bit silly. So is making fun of their friends, unless by friend you mean "someone who met them once and had a five minute conversation and therefore calls themself a close personal friend." It's a small world, after all.
posted by wierdo at 10:05 AM on January 25, 2021

Chief Justice John Roberts will not be presiding like he did for Trump's first impeachment trial, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Instead, VERMONT Sen. AND DEADHEAD Patrick Leahy ALSO FROM BATMANS, the president pro tempore of the Senate, is expected to preside, the sources said. The Constitution says the chief justice presides when the person facing trial is the current president of the United States, but senators preside in other cases, one source said. (source, some words added by me)

Very excited about this.
posted by jessamyn at 8:23 PM on January 25, 2021 [8 favorites]

^The man third in the line of presidential succession has been in five 'Batman' movies (CNN, January 23, 2021) Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Democrat from Vermont and the longest-serving member of the current Senate, is a Batman aficionado who's turned his fandom into philanthropy. He's even used the comics to forward his legislative agenda. Now President pro tempore of the Senate, Leahy is third in the presidential line of succession.

Nearly all GOP senators vote against impeachment trial for Trump, signaling likely acquittal (WaPo, Jan. 26, 2021) All but five Republican senators backed former president Donald Trump on Tuesday in a key test vote ahead of his impeachment trial, signaling that the proceedings are likely to end with Trump’s acquittal on the charge that he incited the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The vote also demonstrated the continued sway Trump holds over GOP officeholders, even after his exit from the White House under a historic cloud caused by his refusal to concede the November election and his unprecedented efforts to challenge the result.

Trump’s trial is not scheduled to begin until Feb. 9, but senators were sworn in for the proceedings Tuesday, and they immediately voted on an objection raised by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) questioning the constitutional basis for the impeachment and removal of a former president.[...] The final vote was 55 to 45 to kill Paul’s objection, with GOP Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Mitt Romney (Utah), Ben Sasse (Neb.) and Patrick J. Toomey (Pa.) joining all 50 Democrats.
posted by Iris Gambol at 7:37 PM on January 26, 2021 [1 favorite]

Trump-Branded Buildings in Manhattan Have Lost Half Their ValueIt appears that people simply don’t want to live in a Trump-branded building anymore: Trump-branded properties in Manhattan have lost half their value since Trump took office, according to NYC real-estate data firm UrbanDigs. Even properties that used to bear Trump’s name are feeling the pinch, losing about 17 percent of their value, compared to a 9 percent drop for Manhattan as a whole.
Some of the decline probably due to previously inflated prices drove by money laundring but Trump brand properties, which are nominally higher priced luxury properties, have fallen below the city average of all properties on per square foot basis.
posted by Mitheral at 10:24 AM on January 27, 2021 [4 favorites]

Some of the decline probably due to previously inflated prices drove by money laundring but Trump brand properties, which are nominally higher priced luxury properties, have fallen below the city average of all properties on per square foot basis.

That and the lingering suspicion that he wired every square inch of every unit for ~~voyeurism~~ ~~blackmail~~ ~~snooping~~ ~~surveillance~~ security.
posted by rhizome at 11:39 AM on January 27, 2021

I hadn't heard that, about snooping. Is that a thing?
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:12 PM on January 27, 2021

He's allegedly known for listening in on Mar-a-Lago's phone lines. I remember reports about him raving about the White House's phone system. He's a man out of the 80s, the coolest tech he cares about is phones.
posted by BungaDunga at 12:50 PM on January 27, 2021 [2 favorites]

He's allegedly known for listening in on Mar-a-Lago's phone lines.

A friend of mine discovered that, in complete violation of my state's wiretapping laws, the owner of his company had secretly recorded customer service calls and shared them with other business leaders in an industry group for study who then distributed the recordings amongst themselves for use in training their own employees.

I tried to persuade my friend to pursue litigation but his employment status in the industry is precarious and he has no formal educational credentials to preserve status and salary in switching between employers, so he declined out of fear of retaliation and blacklisting.

The 1% regard “law and order” as tools for controlling the commoners, never something they would conform to nor face consequences from themselves.
posted by XMLicious at 2:34 PM on January 27, 2021 [6 favorites]

There must be in-groups the law protects and does not bind, alongside out-groups the law binds but does not protect.
posted by mark k at 2:41 PM on January 27, 2021 [9 favorites]

In testimony yesterday, the acting chief of the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington told the House Appropriations Committee that at least 65 officers filed reports of injury after the January 6 attack. The chair of the Capitol Police officers’ union, Gus Papathanasiou, put the number closer to 140. "I have officers who were not issued helmets prior to the attack who have sustained brain injuries. One officer has two cracked ribs and two smashed spinal discs. One officer is going to lose his eye, and another was stabbed with a metal fence stake," he said. One officer died of injuries sustained on January 6. Two officers have since taken their own lives.

Meanwhile, a video emerged today of the new Republican representative from Georgia, Marjorie Taylor Greene, harassing David Hogg, who survived the mass shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine’s Day 2018. Greene followed Hogg down the street in Washington, D.C., in March 2019, with an accomplice filming as she badgered him, called him a crisis actor paid by George Soros, told him she was armed, demanded he talk to her, and called him a coward. He walked on, without engaging her. The video emerged the day after reporters discovered old Facebook activity on Greene’s page in which she responded positively to a commenter talking of hanging former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama and another talking of killing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. -Letters from An American, January 27, 2021

Taylor Greene is the Congresswoman who 'caused a screaming match' over masks at her swearing-in, and hasn't improved any. Is Marjorie Taylor Greene the Worst Person in Congress? An Investigation (Vanity Fair) There’s stiff competition, but the lawmaker who harassed a school shooting survivor is clearly the one to beat.

In response to the Facebook video, House Republicans said they condemned violent rhetoric on 'both sides,' and promptly assigned Taylor Greene to the Education and Labor Committee. Top House Lawmaker for Education Wants Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Off His Committee (Education Week, Jan. 28, 2021) Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., wants Republican leaders to reverse course and rescind the decision to put Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on the House Education and Labor Committee. Scott is using as his reason Greene’s past support for baseless claims that the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., was a “false flag” operation, and that other school shootings were somehow staged.

posted by Iris Gambol at 4:21 PM on January 28, 2021 [9 favorites]

Democratic Rep. Cori Bush moving office away from Marjorie Taylor Greene 'for my team's safety' (NBC, Jan. 29, 2021) “A maskless Marjorie Taylor Greene & her staff berated me in a hallway. She targeted me & others on social media. I'm moving my office away from hers for my team's safety,” tweeted Bush, a freshman House member.

Bush added in her tweet, “I've called for the expulsion of members who incited the insurrection from Day 1. Bring H.Res 25 to a vote.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., ordered the room change after Bush made the request following the incident, an aide to the speaker told NBC News.

Bush and Greene were a few doors away from one another in the Longworth House Office Building. Room assignments are by lottery, and it is "rare for members to move rooms during a session of Congress."
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:39 AM on January 29, 2021 [3 favorites]

Black Vets Weren't Surprised Military Members Stormed the Capitol (The Root, Jan. 29, 2021) For years, rallying cries from veteran-advocates citing a rise in white-nationalism within the ranks coincided with mounting efforts by extremist groups to recruit soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen for their weapons training and combat expertise. It all came to a violent head within the halls of Congress on Jan. 6. The insurrection has left little doubt that white supremacist extremists remain the deadliest domestic terror threat in the United States.

And while racism is an ever-present undercurrent in our nation’s military, leaders at the Department of Defense continue to downplay the rise and breadth of right-wing ideology among troops—preferring to paint incidents of racial hatred as fringe, not systemic.[...] For many service members, the tenor of the events of Jan. 6 was not unfamiliar. As early as 2017, 1 in 4 reported having white nationalist sentiments espoused within their units. Congressional efforts to address this were thwarted in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, as a provision calling for the screening of new recruits for white nationalist sympathies was vetoed by President Trump.

^Written by Richard Brookshire, co-founder and executive director of the Black Veterans Project; article opens with Brookshire's own experience a decade ago in West Germany, serving as an Army medic stationed on a former Nazi-base: The history wasn’t inconspicuous. In fact, white soldiers were often infatuated by it. They’d sneak selfies beside a swastika embedded into a brick building not far from the barracks I called home—remnants of the Third Reich that hadn’t been wiped clean in the decades since American forces had taken over the garrison. American soldiers casually reading Hilter’s Mein Kempf, in uniform no less, were largely viewed as harmless. The pervasive use of Confederate symbols was simply an innocuous display of Southern pride. And right-wing talking points and conspiracy theories disguised as office banter were widely tolerated as inconsequential. {bolding mine}

Nearly 1 In 5 Defendants In Capitol Riot Cases Served In The Military (NPR, Jan. 21, 2021) though only about 7% of all American adults are military veterans. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, murdered by the Capitol insurrectionists, was a former Air National Guardsman who served in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Enduring Freedom before joining the police force.
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:42 AM on January 29, 2021 [11 favorites]

Word on the intertubes is that all five of trump's impeachment trial lawyers have resigned.

This piece says two of them have resigned but CNN is now reporting that five of his defense team have resigned within the last two hours.
posted by bz at 7:34 PM on January 30, 2021 [4 favorites]

Yeah, he's apparently insisting that they argue the election was stolen, and they are legitimately refusing to lie in front of Congress.

Legal Twitter is having some fun with the idea of a pro se defense.
posted by suelac at 8:43 PM on January 30, 2021 [6 favorites]

To be fair, they would have had intelligence showing that most of the rioters would be white.
posted by flabdablet at 9:35 PM on January 30, 2021 [4 favorites]

More about Trump’s former defense team in Four Columbia SC lawyers now make up core of Trump’s impeachment defense team, The State, John Monk, January 28, 2021.

Butch Bowers (chief attorney), 55; Johnny Gasser, 58; Deborah Barbier, 51; and Greg Harris, 59 are all from Columbia, South Carolina, and were recruited by Lindsay Graham. Gasser, Barbier, and Harris are former federal prosecutors who worked with DEA, FBI, and other federal agencies in the Columbia area, then became criminal defense attorneys in private practice. The fifth member of the defense team was Josh Howard of Raleigh, North Carolina, a white collar defense attorney active in Republican politics.

It comes as no surprise that the Poor Donald — always the victim in denial blaming others for the consequences of his own lies — rejects experienced attorneys (that most likely tell him the truth) in favor of finding a team that tells him what he wants to hear. This sounds like another job for Giuliani, Powell, & Ellis.
posted by cenoxo at 10:20 PM on January 30, 2021

What a fucking joke. So the Congressional Republicans want to change the narrative, to a slightly more reality-based story that it is now too late to impeach. Trump is giving them every opportunity to jump ship, would love to see him blathering his bullshit and lies, all on his own, in the trial. Fuck that guy.
posted by Meatbomb at 10:37 PM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]

Yeah, he's apparently insisting that they argue the election was stolen, and they are legitimately refusing to lie in front of Congress.

Or they asked for an upfront retainer, got a response from they would be paid after the trial and they suddenly realised they're representing Donald Trump.
posted by PenDevil at 12:18 AM on January 31, 2021 [14 favorites]

they suddenly realised they're representing Donald Trump

how that feels
posted by flabdablet at 1:08 AM on January 31, 2021

... and the DC National Guard were told by the Pentagon that they could have no weapons and no helmets or other riot gear, could not arrest any protestors, and could not ask for help from any other NG units. WTAF.

Wow, that is damning! To me one thing that stands out is that they were not allowed to use intelligence assets or conduct intelligence activities. In other words, there was to be no documentation. What luck that the mob documented themselves.
posted by mumimor at 1:52 AM on January 31, 2021 [4 favorites]

From the army of dupes: Who is Jitarth Jadeja? Ex-QAnon believer apologizes to Anderson Cooper for thinking CNN host 'ate babies'

Depressed and isolated in the meantime, Jadeja's focused on "the good guys" which, for him, meant ex-president Donald Trump. Initially disenchanted with Trump who did not come through on his promises, an almost-nihilistic Jadeja discovered Q through an episode of 'The Alex Jones Show' on Infowars -- a far-right conspiracy theory and fake news website. "When Q started saying that Trump was actually working behind the scenes, it was like music to my ears."

For clarity: This guy is in Australia, and thus was not at the Capitol.
posted by mumimor at 7:01 AM on January 31, 2021

Legal Twitter is having some fun with the idea of a pro se defense.

Trumps defense could literally consist of him personally insulting each and every one of the Republican Senators and they would still not vote to convict. Why bother with the pretense of potentially spending money on law talking guys?
posted by nubs at 7:28 AM on January 31, 2021 [11 favorites]

Is there any doubt his whole defense will consist of more Stab In The Back / Lost Cause narrative? My only question is whether his defense will include outright threats against sitting senators and calls for more mob riots.
posted by benzenedream at 11:33 AM on January 31, 2021

The Timeline for Trump’s Second Impeachment Trial, New York Intelligencer, Ed Kilgore, Jan. 25, 2021:

second impeachment

constitutionally created sanction

Wednesday, January 13: Impeachment by the House
Monday, January 25: Transmittal of Article of Impeachment to the Senate
Tuesday, January 26: Senators Sworn In
Tuesday, February 2 - Monday, February 8: Pre-Trial Briefs
Wednesday, February 9: Trial Begins
TBD: Senate Verdict

...details follow each item in the article.
posted by cenoxo at 8:49 PM on January 31, 2021

@steve_vladeck

by insisting that his lawyers argue to the Senate that the election really *was* “stolen,” Trump isn’t just refusing to contest the *actual* ground on which he was impeached (that he incited the violence on January 6); he’s effectively arguing that the violence was *justified.*

posted by Mitheral at 9:04 PM on January 31, 2021 [4 favorites]

(I posted this comment in the Biden/Harris Inauguration thread, but it should have gone here.)

Can a Former President Assert Executive Privilege in an Impeachment Trial?, Lawfare, Jonathan Shaub, 1/29/2021:

The central question of former President Trump’s second impeachment trial may be very similar to the central question of the first trial. Putting aside the larger discussion about whether a president who is impeached but then leaves office may still be tried in the Senate (questions addressed comprehensively by scholar Keith Wittington here [Can a Former President Be Impeached and Convicted?, Lawfare, 1/15/2021]), this trial will depend primarily on examining Trump’s intent. And another question may be familiar as well: If the Senate needs evidence of Trump’s intent, to what extent, if at all, can Trump suppress that evidence by invoking executive privilege?

Much more discussion in the two articles.

Trump’s intent is to always save his own skin by any means available, primarily by twisting and manipulating the law in his own favor. If he can assert Presidential privilege even though he’s no longer President, his ego won’t let him pass up the opportunity to do so.
posted by cenoxo at 9:17 PM on January 31, 2021

Man who wore horns at riot willing to speak at Trump’s trial, Associated Press, January 28, 2021:

FILE PHOTO - In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 file photo, supporters of President Donald Trump, including Jacob Chansley, center with fur and horned hat, are confronted by Capitol Police officers outside the Senate Chamber inside the Capitol in Washington. A video showed Chansley leading others in a prayer inside the Senate chamber. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

PHOENIX (AP) — The lawyer for an Arizona man who took part in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol while sporting face paint, no shirt and a furry hat with horns is offering to have his client testify at former President Donald Trump’s upcoming impeachment trial.

Lawyer Albert Watkins said he hasn’t spoken to any member in the Senate since announcing his offer to have Jacob Chansley testify at Trump’s trial, which is scheduled to begin the week of Feb. 8. Watkins said it’s important for senators to hear the voice of someone who was incited by Trump.

Watkins said his client was previously “horrendously smitten” by Trump but now feels let down after Trump’s refusal to grant Chansley and others who participated in the insurrection a pardon. “He felt like he was betrayed by the president,” Watkins said....

By all means, Chansley (aka Jake Angeli, WP) should speak in Trump's Senate trial, but only if he wears the same costume and horned hat.
posted by cenoxo at 10:11 PM on January 31, 2021 [4 favorites]

Tonight, Trump’s office announced that David Schoen and Bruce L. Castor, Jr., will lead his defense. Schoen represented Trump advisor Roger Stone when he challenged his convictions; Castor was the district attorney who promised actor Bill Cosby he would not be prosecuted for indecent assault. The impeachment trial is scheduled to start on February 9. - Heather Cox Richardson's Letters from An American, Jan. 31, 2021
AP News, Politico
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:19 PM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

Hope the cheque clears!
posted by PenDevil at 12:26 AM on February 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

Lindsey Graham Warns Not to Allow 'QAnon Shaman' Impeachment Testimony, Says Trial Could 'Go For Months', Newsweek, Aila Slisco, 1/30/2021:

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has warned against allowing "QAnon Shaman" Jacob Chansley to testify at former President Donald Trump's unprecedented second impeachment trial.

Chansley, also known as Jake Angeli, is facing multiple charges for his participation in the insurrection that the article of impeachment alleges the former president incited on January 6. Although Graham denounced the House for impeaching Trump on January 13 without calling any witnesses, on Friday the senator said that allowing witnesses at the Senate trial could lead to a lengthy "circus" featuring testimony from the likes of Chansley.

"I cannot think of a better way to turn the upcoming impeachment trial into a complete circus than to call the QAnon Shaman as a witness on anything," Graham tweeted. "The House impeached President Trump without a witness. If we open the witness door in the Senate there will be lots of witnesses requested on a variety of topics. And the trial will go for months, not days."...

Circus Trump has been going on since January 20, 2017. What’s fifteen minutes more for another clown?
posted by cenoxo at 12:37 AM on February 1, 2021 [5 favorites]

Remind me again how many months the GOP spent holding hearings on Benghazi.
posted by Mitheral at 5:02 AM on February 1, 2021 [22 favorites]

Everything the Republicans propose is... so nakedly political and every time the Democrats turn them down I feel a little bit of hope, a little bit of relief.

Because fuck these guys.
posted by From Bklyn at 5:17 AM on February 1, 2021 [9 favorites]

Not to derail, but Two years... (NPR).
posted by cenoxo at 8:05 AM on February 1, 2021 [2 favorites]

I thought this was really affecting,After the Attack - how some members of Congress are handling trauma (Slate)
posted by Mchelly at 8:57 AM on February 1, 2021 [5 favorites]

House Democrats building elaborate, emotionally charged case against Trump, Washington Post; Mike DeBonis, Tom Hamburger, Karoun Demirjian, Amy Gardner; Jan. 29, 2021:

House Democrats have sought out new cellphone footage of the Capitol siege as well as updated details about injured police officers as they seek to build an emotionally compelling impeachment case against former president Donald Trump.

The goal is to present the Senate with fresh evidence that reveals what Trump knew in advance of the Jan. 6 rampage at the Capitol, as well as how his words and actions influenced those who participated...

The House impeachment managers are determined to present as much evidence as senators allow, to ensure a permanent record of Trump’s role in the riots — and to force Republicans to witness the chaos and carnage one more time before they vote against conviction...

House managers and their staff, meanwhile, have been busy at work — closely reviewing footage scraped from Parler and other sites revealing previously unseen moments in the hours before, during and after the Capitol assault. One such video was posted last week by the website Just Security. It showed demonstrators listening to Trump’s words and reacting emotionally and physically....

posted by cenoxo at 9:16 AM on February 1, 2021

I thought this was really affecting,After the Attack - how some members of Congress are handling trauma

That brought tears to my eyes. I hadn't expected that, because we read so many horrific things all the time. Perhaps it makes a difference that we watched this happen in real time, and were deeply worried with them, even if we weren't in immediate danger like they were.
posted by mumimor at 9:24 AM on February 1, 2021

After the Attack - how some members of Congress are handling trauma

These people were the primary targets of the MAGA mob that Trump incited to attack the Capitol. I hope GOP Senators allow them to testify during his impeachment trial.
posted by cenoxo at 10:36 AM on February 1, 2021

• What Those Huge Gas Masks Used by Congress Members in Capitol Siege Are Really For, TooFab, 1/21/2021.
• 20,000 ‘Escape Hoods’ Delivered to Capitol, Los Angeles Times Archive; June 27, 2002.
• The Capitol Building as a Target, United States Senate; September 11, 2001.

It took almost 20 years, but this time the domestic terrorists showed up.
posted by cenoxo at 11:26 AM on February 1, 2021 [6 favorites]

As Trump raked in cash denying his loss, little went to actual legal fight (NYT Jan. 31 reporting, link to non-paywall reprint) Former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party entered this year having stockpiled more than $175 million from fundraising in November and December based on his false claims of voter fraud, spending only a tiny fraction on lawyers and bills for his effort to overturn the presidential election, according to new campaign finance reports filed Sunday night. The Trump Criminal Organization has destroyed my surprised face.

The Boogaloo Bois Have Guns, Criminal Records and Military Training. Now They Want to Overthrow the Government (Pro Publica, Feb. 1, 2021) In the weeks since Jan. 6, an array of extremist groups have been named as participants in the Capitol invasion. The Proud Boys. QAnon believers. White nationalists. The Oath Keepers. But the Boogaloo Bois are notable for the depth of their commitment to the overthrow of the U.S. government and the jaw-dropping criminal histories of many members. [...]

Mike Dunn, a 20-year-old from a small town on Virginia’s rural southern edge, is the commander of the Last Sons [of Liberty, a group part of the Boogaloo movement]. “I really feel we’re looking at the possibility — stronger than any time since, say, the 1860s — of armed insurrection,” Dunn said in an interview with ProPublica and FRONTLINE a few days after the assault on the Capitol. Although Dunn didn’t directly participate, he said members of his Boogaloo faction helped fire up the crowd and “may” have penetrated the building. “It was a chance to mess with the federal government again,” he said. “They weren’t there for MAGA. They weren’t there for Trump.”

Dozens of people on a terrorist watch list were in Washington for pro-Trump events Jan. 6, there have been 179 riot-related arrests thus far [the link, to USA Today, has a name search engine], with over 400 investigations opened, but yeah, I don't know about calling any of the insurrectionists to the stand next week. (And some of them were barred from entering DC for the inauguration; I wonder if that's still in effect, given their court dates.) More than three weeks after the U.S. Capitol breach, authorities continue to shore up government buildings against a possible second-wave attack by domestic terrorists.. (ABC News) Thousands of National Guard troops are expected to remain in Washington D.C. at least through mid-March.
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:04 PM on February 1, 2021 [4 favorites]

Woman charged in Capitol riot said she wanted to shoot Pelosi ‘in the friggin’ brain,’ FBI says (The Independent, Jan. 30, 2021) "FBI said" -- the woman herself, Dawn Bancroft, is on video saying it as she and her friend (Diana Santos-Smith) exited the Capitol. Bancroft sent the video to her kids. Around Inauguration Day, Santos-Smith first told the FBI she attended Trump's rally but did not enter the Capitol building, according to the complaint. When FBI agents showed her the video in which Bancroft remarks about Pelosi, Santos-Smith admitted she lied and said she was in the Capitol to protest but had not planned it, the FBI said.
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:04 PM on February 1, 2021 [3 favorites]

Yahoo News: Trump's Own Lawyers "Secretly" Drafted Texas Lawsuit Challenging Election Results -- surely this???
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 3:36 PM on February 1, 2021 [3 favorites]

Capitol riot arrests: See who's been charged across the U.S. (USA Today, Feb. 1, 2021) is searchable by name or state. This information is at the DOJ; some of the USA Today entries summarize the social media activity that helped with identification. An example: Christopher Ortiz [criminal complaint filing]. Arrested or charged on: Jan. 26, 2021. Home state: New York. Charges: Knowingly enter or remain in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; and knowingly, and with intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of government business or official functions, engage in disorderly or disruptive conduct in, or within such proximity to, any restricted building or grounds.

What happened:
Someone in Chris Ortiz' life opposed his foray into the Capitol on Jan. 6, according to screenhots of an Instagram chat, captured by the FBI after tips from several members of the public, according to court documents. The witness, who saw one of the posts under Ortiz' Instagram name "@chrispy0ats, replied: "CHRIS WHAT ARE YOU DOING."

"Participating in government," he replied.

"WHY. GO TO A TOWNHALL MEETING MAN. This is BEYOND the worst idea you've ever had I am going ON RECORD saying that."

When the friend asked if he realized he was on an FBI list of domestic terrorists, Ortiz replied: "I didn't break or vandalize or steal. I walked through and out." The friend replied: "I love you Chris but I will never understand this."
--
The 6-page criminal complaint at the DOJ has screenshots from Ortiz's instagram: Witness-1 additionally emailed to the FBI screen recorded video of what Witness-1 represented to be, and appears to be, video that Witness-1 took of ORTIZ’s Instagram story, @chrispy0ats, establishing ORTIZ outside of, entering, and inside of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. For example, Figure Two is a screenshot from that video, and clearly shows that the person who recorded the video is inside the U.S. Capitol along with a crowd of other persons. Moreover, when the crowd of rioters enters the building, the video includes a male voice yelling, “Onward, Onward!” Witness-1 identified the audible voice as belonging to ORTIZ.

Go to a town hall meeting, man.
--
South Carolina's Republican Party formally censured Rep. Tom Rice on Saturday over his vote earlier this month to impeach former President Donald Trump for inciting the crowd that stormed the U.S. Capitol. (NPR, Jan. 31) Rice, who represents South Carolina's 7th Congressional District, was one of 10 House Republicans who broke ranks and voted with Democrats to impeach. [...] The move is largely symbolic, but it's possible it could affect Rice's electoral chances. Rice has represented South Carolina's 7th district since 2013.
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:32 PM on February 1, 2021 [8 favorites]

Trump’s actions described as ‘a betrayal of historic proportions’ in trial brief filed by House impeachment managers, Washington Post, Amy Gardner & Karoun Demirjian, Feb. 2, 2021 [alternate Google cache]:

House Democrats made their case to convict former president Donald Trump of inciting the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol in a sweeping impeachment brief filed with the Senate on Tuesday that accused Trump of whipping his supporters into a “frenzy” and described him as “singularly responsible” for the mayhem that ensued.

In the brief, the nine House impeachment managers argue that Trump is not protected by the First Amendment’s freedom of speech provision, which was never intended, they wrote, to allow a president to “provoke lawless action if he loses at the polls.”

“If provoking an insurrectionary riot against a Joint Session of Congress after losing an election is not an impeachable offense, it is hard to imagine what would be,” the brief states...

[Read the House brief for Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial]

Later Tuesday, Trump’s legal team is set to file its initial response to the impeachment trial summons. The Senate trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 9....

More in the article.
posted by cenoxo at 8:52 AM on February 2, 2021 [1 favorite]

President Trump's Response
Complete with the requisite Trumpian Legal Typos.
posted by Floydd at 11:18 AM on February 2, 2021 [1 favorite]

President Trump's Response

(Direct link to open/save the document’s PDF file.) Summing up:

...WHEREFORE, Donald John Trump, 45th President of the United States respectfully requests the Honorable Members of the Senate of the United States dismiss Article I: Incitement of Insurrection against him as moot, and thus in violation of the Constitution, because the Senate lacks jurisdiction to remove from office a man who does not hold office. In the alternative, the 45th President respectfully requests the Senate acquit him on the merits of the allegations raised in the article of impeachment.

Date: February 2, 2021

Respectfully Submitted,

__________________________
Bruce L. Castor, Jr.
David Schoen
Counsel to the 45th
President of the United States

posted by cenoxo at 12:18 PM on February 2, 2021 [1 favorite]

President Trump's Response

Check out #5 - Basically, since Trump doesn't agree that the claims that he won the election by a landslide were false, he only partially disputes this impeachment claim.
posted by Mchelly at 12:19 PM on February 2, 2021 [1 favorite]

The utter weirdness of Donald Trump's new impeachment trial legal team announcement, CNN, Chris Cillizza; February 1, 2021:

... Donald Trump very much wants to remind absolutely everyone who sees this press release -- or quotes from it -- that he was the 45th president of the United States. The 45th. Forty and then another five. Four dozen minus three. The guy after the 44th president. You know, the 45th president.

There's of course more here. Trump never called and congratulated President Joe Biden for winning the 2020 election. Many have feared that Trump would continue to try to run a sort of shadow presidency from outside the White House for his followers -- preserving the myth that he is still kind of, sort of president. (He is, um, not.) All of this "45th President" stuff feels like a step in that direction.

And so, you get a press release like this one that mentions FIVE times in four paragraphs that he was the 45th president of the United States. It's more sad than anything else. But my guess is Trump doesn't see it that way.

He’s repeating it again in President Trump’s Response which mentions “45th President” FORTY-THREE times in fourteen pages. For “a man who does not hold office”, and who claims the Senate has no Constitutional jurisdiction over him because he is not in office, EX-President Trump is taking every opportunity to remind everyone (especially his own ego) that he is the 45th President, not a loser.

This is typical Trumpian doublespeak: find an effective ~~story~~ lie and constantly repeat it until the myth becomes bigger than reality.

Did I mention that the Donald is the FORMER President?
posted by cenoxo at 2:38 PM on February 2, 2021 [3 favorites]

It raises an interesting Catch-22 if his argument is that it's unconstitutional for him to be impeached because he's no longer the President, but his incitement was a perfectly unimpeachable offense because technically somehow he still is the President.

- did I get that right?
posted by Mchelly at 3:20 PM on February 2, 2021 [5 favorites]

Just asking: Is it possible that Trump is insisting on "stolen election" as part of his defense in order to put Republican Senators on the spot? If they vote Not Guilty for technical reasons, then they have not committed to supporting insurrection, etc. But if Election Theft is part of the circus, then a Senator's vote will either accept or reject the notion. Either way, Trump will probably be found Not Guilty, but those Senators who sign on to Election Fraud are Trump's forever.
posted by CCBC at 6:14 PM on February 2, 2021 [1 favorite]

Trump’s Impeachment Filing Contains a Bizarre Legal Argument — A “bill of attainder” has nothing to do with the former president’s Senate trial., Bloomberg Opinion, Noah Feldman, February 2, 2021:

The impeachment defense brief of former president Donald Trump mostly consists of three elements, each of which I’ve addressed (and rejected) in previous columns: the purported unconstitutionality of trying the president once he is out of office; his supposed First Amendment rights; and his denial that he incited the attack on the Capitol.

But there is something new in the brief: the astonishing assertion that if the Senate tries Trump, it will have violated the constitutional rule against bills of attainder.

What’s a bill of attainder? Funny you should ask! A bill of attainder, prohibited explicitly by the Constitution in Article 1, section 9, [clause 3 (link)] is a law adopted by the legislature that singles out a particular individual or class of people for punishment without trial. The category has been analyzed and defined by the Supreme Court over the years, starting in the aftermath of the Civil War and most recently in a 1977 case involving Richard Nixon’s papers.

It’s got nothing to do with the situation faced by Trump in his Senate trial...

More details follow in Feldman’s article, summed up with:

...the bill of attainder argument in Trump’s defense is a classic red herring. It’s an attempt to distract from the case against Trump by invoking legal-sounding constitutional language that no specialist has ever contemplated for more than a moment or two. Feel free to ignore it in the days ahead.

posted by cenoxo at 5:55 AM on February 3, 2021 [4 favorites]

Puffin cabbageal bromulated legislative word salad goulash; heretofore wherein attainder thereupon moot.
posted by flabdablet at 6:02 AM on February 3, 2021 [7 favorites]

"I move for a bad court thingy."
posted by mikelieman at 9:45 AM on February 3, 2021 [3 favorites]

Top Michigan Officials File Complaints Seeking Disbarment of Sidney Powell and Her ‘Kraken’ Team, Law & Crime, Adam Klasfeld, Feb 1st, 2021:

This photograph of Sidney Powell at the so-called “Stop the Steal” rally broadcast on NTD is embedded in Dominion’s lawsuit.

The list of Michiganders seeking right-wing lawyer Sidney Powell’s disbarment grew in size and clout on Monday with razor-sharp swipes from the Wolverine State’s top officials: Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Each of them filed complaints seeking to take away Powell’s law license. The three leaders, all Democrats, also filed similar complaints against Powell’s co-counsel Greg Rohl, Scott Hagerstrom and Stefanie Junttila.

“These attorneys filed a complaint based on falsehoods, used their law license in an attempt to disenfranchise Michigan voters and undermine the faith of the public in the legitimacy of the recent presidential election, and lent credence to untruths that led to violence and unrest,” Nessel said in a statement. “In doing so, they violated their oath and the ethical rules to which they are bound, abused the court system, and compromised the administration of justice — an important foundation of our civil society and the very bulwark of our democratic institutions. Anything short of disbarment would be an injustice to the American people.”
...
The city of Detroit recently blamed Powell and her most famous co-counsel for the bloodshed from the Capitol insurrection: “Let there be no mistake, there is blood on Lin Wood and Sidney Powell’s hands and on the hands of all those who pushed this lawsuit.”

Agreeing with the city, the state officials added: “Here, a direct line can be drawn from the fabrications of Ms. Powell and her associates to the unprecedented insurrection at the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. on January 6 that sought to topple our national government.”...

posted by cenoxo at 11:15 AM on February 3, 2021 [8 favorites]

Lindsey Graham makes odd threat against Kamala Harris as he demands short impeachment trial — Mr Graham has on numerous occasions said that no witnesses should be called during the trial, The Independent, Gustaf Kilander, 2/3/2021:

Related video [above article]: Lindsey Graham warns against witnesses in Trump's impeachment trial.

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham told Democratic lawmakers "Be careful what you wish for," after suggesting that if the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump is drawn out, the focus should be shifted to Vice President Kamala Harris. Mr Graham has on numerous occasions said that no witnesses should be called during the trial and if the Democrats call witnesses, Republicans will do the same.

On Tuesday, speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News, Mr Graham said: "If you're going to pursue this, and you wanna start calling witnesses, and you want to drag this thing out, it would be fair to have Kamala Harris' tape play where she bailed people out of jail. What more could you do to incite future violence, than to pay the bail of the people who broke up the shops and beat up the cops. How's that not inciting future violence? Be careful what you wish for my Democratic colleagues, be careful what you wish for."

[Kamala Harris Jun 1, 2020 tweet wrt donating to the Minnesota Freedom Fund.]

According to The Washington Post's “Fact Checker”, it was "wrong to suggest that the donations led to the release of many protesters or rioters"...

Lindsey Graham, weather vane.
posted by cenoxo at 12:58 PM on February 3, 2021 [3 favorites]

Most Americans seem to think that if you're arrested you're not only guilty but so very guilty that you ought to be detained until trial - at least if you're, eg, Black, or left wing, etc.

Bailing people out of jail is okay. Our system allows it. Far too few people avoid pre-trial detention. Obviously far too many people are detained and it's basically about money, politics and race, but if the system worked as it was supposed to, the judge would detail people who seemed dangerous without bail, done. If people can be bailed out, the judge has said that they're not so dangerous that they need to be detained; the judge has said that if they fork over enough money they can go.

Ugh, it's not even "the law binds but does not protect" with this mentality; it's "the system binds even in the face of the law".
posted by Frowner at 1:06 PM on February 3, 2021 [3 favorites]

Senator Graham’s has zero credibility when it comes to threats and promises. He obviously will do whatever suits him at the time and has no regard for precedent or his past promises. If we’re opening the can of worms let’s be sure to point out Graham’s own attempts to intimidate the Georgia Secretary of State.
posted by interogative mood at 1:16 PM on February 3, 2021 [6 favorites]

*cough* Kyle Rittenhouse *cough*
posted by Mchelly at 1:18 PM on February 3, 2021 [4 favorites]

I think Graham's point, which all Republican voters understand, is that the real danger comes from the left. Regardless of who stormed the Capitol.
posted by mumimor at 1:31 PM on February 3, 2021 [6 favorites]

Lindsey Graham, weather vane.

Nay,

Lindsey Graham, coprophagic anal osculator.
posted by y2karl at 1:32 PM on February 3, 2021 [6 favorites]

“Far-right accelerationists hope to spark the next U.S. civil war,” Greg Huffman, Facing South, 03 February 2021
posted by ob1quixote at 1:35 PM on February 3, 2021 [2 favorites]

*cough* Kyle Rittenhouse *cough*

You mean possible fugitive Kyle Rittenhouse?
posted by rhizome at 2:26 PM on February 3, 2021 [1 favorite]

Holy shit. Why isn't that bigger news? Especially now?
posted by Mchelly at 2:59 PM on February 3, 2021 [2 favorites]

In Rare Public Statement, Congressional Aides Call for Trump’s Conviction — More than 370 Democratic aides issued an unusual public appeal, notable because congressional staff members rarely publicly express their own views., New York Times, Nicholas Fandos, Feb. 3, 2021;

PHOTO: Congressional staff members barricading a door after Trump loyalists stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. Olivier Douliery/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

WASHINGTON — More than 370 Democratic congressional aides issued an unusual public appeal on Wednesday, imploring senators — in some cases their own bosses — to convict former President Donald J. Trump for inciting a violent “attack on our workplace” that threatened the peaceful transition of power.

In a starkly personal letter [PDF], the staff members describe ducking under office desks, barricading themselves in offices or watching as they witnessed marauding bands of rioters who “smashed” their way through the Capitol on Jan. 6. Responsibility, they argue, lies squarely with Mr. Trump and his “baseless, monthslong effort to reject votes lawfully cast by the American people.”

“As congressional employees, we don’t have a vote on whether to convict Donald J. Trump for his role in inciting the violent attack at the Capitol, but our senators do,” they wrote. “And for our sake, and the sake of the country, we ask that they vote to convict the former president and bar him from ever holding office again.
...
The letter, while in no way binding, underscored the remarkable dynamic surrounding Mr. Trump’s trial, in which many of the witnesses to and victims of the “incitement of insurrection” he is charged with are among the closest advisers to lawmakers who will decide his political fate. Congressional aides often provide counsel behind closed doors to the elected officials they serve, and many are authorized to speak on those officials’ behalf. But exceedingly rarely do they publicly express their own views — much less push for so stark a political and constitutional remedy as conviction in an impeachment trial...

How many Congressional aides (from both sides of the aisle) who barricaded themselves in rooms during the Capitol attack will be present during the upcoming trial? Perhaps someone should ask them to testify.

Each and every person in the Capitol should be put under oath and testify to whether they believed their life or safety was at risk. It could be a simple, "I swear or affirm that I believed my life and safety were at risk from the violent election-denying thugs*", but each and every person there should be afforded the opportunity to testify for the record. Even if it takes a few days to get through the 538 members of Congress, their staff, and their guests their voices need to be heard.
posted by mikelieman at 11:31 PM on February 3, 2021 [3 favorites]

Lindsey Graham, coprophagic anal osculator

Two of those three words were new to me. Thank you for the education, y2karl, and I mean that sincerely. Your description is a thing of beauty. Might a translation into the common vernacular come out as shit-eating ass-kisser? Sounds like Lindsey Graham in a nutshell.
posted by Bella Donna at 1:51 AM on February 4, 2021 [2 favorites]

Biden White House: We can’t release Trump’s visitor logs — The records could reveal a lot about the ex-president’s time in office. But, for now, they’re controlled by the National Archives., Politico, Natasha Bertrand, 02/03/2021:

The Biden White House said it cannot unilaterally release visitor logs from the Trump White House, amid questions about whether anyone who participated in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol visited the former president in the days leading up to it.

“Under the Presidential Records Act [National Archives, WP], all Trump White House visitor logs are under the control and legal custody of the National Archives and Records Administration, and cannot be unilaterally released by the Biden White House,” a White House spokesperson said on Wednesday, following inquiries from reporters during a press briefing the day before.

The Presidential Records Act, which requires a sitting president to preserve and ultimately make public all records relating to the performance of their official duties, was passed 42 years ago in response to President Richard Nixon’s attempts to hide the White House tapes that led to his downfall. The law makes presidential records available to the public via the Freedom of Information Act beginning five years after the end of an administration.

The National Archives defines presidential records as any documentary materials “created or received” by the president, their immediate staff or anyone in the Executive Office of the President “whose function is to advise or assist the President” in the course of carrying out official duties....

Under PRA rules, the current administration can request specific past Presidential records from NARA, but doesn’t have ‘carte blanche’ access to all of them (no fishing expeditions).

See also Trump and the Toothless Presidential Records Act, Yale Law School, 3/11/2019.
posted by cenoxo at 6:28 AM on February 4, 2021 [4 favorites]

Might a translation into the common vernacular come out as shit-eating ass-kisser?

In a word: Indeed.
posted by y2karl at 6:57 AM on February 4, 2021 [2 favorites]

Trump quickly rejects impeachment managers' request for testimony at impeachment trial, CNN, Jeremy Herb & Manu Raju, February 4, 2021:

The House impeachment managers on Thursday requested Donald Trump testify at his upcoming Senate impeachment trial, in a dramatic move to try to get the former President on the record about his conduct surrounding the January 6 riots at the Capitol.

But Trump's legal team quickly responded by rejecting the invitation in a terse response to the House impeachment team, putting the decision back on the Democrats over whether to try to compel Trump's testimony with a subpoena.

Lead impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin sent a letter to Trump's attorney Thursday requesting that Trump testify before or during the upcoming impeachment trial, which begins on Tuesday, arguing that his testimony was needed after he disputed the House's allegations that he incited the insurrection at the Capitol.
...
Trump's lawyers quickly responded to Raskin's request on Thursday, writing back in a three-paragraph letter, saying the request was a sign the House could not prove its allegations against Trump. "The use of our Constitution to bring a purported impeachment proceeding is much too serious to try to play these games," wrote Trump's attorneys, Bruce Castor and David Schoen. Trump adviser Jason Miller confirmed that Trump was rejecting the request, telling CNN, "The President will not testify in an unconstitutional proceeding."
...
The swift rejection of the request for testimony raises the question of whether Democrats will try to subpoena Trump to testify for the trial. The House's letter did not mention a subpoena. Raskin instead suggested the impeachment managers would use his refusal against him, writing, "We reserve any and all rights, including the right to establish at trial that your refusal to testify supports a strong adverse inference regarding your actions."...

The Former 45th President draws a line in the sand.
posted by cenoxo at 6:32 PM on February 4, 2021

"The use of our Constitution to bring a purported impeachment proceeding is much too serious to try to play these games,"

Parsing this makes me feel dumber. The use of our Constitution to do a thing is serious... which implies it's a constitutional thing they're doing, else they would not be using it... yet you're arguing that it's not constitutional. And it's definitely not a purported impeachment proceeding, it's for sure an actual thing that's actually happening.

I don't expect better than this, but sometimes a phrase from Trumpland just jumps out and digs into the brain.
posted by jason_steakums at 7:37 PM on February 4, 2021 [2 favorites]

Trump adviser Jason Miller confirmed that Trump was rejecting the request, telling CNN, "The President will not testify in an unconstitutional proceeding."

He. Is. Not. The. President.
posted by Mchelly at 8:28 PM on February 4, 2021 [9 favorites]

Per Lawfare, House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin’s full letter to former President Trump (to testify under oath before or during his Senate trial) is here (PDF).

The full reply from former President Trump’s attorneys is here (Twitter).
posted by cenoxo at 9:33 PM on February 4, 2021

In a different pissant missive (image) printed on the former 45th president’s personal stationery, emblazoned with a presidential seal and scrawled with a marker, Read Trump’s Preemptive SAG-AFTRA Resignation Letter, New York Intelligencer, Charlotte Klein, Feb. 4, 2021.
posted by cenoxo at 11:07 PM on February 4, 2021 [1 favorite]

Movie at the Ellipse: A Study in Fascist Propaganda — Scholars on the Nazis and anti-Semitism have seen this before, Just Security, Jason Stanley; February 4, 2021:

On January 6, Trump supporters gathered at a rally at Washington DC’s Ellipse Park, regaled by various figures from Trump world, including Donald Trump Jr. and Rudy Giuliani. Directly following Giuliani’s speech, the organizers played a video. To a scholar of fascist propaganda, well-versed in the history of the National Socialist’s pioneering use of videos in political propaganda, it was clear, watching it, what dangers it portended. In it, we see themes and tactics that history warns pose a violent threat to liberal democracy. Given the aims of fascist propaganda – to incite and mobilize – the events that followed were predictable.

Details and analysis in the article. See also The film Trump used to incite supporters on Jan.6 was textbook fascist, anti-Semitic propaganda, Daily Kos, Dartagnan for Community Contributors Team, February 05, 2021.
posted by cenoxo at 10:56 AM on February 5, 2021 [5 favorites]

Trump adviser Jason Miller confirmed that Trump was rejecting the request, telling CNN, "The President will not testify in an unconstitutional proceeding."

He didn't reject the request, he only said he won't testify in an "unconstitutional proceeding," which...what would that even be? Whatever it is, it's not this, constitutionality being referenced in the legal reply.

Not only that, but "high crimes" are defined as including crimes that don't have explicit laws prohibiting them because the President is the only person who can commit them. This means Congress decides what is an impeachable offense all by themselves.

The Former 45th President draws a line in the sand

As usual, he didn't do shit but try to fool the news cycle.
posted by rhizome at 2:14 PM on February 5, 2021 [2 favorites]

cenoxo, who made that propaganda film? Who paid for it?
posted by MonkeyToes at 4:45 PM on February 5, 2021 [1 favorite]

who made that propaganda film? Who paid for it?

In the Just Security article, author Jason Stanley writes:

...Each of us can decide what moral responsibility Trump personally has for a video to rouse his supporters at the rally. How much of a role the White House or Trump himself may have played in deciding to show the video and sequencing it immediately after Giuliani’s speech, we don’t know.

But it is worth noting that the New York Times recently reported [*] that by early January, “the rally would now effectively become a White House production” and, with his eye ever on media production, Trump micromanaged the details. “The president discussed the speaking lineup, as well as the music to be played, according to a person with direct knowledge of the conversations. For Mr. Trump, the rally was to be the percussion line in the symphony of subversion he was composing from the Oval Office,” the Times reported.

*Here are those quotes in context in 77 Days: Trump’s Campaign to Subvert the Election — Hours after the United States voted, the president declared the election a fraud — a lie that unleashed a movement that would shatter democratic norms and upend the peaceful transfer of power., New York Times; Jim Rutenberg, Jo Becker, Eric Lipton, Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Martin, Matthew Rosenberg, Michael S. Schmidt; Published Jan. 31, 2021; Updated Feb. 3, 2021:

‘Standing at the Precipice of History’

On Saturday, Jan. 2, Kylie Kremer posted a promotional video for Wednesday’s rally on Twitter, along with a message: “BE A PART OF HISTORY.” The president shared her post and wrote: “I’ll be there! Historic day.”

Though Ms. Kremer held the permit, the rally would now effectively become a White House production. After 12,000 miles of drumbeating through 44 stops in more than 20 states, they would be handing over their movement to the man whose grip on power it had been devised to maintain.

There were new donors, including the Publix supermarket heiress Julie Jenkins Fancelli. She gave $300,000 in an arrangement coordinated through the internet conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who pledged $50,000 as well, The Wall Street Journal reported.

New planners also joined the team, among them Caroline Wren, a former deputy to Kimberly Guilfoyle, the Trump fund-raiser and partner of Donald Trump Jr. The former Trump campaign adviser Katrina Pierson was the liaison to the White House, a former administration official said.

The president discussed the speaking lineup, as well as the music to be played, according to a person with direct knowledge of the conversations. For Mr. Trump, the rally was to be the percussion line in the symphony of subversion he was composing from the Oval Office.

Although the above articles do not state exactly who wrote/created/directed the propaganda video, they claim that Donald Trump (and others in the White House) specifically approved it for the January 6th rally.

However, if the former 45th president were to be asked directly if he reviewed and approved this video, I suspect his answer would be “I don't take responsibility at all'”.
posted by cenoxo at 10:45 PM on February 5, 2021 [2 favorites]

They Stormed the Capitol. Their Apps Tracked Them. — Times Opinion was able to identify individuals from a trove of leaked smartphone location data., New York Times, Charlie Warzel & Stuart A. Thompson (Mr. Warzel and Mr. Thompson are writers in Opinion. They previously reported on smartphone tracking for the series “One Nation, Tracked.”), Feb. 5, 2021:

...A source has provided another [smartphone] data set, this time following the smartphones of thousands of Trump supporters, rioters and passers-by in Washington, D.C., on January 6, as Donald Trump’s political rally turned into a violent insurrection. At least five people died because of the riot at the Capitol. Key to bringing the mob to justice has been the event’s digital detritus: location data, geotagged photos, facial recognition, surveillance cameras and crowdsourcing.

From Trump’s Rally to Congress — This time-lapse animation shows smartphones as they moved from Donald Trump’s rally to the Capitol [view inline animation in the article].
...
The data we were given showed what some in the tech industry might call a God-view vantage of that dark day. It included about 100,000 location pings for thousands of smartphones, revealing around 130 devices inside the Capitol exactly when Trump supporters were storming the building. Times Opinion is only publishing the names of people who gave their permission to be quoted in this article...

Additional details and phone tracking examples in the article.

You can sit, stand, or run, but your phone won’t hide you.
posted by cenoxo at 12:03 AM on February 6, 2021

Yesterday, Reps. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) became the first lawmakers to be fined $5K each for refusing to pass through metal detectors installed in the U.S. Capitol after the Jan. 6 riot. (The new rule was adopted Tuesday, in a 216-210 vote.) This amount will be deducted from their salaries; subsequent violations are $10K each.

Money quote: Gohmert told Axios, "We'll be appealing because this is ridiculous. This isn't 'The Godfather' where you plant a gun in the toilet tank," Gohmert told Axios. "There is no toilet tank in the bathroom." Context, from Gohmert's statement on fine and metal detector - he says he did initially pass through the detector, and then stepped off the House floor to use the men's restroom.

Clyde’s office did not provide details about the incident resulting in his fine. On Fox News, he said he is gearing up for a court battle. He has been here before. Clyde’s first exposure to politics was successfully challenging an IRS policy on money seized from businesses, which resulted in a law named after him. (AJC, Feb. 6, 2020) Clyde is a freshman rep; from the 2015 IRS seizure story, also at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "I was never so afraid in my life, not even in combat," said Andrew Clyde, who runs a gun store in Athens, Georgia, as he described how he felt when two IRS agents showed up at his door, saying they had seized $940,213 from his company's bank account. "I trembled when they left," Clyde said in his testimony. 2017's H.R.1843 - Restraining Excessive Seizure of Property through the Exploitation of Civil Asset Forfeiture Tools Act, aka the “Clyde-Hirsch-Sowers RESPECT Act.”
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:05 PM on February 6, 2021 [6 favorites]

"Congressional investigators are reportedly looking into what role Trump associates including Roger Stone may have played in planning the assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6. New video footage obtained by Just Security, and published in full below, shows connections between Stone and leaders of the Proud Boys who may have planned some aspects of the attack."
posted by MonkeyToes at 2:26 PM on February 6, 2021 [3 favorites]

The Far-Right Militia Member Providing Muscle for Top Trump Allies and Aides — Oath Keeper Rob Minuta’s apparent security role shows a troubling network of connections between members of the militia and some of Trump’s closest advisers and supporters., Daily Beast, Adam Rawnsley Senior Researcher, Feb. 06, 2021:

When Oath Keeper Rob Minuta provided security for Roger Stone on the day of the Capitol riot, it wasn’t his first time providing muscle for a top Trump aide. Imagery obtained by The Daily Beast shows Minuta marched alongside former Trump National Security Adviser Mike Flynn when he attended a similar march in Washington, D.C. in December [12th, 2020] which sought to overturn the 2020 election.

His appearance in similar roles for Flynn and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones at pro-Trump rallies after the election highlights the troubling network of connections between members of the far-right militia and some of Trump’s closest advisers and supporters.

ABC News first reported that Minuta was one of the Oath Keepers seen providing security for Roger Stone on the day of the riot. Minuta’s wife told the news outlet her husband didn’t enter the Capitol and he hasn’t been charged with a crime or accused of wrongdoing.
...
Citizen Lab researcher John Scott Railton [Twitter, website] and a Discord group of volunteers known as the “Capitol Terrorists Exposers” first identified Minuta in imagery escorting Flynn [related John Scott Railton thread].

“This case is yet another illustration of the troubling tendrils connecting organized groups, such as the Oath Keepers, to this event and a reminder of the role of volunteers in identifying what may be key people in this story,” Scott-Railton told The Daily Beast....

More details and video links in the DB article.
posted by cenoxo at 7:01 PM on February 6, 2021 [4 favorites]

Nearly 150 Constitutional Scholars Reject Trump’s Defense: ‘The First Amendment Does Not Apply in Impeachment Proceedings’, Law & Crime, Colin Kalmbacher, Feb 5th, 2021:

Former president Donald Trump has no First Amendment defense in his upcoming U.S. Senate impeachment trial, according to nearly 150 constitutional scholars.

In an open letter [PDF, seven pages] released Friday, dozens of law professors and First Amendment litigators sought to disabuse the 45th president and his defense team of the suggestion that the First Amendment even applies to his case soon to come before the upper chamber.

“The First Amendment is no bar to the Senate convicting former president Trump and disqualifying him from holding future office,” the letter reads, before explaining that the authors have numerous legal and political differences but are nonetheless united in their understanding of the law on this point. “The First Amendment does not apply in impeachment proceedings, so it cannot provide a defense for president Trump.”...

Arguments and examples follow in the article.
posted by cenoxo at 8:26 PM on February 6, 2021 [1 favorite]

Trump's DC hotel is hiking prices for March 4 - the day QAnon followers think the former president will be sworn in (Insider, formerly Business Insider, Feb. 7, 2021)

Previously: Trump's D.C. hotel, a clubhouse for his fans, may also be a 5-star conflict of interest (An NBC News analysis of FEC filings and social media shows GOP groups, foreign countries and federal agencies have spent big at the luxury hotel), NBC, Aug. 8, 2018; Trump’s D.C. Hotel Jacked Up Its Prices as Trump Began Plotting a D.C.-Based Convention, The Daily Beast, Aug. 7, 2020; Trump hotel in DC massively hikes prices for Biden inauguration dates, The Independent, Jan. 1, 2021; &

Trump’s D.C. Hotel Under Renewed Scrutiny, Government Executive, Jan. 14, 2021: In the wake of the riots––that led to the House voting to impeach Trump on Wednesday–– many companies are pulling back from working with the Trump Organization, including real estate firm JLL that was working with it to sell the hotel lease (although it did not give a reason why), The Washington Post reported. [...] Noah Bookbinder, executive director of the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told Government Executive that while the lease situation has been problematic for the last four years, “when you have the president now inciting what can only be described as an insurrection against the government, it feels even more wrong for the president to be benefiting from a massive contract with the government.”
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:03 AM on February 7, 2021 [4 favorites]

• C-SPAN
WATCH LIVE ON FEBRUARY 09 | 12:55PM ET | C-SPAN2
U.S. Senate Impeachment Trial
The Senate Impeachment Trial of former President Trump continues with the start of opening arguments from House Republican impeachment managers, and Donald Trump’s defense team.

• PBS News Hour
The Second Trump Impeachment Trial
Day 1, February 9, 2021
WATCH LIVE: Trump’s second impeachment trial begins in Senate
posted by cenoxo at 9:14 AM on February 8, 2021

FWIW, oddly, CSPAN usually has the most delay of any source.
posted by rhizome at 6:03 PM on February 8, 2021

Trump Wants Liz Cheney Gone, but Will the House GOP Obey? (thedailybeast.com)

Mostly about the legislators, but this bit caught my attention.

But due to Twitter’s banning of the @realDonaldTrump account following the Capitol riot that Trump instigated, he has not been able to personally trash Cheney via his once widely read tweets. He has written out insults and observations, several of them about Cheney, but with no ability to tweet them himself, he has resorted to suggesting put-downs for others to use or post to their own Twitter, according to a person with direct knowledge of this new habit.

posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 6:50 PM on February 8, 2021

I don't know a ton about her, but she seems pretty confident that she has enough support to blow off the dickbirds.
posted by rhizome at 7:33 PM on February 8, 2021

Hmm, now I'm wondering if Cheney's presence is actually a challenge to the Boebert/Greene wing of the party, in a "there can only be one" way. All I can think about with her is her dad hanging out over her shoulder like a force ghost, offering that creepy chuckle of his when the wackos get noisy. I mean, just like the insurrectionists, Boebert/Greene appear not to actually know what to do once they're in office, or how to accumulate power, which might get them a good ol' Cheney "GFY."
posted by rhizome at 7:41 PM on February 8, 2021

Sure hoping someone makes a new impeachment post, so my phone doesn't overheat and explode from this multi-thousand comment thread.
posted by PhineasGage at 7:55 PM on February 8, 2021 [3 favorites]

Me too, though I'm not volunteering--this one (a week old, ~150 comments, about Trump's efforts to subvert the election) might be useful in the meantime.
posted by box at 6:53 AM on February 9, 2021 [1 favorite]

New impeachment post
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:57 AM on February 9, 2021 [1 favorite]

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