[guest post by Dana]

[Ed. Pre-emptive strike: I blame the post-insurrection surreality of Washington D.C. for the disjointedness of this post.…]

Democrats move to oust Trump:

Impeachment pressure mounting, the House worked swiftly Monday to try to oust President Donald Trump from office, pushing the vice president and Cabinet to act first in an extraordinary effort to remove Trump in the final days of his presidency.

Trump faces a single charge — “incitement of insurrection” – in an impeachment resolution that could go to a vote by mid-week. First, Democrats called on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke constitutional authority under the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office before Jan. 20, when Democrat Joe Biden is to be inaugurated.

“President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government,” reads the four-page impeachment bill.

“He will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office,” it reads.

…

On Monday, a House resolution calling on Vice President Pence to invoke constitutional authority to remove Trump from office was blocked by Republicans. However, the full House is set to hold a roll call vote on that resolution on Tuesday, and it is expected to pass.

After that, Pelosi said Pence will have 24 hours to respond. Next, the House would proceed to impeachment. A vote could come Wednesday.

Pence has given no indication he is ready to proceed on such a course, which would involve invoking the 25th Amendment to the Constitution with a vote by a majority of the Cabinet to oust Trump before he leaves office.

Full text of the resolution here.

Meanwhile, there has finally been a member of the First Family who has publicly commented on last week’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In part, from First Lady Melania Trump:

Most recently, my heart goes out to: Air Force Veteran, Ashli Babbitt, Benjamin Philips, Kevin Greeson, Roseanne Boyland, and Capitol Police Officers, Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood. I pray for their families comfort and strength during this difficult time.

I am disappointed and disheartened with what happened last week. I find it shameful that surrounding these tragic events there has been salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks, and false misleading accusations on me – from people who are looking to be relevant and have an agenda. This time is solely about healing our country and its citizens. It should not be used for personal gain.

While the First Lady mourned the lives lost, she certainly doesn’t believe that her husband had any hand in last week’s insurrection. Apparently, he was just an innocent bystander with no power to stop it from happening. But she is clearly annoyed that people have said mean things about her. I mean, what was she supposed to do? Talk to him, attempt to intervene, plead and demand that he stop the madness as it happened? She was busy, people:.

As thousands of pro-Trump supporters streamed into Washington, DC, Wednesday headed first to the Ellipse to hear President Donald Trump speak, and then to the United States Capitol to lay siege to the epicenter of American democracy, first lady Melania Trump was doing a photo shoot at the White House.

Professional lighting, the sort used for photography and videography, could be seen through the windows of the White House. “Photos were being taken of rugs and other items in the Executive Residence and the East Wing,” a person familiar with the day’s activities with the first lady told CNN. Trump — who, as CNN has reported, has expressed interest in writing a coffee table book about decorative objects she has amassed and had restored in the White House — was overseeing the photo project, said the source, with her remaining time in the White House dwindling.

And yet, just a short distance away, this horrific scene was unfolding:

See this photo and watch the video to get a fuller sense of what happened: https://t.co/SdvBvLVq1A pic.twitter.com/SSpmbiJG4Q

— John McCormack (@McCormackJohn) January 10, 2021

But sure Melania, tell us all about that mean gossip…

Anyway, the President himself has been in hiding since last week’s stilted video (that he apparently later regretted making). However, this morning he presented the Medal of Freedom to his unwavering ally, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio. Last week, the president presented the medal to…Rep. Devin Nunes in what one assumes was a mooving ceremony. As of late, Nunes was seen on Fox News Channel complaining that Republicans no longer have any means to communicate…

P.S And because it’s a manic Monday, here’s another bit of WTF to add to the pile:

Starting this week and running through at least Inauguration Day, armed protests are being planned at all 50 state capitols and at the U.S. Capitol, according to an internal FBI bulletin obtained by ABC News.

The FBI has also received information in recent days on a group calling for “storming” state, local and federal government courthouses and administrative buildings in the event President Donald Trump is removed from office prior to Inauguration Day. The group is also planning to “storm” government offices in every state the day President-elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated, regardless of whether the states certified electoral votes for Biden or Trump.

“The FBI received information about an identified armed group intending to travel to Washington, DC on 16 January,” the bulletin read. “They have warned that if Congress attempts to remove POTUS via the 25th Amendment, a huge uprising will occur.”

I am looking forward to Trumpists everywhere, from the private citizens to the Republican leadership currently pleading for unity and healing while ignoring *who* fomented the insurrection, to step up to the plate and publicly object to this divisive move. Any minute now…

–Dana