GOP: You Have A Serious Problem
[guest post by Dana]
As I’ve mentioned before, I am no longer a member of the Republican Party. These days, I no longer recognize the Republican Party. I have watched it morph into a strange, foreign body that has spent at least four years doing ridiculous contortions to defend Trump’s words and deeds, no matter the cost to the party’s reputation. The refusal to hold him accountable, to let him assume responsibility for all he has said and done, and the God-awful infantilization of a sitting president was just one disgrace too far. Crystallizing today’s GOP was the Republican Party’s recent reaction toward Liz Cheney when she voted to impeach Trump. Instead of applauding a sitting member of Congress for putting the Constitution and ethics above partisan loyalty, she was immediately condemned and now faces possible removal from her leadership post. The GOP tagline should be Party First, no matter what! It’s fitting.
With that, let’s take a look at what three different state GOP parties have been up to since the recent debacle at the Capitol:
The Oregon GOP passed their own sham of a resolution condemning Republicans who voted to impeach Trump:
“Our party is speaking out in condemnation of the profound betrayal by the ten House Republicans who supported impeaching President Trump last week without any investigation, hearing, shred of due process, and in contradiction to the known and emerging facts,” said Bill Currier, Oregon Republican Party chairman. “This type of sham process has become the norm for Democrats, but no Republican should support or give in to such an abuse of our Constitutional system.”
Included in their sham resolution were the following:
Whereas history tells us that after George Washington appointed Major General Benedict Arnold to command West Point, Arnold conspired to surrender the fort to the British;
Whereas the ten Republican House members, by voting to impeach President Trump, repeated history by conspiring to surrender our nation to Leftist forces seeking to establish a dictatorship void of all cherished freedoms and liberties.
Whereas the actual transcript of President Trump’s speech contradicts Democrat claims of “incitement of insurrection”
Whereas there is growing evidence that the violence at the Capitol was a “false flag” operation designed to discredit President Trump, his supporters, and all conservative Republicans; this provided the sham motivation to impeach President Trump in order to advance the Democrat goal of seizing total power, in a frightening parallel to the February 1933 burning of the German Reichstag
and
Whereas this false flag effort will support Joe Biden plans to introducing new domestic terrorism legislation likely placing more emphasis on themes from the post-911 Patriot Act such as allowing those charged with terrorism to be automatically detained before trial, outlawing donations to government-designated terrorist groups, allowing electronic surveillance of suspected terrorists, letting the government use evidence from secret sources in those trials, and perhaps new provisions such as codifying putting conservatives on a secret no-fly list without recourse to due process and restricting free speech, similar to the Sedition Act of 1798, which criminalized making “false statements” critical of the Federal government
and
Whereas the way of life and the entire economic future of Oregon and America is under attack, and we should be able to count on our elected officials to protect us from all enemies, foreign and domestic…
To tell you the truth, while the Oregon GOP was bad enough, the Hawaii GOP was…well….see for yourself:
Yesterday, damage control was the focus as the GOP sought to distance themselves from Q’Anon and the now-resigned official who tweeted the conspiracy-love tweet:
Even though a high-ranking Hawaii Republican Party official has resigned over controversial tweets supporting QAnon followers, it hasn’t stopped the controversy for the local GOP.
Edwin Boyette, vice chair for communications for the Hawaii Republican Party, said his tweets on party’s Twitter account were “errors in judgement.” The party’s chair said the tweets don’t represent the views of the organization’s.
“Those tweets were unauthorized,” said Shirlene Ostrov, chair of the Hawaii Republican Party.
“I think everyone can recognize that those tweets are isolated incidents and the person has since been removed.”
Longtime Republican state Rep. Gene Ward issued this statement:
“Fortunately, he resigned before he was to be censured, reprimanded and removed,” Ward wrote.
“Let me be clear, that statement was made by an overzealous party officer that was unauthorized, unfounded and was total nonsense not reflecting the views of our party leaders or any elected officials.”
And yet, Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, chair of the Democratic Party of Hawaii said that there have been tweets on the official GOP Twitter account that support views by an “alleged holocaust denier”:
The tweet — which has since been taken down by the party — referred to Mainland blogger Tarl Warwick as someone whose “commentary and analysis is generally high quality.”
Years ago, Warwick questioned the actual death toll at Auschwitz.
“Whatever the death toll was you cannot say every death was the result of execution,” Warwick said.
“The actual chamber that would have been the gas chamber is a far smaller unit with some pumps in it. The famous Auschwitz shower was quite literally a showering station. They’ve got like swimming pools at these places.”
Finally, the Arizona GOP stooped to new lows under the guidance of GOP Chairwoman Kelli Ward, who won another two-year term. And while Sen. John McCain was no doubt rolling over in his grave, I’m pretty sure he was also giving his longtime party the royal bird at the same time:
The Arizona Republican Party sent a clear signal Saturday that its leadership remains loyal to former President Donald Trump when it voted to publicly punish Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, former Sen. Jeff Flake and Cindy McCain, all of whom opposed Trump’s efforts to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory, or in the case of Flake and McCain, endorsed the Democrat before the election.
The decision to censure those three Republicans — in addition to re-electing controversial chairwoman Kelli Ward — solidified the rightward shift of the official party, while also reflecting the deep fractures among Arizona Republicans over the future of the GOP, which suffered bruising defeats at the ballot box in 2020 in this increasingly purple state.
Reactions by the three who were censured was anything but shame, as was the intention:
Ducey’s political director, Sara Mueller, discounted the power of the state party’s actions, namely on the censure of the sitting governor. “These resolutions are of no consequence whatsoever, and the people behind them have lost whatever little moral authority they may have once had,” said Mueller.
Cindy McCain tweeted:
It is a high honor to be included in a group of Arizonans who have served our state and our nation so well…and who, like my late husband John, have been censured by the AZGOP. I’ll wear this as a badge of honor.
— Cindy McCain (@cindymccain) January 24, 2021
And from Jeff Flake:
If condoning President Trump’s behavior is required to stay in the AZGOP’s good graces, I’m just fine being on the outs.
He also tweeted a photo of himself with Gov. Ducey and Cindy McCain at last week’s inauguration:
Good company pic.twitter.com/1pdgVGE5Ps
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) January 24, 2021
It’s pretty clear that any number of state GOPs continue to remain loyal to Trump, and will shun those who do what is right. Just how long his influence will be felt in state GOPs is really anyone’s guess. Obviously, I think the sooner his presence and influence is crushed within the party, the better for its members, and the country at large. Certainly, in the aftermath of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Trump has seen deep-pocketed donors distance themselves from him, as well as any number of former associates, aides, and team members. But still, there are some who are determined that his influence on the GOP continues:
Russ Vought, who led Donald Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, plans to announce two pro-Trump organizations Tuesday, aiming to provide the ideological ammunition to sustain Trump’s political movement after his departure from the White House.
…The Center for American Restoration and an advocacy arm, America Restoration Action, will try to keep cultural issues that animated Trump’s presidency on the public agenda, according to people familiar with the matter.
…Vought is teaming up in the effort with Rachel Semmel, who ran communications for Trump’s OMB, and Ashlea Frazier, his former chief of staff.
The Center for American Restoration will be organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and explore issues including voter fraud and the role of big technology and social media companies in disseminating information.
America Restoration Action will be set up as a 501(c)(4) “social welfare” group, with more of a focus on policy advocacy.
–Dana
Hello.
Dana (fd537d) — 1/26/2021 @ 11:29 amDespite our fondest wishes, the GOP does not have a problem unless it stops raking in the big bucks and electing its members. It may be missing a soul, however.
Appalled (1a17de) — 1/26/2021 @ 11:49 amThe Oregon resolution sounds like it came from the Onion….and must have been written in crayola. I figured the equivalent of binge drinking would have stopped after the “perfect” Ukraine call…but especially after January 6th…but ever major right wing media source is enabling it. The fact that the pandemic has everyone particularly wound tight is not helping matters. The GOP has become a caricature of itself. Maybe time will cause this to run out of steam….
AJ_Liberty (a4ff25) — 1/26/2021 @ 12:00 pmThis re-enforces my conclusion that the base of the GOP can’t really be reached by fact based arguments and that it’s pointless to try.
Time123 (ae9d89) — 1/26/2021 @ 12:03 pm“The GOP tagline should be Party First, no matter what!”
Actually the tagline should be “Trump First, there is no other!”.
KenL (6340ff) — 1/26/2021 @ 12:07 pmClearly, what defines a “problem” varies.
Dana (fd537d) — 1/26/2021 @ 12:10 pmThat tag line makes too much sense. shouldn’t it be something more contextual like WWG1WGA or 4 GOETUS!!!!
Time123 (d1bf33) — 1/26/2021 @ 12:11 pmThe only place they can rake in big bucks now, is probably Trump’a slush fund.
They may be still getting money from other sources, but that’s because, like a cartoon character, they haven’t looked down after having run off the cliff.
Sammy Finkelman (dcc9ca) — 1/26/2021 @ 12:13 pmThe Oregon resolution might be part of a false flag operation. Why not?
I think the Oregon Republican Party is claiming,without saying so, that most of the criminals in the Capitol were leftists in disguise. And even that Democrats did it. This is just as bad as the Democrats claiming Trump did it.
It might have been instigated under a false flag but not in the way they say. Entire organizations, like the Oath Keepers, and the Three percenters, and any QAnon groups could be organized and led by people operating under deep cover.
Directed by the Russian Imperial Movement, which operates freely in St. Petersburg, Russia, under Putin’s government, despite having been labeled a terrorist organization by the United States State Department in 2020 (that’s Mike Pompeo)
In other words, really, Russian intelligence.
This is like what the Communist Party was under Communism. They promoted a form of Marxism. Putin promotes white nationalism.
Extremists from all over the world travel to Russia for training. On Aug 29. 2020 they tried to break into the German Parliament.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/24/world/europe/capitol-far-right-global.html
Heimbach says he is now an ex-white nationalist.
Also in the same article:
Sammy Finkelman (dcc9ca) — 1/26/2021 @ 12:26 pmAs if we needed more proof:
From Rand Paul:
Disgraceful.
Dana (fd537d) — 1/26/2021 @ 12:33 pmArticle dated November 5, 2020: (at that time they anticipated violence on Election Day, which didn’t happen)
https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-foment-election-violence-us-far-right-ties-experts-2020-9
They may not have it exactly right what’s going on here, but the information about some kind of connections should be more reliable.
Sammy Finkelman (dcc9ca) — 1/26/2021 @ 12:45 pmAnd 45 Republican Senators today supported Rand Paul’s point of order that the trial is unconstitutional, meaning (a) Trump will be acquitted, (b) he will probably be the nominee in 2024, and (c ) he stands a good chance of winning in 2024.
America is fucked.
aphrael (4c4719) — 1/26/2021 @ 12:46 pmSpeaking as someone who left for five years and came back after the 2018 midterms, I’m going to take the contrarian view and appeal to all you conservative non-Republicans to join or rejoin the GOP.
Paul Montagu (105c10) — 1/26/2021 @ 12:48 pmOur nation functions best, IMO, when there are two vibrant political parties. The best way to bring this party back is not to sit out, but to engage, and the best way to engage is from within. It’s probably a losing proposition to go against the grain by going against the larger tribe to try to defeat Trump and Trumpism, but I think it’s more effective than staying off the field and tut-tutting from the sidelines.
Until a better viable party comes along, that’s where I’ll be. I know Beldar and others are with me in the Remnant Wing.
#12 Paul —
What does being a member mean, in this context? Voting in the primary? Registering GOP? Giving money? (Sorry, but no way in moderation am I doing that) Going to open GOP meetings?
I tend to believe that political parties respond to market forces better than anything else. The actions that bring in money or votes are what bring in the responses. The activities that cost money and votes will cause the to shy away. My voice means little in that context.
Appalled (1a17de) — 1/26/2021 @ 1:03 pmPaul,
I respect and understand your view. But I no longer share it. I simply don’t see the point of it any longer. It’s as if the GOP revealed its heart and soul over the past 4 years, and what we saw was ugly and devoid of any commitment toward truth or morality or responsibility. All I see are grifters willing to do just about anything to keep their hands on the levers of power and keep the gravy train running. For 4 years, individuals have had the opportunity to make a solid stand against the corruption of Trump, and how many in leadership positions have done that? Instead, how many refused to let their political futures be jeopardized by doing what is honorable?
I believe that while appalled was right when he said above that the “GOP does not have a problem unless it stops raking in the big bucks and electing its members. It may be missing a soul, however,” I think that being a soulless entity raking in money to put more members loyal to the party isn’t enough for me. I am ashamed and embarrassed for the once-viable and consequential party.
Dana (fd537d) — 1/26/2021 @ 1:05 pmThis is more than the Republican party’s problem, it’s America’s problem.
Here’s what I now believe is the most likely path for the country in the next four years:
* the 2021-2023 Congress gets very little done. The Senate Republicans filibuster everything they can, so only appointments and budget items and very rare things that everyone can agree on get passed. Sinema and Manchin protect the filibuster, meaning we can’t even get a clean elections bill through.
* following historic patterns, the Republicans regain seats in the House in 2022. They take the majority, and since their majority is a Trumpist one, they immediately use their control of the House to run nonsense investigations of the 2020 election, which they openly and blatantly lie about — but their base believes the lies and the middle becomes confused and unsure what to believe
* Trump is the Republican nominee in 2024 because nobody can stand against him
* Trump runs on a joint platform of “the evil dems stole the election from the people in 2020” and “biden has been a catastrophe”. He loses the popular vote but wins a slim electoral vote majority.
* Trump is sworn in again on 1-20-2025 with a Trumpist majority House and a Republican majority Senate that is afraid to stand up against the Trumpists. The Trumpists force McConnell to abolish the legislative filibuster, and the entire crazy Trumpist program passes, including retaliation against Democrats at all levels for their alleged crime of stealing the 2020 election.
My optimistic friends assure me this won’t happen. But I cannot visualize what it is that could possibly stop it from happening.
aphrael (4c4719) — 1/26/2021 @ 1:11 pmaphrael (4c4719) — 1/26/2021 @ 1:11 pm
If the Republican party id Trumpist, it won’t gain seats in the 2022 election.
But Trump could win in 2024, against the right Democrat.
More likely is a serious third party run by someone else. Most likely result is to elect the Democrat.
Too many different things can happen though, as events ensue, to be able to predict much.
Sammy Finkelman (dcc9ca) — 1/26/2021 @ 1:25 pmaphrael (4c4719) — 1/26/2021 @ 1:11 pm
I’m betting on the actuarial odds, i.e. the Grim Reaper.
This thread is still young but so far I haven’t heard anything other than complaints about how the R’s have decided to play by the same rules as the D’s. They embraced the radical elements of the party and they’re taking a hardline on party loyalty. If the D’s can pander along as a soulless ghoul of a party I’m not sure why the R’s can’t.
frosty (f27e97) — 1/26/2021 @ 1:30 pmThe R’s are pandering along with a leader who attempted to destroy the republic. Surely that’s a difference which matters.
aphrael (4c4719) — 1/26/2021 @ 1:35 pm“If the D’s can pander along as a soulless ghoul of a party I’m not sure why the R’s can’t”
Roger (3eb97d) — 1/26/2021 @ 1:40 pmTextbook whataboutism. As an independent who has has been critical of both parties–and who despises the crude tribalism of lockstep partisan loyalty, whether on the left or the right–such statements ring hollow to me. “Well gee, if the other party is soulless, why can’t we be too?”
frosty,
Your efforts to justify the sleaze and grift of today’s GOP is duly noted.
The Republicans willingly jumped at the opportunity to support and endorse a president who lied and cheated on a regular basis. Once upon a time, the party itself would have immediately put an end to any whiff of an embrace of such a corrupt individual by its members. Especially one so far out of the range of normal.
Dana (fd537d) — 1/26/2021 @ 1:41 pmAppalled, being a Republican in WA State is more of a mental construct than anything because there’s no official party registration, and the primaries are open to all. Money talks, but I don’t go to meetings or rallies. My writing abilities don’t suck after 2½ decades of doing it professionally, so I try to play to my strengths.
I wish there were more like you in the party with me, Dana. I could use the company. Sigh.
Paul Montagu (d0ac2f) — 1/26/2021 @ 1:53 pmTrump is probably not going to form his own party because that would take real work, so I’m placeholding in the GOP until something better comes along.
I’ll say this. I don’t regret for a minute taking a 5-year break from the GOP because it’s given me a broader and better perspective of the political scene, and what I’m seeing right now is a barely functioning Democrat Party and badly dysfunctional GOP, so bad that it may never reform.
Marjorie Taylor Green is a prime example of today’s GOP, which has welcomed MAGA hardliners. Even AOC, who certainly represents the far left wing of her party, has never made comments like this.
Dana (fd537d) — 1/26/2021 @ 1:58 pmPaul:
OK. Here in Georgia, we get to choose the primary we want to vote in on election day. I vote Democratic or Republican, depending on which elections I want to influence.
My writing is pretty OK as well (I think). Not sure of capacity to persuade anybody of doing anything, though.
Appalled (1a17de) — 1/26/2021 @ 1:58 pm‘GOP: You Have A Serious Problem’
Yeah, start with not supporting your party’s own candidate for re-election and backing this plagiaristic, swampy, babbling-button-on-his-azz-boob you’d never have voted for at any other time simply because you didn’t like the character of your own candidate.
“You’re learning that you don’t work with a captain because you like the way he parts his hair. You work with him because he’s got the job or you’re no good!” – Barney Greenwald [Jose Ferrer] ‘The Caine Mutiny’ 1954
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 1/26/2021 @ 2:09 pmaphrael (4c4719) — 1/26/2021 @ 1:35 pm
So, I know this might be a surprise but Trump’s no longer the “leader” of the party. It’s not clear that he has any remaining “power”. On the other hand, the D’s have embraced marxism and so many people are attempting to destroy the republic that I’m not sure it’s a difference that matters.
Roger (3eb97d) — 1/26/2021 @ 1:40 pm
Well, no for two reasons, and this is getting to be such a tiring allegation. I didn’t say “we” and you are misunderstanding my allegation. Whataboutism is justifying one wrong thing in terms of another wrong thing. I’m not saying either one is right. Both parties are corrupt. The title of this post is “GOP: You Have A Serious Problem” and the implication is that the GOP is destroying itself, or at least destroying its influence or credibility (ok, that last part was hard to type while laughing). My contention is that if the D’s can function as a party by being a bunch of lying corrupt weasels who put party first then it’s perfectly possible for the R’s to ramble along in the same manner. None of that excuses the general GOP weaselness.
frosty (f27e97) — 1/26/2021 @ 2:26 pm> I know this might be a surprise but Trump’s no longer the “leader” of the party.
no, he is. that’s what the arizona republican party told us when they censured cheney for voting to impeach him. that’s what the oregon republican party told us when they claimed jan 6 was a leftist false flag operation designed to hurt him. that’s what the senate told us today.
he’s the single most popular republican politician with the republican voters, and a rounding error of national level republicans will cross him. he’s the leader, even if he doesn’t have the title.
aphrael (4c4719) — 1/26/2021 @ 2:28 pmDana (fd537d) — 1/26/2021 @ 1:41 pm
Ok. At least it’s been duly noted. Can I get a receipt?
Other than not being willing to join the two minutes of hate and pointing out the obvious how did I justify sleaze and grift? To paraphrase a different comment; do you understand the difference between pointing out a thing and justifying a thing? Because it’s a big … difference.
frosty (f27e97) — 1/26/2021 @ 2:39 pmStay or go….does it really matter? The narrative is not being driven by carefully worded blog comments….or David French howling at the Dispatch (unfortunately). Not to be repetitive, but Fox News and Talk Radio created the safe space for Trumpism to metastasize….and evangelical leaders got sucked into the grift and provided the moral cover. The question is how do you get a base now hooked on personality and various adaptations of what-aboutism to get back to conservatism…and demand more from Fox News and Talk Radio? This is the most powerful that Hannity, Ingraham, Carlson, Rush, and Levin have ever been…how can they realistically dial back the rhetoric…when they’ve been coopted? Politicians need access to those free air waves and, at minimum, don’t need those voices operating against them. The fact that Cheney can’t take a vote of conscience without being censured…possibly more than Trump will even get…and Cindy McCain can’t oppose Trump without a similar rebuke….doesn’t give me much hope for a non-Trumpian GOP alternative emerging. At least not one with enough oxygen to survive. Third parties have even less visibility and impact and will get no less hostility. I guess it’s sit and wait…and pray that this isn’t just hastening the collapse of our overall democratic system…I can’t see things surviving the current level of hate, anger, fear, and ignorance….
AJ_Liberty (a4ff25) — 1/26/2021 @ 3:17 pmIf only the Republicans were more like the Democrats. The Democrats had no qualms about shafting Bernie Sanders – twice – when it looked like the common riff-raff of the party preferred him to the Elite’s choice of a candidate. The GOP should have done the same to Trump. No matter that Trump won the Republican nomination fair and square, the GOP has no moral or legal or ethical obligation to obey the wishes of its membership, especially when they so obviously wanted something they shouldn’t want. I mean if people want Big Macs, do you just allow them to eat Big Macs? No, of course not, you cram broccoli down their throats because you know that broccoli is better for them than Big Macs, even if they’re too stupid to know what’s for their own good. See, if the GOP had just gone ahead and substituted their opinions for the opinions of their membership, they would have gone ahead and nominated Jeb! Bush and we could today be celebrating the start of Hillary’s second term rather than Harris’ first.
Jerryskids (999ce8) — 1/26/2021 @ 3:28 pmAJ_Liberty (a4ff25) — 1/26/2021 @ 3:17 pm
A good start might be to come up with a definition of conservatism that can attract a plurality of people. I’m not sure anyone can put forth a coherent version that can do that. The problem the GOP has with this is that the progressives have listed a bunch of policies and turned the dial to 11. The GOP responded by suggesting we rename some of the policies and turn the dial to 9.
On the contrary, until someone can articulate a platform that can withstand attack from the left and Hannity, Ingraham, Carlson, Rush, and Levin you don’t really have anything. The alternative you describe is what? A GOP with no one allowed to challenge the platform?
frosty (f27e97) — 1/26/2021 @ 3:33 pmThe Republican Party is not the problem. The voters who have been hoodwinked by Trump are the problem. Trump had 16 opponents in the 2016 Republican primary. He. Beat. Every. One. Of. Them. Why? Was it because the Party leadership favored him? No! It was because of all the stupid Republican primary voters who thought Trump was great.
Cruz, Graham, and Romney all opposed or criticized Trump at the beginning. But all three saw that Trump had tremendous support, and they all ended up seeking Trump’s blessing at one time or another. Two of them became certified ass-kissers.
Much like politicians seek to please the voters in order to retain their offices, political parties strive to give their members what they want. Right now the calculation is that the majority of Republicans still support Trump. Yes, there are a handful of brave Republicans who are taking a principled stand, but by and large the Party won’t change until its members do, and that can only happen through changing the hearts and minds of the citizens, one by one. I’m doing my part by having civil conversations with Trump supporters, and not lording it over them (well, except for a heated conversation with my mother last week 🙁 ).
“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves”
norcal (b4d7b1) — 1/26/2021 @ 3:36 pmSince Nazi references seem to be in season lately, I’ll point out that on the last day of the Third Reich, SS death squads were going around Berlin shooting “traitors” and “deserters”, including Eva Braun’s brother-in-law, a high-ranking SS general and friend of Der Fuhrer. I consider the GOP doing the same thing (metaphorically) as evidence of its death throes from the Trump infection, and not the Trump faction winning. We’ll see if a Konrad Adenauer ever comes along to resurrect it.
nk (1d9030) — 1/26/2021 @ 3:37 pm@10
Dana… I’ve actually tried to wrap my head around this and I don’t think folks are thinking about Thomas Sowell’s famous point — “And then what?”
Right now, the Senate voted that they *do* have jurisdiction to impeach/remove former Presidents.
Now apply the Sowell principle: And then what?
Are we prepared for when the GOP wins back Congress and impeach Obama?
What about if Democrats decides to impeach GW Bush, where there’s still large contingent of leftist who still believes he’s a war-criminal?
I think it’s okay to believe that there’s no role for impeachment for former Presidents. The correct step at that point would be then to file criminal charges if warranted.
Remember, impeachment is a political process and Trump is not “The President” anymore.
whembly (c30c83) — 1/26/2021 @ 3:38 pmBy the way, I agree with Paul Montagu about having more influence by remaining inside the Republican Party.
norcal (b4d7b1) — 1/26/2021 @ 3:45 pmAdditionally, much like Patterico voting for Biden, if you lefties think that two healthy parties are good for the republic, consider supporting (both rhetorically and financially) the Republicans (ten House members and the five senators) who have dared to oppose Trump.
norcal (b4d7b1) — 1/26/2021 @ 3:50 pmI don’t believe that Rush of 25 years ago would ever have supported a Trump candidacy. What materially changed in that time frame where we went from tried-and-true experienced candidates to a reality TV star with no political experience and a penchant for grandiosity? Well, we had a War on Terror, a housing collapse, Obama, and Obamacare. Nothing there strikes me as requiring the GOP to light its collective hair on fire. Yes, Trump brought a Buchanan-like zeal for populism….walls, trade wars, heated anti-Muslim rhetoric, protectionism…and where did hysteria for these things germinate? Certainly the GOP has not done great with dealing with the stresses of globalism…but can we agree that trade wars, tariffs, avoiding TPP, and walls….weren’t really effective measures? Talk Radio stoked fear and anger….and Trump used simplistic solutions to leverage that fear and anger (including anger about BLM and anthem kneeling)……handing it to the liberals and mainstream media…isn’t really an agenda….it’s putting Talk Radio into the White House….and it burned down more of the GOP than it actually accomplished…..step 1, let’s stop claiming the last four years were a big win for conservative principles….
AJ_Liberty (a4ff25) — 1/26/2021 @ 3:59 pmPennsylvania GOP pledges full allegiance to Trump
……
The state GOP’s transformation from the party of former Sens. Arlen Specter and John Heinz — and Govs. Dick Thornburgh and Tom Ridge — to a bastion of Trump loyalists has been decades in the making. But the shift has perhaps never been so obvious as in the past two months when Republicans here were repeatedly thrust into the spotlight for their role in trying to override President Joe Biden’s victory.
GOP state legislative leaders called on Republican congressional members to object to the Electoral College results or “delay” their certification. Every House Republican in Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation, save one, obliged, voting to invalidate their state’s Electoral College votes.
State Sen. Doug Mastriano, a potential gubernatorial candidate in 2022, traveled to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and even advertised a bus to take protesters there. In the weeks after the deadly riot, a right-wing state representative, Daryl Metcalfe, said on Facebook that the FBI called his office asking about the day of the insurrection and referred to the agency’s tip line as a “snitch” line.
…….
In 2016, the hard-right turn of the state GOP was a boon for the party: Trump became the first Republican to win the presidential election in Pennsylvania in nearly 30 years. But since then, it has caused damage. After clinging to Trump, the GOP nominees for governor and senator in 2018 lost by double digits. Democrats also picked up House seats that year in part thanks to the Philadelphia suburbs, a former GOP stronghold. And in the fall, Biden took back Pennsylvania, again fueled by a Trump backlash in the populous suburbs of the state’s largest city.
Next year offers another referendum on the Trumpification of Pennsylvania Republicans: There will be rare open seats for both governor and senator. Democrats and Never-Trump Republicans promise to ensure that swing voters remember the efforts to overturn the state’s presidential election results based on allegations that were without evidence. Republicans say the party’s pro-Trump base will be energized by lawmakers who railed against election fraud and objected to Biden electors.
“They’re very happy that they stood up for them,” said former GOP Rep. Lou Barletta, a top Trump ally, of how the president’s supporters see lawmakers who sought to block the state’s Electoral College results. Barletta, who is eyeing a gubernatorial campaign, said “we should not go back to the old Republican Party for this reason: The Republican Party today has grown more to represent the working men and women.”
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/26/2021 @ 4:03 pm…….
…….
Whembly – the reductio ad absurdum of that argument is that a President could avoid the bar against future officeholding by simply resigning a minute before the conviction vote.
That cannot possibly be the intent of the system.
aphrael (4c4719) — 1/26/2021 @ 4:30 pmWe know impeachment is based on British common law from discussions when the constitution was debated. Aphrael’s practical point is right, and we know they did intend the ability to impeach former officials. It’s one important thing for justice. We’ve never had a president this bad before, but the constitution accounts for it.
The GOP continues to reveal just how bad it’s become. I guess I’m a democrat now.
Dustin (4237e0) — 1/26/2021 @ 4:35 pm@33.Since Nazi references seem to be in season lately, I’ll point out that on the last day of the Third Reich, SS death squads were going around Berlin shooting “traitors” and “deserters”, including Eva Braun’s brother-in-law, a high-ranking SS general and friend of Der Fuhrer. I consider the GOP doing the same thing (metaphorically) as evidence of its death throes from the Trump infection, and not the Trump faction winning. We’ll see if a Konrad Adenauer ever comes along to resurrect it.
Or an Eisenhower who’ll use them as a means to an end. Ever heard of Debus? Or Dornberger? Google’em. The jovial Gunter Wendt wasn’t called the ‘Pad Fuhrer’ for nothing…
Hermann Oberth, Hans Amtmann, Herbert Axster, Anton Flettner, Erich Ball, Oscar Bauschinger,Hermann Beduerftig, Rudi Beichel, Anton Beier, Herbert Bergeler, Magnus von Braun, Wernher von Braun, Theodor Buchhold [de], Walter Burose, Adolf Busemann, GN Constan, Werner Dahm, Konrad Dannenberg, Kurt H. Debus, Gerd De Beek, Walter Dornberger, Gerhard Drawe, Friedrich Duerr, Ernst R. G. Eckert, Otto Eisenhardt, Krafft Arnold Ehricke, Alfred Finzel, Edward Fischel, Karl Fleischer,Anselm Franz, Herbert Fuhrmann, Ernst Geissler, Werner Gengelbach, Dieter Grau, Hans Gruene, Herbert Guendel, Fritz Haber, Heinz Haber, Karl Hager,Guenther Haukohl, Karl Heimburg, Emil Hellebrand, Gerhard Heller, Bruno Helm Rudolf Hermann, Bruno Heusinger, Hans Heuter, Guenther Hintze, Sighard F. Hoerner, Kurt Hohenemser, Oscar Holderer, Hans Henning Hosenthien, Dieter Huzel, Walter Jacobi, Erich Kaschig,Ernst Klaus, Theodore Knacke, Siegfried Knemeyer, Heinz-Hermann Koelle, Gustav Kroll, Werner Kuers, Hermann Kurzweg, Hermann Lange,Hans Lindenberg, Hans Lindenmayer, Alexander Martin Lippisch, Robert Lusser, Hans Maus, Helmut Merk, Joseph Michel, Hans Milde, Heinz Millinger, Rudolf Minning, Willi Mrazek, Hans Multhopp, Erich Neubert, Gerhard Neumann, Hans von Ohain, Robert Paetz, Hans Palaoro, Kurt Patt, Hans Paul,Arnold Peter,Theodor Poppel, Werner Rosinski, Heinrich Rothe, Ludwig Roth, Arthur Rudolph, Friedrich von Saurma, Edgar Schaeffer, Martin Schilling, Helmut Schlitt, Albert Schuler, August Schulze, Walter Schwidetzky, Ernst Steinhoff, Wolfgang Steurer, Ernst Stuhlinger, Kurt Tank, Bernhard Tessmann, Adolf Thiel, Georg von Tiesenhausen, Werner Tiller, JG Tschinkel, Arthur Urbanski, Fritz Vandersee, Richard Vogt, Woldemar Voigt, Werner Voss, Theodor Vowe, Herbert A. Wagner, Hermann Weidner, Günter Wendt, Georg Rickhey, Walter Fritz Wiesemann, Heinz Hilten, Hannes Luehrsen, Wilhelm Angele, Ernst Baars, Josef Boehm, Hans Fichtner, Hans Friedrich, Eduard Gerber, Georg Goubau, Walter Haeussermann, Otto Heinrich Hirschler, Otto Hoberg, Rudolf Hoelker, Hans Hollmann, Helmut Hölzer, Horst Kedesdy, Kurt Lehovec, Kurt Lindner, JW Muehlner, Fritz Mueller, Johannes Plendl, Fritz Karl Preikschat, Eberhard Rees, Gerhard Reisig, Harry Ruppe, Heinz Schlicke, Werner Sieber, Othmar Stuetzer, Albin Wittmann, Hugo Woerdemann, Albert Zeiler, Hans K. Ziegler, Claus Scheufelen, Rudolf Schlidt, Theodor Benzinger, Rudolf Brill, Konrad Johannes Karl Büttner, Richard Lindenberg, Walter Schreiber, Hubertus Strughold, Hans Georg Clamann, Erich Traub, Gunter Guttein, Gerhard Schwesinger, Gottfried Wehner, Helmut Weickmann,Friedwardt Winterberg, Helmut Pichler, Leonard Alberts; Ernst Donath, Hans Schappert, Max Josenhaus, Kurt Bretschneider, Erich Frese…
Paprclippers all; “men ‘whose allegiance is ruled by expedience.'”
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 1/26/2021 @ 4:46 pmthe reductio ad absurdum of that argument is that a President could avoid the bar against future officeholding by simply resigning a minute before the conviction vote.
That cannot possibly be the intent of the system.
Why not? If the process is political, let the politics of the future deal with it in the future.
nk (1d9030) — 1/26/2021 @ 4:46 pmGood for Senator Paul. He’s gotten people on the record showing this is a waste of time and just a show trial.
Now in the meantime, Biden is reversing the Mexico City policy forcing Americans to fund abortion overseas. Heck of a job Biden supporting such a moderate policy, right?
More leftist extremism on the way.
NJRob (27be9e) — 1/26/2021 @ 4:52 pmIt’s not a waste of time because now I won’t vote for John Cornyn either. The GOP is revealing itself, loud and proud. I hope the democrats impeach Trump every midterm election from now on. We could have parades.
Dustin (4237e0) — 1/26/2021 @ 5:03 pmIf only there was an example of congress actually acting on impeaching someone after leaving office to bar them from the opportunity to run again. Oh, wait…you mean history exists, shh!! See Belknap, William.
As nk says, the process is political. If the senator feels that he wants to vote to convict because of Trump’s awful hair, then that’s their prerogative. That he did the thing he’s accused of is without question, that the house can file charges to impeach him is also without question. The only question is if the senate will vote to convict and then bar him, the barring is the point. It’s political.
I still say they could punt this until the summer, let the prosecutions begin in state and federal jurisdictions for actual crimes and that may be the thing that makes the proceedings moot.
Colonel Klink (Ret) (1367c0) — 1/26/2021 @ 5:06 pmForcing Americans to…elections have consequences. It’s not my motivating issue, but it’s core to some on the left/right, but the policy never did what the claim always is, well, there is a byproduct that discussing options may lead to different outcomes, but the US has never funded abortions like the argument goes.
Like all things today, the urban legend of what the policy does, doesn’t actually reflect reality. So it definitely fits with today.
Colonel Klink (Ret) (1367c0) — 1/26/2021 @ 5:15 pmIt’s not a waste of time because now I won’t vote for John Cornyn either. The GOP is revealing itself, loud and proud.
Yes, that is that.
nk (1d9030) — 1/26/2021 @ 5:15 pm<emThe GOP is revealing itself, loud and proud.
Yes, that is that.
nk (1d9030) — 1/26/2021 @ 5:16 pmSorry. I love it when I agree with myself, but I don’t know how I did that. 😉
nk (1d9030) — 1/26/2021 @ 5:19 pmHitler’s nephew served in the U.S. Navy during WWII, DCSCA.
nk (1d9030) — 1/26/2021 @ 5:40 pmYep. Amazing how many here want to take the vote away from people because Trump. How dare people vote for such a man. How dare they. They don’t have the right .
That about cover it?
NJRob (26934c) — 1/26/2021 @ 5:53 pmA plurality of those GOP voters nominated Trump, norcal. Trump was the symptom, the ones who nominated Trump are the cancer. Today, Trump is a stage 4 cancer on the party for the way he bullied elected officials and such into submission.
The answer is “yes”, whembly, you just need to find a high crime or misdemeanor to impeach him with. Andrew McCarthy suggested that very thing for Hillary.
Paul Montagu (77c694) — 1/26/2021 @ 5:55 pmExactly. Some people, like Trump, are so contemptible as human beings and politicians that the Senate should do its job and ensure that he never gets a sniff at the job ever again. The people still have their right to vote.
Paul Montagu (77c694) — 1/26/2021 @ 6:04 pmThere should’ve been a full trial last year, and there should be a full trial next month. Put all the relevant evidence on the record, along with every Senator’s vote.
NJRob @51: Amazing how many here want to take the vote away from people because Trump.
State Republicans push new voting restrictions after Trump’s loss
Republican legislators across the country are preparing a slew of new voting restrictions in the wake of former President Donald Trump’s defeat.
……
Some Republican officials have been blunt about their motivations: They don’t believe they can win unless the rules change. “They don’t have to change all of them, but they’ve got to change the major parts of them so that we at least have a shot at winning,” Alice O’Lenick, a Republican on the Gwinnett County, Ga., board of elections in suburban Atlanta, told the Gwinnett Daily Post last week. She has since resisted calls to resign.
The chair of the Texas Republican Party has called on the legislature there to make “election integrity” the top legislative priority in 2021, calling, among other things, for a reduction in the number of days of early voting. ……
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/26/2021 @ 6:05 pm……
Georgia Republicans, in particular, are intensely focused on their state’s election laws, after the state became the epicenter of Trump’s attempts to undermine confidence in the 2020 election results. Georgia Republicans have proposed a bevy of changes, from imposing limits on who can vote by mail to limiting the use of dropboxes, which allow people to return absentee ballots without using the postal system.
……
In Pennsylvania, Republicans lawmakers have signaled their intent to introduce voter ID laws and try to repeal the state’s bipartisan law allowing no-excuse mail voting, though Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf stands in their way. The issue could percolate through the 2022 midterm elections, when Republicans will try to retake the governorship.
……
In Arizona, another swing state that Biden narrowly carried, Republicans in the state Senate have advanced legislation that would result in more automatic recounts. Some Republicans also introduced legislation to abolish the state’s permanent early voting list — which a supermajority of voters are registered for — although a cosponsor of the legislation told the Arizona Republic, “It can’t pass and I don’t want to waste my time with it.”
…….
It’s amazing how Republicans want to restrict the right of the people to vote when elections don’t go their way.
Not a chance Rip. Actually restricting the vote to living citizens that are residents of where they vote is not the same as trying to disqualify someone because you fear he might win a future election.
NJRob (c34443) — 1/26/2021 @ 6:07 pm“Amazing how many here want to take the vote away from people because Trump. How dare people vote for such a man. How dare they. They don’t have the right .”
Why did the founders put this provision in the constitution, Rob?
Davethulhu (f31045) — 1/26/2021 @ 6:11 pmDead people voting, oh no. Like…
or maybe with an absentee ballot was cast by a homebound old who subsequently died between submission and tally.
So are you citing some fact that some hundreds of thousands of dead people voted? or are you just claiming it?
Colonel Klink (Ret) (1367c0) — 1/26/2021 @ 6:12 pmPaul Montagu (77c694) — 1/26/2021 @ 5:55 pm
We’ve already established that high crime or misdemeanor means anything enough house members vote for.
frosty (f27e97) — 1/26/2021 @ 6:18 pmYes, this was said by Democrats in 1998 as a warning/threat.
Paul Montagu (77c694) — 1/26/2021 @ 6:38 pmThere are only two ways to get their attention. Either go down to the local party meeting and raise Hell, or form a competing party and try to get on the ballot. Normally, the third-party method is hopeless, because the major parties occupy all but the fringe, but right now, the Republican party is the fringe party, chock-a-block with the politically unhinged.
To form a political party in CA takes very little. To get on the ballot is much harder, but again, right now all you need is 0.33% of the voters for governor to join your party. Which is like 1-2% of current Republicans. If you are right (and I think you are) this should not be a hard sell assuming that your party’s goals appeals to the rank & file GOP of old.
See here: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/political-parties/political-party-qualification
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 1/26/2021 @ 6:43 pmAs for Oregon, what can you say about a state that, in the same election 1) decriminalized ALL controlled substances, 2) made medical psilocybin legal, and 3) jacked up taxes on tobacco.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 1/26/2021 @ 6:46 pmKelli Ward — a fire-breathing Trumpnut — who lost to McSally in 2018, was passed over by the governor for the appointment to McCain’s seat, and has bitterly backstabbed McSally in two elections now, probably expects to get the nomination to run against Kelly as he goes for the full term.
SHe will lose badly. Goldwater wouldn’t vote for her, having taste.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 1/26/2021 @ 6:51 pmPennsylvania GOP pledges full allegiance to Trump
Ein Folk, ein Reich, ein Führer.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 1/26/2021 @ 6:58 pm“I didn’t leave the Republican Party. The party left me”
–Ronald Reagan’s Ghost
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 1/26/2021 @ 6:59 pmMy optimistic friends assure me this won’t happen. But I cannot visualize what it is that could possibly stop it from happening.
I think you understate the danger actually. Trump is so chaotic that there is just no telling what he might turn his mind too. All that we can be sure of is that it will be an unmitigated disaster.
OTOH, I don’t expect Trump to live out the year. His health sucks and to some people it’s like Hitler in 1931.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 1/26/2021 @ 7:06 pmWell, all I have to say is that it’s only been six days and I found not only the first Max Brand book I read as a kid, but also three Bail Bond Dodd stories by Norbert Davis. Thanks, Joe!
nk (1d9030) — 1/26/2021 @ 7:43 pm‘Section 3 prohibits the election or appointment of a person to any federal or state office who engaged in insurrection, rebellion, or treason while occupying any of certain offices. However, a two-thirds vote by each House of the Congress can override this limitation. In 1898, the Congress enacted a general removal of the Section 3 limitation. In 1975, the citizenship of Confederate general Robert E. Lee was restored by a joint congressional resolution, retroactive to June 13, 1865. In 1978, pursuant to Section 3, the Congress posthumously removed the service ban from Confederate president Jefferson Davis.
Section 3 was used to prevent Socialist Party of America member Victor L. Berger, convicted of violating the Espionage Act for his anti-militarist views, from taking his seat in the House of Representatives in 1919 and 1920. However, Berger appealed his conviction and it was eventually overturned by the Supreme Court in 1921. Berger was then elected and seated to three successive terms in the 1920s.
Section 3 was cited in the second impeachment of Donald Trump as a reason to bar Trump from holding future office. It is disputed whether Section 3 can be used as a potential “alternate path to disqualification [from office]” if the Senate votes to acquit Trump of the impeachment charge.’
So CSA’s Jefferson Davis, okay; USA’s Donald Trump, nay.
Hilarious.
-source, wikiquilledbyolddeadfarts.org
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 1/26/2021 @ 7:54 pm“So CSA’s Jefferson Davis, okay; USA’s Donald Trump, nay.”
I’m ok with Trump being otherwise eligible for office 100 years after he dies.
Davethulhu (f31045) — 1/26/2021 @ 8:18 pm66, thulhu, hell if I were a Dem or an NT-R I’m willing to the near grim reaped William Jefferson Clinton and Barack Hussein Obama respective impeachments for the successful impeachment of Trump in the same vote, no need to wait until 2025.
urbanleftbehind (061a89) — 1/26/2021 @ 8:25 pmTrump was the symptom, the ones who nominated Trump are the cancer.
It’s a symbiotic relationship.
norcal (b4d7b1) — 1/26/2021 @ 8:43 pmAnother reason I’m glad Trump is gone is that I’ve run out of analogies and metaphors for him and the GOP.
nk (1d9030) — 1/26/2021 @ 9:04 pm@nk 🙂
norcal (b4d7b1) — 1/26/2021 @ 9:19 pmWhy I prefer the popular fiction of the time to history books:
It’s less fictional.
nk (1d9030) — 1/26/2021 @ 9:35 pmKyle Griffin…
And tonite on Hannity, Cruz was ranting about how the Democrats were engaging in an “exercise in political rage”. How soon he forgets that 20 days ago he was escorted to a secure room while MAGA terrorists were rifling through his desk in the well of the Senate.
Paul Montagu (77c694) — 1/26/2021 @ 10:16 pm@Paul@74 I don’t understand why Cruz is not also enraged at Trump’s sedition? (no, I do, it’s political expediency, I just wish I didn’t need to.)
Nic (896fdf) — 1/26/2021 @ 10:47 pmThe republican party got 74 million votes and nearly took back the house and never trumpers say they have a problem? Try joining the dope smokers over at the libertarian party they believe in free trade and don’t tax the rich to fund medicade.
asset (8b50d2) — 1/27/2021 @ 12:30 amFinally, a conspiracy theory for the rest of us:
EXCLUSIVE: Explosive new book claims the KGB began grooming ‘young and vain’ Donald Trump 40 years ago by saving him from financial ruin and turned him into a Russian asset who gave Putin ‘everything he wanted’ as president
They’re all there: Putin, corrupt oligarchs, Epstein, Ghislaine, Roy Cohn, Ivana, and of course America’s favorite Fifth Avenue nancy-boy himself.
Dave (1bb933) — 1/27/2021 @ 12:31 amReferring to an argument above, Trump was impeached while he was in office. The question is when to have the trial. That would differentiate his case from attempting to impeach Obama after he left office.
It is kind of funny, as Chait says, that apparently if you listened to arguments last year, impeaching Trump before the election was inappropriate, but impeaching him just after the election might be ok, if you have an immediate trial, but that would be too rushed, and it turns out that in the only time it would be appropriate to have the trial, right after an attempted insurrection in which he was arguably implicated, the Senate happened to be on recess. And now it’s too late. So, sadly, the Constitution makes impeachment a theoretical remedy but practically speaking it’s never quite the right time.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/01/mcconnell-trump-impeachment-insurrection-senate-trial-dismiss-former.html
And it was Gerald Ford who argued (with respect to impeaching Justice Douglas) that impeachment was whatever the majority of the House of Representatives thought it should be, back in 1970.
Victor (4959fb) — 1/27/2021 @ 12:32 amI’ll have to stand with Dana on this. The Republican party is unrecognizable.
That the Constitution does not allow for the impeachment of a president who is out of office is rubbish and meritless. He was impeached while he was in office! Technically, the trial should have begun the day after the article of impeachment was delivered to the Senate, but McConnell delayed the start until after the Inauguration then arranged for a further two week delay, so Republicans could prepare their defense of Trump.
What defense? Trumps behavior, actions and speeches over at least the last year throughout, before and after the election, have been so egregious that he should be barred from ever holding elected office again. That’s what the trial will be about, not removing him from office–he’s already out of office because he LOST the election. It will be about prohibiting from running for future office.
The Republicans are making process arguments. It’s unconstitutional! Where they thinking that when an angry, violent MAGA Mob was storming the Capitol? Were they thinking that when they were cowering in secure rooms, fearful of their lives, while the MAGA Mob ransacked the building, making death threats?
Yet Senate Republicans are delaying the trial and making process arguments. 45 of them, including, McConnell, voted that trial was unconstitutional and moved to prohibit hearing from eyewitnesses. Which is an odd motion to make, since they are all themselves eyewitnesses.
Senate Democrats are preparing a prosecution. They want to present evidence and call witnesses, particularly White House aids and staff who were there with the president when the siege was taking place.
https://hotair.com/archives/allahpundit/2021/01/26/house-dems-wonder-trumps-former-white-house-aides-willing-testify-trial/
Not that it would matter much, because the Republicans are not going to convict him. Only 5 Republicans voted the trial was Constitutional. It’s going to be difficult for the Democrats to peel away 17 of them to vote for conviction, especially if they aren’t allowed to present evidence and testimony. Then he will emboldened.
Look at what is going on around the country. State Republicans are voting to censure or remove Republicans for voting to impeach Trump. It’s an internecine war within the party–there are Trump cultists, Republican loyalists, and traditional conservatives. We shall see which group comes out ahead in 2022, because that’s what this all about.
The proper statement, Dana, is, “America, We Have a Problem.” What is the solution? I don’t know. What I do know is that I will not be voting Republican until Trumpism is excised from the party.
Gawain's Ghost (b25cd1) — 1/27/2021 @ 1:30 amGawain’s Ghost (b25cd1) — 1/27/2021 @ 1:30 am
Really? Where? Can you name one so I can get a current reference for what is a traditional conservative?
frosty (f27e97) — 1/27/2021 @ 5:29 amThere no point in expecting more for Ted going forward.
Time123 (b4d075) — 1/27/2021 @ 5:36 amWhere they thinking that when an angry, violent MAGA Mob was storming the Capitol?’
Many of them were encouraging that mob by perpetuating a series of lies. This stopped when they were exposed to physical danger. The lies resumed when the danger was past and they saw political advantage in resuming their previous behavior.
Time123 (daab2f) — 1/27/2021 @ 5:42 amYour cult calls us “NeverTrumpers”.
Dave (1bb933) — 1/27/2021 @ 6:11 amI’ve referred myself as a traditional conservative for a while, even suggested it as a name for a conservative 3rd party.
Paul Montagu (77c694) — 1/27/2021 @ 6:27 amYou’ve got to hand it to blind hookers.
nk (1d9030) — 1/27/2021 @ 6:28 am#85
How do you expect them to find it, otherwise?
Appalled (1a17de) — 1/27/2021 @ 6:31 amExactly, Appalled.
nk (1d9030) — 1/27/2021 @ 6:47 amTrump may run in 2024, but he couldn’t be elected dog catcher. While he was in New York ascending the social register and rat****ing subcontractors, he could do no wrong; he was in “The Party.” But in order to be elected in 2016, he had to tell The Party to go **** themselves. They will see to it that Trump is a pariah in Republican Party politics, and they will do whatever they must (with impunity, of course) to keep him from the levers of power.
Gryph (f63000) — 1/27/2021 @ 6:48 amAnother sign of the GOP’s serious problems is they listen to hypocrites who tell them what they want to hear.
Paul Montagu (77c694) — 1/27/2021 @ 6:55 am@39
I agree that’s the strongest counter point.
The issue here is that the text doesn’t appear to be all that clear, and as such, gives leeway to Congress, whom are accountable to their constituents.
I just want to point out too that this isn’t a criminal procedure, and had a POTUS resigned before a conviction point, that’s something for that person to deal with politically if he/she tried to run again.
whembly (3bda0a) — 1/27/2021 @ 7:10 amJust to point out how far down the well the left and their media allies have gone, Newsweek lied and claimed Tom Cotton wasn’t a Ranger so they could smear him. When Cotton pointed out that Newsweek had written several previous articles calling people with his same circumstances Rangers, Newsweek went back and rewrote those articles to conform to their new beliefs/agenda.
Yet another example that we are living in 1984. This goes well with the constant 2 minutes of hate.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 1/27/2021 @ 7:17 am@52
The thing I’m stuck with, Paul, is the textualist reading of the constitution and the strongest indicator for me is “…the President”. To me, that reads as the current President… not, any President.
I think this is an obvious case where textualist and originalism conflicts. No?
I’m intrigued who Patterico would approach this, as I know he’s writing something about this soon.
whembly (3bda0a) — 1/27/2021 @ 7:17 amNeed to proofread better…I meant:
whembly (3bda0a) — 1/27/2021 @ 7:23 amI saw this. It’s journalistic malpractice to make a substantive change without noting it as a correction, this is true even if your 1984 comparison is silly.
Time123 (daab2f) — 1/27/2021 @ 7:27 amWhembly,
If Trump were convicted and denied the right to seek Federal office again, Trump would have the right to sue for relief in the courts. Until then, all this discussion may fill empty hours on FoxNewsmaxOAN, but it’s meaningless. Well, it does give Rand Paul the ability to look like the bestest little Trumper in the world.
Appalled (1a17de) — 1/27/2021 @ 7:28 amWho is ‘the party’?
Time123 (daab2f) — 1/27/2021 @ 7:29 amDave (1bb933) — 1/27/2021 @ 6:11 am
NeverTrump is full of people that make that claim but are reluctant to provide details. When they do you find a variety of definitions of “conservative”. Does “conservative” really mean anything specific now other than NeverTrump? Can you delineate it? Can you give me a list of policies that I’d be voting for if I voted for a True Conservative(tm)?
I haven’t seen any consistent set of principles from NeverTrump other than being willing to do anything to oppose Trump. They’ve taken the burn the village to save it plan and applied it at scale.
frosty (f27e97) — 1/27/2021 @ 7:30 amTo the extent that originalism does have any weight in this, than the contemporary 18th Century understanding of impeachment should figure, and from all I’ve heard the British were perfectly happy to impeach people years after they left office.
Victor (4959fb) — 1/27/2021 @ 7:47 amFrost, the traditional definition of Conservative was; Small government, fiscal discipline, strong defense, and Christian morals. As with any large group there will be exceptions who were in the club despite breaking some/all of the rules.
Time123 (b4d075) — 1/27/2021 @ 7:58 amSpeaking of hypocrites telling the death cult what they want to hear…
Everyone’s favorite pom-pom girl for fascism, Nikki Haley, leaves no doubt about her unconditional loyalty to The Great Leader and his goons.
Dave (1bb933) — 1/27/2021 @ 8:20 amTo the extent that originalism does have any weight in this, than the contemporary 18th Century understanding of impeachment should figure, and from all I’ve heard the British were perfectly happy to impeach people years after they left office.
And the Constitution was ratified 13 years after the Founders had rebelled against laws that made the English happy.
nk (1d9030) — 1/27/2021 @ 8:31 amTime123 (b4d075) — 1/27/2021 @ 7:58 am
Fair enough. That’s a pretty small circle though and it leaves out things like immigration. Presumably, small gov means no involvement in healthcare? What does strong defense mean and does it include the ongoing wars? Christian morals? I think the operative word there is “was”. If the GOP is in trouble and needs to get the wheels back on (a) is it even going to pretend to be conservative and (b) if so what does that mean now.
I’m having trouble finding many people that fit into that traditional definition and it’s hard to find anyone to vote for that does.
frosty (f27e97) — 1/27/2021 @ 8:32 amThe Congressional Research Service answers your question better than me, whembly, but there is precedent for trying officials after they’ve left office, and Senate verdicts are two-fold as they vote on removal (which is obviously moot in this situation) and disqualification from future office if convicted. The other factor to me is that, just like the House has the sole power to impeach, the Senate has the sole power to try the case upon receipt of the Article(s). Rand Paul can say it’s unconstitutional but, just like the House can unilaterally decide whichever offense is impeachable, the Senate can also unilaterally decide what is triable.
Paul Montagu (77c694) — 1/27/2021 @ 8:36 amRoberts will probably never opine on the “sole power” aspect because he can’t officially do so under the Constitution (phrases like “sole power” mean things), but his decision to not preside was appropriate because the inherent conflict that required his presence no longer applies.
And here’s a hypothetical. Let’s say a year from now, the CIA undercovers incontrovertible evidence that Trump held secret communications with Putin and, as a bonus, had recordings where Putin ordered Trump to destabilize NATO and cut a deal with the Taliban and betray the Syrian Kurds and other stuff, or he wouldn’t cut a deal on Trump Tower Moscow and would release damaging videos of Trump’s perverted behavior in hotel rooms if Trump didn’t comply.
In effect, Trump committed high crimes and misdemeanors while president, but can’t be tried for those crimes in Congress? Why wouldn’t that kind of betrayal be outside the authority of Congress, and why foreclose their ability to permanently disqualify him holding future office ever again?
I think our founders were prescient, thinking ahead to the time where a severely unqualified person who could imperil our national interests yet could still win public office and keep that office by virtue of his demagoguery and cult following. I think Congress serves as an important check to that, and it’s all the more important by virtue of the power the commander-in-chief now holds.
While Cruz conveniently forgot about the “exercise in political rage” on 1/6 and tried to blame-shift that rage onto Democrats on the Hannity show, let’s also not conveniently forget what Cruz said about how the pandemic would unfold after the election. Serious problem indeed.
Paul Montagu (77c694) — 1/27/2021 @ 8:45 amSo Senator Cruz was mistaken. He should’ve said after Biden took over the presidency. Then he would’ve been correct. Just look at California and Michigan for example.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 1/27/2021 @ 8:50 amNewsweek wasn’t the one who exposed Cotton’s false claims, they were just a convenient diversionary target for the counter-attack, attempting to change the subject from Cotton’s lies to bashing the media for pointing them out.
Newsweek merely reported on the original story in Salon, and criticism of Cotton by a Democrat who was a real Ranger.
Presumably the Army itself is the authority on this question, and a spokesperson for the Special Operations Command (the headquarters for the Rangers and also the airborne division that Cotton *really* served in) left zero doubt: Cotton lied.
The “stealth edit” business is another bald-faced lie – a squirrel to distract attention from Cotton’s repeated attempts to make his military career sound more impressive. At the end of the article that Newsweek corrected, in light of the Army’s statement on the matter, they added:
Dave (1bb933) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:03 amTrump was the symptom, the ones who nominated Trump are the cancer.
No. Trump WAS the symptom, but the ones that let things get to the point where a large number of Americans were so desperate for change that Trump looked like (and still looks like) an answer are the problem.
The Trump supporters did not just wake up one day from pods in the basement and march like robots to the polling place. They were so thoroughly ignored by both parties as the politicians competed for the affections of the coastal elites that they rebelled. Sops to the flyover people such as unserious abortion stands, could not work for long as their jobs and livelihoods disappeared.
Populism is not an aberation in a democracy, it is the alarm clock. You can hit snooze all you want, but that does not solve the problem.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:12 am20-30 years ago those were the big ones, probably should added law and order or rule of law to the list. That was a conservative priority for a long time. Immigration as an important issue didn’t really spike until recently, and took a huge jump in importance after Trump demagogued on the issue.
I would say that it would mean the ‘conservative’ discussion would be about getting that involvement to the minimum necessary. There would be a shared understanding that minimizing it is good goal. Democrats would reject the premise that reducing government involvement is a goal. Not to say that they would take the opposite position; that we need to maximize government involvement, just that wouldn’t feel the need to balance government involvement with other goals.
I would say that the modern GOP doesn’t hold those goals as a priority.
Time123 (daab2f) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:13 amVictor (4959fb) — 1/27/2021 @ 7:47 am
According to an Op-ed in the Wall Street Journal the only two impeachments that took place n Great Britain in the 18th century took place after someone had left office. (which is logical if it could usually only happen when the Parliamentary majority had changed)
Colonial legislatures, with divided government, maybe did or tried that more often. There was an attempt to impeach Thomas Jefferson in 1781 after he had left office as Governor of Virginia.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/yes-the-senate-can-try-trump-11611356881
It also says:
In Federalist Number 39, James Madison writes:
https://constitutingamerica.org/june-21-2010-%E2%80%93-federalist-no-39-%E2%80%93-the-conformity-of-the-plan-to-republican-principles-for-the-independent-journal-hamilton-%E2%80%93-guest-blogger-john-s-baker-jr-the-dale-e
Impeachment was a form of censure, with consequences, and has the same meaning as impeachment of a witness. (to discredit) If the constitution had remained silent on it, some power of impeachment would have been assumed, because of common practice. And in the same way a power to pass a Bill of AAttinder would have been assumed had it not been prohibited.
The constitution says who shall have the power of impeachment, and who shall judge (the House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively); declares that removal from current public office is an automatic penalty for a conviction; limits the possible consequences of a conviction in an impeachment case to no more than removal from office and disqualification to hold that office again, or any other; says that it is no bar to ordinary prosecution (does not constitute double jeopardy); says that the president of the United States cannot pardon anyone from a conviction in an impeachment case (and it seems nobody can – it’s unpardonable); and says that when the president of the United States himself is on trial, the Chief Justice shall preside (a mostly ceremonial act.)
Sammy Finkelman (015e49) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:13 amAs usual, I agree with French.
Paul Montagu (77c694) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:13 amDave you are lying. You are once again twisting yourself into pretzels to defend the left and support their deceit.
I’m not surprised.
It’s also not surprising you’d lie and call yourself a conservative.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:14 amPoint out what I said that was factually untrue.
Or (since you won’t be able to), retract your personal smear.
Dave (1bb933) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:18 amI donated money to Cotton when he first ran for the Senate, and can prove it.
Dave (1bb933) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:21 amThe stealth edit was done in response to Senator Cotton using it to prove his case. That’s clear as day and you ignored it completely. You decided to write something that had nothing to do with the issue. The “comment added” is nonsense and is a lie in and of itself.
You saying Cotton’s claims are false is the lie.
You calling yourself a conservative is a lie. Your track history proves as much.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:25 amWhen even David French says you’re wrong Dave, you might want to backtrack and pretend to fight another day.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:27 amDave (1bb933) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:18 am
Smears for me but not for thee? I’m shocked to find a NeverTrumper with a double-standard! Shocked!
frosty (f27e97) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:29 amhttps://www.scientificamerican.com/article/inspired-choice-biden-appoints-sociologist-alondra-nelson-to-top-science-post/
Another radical leftist to a top post. Where is Biden’s moderation we were promised?
NJRob (eb56c3) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:31 am@117, what makes her a radical leftist? The link you provided seems pretty positive about her qualifications for the position of deputy director for science and society.
Time123 (daab2f) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:37 amSo something I didn’t say (or deny, either) was somehow a lie?
LOL.
Cotton pointed out a mistake in their earlier article, and they corrected it. And they added a note to the article to say they corrected it.
Are you complaining because they didn’t acknowledge Cotton in the correction, for pointing out the error?
Dave (1bb933) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:46 amThe spokesman for the Special Operations Command, which controls the Ranger and airborne formations, says they are false.
Cotton claimed, repeatedly, that he served as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan and Iraq. That is simply untrue.
Dave (1bb933) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:48 amEven if you’re correct, and I have no idea tbh, Newsweek should have noted the change as a correction, not edited the article without notice.
Time123 (b4d075) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:53 amnk, I wasn’t aware that the revolution was in opposition to the British laws regarding impeachment.
And more to the point, current originalists are happy to run to contemporary British understandings when trying to interpret the language of the Constitution. It would be peculiar if that were suddenly not to be the case for impeachment.
Victor (4959fb) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:55 amhttps://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/san-francisco/san-francisco-board-of-education-votes-to-rename-44-schools/2452427/
The woke getting ever more extreme. Just using Mao’s lessons as their example.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:58 amTime123,
if you want to know why I call her a radical leftist, read her history, her specialization and her qualifications. I cited a leftist article so you could see how they focus on the indoctrination aspects of her qualifications.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 1/27/2021 @ 10:02 amTime123 (daab2f) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:37 am
I don’t know about radical leftist but this is worth a chuckle.
Nothing says “let’s send in an SJW to fix those white guys” more than a prominent sociologist heading up the nation’s top science office.
When the article starts with equality and then shifts to
it’s a good sign you’ve drifted into the land of the left.
Also,
should get another chuckle. One of those things is not like the other but I applaud the attempt to make this look science adjacent.
This also seems to be a bit of identitarian/SJW nonsense:
There is no one in the US that can accurately be described as damaged and subjugated by science and technology. If you want to understand anything about science and technology you need to begin with actual science and technology.
frosty (f27e97) — 1/27/2021 @ 10:08 amGoldwater was the symptom, the ones who nominated Goldwater are the cancer.
FIFY. Welcome to 1964.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 1/27/2021 @ 10:09 amRob, She’s a Sociologist who was named deputy director for science and society. According to the article she’s studied how science impacts society with specific focus on genetics, social inequality and medical discrimination. I doubt she’s coming at this from the same POV as the Cato institute. She sounds left of center. But I didn’t see anything there that makes her seem radical or wacky.
Is there something specific that you feel makes her unacceptable in some way?
Time123 (daab2f) — 1/27/2021 @ 10:10 amFrosty, her specific position is Deputy Director of Science and Society. She’s not the top science officer and it seems like a good fit for a sociologist who has studied that area.
Time123 (b4d075) — 1/27/2021 @ 10:12 am@107. Yep.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 1/27/2021 @ 10:15 amThe Republican party is unrecognizable.
Sure it is. Just not to anybody ‘aware’ since January 20, 1981.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 1/27/2021 @ 10:21 amEXCLUSIVE: Explosive new book claims WB began grooming ‘young and vain’ Ronald Reagan 80 years ago by saving him from financial ruin and turned him into a studio asset who gave Jack Warner ‘everything he wanted’ as president of the SAG.
FIFY.
Reaganoptics.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 1/27/2021 @ 10:30 amRob Portman’s decision to not run for reelection may create a create a vacuum in the midterms, as more Senate Republicans also decide to retire.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/27/senate-gop-retirements-2022-462898
It’s all about 2022 at this point. The Republicans hope to regain the majority in the Senate–all they need is one seat–however, if several follow Portman and retire, the primaries will be wide open in crucial states.
Some 50% of registered Republicans (in the electorate) want Trump to be a major voice in the party. They might want to rethink that. Under Trump, the GOP lost the House, the Senate and the White House.
Joe Biden received more votes than any presidential candidate in history, running against Trump. Joe Biden, are you kidding me? I’ll admit I voted for him, even though I don’t like him, but I was voting against Trump. The man is a menace to society and a danger to the republic.
If the Gratuitously Obsequious Party follows Trump’s lead in the mid-terms, they will lose. The Democrats will increase their majority in the House, gain the majority in the Senate, and Biden will still be in the White House. Is that what you want?
The Republican party needs to repudiate Trump. A conviction in the Senate trial would be a nice way of doing that, but the Republicans are afraid of the MAGA Mob, so that’s not going to happen.
The Republican party needs a new vanguard, someone who stands up and defends traditional conservative values–individual rights, limited government, lower taxation, less regulation, and Christian values.
Until someone like that runs for office, for as long as Republicans remain under thrall of Trump, the will never regain the majority.
The party is in ruin.
Gawain's Ghost (b25cd1) — 1/27/2021 @ 10:44 amMy God. President Plagiarist could barely read his teleprompter climate change babble. Like watching gramps recite the menu at a McDonald’s drive-thru.
Vlad smiles, Xi grins, Lady Liberty weeps.
The NeverTrumpers credo: “I’ll show you; I’ll hurt me– and thee.”
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 1/27/2021 @ 11:03 amGawain’s Ghost (b25cd1) — 1/27/2021 @ 10:44 am
Mailing ballots to people and having an organization around
frosty (f27e97) — 1/27/2021 @ 11:13 amharvestinghelping people fill those out and getting themcounted by hook or by crookmailed had a little to do with that. If you leave the anonymous vote by mail rules in place I’d expect those “historical” numbers to be the new normal.I know this didn’t happen in MI, WI, PA, or GA. What area were you talking about?
Time123 (daab2f) — 1/27/2021 @ 11:16 amDCSCA (f4c5e5) — 1/27/2021 @ 11:03 am
The teleprompter is getting so big that you can see it reflected in his eyes. They need to reach out to apple or google and get them to create a “Joe Biden” voice. Then it’d be much easier to just prop him up and have journalists report on the authentic mouth movements.
frosty (f27e97) — 1/27/2021 @ 11:17 am117. NJRob (eb56c3) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:31 am
In the jobs he appoints what you can call radical leftists to. Ones where the harm they can do is limited.
Sammy Finkelman (015e49) — 1/27/2021 @ 11:19 amTime123 (daab2f) — 1/27/2021 @ 11:16 am
It’s unclear what you are saying didn’t happen. I think this could be used reference for which states made changes in 2020.
Counting isn’t my strong suit but I count 11 states that proactively mailed ballots to all eligible voters, 12 that expanded eligibility for absentee/mail ballot, and 12 that are mailing applications. A number of states waived witness requirements.
Is it your contention that there were no changes to voting methods in 2020, changes in voting methods had no effect on the overall numbers, or that efforts like what Stacy Abrams is proud of organizing in GA had no effect on the vote? Or are you just having an issue with my sarcasm?
frosty (f27e97) — 1/27/2021 @ 11:38 amSammmy,
your last post is harder to understand than narciso.
Are you claiming that Biden is limiting his promotion of hard leftists to positions where they can do minimal harm?
Like his new promotion of a group to support packing the courts?
NJRob (eb56c3) — 1/27/2021 @ 11:38 amNational Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin – January 27, 2021
Issued: January 27, 2021 11:00 am
Expires: April 30, 2021 01:00 pm
The Acting Secretary of Homeland Security has issued a National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin due to a heightened threat environment across the United States, which DHS believes will persist in the weeks following the successful Presidential Inauguration. Information suggests that some ideologically-motivated violent extremists with objections to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances fueled by false narratives, could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence.
Throughout 2020, Domestic Violent Extremists (DVEs) targeted individuals with opposing views engaged in First Amendment-protected, non-violent protest activity.
DVEs motivated by a range of issues, including anger over COVID-19 restrictions, the 2020 election results, and police use of force have plotted and on occasion carried out attacks against government facilities.
Long-standing racial and ethnic tension—including opposition to immigration—has driven DVE attacks, including a 2019 shooting in El Paso, Texas that killed 23 people.
DHS is concerned these same drivers to violence will remain through early 2021 and some DVEs may be emboldened by the January 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. to target elected officials and government facilities.
DHS remains concerned that Homegrown Violent Extremists (HVEs) inspired by foreign terrorist groups, who committed three attacks targeting government officials in 2020, remain a threat.
Threats of violence against critical infrastructure, including the electric, telecommunications and healthcare sectors, increased in 2020 with violent extremists citing misinformation and conspiracy theories about COVID-19 for their actions.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/27/2021 @ 11:51 am……
DHS encourages state, local, tribal, and territorial homeland security partners to continue prioritizing physical security measures, particularly around government facilities, to protect people and critical infrastructure.
…………
Social Media Influencer Charged with Election Interference Stemming from Voter Disinformation Campaign
A Florida man was arrested this morning on charges of conspiring with others in advance of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election to use various social media platforms to disseminate misinformation designed to deprive individuals of their constitutional right to vote.
Douglass Mackey, aka Ricky Vaughn, 31, of West Palm Beach, was charged by criminal complaint in the Eastern District of New York. He was taken into custody this morning in West Palm Beach and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart of the Southern District of Florida.
…….
The complaint alleges that in 2016, Mackey established an audience on Twitter with approximately 58,000 followers. A February 2016 analysis by the MIT Media Lab ranked Mackey as the 107th most important influencer of the then-upcoming Election, ranking his account above outlets and individuals such as NBC News (#114), Stephen Colbert (#119) and Newt Gingrich (#141).
As alleged in the complaint, between September 2016 and November 2016, in the lead up to the Nov. 8, 2016, U.S. Presidential Election, Mackey conspired with others to use social media platforms, including Twitter, to disseminate fraudulent messages designed to encourage supporters of one of the presidential candidates (the “Candidate”) to “vote” via text message or social media, a legally invalid method of voting.
For example, on Nov. 1, 2016, Mackey allegedly tweeted an image that featured an African American woman standing in front of an “African Americans for [the Candidate]” sign. The image included the following text: “Avoid the Line. Vote from Home. Text ‘[Candidate’s first name]’ to 59925[.] Vote for [the Candidate] and be a part of history.” The fine print at the bottom of the image stated: “Must be 18 or older to vote. One vote per person. Must be a legal citizen of the United States. Voting by text not available in Guam, Puerto Rico, Alaska or Hawaii. Paid for by [Candidate] for President 2016.”
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/27/2021 @ 11:56 am…….
Thank you for the link. There are 11 states that mailed ballots to all eligible voters, we counted it the same. That probably will increase the number of people who vote.
Time123 (b4d075) — 1/27/2021 @ 11:57 amI believe Sammy is saying the Biden is putting the people you’d move have a problem with in positions of less importance. Do you have a link about him looking at packing the court? I haven’t read anything about them adding 55 new supreme court justices.
Time123 (b4d075) — 1/27/2021 @ 11:59 amFound it
Interesting, let’s see what they come out with.
Time123 (daab2f) — 1/27/2021 @ 12:04 pmRepublicans Make Me Proud I Voted for Biden
I have been getting a lot of mail from critics lately asking if I’m happy with the Biden administration. They point to some of the new president’s executive orders—the one about the Keystone XL pipeline, or the one rescinding the “Mexico City” policy withholding funds from international organizations that perform or advocate for abortion. They ask, snidely, whether I’m proud of my vote for the Democrat? Some add nuggets of advice, like “Your new liberal friends don’t actually like you, you know.”
My answer is that I have never been happier with a vote…….It’s because we just came within a whisker of losing our democracy, and this presidency is a chance to rebuild it. We may yet blow it. Matters like the Keystone pipeline and even the Mexico City policy are trifles by comparison.
…..
The immediate reactions to the attempted coup sound strangely mature and responsible now that the right has regrouped and settled back into its accustomed posture of Trump-excusing. The new narrative is that an impeachment trial would be 1) unconstitutional, 2) divisive, or 3) helpful to Trump because it gives him a platform. How quickly they have capitulated. It’s a mistake in this febrile era ever to assume you’ve taken the national temperature.
…….
Like dominoes, the old gang began falling into line. Prof. Jonathan Turley, who’s been saying that impeaching a non-incumbent is unconstitutional, was invited to the Senate GOP luncheon. ….. Trump loyalists circulated a petition to remove Cheney from her House leadership post. National Review published a John Bolton piece arguing that the second impeachment was as “flawed as the first.” Too partisan. Too hasty. It will give him a platform. You know the drill.
…….
The infinitely flexible Nikki Haley asks not whether former President Trump attempted to steal the election, but how low the base would like her to sink. Appearing on the Laura Ingraham show, she offered up the expected persecution narrative: “They beat him up before he got into office. They are beating him up after he leaves office. I mean, at some point, I mean, give the man a break. I mean, move on.”
See how this works? It was Trump who was beaten, not Officer Sicknick.
……
…….There really is nothing Trump could do that would forfeit the support of the GOP. He didn’t literally shoot someone on Fifth Avenue, but he sabotaged Americans’ faith in elections, attempted to intimidate the Secretary of State of Georgia into altering the election count, and set a violent mob against the Congress (killing one officer and four others). He has blood on his hands. But in the words of his #1 toady, Lindsey Graham: “He’s going to be the most important voice in the Republican Party for a long time to come.”
So, no regrets about voting for an honorable Democrat. I only pray that, with the reprieve we’ve bought, we can repair the awful breach in this country before it’s too late.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/27/2021 @ 12:05 pm>>>>>>>>>
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/27/2021 @ 12:05 pm
I think it’s fair to have no regrets about voting for Biden over Trump but it’s not healthy to lie to yourself.
frosty (f27e97) — 1/27/2021 @ 12:39 pmFurther to #109.
The constitution doesn’t say that treason, bribery and other high crimes and misdemeanors (the last not further defined but it includes things that are not violations of the criminal code) are the only grounds for impeachment – it says that when they are the grounds, removal from office automatically follows. Judges are removed when impeached and convicted on any grounds.
Article III, Section 1 never mentions that impeachment is the method of removing judges, and Article II Section 4, does not establish the power of impeachment. It’s assumed.
I failed to note one point: Conviction in cases of impeachment requires that 2/3 of the Senators present concur.
Sammy Finkelman (015e49) — 1/27/2021 @ 1:27 pm143. NJRob (eb56c3) — 1/27/2021 @ 11:38 am
That too, of course. It won’t only be hard leftists on the bipartisan commission to study reforms to the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary, and nothing can happen without legislation.
And Mitch McConnell just got a commitment not to get rid of the filibuster, I read.
So he’ll pick something out of its recommendations and push it – maybe creating another circuit.
Hard leftists get jobs, not the ability to create absolutely terrible policy. Mildly bad, maybe.
Sammy Finkelman (015e49) — 1/27/2021 @ 1:33 pmSome leftists, or people with other problems, get jobs, but the wrong jobs. Susan Rice gets put in charge of domestic policy advice. Xavier Becerra gets nominated Secretary of Health and Human services (where his views are more centrist) and not Attorney General. Marcia Fudge gets nominated Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and not Secretary of Agriculture. John Kerry gets named to a climate negotiating position with no responsibility for policy.
Sammy Finkelman (015e49) — 1/27/2021 @ 1:42 pmThings that get a lot of attention, like the usual party alteration on abortion policy, cancelling the Keystone pipeline, transgender people in the military, California standards for electric cars not interfered with, changes in official statements, do get done.
Sammy Finkelman (015e49) — 1/27/2021 @ 1:48 pm“The Party” is the people in charge. It’s whoever the law doesn’t apply to; the Joe Bidens, the Kamala Harrises, Etc. If you really think it’s still a matter of Republican vs. Democrat, or even liberal vs. conservative, you haven’t been paying attention.
Gryph (f63000) — 1/27/2021 @ 1:59 pmAn undifined group running Qhings. GoQ iQ I wasn’Q sure whaQ to who you were Qalking abouQ aQ firsQ.
Time123 (b4d075) — 1/27/2021 @ 2:56 pmI prefer to think for myself.
You should try it some time.
Dave (1bb933) — 1/27/2021 @ 3:19 pmTime123 (b4d075) — 1/27/2021 @ 2:56 pm
The original Q.
If you watch this on youtube there are people trying hard to laugh and clap thinking it’s a comedy act.
frosty (f27e97) — 1/27/2021 @ 3:19 pmDid you even read my post?
They did.
Dave (1bb933) — 1/27/2021 @ 3:21 pmHe wasn’t Ranger “qualified”, he never attended RASP, he was never part of the regiment, he was never a Ranger. Period. And he knew it, this is common knowledge and is specifically addressed in Ranger School where they tell you, out loud, that you are NOT a Ranger by attending this school, on day one, and on day 62, and nearly every day in between.
He knew, just like the Marines that go to Ranger school, or the Airmen, or Navy seamen. Heck, I attended with a guy from the Coast Guard, and I was in S&L, none of us thought we were Rangers. He knew it was a lie from the first moment that it was uttered.
Colonel Klink (Ret) (1367c0) — 1/27/2021 @ 4:49 pmInteresting, let’s see what they come out with.
The people on the commission will predict that.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 1/27/2021 @ 7:10 pmMackey conspired with others to use social media platforms, including Twitter, to disseminate fraudulent messages designed to encourage supporters of one of the presidential candidates (the “Candidate”) to “vote” via text message or social media, a legally invalid method of voting.
How is this not protected speech? If this is criminal, what about half the car dealer commercials on late night TV? Or the things where you lose all those pounds right in front of the television?
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 1/27/2021 @ 7:13 pmWell, no, not exactly, Kevin:
nk (1d9030) — 1/27/2021 @ 7:18 pmOff topic ish, but kinda related…
The Oklahoma Attorney General has been tasked with returning 5000 million whiskey barrels full of Hydroxychloroquine.
Quote:
Maybe it’s delicious?
Dustin (4237e0) — 1/27/2021 @ 7:32 pmWell, Rep. Greene didn’t take too kindly to being questioned by reporters tonight about her outrageous statements.
Dana (fd537d) — 1/27/2021 @ 8:49 pm“You gonna let ’em talk to me that way, Billy Bob?”
nk (1d9030) — 1/27/2021 @ 8:55 pmIn totally unsurprising news, the GOP has seen a significant number of Republicans leave the party:
Dana (fd537d) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:42 pmKevin M (ab1c11) — 1/27/2021 @ 7:13 pm
Most of the complaint reads like an allegation of a crime but is really only establishing that the person they want to arrest made the statements.
They are charging him for violating 18 U.S. Code § 241 – Conspiracy against rights. It does not require an overt act, it’s a conspiracy charge, but it does require, and the complaint alleges, “injure, threaten, or intimidate a person”. I’ll have to reread the complaint and I’m not familiar with the case law but I didn’t see that.
I read the complaint and for the most part thought the same thing. I’m sure he’ll try that as a possible defense at trial. It’s a bold strategy, let’s see how if it pays off. The part cited @159 might be a problem.
Is painful for me to read though. The grammar is so tortured. It’s not voting if it’s not a legal voting method. If it’s “legally” invalid why are you arresting the guy? The think the FBI has been suffering from some lower standards.
I’m also wondering whether tricking people into “voting” by text is actually doing society a service.
frosty (f27e97) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:54 pm@145. So, no regrets about voting for an honorable Democrat.
ROFLMAOPIP. Where were you when he quit in 1988?!
A known and outed PLAGIARIST is not honorable.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 1/27/2021 @ 11:04 pm164. frosty (f27e97) — 1/27/2021 @ 9:54 pm
I think a conspiracy charge does require an overt act, but the overt act doesn’t have to be anything criminal. It has to be geared to accomplishing the criminal act. The criminal act doesn’t actually have to happen.
It makes perfect sense to me. From the point of view of the voter, it’s a vote. It means to attempt to get people to vote in a way that does not accomplish the job. Deliberately misinforming people in a way so as to cause them to lose their votes quite logically qualifies as a crime. And tricking people into “voting” by text would be a form of depriving someone of the right to vote.
Particularly insidious is this line:
Sammy Finkelman (015e49) — 1/28/2021 @ 6:30 am145. Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/27/2021 @ 12:05 pm
That is overstating things a little bit.
He didn’t really.
That’s becoming clearer and clearer every day.
https://thehill.com/homenews/news/534542-capitol-police-report-warned-that-congress-could-be-targeted-three-days-before
The “Stop the Steal/Wild Protest” rally was the one organized by Ali Alexander at the Capitol lawn. I haven’t read a word about whether it ever actually got started. It was scheduled to begin at 1 pm (after originally having beeen scheduled for 10 am)
http://web.archive.org/web/20210106065650/https://wildprotest.com
http://web.archive.org/web/20210104141515/https://wildprotest.com
Trump can be put more at fault for not doing anything for quite a while after it happened and maybe not taking phone calls, but that’s not clear. And of course, making January 6 into an important date.
Inciting it with his address to the crowd – that’s not the way it happened.
Sammy Finkelman (015e49) — 1/28/2021 @ 6:48 amYou’re right, Klink. French is mistaken.
Paul Montagu (77c694) — 1/28/2021 @ 7:11 am