The attempted coup that we all knew was coming

This afternoon in Washington, D.C., as members of Congress counted the electoral college ballots inside the Capitol, Donald Trump’s supporters gathered outside for a “stop the steal” rally, where speaker after speaker told them that, at that very moment, our elected officials were conspiring on behalf of Joe Biden to rob their beloved president of a second term that he’d rightfully won. At one point, the President’s persona, attorney Rudy Giuliani took the stage to urge a “trial by combat” to overturn the 2020 election results. At another, the President himself addressed those gathered. “We will never give up,” he said. “We will never concede. It will never happen. You don’t concede when there’s theft involved. Our country has had enough. We will not take it anymore.” And, with that, the mob turned upon the Capitol, scaling walls, smashing windows, and eventually forcing their way in, causing elected officials to flee, and temporarily stopping the federal certification of Joe Biden’s victory. Here’s some of the footage.

There are a lot of different ways we could go with this conversation. We could talk about the way these pro-Trump terrorists were treated compared to the peaceful protestors at Lafayette Square Park a few months ago, who were disbursed with tear gas and bullets when the President wanted to have his photo taken holding a bible in front of a church. Or how different the scene today might have played out, had those people forcing their way into the Capitol been black supporters of Barack Obama, for instance, as opposed to the white supporters of Donald Trump. Or we could talk about whether what we saw today was technically an insurrection, a coup attempt, or an act of sedition. Or we could talk, as many are today, about the fact that Colin Kaepernick was labeled anti-American by the President and others for having the audacity to “take knee” before a football game to protest police brutality, when these self-professed “patriots” were literally smashing windows to get at our elected officials, and occupying the floor of the U.S. Senate. Here, by the way, are just a few of the photos documenting what had happened.

My inclination is to focus on those in Congress who helped lay the groundwork for what we saw play out today — those who could have taken action earlier, but instead chose to play along — those who now seem genuinely horrified by what’s come to pass, but still lack the self-awareness to see that they actually helped create this situation. Specifically, I’m thinking of Lindsey Graham, Liz Cheney, Mitch McConnell and Will Hurd, but there are others. All of them knew how how this would end, and yet they went along. (Graham, according to Georgia election officials, even interceded on Trump’s behalf to push for legal ballots to be thrown out.) They could have spoken up and done the courageous thing when it would have made a difference. They could have joined the likes of Justin Amash and Mitt Romney, but they put their own careers ahead of the county, and chose to do nothing. And, now, they want us to believe that they’re absolutely horrified at what’s taking place, like we never could have conceived such an outcome.

But at least they’re accepting the reality of the situation, unlike Matt Gaetz, who just had the audacity to say on the floor of the House that, “some of the people who breached the Capitol today were not Trump supporters, they were masquerading as Trump supporters and in fact were members of the violent terrorist group antifa.” There’s a special place in hell for him and the six Senators (“the seditious six”) today who voted against the certification of the electoral college vote (Cruz, Hawley, Hyde-Smith, Kennedy, Marshall, Tuberville).

As I mentioned Romney and Amash earlier, here are quotes today from both. While I don’t agree with either on much, I respect them both immensely for standing up to Trump, knowing that it would put them at odds with their party.

As for Trump, he was given an opportunity to talk to the terrorists who had stormed the Capitol, and urge them to leave. And, while he did suggest that they leave, he also talked about how the election had been stolen from him, and how much he loved those who have taken over the Capitol. “We love you. You’re very special,” he said. He also posted the following online. Eventually, however, all of the major social media platforms pulled his posts.

And, now, as a result of all of this, one woman is dead. A Qanon believer by the name of Ashli Babbit was shot and killed today during the siege at the Capitol. According to the Daily Beast, she was in D.C. because she wanted to be there for “The Storm”, the day when it was predicted that Trump would arrest and execute his demonic, child-eating political rivals. Here’s a clip.

On Jan. 5, a day before her death, Babbitt tweeted references to another QAnon slogan, “dark to light,” and said the United States would soon see “The Storm”—a moment much awaited by QAnon followers, in which Trump would execute his opponents in the Democratic Party.

Babbit, like other QAnon followers gathered outside Congress on Wednesday, appeared to believe that the apocalyptic moment was at hand.

“They can try and try and try but the storm is here and it is descending upon DC in less than 24 hours….dark to light!” Babbit wrote…

I could go on. I need to sleep, though. It’s all too surreal. I never would have thought that I’d see the day that the Capitol would be overrun, and I’d be reading tweets from elected officials hiding in their offices. It’s all so fucking insane. And I can’t imagine what still lies ahead of us, as Donald Trump still has two more weeks in office. There’s word tonight that high level Republicans are finally organizing to see him removed from office, whether by invoking the 25th amendment, or by way of impeachment. One hopes that happens, and happens quickly, before things escalate even further. Word is that he’s beginning to lose his grip. Three White House staffers have already walked out today, and one gets the sense that a long-awaited shift against Trump is finally starting to take hold.

update: Trump, while still not conceding, finally said that there would be a peaceful transition of power. How insane is it that it took this long?

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143 Comments

  1. Posted January 7, 2021 at 12:24 am | Permalink

  2. Posted January 7, 2021 at 12:25 am | Permalink

  3. Posted January 7, 2021 at 12:32 am | Permalink

    Vanity Fair: “staffer told the friend that White House Counsel Pat Cipollone was urging White House officials not to speak to Trump or enable his coup attempt in any way, so they could reduce the chance they could be prosecuted for treason under the Sedition Act.”

    https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/01/after-a-day-of-violence-and-25th-amendment-chatter-trumps-allies-jumping-ship

  4. Posted January 7, 2021 at 3:11 am | Permalink

    I only regret that our own resident Trumpanzees were not there with Ashli Babbit breaking windows and attempting to climb through wearing backpacks. That fat tub of lard HW couldn’t get up through that narrow window anyway I suppose. And FF doesn’t have the devotion. He won’t even carry a giant flag for his Toady.

  5. Posted January 7, 2021 at 3:43 am | Permalink

    The declaration of the electoral college results by the Congress has finally been completed.

  6. Wobblie
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 7:14 am | Permalink

    According to DC police 4 dead, 14 cops injured, 52 arrested. Trump “pledges” peaceful transfer of power refuses to concede he lost election.
    If our rulers are serious about returning to normal—they will start holding the enablers accountable—but they won’t, not a single one of the politicians who lead the racist (please FF review all the video and tell us how there were POC in with the putschist). Instead we will hear platitudes to “coming together”, “listening to one another”, and once again our criminals (if they are part of the political elite) will not be held to account.

  7. Posted January 7, 2021 at 7:25 am | Permalink

    I hate Trump and I blame him for this incident but here is the thing. He is NOT leading an armed insurgency, though. It worries me that someone with a more militarily strategic mind and the same cult following could actually seize power by organizing a coordinated attack on Congress.

  8. Anonymous
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 7:45 am | Permalink

    Trump: While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it’s only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again!

    FF, do you agree, yes or no? It’s a simple question.

  9. John Brown
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 8:05 am | Permalink

    Cops are complicit. MAGA chuds should have been mowed down and stacked like cord wood. Of course 3 out of 4 died all on their own. Clearly they weren’t the fascist super soldiers that they think they are but more like Mr Chud goes to Washington treason tourist.

    But, as it turned out it is a brilliant PR coup for the Dems. Undeniable imagery of absolute insurrection at agent oranges behest.

  10. Frosted Flakes
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 8:48 am | Permalink

    Vague Guy,

    No—I do not at all agree that it is a simple question.

    I agree that it appears Trump’s first term has been a wild success but I am not qualified to rank his first term against all the other presidential terms in history. Besides that, the positive/negative effects of Trump’s first term will continue to radiate into the future so it does not make sense to give a final rating to his first term.

    I think it would be foolish to believe that a Biden presidency would somehow mark the end of the MAGA movement. A Biden presidency would make the MAGA movement grow in size and intensity. In a sense a Biden presidency would mark a beginning for MAGA.

    Trump’s first term is scheduled to end in 2 weeks. A lot can happen in two weeks.

    I am not even sure what your question is….Talking with you is like talking to a bowl of jello.

  11. Frosted Flakes
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 8:59 am | Permalink

    Fake John Brown seems to mot recognize the difference between 1) the righteous conviction of a true revolutionary; and 2) the excitement a fool experiences when he dances near the edge.

  12. Anonymous
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 9:25 am | Permalink

    https://thedispatch.com/p/trumps-rebellion-against-reality

    Hope this helps.

  13. Posted January 7, 2021 at 9:35 am | Permalink

    All I know is that Ted Cruz (and FF #duh) come out of this looking like real assholes. Let’s hope it has dire consequences for Cruz’s career. Maybe the Senate needs to remove him?

  14. Posted January 7, 2021 at 9:37 am | Permalink

    My favorite caption for that first photo is “MAGA crowd proving to themselves the effectiveness of walls” Hahaha. So not just assholes but morons.

  15. John Brown
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 9:43 am | Permalink

    Lynne, to be fair, Cruz and FF went INTO this looking like assholes. Now they come out as certifiable insurrectionists.

  16. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 9:54 am | Permalink

    Explosive devices were found at the RNC and DNC headquarters and pipe bombs were found on the capitol.

    I don’t know why anyone was surprised by any of this. It has been coming all along and could have been much worse.

    This may have been Trump & co’s most effective diversion tactic as discussion of flipping Georgia faded to the background immediately.But there’s no political gain from that now. I truly hope people who support the Dem agenda will be able to pivot their focus to the tremendous opportunity and work of the next two years both legislatively and in terms of preserving Dem control of the Congress. I can tell you Fox News is entirely ignoring the Dem victories. (They are busy equating this with BLM ‘riots’.)

    FF It cracks me up that you imagine Trump has ANY legitimacy left to implement his plan to subvert the election. Even he appears to have given up the cause– likely because he has been warned of legal consequences. All the elections have been reviewed and certified. There were none to few discrepancies between the hand counts and the machine counts (which honestly surprised me). I don’t know how you imagine people can fake that. My suspicion is that you know that, absent any kind of election fraud, you have supported a criminal president, and that’s not an acceptable conclusion and so you will spend LOT of time trying to prove your cause was just instead of unforgivable.

    Side note that I have seen many times in local politics *among liberals* that when they don’t get the answers they want from their representatives, even when outside studies are commissioned, that citizens will say their concerns have not been addressed. It happens consistently and that kind of denialism is not unique to the right.

    Storming the capital is a whole other matter. Backing Trump is the ultimate sunk cost fallacy. You are fucked FF. Maybe eventually this will make you STFU. Doubt we’ll be so lucky though.

  17. Marco Rubio
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 10:01 am | Permalink

    Marco Rubio grows a spine:

    Some misled you

    That the VP could reject ballots

    That objections could pass or used as leverage to force an audit

    They knew the truth but thought it was a great way to get attention & raise money

  18. Anonymous
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 10:03 am | Permalink

    Mick Mulvaney resigns from Trump administration: “I can’t do it. I can’t stay here.”

  19. Frosted Flakes
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 10:07 am | Permalink

    J Bro,

    It would be funny to me if the final reason they kicked you off of the team was because I demonstrated that you do not know what words mean.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/ted-cruzs-full-electoral-vote-speech/2021/01/06/fb43b312-3558-43cf-a769-25f0e7b2bd69_video.html

    Like Mark’s misuse of the term “sedition”. Proposing legal means confirms the institution, idiot boy.

  20. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 10:08 am | Permalink

    Re my question yesterday about chain of command and how it was that Pence ordered in the National Guard instead of Trump and what that means:

    “there have been a few hints over the last hours that the national security structure and some critical functions of government are operating separate from President Trump. The Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs conferred with Mike Pence and the Democratic and Republican congressional leaders about bringing in the National Guard. Apparently there were no discussions with the President and Mike Pence eventually gave the order, even though there’s no basis I can think of on which Pence could give such an order.”

    Interesting…

    https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/again-whos-president-right-now

  21. Frosted Flakes
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 10:09 am | Permalink

    Being an idiot is the least of your transgressions. LOL

  22. Anonymous
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 10:09 am | Permalink

    https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/01/after-a-day-of-violence-and-25th-amendment-chatter-trumps-allies-jumping-ship

    White House Counsel Pat Cipollone was urging White House officials not to speak to Trump or enable his coup attempt in any way, so they could reduce the chance they could be prosecuted for treason under the Sedition Act.

  23. Frosted Flakes
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 10:12 am | Permalink

    Jean,

    I agree. It is very interesting. I am not sure what to make of it.

  24. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 10:16 am | Permalink

    Mark– Now that the right wing nuts who made a full time job of the hostile takeover of this blog’s comment section have all left the building except for FF, and the time when we need to listen to what Trump supporters have to say has come to an end, I’m asking you to kick FF out. Imagine the blossoming of interesting and respectful dialogue and humor among many points of view on the left that could once again flourish here without the constant fly swatting distractions of our resident bloviator. And there will still be plenty of conspiracy theories flying around. Even Twitter has figured out that unfettered free speech does not allow truth to win out. I’m not sure what principle you are protecting at this point by allowing your blog to be hijacked by right wing assholes. Please think about it. I mean, Jesus, that guy has commanded the floor for long enough.

  25. Posted January 7, 2021 at 10:31 am | Permalink

  26. Bob
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 10:33 am | Permalink

    Careful about giving McConnell, Graham and the others any credit or respect. They deserve nothing. If anything they deserve less than these dim witted freshmen tea party types who’ve lucked into congress recently. Those two are smart and savvy enough to know what they were doing and what would happen. Liz Cheney is especially dangerous. She’s a genuine devil who we will be battling hard in the coming decades. She has the money and connections to really do damage.

  27. Posted January 7, 2021 at 10:35 am | Permalink

    It may be a technical limitation or one of time, JH. Maybe it will be a good opportunity to learn how to ignore people on the internet?

    I am super glad though that we have absolutely no reason to listen to FF or to take him seriously. A conclusion I admittedly came to too late. It is still fun to mock him though. I mean he IS a joke like the rest of those Trumpers. A deplorable joke who is best ignored.

  28. Frosted Flakes
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 10:45 am | Permalink

    I agree Jean. I think it would be poetic if Mark kicked me out right after I agreed with you about 2 things in a row.

    Now is the perfect time for suppression of speech. Do it Maynard! Even Twitter would do it. You know Jack Dorsey and his PR attorney—those guys—who got their asses handed to them, for 3.5 hours, in a potheads basement got their asses handed to them by a high school drop out.

    Even Jack Dorsey would do it. You don’t want to be sub-twitter do you, Maynard?

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DZCBRHOg3PQ&list=PLS7tWrdgAi-Uh_lYF-iQx4qvOgEDu2WMS&index=1485

  29. Ypsilanti Truther
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 10:49 am | Permalink

    What happened with the great American patriot of Ypsilanti, John Barr Jr.?

  30. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 11:01 am | Permalink

    FF– my position about your toxic presence here doesn’t alter because you appear to agree with me twice.

  31. Anonymous
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 11:11 am | Permalink

    https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-total-monster-during-capitol-siege-aides-say-report-2021-1?r=US&IR=T

    FF, is this what you think is worth remembering as great? Simple question, yes or no.

  32. Posted January 7, 2021 at 11:17 am | Permalink

    Perhaps someone here has made sure the Ypsilanti City Attorney was told about his dim-witted son’s comments on this blog. Perhaps the City Attorney understood he was being threatened and his deranged son’s public comments would be used to force him to retire if he didn’t have a talk with him. Just a theory.

  33. Posted January 7, 2021 at 11:25 am | Permalink

    It’s also a theory of mine that EOS was made aware of the fact that he wasn’t actually anonymous to everyone here. His greatest fear here was to be outed. So perhaps someone here called or emailed him and explained that they would share his identity publicly if he chose to continue commenting here. Just a theory.

  34. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 11:39 am | Permalink

    Doxing is not ok, ever, iRobert. It’s a form of abuse. HW revealed his own identity here. And then denied it. That’s different.

    PS this comment weirdly posted first over on another thread that I wasn’t on… not sure why…

  35. Anonymous
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 11:50 am | Permalink

    “A person who I find annoying should not be allowed to make posts here” is a very problematic stance to take. If you see yourself as being ‘on the left’ I would hope you reject that idea.

  36. Posted January 7, 2021 at 11:58 am | Permalink

    I beg to differ, Jean. Doxing is ok, often.

  37. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 12:06 pm | Permalink

    Anonymous– I never suggested FF was just annoying. I suggested that a few right wingers and those, like me, who chose to spend too much time responding to them, effectively hijacked this forum and prevented functional discourse from taking place. I’m all for many viewpoints. FF’s commitment to trolling this space has helped prevent that from occurring. It’s not enough to make the space where differing views can commingle. You need to make it a space where people with reasonable opposing views feel they can be heard and engage with others productively. The people who have self-excluded from this space are those who we should be listening to. Not FF.

    Again, even Twitter has figured this out. Trolls are agents who disrupt civil discourse and make it oppositional and unproductive. That’s their function. They should not be protected in the name of discourse. Head over to Parler if you want to se how that works out.

  38. Posted January 7, 2021 at 12:07 pm | Permalink

    Doxing can be used to abuse, but that doesn’t mean it is inherently abu. It can also be a means of accountability.

    Police officers being doxed regarding racist or other inappropriate comments they make anonymously trough social media is a means for weeding out bad apples. Do you not agree?

  39. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 12:10 pm | Permalink

    Anyone who wants to know what FF is thinking just needs to head over to Tucker Carlson who FF sounds exactly like and whose points FF regularly makes here. Please note in this editorial the assumption that the people storming the capitol must have had legitimate complaint instead of having been led by the misinformation of people like Carlson to believe they had legitimate complaint. These are true sins of omission and commission of which Carlson and FF are both guilty.

    https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-capitol-hill-riots-reaction

  40. Posted January 7, 2021 at 12:11 pm | Permalink

    Are you apologizing for doxing HW?

  41. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 12:12 pm | Permalink

    iRobert– yes I can see some legitimacy in that context for paid public officials but not in this context at all. Your point is valid but in no way legitimizes threat of doxing to private citizens on a hyper local blog.

  42. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 12:15 pm | Permalink

    Edit: ” It’s not enough to make the space where differing views can commingle. [If you want to promote free speech and political discourse among differing viewpoints in this forum,] you need to make it a space where people with reasonable opposing views feel they can be heard and engage with others productively.”

  43. Posted January 7, 2021 at 12:16 pm | Permalink

    It would certainly be a lot better if we had Tucker Carlson here trolling, but sadly we’re stuck with FF – a poor man’s Tucker Carlson one night say. A very, very, poor man’s Tucker Carlson.

  44. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 12:20 pm | Permalink

    iRobert– I didn’t DOX HW. Someone else did based on HW’s own commentary. Then I absolutely looked at his public profiles to see if his depiction of his family life (About which I had concern) was accurate. And it was not. I’m greatly relieved he doesn’t actually have a wife and daughter, but also saddened and slightly alarmed that he appears to be simply truly mad and isolated without relief. INCELs like him are scary.

  45. Posted January 7, 2021 at 12:20 pm | Permalink

    I guess you should apologize to John Barr, Jr. then, Jean. Will you be doing that in person or just sending him a card in the mail?

  46. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 12:22 pm | Permalink

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/07/trump-twitter-ban/

  47. Posted January 7, 2021 at 12:23 pm | Permalink

    Your defense applies to me also. I didn’t put him here. I did call him a lot of names though. I intend to continue doing that at will.

  48. Posted January 7, 2021 at 12:27 pm | Permalink

    I didn’t out HW here. I’ll be using the same defense lawyer you will be on those charges.

  49. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 12:31 pm | Permalink

    I think it was Ypsi Truther who did it, iRobert. Can’t remember. Can you tell us if what you insinuated above re messages to Barr Sr and EOS is something you did? Or are you just stirring the pot?

    Despite my critique of Mark’s management of this comment section, it is his space to manage as he sees fit. Doing what you insinuated you did, iRobert, is manipulative and out of turn.

  50. Anonymous
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 12:51 pm | Permalink

    You could simply ignore them, Jean Henry. I think there are plenty of ways this site could function better for discussion – the comment section could thread replies which would keep the comment section better organized and easier to follow – but banning posters you find annoying, yet still choose to engage with, is not the solution.

    Twitter is a different format than that site and I don’t think they’ve banned trolls? Should there also be a character limit on comments here because twitter figured that out as well?

  51. Posted January 7, 2021 at 12:51 pm | Permalink

    Why would a person ever say one way or the other?

    We’ll have to get Ypsi Truther to go apologize to John Barr, Jr. I guess. Whose going to do the honors of doxing Ypsi Truther. Shall I?

  52. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 2:02 pm | Permalink

    Anonymous— you are missing my point. Mark has the ability to manage this site so it’s more functional as a space for discourse. I do not. I was not presenting Twitter or FB as models for this site. That’s absurd. I was simply pointing up that even they have found limits to what they will tolerate. Mark it seems has not.

    I’

  53. Posted January 7, 2021 at 2:03 pm | Permalink

  54. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 2:06 pm | Permalink

    IRobert— you seem to think I have interest in apologies. I do not. Critique can stand on its own. It has value on its own as discourse. It requires no action in response.

    I have never asked for an apology in my adult life ever to my knowledge. I have offered plenty. I try to make them sincere and thought through.

  55. Frosted Flakes
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 2:15 pm | Permalink

    https://mobile.twitter.com/thejaydenxander/status/1347056697899163648

    Who is Jaden X? What “they” does he belong to?

  56. Posted January 7, 2021 at 2:17 pm | Permalink

    I’m not sure what you mean by “out of turn,” and I’m not sure who you’d see me as being manipulative toward. HW and EOS are gone from this place, as far as I can tell.

    In regard to FF, I’m sure we’d all prefer a more interactive opponent in discussions. I don’t see that as grounds for Mark blocking him from commenting here, however. Is this an example of what people call cancel culture? Or is this some sort of policing?

  57. Frosted Flakes
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 2:24 pm | Permalink

    “Cops are complicit. MAGA chuds should have been mowed down and stacked like cord wood. “ —Fake John Brown

    I suppose the above video, filmed by Jaden X, is proof that not all cops are “complicit” as defined by Fake John Brown’s warped worldview. Radicalized by MSNBC. Yikes.

  58. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 2:39 pm | Permalink

    The woman was shot by Pence’s security detail while attempting to break into the room where he was sequestered according to his security detail.

    Trump and his lie-enablers have her blood on their hands.

  59. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 2:41 pm | Permalink

    IRobert— it was a suggestion.

  60. Anonymous
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 2:44 pm | Permalink

    Jean Henry you referenced twitters restrictions twice, apparently as some sort of benchmark in support of your desire for Mark to remove someone from posting here. If there is anything absurd about that, it’s origins lie with you having introduced it to the conversation.

    I think I understand your point, I just don’t agree with you about banning annoying people from posting. I made a suggestion, that you didn’t address in your latest response, that certain things would improve the comment section and make it easier to navigate. I think simple, functional changes are possible which would go some way toward addressing the posters you don’t like or do not want to engage with. Imagine if you could collapse any of FF’s comments so you didn’t have to see what they’re saying, for example. Of course, you’d get the same results by using the ol’ analog method of ignoring the folks you’d rather not engage with ;)

  61. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 2:54 pm | Permalink

    I believe I used the term ‘even Twitter’ indicating that Twitter is not a model at all but even so, that it is taking steps that this site does not.

    It’s up to Mark how he wants to manage it. But an argument about a principle of encouraging discourse can not reasonably be made for keeping someone like FF or HW here dominating the room.

  62. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 2:57 pm | Permalink

    I would love the capacity to block posters and divergent threads here. That would be amazing and really facilitate better conversations.

    I have no understanding of what is possible on this platform.

  63. Posted January 7, 2021 at 3:00 pm | Permalink

    I was joking about the apologies, of course. I wasn’t really expecting you, me or Ypsi Truther to go over to HW’s house to apologize. It’s funny to think about though. Maybe I will at some point just for its entertainment value.

  64. Frosted Flakes
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 3:08 pm | Permalink

    Pence was sequestered in an open hallway? That seems divergent from (probable) truth Jean. Maybe you should watch again? Insurgency USA. Portland.

    https://mobile.twitter.com/thejaydenxander/status/1347056697899163648

  65. Posted January 7, 2021 at 3:09 pm | Permalink

    I feel bad for pointing out how frumpy and slow-witted HW is. It might be a bit awkward having a discussion with him at his door about that, while looking right at that frumpy, slow-witted loser. That would require a real special tact.

  66. John Brown
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 3:09 pm | Permalink

    I dont know, its kinda useful to have actual delusional traitors at our beck and call for illustrating the pulse of the Fash enablers in real time. I’ve heard more lately about actively segregating them on media beyond whats naturally occurring. If that happens, convincing liberals to take crushing the Fash seriously will be harder, out of sight out of mind and all.

    Also that was Pence’s detail that made that “good kill” in the video shared by the Fash Fluffer. I guess this is the start of Rudy’s “Trial by Combat”.

  67. Frosted Flakes
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 3:21 pm | Permalink

    Whether or not it was Pence’s detail is not relevant, nor is it in dispute. Jean said the (unarmed) woman was trying to break into the room where Pence was sequestered. The woman is breaking into an open hallway. Yes or no? So Pence was in an open hallway?

    Can you tell us more about Jaden X and Insurgency USA, J bro?

  68. Anonymous
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 3:22 pm | Permalink

    Fair enough with regards to twitter.

    Moderation is not uncommon on forums and other platforms but it is typically guided by some set of community standards or rules that the participants acknowledge and agree to abide by. If the rules are violated then there are consequences. There are no set of guidelines or parameters for posting here. That’s kind of one thing I enjoy about it, personally. Since there are no established rules here your call for banning someone seems arbitrary. If they were doxxing people, issuing credible threats to harm people or something along those lines I might be sympathetic. As it stands all I’ve gathered is that the person you don’t like posts a lot, you find them time consuming, annoying and you imagine more fruitful conversations taking place in their absence. Banning them hardly seems appropriate, despite the fact that I don’t enjoy their posts either. I think and hope my reaction would be the same if someone were calling for your banishment for posting too much or whatever.

    I would love to see an overhaul of the comment section just in terms of functionality. I think it’d go a long way toward making the conversations here more fruitful and easier to follow.

  69. Posted January 7, 2021 at 4:24 pm | Permalink

    I don’t know what Hillary was talking about when she called Trump supporters “deplorable.” They seem absolutely charming.

  70. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 4:54 pm | Permalink

    FF— pence was in the room to the left of the hallway from which doorway his security detail can be seen shooting her.

    I was distraught watching her be shot which was shown on the media. I blame Trump not the security detail. Was it reasonable for Trump supporters or anyone to think they would not be at risk for injury for breaking into the Capitol building with all of Congress and the VP in session? From their posts it sounds like they were prepared to die. How many would you have guessed would die when an angry mob overtakes the capitol? None?

    Have you ever been to the Capitol Building or experienced the kind of security that is enforced on an average day? It’s a lot more strict than it was on a day when the president and his henchmen were openly encouraging insurrection and battle tactics, and telling people not to back down. On an average day the security is more strict across the street from the capitol than it was inside the capitol on a day when this going outside of it:

    https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/noose-hung-outside-capitol/

    For one day, could you spare us your selective righteousness and cheap biased moralism, FF?

  71. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 5:02 pm | Permalink

    Anonymous— I like the idea of some kind of management device. Especially self management. Choose your own MM adventure. I know moderation is a headache and a lot of work that I’m sure Mark has no time for. I’m not a fan of it as it tends to serve the moderators bias. And we all have bias.

    I only suggested banning FF out of anger at Trump apologists like him and because he’s the last Trumper standing. It’s not personal. The others were just as bad.

    If Trump is guilty of sedition as you say, is that not cause enough to not give forum to his apologists and supporters? (Even I don’t believe that, but it’s an argument one could make based on the language of your posts.)

    I just want to see this site become informative, funny and interesting again. Whatever mechanism Mark could employ to get it back there would be welcome.

    Mark said he wanted to pivot away from Trump. How can we do that with Trumpers continuing to dominate and malinger here like a bad headache?

  72. Posted January 7, 2021 at 5:37 pm | Permalink

    If FF were the sort of person capable of fielding questions on many topics, it might be good having him here. It would also probably be less annoying if he wasn’t constantly asking really stupid questions any adult of average intelligence would be able to answer for themselves.

  73. Posted January 7, 2021 at 5:38 pm | Permalink

    But other than that I find him absolutely charming.

  74. Posted January 7, 2021 at 5:56 pm | Permalink

    A Newly Elected West Virginia Delegate Was Part Of The Pro-Trump Mob That Stormed The Capitol

    https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/briannasacks/west-virginia-republican-delegate-storms-capitol

  75. Anonymous
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 6:03 pm | Permalink

    Self management would be cool, totally. I agree about moderation and don’t think that would be the best solution for the comments here. I understand your anger toward trump and apologists but I don’t think it’s the right to start banning individuals who would fall into that camp, especially at the level of this comment section.

    I think it was another Anonymous talking about trump being guilty of sedition so I can’t speak to that.

    I would love it if the content on this site would move away from Trump and national politics in general. The writing about local political issues has always been great to read (I don’t always agree with the POV but the information, topics and engagement that that brought was always informative and essential esp. because there are so few local news sites) but the national/trump stuff has not been good. Moving away from trump/national politics would make it more informative, funny and interesting here, to me. Maybe a change in content would yield a change in the audience and comment section. I don’t think Tucker Carlson has much to say about art happenings in small midwest towns, zines, exit/entrance interviews etc. ;) Local political topics may draw some right wingers around but so what?

  76. Posted January 7, 2021 at 6:38 pm | Permalink

    4,100 US covid deaths yesterday.

    Trump has been “wildly successful”

    Taiwan is still at 7 deaths

  77. Posted January 7, 2021 at 7:23 pm | Permalink

    I’m going to be asking every Trumpanzee why out of 40 thousand of them not one remembered to bring the fraud evidence to present to congress.

    Damn! We left all that evidence back home in the doublewide. Knew I fergot sumthin!

  78. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 10:27 pm | Permalink

    FF, what I heard and what I said was that Pence was in the room adjacent to the door the women broke through. The man who shot her was guarding that door. I think it was a tragedy but I also think that if you are part of a violent insurrection/intended revolutionary incursion on a national capitol building and you happen to push through a few feet from the door protecting the VP from the mob, they are not going to let you get inside that room and you might get shot just being near it.

    I pretty much assume that anyone who charged the capitol yesterday was prepared to be shot. Anyone who does that should be. She probably was just in the wrong place and the wrong time. Which is a crazy thing to say about anyone who broke into the US capitol building with all of congress and the VP in session. Whoopsey Daisy. Darwin award for her.

  79. Jean Henry
    Posted January 7, 2021 at 11:06 pm | Permalink

    Somehow I missed this. Don Jr addressing the crowd yesterday just before they stormed the capitol building… the first few seconds: Amazing.

    https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1346868456835186694?s=20

  80. Posted January 8, 2021 at 3:22 am | Permalink

    That’s great stuff, Jean. Dumb Donny Jr’s gunna need a pardon from daddy. What a bunch of stupid lunatics.

    Even Trump-TV is seeing some of the insanity…

    Capitol rioters could face up to 10 years in prison under Trump monument executive order

    https://www.foxnews.com/politics/capitol-rioters-prison-trump-executive-order-federal

  81. Posted January 8, 2021 at 4:57 am | Permalink

    I’m glad Tucker Carlson and his like are saying it was antifa that stormed the Capital. We should all be in agreement then that everyone who stormed the Capital should be publicly executed, and all future rioters should be shot in the face while in the commission of their crimes. We’ll just assume they’re all antifa. Problem solved.

  82. Posted January 8, 2021 at 5:30 am | Permalink

    A Capitol Police officer dies from injuries sustained during the pro-Trump rampage.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/07/us/politics/a-capitol-police-officer-dies-from-injuries-sustained-during-the-pro-trump-rampage.html

  83. Posted January 8, 2021 at 9:32 am | Permalink

    Their attempts to blame this on antifa without any evidence shows me that at least they realize that storming the capital is wrong.

  84. Posted January 8, 2021 at 10:04 am | Permalink

  85. Posted January 8, 2021 at 10:19 am | Permalink

    They wouldn’t care that it was wrong had it worked. We are dealing with a mass of sociopaths.

  86. Jean Henry
    Posted January 8, 2021 at 11:03 am | Permalink

    Last election cycle I read Hannah Arendt for historical and human context. this one I’m going to read Charles Mackay’s The Madness of Crowds (1841) for the same reason.

    “Men, it has been well said, think in herds;
    it will be seen that they go mad in herds,
    while they only recover their senses slowly,
    and one by one.”

  87. Anonymous
    Posted January 8, 2021 at 11:06 am | Permalink

    That tracking device that was going to be injected by Soros? It was cleverly disguised as a phone and put into peoples pockets. The biometric identifier? It was disguised as a selfie camera. That secret NSA program for collecting people’s private thoughts? Social media. That mask that could have foiled this? Oof.

  88. Anonymous
    Posted January 8, 2021 at 12:48 pm | Permalink

    Everybody charged for any federal felony offense will have to appear in federal court with their lawyer, even if they are from very very far away. Sad trombone.

  89. Posted January 8, 2021 at 1:12 pm | Permalink

    Just in case anyone is wondering, I tested a theory today. It turns out that a bottle of wine and some of those pepperoni rolls from Bellflower combined with a big fat doobie and I no longer give AF about DJT or his minions. Let’s just lock them up and forget about them. :) Has Elizabeth from Knoxville been arrested yet and if not, why not?

  90. Dirtgrain
    Posted January 8, 2021 at 2:00 pm | Permalink

    “Pro-Trump rioters smeared poop in U.S. Capitol hallways during belligerent attack”

    That symbolized the Trump presidency well–would only work better if they rubbed their shitty asses on the Constitution.

  91. Posted January 8, 2021 at 4:48 pm | Permalink

    I’ve wanted to start occasionally posting with the screen name “Hyborian Warlord (Tribute)” in order to keep his memory alive here for all of us who were his fans. But I’m not sure Mark would tolerate such a thing. He may be getting tired of my constant mocking of HW. He may feel it’s going a bit overboard. I just miss that stupid Turnip. What can I say? I’m sure we all do in some little way. I assume John Brown misses him often. But his aim has to be improving.

  92. Posted January 8, 2021 at 6:07 pm | Permalink

    Help put Trumpanzees in prison. See if you can spot HW.

    View photos of the people wanted by FBI for violence at the Capitol building

    https://www.wxyz.com/news/capitol-chaos/view-photos-of-the-people-wanted-by-fbi-for-violence-at-the-capitol-buildin

  93. Posted January 8, 2021 at 6:08 pm | Permalink

    Where’s dumpy, dim-witted Waldo?

  94. Anonymous
    Posted January 8, 2021 at 6:44 pm | Permalink

    No Facebook Instagram or Twitter for the President. Maybe our gang moved to Parler. Sad!

  95. Jean Henry
    Posted January 8, 2021 at 9:01 pm | Permalink

    I’m watching a breakdown of the Georgia flip and I hope everyone spends some time looking at the Dem strategies. They kept their message disciplined and locally focused. No big giveaway promises. The candidates did not run on flipping the senate. Or mention Trump . They ran on issues and racial Justice. They ran on competent committed governance that would change lives.

    When we get back to fighting one another over messaging policy etc on the left again, I hope we’ll remember this. Ground game, GOTV and message discipline. Retail politics.

  96. Wobblie
    Posted January 9, 2021 at 8:29 am | Permalink

    Perhaps folks will start taking Tulsi suggestion about censorship under the 14th amendment. Important that censorship could be done by majority vote.
    A way to win. When Shumer becomes Majority Leader (as soon as Ga. Senate election certified) censure and remove the 8 Senators who “gave aid and comfort” to the traitors who stormed the Capital. Pelosi should also censure and remove the 140 House traitors. Impeaching or censoring Trump would then be easy.
    They wanted a civil war, they attacked the Capital- the Democrats better unload with everything we have if they want to save the Republic. Strip them all from ever holding Federal office again.
    14th amendment Section 3
    No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

  97. Wobblie
    Posted January 9, 2021 at 8:36 am | Permalink

    Just for historical reference when the racist traitors attacked Ft Sumner in 1861, only one person died (in an explosion following the surrender).

  98. JEAN HENRY
    Posted January 9, 2021 at 8:53 am | Permalink

    No on eis taking Tulsi seriously. They will be damned lucky if they can just get Trump convicted in the Senate, in which case he can not run again. It’s really fucking easy to have unworkable/unpassable ideas and then decry everyone else.

    Why do you have no interest in what is politically possible at any given time?

  99. Jean Henry
    Posted January 9, 2021 at 8:57 am | Permalink

    censure and removal requires a 2/3 vote of the body to which the legislator belongs. The Dems do not have anything close to 2/3 of the Senate for such a vote. The House is almost as unlikely. Could happen there though. After Jan 20.

    Under Article I, Section 5, clause 2, of the Constitution, a Member of Congress may be removed from office before the normal expiration of his or her constitutional term by an “expulsion” from the Senate (if a Senator) or from the House of Representatives (if a Representative) upon a formal vote on a resolution agreed to by two-thirds of the Members of that body present and voting.

  100. John Brown
    Posted January 9, 2021 at 9:00 am | Permalink

    The deepstaters, like the secret service who smoked Ashli Deplorable, train to have absolute discipline and absolute boundaries. In this case the secondary perimeter of the hall doors was obviously the absolute boundary beyond which you will be shot. This results of disciplined mission performance seems to come as shock to childlike white supremacists crazy pants. They better get used to it once agent orange is swinging.

  101. Jean Henry
    Posted January 9, 2021 at 9:18 am | Permalink

    If you miss HW, iRobert you can head over to Parler. There are many of him. I don’t miss him one bit and I think laughing about folks like him and their beliefs is not something I’ll be doing for a while now.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/07/opinion/sway-kara-swisher-john-matze.html

  102. Anonymous
    Posted January 9, 2021 at 9:42 am | Permalink

    Why can’t we laugh? What would be the appropriate emotion? These are people who are grown adults, not children. Some of them are quite well educated and situated in high social positions.

  103. Jean Henry
    Posted January 9, 2021 at 9:58 am | Permalink

    You can do what you want, Anonymous.
    I said I wasn’t laughing.

    I’m not laughing because they are planning another attack on the Capitol and Dem controlled state capitals (including MI) for Jan 17th, I’m not laughing because 49% of the GOP, a bunch of libertarians and a few registered independents and even Dems think what happened is ok. I’m not laughing because, since impeachment is unlikely, Trump will probably run again and hog the media spotlight for the foreseeable future. These conspiracy theories are only growing. They have hold of a lot of people and us making fun of them does not help them extricate themselves from the con perpetrated against them. The only way we can secure this country from civil war is to hobble Trump’s relevancy and media platforms and wait patiently as the MILIONS of people who think like HW let go of their fantasies. Its not easy for humans to admit they were wrong. It’s a lot easier to con them. The job of repairing this nation will be long and hard.

    While we were laughing at HW, we saw EOS and FF start to fall for or at least defend Qanon positions. We saw the numbers of believers rising. Were we alarmed enough? I know I wasn’t. I think because I knew the rampant idiocy would advantage Dems in the election. So w got that and we have seen great harm and I am done laughing. At least until someone actually comes up with better jokes.

    What joke can we make that’s more ridiculous than what they believe?

  104. Posted January 9, 2021 at 10:01 am | Permalink

    …and others are FF.

    I have a theory as to why he’s disappeared. I think his rapidly shrinking list of topics he’s permitted to comment in regard to has finally reached a null set.

  105. Jean Henry
    Posted January 9, 2021 at 10:02 am | Permalink

    FF seems to be gone… 2 days of silence. Too much to hope for?

  106. Jean Henry
    Posted January 9, 2021 at 10:08 am | Permalink

    Anonymous– I laughed at this.

    https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/refusing-to-publish-my-csi-miami-erotic-fan-fiction-is-an-assault-on-the-first-amendment

  107. wobblie
    Posted January 9, 2021 at 10:14 am | Permalink

    JH like always I am only repeating smarter folks ideas. I threw Tulsi’s name out there because she advocated censure last year. David Brooks, the conservative NY Times columnist raised the 14th. Amendment last night on PBS News hour (such a knee jerk response JH-typical). Please quote statute or rule that requires a 2/3rds majority to censure. The 14th. Amendment requires a 2/3rds majority to LIFT the censure and allow traitors to return to full citizenship.
    I did not call for anyone to be removed from office at this time. They are a minority and as long as they do not engage in additional law breaking, could continue to serve out there elected terms–NEVER TO BE ALLOWED TO HOLD FEDERAL OFFICE ever again.
    It is doable if Democrats have the will to defend the Republic.
    Temporize and we will the dealing with Don Jr. for the rest of our lives.

  108. Posted January 9, 2021 at 10:25 am | Permalink

    For the record, Jean, just about everything I say here is a joke, and I understand that almost none of it is funny.

    The article you linked to actually IS funny. I agree.

    I understand your concern that people should be taking seriously the dangers posed by the mass of lunatics who are choosing to act out. Humor is a coping mechanism. That is an important thing to remember. It shouldn’t keep us from doing our duty as citizens.

  109. Posted January 9, 2021 at 10:28 am | Permalink

    All I know is that if you did not vote for HRC in 2016, this whole thing is partly on you. She warned us and as usual, she was right!

  110. Posted January 9, 2021 at 10:32 am | Permalink

    I’m still sticking to my theory that FF has run out of topics he allowed to talk about. I don’t know if you all have noticed, but he’s been increasingly restricted. I hope that means he’s imploded into a chunk of carbon about the size of an orange. He certainly has rhetorically.

  111. Posted January 9, 2021 at 10:35 am | Permalink

    Timing is very important in both comedy and politics. It’s fun to combine the two.

  112. Posted January 9, 2021 at 10:38 am | Permalink

    Without EOS, HW and FF here this comment sanction can return to some semblance of light-hearted banter and serious sharing of factual information on a wide range of subjects.

  113. Sad
    Posted January 9, 2021 at 10:43 am | Permalink

    Wait FF is gone too?

    With his prolific use of verbiage I knew he would eventually run out of words.

    Thank God.

  114. Jean Henry
    Posted January 9, 2021 at 10:50 am | Permalink

    Wobblie– My understanding is that censure allows those censured to continue voting etc etc. They can certainly run again. Expulsion requires a 2/3 vote of the body. Censure requires a 1/2 vote of the body. These are Senate and House rules for censure/expulsion. Not derived from the 14th.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censure_in_the_United_States

    Please clarify what I have wrong.

  115. Jean Henry
    Posted January 9, 2021 at 11:32 am | Permalink

    Q postings are all but gone, but the Q was always just an aggregator of existing 4 chan etc conspiracy theories. Those theories have now gone mainstream as Trump, Cruz, Hawley et al re-iterated them. Like FF, those people would never openly support nor deride Q, but they did cop its ridiculous assertions as long as it served them. The ability to claim mass fraud in the election would have had no purchase without the spread of Q conspiracies. But once millions of people trust neither the legitimate media nor the electoral process, it’s not much of a leap to saying the election was rigged when it doesn’t;t go one’s way (Oh, hey Bernie supporters…) . This was published the day of the attack on the Capitol Building.

    “[Q server operator] Watkins went from verifying Q’s posts to becoming an integral part of Trump’s post-election messaging in just weeks.

    QAnon, as it exists now, may be done for. But, in many ways, that doesn’t matter. QAnon’s conspiracies, pseudo-research methods, imaginary connections forged in corkboard and string, and belief in an omnipresent deep state will live on. QAnon has infected a constellation of media outlets, which run information that doesn’t need to be true so much as it needs to feed the Kraken. A caucus of congressional and Senate Republicans will refuse to accept the results of the election, predicated on claims that do not stand up to a moment’s scrutiny. Millions of Americans have bought the notion that a wide-ranging conspiracy altered the outcome of the election. They all may as well embroider the letter Q on their coats.

    It’s a terrifying turn of events for American democracy, but it is great news for the Watkins clan, which appears to have turned in their nom de plume and come out of the shadows, building more influence and power than they had in anonymity.”

    https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/01/06/qanon-q-trump-republican-party-election/

  116. Anonymous
    Posted January 9, 2021 at 11:48 am | Permalink

    https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/capitol-trump-insurrection-explosions/

    “This is not America,” a woman said to a small group, her voice shaking. She was crying, hysterical. “They’re shooting at us. They’re supposed to shoot BLM, but they’re shooting the patriots.”

    A man, possibly her husband, comforted her: “Don’t worry, honey. We showed them today. We showed them what we’re all about.”

  117. Wobblie
    Posted January 9, 2021 at 12:39 pm | Permalink

    KH learn humility and when you are ignorant jusr say so.
    Lynne glad all you can think of right now is shittting on Jill. Liberals have no fault in the creation of theTrump Party.
    More people looking to. The 14th Amendment

    https://www.berkshireeagle.com/opinion/editorials/our-opinion-digging-out-of-trumps-wreckage/article_e79acb24-51db-11eb-ab8b-9f7666825834.html

  118. Posted January 9, 2021 at 2:25 pm | Permalink

    Now the Trumpanzee rioters’ excuse is that Antifa plants outsmarted them and tricked them into rioting and vandalizing the Capital.

    Trump and his panzees are brilliant strategists.

    FF might be the smartest one of them all.

  119. Posted January 9, 2021 at 2:30 pm | Permalink

    Well, at least FF could be the smartest of all Trumpanzees. He could still come back here I suppose. We don’t know for sure.

  120. Posted January 9, 2021 at 2:43 pm | Permalink

    So, the President, who was in his command center before he spoke, had all the resources of the US Government, ALLOWED Antifa to take the Capitol? Makes sense.

    #competence
    #wildlysuccessful

  121. Posted January 9, 2021 at 3:03 pm | Permalink

    So anyway, it was nice hanging out with you guys. I’m going to go to Parler now and see if I can find HW and FF. I have a lot of material I haven’t used yet. I don’t want it to go to waste.

  122. Satan
    Posted January 9, 2021 at 3:08 pm | Permalink

    I thought he’d never leave.

  123. Jean Henry
    Posted January 9, 2021 at 5:53 pm | Permalink

    Wobblie— please tell me what I was ‘ignorant’ about. I have asked twice. Happy to concede ignorance when you tell me what you got wrong.

  124. Jean Henry
    Posted January 9, 2021 at 6:00 pm | Permalink

    Ah I think I see. My understanding was that what you call censure (which I confused with Senate censure) is only possible after impeachment. That’s what Rachel Maddow and co said last night. We are all learning this stuff in real time. Next time maybe just explain it?

  125. Posted January 9, 2021 at 8:12 pm | Permalink

    JH, have you read the text of the 14th Amendment Sec. 3

  126. Jean Henry
    Posted January 9, 2021 at 9:54 pm | Permalink

    You provided it Wobblie. So yes.

  127. Jon Favreau by proxy
    Posted January 10, 2021 at 10:11 pm | Permalink

    Jon Favreau: I can’t stop thinking about the 147 House Republicans and 6 Senators who still voted to overturn the election just hours after the attack. It’s every bit as sociopathic and un-American as anything Trump has done. And we should do whatever we can to end their political careers.

  128. Posted January 11, 2021 at 8:04 am | Permalink

    Call Tim Walberg’s congressional offices and demand a copy of every bit of evidence of election fraud he claims exists. If he refuses, demand he resign for having engaged in a fraud.

    Washington D.C. office
    Phone: (202) 225-6276

    Jackson office:
    Phone: (517) 780-9075

    Call all the others in congress who made/make these bullshit claims as well. They can’t hide like our resident Trumpanzee cultist cowards are now.

  129. Posted January 11, 2021 at 8:33 am | Permalink

    It is beginning to look like a Lt. Colonel ret. (currently under arrest) led the assault and an active duty Lt. General obstructed the timely deployment of National Guard to help the Capital Police. Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Judge, helped facilitate the mobilization and 147 Congresspeople attempted to nullify our election.
    Impeaching Trump–that will solve everything, right?

  130. Posted January 11, 2021 at 8:45 am | Permalink

    Impeaching Trump will not solve the problem. We will still be stuck with the shitty people in his cult. That is the thing about it too. People follow Trump because he appeals to the worst parts of them, especially their sexism and their racism and their fear of losing privilege. But they ARE a minority and as long as the rest of us can get off our asses and vote, we can start the work to change things (eliminating electoral college advantage eg)

  131. Posted January 11, 2021 at 8:52 am | Permalink

    Trump is not “the” problem. More active duty military being investigated for involvement in the coup. The article has one noticeable error I believe. The pych-opps unit which deployed without orders (?) is described as “the group uses information and misinformation to shape the emotions, decision-making and actions of American adversaries.” Under Obama utilizing propaganda and misinformation on the American people by our Government was legalized.

    https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/u-s-army-investigating-officer-who-led-group-to-d-c-trump-rally-turned-riot/

  132. Posted January 11, 2021 at 9:47 am | Permalink

    one of the best comments that I have read,

    I found this life hack to be most insightful. Simple tips are the best!
    Huge numbers of our population, good people on both sides, believe in a complete alternate reality. Alternate facts as it were. But just as intensely as I believe they are deluded, they think I am the one who is deluded. Maybe I am. So how can I be confident in my perception? It can be quite difficult. But I have found that in times of confusion, particularly when emotions are running high and creating tunnel vision, the presence of Nazis can be an extremely helpful indicator.
    If I am attending a local demonstration or event and I see Nazis…neo-Nazis, miscellaneous-Nazis or the latest-whatever-uber-mythology-Nazis, I figure out which side they are on. And if they are on my side of the demonstration? I am on the wrong side. It is tough to argue moral equivalence when I am standing next to a Nazi. Look to my right. Is there a guy wearing a 6MWE (6 million wasn’t enough) t-shirt? I am on the wrong side. Look to my left. If that guy is wearing a Camp Auschwitz t-shirt? Wrong side.
    Speakers referring to things Hitler got right? Wrong side. Team-spirit face paint and hat with horns? This is an unclear indicator that could mean anything but safest to keep my distance from that guy even at a football game. But I can always, always, always, rely on the presence of Nazis as a guiding light through a fog of disinformation. Some things are relative, but evil and good are absolute.
    Copied from a friend’s post.

  133. John Brown
    Posted January 11, 2021 at 10:08 am | Permalink

    Wobblie,

    That is good, but the Nazi litmus test only works if you’re sane and rational and not antisemitic. I know hard core holy rollers who rationalize it as a justifiable and necessary compromise to save the babies. Total bat shit religion warped brains beyond the reach of logic.

  134. Posted January 11, 2021 at 3:01 pm | Permalink

    Why oh why am I the only one on this web site that stands with President-elect Biden? I distinctly heard him characterize the events on Jan. 6 as an insurrection. The Constitution gives the President and Congress the tools to deal with insurrections, but liberals look to be undermining the resistance to this White Nationalist Insurgency. The liberals seem to think the insurgency is over–
    15000 National Guard put on alert to defend Biden inauguration.
    Armed convoy forming to head to Ohio state Capital
    FBI bulletin warns of armed protest at US Capital and all 50 state Capitals.

    But the language is all so confusing.

  135. John Brown
    Posted January 11, 2021 at 4:48 pm | Permalink

    wobblie, are you getting enough oxygen to your brain? Having any chest pain or sudden numbness or weakness? Is your wife there to check on you? No joke.

    On topic, I think its safe to assume that at least a couple thousand of those National Guard are trumpist, so there’s that.

  136. Posted January 11, 2021 at 5:27 pm | Permalink

    Kyle Kulinski is yet another far smarter than me.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4Q53DfsFpA

  137. Jean Henry
    Posted January 11, 2021 at 6:42 pm | Permalink

    Wobblie– My guess is most people here are in violent AGREEMENT with you that it was an insurrection. NPR had a constitutional law scholar on who said the Senate needs to ‘convict’ on the charge with 2/3 of the vote before they could implement the 14th with half the vote. Which is what I stated the first go around. You have succeeded in confusing matters, but they cant invoke the 14th section 3 unless Trump is convicted of the crime in the congress.

    So I guess I was right all along. And you were certain. See the difference?

  138. Posted January 11, 2021 at 7:33 pm | Permalink

    Where oh where do you find the 2/3rds. requirement. 1) The Insurgent Act of 1807 gives the President the authority to declare an insurrection. 2) Article 5 of the 14th. Amendment gives Congress the authority to pass laws to implement Sec. 3. 3) Laws are passed by majority vote. 4) Schumer needs to get rid of the filibuster rule for consideration of insurgencies.–seems as important as Supreme Court Judges dosn’t it.

    YOu folks have no fucking idea about how to play hard ball. Here let me throw you a slow pitch soft ball maybe you will hit it.

  139. Posted February 1, 2021 at 7:42 am | Permalink

    Publix Supermarkets Under Fire After Heiress Reportedly Donates $300,000 To Trump Rally

    https://www.ibtimes.com/publix-supermarkets-under-fire-after-heiress-reportedly-donates-300000-trump-rally-3133985

  140. Bob
    Posted July 17, 2022 at 1:07 pm | Permalink

    I don’t miss this much. Not even my Pudlord fresh rhymes. I’ll confess I’m curious to know if HW was arrested for storming the Capital yet. Maybe he is one of dimwit Trump cultists who knows he was duped and sees the light now? Unlikely. The Trump/DeSantis 2024 stickers are out and about on the F-150’s across the land. The madness isn’t over. Somebody needs to Johnny Smith that Greg Stillson asap.

  141. EOS
    Posted July 28, 2022 at 11:11 am | Permalink

    Bob,

    If you think Trump/DeSantis 2024 is madness, can we assume that you fully support the policies that Biden/Harris have brought us? Are you satisfied with the current level of inflation and the current recession? Do you think it is a good thing that criminals are not prosecuted? What has improved under the current administration?

    Anyone… Anyone….

  142. Wobblie
    Posted August 5, 2022 at 6:01 am | Permalink

    Director Wray said, “I apologize that in advance that it’s been frustrating for you, we’ve tried to be clear about our process, so when it comes to the tip line, we wanted to make sure that the White House had all the information we have so when the hundreds of calls started coming in we gathered those up reviewed them and provided them to the White House without investigation.”

    Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) asked, “You reviewed them for purposes of separating from tip-line traffic but did not further investigate the ones that related to Kavanaugh, correct?

    Wray answered, “Correct.”

    Sen. Whitehouse has been trying to get answers from the FBI for years about the sham investigation into the Brett Kavanaugh sexual assault claims. Thanks to Sen. Whitehouse (D-RI), the nation now knows that the FBI allowed the Trump administration to decide who could be questioned and what could be asked.

    The investigation was a fraud. The FBI collected the tips and then handed them to Trump as he ran the “investigation” into his Supreme Court nominee. If it chose to do so, the Senate could open an investigation into the sham investigation and the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh.

    When Trump and the GOP conned Brett Kavanaugh onto the Supreme Court, an injustice was done. A wrong was committed that deserves to be righted.

  143. Bob
    Posted August 10, 2022 at 4:03 pm | Permalink

    How about that FBI? Trump appointment

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