I didn’t watch any of the Trump lawyers’ presentation, but I’m hearing comments that it was a bad joke. Even so, see this bit in the St. Louis Post Dispatch — Missouri’s Roy Blunt, a juror in the impeachment trial, calls Trump’s lawyers ‘our side’. Grr. But this is about presenting the story of what happened to the people, and for history, more than about expecting Senate Republicans to grow a pair.
Anyway — last night Rachel Maddow mused that there’s nothing stopping a chief prosecutor in the District of Columbia from bringing criminal charges against Trump for the riot in the Capitol. Then there would be a real trial.
Also, if they wish, the House Managers could still call witnesses. I understand the Trump team claimed that the videos of the violence were manipulated. Let’s call some of the Capitol and District of Columbia police who were there and see what they say.
See Two officers who helped fight the Capitol mob died by suicide. Many more are hurting. by Peter Hermann at WaPo.
If I wanted to watch clowns lawering, I'd have put Emmett Kelly and a handful of other Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey clowns through law school.
In truth, I couldn't take any of them for over a minute before muting or changing channels.
Obviously: The fix, it be in!
The "tell?"
When RepubliKKKLAN Senators walk in to talk to tRUMP's lawyers while the Democrats are presenting their case.
Yeeesh…
Well, what would you expect of cowardly hyenas?
I’m encouraged by The Chamber embraces Biden. And Republicans are Livid. Never thought I’d be rooting for the Chamber of Commerce, but at least they’re apparently sane and not cowards.
I am a little optimistic that, with this endorsement of the Chamber of Commerce, and all the prosecutions coming Trump’s way, that these fools in the Senate are going to look pretty bad, before long. Their opponents only need to replay the videos shown during the trial, underlining their role in abetting this criminal President.
The Chamber of Commerce is perfectly aligned with traditional GOP values. Those values are gone, if you judge by 200 members of the House and (I'm predicting) 45 Republicans in the Senate. It may be that Big Business has decided that the philosophy "We respect democracy only if we win." a bridge too far.
The thing to watch for in a year is whether the My Pillow guy is the only big money supporter of Trumpist candidates. Less than 20% of the adult population says they support a Civil War. That's too big for the incumbents to ignore and too small to win back the majority anywhere.
Republicans are planning to try to have it both ways, depending on the audience. They're radical as hell back home in a public venue and they will try to sell themselves as reliable servants of K Street when they are in DC. At the moment, Wall Street seems to prefer Democrats and stability over Republicans and chaos.
Ahh, yes, the mighty pillow cartel. Down here in the border lands, pillow construction, sales, and maintenance is where the big money is. I hear the best and brightest go into pillowing and the rest fear the long arm of the comfort crew 😉
On another topic, the GOP will be just fine. The crazy cult will max out their credit cards to convince themselves that they were right about Orange Julius. My elderly father who was a 5x Goldwater voter is angry/terrified and asks me what their end game is and I say that on their trajectory that they must know they will wreck the place and they are just working to blame it on someone else (Marxists!) or convince themselves that they are shameless… and then, when they have their dictator, they will rule a place not worth governing. A terrifying shame, but, to me, most likely true.
One of the most amazing things about this is how Trump effectively tried to murder Pence.
Democrats have one big weapon left against Trump. Will they use it? That big weapon is calling witnesses.
Not that it will make any difference to the cowardly Republican Senators, but
Michelle Goldberg and Keith Olbermann had killer opinion pieces in the NYT today but the one to save in hard copy is How to Turn Your Red State Blue by Stacy Abrams and Lauren Groh-Wargo with a sub title of it may take 10 years but do it anyway.
Opinion | Stacey Abrams and Lauren Groh-Wargo: How to Turn Your Red State Blue – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Under this whole impeachment is an undercurrent power struggle. Nikki Haley made her big move today running a bus over T****. T**** has already run his bus over Pence, who survived the thug militia assault on the capital by the skin of his teeth. Not since the end of the Roman Empire has the struggle for power become more corrupt. Now I read that Melania has fangs out over Jill Biden and all the attention she is getting. She is trying to OD on spa treatments according to the article. When the only tools you own are devices for decadence how else would you try to fix a bad case of jealousy?
Doing a little research today, I discovered that police can sue: Read item #5.
"Police officers should consider taking civil action on their own behalf in cases where:
1. They are injured in accidents where others are at fault.
2. They are injured by the deliberate actions of others.
3. They are slandered by people making false complaints, when those complaints can be shown to be false by available evidence and recordings.
4. They are refused service, or their food is tampered with because they are police officers.
5. Officers are killed or injured after Political Action groups’/ leaders’ incendiary words incite people to dangerous actions."
Consider a class action suit against DJ Trump for the trauma the riot caused by the insurrection he incited. The fact that two officers have killed themselves is an indication just how traumatic. I'm not saying it will happen and who knows what a judge would award in damages? But if each officer claimed real and punitive damages of one million each and 1500 officers participated in the suit, the suit would be for one and a half-billion dollars.
THAT would be a fun trial.
Very interesting.
I would have to say, though, that fun is not a good description to me. I watch as the GOP goes insane and degrades my country and I see no justice and can do nothing … except be depressed. The GOP has brought us tremendous shame.
Trump's lawyer van der Veen might be the gentlest and most emotionally tender guy, but my initial perceptions in reading people (with a very high degree of accuracy) tells me he's got an alcoholic personality and in all probability he's a wife beater. The type of guy that thrives in abusive relationships.
That's all, Rose!
Which makes him perfect as Trump's lawyer.
Sat 11 am
Trumps personal injury lawyer felt hurt by being laughed at.
Now there will be witnesses.evidently some didn't realize what they just voted for.
Now their scrambling over rules. Bring on the witnesses please do.
Mitch aint running the show.
Looks like Trump felt injured and hired a personal injury lawyer. Lol
Trump was acquitted. The smug fu**er says he is a victim. The GOP and Trump are disgusting. What a shame.