Impeachment, The Sequel
No, you’re not seeing double. No need to do a double take. The House of Reps is serving up impeachments, and Trump said, “Make mine a double.” The two-faced, two-timing, double-crossing, seditious recidivist, for whom treachery is second nature, is a repeat offender, setting a double standard by becoming the first president to suffer twin falls; getting impeached twice over, suffering double trouble and a second reprimand because he couldn’t accept coming in second place and instead turned America’s Capitol into a two-bit riot act. In other words, Trump finally grew a pair. Now we’re tired of all the twinning. Individual One just made number two. You dropped a deuce, Ace.
+ The debate is raging on, but the impeachment vote is a done deal. The only question is how many Republicans make the move. Here’s the latest from CNN and WaPo.
+ Some GOP House members indicated to reporters that they would have voted for impeachment but they feared for their lives. Folks, this is the very definition of living in an autocracy: Fear of violence bends elected officials away from the people they represent, or the law, in favor of the autocrat’s will. It’s how the mafia runs. It’s how bullies rule the school yard. It’s not how America is supposed to work. Jason Crow: “Some of my Republican colleagues are afraid of the consequences of an impeachment vote. This congress sends our young men and women to war. Not asking my colleagues to storm the beaches of Normandy, only to show a fraction of the courage we ask of our troops. It’s time to lead.” (It’s been time to lead for a long, long time.)
+ Now that Trump has been impeached again, it’s time for the Senate to do its job and convict and remove him. It’s long past time to take the pulpit from the bully. While Mitch McConnell sent word that he approves of the impeachment, he yanked the football away from Charlie Schumer at the last minute: “The spokesman says aides to the Kentucky Republican have told Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s staff that McConnell won’t agree to invoke powers calling senators into emergency session.” That means any conviction of Trump would likely drag into Biden’s term. Not good. This is an emergency. As Liz Cheney said: “There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.” If sedition and incitement of an insurrection on the nation’s holiest house is not enough to get you the boot, what is?
+ The situation is so serious that the Joint Chiefs had to issue an unprecedented statement to remind troops that: “The rights of freedom of speech and assembly do not give anyone the right to resort to violence, sedition and insurrection.” They’re trying to tell us something about Trump. Listen.
+ Before the vote, House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy said: “The President bears responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by mob rioters. He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding. These facts require immediate action of President Trump.” But then, like many of his GOP colleagues, he argued that impeachment would divide the country. Tell that to the family of the police officer who had his head bashed in with a fire extinguisher. If we can’t find unity when it comes to protecting the Capitol from a seditious president and his rabid mob, then where can we find it. What a sad, sad farce.
+ Jim Jordan, sexual abuse observer, election denier, and sickeningly, medal of freedom recipient: “It won’t just be the president of the United States. The cancel culture will come for us all.” Trump must be removed so that we can cancel this bullshit and the big election lie once and for all. Impeachment is not enough.
Strike a Posse
More than seventy people have already been arrested, and many more arrests are expected. The acting U.S. attorney in Washington, Michael Sherwin: “Just yesterday, our office organized a strike force of very senior national security prosecutors and public corruption prosecutors … Their only marching orders from me are to build seditious and conspiracy charges related to the most heinous acts that occurred in the Capitol.” Sedition carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
+ Timothy Snyder, who is not loose with his words: “The more we learn, the less this looks like a coup bound to fail, and the more it looks like plain luck that all of our legislators and our vice-president were not murdered.”
+ Included on the list of arrestees is Robert Keith Packer, who can now trade in his Camp Auschwitz sweatshirt for a prison jumpsuit. Mazel Tov, asshole.
+ Rep. Mikie Sherrill says Congress members gave ‘reconnaissance’ tours day before Capitol raid. (We have to be careful with these early reports. But this story is just getting warmed up.)
+ About 20,000 National Guardsmen could arrive in Washington for the inauguration. If that need makes you sick to your stomach, you’re getting it.
+ Mental Detectors: Republicans Lash Out Against New Security Measures At The Capitol. (This is after they lashed out and refused to wear masks during the lockdown, and three House members have tested positive for Covid.)
+ We can drop the metal detectors or drop the deranged and dangerous House members like Lauren Boebert. A Brief History of Rep. Boebert’s Ties to Extremist and Conspiracy Groups. (P.S. Twitter just locked her account.)
+ Extremists move to secret online channels to plan for Inauguration Day in DC. And on telegram, the paramilitary far right looks to radicalize new recruits ahead of inauguration day. (Don’t just brush over these headlines. Those who voted against impeachment did so while the crime is still in progress.)
Covid Runs Rampant
People say, “It can’t happen here.” There are nearly 400,000 Americans dead from a disease the president called a hoax and he incited an insurrection against the US government, and he still has hundreds of supporters in Congress and an approval rating of 40%. It is happening here. 4,300 Americans died of Covid in a single day. A day we had zero leadership from the administration. US coronavirus death toll reaches new one-day high.
+ “The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday it will require a negative Covid-19 test from all air passengers entering the United States.” (With more than 4000 Americans dying a day, all international visitors should have their heads examined.)
+ Trump’s Congressional supporters today argued that the House should be focusing on the coronavirus. Guys, please, leave the comedy to me.
Pence Shun Plan
Pence reached his limit with Trump. It wasn’t pretty. Trump: You can either go down in history as a patriot or you can go down in history as a pussy.” (Pence: I never touch the stuff.)
Pill Case
“The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday granted a Trump administration request to reinstate restrictions for patients seeking to obtain a drug used to terminate early pregnancies. The decision, issued over a dissent from the court’s liberal judges, reinstates a requirement for patients to pick up the drug, mifepristone, in person. Three lower courts had blocked the Food and Drug Administration’s in-person pick-up requirement for mifepristone during the coronavirus pandemic, citing the risks of contracting COVID-19 at a doctor’s office or a hospital.” This is the first abortion-related decision since the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett.
Like Cloth to a Flame
“We’d hoped that by 2021 supply chains would have ramped up enough to ensure that everyone had better masks. Cloth masks, especially homemade ones, were supposed to be a stopgap measure. Why are so many of us still wearing them?” The Atlantic: Why Aren’t We Wearing Better Masks?
Faith Heeling
“I don’t think it was the president’s finest moment.” USA Today: ‘No regrets’: Evangelicals and other faith leaders still support Trump after deadly US Capitol attack. Enough said.
+ NYT: How White Evangelical Christians Fused With Trump Extremism.
Vegas(less)
“In 2020, Tesla delivered fewer than 500,000 cars, but it added almost $750bn to its market value. General Motors sold 2.5 million vehicles in 2020 and has more than $200bn in assets, but its market capitalisation is a small fraction of Tesla’s, at $62bn. At its current price-to-earnings ratio it would take Tesla almost 1,600 years to make as much money as the stock market has invested in it.” That’s not quite the whole story and Tesla is more than a car company. But it’s rise points to a bigger market story. Is Tesla a car company, or a casino?
Can Do Attitude
“That might mean yoga or a massage. Maybe we turn on gentle classical music or looping rainfall through our speakers. Maybe we take slow breaths or turn our fingers to prunes in the bath. But if some entrepreneurs have their way, it’ll mean cracking open a can.” Taking a dip in the new business of relaxation drinks. (It would take about three gallons just to get through today’s news.)
Bottom of the News
“It has one bedroom, one bed and one bathroom, but it sits on 400 acres of Idaho farmland south of downtown Boise. It will cost a minimum of $165 per night to stay in the spud.” A 6-ton potato is one of Idaho’s hottest Airbnb locations. Would you sleep in this?
+ Rent-a-person who does nothing in Tokyo receives endless requests, gratitude. (And all this time I’ve been giving away my services for free…)
