Today the US Senate voted to override Donald Trump's veto of the defense bill. It is the first time that the Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, House and Senate, has actually stood up to Donald Trump.
I hope all of you have a safe and Happy New Year!
89 comments:
"Today the US Senate voted to override Donald Trump's veto
of the defense bill."
Not exactly a profile in courage for the Republican Senators to stand up to Trump now--with less than three weeks left in Trump's term.
Five Republican Senators simply did not show up to vote. They were: Lindsey Graham, both Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, currently expecting Trump to campaign for them in their runoff elections in Georgia, Corey Garner from Colorado (lost his bid for reëlection and is probably home in Colorado already) and Ben Sasse from Nebraska (a semi Trump-hostile Republican).
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"I have to think that it pissed off McConnell. It appears that
McConnell has pushed back…."
I rather doubt that Hawley expected it to be any other way. He's quite comfortable with pissing off McConnell. (McConnell probably needs to consider that a preview of coming attractions.)
Hawley sees himself as the guy who builds on Trump's legacy, the successor, smart enough and disciplined enough to pull off the fascist takeover of America that Trump could only dream about.
(Hawley's a dangerous man; he'll bear watchin'. And he's not the only one warming up that vision of a future for himself.)
McConnell has seemingly not come to terms with this development. He's not readied himself for Trump's assertion of continued dominion over the GOP's assets and organization; nor has he readied himself for the self-professing "Trumpkin" politicians coming along, whose real objective is to take Trump's mantle after 2024 (or maybe even before) rather than to actually support Trump's current grasp at power.
McConnell is a cagey old poll; he can come to terms with these developments. But he's gotta get his head around the new situation before too long, or it'll get clear 'way from him. He's gotta decide which side he's gonna be on. Or, he'll end up leading neither of them.
Not exactly a profile in courage for the Republican Senators to stand up to Trump now--with less than three weeks left in Trump's term.
No it's not. But it was a New Year's post and I just wanted to point out that at least one thing didn't go Trump's way in the new year. The only other thing of major importance from a Congressional standpoint was when McCain voted thumbs down on their health care bill. For the most part, other than the 81 million voters in the general election who only really get a couple of shots (including midterms) it has been the courts who have withstood Trump's authoritarian nature.
He's not readied himself for Trump's assertion of continued dominion over the GOP's assets and organization...
Maybe not, but as you mentioned earlier, he is probably a little concerned about the runoff election in Georgia. Rightly so, perhaps. Not only are there new voters, but Trump's questioning the legitimacy of this election isn't helping Republicans. McConnell's gotta know by now that Trump doesn't care about other Republican office holders. He only cares about himself and how he is affected.
As someone mentioned on CNN, unlike other runoff elections which were only about the candidates running and not about the top of the ticket, this one is still focusing on Trump. He is still hovering in the shadows like an evil genie, motivating Democrats to get out to vote.
I am still rather confused as to Lindsey Graham's going all in for Trump. He's not exactly young, he can't have that many years left for the Senate.
Both Pelosi and McConnell's homes were vandalized over night. Pelosi's seemed a little strange. The wording would seem to imply a radical left vandal, wanting free rent and more than $2,000 stimulus checks. Given that it wasn't Pelosi who stymied the larger stimulus checks it was kind of odd.
McConnell's vandalism was a simple "Where's my money"? tag. That could be anybody.
"He's not exactly young, he can't have that many years left for the Senate."
He's a natural born "sidekick". He finds himself an alpha and follows along. That's who he is; that's what he does.
As for not having many years left in the Senate--just means he couldn't afford to lose four years during the Trump administration plus however many years it'd take to worm his way back in with the post-Trump GOP (whatever that turns out to be). As it stands now, he's still got lead brown-noser status among the dedicated Trumpkin elements of the party.
I think that this week is going to really, really interesting.
He's a natural born "sidekick". He finds himself an alpha and follows along. That's who he is; that's what he does.
I wonder what John McCain would have to say about his behavior.
"I think that this week is going to really, really interesting."
Looks like it might have possibilities.
Also looks like Ted Cruz has gotten spooked by Hawley's rush to the spotlight and now Cruz is gonna try to muscle his way back into the light.
"U.S. Senator Ted Cruz on Saturday said he will spearhead a drive by
nearly a dozen Republican senators to challenge President-elect Joe
Biden’s victory when Electoral College results are tallied in Congress
on Jan. 6 – a largely symbolic move that has little chance of
preventing Biden from taking office."
Reuters
I am guessing that someone out there will be keeping track of those elected officials who are jumping on this misguided bandwagon. I know that I will be double checking in the next election if any of them are up for reelection in Minnesota and if they are in my district. I will not be voting for that person.
Of course I am only one vote.
Apparently the Governor of New Hampshire had to reschedule his inauguration because there were armed protesters showing up. They were protesting the Governors mask mandate (idiots). They also found one protestor in the Governor's backyard with multiple rounds of ammunition.
"… there were armed protesters showing up."
All courtesy of our newly right-wing Supreme Court and their recent holdings on the supremacy and sanctity of the personal right to take up arms against the government.
Just listening to Laura O'Donnell on NBC's Nightly News. She pointed out that the protests led by Cruz and Company are demanding an emergency examination of the election results "in the disputed states", but the Senators are so far refusing to identify which are "the disputed states" when questioned about it.
I don't know how they could get any more cynical.
The Washington Post has audio of Trump trying to force the Secretary of State of Georgia to change the vote count in that state.
That ought to inspire some seriously creative fable making by the dedicated Trumpkins.
The British trial judge in the extradition case of Julian Assange has determined that he should not be extradited because he would "likely" commit suicide rendering the extradition "oppressive" to his sensitive and delicate nature. Politico
(I am personally of the opinion that a suicide by Mr. Assange should be discouraged just on general principals, but I don't consider the threat of suicide, however likely, to be a good defense against what I adjudge to be his criminal conduct.)
Someone in the GOP actually noticed the hypocrisy and mentioned it.
Unless you are a very close student of politics, you likely don't know the name Chip Roy.
But the retiring Texas Republican House member did something very worth noting on Sunday night: He objected to the seating of 67 House members -- Democrats and Republicans -- from six states (Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin) where President Donald Trump and other Republicans have alleged, without proof, that there was widespread voter fraud.
Perhaps it was the fact that he was retiring that gave him courage.
The British trial judge in the extradition case of Julian Assange has determined that he should not be extradited because he would "likely" commit suicide rendering the extradition "oppressive" to his sensitive and delicate nature. Politico
That probably should go under the News of the Weird.
I'm starting to think that Trump is just pathetic.
"I'm starting to think that Trump is just pathetic."
The prompt for that statement is not readily apparent. Perhaps it's the result of statements, particularly concerning veep Mike Pence, made during Trump's campaign appearance in Georgia late yesterday?
Speaking of Georgia, today's the day.
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I've been pondering the demand of the Trumpkin Senators for a "commission" to conduct "an emergency ten day audit" of the November vote counts in "the disputed states".
I been kinda leanin' towards the notion that that, IF the Democrats happen to acquire the Senate majority, they should convene the commission the Trumpkin Senators have demanded, with a mandate to examine just those questions and they should appoint (not offer, but appoint--as in drafted--named to sit on the said commission--against their wishes if it so happens to be that they do not wish to serve) appoint a certain dozen or so Republican Senators to sit on that commission and prepare that report they been talkin' 'bout.
I'm thinkin' Lindsey Graham, Josh Hawley, Tommy Tuberville, Ron Johnson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio perhaps, and maybe up to a dozen fellow travelers. Appoint them to the commission (no, no subpeona power except as explicitly and individually approved by the (Democratic) Senate Majority Leader at his sole discretion).
It should put them on the spot.
With no authority to do other than to actually state their objections for the record, finally and on paper, and then to document the overwhelming lack of actual evidence to support their faerie tales (and with Biden and Harris already ensconced in the White House), I'm thinkin' they'd probably just refuse hold any hearings or meetings.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch….
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AmericanGreatness (yes, there is such a magazine, has been since the Trump's first year as President) posts an article with the headline: MAGA Patriots Must Win the GOP Civil War
Just in case ya'll were wonderin' how the dedicated Trumpkins see things.
Subtitle reads as follows:
"The grassroots need destroy RINOs in primary contests,
support Republicans in general elections, and make sure
establishment traitors cannot escape the specter of Trump for
generations to come."
McConnell ain't ready for this, but it's comin' for him anyway. They're gonna be marching in Washington,D.C. tomorrow. They ain't waitin' for McConnell to get ready.
(Short read; brief and to-the-point.)
...IF the Democrats happen to acquire the Senate...
Like I said I'm not getting my hopes up. I won't speculate because I don't want to jinx it.
They're gonna be marching in Washington,D.C. tomorrow.
I heard they have the National Guard on standby. I am hoping it will be a whole lot of nothing.
I am currently reading Stamped from the Beginning. It is a rather fascinating read.
I can understand your perhaps questioning of the motivations of some of our founding fathers. I am not too far, just 100 pages in, and am just starting the section on Thomas Jefferson.
But it is part of my quest to become better informed. Just because one is out of school doesn't mean one should stop learning. I also thought it rather a nice lead in to some of those books Jeffrey recommended.
But I will take it slowly, as I alternate with a fiction book depending on my mood.
I'm looking at the vote patterns coming outta Georgia and comparing them to what I remember of the presidential and senatorial elections just a few months ago, and I'm thinkin' we may have winners declared by midnight here. (Maybe not, but I'll not be surprised if the AP isn't calling these elections tonight.)
Republicans ahead in both races, sadly.
Well, I don't reckon they'll be calling it by midnight after all. That's lookin' like good news for the Democrats, who're closing in on their Republican incumbents. (In fact, Warnock's actually ahead as of this writing.)
It's really close. The other race is a virtual tie...
Warnock won. Ossof still leads Perdue.
The AP won't call the Ossoff/Perdue contest, but I don't see why. Looks to me like it's over and Perdue's the loser. The counties still to report in full have been running two to one in favor of Ossoff.
Politico has an article headlined "Republicans turn on Trump after Georgia loss". Opening paragraph (one sentence long) reads as follows:
"Democrats have pulled off at least one Senate win in
Georgia, with another likely to follow. And Republicans are
pointing a frustrated finger at Donald Trump."
"I am guessing that someone out there will be keeping track of
those elected officials who are jumping on this misguided
bandwagon."
It would seem that Thomas Friedman agrees with you on that.
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Ossoff isn't waiting any longer on the Associated Press. He's gone ahead and claimed the victory.
The dedicated Trumpkins have breached the defenses installed at the Capitol Building; they've taken control of the floor of the Senate and the Congress has fled before. I believe that's a first in American history.
(Don't know yet if the rioters have taken the House Chambers as well.)
Law enforcement has requested back up.
I never thought I would see this in America. One Republican lawmaker has called it a coup attempt.
Biden is going to name Merrick Garland as his pick for Attorney General.
I had to laugh when I saw that.
Shots fired inside the Capitol Building.
"… and the Congress has fled before them."
Trump has just put up a new video on his Twitter feed and repeated his persistent claims that "the election was stolen".
But, he did tell his Trumpkins to "go home now". Took 'bout a minute.
And… The AP has finally called the Georgia election for Ossoff.
I'll correct an earlier comment. These guys ain't actually been rioting. It's been a mob, so far. But, twilight's comin' on, and it may be riot before dawn. A curfew has been declared for 6:00 pm Eastern Time, but I'm not expecting they'll honor it.
The woman who was shot at the Capitol has died. Someone said she was one of the rioters, but I don't know that for sure.
Congress will resume their session after the chambers have been cleaned. They are thinking they will be back around 8:00pm. The biggest question is whether or not the Republicans will continue with their objections to the vote.
I see that one Congresswoman has reversed her stance and will not support the objections. One would hope that this would to shake some sense into people, but I don't hold out much hope for that.
NBC Nightly News just said she was shot trying to scale a transom and gain entry to the House chambers.
Someone has finally managed to silence Trump. Twitter has shut down his account for at least the next 12 hours.
I noticed one headline during the riot. One retired police officer had said about Trump, "shut the hell up and get out of the way". Rather appropriate.
The question many people are asking is why there wasn't more security earlier on.
It sounds like Pence has been organizing the response to restore normalcy to Washington. Trump is isolated in the White House.
Melania Trump's Chief of Staff has submitted her resignation.
Well, now we know what Trump would/will attempt to pardon himself for, fomenting insurrection.
"…why there wasn't more security earlier on."
I don't think anybody actually expected Trump to go down to speak to the "protesters" and tell them to go up to the Capitol Building and "Stop the Steal", which he did. And then they did.
One of the reporters was noting that the DoJ and D.C. security people had issued statements that they were talking to and working with Congressional leaders and the Vice President--pointedly noting that they were not coördinating with the President's office.
Yes, they are just talking about that. Trump has checked out, or been locked out.
Trump has to be thinking this was a successful day from his perspective.
He's got two more weeks to ready himself and his Trumpkins for the big day. Took his test run; next comes the main event.
The crowd is lessening now.
There were actually some protestors here as well. But they were expressly warned about being violent and were peaceful.
Hmmm...CNN is reporting that the police have been pushing back the protestors and are getting some responses from the protestors that they thought the police were traitors and they would be back with rifles.
Took his test run; next comes the main event.
They have lost the element of surprise. They may find someone waiting for them.
Btw, I didn't know they kept gas masks under the seats in the Capitol.
Someone just brought up the 25th Amendment again.
"Btw, I didn't know they kept gas masks under the seats in the Capitol."
That was one of those "not for public consumption" tidbits.
"There were actually some protestors here as well."
"Here" being where? Outside Minneapolis where you live? Or in Minneapolis?
In Minneapolis.
I'm wondering whether Trump will issue pardons for today's excitements?
Ahh... you must have missed my earlier comment...
Blogger Lynnette In Minnesota said...
Well, now we know what Trump would/will attempt to pardon himself for, fomenting insurrection.
Wed Jan 06, 07:33:00 pm
No, I mean pardons to the people who assaulted the Capitol Building. Quick Presidential pardons would help get a bigger turnout next time. (His self-pardon is almost a foregone conclusion.)
By the way, nobody's heard any squeaks of contrition (or outrage) from Senators Hawley nor Cruz; they're still trying to figure out how to gain ground with this one.
And I've yet to hear a Republican Senator say squat 'bout Trump sending that mob to the Capitol Building.
Well, there's Romney.
No, I mean pardons to the people who assaulted the Capitol Building.
Got it. Maybe if they could still prove useful to Trump.
I have to wonder how much we'll be hearing from Trump in the next two weeks, though.
"Maybe if they could still prove useful to Trump."
He's still got two weeks during which they may yet prove useful once again.
"I have to wonder how much we'll be hearing from Trump in
the next two weeks, though."
I think the lockout by Twitter was only for 12 hours, so, maybe hearing from him by mid-morning. Before too long, fer sure. He'll look 'round and figure on a second strike if he can. He thinks chaos is his ground to fight on.
Josh Hawley just took his 5 minutes. He ran spin as best he could spin things, but it mostly seemed to be bluster and no contrition and no outrage and he got away quick.
They managed to get down to Pennsylvania before there was an objection where they had a Senator (Hawley) sign off in support. At last look they have paused to debate.
The other Senators had thought better, wisely, of going through with it.
Trump has "issued" a statement indicating he will accede to to "an orderly transition of power". I've not seen any specific indicator of just how this "statement" was publicized (presumably Trump is still blocked on Twitter).
He's not above lying about such things. So, I'll have to take that new with a grain of salt, for now anyway.
Trump's "Statement" was posted on Twitter by one of his aides, a fella by name of Dan Scavino. Name doesn't ring any bells with me.
"So, I'll have to take that new with a grain of salt, for now anyway."
Should be an S on "news" there. (Need more coffee.)
The Democrats are calling for Trump's removal immediately. I doubt that will happen. It would take Pence and the Cabinet Secretaries signing on or impeachment proceedings, which would take time.
I have to wonder if any of those 74 million people will have woken up after this? Because there are a lot of Trump enablers still in office who will be around in 2 and 4 years.
Gotta go look for a list of names of those who participated in the objections after the riot.
"I have to wonder if any of those 74 million people will have
woken up after this?"
I don't think they were asleep. I wasn't surprised. Most of them were not surprised. Some of them will be dismayed at his incompetence (like Petes was about a year ago), but if he'd pulled it off they'd still be with him.
The wonder seems to me to be confined to the media types and establishment politicians (including Republicans) who didn't think he could ever win the Republican nomination in hte first place--so they're not actually up to speed on Trump's hold on his dedicated Trumpkins, never were, that's why they were surprised.
"The Democrats are calling for Trump's removal immediately."
It already wasn't gonna happen, but them calling for it would have made it considerably less likely had there been any chance they's gonna do that in the first place.
List of names of the Senators who went ahead with challenges to Biden's election, courtesy of Politico
Just listened to the first hour of Sean Hannity. He was on the subject of yesterday's assault on the Congress for the entire hour. Managed to spend the whole hour on that subject and never mentioned Trump's name once. (He has a list of people to blame; it would seem that Trump is not on the list.)
Another milestone delivered by Donald Trump, makin' America great again. 4,111 deaths yesterday from covid-19. NewYorkTimes
Republican sources in the House say they will consider voting to impeach Trump.
A vote could happen the middle of next week.
The new Senate could hold a trial. There could be included in the articles of impeachment a stipulation that Trump not run for office again.
"The new Senate could hold a trial."
I'd been wondering about that but hadn't bothered to look it up yet. Most congressional undertakings "in progress" die when the congressional term ends. Are you sure this one's different? (Otherwise the effort to impeach him is just a little bit of political theater--people can argue about whether it's good theatre or not, whether it's useful or not, but it's still just theatre.)
That was according to one of the talking heads on CNN. I didn't catch if he was a lawyer or not.
Senator Sasse indicates he would consider impeachment.
Might be worth impeaching him then just to have it on the table for the new congress (especially if it needs to be file before he leaves office else can't be filed at all--I hadn't gotten 'round to looking that up either, but the thought had occurred to me).
Sources are saying that bags full of zip ties were found at the Capitol after the riot. I don't know if that is true or not. But if it is it indicates something a little more sinister was afoot if they were brought there by the rioters. Kind of reminds me of the incident with the Michigan Governor.
Anyway it appears anger is growing on Capitol hill as this sinks in.
Politicians get upset when the hoi-polloi break out the pitchforks and come for the politicians. Doesn't matter if they're Republican or Democrat, they get real upset 'bout that.
An old friend of mine who traditionally doesn't talk politics (figure her as an old-fashioned Republican who somehow reconciled herself to the Trumpkin takeover of the Republican Party) suddenly is interested in discussing politics with me again.
And Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski (who lost her last Republican primary to a right-winger challenger, only to then run anyway as a write-in candidate and beat him in the general election, and then reassert (reclaim?) her credentials as a Republican after she'd won the general) she's now talking openly about quiting the Republican Party for real and for permanent this time, if Trump doesn't resign the Presidency.
Thing is, gotta wonder whether they'd be anywhere near as suddenly reasonable as they're sounding if Trump's insurrection hadn't proven to be such a spectacular demonstration of complete incompetence.
Twitter has banned Trump indefinitely (probably permanently).
So, the question then arises: "How does Trump maintain control of the Republican Party of the future now that he's lost the threat of tweeting at them?"
Thing is, gotta wonder whether they'd be anywhere near as suddenly reasonable as they're sounding if Trump's insurrection hadn't proven to be such a spectacular demonstration of complete incompetence.
It is a good question. It is easy to go along with the "winning" side. But I would like to believe that there are enough of those 74 million people out there who were just clueless as to the motivation of groups like The Proud Boys and The Boogaloo Boiz. That they actually were merely dupes of a talented con man. That maybe they were shocked enough by what happened at the Capitol to wake up to reality.
But the reality I feel is that we are not out of the woods yet. There is enough chatter on right wing channels to be concerned about the inauguration or even before.
While I understand some people's hesitation to initiate impeachment proceedings against Trump at this late date, I do believe that there must be some serious consequences for him. We do not want him to be a viable candidate in the future. Nor do we want people to misunderstand how serious this is/was.
Btw, I am starting to find George Conway kind of annoying. He was on CNN talking about impeaching Trump and how the Senate could hold a trial after the new Senate takes office. He was talking about those who enabled Trump and how they too are responsible. But what I find annoying is that his wife was one of them. He is totally silent about her. I find their marriage weird.
I think the "impeachment" talk is mostly to placate Pelosi's left wing and "activist" elements. Time's too short and she knows it, and besides, the House is in recess right now (and she's makin' no noise 'bout calling them back to impeach). And, it could be that it's a shot across Trump's bow to keep him from getting brave again once this little round of fear and pretense of contrition wears off him.
As for consequences…. Well, I think it likely we'll find out if that "self-pardon" he's been planing on will hold up with this Supreme Court.
Radio-right-wing has been full of chatter about how the assault on the Congress was an Antifa-led "false flag" operation (or maybe BLM activists), or it was a very small percentage of the many thousands of attendees* at Trump's rally earlier down the street, or that they weren't from Trump's rally at all (they rearrange the timeline to prove there wasn't time to get from "The Ellipse" to the Capitol Building). A new faerie tale is taking shape in real time.
Friday's FoxNews talking heads were headed that way as well.
I think the Republican Senators who've broken with Trump over this may live to regret it.
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* Yeah, really, they're claiming several thousands in attendance at Trump's rally down the street--total fantasy. There were several hundred.
I think the "impeachment" talk is mostly to placate Pelosi's left wing and "activist" elements.
I honestly don't. I think there are people who are really concerned about what Trump could do in these last few days, not to mention in the future. They really want to rein him in. This doesn't just apply to Democrats. I suspect that there are some Republicans who would like nothing better than to have their future Trump problem go away.
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