The Political Junkie Thread

[dudog]

Worst day for the committee by far. The 2nd half just worthless.

An ex-(EX!) Oath Keeper and a dipshit. Seriously?

While I agree it wasn't spectacular to hear (which I only did in recaps), some of it was important. I thought the insider looks were helpful because it shows what Trump could count on happening. It showed that his plan was very plausible. It helps nail down intent. Also, the Cipollone stuff was crucial. I don't think there is much doubt about what Trump believed or should have believed about the election and the plausible outcomes of his egging on the crowd, and the fact that the Trump team was intentionally NOT informing other agencies of the plan to head to the capitol is a huge piece of the puzzle.

So, yes. Not great from a public impressions point of view, but I think very important from a criminal charges point of view.

I also thought the "dipshits" were important in the broader context because it shows the absolute barely-surface-level thinking that we're dealing with when we hold elections. These are the types of people we, as a society, WANT to marginalize. Is that elitist? Absolutely. I don't think Democrats should shy away from that kind of elitism. We don't want to enable people who are willing to riot without actually thinking about the consequences of their actions.

The first half was fine. The second half was not. These were by far the poorest witnesses.

They, and the others they represent, are dipshits for a reason. Holding up a mirror so they can see who they are is not going to get through to them.

Dipshits or not, they have the right to vote. The Rs have done an outstanding job of mobilizing these people and convincing their entitled asses that "their" country is being taken away from them. Marginalizing them is only going to drive more into the R camp. And there are a lot of them.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I'm assuming the dumbass left a voice mail. Otherwise, Trump made a call and if it wasn't answered who can know what his intention was. Maybe he was inviting the person to a round of golf (which I doubt). In fact, I'd bet on it. He's not very smart, despite him saying he has a "very good you-know".

He's a dumbass, but he's a smart mobster. He never leaves breadcrumbs. I'd be very surprised if he left a voicemail. It would be nice, but surprising. Remember, the person being called could tell who it was, so he/she likely had Trump in their contacts, which is why they didn't answer.

[dudog]

I'm assuming the dumbass left a voice mail. Otherwise, Trump made a call and if it wasn't answered who can know what his intention was. Maybe he was inviting the person to a round of golf (which I doubt). In fact, I'd bet on it. He's not very smart, despite him saying he has a "very good you-know".

He's a dumbass, but he's a smart mobster. He never leaves breadcrumbs. I'd be very surprised if he left a voicemail. It would be nice, but surprising. Remember, the person being called could tell who it was, so he/she likely had Trump in their contacts, which is why they didn't answer.

I know what you're saying, but that is worthless to the DOJ. Trump could make up a multitude of reasons why he was calling. He lies a lot, you know.

[CameronBornAndBred]

The irony of the witness testimony yesterday not being "explosive" is that I guarantee you that part of Jason Van Tatenhove's testimony will be the most heard statement when the election rolls around. It's going to be played over and over in campaign ads.

“I do fear for this next election cycle, because who knows what that might bring?” Van Tatenhove said. “If a president who is trying to instill, and encourage, to whip up a civil war among his followers using lies and deceit and snake oil, regardless of the human impact, what else is he going to do if he gets elected again?”

[Phredd3]

The irony of the witness testimony yesterday not being "explosive" is that I guarantee you that part of Jason Van Tatenhove's testimony will be the most heard statement when the election rolls around. It's going to be played over and over in campaign ads.

That's a statement pretty much just about Trump himself, though. He won't be up in November, and I'm not at all convinced he'll be the Republican nominee in 2024. Two years is forever in politics.

Of course, it shouldn't be just about Trump, and I hope Democrats don't focus on combating a single person. Trump had hundreds of direct enablers and many more indirect ones, not even counting the millions in the electorate. We have to fight against the entire ideology, not just one man.

[CameronBornAndBred]

That's a statement pretty much just about Trump himself, though. He won't be up in November, and I'm not at all convinced he'll be the Republican nominee in 2024.

That was written with the notion of him being in the general. It won't surprise me at all to see his primary opponents use it.
If he does come out the nominee, then his opponent and several PAC ads will be using it as well.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I'm a 64 percenter.

Just 18% of Americans say President Biden should run for reelection in 2024, according to the latest Yahoo News/YouGov poll — the lowest number to date. Nearly two-thirds (64%) say he should bow out.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/poll-just-18 ... 38311.html

[dudog]

The irony of the witness testimony yesterday not being "explosive" is that I guarantee you that part of Jason Van Tatenhove's testimony will be the most heard statement when the election rolls around. It's going to be played over and over in campaign ads.

That's a statement pretty much just about Trump himself, though. He won't be up in November, and I'm not at all convinced he'll be the Republican nominee in 2024. Two years is forever in politics.

Of course, it shouldn't be just about Trump, and I hope Democrats don't focus on combating a single person. Trump had hundreds of direct enablers and many more indirect ones, not even counting the millions in the electorate. We have to fight against the entire ideology, not just one man.

That's a good point, except...Trump is probably going to announce his run for 2024 in the next month. The dipshit (yes, it's my word of the day) thinks he can't be prosecuted while he's running, that he has the same protections that he had in office.

Therefore, Trump will be 'on the ballot' in 2022. It's always about him. And in this case, it helps the Ds. He is the puffy orange face of the ideology, which is easier to fight against.

[dudog]

And in the "Least Surprising News of the Month" category, Trump plans on blaming it all on Meadows:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... li=BBnbfcL

If Meadows has 2 brain cells (1 isn't enough, he needs to rub them together) he will get his ass before the committee first.

[CameronBornAndBred]

It's a shame those Secret Service guys haven't actually testified under oath, but it's becoming a bit more clear why they haven't.

A Washington, DC, police officer has corroborated to the House select committee investigating January 6, 2021, details regarding a heated exchange former President Donald Trump had with his Secret Service detail when he was told he could not go to the US Capitol after his rally, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN.

The officer with the Metropolitan Police Department was in the motorcade with the Secret Service for Trump on January 6 and recounted what was seen to committee investigators, according to the source

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/14/politics ... index.html

[dudog]

It's a shame those Secret Service guys haven't actually testified under oath, but it's becoming a bit more clear why they haven't.

A Washington, DC, police officer has corroborated to the House select committee investigating January 6, 2021, details regarding a heated exchange former President Donald Trump had with his Secret Service detail when he was told he could not go to the US Capitol after his rally, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN.

The officer with the Metropolitan Police Department was in the motorcade with the Secret Service for Trump on January 6 and recounted what was seen to committee investigators, according to the source

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/14/politics ... index.html

Just another institution that Trump has ruined. Everything he touches turns to shit. I'm sure you saw that the Secret Service deleted a bunch of January 5 & 6 texts AFTER the Inspector General asked for them.

Edit: This is what I wrote on this forum on July 1 (page 53):

Something tells me these Secret Service guys disputing Hutchinson will never testify under oath.

I'm no genius (well, ok, maybe I am ) and the media and Congress needs to hold these people who put out these press releases/denials to account.

[dudog]

So, anything exciting happening in the next few days? ;)

I'm going over to a friend's for a viewing party. He like to tape fox news/MSNBC to get their different takes. He says it's quite amusing.

On another note, it was in our paper today that a local guy got 20 years for assaulting a police officer. Why are these Capitol rioters getting away with probation or a few months in jail?

[CameronBornAndBred]

So, anything exciting happening in the next few days? ;)

I'm going over to a friend's for a viewing party. He like to tape fox news/MSNBC to get their different takes. He says it's quite amusing.

On another note, it was in our paper today that a local guy got 20 years for assaulting a police officer. Why are these Capitol rioters getting away with probation or a few months in jail?

Well two of them just got around 5 years for spraying cops in the face, so those hefty sentences where they actually caused physical harm are coming.
In other news, further proof that the midterms are going to be a shit show of contested races. This example is (once again) from a GOP primary.

Failed far-right Nevada Republican gubernatorial candidate Joey Gilbert filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn his primary defeat, citing an "analysis" that found his loss to be a "mathematical impossibility" even after a recount he requested confirmed the results.

The guy lost by 20,000 votes, but his math says he won by 50,000.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 3819ad669f

[Furniture]

So, anything exciting happening in the next few days? ;)

I'm going over to a friend's for a viewing party. He like to tape fox news/MSNBC to get their different takes. He says it's quite amusing.

On another note, it was in our paper today that a local guy got 20 years for assaulting a police officer. Why are these Capitol rioters getting away with probation or a few months in jail?

Good idea. I’ll do the same..

[Phredd3]

On another note, it was in our paper today that a local guy got 20 years for assaulting a police officer. Why are these Capitol rioters getting away with probation or a few months in jail?

I have no idea where you live and have not information on this crime whatsoever, but nevertheless, I'm going to take a wild guess that your local guy is black. I'm genuinely curious as to whether or not that's correct. The fact that this is my knee-jerk guess, though, tells you a lot about what I think of our current justice system.

[Phredd3]

Failed far-right Nevada Republican gubernatorial candidate Joey Gilbert filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn his primary defeat, citing an "analysis" that found his loss to be a "mathematical impossibility" even after a recount he requested confirmed the results.

The guy lost by 20,000 votes, but his math says he won by 50,000.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 3819ad669f

It continues to boggle my mind that the Republican Party is not experiencing any voter blow-back from crap like this. I just don't understand voters' refusal to marginalize the idiots who are inevitably among us. These are the kinds of people you just politely pat on the head and say, "OK, Joey. Would you like a juice box now?" This should not be the kind of person whose candidacy is endorsed by a major political party. Why doesn't junk like this cause voters to distrust the entire Republican Party?

I just don't understand this country's value system any longer. I'm flummoxed.

[dudog]

Furniture:

My friend just informed me that foxnews is not going to show the hearing tonight. Unbelievable.

Ooooh! I'm sure that will have a big impact on Garland's decision to prosecute. Ignorance is...well, ignorance.

Phredd3:

I had the same thought but there was no picture of the guy and it was not obvious by his name. EDIT: I did a google image search on his name. Surprisingly, he's white. Scruffy beard, tattoos on neck. White supremacist type, probably thought they would go easy on his entitled ass.

An R friend of mine (one of the few left) was buying me drinks last night (I got him some work) and while I avoid talking politics with him, he brought up abortion. He was avidly pro-choice. He's also a big hunter, and he told me ARs have no business in the public's hands. So I was going to ask him about January 6 and how he was going to vote...but he was buying. So that's a topic for another day.

[CameronBornAndBred]

An R friend of mine (one of the few left) was buying me drinks last night (I got him some work) and while I avoid talking politics with him, he brought up abortion. He was avidly pro-choice. He's also a big hunter, and he told me ARs have no business in the public's hands. So I was going to ask him about January 6 and how he was going to vote...but he was buying. So that's a topic for another day.

Way to quit while you're ahead!

[Phredd3]

Phredd3:

I had the same thought but there was no picture of the guy and it was not obvious by his name. EDIT: I did a google image search on his name. Surprisingly, he's white. Scruffy beard, tattoos on neck. White supremacist type, probably thought they would go easy on his entitled ass.

Good to know. Thanks for following up. I'm happy to be wrong (although there was statistically more than a 50% chance I would be, even with system imbalances).

An R friend of mine (one of the few left) was buying me drinks last night (I got him some work) and while I avoid talking politics with him, he brought up abortion. He was avidly pro-choice. He's also a big hunter, and he told me ARs have no business in the public's hands. So I was going to ask him about January 6 and how he was going to vote...but he was buying. So that's a topic for another day.

Well done, indeed.

[Furniture]

“doors have opened, new subpoenas have been issued, and the dam has began to break,”

Should be interesting and the show will continue in September.