January 6 Hearings Live

[lpetrich]

AOC and Capitol riot: Breaking down accusations made by Candace Owens, Nancy Mace and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - CNNPolitics - CNN
then
Daniel Dale on Twitter: "Rep. Nancy Mace is now fundraising off of her false insinuation that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez falsely said there were insurrectionists in their office hallway. (My fact check is here: (CNN link)) (link)" / Twitter
and
Daniel Dale on Twitter: "I was generous to Mace in my fact check, saying it was possible Mace had been genuinely confused because some journalists’ initial tweets misreported what Ocasio-Cortez said. But now Mace is raising money off of her inaccurate accusation even after it has been debunked." / Twitter
then
Rep. Jim McGovern on Twitter: "One reason Washington can’t “come together” is because of people like her sending out emails like this.

She should apologize to @AOC" / Twitter


Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Pretty horrible.

Well, it’s good to know what kind of person she is early. Also good to know that Mace is cut from the same Trump cloth of dishonesty and opportunism.

Sad to see a colleague intentionally hurt other women and survivors to make a buck. Thought she’d be better." / Twitter
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Joe Cunningham already proving to be leagues more decent + honest than Mace seems capable of.

The House was far better off w/ Cunningham. It’s sad to see Mace diminish the representation of her community by launching a reputation of craven dishonesty right off the bat." / Twitter
Joe Cunningham (D) was Rep of SC-01 over 2019-21, and Nancy Mace (R) is his successor.

 

[lpetrich]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "What’s even more gross is that Mace takes corporate PAC money.

She’s already funded by corporations. Now she’s choosing to swindle working people on top of it.

Peak scam artistry. Caps for cash " / Twitter
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Joe Cunningham pledged to never take corporate PAC money, and he never did. Mace said she’ll cash every check she gets. Yet another way this is a downgrade. (link)" / Twitter
"Cunningham's campaign noted their candidate rejects corporate PAC money, while Mace has said she will cash every check she gets."

Source: Democrat Joe Cunningham outraised by GOP opponent Nancy Mace | The State

 

[Swammerdami]

Found an insider who helped the Keystone Coup:

https://www.nationalmemo.com/miller-disarmed-national-guard

Orders like that can have only one purpose.

Wow! I hope criminal charges are brought against many of these scum-bag members (or "acting" members) of Trump's Cabinet.

If not, at least they need to be grueled by Congressional Committees. Good thing I'm not a Congressman; I'm too sarcastic and would ask every witness something like: "Acting Secretary Miller — and I ask honorable Members from the scumbag side of the aisle to listen carefully to the answer — please compare the violence you caused and its damage to our country with the horrific events at Benghazi. Remember that you are under oath."

 

[Swammerdami]

Bookmark this for use the next time some right-wing apologist for unlimited corporate campaign spending claims that money doesn't buy elections.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "What’s even more gross is that Mace takes corporate PAC money.

She’s already funded by corporations. Now she’s choosing to swindle working people on top of it.

Peak scam artistry. Caps for cash " / Twitter
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Joe Cunningham pledged to never take corporate PAC money, and he never did. Mace said she’ll cash every check she gets. Yet another way this is a downgrade. (link)" / Twitter
"Cunningham's campaign noted their candidate rejects corporate PAC money, while Mace has said she will cash every check she gets."

Source: Democrat Joe Cunningham outraised by GOP opponent Nancy Mace | The State

In October, Cunningham was leading in the polls by a whopping 55% to 42% with only 3% undecided. Yet spurting huge slabs of corporate money in the final weeks, Mace eked out victory by 1%.

 

[lpetrich]

Marjorie Taylor Greene has heated exchange with CNN reporter - YouTube - mainly a discussion of MTG, but she said that she'd been "freed" by being kicked off of her committees because of the "tyrannically controlled government" run by the Democrats. She also said that the Republican Party belongs to Donald Trump and to nobody else. "The party is his".

GOP: Grift, Dictatorship and a Fundamental Lack of Principle. | Jonathan MS Pearce He discusses what she said:

1. She now felt freed. What the hell does she think she should be doing in Washington if not serving her constituents by working on committees to create and enact policy? She feels “freed” and would be “a waster of [her] time” just showed what a fraud she is. She has no desire to do policy, she just wants to play politics. All she wants to do is fawn over her wannabe dictator in some show of sickening public obsequiousness.
2. She declared that the US is victim to a “tyrannically-controlled government”. So Joe Biden, elected with the largest, safest, most democratic vote in American history, working really hard to solve all the huge problems the ineptitude of Trump and his administration left behind, is a tyrannical leader? Nonsense.
3. The Republican Party “is his; it doesn’t belong to anybody else”. This is amazingly important. This is saying that ideology and politics are not important; personality and power are.

Marjorie Taylor Greene on Twitter: "I only bow to ONE.

He alone sits in the judgement seat.

Thank God, through the blood of Jesus Christ that poured out on the cross, my sins are forgiven!

Praise HIM for loving all of us, even though none of us are worthy! " / Twitter

Very different from (say) AOC, who claims that Jesus Christ would be rejected by many Congresspeople because of his alleged message of love and inclusiveness. She also likes the story of JC's Temple temper tantrum, because it shows that JC had human weaknesses, like losing one's temper.

 

[lpetrich]

Ilhan Omar on Twitter: "Fierce Sunday morning sermon delivered by @AyannaPressley " / Twitter
noting
CNN Politics on Twitter: "“One of the images that I’m haunted by is the black custodial staff cleaning up the mess left by that violent white supremacist mob. That is a metaphor for America,” Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley discusses the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol and impeachment #CNNSOTU https://t.co/t9tHHtcGwv" / Twitter

She also barricaded herself in her office on that day, with furniture and water bottles.


Jake Tapper on Twitter: "Rep. @AOC in her Instagram Live last week: ..." / Twitter

Rep. @AOC in her Instagram Live last week:

"In these past three weeks, I felt like it was important to give a window of opportunity, right? Maybe in some world, Senators Josh Hawley, or Senator Ted Cruz, or Representative Mo Brooks, would say:

"...'You know what? I was mistaken. I did not fully realize what the impact of my actions was going to be. And now in retrospect, I see that it incited something that I never wanted to incite. And for that, I am sorry.'

"...But no. They've had almost a month. And they haven't said that. They have doubled down.

"And they said: 'I did the right thing. And if I could go back, I would do it all over again.'...

"...So that tells me that these people remain a present danger. Because what that tells me is that when given another window of political opportunity for themselves, even if they know that it means that it will endanger their colleagues, they will do it again."

That's very good. She has the right idea. The lack of embarrassment and contrition is very revealing. Not even the tiniest bit of "they went too far".

 

[Swammerdami]

Has anybody linked to Seth Meyers' excellent synopsis of the final stages of the coup attempt, and the present condition of the GOP and fringe media? (It's a series of takes, many of which other YouTube addicts will have seen, but this is still a great summary. Among other choice bits, he gives an insider's look at the craziest Trump meeting ever.)

The sheer stupidity and craziness is mind-boggling. Can you imagine what a threat these traitors would have been had they had normal humanoid IQs?
[YOUTUBE]YfNkUXUGzQk[/YOUTUBE]

 

[lpetrich]

Back to C-SPAN. Rashida Tlaib thought it important that MTG's nasty statements have consequences.

Some Republicans said that what the Democrats propose to do sets a bad precedent: overriding the minority party's committee assignments.

On 5:20:36 Ilhan Omar stated that as a survivor of civil war, nasty sentiments don't go away on their own.

She was followed by a Republican who bragged about swearing in with a Bible and who claimed that he tried to live by its teachings. He also claimed that impeaching Donald Trump and disciplining MTG were attempts to "stifle" conservative voices. What victimhood. Movement conservatives have a persecution complex that defies belief.

Then Cori Bush. She announced that she was speaking in defense of the nation's schoolchildren, and implied that MTG is a white supremacist. Jahana Hayes of CT had a similar statement.

Some Republicans called it a free-speech issue, and several of them seemed to think that her pre-election statements are somehow irrelevant.

At 5:37:49 House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer spoke. He was in the House for 40 years, and he never run into anything like this MTG situation, with her incitement of political violence. He showed off a poster that showed a picture that MTG had posted, with her with an AR-15, with AOC and RT and IO and "The Squad's worst nightmare". SH asked Republicans to imagine the parties reversed, for a Democrat to talk about murdering Republicans. He then quoted Republicans slamming MTG, though most or all of them were Senators, like MMC.

Then vote #25: 230 - 199 -- passed
It was on HRes 72 - kicking MTG off of her committees

Congressional Chronicle - Members of Congress, Hearings and More | C-SPAN.org - House floor session - 2021-02-04

 

[Keith&Co.]

Very different from (say) AOC, who claims that Jesus Christ would be rejected by many Congresspeople because of his alleged message of love and inclusiveness.

...and beating on moneylenders with a switch. REALLY can't see that Jesus being popular with the Modern Right.

 

[Keith&Co.]

1. She now felt freed.

Yeah, that's what _I_ want in an elected official. Burning up tax dollars to not have any power or clout. Whose only saving grace is that the rest of the party is afraid of people who aren't her voters.

I hope her opponents in '22 run on a 'are you getting your money's worth?' platform.

 

[Jarhyn]

Very different from (say) AOC, who claims that Jesus Christ would be rejected by many Congresspeople because of his alleged message of love and inclusiveness.

...and beating on moneylenders with a switch. REALLY can't see that Jesus being popular with the Modern Right.

In fact, I can see them yelling to "Give us Barabbas".

 

[marc]

Very different from (say) AOC, who claims that Jesus Christ would be rejected by many Congresspeople because of his alleged message of love and inclusiveness.

...and beating on moneylenders with a switch. REALLY can't see that Jesus being popular with the Modern Right.

See!!! Left wing violence against the Job Creators

 

[ideologyhunter]

I love it that the Proud Boys are now turning on Trump -- "He will go down as a Total Failure" is the quote, and I think it's on the group's main twitter feed (or equivalent.) How long did that mob surge through the Capitol, before noticing that "I'll be there with you" was a metaphor (meaning, not a thing they're familiar with)? "Hey, where the hell is his orange pants-splitting ass? We was gonna crown him on the Speaker's desk!"

 

[Keith&Co.]

Very different from (say) AOC, who claims that Jesus Christ would be rejected by many Congresspeople because of his alleged message of love and inclusiveness.

...and beating on moneylenders with a switch. REALLY can't see that Jesus being popular with the Modern Right.

See!!! Left wing violence against the Job Creators

Yep. Just get the Evangelicals to admit Jesus was Leftist.....

 

[TomC]

See!!! Left wing violence against the Job Creators

Yep. Just get the Evangelicals to admit Jesus was Leftist.....

This reminds me of an excellent political cartoon. It was nearly 20 years ago, during the early years of the Bush II administration, when Republicans dominated Washington DC. So I don't remember the details well. Here's how I remember it.

First Frame
Voice bubble from the Capitol building. "We elect Jesus as our One True Leader!"

Second frame
Voice bubble from the sky. "Make peace on earth. Take care of the poor and the sick. Welcome the stranger and the foreigner."

Third Frame
Voice bubble from the Capitol building. "What are you? Some kind of Communist?"

Tom

 

[lpetrich]

At 06:57:28 PM - Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and Rep. Brett Guthrie wanted to honor the Capitol Police for its members' bravery in defending the Capitol, including fallen member Brian Sicknick.

07:06:12 PM - AOC (C-SPAN's transcript, fixed by me):

29 days ago, on January 6 of 2021, insurrectionists attacked our Capitol seeking to overturn the results of our nation's election. 29 days ago, the glass in and around this very chamber was shattered by gunshots, clubs, by individuals seeking to restrain and murder members of Congress duly elected to carry out the duties of their office. 29 days ago, Officer Sicknick, who just laid in honor yesterday in our nation's Capitol, was murdered on the steps just outside this hallowed floor. Two Capitol police officers have lost their lives since in addition to the four other people who died on the events of January 6. 29 days ago, food service workers, staffers, children ran or hid for their lives from violence deliberately incited by the former President of the United States.

Sadly, less than 29 days later, with little to no accountability for the bloodshed and trauma of the 6th, some are demanding that we move on or worse, attempting to minimize, discredit or belittle the accounts of survivors. In doing so, they not only further harm those who were there that day, and provide cover for those responsible, but they also send a tremendously damaging message to survivors of trauma all across this country. That the way to deal with trauma, violence, and targeting is to paper it over, minimize it and move on. Sadly, this is all too often what we hear from survivors of trauma as the reason that they don't get care. That what they experienced wasn't bad enough or too bad to talk about or that they are afraid of being invalidated, accused of exaggeration, or making a mountain out of a molehill.

As a result, thousands if not millions deny the care they need and deserve - the care that they need and deserve - to live better lives. 29 days ago, our nation's Capitol was attacked. That is the big story. And in that big story resides thousands of individual accounts. Just as valid and important as the other. Tonight, for this special order, we will begin to hear and commit to the Congressional record, just some of those many stories. I thank my colleagues who are have bravely come forward today to share their accounts.

 

[lpetrich]

Back to C-SPAN. AOC introduced Rep. Peter Welch, D-VT.

He talked about the demonstrations that he sees in front of the Supreme Court building. Some he agrees with and some he doesn't, but they are all peaceful. But on 1/6, he walked from his home all the way to the Lincoln Memorial and back. It seemed like another protest, but they were shouting things like "Hang Mike Pence!" and horrible insults about Nancy Pelosi. Some people marching in formation.

He didn't expect the Capitol building to be invaded. When the leadership was rushed off the floor, he got suspicious. Then a Capitol cop told everybody to get out the gas masks and lie on the floor. He saw cops with guns out. They got out in a rather roundabout route and he noticed a mob trying to breach one of the doors.

1. Peaceful transition of power - tradition shattered
2. Jim Crow: violence as a political tool

AOC then introduced Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-NY.

He noticed the curiously lax security when he arrived around 8:30 AM. He went to his office for a while, then when he wanted to go to the House floor, he was informed that the Capitol was breached. Then two cops showed up and offered to take him to a safe room with other Congresspeople. He declined. He saw the assault from his office windows. When he returned at about 8 pm, he saw furniture against the walls and some blood on some floor where someone was shot. We must find out if some Congressmembers supported that mob. Some of the attackers seemed to know their way around in the Capitol building and nearby. We must not ignore what happened.

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

I love it that the Proud Boys are now turning on Trump -- "He will go down as a Total Failure" is the quote, and I think it's on the group's main twitter feed (or equivalent.) How long did that mob surge through the Capitol, before noticing that "I'll be there with you" was a metaphor (meaning, not a thing they're familiar with)? "Hey, where the hell is his orange pants-splitting ass? We was gonna crown him on the Speaker's desk!"

He was there figuratively, by not deploying National Guard aided in intentional negligence by Flynn's brother and colleagues (Q).

 

[lpetrich]

AOC then introduced Sheila Jackson Lee, D-TX.

She then congratulated AOC for her courage and for convening them for this purpose. She describes fleeing the Congress building during the 9/11/2001 attacks, when one of the airplanes had hit the Pentagon. Back to 1/6, she described fleeing from the House chamber. We should not allow white supremacist terrorists to get away with their terrorism. She asked why the National Guard was kept from showing up.

AOC then introduced Dean Phillips, D-MN.

He described the sounds of the mob coming after them, and the sound of furniture being dragged into place as barricades. He remembers how the only thing he had to defend himself was a pencil. I think that they should have low-lethality weapons like truncheons and pepper spray and stun guns -- weapons whose effects should be easy to recover from. Back to him. He remembers thinking that the best case would be a hostage situation and that he and others may not be able to see their families again.

He recalled trying to hide among the Republicans, but that blending in was not an option for his nonwhite colleagues.

AOC appreciated him saying that, then introduced Mary Gay Scanlon, D-PA.

She read some Congressional staffers' open letter to the Senators calling on them to find Trump guilty.

AOC then introduced Mark Takano, D-CA.

He described awakening that day with Georgia on his mind. Both Democratic Senate candidates had won the state's two Senate seats, giving the Democrats a majority in the Senate. It seemed like we were turning the page on a dark chapter in our nation's history. There was one final step: counting the electoral votes and certifying the Biden-Harris victory. It was supposed to be some formality, but instead, then-President Trump encouraged his rallygoers to attack the Congresspeople and stop the count. He was warned about Trump's rally, so he arrived early. A bit before 1, the Capitol Police told him that the Cannon Office Building was being closed and that one must move to the Longworth or Rayburn ones. He went to Longworth and took refuge in a colleague's office. He eventually got into a secure location, a Veterans Affairs committee offices in the Longworth basement. His phone was active with alerts, and he turned on the TV. He couldn't believe what he saw: a mob attacking the Capitol building, overpowering the police, and stopping the electoral-vote count.

He then acknowledged what Congressional staffers and cops had lived through. They barricaded themselves in offices, and they heard attackers banging on their doors. Large numbers of them of them requesting counseling and support.

 

[lpetrich]

Then AOC introduced Rashida Tlaib, D-MI.

She was in tears over the death threats that she has received. Her first one was in her first day of orientation. AOC came up to her and put a hand on her back. She felt relieved that she wasn't around in the Capitol building on that awful day, but she was very worried about the people who were there. Her staff keeps death threats away from her. After describing more of the death threats that she receives, and that her family receives, AOC came up to her again and put a hand on her back again. She concluded by beggin her colleagues to take those attacks seriously.

AOC made some comments about personal attacks making people feel less safe, and continued "because our seats do not belong to us, they belong to the people of the United States. And we as members who come in and lead this chamber - are not permanent fixtures." After more such comments, she stated "I'm so incredibly proud to yield to another powerful woman and leader that so many in our country see themselves in, Representative Cori Bush", D-MO.

She then praised AOC on being such a great leader at this time, and she got into what it was like on that day. She had been in the House gallery listening to speeches when she felt the impulse to look outside and see what was happening. Trump's rallygoers were headed toward the Capitol building. She went to her office and checked the TV. CB then looked at this "protest" and she recalled her experience with protests from her St. Louis days -- nothing like that. It was like when the white supremacists would show up and start shooting. If they get into her office, "we bangin' to the end".

She then talked about the oath of office that she took, and she said that she will not give up the fight for racial justice and against white supremacists. She also said that each one of her coleagues represents some 700,000 people, people who may love them, people who may hate them, people who voted for them, and people who would never vote for them.

AOC said "Thank you for your comments today and how you carry yourself in this chamber every day. They're just a powerful demonstration of why so maybe people are inspired by your example." She then asked how much time was left. It was 4 1/2 minutes.

AOC then did a speech:

Lastly, I'd like to close speaking to the individuals, some of the individuals that have already been mentioned. And some of the folks that have already been mentioned in prior remarks. Our staff, our Capitol Police, our House clerks. We thank you. We know how many of you were put in the line of danger because of the job that you have. We know and felt how many staffers were willing to put themselves on the line in order to protect the members of -- they serve alongside. And that is a weight that no one should have to carry. And so we thank you to our House clerks, we thank you. To every single staff member of the United States Congress, we thank you. To our food service workers, we thank you. To our custodial workers, sweeping up the glass on the floor shattered by white supremacists, cleaning up after their mess, there is not enough ways to say thank you. We thank you. To our Capitol Police who are willing to defend us, we thank you. And again, to our staffers, we thank you. I would be remiss if i did not specifically thank my staffer right here to my left, Geraldo Bonilla-Chavez, who was with me on the day of the attack and who did everything he could to protect me. I want his community to know that he is a hero. I want his parents and his family to know that he's a hero. Our staff already know that he's a hero. I believe he's a hero too. And i know it's not just him. He'll be the first one to say that. It's to every one of our House clerks, we thank you. To our Capitol Police, we thank you. To our food service workers, our custodial workers, every person here that was standing to fight for our democracy, we thank you. And with that, madam speaker, I yield my time.

GBC, that AOC staffer, is nicknamed "G". One can see him near AOC during her speech.