Well, it's Over!

[Gunnar]

Trump has been acquitted unjustly once again, this time for inciting an armed insurrection against his own country and government, thus establishing the precedent from now on, that virtually nothing a President can do is impeachable, and that the impeachment clause in our constitution is effectively not much more than empty words as useless as teats on a bull.

Also established is that of the current Republican Senators, only 7 can credibly claim to have both courage and integrity.

[Chap]

Trump has been acquitted unjustly once again, this time for inciting an armed insurrection against his own country and government, this establishing the precedent from now on, that virtually nothing a President can do is impeachable, and that the impeachment clause in our constitution is effectively not much more than empty words as useless as teats on a bull.

1, I believe the result might have been quite different if Republican senators had been able to vote in a secret ballot. As it was, many of them were simply scared s***less, either through fear of losing their seats in the next voting round, or by direct threats to the personal safety of themselves and their families.

2. Given that the Democrat prosecutors must have known the result in advance, we have to ask what their goal might have been. I think they knew that Trump's standing with his full-on crazy base was untouchable by anything they did- but they did conclude that the public exhibition of Trump's culpability and its consequences would solidify and add to Trump's losses of support amongst 'normal' Republican voters, losses that cost him both the Presidency and the Senate. And on that basis I think they did a pretty good job.

[Jersey Girl]

GOP senators in possession of a conscience:

Richard Burr of North Carolina
Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
Susan Collins of Maine
Mitt Romney of Utah
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania
Ben Sasse of Nebraska.

[Chap]

And there's this too:


After voting to acquit, McConnell accuses Trump of 'disgraceful dereliction of duty'

Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, who voted to acquit Donald Trump of incitement of insurrection, is now delivering a blistering speech about the former president.

The Republican leader said Trump committed a “disgraceful dereliction of duty” by refusing to intervene as his supporters carried out a violent insurrection at the Capitol.

“There’s no question, none, that President Trump is practically, and morally, responsible for provoking the events of the day,” McConnell said.

McConnell emphasized that the insurrectionists turned violent because Trump had told them a series of lies about the presidential election.

“They did this because they’d been fed wild falsehoods by the most powerful man on Earth because he was angry he lost an election,” McConnell said. “This was an intensifying crescendo of conspiracy theories.”

The Republican leader then pivoted to making a jurisdictional argument against conviction, saying the Senate is not meant to act as a “moral tribunal”.

[Jersey Girl]

And there's this too:


After voting to acquit, McConnell accuses Trump of 'disgraceful dereliction of duty'

Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, who voted to acquit Donald Trump of incitement of insurrection, is now delivering a blistering speech about the former president.

The Republican leader said Trump committed a “disgraceful dereliction of duty” by refusing to intervene as his supporters carried out a violent insurrection at the Capitol.

“There’s no question, none, that President Trump is practically, and morally, responsible for provoking the events of the day,” McConnell said.

McConnell emphasized that the insurrectionists turned violent because Trump had told them a series of lies about the presidential election.

“They did this because they’d been fed wild falsehoods by the most powerful man on Earth because he was angry he lost an election,” McConnell said. “This was an intensifying crescendo of conspiracy theories.”

The Republican leader then pivoted to making a jurisdictional argument against conviction, saying the Senate is not meant to act as a “moral tribunal”.

He makes these statements after he votes to acquit. Entirely nauseating.

[Gunnar]

He makes these statements after he votes to acquit. Entirely nauseating.

Agreed! I wonder if we will ever again see a time when the Republican party is led by honest, courageous leaders with a conscience who are genuinely concerned with the needs and aspirations of anyone other than themselves and their wealthiest donors.

I have to say, however, that it is at least somewhat encouraging that arguably the most powerful Republican in the country, other than Trump, is starting to distance himself from Trump.

[Jersey Girl]

He makes these statements after he votes to acquit. Entirely nauseating.

Agreed! I wonder if we will ever again see a time when the Republican party is led by honest, courageous leaders with a conscience who are genuinely concerned with the needs and aspirations anyone other than themselves and their wealthiest donors.

I suppose a lot could happen in the course of 4 years. It certainly did with Trump, right? I'm hoping that it goes in a positive direction. But I won't hold my breath.

Politics is just so full of greed and manipulation. I thought it was a game my entire life.

I wasn't wrong.

[Jersey Girl]

These senators who voted to acquit. The mealy mouth excuses with which they wrote off Trump's behavior for 4+ years. They have no self awareness at all and only non-thinkers would buy what they've been selling.

[Gunnar]

Trump has been acquitted unjustly once again, this time for inciting an armed insurrection against his own country and government, this establishing the precedent from now on, that virtually nothing a President can do is impeachable, and that the impeachment clause in our constitution is effectively not much more than empty words as useless as teats on a bull.

1, I believe the result might have been quite different if Republican senators had been able to vote in a secret ballot. As it was, many of them were simply scared s***less, either through fear of losing their seats in the next voting round, or by direct threats to the personal safety of themselves and their families.

I'm sure you're right about that.

2. Given that the Democrat prosecutors must have known the result in advance, we have to ask what their goal might have been. I think they knew that Trump's standing with his full-on crazy base was untouchable by anything they did- but they did conclude that the public exhibition of Trump's culpability and its consequences would solidify and add to Trump's losses of support amongst 'normal' Republican voters, losses that cost him both the Presidency and the Senate. And on that basis I think they did a pretty good job.

Perhaps so. I fervently hope it proves out that most, if not all, of those who voted for acquittal have irreparably damaged their own political careers by doing so. They certainly deserve that!

[Bret Ripley]

The overture has ended; the curtain rises on Act I as the performers take their places in a traditional courtroom setting: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/13/us/p ... -riot.html