“A Republic, if you can keep it.”
* The FBI vetted all of the 25,000 National Guard troops brought in to secure Washington for the Inaugural. The reason: concerns about an insider attack or other threats from service personnel actually involved with security. Beyond sobering.
* Throw the figurative, as well as the literal, book at all Capitol insurrectionists—from blatant anarchists to GOPster collusionists. Domestic terrorism warrants no less. Such a Trump-era precedent is critical if we are to truly go forward as a viable, democratic republic. Making a high-profile example of the worst among us is best for America.
* “Hang Mike Pence.” It’s what happens when upholding the Constitution becomes a traitorous act to the worst of the Trump base. Even Mike Pence deserves better. Probably.
* Who will be among those representing Trump at a Senate impeachment trial? Pam Bondiagain? Only if it looks self-serving.
* No longer in residence at the White House, Trump has pondered where he would be most comfortable. We know about MAGA-Lago for now. Two other options: The Villages and Moscow.
* The false equivalence of BLM protests and “Stop the Steal” insurrection is an all-too-familiar, disingenuous, partisan refrain. Riotous behavior–and all its collateral damage–is always wrong. End of equivalence, however, when one is steeped in infamous, societal racism that includes police brutality and the other is steeped in–and stoked by–white grievance, fraudulent claims of a stolen election and seditious entitlement.
* “Judas” update? “These 10 (Republicans), from (Trump’s) own party joined in the (House impeachment) feeding frenzy. It makes you wonder what the 30 pieces of silver were that Speaker Pelosi promised for his betrayal. … After all he has done for our country, you would turn your back and betray him so quickly.” That was evangelist Franklin Graham.
After all that Trump has wrought—including insurrection incitement in our Capitol—he’s the one who has been betrayed? What would Franklin’s dad, Billy, have said? More to the point, what would Jesus say about fealty to one who is the avatar of immorality, racism and misogyny as well as the antithesis of what Jesus died for? But maybe it will help the sale of those “Pray for 45” T-shirts that Graham is promoting.
* Trump has stated that he should not be compared to Richard Nixon, who resigned the presidency in disgrace to avoid impeachment. Trump’s right; he shouldn’t be compared to Nixon. It’s not fair to Nixon, who–however dark and duplicitous–was at least qualified to be president and never fomented an insurrection against his own country.
* If impeachment and/or the 25th Amendment were not applied to Trump, they would be, in effect, inapplicable. In short, if inciting insurrection isn’t sufficient cause, what is? What an unconscionable precedent that would be–even for such an unprecedented presidency.
* “In 2022, we’ll be faced with the Trump pitchfork crowd, and there will need to be an effort to beat them back.” That was Scott Reed, the former chief political strategist for the Chamber of Commerce, in predicting a ferocious, internecine GOP brawl next year.
* “It’s just destroying the party to go out and try to censure people. It doesn’t show that they’re trying to attract new people to the party.” That was Jonathan Lines, a Trump-supporting, former chairman of the Arizona Republican Party. Arizona, a historically red state, flipped into the Biden column and is now a center of Republican retribution, as Liz Cheney well knows.
* “Profiles in Courage” should not be an oxymoron.
* Trump reportedly is telling supporters and donors he wants to collect $2 billion for a presidential library and museum in Florida. Begs all sorts of questions, including whether a hotel will be part of the scenario. And how many copies of “The Art of the Deal” will be included? How about love letters from Little Kim and Vlad? Maybe a copy of the tweet that fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson? Tanning tips? SAT scores? Golf cards? MAGA hats? Trump University catalogues? A replica of the “Trump Baby” balloon? Stormy Daniels memorabilia?