January 6 Commission

The Ten Greatest Political Villains Of 2022! And An Addendum!

Ronald 3 Comments

Yesterday, I published a post on the ten greatest Political Heroes of 2022.

So now, it is time to indicate who I believe are the ten greatest Political Villains of 2022!

In no special order, I would list the following:

Republican House Minority Leader, possibly Speaker of the House (hopefully not), Kevin McCarthy of California, who time again and again showed he had no spine, being a supplicant to Donald Trump, and demonstrating no principle or ethics in his crazed desire to be Speaker, two heartbeats away from the Presidency. The thought of him being that close in the line of succession is horrifying, not that there are very good alternatives!

Election Denier, and symbol with clenched fist, Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, who promoted sedition and treason! He faces reelection in 2024 and should be soundly defeated!

Election Denier and most obnoxious Senator (with other competitors), Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who this author and blogger thought in 2016 was the most dangerous Republican running for President, even more than Donald Trump! He faces reelection in 2024 and should be soundly defeated!

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a man who once had some intelligence, but after Arizona Senator John McCain died, has become a total Donald Trump sycophant!

Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, a very unstable and unpricipled excuse for a human being, who, somehow, was able to defeat one of the best US Senators of modern times, Russ Feingold, in 2010 and 2016, and then a very talented Lieutenant Governor, African American Mandela Barnes in 2022. Johnson is one of the worst figures in Senate history!

Republican Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio, an obnoxious and unprincipled man who, sadly, is likely to become House Judiciary Committee Chairman in the 118th Congress in 2023!

Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott, who won his third term as Governor in 2022, despite his horrendous policies and lack of compassion, and is likely to pursue a Presidential candidacy for 2024!

Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who won a vast reelection victory in 2022, and is seen as the front runner for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2024, despite his intolerant and authoritarian bent, and his high level of arrogance and cockiness, on a multitude of issues. These include the COVID 19 Pandemic; Gay and Transgender Rights; Racial and Religious Minorities; interference in the teaching of History and Literature, and Manipulating School Boards and Libraries; and extreme Gerrymandering of Congressional Districts, which took away two African American seats, and gave the Republicans the control of the House of Representatives in the 118th Congress!

Arizona Republican Gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake, who used the same tactic as Donald Trump, promoting the “Big Lie” about her defeat in the recent elections in her state. She has just been repudiated in court in her attempt to reverse a clearcut victory by her opponent, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs. Good riddance to the most obnoxious woman imaginable!

Finally, on this list, former President Donald Trump, the most dangerous and worst US President in American history, twice impeached, and a close ally of totalitarian dictators around the world, willing to overthrow the US Constitution, rule of law, and American democracy. He needs to be prevented from running again for President, and indictment and conviction on the four charges brought against him by the January 6 House Committee is essential, to prevent any future tyrant from taking the kind of actions that this most evil man took! He harmed so many Americans during his term, as well as having the responsibility for the deaths, destruction and violence, in the worst attack on the US Capitol since the War of 1812!

And now an Addendum:

The Supreme Court has become a disgraceful, power hungry, extremist right wing organization!

Chief Justice John Roberts has lost his desired reputation as the leader of his Court, and in particular, Clarence Thomas (appointed by George H. W. Bush) and Samuel Alito (appointed by George W. Bush) have been totally out of control, and both will go down as two of the very worst Supreme Court Justices in American history! The names and reputations of both Bush Presidencies are permanently besmirched as a result!

The Danger Of Kevin McCarthy Being Two Heartbeats Away From The Presidency In 2023

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House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California has engaged in a great coverup regarding the events of January 6, 2021, but we have now learned that he was ready to promote the resignation of Donald Trump, until he changed his mind and caved in to Trump.

McCarthy has led a campaign to defeat Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, the only Republicans to show courage and join the January 6 House Committee investigating the horrible events of that day.

With the exception of a small group of other House Republicans who joined Cheney and Kinzinger in supporting impeachment of Donald Trump for his rhetoric and actions on January 6, the party has engaged in a coverup.

Kevin McCarthy so desperately wants to be Speaker of the House that he has shown himself to be a coward in promoting the “Big Lie” about his involvement and interaction around the events of that day.

The danger now is that McCarthy, were he to become Speaker of the House, would disgrace that office, as he has no principles, ethics, or morals, and is willing to sell his soul to Donald Trump!

The nightmare scenario about Kevin McCarthy is that if was to become Speaker of the House, he would be two heartbeats away from the Presidency, as under the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, the only people standing in the way of the Presidency are President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris!

Even worse is the possibility that someone far worse than even McCarthy, such as Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan or others who are equally reprehensible, could become Speaker in place of McCarthy!

It is essential that the Republicans NOT win the majority in the House of Representatives, as that would also mean the end of the investigation into the most dangerous threat to the US Capitol and American government stability since the War of 1812!

The Joe Manchin Problem

Ronald 9 Comments

West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin is a real problem for the Democrats in the US Senate.

While he is a Democrat, and has supported all actions so far by President Joe Biden in legislative votes, he has now made it clear that he will NOT work to end or modify the Senate filibuster. This despite great disappointment that ten Republican Senators could not be found to support the creation of the January 6 Commission.

Manchin is a conservative who, if he was to retire or lose support of his voters, he would be most likely replaced by a Republican, so this creates an impossible situation in a 50-50 Senate.

This mess creates great problems for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and could do great damage to the Joe Biden agenda, in a way similar to what Barack Obama faced after the first two years of his Presidency.

The ability to have a voting rights law to overcome the actions by many Republican legislatures to limit voting rights for racial minorities will be hampered, as well as a serious infrastructure legislation, gun control legislation, immigration reform, and so much else.

“Reconciliation”, which would not require 60 votes, might be possible, but is based on some bipartisan support, which is far from guaranteed.

Mike Pence: A Weak Sycophant To Donald Trump, With No Political Future, And A Disgraceful Reputation!

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Former Vice President Mike Pence was directly threatened with being lynched on January 6, at the time of the US Capitol Insurrection, and President Donald Trump did not have any contact with him for the next five days.

Pence came very close to being lynched on a noose set up by the insurrectionists, and yet, Pence can only say five months later that he and Trump disagree, and might never come to any agreement about the events of that day.

This shows how weak kneed and sycophantic Pence is to Trump, rather than being outraged and demanding Trump apologize, and be held accountable, as seventeen Republicans made clear in the second impeachment trial, and 42 Republicans made clear in supporting the establishment of a January 6 Commission.

Mike Pence has no political future, and a disgraceful reputation, but is emasculated by Donald Trump, an outrage for which Pence needs to be condemned by all decent people!

Six Republican Senators Supported Creation Of Bipartisan January 6 Commission

Ronald 1 Comment

Six Republican Senators ended up supporting creation of the bipartisan January 6 Commission, to do a thorough investigation of the US Capitol Insurrection, with the proposal failing 54-35 in the Senate last Friday.

Five of the six Republican Senators also supported conviction of Donald Trump on impeachment charges, including

Mitt Romney of Utah
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Susan Collins of Maine
Ben Sasse of Nebraska
Bill Cassidy of Louisiana

Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania was absent for the vote, but said he would have joined the others in support, as he did on the conviction of Trump.

Also, Rob Portman of Ohio, who did not support conviction of Trump on impeachment charges, joined the five above Senators in voting for the commission, and should be commended.

Richard Burr of North Carolina, who supported conviction of Trump, failed to vote on the legislation, but indicated he would not have supported such a commission.

On Memorial Day Weekend, Republicans Show Contempt For Preservation Of Democracy!

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Memorial Day weekend is a time for remembrance of the contributions of generations of Americans who sacrificed their lives to protect and preserve American democracy.

It is a time to give thanks to those who gave their lives for their country in the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and other lesser conflicts in American history.

But now, the Republican Party, the party of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Ronald Reagan, has shown contempt for the concept of preservation of democracy, by refusing to back a bipartisan January 6 Commission to fully investigate the US Capitol Insurrection, which caused the death and injuries of scores of US Capitol Police.

The Republican Party has allowed itself to become part of the cancer of Donald Trump, which is destroying the party’s history and reputation.

No matter what, however, there will be full investigation and accountability for the horrid events of that day, including the threatened hanging of Vice President Mike Pence, and the murder of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and the dire threats to other Senators and Congressmen, who if not for the Capitol Police commitment, might have become victims as well!

The 35 House Republicans Who Supported Creation Of A January 6 Insurrection Commission, But Will Senate Republicans Follow?

Ronald 1 Comment

The number of House Republicans who supported the impeachment of Donald Trump in January, after the US Capitol Insurrection of January 6, was ten members.

The number of House Republicans who voted last week to support the creation of a January 6 Insurrection Commission is 35 members, which is one sixth of the Republican House membership, with 175 Republicans voting against the bill.

They come from 23 states, including 4 from New York; and 2 each from Florida, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Washington, Nebraska, Utah, and Arkansas.

The other states are California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Oregon, Indiana, South Carolina, West Virginia, Iowa, Wyoming, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Idaho.

The big question is whether 10 Republican Senators would go along with the creation of the January 6 Commission, and one would think the 7 Senators who voted to convict Trump in February 2021 (Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Pat Toomey, Richard Burr, and Bill Cassidy) would do so, but already it seems unlikely that will happen!

It is believed that up to 15 Republican Senators “might’ support the creation of the Commission, but no certainty, when it should be supported by all who want the unvarnished truth!

In any case, there will be a House Commission formed by Nancy Pelosi, and the Republicans will nnly harm their own reputations, and their political futures, by working to deny a full investigation, with their full participation.

Covering up or denying reality will not play well, and will only doom the Republican Party future!

An Investigation Of The January 6 Capitol Insurrection Will Occur With Or Without GOP Backing!

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It looks as if the Republican Party will refuse to participate in a bipartisan investigation of the January 6 Capitol Insurrection.

But the House of Representatives will conduct such an investigation no matter what, and since 35 Republicans in the House voted for such an investigation, it is likely that some of them, like Lynn Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, and John Katko will cooperate and make it bipartisan even if the Republican Party as a whole stonewalls looking for the truth.

The truth and facts will come out one way or the other, but it would be better to have a bipartisan effort.

By all rights, Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise, and Mitch McConnell should all be forced out of office as promoting the “Big Lie” and not caring about the Capitol Police who were assaulted on January 6.

The Republican Party is in free fall, with no future as long as they kiss up to the Fascist dictator, Donald Trump, who seems likely to be indicted soon and hopefully, end up in prison!

January 6 Commission Is Essential To Investigate, Hold Accountable, And Avoid Future Insurrection!

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The creation of the January 6 Commission on the Capitol Insurrection is essential, in order to investigate, hold accountable, and avoid future such insurrections.

But only 35 Republicans voted for the Commission, along with all Democrats, making the vote 252-175.

However, all 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump in January came through, along with 25 other courageous Republicans, defying the leadership of Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise, the two leading Republican House leaders.

The Senate might prevent such a January 6 Commission, still uncertain, and it will undermine the Republican Party reputation if that occurs, so right now, the nation is in limbo until the Senate vote occurs after a likely long debate.

Ten Republicans would need to support the creation of the Commission, but only seven Senators voted to convict Trump, so the question is whether those seven and three more will be willing to do the right thing!